McIntyre Tennis

U.S. Open Day 1 Recap

By Mike McIntyre

No major surprises on day one at the U.S. Open but a few of the top players did unexpectedly get pushed to the limit in the sweltering late August heat in New York.

Despite my mounting frustrations with ESPN's choice of featured matches during the day session it was nice to see the McEnroe brothers combination seeming more comfortable commentating together then they did a year ago.

In women's action, Kim Clijsters defeated a nervous Greta Arn, 6-0, 7-5. Why ESPN chose to stay with that sleeper of a first set is beyond me, but at least Arn showed up in the second by taking the early break and forcing Clijsters to actually play some tennis to close it out.

That was followed by birthday boy Andy Roddick's routine demolition of late-bloomer Stephane Robert of France by a score of 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.The 28 year old Roddick has bounced back nicely from a mild case of mono with recent wins over Robin Soderling and Novak Djokovic in Cincinnati.

The match I really would have liked to have watched in its entirety was the battle between Daniela Hantuchova the 24th seed and former world number one Dinara Safina. Despite the fact that Safina had defeated the leggy-blonde in their last four matches, including a week ago in New Haven, Hantuchova was the more poised player on this day. She marched to a straight set victory 6-3, 6-4.

Safina is still fighting her way back into form following a back injury that forced her to miss most of the 2010 season. She has struggled since her return and is currently ranked 59th in the world. While the match against Hantuchova was a great first rounder from a fans perspective, it was a shame that Safina could not have started off against a more manageable opponent.

It was a good win for Hantuchova meanwhile as she is a player who could have a decent run here in New York in a year where the women's title is very much up for grabs.

In terms of American women, both Melanie Oudin and Venus Williams were successful on day one. I really enjoyed watching the highlights of a confident Oudin rolling over Olga Savchuck 6-3, 6-0. Oudin rose to such premature fame a year ago with her quarter-final appearance and has been burdened with unrealistic expectations ever since.

Those expectations were clearly defined for me in a recent article by Matthew Cronin where he felt that Oudin's issues stemmed from, "her lack of maturity and her inability to toughen up in the face of expectations."

I realize journalists are not supposed to be on the bandwagon for up-and-coming players, but to offer such a harsh and negative assessment of the youngest player in the top one hundred seems like overkill to me.

Give this eighteen year old a chance to deal with her first year of full-time play on the WTA Tour and allow her the time to blossom into the great player she could certainly become.

A real test awaits Oudin in the second round where she will face 29th seeded Alona Bondarenko. 

Williams held on in her match after blowing an early first set lead to defeat Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-1. It was the third seed's first competition since Wimbledon as she seeks her first U.S. Open title since 2001. If Venus had more match play under her belt this summer I'd have considered her the true favorite to win in New York, but I just don't feel like she is confident enough right now to challenge some of the top players.

On the men's side there were a couple of dandy five set matches on day one. Contender Robin Soderling blew a two-sets-to-none lead against qualifier Andreas Haider-Maurer before regrouping to win 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4. The previously unknown Haider-Maurer brought a lethal serve with him and revealed the danger of playing a guy who had already endured three qualifying matches prior to the start of the main draw.

Exciting Frenchman Gael Monfils also had to overcome stiff competition in order to advance to the second round. He barely got by American Robby Kendrick by a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4. At 4-4, deuce, in the final set, Monfils had a controversial moment where he appeared to potentially make contact with the ball before it bounced just long of the baseline. Replays proved inconclusive but the chair umpire gave the key point to Monfils which for obvious reasons angered Kendrick. After the match Monfils admitted he was not sure whether he made contact with the ball or not before it bounced but that these things were a part of sports.

Roger Federer made his debut at night and easily dispatched of Argentina's Brian Dabul 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Federer's performance was highlighted by a beautiful between the legs shot that landed in for a clear winner against a stunned Dabul. The world number two player lifted a finger to salute the appreciative crowd and brought back memories from his similar shot a year ago against Novak Djokovic. Regardless of which of those two shots were more impressive, the fact that Federer can seemingly concoct these shots at will is really something else.

Stay tuned on day two as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova and number one seed Caroline Wozniacki all make their U.S. Open debuts.

If you're looking for potential upsets, I feel that fellow Serb, Victor Troicki could test Djokovic. Troicki is ranked inside the top-fifty and we all know how Djokovic feels about playing in the heat.

Please feel free to follow us on Twitter as well as the tournament progresses.

Clijsters Pulls Out of French Open

By Mike McIntyre

Kim Clijsters will miss out on her first opportunity to play at Roland Garros since coming out of retirement last summer. The world number ten player has withdrawn due to a foot injury.

Clijsters joins other WTA players Urszula Radwanska and Sania Mirza on the sidelines.

On the ATP Tour, Nikolay Davydenko (wrist), Juan Martin Del Potro (wrist) and James Blake have also announced their absences due to injury from the French Open. They join Igor Andreev and Tommy Haas on the injured list.

Sony Ericsson Round Two Update

By Mike McIntyre

The second round of play came to a conclusion at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami on Saturday and while the women's draw seems to be unfolding according to plan, the upsets continued on the men's side.

A day after second seeded Novak Djokovic went down in defeat, the third seed, Andy Murray followed suit. Murray was dropped in straight sets by American veteran Mardy Fish, 6-4, 6-4. Since reaching the Aussie Open finals in January, Murray has looked listless on court failing to advance past the quarter-finals of any event he has played. While I'm sure that this is just a blip on the screen for Murray, it has to be concerning for his camp as the hard court swing is coming to an end - a time where Murray usually shines. As we progress to the red clay of Europe it will only become harder for the Scot to find his rhythm.

The men's draw now opens up considerably and gives the Roger and Rafa show a great chance to re-assert itself on the stage in Miami. The greatest tennis rivalry of the 21st Century has yet to hit the court in 2010 and is due for another riveting installment. Federer won their last encounter, in May 2009, at the Masters event in Madrid while Nadal had won the five battles prior to that.

Federer's draw looks like smooth sailing for the world number one player, with little opposition expected from Florent Serra in the third round. Tomas Berdych and a potential rematch with Marcos Baghdatis (who defeated Roger in Indian Wells last week) are on the horizon. Federer should have shaken off all of the post-Aussie Open rust by that point.

For Rafa, a tough third round tussle with David Nalbandian is on deck which should be a real treat to watch. Nalbandian has historically done well against Nadal - a feat that few players on tour can boast. The Argentine owns a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over Rafa, all on hard courts. I give the edge to Nadal in this one due to the fact Nalbandian has only recently returned from a lengthy injury layoff. It should still make for great tennis, so catch it if you can.

American Andy Roddick has a favorable draw with the 18th seeded Tommy Robredo his highest ranked potential opponent between here and the semi-finals. Sweden's Robin Soderling also has a nice path now that Andy Murray has been taken out of the equation in his section.

As for the WTA Tour, number one seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova is defending her lead position in the draw and advanced to the fourth round with a victory over Agnes Szavay. I must admit that seeing Kuznetsova hold the top seed in a tournament of this depth is somewhat surprising. While she did win the French Open a year ago, her play in 2010 has been abysmal. A fourth round loss at the Aussie Open and first or second round losses in each of her other appearances does not bode well for her season. Of course now that I've said that look for Kuznetsova to make a real run in Miami. My Murray vs Djokovic final prediction has already blown up in my face.

One player I've got a great feeling about at this tournament and for her career in general is Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer. Since bursting onto the scene with her U.S. Open semi-final appearance in 2009 this kid has been on a real tear. She won her first tournament of 2010 and then had a strong run at the Aussie Open where she endured three tough qualifying matches and made it to the round of sixteen before bowing out in three tight sets against returning country-woman Justine Henin. She's had a bit of a tough go since then, but has a nice draw here to turn things around. At only twenty years old she represents a very bright future for women's tennis in Belgium - already brimming with talent due to the returns of Henin and Kim Clijsters.

Other notable results of late include Henin knocking off 5th seed Elena Dementieva while Vera Zvonareva schooled American youngster Melanie Oudin 6-1, 6-2. I sure hope that kid is taking this all in stride because in the long haul I think she's going to be a great player.

Hope you're all enjoying the tennis if you have television access or are lucky enough to be in Miami for this great tournament. Keep checking back for more updates.

Charity Auction for Haiti

By Mike McIntyre

Players from both the ATP and WTA Tour's have donated their tennis racquets to Tennis Australia's charity auction for Haiti.

You can bid on the racquets of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters and Jelena Dokic. No surprise that Federer's is the current high bid at $13,300.00 right now, more than three times as much as the next bid.

Check out the following link for more details and here to view auction items.

If you are simply looking for a place to donate to this great cause, here is the link for standwithhaiti.

Clijsters Humbled by Petrova at Aussie Open

By Mike McIntyre

Wow - who saw that one coming?

Kim Clijsters was demolished on Friday in Melbourne 6-0, 6-1 by 19th seeded Nadia Petrova. It was her first career loss to Petrova in five meetings. This was their first encounter since Clijsters emerged from retirement last summer and a result that nobody would have seen coming.

Clijsters has been on fire since coming back in July 2009, winning her first Grand Slam tournament at the U.S. Open and starting 2010 off on a winning note in Brisbane with a win over Justine Henin in the finals. All signs pointed to another strong showing here at the Australian Open where she was considered one of the favorites.

But it was Petrova who was in control from start to finish on Friday, finishing with 15 winners to a mere 10 unforced errors. She would only allow Clijsters a total of five points during the entire first set.

Clijsters was clearly not on her game as she had only 5 winners the entire match while committing 26 unforced errors. After the match, the Belgian praised Petrova's play, but admitted that she was largely responsible for the outcome.

"I was completely off. Just, you know, I think tennis‑wise, I didn't feel the ball at all. You know, on the other hand, you know, she was good. But, you know, I let her ‑‑ you know, I made all the mistakes and she didn't really have to do much. She served really well and was aggressive in the rallies, but that's because I let her play into the courts. Just because I wasn't feeling the ball well. It sucks."

Petrova is a player I have always been impressed with - in practice. Physically she seems infinitely stronger than most of the women on tour and her serve is really something else. You would think that would translate into more success on the court. Yet every time I've seen her play a match against the top players, it seems she is completely out of her league.

That being said, Petrova does have a history of solid results at the Slams. This is her third round-of-sixteen result at Australia in a row, and she made the quarter-finals in 2006. She has made the semi-finals at the French Open twice before, the quarters at Wimbledon twice, and the quarters of the U.S. Open two times as well.

Petrova now faces Svetlana Kuznetsova in an all-Russian fourth round match. The winner of that will face either Belgian Justine Henin or Yanina Wickmayer in the quarter-finals.

Australian Open Day One

By Mike McIntyre

Day one at the Australian Open is set to begin and here is a look at a few of the matches that I've got my eye on.

Featured Match: Justine Henin vs Kirsten Flipkens

This all-Belgian match features Justine Henin back in Grand Slam competition for the first time since the 2008 Aussie Open where she lost to Maria Sharapova in the quarter-finals. Flipkens will be a mere foot-note in the history of Henin's return as she does not pose a true threat to the returning former champion. Still, there will be plenty of hype around this match which should lead up to an expected second round clash between Henin and Elena Dementieva. 

Result: Henin in two sets.

Canadian Content: Valerie Tetreault vs Kim Clijsters

Being Canadian myself means that I get to throw this obscure category into my daily preview - for the first couple of rounds at least. There is not much to chose from in this first Grand Slam of the year as most Canadians fell during qualifying.

On the men's side there is only Daniel Nestor in the doubles draw as Frank Dancevic is missing from singles play while recovering from back surgery and on the women's we have Aleks Wozniak, Stephanie Dubois and Valerie Tetreault.

Tetreault's stay will be short as she has the misfortune of facing Kim Clijsters on day one. This is her first time playing in Australia and only her second ever appearance at a Grand Slam. At 22 years old Tetreault is flirting with a top one hundred ranking and can hopefully enjoy the moment on Rod Laver Arena while it lasts. 

Result: Clijsters in two sets.

Upset of the Day: Rainer Schuettler vs Sam Querrey

Querrey had a break-out year in 2009 but had to end his season prematurely after a freak accident where he fell through a glass table in September. Querrey has lost two first-round matches in a row to start 2010 and just does not seem ready to roll at this point. Schuettler is a veteran nearing the end of his career and is savvy enough to take advantage of a struggling opponent.

Result: Schuettler in four.

Grizzled Veteran Special: Fabrice Santoro vs Marin Cilic

After "retiring" at the end of last season we all thought we had seen the last of the Magician - Fabrice Santoro. The allure of playing in his 70th Grand Slam tournament proved to be too much for the 37 year old Frenchman and he is back to face the 14th seeded Cilic. 

While his prospect of winning is slim, Santoro becomes the only professional tennis player in ATP history to have played in four decades on tour. Not too shabby for a trickster like Santoro.

Result: Cilic in three.

Coin Toss: Radek Stepanek vs Ivo Karlovic

Despite leading their head-to-head encounters 3-0, Radek Stepanek will have his hands full with the monster-serving of "Dr." Ivo. Their last meeting in Davis Cup competition went five sets with Stepanek prevailing 16-14 in the fifth and this will be their first career meeting on hard courts. Your guess is as good as mine.

Result: Stepanek in five.

Women's 2010 Australian Open Preview

By Mike McIntyre

When was the last time the women's game had this much depth? I'm not knocking the WTA Tour, which in fact has had more depth in recent years than the men's Federer vs. Nadal show. When I look at the Australian Open draw though, I'm just floored with the amount of talent out there. This is a fantastic way to kick-off the 2010 Grand Slam calendar.

The Favorites:

Number one ranked Serena Williams has a pretty sweet ride to the quarter-finals from the looks of it. I don't expect her to drop a set for the first week that's for sure. There's simply nobody in her section of the draw that can keep up with her power, experience and winning-attitude. If she truly did tweak something against Elena Dementieva in Sydney, this draw gives her some time before she has to bring out her 'A' game. Williams will be the favorite to add to her existing collection of four Aussie Open titles, the most recent being a year ago.

A nice third round match-up in the top-half could include Vera Zvonareva against Ana Ivanovic. Either one of these players could use a good Grand Slam showing to correct their career progress after a disappointing 2009. Zvonareva started strong in 2009 with a semi-final showing in Australia, but after missing two months in the middle of the year with injury she never returned to top form. Ivanovic's season was a total disaster and it was hard to believe she was ever the number one ranked player in the world. One of these two should still be able to push through to the quarters.

U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki has a great path to perhaps a semi-final berth in Australia. Only Daniela Hantuchova may cause her some trouble before the quarters, although Hantuchova has not had a big win in quite some time.

Wozniacki may meet the winner of an intriguing fourth round match between Americans Venus Williams and Melanie Oudin. A Williams/Oudin match would give tennis fans a nice glimpse of the past, present and future of American tennis and perhaps that future is now. Oudin has some winnable matches early on while Venus has looked mediocre since Wimbledon and as she approaches thirty, is only a huge threat on grass.  

In the bottom-half don't get your hopes up for second-seeded Dinara Safina. The mentally fragile Russian attained the number one ranking for a period of time in 2009, but will most be remembered for tanking in two Slam finals in Australia and Paris, along with a brutal defeat in the semi's at Wimbledon. A back injury hampered the last portion of her season and was acting up again at the start of 2010 to keep her out of Brisbane. Safina does not have enough match-play under her belt to be considered a major threat here in Australia nor is her mental game ready to compete in this first Slam of the season.

There are plenty of other top-level players ready to contend for the title in the bottom section of the draw however, and the Belgians are leading the charge. 

Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin and Yanina Wickmayer are all in the same quarter of the draw, which is unfortunate because they could all have easily advanced quite far given their play of late. Clijsters has the most favorable path and should get past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make the quarter-finals. A second-consecutive Slam is a distinct possibility for her.

Henin, entered as a wild card, is not going to enjoy the same Grand Slam return that Clijsters had at the U.S. Open. After a first round match with up and coming Sorana Cirstea, Henin will most definitely face fifth seeded Elena Dementieva - the same Dementieva who just won in Sydney defeating Serena in the finals. Henin leads their head-to-head battles 9-2, but will have to fight hard to beat the in-form Russian. I think Henin can beat Dementieva, but expecting her to have a similar Cinderella-run like Clijsters did in Flushing Meadows is unlikely.

The third Belgian, and the future of tennis in that country, Yanina Wickmayer, has already fought through three qualifying matches in order to secure entry into the tournament. Wickmayer was not allowed to take the 16th seeded spot that she is due because of the timing of her return from a mishandled doping violation. She may face Italian Flavia Pennetta in the second round and either Henin or Dementieva in the fourth round. Regardless of how she fares here in Australia, the twenty year old has a bright future ahead of her.

In the very last quarter of the draw we've got the unpredictable Jelena Jankovic. Fairing no better than the fourth round of any Slam in 2009, Jankovic has much to prove this year. She has a nice section of the draw and should stay untroubled until the quarter-finals. Don't expect her to move much farther than that however, as the Serbian is not the huge threat she used to be.

Do keep an eye on Maria Sharapova to have a big Aussie Open. The talented Russian has come back admirably from shoulder surgery last year and has the power game to defeat anyone on tour. If she can keep her serve consistent and free of double-digit double faults, then she is more than capable of winning this tourney. If she does come up against Safina in the round of sixteen, I see Sharapova advancing with ease. There are more Grand Slam titles within her and this could be the next one on her list. 

Anticipated First-Round Matches:

Kimiko Date-Krumm vs Yaroslava Shvedova: The 39 year old veteran Date-Krumm has been very impressive since returning to the tour in 2008 and has worked herself back into being a dangerous player to face. Her return is even more impressive given the fact she was away from the sport for twelve years. She'll face a difficult player in Shvedova, who impressed in the late stages of 2009 with victories over Daniela Hantuchova in Toronto and Jelena Jankovic at the U.S. Open.

Caroline Wozniacki vs Aleksandra Wozniak: It amazes me how often these two near-identical names get paired together in so many tournaments. Unfortunately for the Canadian Wozniak, it rarely ends up in her favor. The fourth seeded Wozniacki has won five of their six meetings although the pair have usually produced closely contested matches. Wozniak is ranked 34th in the world right now, so this is a fairly strong first rounder.

Jelena Dokic vs Alisa Kleybanova: While it was nice to watch Dokic have her fairy-tale run to the quarter-finals in last year's edition, the same fate will be difficult to duplicate. Dokic faces hard-hitting Russian Kleybanova whom she defeated here in the fourth round last year by a tight score of 7-5, 5-7, 8-6. Kleybanova's court movement is limited due to her stature, but she can really hit the ball and was able to defeat Venus Williams, Vera Zvonareva and Jelena Jankovic (twice) in 2009.

 

 

Clijsters Defeats Henin in Brisbane

By Mike McIntyre

Kim Clijsters narrowly defeated fellow-Belgium Justine Henin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (6) in the finals of the Brisbane International on Saturday.

The match lived up to all of the hype and produced a back and forth battle that fans will be talking about for days to come.

Both players had match points and saw the momentum shift between them throughout the contest.

After winning the first set, Clijsters would find herself up 4-1 in the second set. Henin would not give-up though and came back to take the second frame, and even had match points at 5-4 in the third set.

In the third set tie-break, Clijsters would storm out to a seemingly insurmountable 5-1 lead. Henin showed the resolve of a champion in clawing her way back to 6-6. She continued to go for all of her shots when down in the tie-break and only displayed her nerves when double faulting on the subsequent point to set Clijsters up with the final match point she would require.

Following the match Henin talked briefly on court and admitted that she, "forgot how to make a speech."

Clijsters spoke eloquently and thanked just about everyone she could think of including her driver Tim. She captured the feeling of the crowd by saying, "I think we set the bar pretty high for ourselves for the rest of the year."

Clijsters decided to donate her entire prize money from the tournament to the Royal Children's Hospital of Brisbane in a move that shows the utmost class and reveals what a special player she truly is.

Clijsters vs Henin On Deck

By Mike McIntyre

How excited is the tennis world at the realization of a Kim Clijsters/Justine Henin final so early in the season? It's very rare that I will wake up in the early hours of the morning to watch a non-Grand Slam event, but I'm seriously considering doing that on Saturday just to watch these two face-off in the finals of the Brisbane International.

The pair last met at Wimbledon on grass in 2006 with Henin prevailing 6-4, 7-6(4). Clijsters won their last hard court encounter in Toronto in 2005 by a score of 7-5, 6-1. Henin narrowly leads their career head-to-head by a margin of 12-10. Good luck predicting a winner in this one folks.

Clijsters has an edge in recent match-play by virtue of her comeback in the summer of 2009 that included a U.S. Open title. Henin is looking incredibly sharp however in just her first tournament back since retirement with solid victories over second-seeded Nadia Petrova, and third-seeded Ana Ivanovic.

Both players appear to be greatly anticipating the match and had complimentary comments for each other ahead of their encounter on Saturday.

"I don't think anybody, anywhere around the world, especially Belgium, even our own groups and teams … ever expected to see this again," Clijsters said. "It's real exciting. It's going to be an interesting one again. It's, you know, back to the old days."

"It's always special when I play Kim. It's a day I like a lot," Henin said. "That's what a lot of people hoped for and expected. We've had a lot of great fights over the years. But a lot of things happened to her, a lot of things happen to me. It's going to be a different situation."

It has been a great week for tennis fans and sports enthusiasts in Belgium, as Yanina Wickmayer has already captured the ASB Classic in Auckland where she defeated top-seeded Flavia Pennetta for the title.

I think I have a feeling of what nation to keep an eye on in 2010 Fed Cup play!

Henin Set to Return to Tennis in Brisbane

By Mike McIntyre

While both the ATP and Sony Ericcson WTA tours are ready to begin play on Sunday, all eyes will be watching Brisbane and focused on the return of Justine Henin.

After retiring in May 2008, Henin is set to resume her career and draws second-seeded Nadia Petrova in her first match back. Henin holds an incredible 11-2 edge in their head-to-head and it might not be a stretch to label her the favorite.

After watching Kim Clijsters win a Grand Slam only three tournaments into her own comeback last year, there are no limits on what the feisty Henin might accomplish.

Henin certainly picked a good tournament for her return, as there is just enough competition in Brisbane to make it interesting. Should she advance past the first round, the only major obstacle in her half of the draw would be third seeded Ana Ivanovic. Ivanovic's game was ripe with inconsistencies in 2009, and it will be interesting to see how she begins the current season.

In the top half of the draw resides number one seeded Kim Clijsters. She could potentially face another returning player in round two, Alicia Molik. Molik was limited to some smaller ITF tournaments in Australia in 2009 and is making her first singles appearance at a regular tour event since 2008. She is partnered in the doubles draw with fellow Aussie Casey Dellacqua.

Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak also lurks in the top half and is capable up some solid results on hard courts. It has been some time since my home country has had a contender on either the ATP or WTA tour and it will be interesting to see if Wozniak can add to the success she enjoyed a year ago.

Fourth seeded Daniela Hantuchova is in the mix as well. Hantuchova is not entered in the doubles draw here and it remains to be seen who she picks as her partner on tour in 2010 following the retirement of Ai Sugiyama. When I spoke to Daniela in Toronto last summer she assured me that she planned on using her doubles skills in singles competition in the new year, hoping to make use of her strong net play. We'll see if that promise holds true.

While Clijsters is making her first appearance back in Australia since 2007, the focus will shift suddenly to her fellow Belgian, Justine Henin. Both will be looking to make a good returning impression down-under as we quickly approach the first Grand Slam of the year.