McIntyre Tennis

Genie Bouchard Finishes Season On A High Note

Article and Photographs By Mike McIntyre

The past few years have not been easy ones for Canada's Genie Bouchard. Thrust into the spotlight after an incredible 2014 season that most players could only dream of, Bouchard was put on up on a pedestal so high that there was only one way she could go. In a nation so desperate for a legitimate tennis super-star, the talented and also highly marketable Bouchard was an turned into an immediate celebrity thanks to intense fan and media reaction to her breakout year on the WTA. After making the semifinals of the Australian Open and Roland Garros, Bouchard also was a finalist at Wimbledon - an event she won in 2012 while still a junior. It only made sense to those watching from afar that the then 20 year old would take things one step further the following year. As we know now, that was not to be.

In 2015 Bouchard could no longer surprise her peers and found her opponents were that much more prepared to face her. Add to that the intense scrutiny she suddenly faced week-in and week-out and it is no wonder there was a regression in terms of her Grand Slam results that season. Off the court the newfound attention of being the face of Tennis Canada might also have contributed to Bouchard's struggles. Not everyone is ready to carry that weight at the tender age of 21. An unfortunate and unlucky fall on a slippery floor in the locker room late one night at the US Open resulted in a concussion for Bouchard who was then unable to complete the year on her own terms. The effects of that fall are impossible to measure, although in February of this year the USTA was found to have been 75% responsible and the two sides settled out of court a day later.

2016 and 2017 followed a similarly frustrating and perplexing departure from the top of the women's game that no-doubt left Bouchard as confused as anyone. Coaching changes, injuries and growing pains as a young tennis professional all contributed to the ongoing stagnation the once promising Canadian star seemed to be stuck in.

In 2017 Bouchard failed to win the Tennis Canada female player of the year award for the first time in years and the attention she received in the media was more a result of off-court endeavors such as gracing the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and granting a date to a courageous fan who made a bet with her on Twitter related to SuperBowl LI. 

Then this past year there seemed to be signs of progress. While Bouchard began the season by falling out of the top 100 in the rankings for the first time in five years, and losing (for a time) the No. 1 ranking in Canada, she seemed to come to the realization that she needed a system reboot. Bouchard made a triumphant return to Fed Cup action in her home town of Montreal that proved to be a smart decision from the now 24 year old. She came up clutch for Tennis Canada in winning both of her singles matches against Ukraine that allowed her country to remain in the World Group for 2019. As important as the performance on the court perhaps were the optics of Bouchard the Team Player - who appeared to be genuinely embraced by her teammates. She was also quick to shake her opponents hand at the pre-event photo-op to dispel any possible distractions and to show that she has certainly matured over the past few years. To see a smiling Genie Bouchard on the court again was perhaps the greatest victory that she could have achieved on a personal level that week.

Being down in the rankings proved to be a blessing for Bouchard who was now forced to qualify at the Grand Slams but did so with a fiery determination that we had not seen in some time. At Wimbledon she appeared to be dialed-in during her three qualifying wins before falling to a very tough Ashleigh Barty in the second round 6-4, 7-5. A few weeks later she made her first WTA semifinal since early 2017 while in Gstaad. There she had to unfortunately withdraw in her match against Alize Cornet due to a thigh injury after dropping a close opening set in a tiebreak.

At the final Slam of the year at the US Open, Bouchard was absolutely possessed in her quest to qualify and she only dropped seven games in her three matches to make the main draw. While she would end up losing in the second round to young upstart Marketa Vondrousova, there were still positive signs emerging from the once top-ten player.

That brings us to what seems to be Bouchard's final tournament of 2018, where she won six straight matches including qualifying to make her second semifinal of the year in Luxembourg. The new partnership with coach Michael Joyce certainly seemed to pay immediate dividends for Bouchard as she knocked-off players like Timea Babos and Carla Suarez Navarro during her solid week there. She was eventually beaten by No. 1 seed Julia Goerges of Germany (who won the event), 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 in what was a very respectable and encouraging late-season showing.

Finishing the year inside the top 100 must definitely be viewed as a major step forward for Bouchard who now finds herself at 88th in the WTA rankings. Able to start 2019 without having to grind it out in the qualifying draw of the Australian Open would leave her fresher for the opening rounds of the main event and give her the best chance of advancing past the third round of a major for the first time since August of 2015. For a player who has taken her fair share of criticism in recent years, it is only fair that she receive credit for the way she has persevered through all of the ups and downs. We'll have to wait a couple of months now before we see if Bouchard is able to sustain her improvements and continue her recent upswing in the women's game. While getting back to her 2014 levels of success are not a realistic expectation, being able to build on a stable 2018 would be welcomed I'm sure by both Bouchard and her legion of loyal fans.

 

The Impact Equality Has Had on Tennis

 

King vs Riggs may sound like a Supreme Court case and you’d be forgiven for making that assumption. In some ways, however, it could be considered a far more serious affair.

The famous Battle of The Sexes between 29-year-old Billie Jean King and 55-year-old Bobby Riggs is still relevant today, as many believe we have not moved on from the days of overt sexism in tennis. King fought for equality in women’s tennis and for the right to receive prize money on par with the men’s game. In an article on PBS, King remarks that the mainstream belief is that women should be thrilled when they get crumbs. She says, "I want women to have the cake, the icing, and the cherry on top, too."

King had won an impressive 12 grand slams throughout her career, but she is best remembered for getting the US Open to change their sexist policy in 1973. This was the year she thrashed Bobby Riggs on court, paving the way for equal prize money for the US Open's male and female champions. It took Wimbledon over three decades to follow suit — the tournament changed their discrepant prize policy in 2007. These days, however, men and women at the tournament get equal attention from broadcasters, with women getting just as much time on the main courts and on camera. In their women’s tennis feature, The Atlantic claims that the increased exposure of the women’s games effectively builds more interest in the sport.

As such, the increased coverage also means that viewers associate tennis with both men and women. A Grand Slam is no longer about the separation between the men’s and women’s game, but about the game itself. It creates more engagement among female tennis fans and ultimately gives players more exposure to attract larger and more lucrative endorsements. The equality that this cycle creates enables a new generation of promising young girls to seriously consider tennis as a lucrative career. We need only look at players like Serena Williams, whom we discussed previously here on Pro Tennis Fan. She is the highest paid female player in the sport’s history, with tournament winnings worth more than twice that of her fellow players.

Despite these advancements towards gender equality in the sport, there still remains a lot of work to be done. Taking into account the money involved in endorsements and appearance fees, women still have trouble catching up to men in terms of earnings. To illustrate, Coral's list of the 15 highest-earning tennis players in the world includes only six women, with Williams ranking fourth overall at £63 million (roughly $82.9 million). In contrast, Roger Federer tops the list with £86.1 million ($112.5 million), despite Williams having won more Grand Slams in the Australian, French, and US Opens than Federer. In terms of Wimbledon, Federer has 8 titles to Williams' 7, men's and women's champions receive £2.2 million ($2.8 million) equally. But additional earnings are still largely skewed towards male players. This is why Roger Federer collected roughly £52.4 million ($68.5 million) between June 2015 and June 2016. Serena Williams, on other hand, made only £22.3 million ($29 million) during that same period.

This situation, of course, is still a step up from many other sports. Female tennis players are still better remunerated than women in other sports, with Williams being the only woman to feature in the Forbes list of the top 100 best-paid athletes. However, with continued equal exposure and more individual and institutional action towards fixing the issue, that list will surely include more female athletes in the future.

 

Article exclusively submitted for protennisfan.com

By Florence Ava

Raonic and Pospisil to Faceoff in Antwerp

By Mike McIntyre

I'll never forget the Rogers Cup from 2010. It was a glimpse into the future for Canadian tennis fans who were starved for some home grown talent to root for. In a night time doubles match on Centre Court, two youngsters by the names of Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil took to the court to face the top two players in the world who had formed a superstar tandem as they began their summer hardcourt swing. While most expected Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to cruise through the match, the upstart Canadians had something else in mind and delivered a stunning 5-7, 6-3, 10-8 victory. It was a sign of things to come.

Raonic would be the first to excel on the ATP World Tour and his Wimbledon final appearance in 2016 remains the highlight of his career to date. When Federer and Nadal began to falter a few years back, it seemed as though Raonic would be one of the next generation of players to perhaps start to regularly challenge for some Grand Slam titles. Instead, injuries have become a regular occurrence for the now 27 year old who seems unable to get through a season without dealing with multiple betrayals from his own body.

Pospisil never had the weapon like Raonic had with his serve, but still pushed his way up the rankings to a career-high of No. 25 in the World back in 2014. He won the Wimbledon doubles titles that same year and a year later also made it to the quarterfinals at the All-England Club in singles. Since that time however his doubles ranking has all but disappeared as he has chosen to focus on his singles game, which has returned to the top 100 in 2018 but seems unable to get much higher than that.

The first two career meetings between Raonic and Pospisil were both important marks in their developing careers. In 2013 they clashed for a spot in the Rogers Cup finals in Montreal with Raonic prevailing 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4). A year later the two played in the first-ever all-Canadian men's singles final on the tour with Raonic again the victor by a score of 6-1, 6-4. At the time Canadian tennis fans likely felt they were on the verge of something special, expecting many more great duels between the two. Unfortunately that has not come to fruition, and the meeting on Wednesday in Antwerp feels rather anti-climactic between two players who seem to have flat-lined in their progress.

Instead it seems like most of the hype in Canada has turned to rising stars Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime. The two teenagers will be counted on to hold the torch for Tennis Canada in the future both as competitors and teammates in Davis Cup and hopefully Olympic action as well. For today however, we'll see if Raonic and Pospisil can remind us that they still matter and that better days lie ahead.

Canada In Davis Cup Driver's Seat

By Mike McIntyre

In what is guaranteed to be the last Davis Cup tie played this time of year on home soil, Canada gave its fans something to remember them by in the opening day of their Tie against the Netherlands. The Tennis Canada squad would secure victories in both singles rubbers with wins from Milos Raonic and Denis Shapovalov.

The first match featured Canada's No. 1 gun Raonic returning to Davis Cup action for the first time since 2015. The World No. 20 delivered a routine win as expected against World No. 236 Thiemo de Bakker. The only question for Raonic was his health, as he was injured in the last match he played a couple of weeks ago at the US Open. There were no signs of limping or limited movement from that right thigh injury and Raonic cruised 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

It was the second singles match of the day that was predicted to be much closer and that certainly turned-out to be the case. 19 year old Denis Shapovalov brought a 1-1 career head-to-head record into the match against 31 year old Robin Haase. Shapovalov triumphed earlier this season on clay in Rome while Haase got his revenge recently in Toronto at the Rogers Cup. The match did not start well for Canada as Shapovalov was quickly down 3-6, 3-6 due to a high number of errors in comparison to the steady play from his opponent. In the third frame it appeared likely that the Dutchman was going to finish things off in straight sets. Serving at 5-5, Shapovalov somehow saved six break points against him to hold and then break Haase to take the set 7-5. Suddenly there was a glimmer of hope for the enthusiastic home crowd to latch onto. Shapovalov started connecting on his ground strokes that were now finding their mark more often than not. Haase began to tire and for the first time in his young career, Shapovalov would overcome a two set deficit to prevail 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

The victory now sets the stage for Vasek Pospisil and the retiring Daniel Nestor to clinch the tie against the Netherlands in their doubles match Saturday afternoon. The pair will have their work cut out for them as they face the world's No. 20 doubles player Jean-Julien Roger. Roger's partner is unknown at present time but given the four-plus hours that Haase spent on court yesterday, it would be unlikely he returns to action so soon. Instead look to Matwe Middelkoop - world No. 33  to take the spot. 

It will be a difficult position for Nestor to be in despite being the sentimental favourite. The 46 year old has played with a revolving door of partners in his final season on the ATP World Tour and has not been able to develop much rhythm as he approaches retirement. He and Pospisil have also struggled in recent matches together but will hope to use the home crowd support and emotional magnitude of the moment to propel them - and Canada - to victory. 

Should the Netherlands win in doubles, it will be up to Shapovalov or Raonic to win one of their remaining singles matches on Sunday - a feat that shouldn't be a problem given their success on Friday. While we might not be seeing much Davis Cup action in Canada moving forward under the new format, at least it appears likely that Canadian tennis fans will have a positive lasting memory from the success achieved this weekend here in Toronto.

Interview With Kelsey Anderson - Wife and Support Team Chairperson of Kevin Anderson

ProTennisFan: I have to start with the incredible run that you guys had this year at Wimbledon. Just wondering, has that accomplishment sunk in yet for both of you?

Kelsey Anderson: Yeah, I think it’s definitely sunk in. Obviously those are the types of positions that as a tennis player or the spouse of a tennis player you dream of putting yourself in, to be competing for some of the biggest titles in our sport, so it was really a dream come true and it’s been a lot of hard work and a really long journey and road to get to this point. Kevin’s maybe not one of the most well-known players on tour but he has been around for quite some time and this has been a very long time coming so we’re very, very happy.

ProTennisFan: That’s Kevin’s second Grand Slam final within the past year, so this is becoming something where he is certainly getting more recognized for these results. How did this compare to the final of the US Open where that was his first appearance in a major final.

Kelsey Anderson:  I think definitely both from the team and as well as Kevin’s own perspective I think he felt a lot more comfortable the second time around competing in the later stages of a Slam. When he’d made the finals of the US Open I don’t even think he’d been past the quarter-finals of a Slam before, so it really was uncharted territory for Kevin and that can be quite unnerving. Especially you’re coming up against guys like Rafael Nadal or Djokovic who have competed in finals countless times and it becomes a little intimidating knowing that they have that much more experience than you at that level and I think that’s why maybe over the last ten years why we’ve seen such a dominance by a select few who’ve made multiple Slam finals because most other people don’t have the experience in those stages and it makes it really challenging and the mental aspect of that is not something that I think other people should underestimate. For Kevin to be able to join such an elite group of people who’ve achieved two Grand Slam finals in this Era of tennis is something that I’m just so proud of. I really couldn’t have hoped for a better result.

ProTennisFan: You talk about those dominant guys and Kevin got his first career win against Roger Federer at – of all places – Wimbledon. How special was that for him and for you both?

Kelsey Anderson:  Kevin and I don’t look at the draw, so we didn’t know who he was going to play if he did reach the later stages of the tournament. We would kind of find out each round after he had won. So, when he beat Monfils, which in and of itself we knew was going to be really tall order, and we were so happy for him to get through that match, it was a very close match, closer than even the scoreline indicated – it felt to me, and when he was able to reach the quarterfinal for the first time at Wimbledon and then you see he’s playing Roger Federer who’s had a spectacular year so far, and obviously grass is his strongest surface potentially, and he’s just one of the greatest competitors that tennis has ever seen, that kind of takes the wind out of your sails a little bit –

ProTennisFan: So you guys had no idea that Roger was up next really up until that point?

Kelsey Anderson:  No we didn’t know – I mean, we knew that Kevin was in the top half of the draw, so we knew that Roger was in his half, but that was more or less all we knew, so yeah when we found that out obviously you feel a little disappointed in a way, but also excited for the opportunity to compete against somebody like that it’s obviously an honour to play somebody who’s so accomplished especially on that kind of stage, so it was both a challenge and a little bit daunting at the same time if that makes any sense.

ProTennisFan: I’ve got to ask, those five set matches, those grueling five set matches that are suddenly getting so much attention - should we cut down to a tiebreak in the fifth set? Where does Kevin stand, where do you guys stand on that after going through some tough ones at Wimbledon on that issue?

Kelsey Anderson:  I think Kevin prior to Wimbledon this year had, not the strongest of opinions on the long fifth set. I think being involved in the player council and some of the players who are making decisions about changes to the sport year in and year out Kevin has had to form opinions about some of these things. Kevin, prior to the long match he had with John was not super strong one way or the other. I think he recognized the history and the challenge that a long fifth set presents in the format of the game. But I think now having experienced it, I think he just feels personally – I mean he was very outspoken about this, so you can go back and see exactly what he said if you want – but in summary it seemed like he felt at some point it becomes unnecessary and it seems as if both the fans and the players and the television/media coverage they would all like a more predictable format and five sets in and of itself can be very unpredictable as far as length, so I think Kevin just felt that for the sake of most everybody involved that the way forwards would be to change the format. It remains to be seen if that’ll happen. Obviously Wimbledon places a huge emphasis on history and they’ve had some really historic matches, mainly John’s longest match ever which took place there which was almost twice as long as the match that Kevin and John played this year so they still didn’t change it after that so, I wouldn’t expect any changes to come but I do think it would be welcome by many, many different groups of players and supporters alike.

ProTennisFan: How was the recovery for that Wimbledon final? How big a concern was that in terms of recovery for you guys leading up to the final against Novak?

Kelsey Anderson:  Yeah, I mean it wasn’t – obviously it’s not ideal -  you’re really, really happy to be putting yourself in a position to complete for the final but after going through such a grueling, physical battle it’s a little bit tough to bounce back from that. Kevin that night he woke up around four in the morning and his feet were killing him. Like he couldn’t even lay in bed, so I had to go wake up his physiotherapy at 4:30 in the morning and have him come and do a little treatment on Kevin’s feet just so he could fall back asleep and feel comfortable. It definitely presents its challenges. I do think by the time Kevin took the court for the final, I don’t think he was unfit to compete. I think he did recover enough to play in the final. Obviously he played a really good third set, he almost took the third set, he had set point so, I think in general he recovered fine but it was a really physical match. There’s still things I’m sure his body is doing to recover from such a long match but I think it presents its challenges but these guys also work really hard, they know that that’s a possibility especially a guy with a good serve like Kevin, he knows he can get into these long situations and I think he’s prepared for that and he trains for that, he’s fit for that too.

ProTennisFan: In his next event I was looking at the doubles draw in Toronto and everyone was buzzing at the fact that we had Kevin teaming-up with Novak Djokovic. Those guys were just fierce competitors in the Wimbledon final, then they’re playing together, tell me, how did that partnership come to be?

Kelsey Anderson:  I was really excited for Kevin and Novak to be playing together, they’ve played each other a ton of times as opponents, but they had never played doubles together. I believe they were talking about player council matters, Novak is actually the President of the player council and Kevin is the Vice President and I think in their conversations Kevin was like – “Hey are you playing doubles in Toronto?” and they decided to play together. So it was really exciting, it was a great show of sportsmanship as well considering they were just competitors in such a big moment in tennis in the Wimbledon final to then both play together in their next event, I think it’s a really good show of sportsmanship from both of them.

ProTennisFan: I don’t want to make this all about Kevin of course because you have such a visible and important role that you’re playing as well. It’s safe to say that you’re more than just Kevin’s wife in terms of what you do week in and week out. How would you define the part that you play on tour? I know on your Twitter it says “support team chairperson” – how would you define what it is you do each week?

Kelsey Anderson: Yeah I think that was a joke that one of Kevin’s old physiotherapists made up – he called me the support team chairperson and it’s stuck. But there are a lot of little things that I do for Kevin on a daily basis, whether it’s making sure he’s eating at the right times and going out and getting food for him or organizing fun activities, organizing meetings with his mental coach, I try to stay on top of things and make sure that all he has to do is worry about tennis. And then if and of an event, in case he forgets something I’m usually the one running around at the last second trying to sort things out. I think it’s definitely helpful for Kevin to have a second hand person there, kind of taking the slack off him a little bit. I think on a larger scale, things that I do for Kevin – definitely being like a spring board for him to talk about ideas, and things not just about tennis specifically but about life in general, I think it’s just really valuable that you can connect with when you’re going through this tour because it can be lonely if you don’t have that. It’s a really mental sport as everybody knows and it can bring some dark times as well as obviously really exuberant times. So I think just having somebody there to experience that with you and kind of share in those moments is really important. And it’s something I think with a spouse or a partner that you maybe don’t get from a coach or a physiotherapist – obviously most players nowadays travel with a coach and I think sometimes the coach does play that role if they don’t have a partner with them, but I think it’s a special void that you can fill on a team when you’re able to do that.

ProTennisFan: You’re both so well known for your sportsmanship that you display, the positive comments that you guys make both in victory and defeat, obviously very active on social media, and again in such a positive way which is refreshing these days because there is a lot of negativity out there, I would say most pros don’t go to such lengths. Why is it important for you guys to be such sportsmanlike people?

Kelsey Anderson:  Thank you – first of all for saying that, that’s a really nice compliment. That’s a good question, I don’t know, I obviously grew up playing golf and sportsmanship and integrity is a really big value of that game as well. Obviously tennis is known to be a gentlemen’s sport I think when you grow up playing a game where it’s expected of you sometimes it becomes ingrained. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily a conscious effort that either of us are trying to do anything so that’s very nice that’s something that maybe we’re recognized for, that’s really wonderful to hear. I did have tons of people telling me after the long match with John Isner at Wimbledon that said it’s the best, most gracious post-match interview that they’d ever seen and I’d actually missed it because I was on court and all the Wimbledon interviews are done off court – they don’t do any press or interviewing on court like most tournaments do. So I didn’t see it live and luckily some of my friends on twitter sent it to me so I was able to see it. It’s really nice. In general I would say in tennis a lot of people are really gracious and it rubs off on you. It’s a really nice group of guys out here on the ATP Tour and I think they all have a lot of respect for each other and so it’s easy to be gracious, it’s easy to have sportsmanship when it’s like that.

ProTennisFan: In other sports, team sports especially, there is often a tight knit community of the player’s wives and partners. I’m wondering in the tennis world because it’s an individual sport, do you have a similar group where you get to connect with as you go stop to stop along the tour?

Kelsey Anderson: Yes actually, that’s a very good question. We just in the last year or so, some of the French girls have led a little bit of an initiative to have activities and groups where we get together sometimes at the bigger stops like at the Grand Slams and have a little girls night or girls day where we can get to know each other. Because obviously we all know each other on a superficial level cause we’re seeing each other around week in and week out in the player’s lounge and on the match court but I think to be able to get to know each other more personally has been really nice over the last little while and that’s something that we’re trying to do. I’m going to try to plan something for New York City when everybody’s there for the Open so, that’s in the works  – to be continued. But you can look for that on all of our social media, I’m sure we’ll post about it.

ProTennisFan: My last question for you, and although retirement is still clearly a ways off - especially with all these guys in their 30s who are now playing as if they’re in their 20s – what do you guys see for the future when you’re no longer going tournament to tournament?

Kelsey Anderson: I have not given that too much thought, but just off the cuff, I would love to see Kevin stay involved in tennis in some capacity. Obviously it’s the thing in Kevin’s life that he’s most passionate about so I would love to see him remain involved. I don’t know what vehicle that will take whether, I know a lot of players get into coaching when they’re done, some players get into commentary, some players get involved with their Federations. I’m really not sure which path will be the correct one for Kevin. Hopefully after he’s done playing and when he does finally make the decision to hang-up his racquet, he’ll have a little bit of time to reflect on that and won’t feel pressured to rush back into something straight away, but you’ll see because, a lot of guys they say they are so finished with the tour, they can’t wait to just be at home for a while and then they’re back at it in like a year or so I think people they do miss it. So, we’ll see what happens, obviously Kevin and I both really love this life and this lifestyle so I’m open to whatever the future brings.

Naomi Osaka Wins The US Open Amid Serena Williams Argument With Umpire

By Mike McIntyre

Naomi Osaka became the first tennis player from Japan to win a Grand Slam title on Sunday at the US Open with a decisive 6-2, 6-4 victory over Serena Williams. It was not the way the 20 year old Osaka envisioned defeating her idol however as a sideshow developed between the 23 time major champion and chair umpire Carlos Ramos.

After a clean first set of tennis from Osaka and an error-filled one from Williams, things took a turn for the worse in the early stages of the second set. Ramos gave Williams a warning for coaching due to hand signals that Patrick Mouratoglou was making from the stands. Williams seemed stung by the accusation as if it somehow implied that she was looking for an advantage to get back into the match. She explained to Ramos that she understood how he might have implied there was coaching going on but that, "I don't cheat to win, I'd rather lose."

Regardless of whether or not Williams even saw the hand signal from her coach, the umpire is within his or her right to impose such a warning. The onus in this case to remain impartial and detached is really on Mouratoglou, although as he mentioned after the match, "100% of the coaches, in 100% of the matches" employ similar tactics. For a player like Serena Williams however, who never uses on-court coaching even when it is permitted at regular WTA events, the insinuation from Ramos clearly struck a nerve.

The exchange seemed to in-fact fire the American up as she would break to take a 3-1 lead in the second frame. Quickly however, Osaka broke right back to put the match back on-serve and after the fifth game ended Williams threw her racquet to the court in frustration. That enacted an automatic point penalty which meant that Osaka would start her next service game ahead 15-0. This was unclear to Williams until she got-up after the change-over and made her way to receive serve. It all started to unravel from this point onwards as a visibly shaken Williams asked Ramos for an apology.

It seemed as though Williams was under the impression that the previous warning for coaching was reconciled between her and the umpire at an earlier juncture of the match and that perhaps she believed it did not actually count in the progressive discipline she was now receiving. Ramos stuck to his guns (as he was entitled to do) and the match continued.

Skip ahead to the next changeover where Williams was still understandably seething from a combination of unfortunate events and continued strong play from her opponent, and things got uncomfortable very quickly. As she was getting up to receive serve with Osaka leading 4-3, Williams said to Ramos "You're a thief" for taking the point deduction from her two games prior. Without hesitation or reflection, Ramos then (again as he was entitled to do) decided to call her for verbal abuse. Due to the existing warning/code violation combo she had already received, the third strike against her resulted in the automatic forfeit of an entire game. Williams would now have to serve to stay in the match, down 3-5.

This is the point of the match where in my estimation the chair umpire should have used better judgement. He did not have to call Williams for verbal abuse at such a critical juncture of a Grand Slam final. She did not use any obscenities in her comments to him and was understandably rattled with the way things were proceeding both between herself and the umpire as well as herself and her opponent. To make a parallel to another professional sport, in the NHL referees officiate playoff games differently than they would a (relatively) meaningless regular season game despite the fact that the rules are the same in either setting. They are known to "put their whistles away" in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The US Open final is the equivalent to game 7 overtime in hockey, and yet Ramos decided to enforce the rules exactly as they appear in the book. Instead of finding a way to diffuse the situation, Ramos essentially lit the match that would trigger an explosive reaction from Williams.

Tournament referee Brian Earley and WTA Supervisor Donna Kelso both came onto the court to try to better understand the situation but after speaking with Ramos and listening to Williams plead her case, they walked-away saying effectively that their hands were tied and it was the chair umpire's decision to make.

Osaka then somehow managed to block-out the distraction and focus on her tennis - which she has done so well over the past two weeks - and closed-out the second set 6-4 to claim her first major title. The young phenom was moved to tears as she hugged her mother, coach and other family and friends in her players box after the victory and was again seen crying while having to deal with a chorus of boos that reigned down during the post-match trophy ceremony. Serena Williams' fans felt their star was robbed of the opportunity to end the match on her own terms.

Regardless of how you feel Williams reacted during the match, she showed enormous class to quickly take control of that awkward moment and address the crowd pleading for them to allow Osaka to enjoy her well-earned triumph. Osaka is a rising star on the WTA Tour who earlier this year won her first professional tournament in Indian Wells, defeated Williams in the next event in Miami and has now proved that result to be no fluke.

For Williams, a $17,000 fine was levied against her the day after the final for her behavior on court. While there are still tournaments that remain before the end of the tennis season, the American tennis legend will now have to wait until January at the Australian Open to try to capture her 24th Grand Slam and try to tie the all-time record held my Margaret Court. That quest is the driving factor that keeps Serena Williams going as she approaches her 37th birthday later this month. Given the controversy and drama that we witnessed in her last match at Flushing Meadows I'm sure it will only serve to provide Williams even more motivation to make that a reality.

Who Will Capture the 2018 US Open?

Article and Photographs by Mike McIntyre

With the final Grand Slam of 2018 fast approaching, it remains to be seen if someone unexpected can challenge for the US Open. The first three majors of the year have gone to the usual suspects - Roger Federer at the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal (comme d'habitude) at the French Open and a resurgent Novak Djokovic recently at Wimbledon. What are the chances that those all-time greats can be bested in New York?

If you're looking to play the odds, sportsbettingdime.com has a list of trustworthy betting sites you can utilize.

Let's take a look at some of the next-tier of contenders.

Alexander Zverev

The leader of the so-called "Next Gen" on the ATP World Tour, the German has yet to translate the success that has propelled him to No. 4 in the world to the Grand Slam level. A disappointing showing at the Masters 1000s in Toronto and Cincinnati don't lend to much optimism however the young talent has recently brought Ivan Le

ndl into his team. Having an eight-time major champion in one's corner can't hurt. The fact that Lendl didn't win his first Slam until the age of 24 will probably also help this partnership thrive.

Kevin Anderson

The 6'8'' South African proved at Wimbledon that his finalist showing last year at Flushing Meadows was no fluke. He has found a consistent top-ten level in his game and is a class act both in victory and defeat. His confidence is now as powerful as his booming serve and he truly believes he belongs at the top of the men's game. Anderson is an opponent that nobody relishes playing at the moment.

Marin Cilic

Let's not forget that Cilic is one of the few players outside of the "Big Four" who has one a Grand Slam in the past 15 years. The 2014 US Open champion has had decent results lately making the quarterfinals in Toronto and the semifinals in Cincinnati and clearly enjoys playing in New York. He made the finals of the Australian Open at the start of the season and should not be overlooked on the other hard court Slam of 2018.

Stan Wawrinka

It has taken the three-time Slam champion a little longer than expected to start posting favorable results since coming back from a knee injury to start the year. He missed the US Open last year but has won there in 2016 and also has semifinal showings from 2013 and 2015. He fell to Roger Federer in the quarterfinals in Cincinnati recently but put-up a brave challenge before going down 6-7, 7-6, 6-2.

Juan Martin Del Potro

There are few players who are more likeable on the ATP World Tour than the affable Del Potro. Nine years since his lone Grand Slam title here in New York, the Argentinian has rebuilt his game after multiple wrist surgeries and is back to displaying the ferocious game that we hoped he was still capable of showing us. A solid 2018 including the semifinals at Roland Garros and quarterfinals of Wimbledon are proof that he can handle the best-of-five set grind. His maiden Masters 1000 title back in March in Indian Wells was also a huge moment that reveals his prowess on the hard courts as well.

Check back with us often over the next two weeks as well for regular updates and analysis from the US Open. Whether is it Djokovic, Nadal, Federer or one of the above mentioned players, we will have you covered throughout the final Grand Slam for 2018.

Great Things in Store for Canada at the Rogers Cup

By Mike McIntyre

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal captured his fourth Rogers Cup title on Sunday in Toronto and reminded the Next Gen on the ATP World Tour that their time has not quite arrived yet. The Spaniard was - in the words of vanquished 20 year old finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas - a "beast" whose competitive drive and hunger for victory still remains unparalleled among his peers. 

This edition of Canada's Masters 1000 event will be remembered by Nadal's brilliant win but also as one where the young guns made their presence truly felt. Aside from Tsitsipas - who defeated four members of the top ten en-route to the final - there were strong performances by Karen Khachanov, Daniil Medvedev, Canada's Denis Shapovalov  and of course 21 year old Sascha Zverev who as the current World No. 4 has already transcended his Next Gen label to become a force on the professional tour. 

While the Grand Slams are still being dominated by three guys - Nadal along with Roger Federer and a resurgent Novak Djokovic, the kids coming-up the ranks are proving that they are ready to compete for titles at the other tour events and it is only a matter of time before one of them has a breakthrough at a Major. 

Stuck in the middle are those in their mid to late twenties. The Grigor Dimitrov's and Milos Raonic's of the world who, while talented, are at risk of seeing their chances of winning one of tennis' most coveted tournaments disappear. A combination of health issues, inconsistencies and general misfortune of playing in the Era of three of the best players - perhaps THE best players - ever has cost them their quest for Grand Slam triumph so far. 

Crowds in Toronto seemed to be among their all-time highs this year and this is a trend that we should see only continue to blossom as Canada asserts itself in tennis as a nation to keep an eye on at the international level. Aside from the 27 year old Raonic - who still could conceivably have some good years ahead if he can stay healthy, there are two rising talents that will soon be superstars both at home and abroad.

Denis Shapovalov made his presence felt last summer during his surprising semifinal run in Montreal. While he could not repeat that accomplishment this year in Toronto, he looked good in his two opening round victories before falling to Robin Haase in his round of sixteen match. Give the kid some time to mature and develop his entertaining game and he has nowhere to go but up. As if one budding star wasn't enough, tennis fans also had a glimpse of the promise Felix Auger-Aliassime holds. The just-turned 18 year old seemed to be poised for a second round victory against Medvedev but ultimately fell 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(7). Nerves got the better of him in the late stages of the third set tiebreak, but he is already the youngest player in the top 200 of the ATP rankings and has a game that is far more developed than it should  be for his age. 

While Raonic had an exciting run to the Rogers Cup finals in 2013 where he lost to - you guessed it - Nadal, his arrival was just foreshadowing the success Tennis Canada is on the cusp of enjoying. With Daniel Nestor set to retire next month at the age of 45 after winning every conceivable accolade in the doubles world, Canada is ready to now see if it has what it takes to experiences that kind of success in singles competition as well. When Nadal, Federer and Djokovic do finally pass the torch, there is no doubt there will be some Canadians lining up to try to have their turn. 

Sascha Zverev Ready To Defend His Rogers Cup Title in Toronto

Interview and Photos By Mike McIntyre

 

No. 2 seed and defending champion at the Rogers Cup Sascha Zverev took some time to speak with me following his 6-4, 6-4 second round win in Toronto on Wednesday. We spoke about the changes in conditions From DC, the oddity of defending a title in a different city and of course his rapport with Yorkshire journalist Jonathan Pinfield.

 

 

Q: Happy with how your first match here in Toronto played out today?

 

A: I mean obviously it’s a big change from playing in Washington when it was much hotter there and more humid. The ball on the courts is different and the courts here are way faster so I had to make some adjustments but I’m happy to get the straight sets win against someone who’s been playing well here.

 

Q: Is it somewhat strange to be the defending champion in a different city than where you won this event last summer? 

 

A: I’ve never won a match in Toronto and here I am the defending champion. It’s strange but it’s still nice because it means that you won a Masters and I’ll do everything I can to defend my title.

 

 

Q: How do you pace yourself through this stretch of hard court events in DC, Toronto, and Cincy in preparation for the US Open?

 

A: I don’t pace myself! I want to win every match I play and that’s never going to change. 

 

Q: Earlier this year you had a nice exchange with a certain reporter from Yorkshire. How did that rapport help you at all in between your matches and what did it mean to you?

 

A: There’s other things that helped me but it was great having some fun. In England I think the Queen of England heard it and a lot of other people, so it was great for the reporter actually. I was happy to have that. I was happy to have this kind of small talk with him after every match, so it was great fun.

 

Felix Auger-Aliassime Announces Himself at the Rogers Cup

By Mike McIntyre

Canadian tennis fans have plenty of reason to get excited after 17 year old Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated World No. 18 Lucas Pouille of France on Centre Court at the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Tuesday. The youngster showed no signs of nerves as he won the match 6-3, 6-4 for his first career Masters 1000 level victory. Aside from the four Grand Slams, this is the biggest stage for tennis players on the ATP World Tour and Auger-Aliassime looks like is ready to  have his name added to the NextGen list of young players to keep an eye on moving forward. 

While Canadian doubles legend Daniel Nestor has had enormous success over the years, Canada was never known as a tennis power house. That is beginning to change with the constant threat that Milos Raonic presents along with 19 year old Denis Shapovalov - and now Auger-Aliassime as well. The future with these three is bright indeed and in time should make the nation one to watch at the international level in Davis Cup competition. 

Auger-Aliassime has been working his way up the rankings this year mostly at the Challenger level. He recently completed a stretch that saw him play 15 straight tournaments on clay but made the transition quite smoothly today onto hard courts. His ranking is already 133rd in the world making him the youngest inside the top 200 in the world rankings. 

Regardless of what comes next this week for the talented youngster, he has served notice that he is comfortable playing on this stage. His second round match will be against Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who at 22 years of age is ranked 68th in the world and considered a dangerous opponent. The Russian defeated 13th seed Jack Sock in the opening round, so both he and Auger-Aliassime have achieved higher than their rankings would have initially suggested. A likely third round encounter against No. 2 seed Sascha Zverev would await the winner. 

For now Auger-Aliassime can be more than satisfied with how he handled himself today and how he has instantly added himself to the dangerous mix of players we can boast of. The secret is out folks - Canada is one to watch on the ATP World Tour.