McIntyre Tennis

Simona Halep Wins First Grand Slam at the French Open

By Mike McIntyre

Photos by Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

It took Simona Halep 32 Grand Slam events and 4 finals to finally emerge as the last woman standing as she defeated Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the finals of the French Open. In a hard-hitting match where both opponents threw everything they had at one another, Halep didn't make it easy on herself and had to come back from a set and a break deficit to earn her first major victory.

It was the 10th seeded American who came out with a more emphatic start. Halep seemed understandable nervous and couldn't answer the precision that Stephens was generating in the first set. After Halep went down a break to start the second set, many got the feeling that winning a Grand Slam just might not be in the cards for the Romanian. Instead, it seemed that playing from behind was the more comfortable option for Halep.

While Stephens was serving up 2-1 in the second frame, momentum shifted and saw Halep win two straight games at love. Cue the chants of SI-MO-NA, SI-MO-NA and you could tell what the crowd wanted to see. Halep broke her opponent a second time to go up 4-2 but then followed that up with a lackluster game where she dropped four straight points. The pair stayed on-serve until Stephens was serving at 4-5, 30-40 and sent a backhand into the net to force a deciding set.

It was Halep who seized control in the final set and she never looked back. She reeled-off five straight games before allowing Stephens to get on the board. Halep closed out the match and her first Grand Slam on her next service game and looked at the same time proud and bewildered about what had just transpired. Remarkably Halep achieved the reverse of a year ago, where she faltered against Jelena Ostapenko after being the one in the drivers seat. 

Halep then climbed into the stands on Philippe Chatrier and shared a hug with her parents, entourage and of course with her coach Darren Cahill. It was an emotional moment that speaks to the hard road the two have taken together in recent years.

Halep now can continue her time as the World No. 1 with the confidence of knowing she absolutely deserves to be there. She has silenced her critics and proven that she can hang-on to win in the most pressure-filled situations. Mission accomplished.

Women's Semifinals Set at Roland Garros

By Mike McIntyre

Photos from Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

It's down to the final four at Roland Garros for the women as semifinal action is set to begin Thursday. In the top half of the draw there are two women who many/most expected to be there and in the bottom half a couple of unexpected arrivals given the surface being played on.

World No. 1 Simona Halep has every reason to capture her first Grand Slam in Paris, but the reservations are high given her previous performances when attaining the finals of a major. Both last year at this very tournament against Jelena Ostapenko and earlier this year in Australia to Caroline Wozniacki, she let commanding third sets leads slip through her fingers. She also lost a close final at the French Open in 2014 to Maria Sharapova.

Halep had to overcome losing the first set in both her opening round match against Alison Riske as well as her quarterfinal victory over Angie Kerber. The Romanian dug-deep both times and showed her typical grit to get back into the match. It often seems easier for Halep to come from behind, but her fans will nervously await the moment where she can protect a lead when it matters most. Can the Romanian finally overcome her late match lapses and maintain her focus to collect her first Slam title this week? 

Garbine Muguruza will try to stop Halep and the 2016 French Open champion certainly knows how to bring out her best in the Slams. After having a lethargic clay court lead-up to Roland Garros, Muguruza has been on fire this week and is yet to drop a single set. She trounced two-time winner Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-1 in the quarters on Wednesday and looks intent to claim her second major title on the red clay. Muguruza is already a two-time Grand Slam champion and has proven herself quite capable when reaching this stage of the bigger events.

In the bottom half we have two Americans who are set to re-enact their surprise US Open final from last September. Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens have both seen their promising young careers temporarily derailed by injuries in the past. Healthy and playing the best tennis we have seen from them, the two have surprised many by having such strong results here on clay.

Keys - like Muguruza - has yet to lose a set in Paris and her most impressive win was a 6-1, 7-6 victory in the third round over rising star Naomi Osaka. For her part, Stephens has had four lopsided victories en route to the semifinals, but survived a stern test from Italian Camila Giorgi in the round of sixteen where she narrowly advanced 4-6, 6-1, 8-6.

In terms of head-to-head encounters, Muguruza leads Halep 3-1, but the Romanian took their only career meeting on clay back in 2015 in Stuttgart. Stephens has the 2-0 edge over Keys, and both of those matches have been on hard courts and also had very decisive scorelines.

All four remaining players have made Slam Finals before but only two have prevailed. While Muguruza has the best track record at the French as a previous champion, Halep will be anxious to erase the self-doubt she has certainly accumulated in recent years. Keys and Stephens want to prove that they can excel on the red clay of Europe just as much as their more accomplished clay court rivals in the other half.

Check back with us here at ProTennisFan for all the final action from Paris and follow us on Twitter as well for regular updates and photos.

Monday WTA Results from the Sydney International

By Mike McIntyre

Photos by Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

The draw this year is so strong on the WTA side of things at the Sydney International that many first round matches would more than suffice for a final at many events on the Tour. Monday saw first round action nearly completed and there were some noticeable results even this early into the 2018 season.

Angelique Kerber d Lucie Safarova 6-7(3), 7-6(8), 6-2

What a difference a year makes! At the start of 2017 Kerber was the No. 1 player in the WTA rankings and now she has fallen all the way back to No. 22. A coaching change to Wim Fissette could pay dividends and help restore the German's confidence in her game. She lost the opening set to Safarova but recovered to take it in three. A solid opponent like Safarova is tough early in a draw and we'll see if Kerber can use this as motivation moving forward.

Safarova is a player who is certainly capable of playing top level tennis but has her ranking currently at No. 31. She's part of the No. 2 doubles tandem in the draw alongside usual partner Barbora Strycova.

Kerber's draw doesn't get any easier as she will next face American Venus Williams who is seeded 2nd. Kerber has a narrow 4-3 lead in their career head to head although Williams won their only encounter in 2017 in straight sets in Miami.

Nobody expected Sloane Stephens to have the summer she had upon returning to the WTA Tour following a lengthy injury layoff. She tore through the lead-up to the US Open and then nabbed the first Grand Slam of her career in New York. Since then however she has failed to win a single match and that slide continued in Sydney.

Stephens struggles continued as she dropped a very lopsided match to Italy's Camila Giorgi who defeated the American 6-3, 6-0. Stephens also lost in her doubles match alongside Jelena Ostapenko who herself went down in her opening round singles match. Tough goings for the two Slam winners from 2017. 

Giorgi will now advance to face Petra Kvitova who won her opener with a 6-1, ret. victory against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.

The Sydney draw has plenty of players who are unseeded yet still big threats like Dominika Cibulkova who could contend for the title. The Slovakian won her match against the 8th seed Anastasija Sevastova by a decisive scoreline of 6-3, 6-1. Cibulkova is currently ranked 26th on the WTA Tour and reached the second round at this event a year ago before falling to Genie Bouchard. Her next match is against Elena Vesnina against whom she has a 4-4 head-to-head record in her career. All four of her wins against Vesnina have been on hard court, so that bodes well for her. Cibulkova only made one tour final last year, in New Haven, and at the age of 28 will be looking to prove that she still has plenty of solid tennis ahead of her.

Away from the on-court action there were several player sightings from around the grounds.

Aga Radwanska took time to sign some autographs and pose for some pictures with some young fans. She has the unenviable task of facing 4th seed Johanna Konta in her first round match Tuesday.

Scouting the action around the courts was Andrea Sestini-Hlavackova who is the No. 1 seed in doubles along side Latisha Chan.

Check back with us throughout the week for more pictures and coverage from the Sydney International. Throw us a follow on Twitter as well.

Preview of the U.S. Open Women's Draw

By Mike McIntyre

There has perhaps never been more at stake in women's tennis at the final Grand Slam of the season as there is this year, as eight different players could leave the U.S. Open with the World No. 1 ranking. While some have a much stronger shot at accomplishing the feat than others, it reflects a WTA Tour that is still in-flux with the absence of Serena Williams and reveals a group of players who have yet to decide who among them might settle into the role for an extended period of time. Here is a look at the four quarters of the main draw and who we think stands the best chance of hoisting the trophy, and perhaps also emerging as the next No. 1 player in the world.

First Quarter

Current World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova assumed the role thanks to a Johanna Konta victory over Simona Halep at Wimbledon after she herself had already been knocked-out of the draw. Pliskova seemed comfortable talking about her new position at the top of the rankings while she was in Toronto at the Rogers Cup but was pushed to a third set there by 19 year old Naomi Osaka in the third round before falling to veteran Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter-finals. Pliskova would get revenge against Wozniacki in the quarter-finals in Cincinnati before falling to eventual champion Garbine Muguruza in the semi-finals there. I foresee this progression continuing for Pliskova with a return to the finals in Flushing Meadows as a distinct possibility. She's in a great section of the draw filled with recent underacheivers like Kristina Mladenovic and over overachievers like Barbora Strycova in her path towards the final sixteen. Potential quarter-final foes include the struggling Aga Radwanska, a relatively dormant Svetlana Kuznetsova and a couple of dangerous floaters like Lucie Safarova and the young CiCi Bellis. By the quarter-finals I see Pliskova's game coming into a groove and believe she will fight hard to keep her No. 1 status. 

Photo by Mike McIntyre

Keep an eye on: Bellis, Safarova and Vandeweghe

Pass on: Kuznetsova, Mladenovic and Radwanska

Second Quarter

The two big seeds in this section of the draw couldn't be heading in more different directions. Fourth seeded Elina Svitolina may be a surprisingly unknown quantity to many quasi-tennis pundits - she was seriously undervalued by the media in Toronto - but she is a major obstacle to any serious U.S. Open contender. The 22 year old has won a whopping five titles in 2017 and is proving she is ready to claim her first Grand Slam. It may not happen in New York, but it will indeed happen at some point in the near future the way she has been playing.

Photo by Bob McIntyre

Also in this section is sixth seeded and defending champion Angelique Kerber who has had a abysmal season for someone who came into 2017 holding two Slam titles to her name. Kerber is limping into the Open and has not given any signs in match play that she is ready to raise her game to the levels it was at a year ago. Playing rising star Naomi Osaka of Japan in the opening round might very well afford Kerber a quick exit like she experienced at the French Open back in the spring. Osaka has pushed the likes of Konta, Halep and recently in Toronto, Pliskova, to three sets and seems poised to have a breakthrough. She's a hard hitter and if she's healthy I think this could swing her way.

Photo by Mike McIntyre

Keep an eye on: Gavrilova, Keys, Osaka

Pass on: Bouchard, Ostapenko

Third Quarter

Caroline Wozniacki has had a resurgence this season and has climbed her way back into the top-ten in the rankings with appearances in six finals. Unfortunately for her she has lost every one of those finals and in straight sets to boot. Having made the finals twice at the U.S. Open (2009 and 2014) means that Wozniacki knows how to handle the pressure at the final major of the year. I can see a quarter-final appearance here this year but I don't think she has the fire of some of her younger top-ten peers.

Photo by Mike McIntyre

Venus Williams at the age of - well, does it even matter anymore - is also in this section of the draw and the American superstar has already surprised us by making the finals of two Slams in 2017. Her summer appearances don't inspire confidence but you can't count out someone who has made the finals here four times previously including two tournament victories. Her last showing in the finals was fifteen years ago however so I'm not banking on Venus to make it past the fourth round or quarter-finals at best.

Photo by Mike McIntyre

My pick here - and it's not groundbreaking by any stretch - is Garbine Muguruza. She can play more freely now after picking up her second Grand Slam at Wimbledon as she proved with her recent win in Cincy. She has a nice draw, matches-up well vs Wozniacki and Venus, and isn't afraid to take her chances and go for it. I also like Caroline Garcia of France as a potential dark horse here who is the 18th seed in this part of the draw. People might also be mentioning Petra Kvitova and who wouldn't want to see her succeed, but I don't like her play on hardcourts this summer.

Keep an eye on: Garcia, Makarova

Pass on: Kvitova, Rybarikova

Fourth Quarter

Let's just get right to it and admit that the Simona Halep vs  Maria Sharapova match is one of the greatest first round matches of all-time at a Slam. We get the No. 2 seed against the former World No. 1 and U.S. Open champion of 2006. Halep must have been in disbelief when she found out who she drew in her opening match and yet I feel that overcoming this obstacle is almost a necessity for Halep if she wants to hoist a Grand Slam trophy one day. Mentally she needs something to prove to herself that she is a true champion and what better than by defeating one of the greatest players (love her or hate her) of recent history. Her 0-6 record against Sharapova is daunting, yet Halep has played very consistent tennis this year and has made it deep in almost every tournament she has played. Recent no-shows in the later stages of Toronto and Cincy have me concerned if I'm a Halep fan, as there is clearly something that is holding her back from playing anywhere near her best tennis when it seems to count. As if her 6-1, 6-1 thrashing by Svitolina in the semi-finals of Toronto wasn't bad enough, she followed that up by getting blitzed 6-1, 6-0 in the finals of Cincinnati by Muguruza. Halep is only five points behind Pliskova for the No. 1 ranking and that can either motivate or hinder her performance against Sharapova depending on how she reacts Monday night.

Photo by Mike McIntyre

The good news for Halep is that a) Sharapova has not proven to be healthy enough to compete in recent months and b) the rest of her draw is pretty favorable. Her second through fourth round matches don't make me blink an eye if she wins her opener, and Johanna Konta could meet her in the quarter-finals but the Brit has not really performed on the hardcourts since her Wimbledon semi-final run.

Photo by Jimmie48 Photography

Do keep a close eye on Sloane Stephens who has been straight-up fire this summer. In only her third tournament back after an eleven month layoff, the American made the semi-finals in Toronto beating Kvitova and Kerber along the way. She then followed that up with another semi-final appearance in Cincinnati to prove that Toronto was no fluke. That saw her ranking skyrocket from 934 in the world to its current spot at No. 84. Only a matter of time before she is back in the top 20 and with her recent confidence she is not someone you would want to face. A second round match against New Haven finalist Dominika Cibulkova is an early test, but she has had plenty of those lately and handled them with relative ease. 

Photo by Mike McIntyre

Keep an eye on: Goerges, Stephens

Pass on: Everyone else not named Halep or Sharapova

Svitolina and Wozniacki to Contest Rogers Cup Final in Toronto

By Mike McIntyre

In a tournament where most of the top seeds have fared well, it will be No. 5 Elina Svitolina and No. 6 Caroline Wozniacki who meet in the Rogers Cup final on Sunday in Toronto. The rising star Svitolina, 22 years old, will take a 2-0 career head-to-head record against the veteran Wozniacki, who is 27 years old.

On Saturday it was the Ukrainian, Svitolina, who first took to the court to finish her match against No. 4 Garbine Muguruza that was halted due to rain from the previous day with the Spaniard up a set. Svitolina came out determined as the match continued and sent the Wimbledon champion packing with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory. 

Next-up was the former World No. 1 Wozniacki against American Sloane Stephens who just recently returned to the WTA Tour after an 11 month layoff due to a foot injury she sustained last summer. Stephens lost in the first round of her first two tournaments back this summer but caught fire this week in Toronto defeating - among others - No. 14 Petra Kvitova and No. 3 Angie Kerber coming into the semi-final match against Wozniacki. Her magic ran-out however against Wozniacki, who took the match easily in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 to advance to her sixth final of 2017.

For someone who was winless in her five previous Rogers Cup's in Toronto, Wozniacki admitted she was playing more freely this year with expectations low. "Maybe that's also the key why it's been going so well," she told me after the match, "because I just walked in and I was more relaxed about the whole thing."

On the Grandstand Court meanwhile No. 2 Simona Halep used the heavily Romanian crowd to her advantage and dispatched of Caroline Garcia 6-4, 6-2 to set-up a second match of the day for both her and Svitolina. Halep was bringing a 2-1 advantage in their previous encounters into the match and had the easier quarter-final as well. The Romanian also held perhaps a mental edge having a huge come-from-behind win over Svitolina back in June at the French Open.

Their semi-final match took the court just after 6pm and a mere 56 minutes later it was surprisingly over, a decisive 6-1, 6-1 win for the young Svitolina. It was sweet redemption for Svitolina after seeing her 5-1 second set lead in the French Open quarter-finals erased by Halep two months ago.

As Svitolina super-fan Céleste Pagniello put it to me after the match in Toronto, "Elina's heartbreaking loss to Halep in Paris was easily her lowest moment in a season filled with so many highs. To see her get her revenge, and so convincingly is special beyond compare."

For a baffled Halep, all that she could offer to reporters after the match was, "Well, I really don't know. So if you can analyze this match, I would be happy to listen."

Svitolina meanwhile referenced the learning experience from Paris in her post-match press conference. "From the first point today till the last point, I was very focused and I was just 100% on every ball. I learned from that experience that, you know, you need to play until the last point...just one point at a time." 

On paper the final has loads of potential, but as we witnessed in the Halep/Svitolina match anything is possible. Will the veteran Wozniacki be able to win her first title of the season after five previously futile attempts? Or will the ever-improving Svitolina be able to defeat her fourth top-ten opponent of the week and capture her 5th title of 2017?

Svitolina has won both of their previous career meetings. She took the first one in the round of 32 in Miami last year 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(1) and the second in more routine fashion in the finals of Dubai earlier this year 6-4, 6-2. It will be key for Wozniacki to take the first set to give herself a boost of confidence as she has been beaten in straight sets in each of the finals she has contested this year. The Dane will likely have the crowd behind her as was the case in all of her matches this week. Tennis fans are more familiar with Wozniacki but are quickly learning that Svitolina is one to watch for now and undoubtedly for the foreseable future. 

Women's Wimbledon Preview 2017

By Mike McIntyre

Waking up to the release of the Wimbledon draws feels a lot like waking up Christmas morning. Some of the players on Friday probably felt like they were either receiving presents or a lump of coal depending on who they drew as their first round opponent. Here is a closer look at the (once again) wildly unpredictable Grand Slam women's draw that tennis fans will be enjoying over the next two weeks.

First Quarter

What are the chances that the (for now) World No. one Angelique Kerber will do better than her first round exit at Roland Garros? Kerber does not have a nice draw and will face qualifier Irina Falconi in the opening round. Beyond that she faces either of the talented Kristen Flipkens or Misaki Doi in round two, the tricky Lucie Safarova potentially in round three and then likely the 14th seeded Garbine Muguruza in round four. With Kerber's confidence at a seemingly all-time low I can't see her making it out of there in one piece.

Former Wimbledon finalist Aga Radwanska is in this quarter of the draw but her game has been in steady decline over the past year it seems so I wouldn't get my hopes up for her to go deep in the tournament either. Radwanska faces a player whose career is even more in decline in Jelena Jankovic in the opening round.

So who should we keep an eye on in the top quarter of the draw then? Dangerous players include 7th seeded vet Svetlana Kuznetsova along with Olympic gold-medalist Monica Puig, the always dangerous Ekaterina Makarova and French Open semi-finalist Timea Bacsinszky.

I'm going to go with a Muguruza vs Bacsinszky quarter-final.

Second Quarter

Karolina Pliskova is the 3rd seed and has a nice path in her section of the draw. Of the top seeds hers is the quadrant with the least amount of known obstacles towards the quarter-finals. Sloane Stephens makes her return to the Tour after a foot injury that kept here away from the game for nine months and opens against Alison Riske and has a potential second round match against 12th seed Kristina Mladenovic. Coco Vandeweghe would be the likely third round opponent in that section. ESPN Body Issue cover-girl and former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki is a good pick as a potential fourth round match-up.

This quarter seems like the most stable to me and I expect a Pliskova vs Wozniacki quarter-final to emerge.

Third Quarter

There are just so many incredible first round matches happening at the All-England Club this year. Dominika Cibulkova gets Andrea Petkovic in this quarter, Sabine Lisicki makes her return as well to competitive tennis and faces Ana Konjuh the 27th seed and Elina Svitolina the 5th seed will face recent Birmingham finalist Ashleigh Barty.

On top of that we have Venus Williams, French Open champ Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys in this quadrant. Ostapenko and Keys could provide a terrific third round match here.

I'm going with Williams vs Svitolina for the quarter-finals. Gosh I wish I could be more bold with my picks!

Fourth Quarter

Finally we have 2nd seed Simona Halep opening against Marina Erakovic and on-course for a tough third round match against one of: Carla Suarez Navarro, 2014 finalist Genie Bouchard or up-and-coming Marketa Vondrousova. Victoria Azarenka is yet another player making her return to the court at Wimbledon and gets a very difficult opening match against CiCi Bellis. In the upper portion of this quarter Petra Kvitova - who won in Birmingham last week - is going to be on a collision course with home crowd favorite Johanna Konta. There is simply no shortage of capable players who could be hoisting the Venus Rosewater dish in 2017 and many of them are in this quarter of the draw.

My picks for the quarter-finals are Kvitova and Azarenka for an enticing battle of the recent comeback players.

 

ProTennisFan Weekly Wrap-Up

By Mike McIntyre

What a week it has been in the world of professional tennis, both on and off the court. There is normally a lull in the middle of July after Wimbledon concludes but for some reason this year there have been plenty of headlines worth noting. While champions have been crowned in Atlanta, Gstaad and Umag, it is news eminating from outside of the lines on the court that have to be addressed first and foremost.

From a tennis writers perspective, the shocking admission of plagiarism from one of the sports most recognized writers has lit up social media. Neil Harman, the lead tennis correspondent for the Times of London admitted this week that he has been passing off the work of his peers for several years in the official Wimbledon yearbook which takes a look back on the results at the All England Club each year. While some on Twitter are admonishing writer Ben Rothenburg for revealing the story and (as some claim) taking pleasure in Harman's fall from grace, I feel strongly that whatever repercussions come Harman's way are completely deserved. Being a professional in any line of work means adhering to the code of conduct of that establishment. Passing off the work of others as your own is simply inexcusable. Harman didn't just rip off any old tennis writer either - he stole from esteemed colleagues and some of the sport's most well known authors such as L. Jon Wertheim from Sports Illustrated. Harman tweeted an apology to those he hurt on Twitter on Wednesday but has since deleted his Twitter account and is currently suspended from his job with the Times.

Elsewhere and on the WTA Tour, Sloane Stephens has parted ways with respected tennis coach Paul Annacone. The split was amicable by all accounts and the two were singing each other's praises on Twitter this past week. Stephens has already turned to Thomas Hogstedt for help starting at the Citi Open in Washington D.C. this coming week. Hogstedt has coached the likes of Maria Sharapova, Li Na, Caroline Wozniacki and Tommy Haas in the past. The Stephens news that really caught my eye however was the following article in Elle magazine. The American who is currently ranked 22nd in the world made several statements that portray her as a total space cadet. Among the most jaw-dropping include:

- “I saw my gyno today, and she’s like, ‘I can’t wait for Indian Wells,’...I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! She’s looking in my vajay!’ ”

- “I got the college experience without going to college. I don’t miss it. When my friends are like, ‘I’m going to class,’ I’m like, ‘I’m going to take a nap.’ ”

Perhaps Stephens did not realize that all of her statements made to author Lizzy Goodman were on the record and I'm being to harsh in my critique. You read the article in its entirety and feel free to make your own opinion.

Now let's look at what transpired on the tennis court this week and who has earned some well earned recognition for their accomplishments.

BB&T Atlanta Open

It should come as no surprise that number one seed John Isner capture his second consecutive title in Atlanta. The big man always plays a hectic summer schedule and warming up against a weaker field like the one in Atlanta worked wonders last year by helping him reach the finals of the Masters event in Cincinnati. Isner took out surprise finalist Dudi Sela in the championship match and got revenge against Jack Sock (who defeated him at Newport) in the semis. Credit to Benjamin Becker who also made the semis thanks to three straight0et wins in a row.

Canadian Vasek Pospisil failed to live up to his fourth seeded billing in singles (loss to Sela in QF) but did manage to win another doubles title with Sock. The duo are now undefeated as partners and seem to be having a lot of fun with each other on and off the court. Pospisil is going to be feeling the heat pretty soon playing in Toronto where he has semi-final points to defend from a year ago at the Rogers Cup.

Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad

Pablos Andujar emerged victorious in Gstaad with a straight sets victory over Juan Monaco. It is the third title of Adjujar's career (2011 and 2012 in Casablanca) and should give him a nice ranking boost before the clay court season all but disappears.

This tournament was a solid step for Juan Monaco to correct an otherwise disappointing season. Currently ranked 105th in the world, Monaco had failed to win more than two matches in a row all year long. Monaco was in the top twenty just about a year ago but with only one more clay court tourney on the ATP schedule this year I'd say his chances of moving upwards are slim.

Gstaad also marked the return of Serbia's Viktor Troicki to the ATP World Tour after a year long ban for avoiding a blood test. Troicki won his first two matches before falling to Fernando Verdasco in three sets. I wonder how many more tournaments will be willing to offer Troicki a wildcard as he received this past week? It is likely that he will have to grind it out on the challenger tour for a while in order to re-establish his ranking.

Vegeta Croatia Open Umag

Pablo Cuevas hoisted the trophy in Umag over veteran (and defending champ) Tommy Robredo in two sets. Cuevas has now won back-to-back tournaments as he won a week ago in Bastad. The Argentinian has now won an impressive 31 matches on clay this year (including challengers) and the only non-clay event he has played was Wimbledon (1st round loss). He started the year ranked 224th in the world, was 111th prior to Bastad and went into Umag ranked 60th. That will be pushed forward even more so when the new rankings come out on Monday, but the question is - will Cuevas play any hardcourt events now?

Another player to watch was seventeen year old Alexander Zverev who could not continue his hot streak from a week earlier in Hamburg and fell in the opening round to Albert Montanes. This is still a kid to keep a close eye on in the months and years to come. 

The ATP World Tour now switches to Kitzbuhel on clay and Washington D.C. on hard courts. Keep checking back for updates and be sure to follow us on Twitter as well.

Thursday at the Rogers Cup in Pictures

By Mike McIntyre

Eight women made their way into the quarter-finals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto today. Here's a look at some of the highlights as we head into the final three days of action.

3rd seed Agnieszka Radwanska was up against 14th seed Sloane Stephens in the opening match of the day

Check out the intensity in those eyes!

Radwanska was more consistent however and would prevail 6-1, 7-6.

Kristina Mladenovic was on the practice courts with Jamie Hampton despite being knocked out of the event in the first round. Mladenovic won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon this year with Canadian Daniel Nestor.

Cooling off was key for players today as it was the hottest day of the event so far.

The Williams sisters practicing side-by-side. Venus was ousted by Kirsten Flipkens while Serena was set to play the Belgian later today to try and exact some family revenge.

Venus checking her text messages (?) on a break.

Serena working on her serve.

Serena's long time hitting partner Aleksandar "Sascha" Bajin

Stretching is key, especially when you've been off the tour for over two months with a back injury.

Venus' hitting partner wasn't quite as jacked as Serena's, but he got the job done.

Poor Daniel Nestor. Two hours before the end of the auction and still no bids to hit with one of the greatest doubles players of all time.

Looks like Milos Raonic's big win over Juan Martin Del Potro went straight to his head!

5th seed Sara Errani of Italy does whatever she can to win her match against Alize Cornet, which she does 7-5, 7-6.

I hate when this happens!

Errani freaked out on Cornet at 5-5 in the 2nd set asking, "You always say 'allez', but now you say 'vamos'. Why you say 'vamos'?" Cornet replied, "I always say 'vamos'!"

Dominika Cibulkova stretching after her morning hit.

After Vasek Pospisil, the 2nd best smile of the day.

Daniela Hantuchova practicing ahead of her doubles match

Martina Hingis working on her overhead smash

Potentially the professional tennis player with the most amount of fans. Li Na is absolutely huge in China. She took on Ana Ivanovic on Thursday.

Ivanovic would let a 5-2 third set lead slip and fall to her opponent 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(5).

Wimbledon champ Marion Bartoli did not bring enough racquets to her match. Had to actually ask her opponent Magdalena Rybarikova if she could borrow hers for a game! Rybarikova was all class and allowed it. She also won the match when Bartoli withdrew due to an ab injury.

Mladenovic is good friends with Bartoli and this was her reaction courtside after she encouraged Bartoli to challenge one of her opponent's shots that was called in. The replay showed that it was in fact out. Nice to have friends, eh?

Serena Williams destroyed Kirsten Flipkens 6-0, 6-3 avenging her sister Venus' loss to the Belgian from earlier in the week. Williams hit the practice court after the match as she said she was not happy with her own return game.

Jelena Jankovic sarcastically reacts to a fan's comments (in Serbian) after losing a point to Sorana Cirstea of Romania.

Cirstea, who beat Caroline Wozniacki in 2hrs 56 minutes the night before, gets another huge win. This time 6-3, 6-4 over Jankovic.

Serena Williams in press. The black purse at her feet is actually carrying her dog Chip. No joke.

Dominika Cibulkova celebrates defeating higher ranked Roberta Vinci for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Hingis and Hantuchova would lose their second round doubles match for the second tournament in a row of Hingis' comeback. The pair is gearing up for the U.S. Open.

In the final match of the night, vet Samantha Stosur (one of the fittest players on tour) fell to Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-3.

Keep checking back over the final three days of the Rogers Cup for more images and reports. If you're not already, follow us on Twitter as well for regular updates here in Toronto.