McIntyre Tennis

Ten Thoughts on Tie Break Tens

By Mike McIntyre

Monday night marked an entertaining evening of tennis action at the historic Madison Square Garden in New York City. In a unique and fast-paced format, Tie Break Tens took over the multi-sport venue and offered-up the Williams sisters to an adoring crowd. It was Ukrainian Elina Svitolina however, the No. 4 player in the world, who stole the show as she dismantled her three opponents en route to the championship title. Here's a look at my ten thoughts from Tie Break Tens as we wrap-up from the Big Apple.

1) Elina Svitolina will win a Grand Slam

Sure it was only an exhibition event, but you wouldn't have known that from watching Svitolina both on and off the court Monday night. The hard hitting 23 year old showed no mercy to opponents Venus Williams, CoCo Vandeweghe and Shuai Zhang and took them out by a collective score of 30-6. Even when Svitolina tried to be nice - on an underhanded serve while leading Vandeweghe 9-0 - she just couldn't pull it off and won the point. While some have criticized the Ukrainian for her failures on the Grand Slam stage, her resolve and continually improving game will one day lead her to the very top of the women's game. While some of her opponents were hamming-it-up with the crowd last night, on their cell phones or catching up with one another, Svitolina remained as focused as if she was preparing for a Grand Slam final. Such maturity and determination will certainly serve her well once she does reach that stage of a major.

2) Tennis works just fine in alternative formats

My apologies to all the tennis purists out there, but the action-packed, no-mercy design of Tie Break Tens is appealing and it delivers. Some of the matches were over in a hurry (see Svitolina d. Vandeweghe 10-0 as proof) but most were competitive and entertaining at the same time. This was not a "practice your tweener" type of event. While CoCo had to use some humor with the crowd to deflect from the beating she endured, the competitors all seemed interested in playing their best tennis. Plus watching Serena Williams court-side on a stationary bike while scouting-out her opponents was pretty unique to say the least.

3) The Williams sisters are still the biggest draw in women's tennis

Don't get me wrong - I love the depth that has emerged on the WTA Tour over the past few years. That being said, to see Serena and Venus Williams competing on court at the ages of 36 and 37 respectively is something we should all be so thankful for. They don't owe us this but continue to compete around the world - with six month old daughter in tow in Serena's case - because they love the sport so much. The reaction from Team USA's women's hockey team to meeting with Serena at the end of the evening pretty much summed-up the immense and undiminished star power that she and her sister still clearly possess. 

4) CoCo Vandeweghe is entertaining

Like her or not, Coco was the only player last night trying to work the MSG crowd into a frenzy. At times it seemed like a younger, female version of Jimmy Connors trying to get the fans to liven it up and enjoy the moment. She has a fun-loving personality that comes across when talking in person. When we met prior to the start of play for a one-on-one she said I was lucky that she wasn't yet "hangry" while she postponed her pre-match meal. CoCo is a fiery personality to be sure and time will tell if she is able to harness that in a positive manner that will allow the 26 year old to deliver on her large potential.

5) Retirement is not the end of one's relationship with tennis

Including retired players in a competitive event will always be a risk. In the case of Daniela Hantuchova, things worked out just fine. The mix in styles between her and opponent CoCo Vandeweghe offered some entertaining variety for the crowd. Though she went down in her opening tiebreak, Hantuchova clearly enjoyed being back on a tennis court. The Slovak had an impressive 6-3 lead and could have likely closed it out had it been a tiebreak of the usual variety. She clearly had a game plan and that was to make Vandeweghe work for it. Five points in and we had already witnessed two drop shots from Hantuchova who cleverly used her experience to gain the early advantage. When CoCo yelled out, "Not again!" on the second one, you could tell that the plan was a solid one from the 34 year old who retired from competitive play last year. When I asked Hantuchova if she might follow the comebacks of Bartoli and Serena, she shouted, "No!" faster than I expected. The former World No. 5 is enjoying having a steady home-base to occupy on a regular basis and doesn't miss the hectic pace of life on the tour one bit. She was still very happy to play in the Tie Break Tens format and said future exhibition style matches would likely happen for her.

6) Mingling with other tennis fans is always fun

If you like watching tennis then chances are you also like talking about tennis. Part of the appeal of attending events like Tie Break Tens is catching-up with old tennis acquaintances or making new ones. Seeing Elina Svitolina's No. 1 fan Celeste again Monday night is a good example. I hadn't seen her since the Rogers Cup last summer but with Elina playing "a mere" 7 hour bus ride away from her home in Montreal, I was not one bit surprised she was present at MSG. Decked-out in blue and yellow (of course) and proudly waving her Ukrainian flag alongside her almost-as-enthusiastic mother, it is fans like these who make the sport what it is.

7) Serena Williams is going to struggle at the start of her comeback

After all she has been through these past six months it is truly amazing that Serena Williams is ready to compete at the highest level in her sport, but that's just what she is about to do in Indian Wells and Miami. Her physical fitness needs more time to return to what it once was and that is understandable but still needs to be said. While her serve showed moments of its usual brilliance, the foot speed and stamina have a long way to go. In short, I wouldn't place lofty expectations on the greatest tennis player of all-time (male or female) until she has had a few crash-and-burn events to get back into top gear. After that - hey, this is Serena we're talking about - anything can happen and likely will.

8) Marion Bartoli is going to struggle more at the start of her comeback

The 32 year old Frenchwoman has a long way to go before she is going to be competitive again on the WTA Tour. Kudos to her after all of the physical hardships she has endured over the past few years. It is unimaginable what the psychological and physical effects of her dangerous weight fluctuations must have been like to endure. That being said, her movement was quite suspect as she played Serena Williams last night and she seemed winded after a mere four points of play. If she's not ready for a super tiebreak to ten points, how is she going to survive a best-of-three match with women who have been playing day-in, day-out during her nearly five year absence from competition? Great to see the former Wimbledon champion back at it but I hope her expectations are realistic all things being said.

9) Find the right people

No offence to Mardy Fish, but being an MC is perhaps not the best option for his post-tennis career. The soft-spoken American was co-hosting alongside Hannah Storm but never seemed comfortable throughout the evening and lacked the pump-up ability required when speaking in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd.

The most ill-suited performance of the night goes to the chair umpire however who seriously bungled-up the late moments of the Serena vs Zhang semifinal. There was a moment where Serena had to discourage him several times to avoid re-playing a point that her opponent had successfully earned. He seemed very unsure of when playing a let was the right call to make and had Serena re-play a first serve that video review had shown was quite clearly an un-returnable bomb. Things got kind of awkward for a few minutes but Serena was gracious when it was all said and done.

10) Madison Square Garden is a cool place to watch tennis.

 While the upper-bowl was closed and there were sections in the lower-bowl that had multiple empty seats, catching competitive tennis at this NYC landmark is always something special. Last night was immensely more action-packed then when I saw an aging Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi play each other back in 2011 years after both had packed it in. The venue is iconic and all of the players remarked how it meant something special to them to say they have now competed there. Surely we will see competitive tennis at the Garden again sometime in the future. When we do, I'll make a point of being there to enjoy it as I did Monday night.

 

Tuesday WTA Results From The Sydney International

By:  Mike McIntyre

Photos: Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

The action continued on Tuesday at the Sydney International with several high profile matches. I'm really impressed with how stacked the draw is at this event and it's a great test for some of the game's top stars ahead of the Australian Open next week.

On Tuesday Australian's Daria Gavrilova defeated wildcard compatriot Olivia Rogowska in a tight match 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 to advance to the second round. Gavrilova is currently ranked 25th in the WTA Tour rankings and at the age of 23 seems poised to make some moves in 2018.

Gavrilova will next face another Aussie - Sam Stosur - who also advanced in three sets. The former US Open champion (2011) took down Carina Witthoeft of Germany 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.

In other matches Ekaterina  Makarova fell against Barbora Strycova. It was the Czech who prevailed 6-4, 6-1.

One veteran player with something to prove in 2018 is Aga Radwanska who suffered through a difficult season a year ago in terms of her on-court results. She's off to a great start with a huge win over 4th seeded Johanna Konta whom she defeated in straight sets 6-3, 7-5 on Ken Rosewall Arena. She will face youngster Cici Bellis in her next match.

Dominika Cibulkova has early season success in Australia in the past as she was a finalist at the Aussie Open back in 2014. Cibulkova is a dangerous unseeded floater here in Sydney and beat Elena Vesnina 6-4, 6-4.

The most anticipated match of the day however was between 2nd seeded American Venus Williams and former World No. 1 Angie Kerber. Kerber went undefeated in her four singles matches last week at the Hopman Cup and has carried forward that momentum in Sydney. She dropped the opening set against Venus before coming back for the upset 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. It is amazing what a difference a year makes as suddenly Kerber is being talked about as an Aussie Open favorite after a tough year in 2017 that has seen her ranking drop to 22nd in the world.

Keep checking back with us this week for WTA results and analysis from the Sydney International. And feel free to follow us 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

10 of the Greatest Tennis Rivalries in History

Considered to be a quintessentially English game, tennis has long been labelled as the sport of gentry. A match doesn’t become aggressive until it is well underway, and even then the aggression is only taken to the ball with the bat rather than at the opposing player.  

In spite of its calm demeanour, at first glance, tennis isn’t without its competition. There have been many great rivalries throughout the sports history, not just in individual competitions but throughout the seasons.  

Rivalries can be created in several different ways, occasionally they are long standing and come about when players of equal measure meet on the courts. Sometimes they can spawn as a result of conflicting personalities. They can even be put down to style of game play.  

Almost every great tennis rivalry consists of the world’s greatest players rather than those who are lesser known. It only takes one incident, on one occasion for the media to get hold of a story and run with it. Some of the greatest rivalries are built up not only on the courts, but also by incidents that become sensationalised stories. 

In this article we looked at rivalries from players that are still challenging each other today. We also included some of the greatest rivalries in a long line of major players throughout history.

1. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer  

 The first and ongoing rivalry that has to top our greatest list is the one between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. It is possibly due to consistency throughout their game, as well as their almost equal ability overall. Their rivalry is so well known that they have a page on Wikipedia dedicated to it. 

The pair have faced each other on thirty seven separate occasions throughout their time in the professional game. They battle it out every year to finish in consecutive positions in the world rankings. They also face each other in many ATP tour competitions, often seeded one after the other. 

Of their thirty-seven matches Nadal is on top with twenty-three wins to Federer’s fourteen. Federer has more success on hard courts and grass, whilst Nadal is of course better on clay. These results are somewhat predictable as it is no secret that Federer prefers to play on grass and Nadal favours a clay surface. Nadal isn’t nicknamed the clay king for no reason.

2. Margaret Court and Billie Jean King

A major rivalry in woman’s tennis has been the long standing one between Margaret Court and Billie Jean King. Their conflict in the sport, grew from their first of thirty two matches on the courts, in the 1960’s and through to the following decade. Of their thirty-two matches, Court out played her opponent on twenty two separate occasions.  

Having faced each other in finals, at no less than five grand slam events, the pair were well matched in their abilities. King secured victory over Court, just once, in a grand slam final. This was in the 1968 Australian Open, Women’s Final competition. Just prior to Kings grand slam victory, Court had taken two years out of the game.  

Court and King’s rivalry was well known for two famous matches that took place at Wimbledon.  The first of these two matches was played in 1962, when Billie Jean was eighteen years old, and starring in her second ever women’s singles match at Wimbledon. Seeded first that year, Margret missed out on the chance to progress any further than the opening round, in a shock defeat 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 to Billie Jean. 

The second of the two great Wimbledon matches between the pair, came in 1970. The rivals battled it out in a bid for the title in the final, when it was Courts turn to finish on top. At the time both players were struggling with injuries that had an impact on their game. King played through a knee injury that would later require surgery, Court played on an ankle that had to be injected with pain killers. 

The rivalry still continues today but for different reasons. Openly gay, Billie Jean King has publically expressed that she is hurt by her former rival’s opinions on same sex marriage. Margaret Court’s religion has a huge impact on her views. Despite the fact that her thoughts could affect her legacy in tennis, Court is highly unlikely to deter from them because of her beliefs.  

Although the two of them have differing opinions, both still respect each other because of their history in tennis.

3. Helen Wills and Helen Jacobs 

Helen Wills' rivalry with Helen Jacobs did not match the intensity of Wills' competition with Suzanne Lenglen. However, that said it was the greater of the two owing to its longevity. 

Wills was the better of the pair and only conceded a single match to Jacobs in a grand slam. It is perhaps because of this, among other points, they became such great rivals.  

With paralleled foundations in life, as well as a passion for tennis, the pair were nothing less than a phenomenon in the sport. Both women spent their informative years in Berkeley, both attended the same University and both trained under the same coach, Pop Fuller.  

The pair faced seven grand slam final matches against each other. Jacobs only victory in a grand slam over her rival, came about in the US championships, when her opponent was forced to withdraw from the game citing back injury. The loss wasn’t taken too well by Wills who apparently snapped at Jacobs when she tried to comfort her following her retirement from the match. 

4. Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras 

With completely different personalities and styles Agassi and Sampras made for one of the greatest rivals ever! 

With a gentlemanly appearance and a well to do nature Sampras commanded the courts with his famous serve and volley skills. On the other hand Agassi was both eccentric and occasionally rebellious in his demeanour. His famous blond locks were his signature look, and his return following a serve was his signature move. 

Because they were different in every way the pair were unable to sustain any kind of relationship on or off the courts. However, they did provide audiences with interesting game play when they faced each other. 

They battled it out to sit at number one in the world rankings for a number of years. Before April in 1995 Sampras had laid claim to the top spot for an impressive eighty two weeks. A position that Agassi took from him, and held on to for thirty weeks, before Sampras managed to win it back. The following year, Agassi again took the position from his rival.  

Throughout their careers they played each other on thirty-four separate occasions, with Sampras finishing on top winning twenty of their matches. His victories over Agassi, included four out of five grand slam titles. 

They played each other 34 times, with Sampras winning 20 of them. They met 16 times in tournament finals, and Sampras won four of their five matchups in Grand Slam finals. 

5. Bill Johnston and Bill Tilden 

As with all major sports America has to be credited with delivering astonishing talent, this is absolutely the case, when it comes to the great nation and their history in tennis.  

Bill Tilden and Bill Johnston were the greatest American representatives in the 1920s. The pair helped to establish the game of tennis in its earlier days.  

Over the course of seven years they came up against each other in the US championships. Johnston was able to secure victory in their first final meeting, However, Tilden went on to win the following five. 

In 1925, the match they played in the US Championships final went down in history as one of their greatest matches ever. It was the last time they would play each other in the final of the competition. Tilden beat Johnston in a spectacular display of five sets ending 4-6, 11-9, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. 

Because they shared the same Christian name the pair were fondly nicknamed ‘Little Bill’ and ‘Big Bill’ owing to their contrasting heights. 

The pair didn’t always work against each other. In 1920 – 1926 They worked together to represent the US and contribute to a seven year run as Davis Cup Champions. However they were most famously known for their rivalry against each other rather than their achievements together. 

6. Steffi Graf and Monica Seles

Built on a fate of what might have been, the competition between Steffi Graf and Monica Seles began in the early 1990s. The women were at the height of their fame in tennis, well known for their abilities on the courts as well as for their rankings.  

Steffi Graf had her name at the top of the rankings and had sat there comfortably for three years before her rival came along and took hold of the top spot.   

The women met in the finals of three grand slams from 1992-93. They played each other in the French Open followed by Wimbledon and then in the Australian Open, in which Seles beat Graf. 

A shocking turn of events in ‘93 meant that 19-year-old Seles had to retire from the sport for two years. A deranged fan of Graf’s sought revenge on Seles, who at the time had a firm grip on the number one spot. The fan wanted to see Graf back at the top of her game and took it upon himself to ensure it would happen. 

During a match in Germany, the obsessed fan stabbed Monica Seles in the back. Sadly she was unable to return to the game on top form. Following on from her recovery she only managed to win one further title – the Australian Open in 1996. 

The rivalry could have been so much more if it wasn’t for the fanatic that intervened.  

 7. Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall

In terms of longevity the rivalry between Rod Laver and ken Rosewell is unmatched by any other. Having played each other an astonishing 143 times throughout their careers, in both amateur and professional tennis, the pair have to be mentioned in the greatest ever rivalries list. 

Rod Laver was arguably the better player with 80 wins out of the 143 matches.  

One of their most remarkable matches took place in Dallas during 1972. By his own admission Laver claimed this match was one of the most significant in America. It contributed greatly to the game of tennis in the US as we know it today. Lavers Rival claimed the victory on said occasion in a full five set match that thrilled the audience, 6-4, 0-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6. A record breaking 23 million viewers tuned in their television sets to watch the rivals battle it out in spectacular fashion.   

8. Serena Williams and Venus Williams

We couldn’t exclude the two sisters that took the world of tennis by storm when they turned professional. Serena Williams and Venus Williams have one of the greatest rivalries ever. Combine the determination that each sister readily displays on court with the natural phenomenon of pure sibling rivalry. 

The sisters have faced each other twenty eight times with Serena, the younger of the two, coming out on top 17-11.  

The pair are famed for their world record. In the 2002 French Open, the sisters faced each other in the women’s final, starting a consecutive run with appearances in the following three final grand slam events. This is the only time in history that four consecutive grand slams have featured the same two female players. 

The media has credited them with being two of the greatest female tennis players ever. The fact they are from the same family in the same era is what makes the rivalry so unique.

9. John McEnroe and Björn Borg 

Nicknamed the fire and ice rivalry, John McEnroe and Björn Borg had a relatively short lived conflict that spanned over the course of four years.  

The pair played each other only 14 times, of which, both players won seven matches. Over the course of three years, 1979-81, the sparring players passed the number one spot to each other on seven occasions.  

The rivalry between them sparked the imagination of tennis fans from around the world, their dynamic on the courts was incredible causing. Together they put on a captivating show. In fact if they came up against each other the impending match became highly anticipated. In their day they were both considered to be the world’s greatest tennis players. 

Borg won five Wimbledon titles in his day using formidable techniques. He was known for his abilities, using extreme topspin on his forehand and an accurate two-handed backhand. He was also famed for his laid back attitude. McEnroe, on the other hand, was credited with his serve and volley skills. He was well known for his bad temper, particularly when things were not going his way in a match. He didn’t think twice about his conduct on the courts and there were often fireworks if he began lost out on points and sets. 

The rivalry didn’t last as long as it could have. At the 1981 US Open finals Borg decided it was time for him to retire from grand slam tennis without a reasonable explanation. The Swedish tennis star was just 25 years old, and arguably in his prime. McEnroe, was 22 that year and had won three of his four grand slam titles in finals against Borg. The fiery player went on to win three further titles but didn’t win another after the age of 25. Coincidentally, the same age his rival was when he quit. 

Borgs leaving the game had a lasting effect on McEnroe, who later claimed that the game was never as good as it had been when Borg was his main competition. 

10. Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova 

Arguably the greatest rivalry in tennis ever, was that between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. It was a fierce competition on the courts that turned into a lasting friendship for the pair, both during their days on the courts, and continuing today.  

The talented women played each other, an astonishing, eighty times during their careers that spanned more than a decade. Navratilova held a 43-37 lead over her rival. Evert favoured clay courts and Navratilova found her finest form on grass.  

The number of times that this pair faced each other wasn’t the only phenomenon that led to the great rivalry they shared. Until Navratilova made her debut, Evert was virtually impossible to beat. Her skills in accuracy were second to none at the time. In great contrast it was Navratilova’s serve and her skills in a volley that set her above the rest.   

 

Perhaps you can experience some of these and future tennis rivalries yourself. Whether you’re with family, friends or with colleagues, experiencing these rivalries first hand would certainly be iconic. Click here to find out more about corporate hospitality packages.  

Women's Wimbledon Quarterfinal Preview

By Mike McIntyre

Manic Monday lived-up to its name and saw some fantastic fourth round action of tennis from the remaining sixteen women who have now been narrowed down to the final eight. They will be back at it on Tuesday so let's take a quick look at the four matches on the schedule.

Garbine Muguruza vs Svetlana Kuznetsova

Muguruza has been to the finals at Wimbledon before (2015) and came up short against Serena Williams. With that Williams on the sidelines perhaps the Spaniard can make amends for the loss. The 23 year old leads her head-to-head against the 32 year old Kuznetsova by a 3-1 margin. Kuznetsova is in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the fourth time but has never made it any further. The Russian has only dropped 20 games through her four matches thus far and the 7th seed appears to be rejuvenated over the past year on tour. The winner from this match will be considered a heavy favorite to make the finals compared to the other two players who are left in this half of the draw.

Magdalena Rybarikova vs Coco Vandeweghe

Rybarikova is currently ranked 87th in the world but that is due to her absence to injuries. If we focus on recent results it is clear that she is comfortable on grass with a 17-1 record on the surface this summer. At 28 years old she seems ready to make the most of this Grand Slam run. In 36 career Grand Slam appearances Rybarikova is into the quarterfinals for the very first time. Her opponent is 25 year old hard hitting American Coco Vandeweghe who made the semifinals here in 2015 and is currently benefiting from the coaching tutelage of 1987 Wimbledon winner Pat Cash. Vandeweghe turfed Caroline Wozniacki 7-6(4), 6-4 in the fourth round but has never previously beaten Rybarikova in their two career matches including most recently at the French Open where it was the Slovakian who won easily 6-1, 6-4.

Venus Williams vs Jelena Ostapenko

The two bottom half quarterfinals are going to both be really interesting battles for a variety of reasons. The Williams vs Ostapenko one pits an ageless wonder with 49 career titles against a young upstart with but a single tournament victory. That being said, the 20 year old Ostapenko's lone victory was the last Grand Slam at Roland Garros. Ostapenko is aiming to be the first player on the WTA Tour since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to follow-up her maiden Grand Slam win with the following major as well. She captured the Junior Wimbledon trophy in 2014 and doesn't seem to be phased one bit by the pressure of the moment. Venus on the other hand is trying to become the oldest player to reach the finals at Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova in 1994. Fun fact: Venus turned pro in 1994 while Ostapenko wasn't even born until 1997!

Johanna Konta vs Simona Halep

Konta is carrying the pressure of an entire nation on her back and doesn't appear to be having any problems with that so far. Past the second round at Wimbledon for the first time in her career, she is attempting to be the first British woman to win at the All-England Club since Virginia Wade in 1977. Already she is the first from her country into the quarterfinals since Jo Durie in 1984. Progress, right? Konta is going to face Simona Halep for the first time since Great Britain fell to Romania in a tense Fed Cup tie in April. Both players were rather frosty in their recollections of that encounter which should give their match Tuesday a little extra drama. While Halep won that last match to seal the victory for her country, Konta has won their previous two matches - both on hard courts. For extra motivation, Halep knows that if she can make the final this weekend she will take Angelique Kerber's place as the World Number One.

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.

 

Olympic Tennis Highlights Day 1

By Mike McIntyre

It was a crazy day for tennis at the Olympic Games in Rio on Saturday. With the opening ceremonies still fresh in everyone's mind, 62 tennis players saw themselves ousted from competition in either singles or doubles. For some like 36 year old Venus Williams, it was likely her last time competing in singles at the Olympics. For others, like 19 year old Borna Coric, they will likely still have several opportunities to win at the Olympic level. Here are the five matches that for one reason or another, grabbed our attention in the tennis world on the first day of action in Rio.

John Millman d Ricardas Berankis 6-0. 6-0

A much tighter contest would have been expected between the 71st ranked Berankis and the 75th ranked Millman in the first round of play. Instead, the Australian crushed the Olympic dreams of his Lithuanian opponent in a mere 50 minutes. When you only win 11% of points on your second serve, you know you're likely getting beat bad, but a double bagel is a tennis player's worst nightmare. Apparently this was the first time in Olympic tennis competition that such a scoreline has been delivered. You've got to be heartless to not feel any compassion for Berankis and the end result of his first ever Olympic Games.

Saisai Zheng d Aga Radwanska 6-4, 7-5

The fourth seeded Radwanska suffers her second consecutive first round exit from the Olympic Games. In 2012 it was Julia Goerges who beat her 7-5, 6-7, 6-4 in London. This time Radwanska could not even take the match to a deciding set. Radwanska had never before played the 64th ranked Zheng, but the ranking differential was misleading considering some of the Chinese player's results on the WTA Tour this year. Wins over Angelique Kerber, Genie Bouchard and Alize Cornet reveal some serious potential from the 22 year old. Zheng's win really opens up the draw in that section and offers Madison Keys an easier path to the quarterfinals.

Novak Djokovic and Nenad Zimonjic d Marin Cilic and Marin Draganja 6-2, 6-2

Perhaps the lopsided loss was because Marin Cilic had already played his singles match earlier in the day, or perhaps it was because he's ranked 197th in the world in doubles and his partner, Draganja, is ranked 136th (unranked in singles). Still the win must have been a welcome relief for Djokovic and Zimonjic who had not won a doubles match together since March of 2015. Djokovic will now be heavily tested in his opening singles match on Sunday where he will face the man who denied him a bronze medal four years ago in London - Juan Martin Del Potro.

Misaki Doi and Eri Hozumi d Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic 6-0, 0-6, 6-4

This match makes our top five not only because the second seeded doubles tandem from France was eliminated, but due to the Twitter rant that Mladenovic went on afterwards. In it, she blamed her loss on the French Tennis Federation for failing to advise her and Garcia that they needed to be dressed in matching attire. Garcia had to wear one of Mladenovic's outfits turned inside-out to hide the Adidas logo as she is sponsored by Nike. Citing the stress of the pre-match ordeal, Mladenovic refused to give her opponents any credit for the way they played. Sounds like a lot of sour grapes from the Frenchwoman and I'll be interested to see if the French Federation has any comment to make in the aftermath of this strange situation.

Kirsten Flipkens d Venus Williams 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5)

With four gold medals in previous Olympic Games (one in singles and three in doubles) Venus Williams has had more than her share of success at the biggest international competition of them all. That success will not be continuing in singles this year as the fifth seeded American fell to the 62nd ranked Flipkens who used a variety of shots and tactics to throw Williams off her game. I watched Flipkens come back from a 0-6 deficit against Venus at the Rogers Cup in Toronto in 2013 to win that match 0-6, 6-4, 6-2 and knew that she had the ability to cause an upset today. Still, she was 1-2 in career head-to-head matches against the much higher ranked Williams and her reaction after the match proved the magnitude of this upset as she had tears of joy in her eyes and knelt down to kiss the Olympic logo on court.

With Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray all making their singles draw debut at the 2016 Olympic Games on Sunday, there will be plenty of excitement coming up on Day 2 in Rio. Stick with us as we examine the action each day and discuss the moments that stand out on (and perhaps off) the tennis court.

Friday Third Round U.S. Open Preview

By Tia Ko

Two easy rounds into the U.S. Open sees top ranked Novak Djokovic take on Andreas Seppi (25) in the third round this afternoon. Djokovic beat Andreas Haider-Maurer in straight sets on Wednesday night 6-4 6-1 6-2 while it took Seppi four to come out with a win over Teymuraz Gabashvili 3-6 6-3 7-6 6-1 to make it to the last 32.

 Djokovic has spent little time on the court so far, playing for a mere two hours and 39 minutes in total. His first match versus Brazilian Joao Souza lasted only one hour and eight minutes and was just one game shy in each set of being a triple bagel match with a score of 6-1 6-1 6-1.

Head-to-head, Seppi hasn’t been able to take a single match from the world number one in ten meetings. Their last match was more than two years ago during the quarterfinals at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships back in 2013 where Djokovic quickly won 6-0 6-3.

Will Seppi be able to pull off another huge upset in round three of a Grand Slam (think back to the Australian Open this past January) and improve his record versus Novak to 1-10?    

We’ll also see both of the Williams sisters in action today when Venus plays the young and vibrant Swiss teen Belinda Bencic who made headlines earlier this week for her heated exchange with the umpire during her second round match. Bencic is ranked at a career-high number 12 and will likely have a tough match playing on Arthur Ashe against the American veteran.

Serena will be playing the first night match tonight against fellow countrywoman Bethanie Mattek-Sands who is more known for playing doubles and will be playing her first third round match ever at the U.S. Open as a singles player. Serena, of course, is on route to make history by completing the calendar slam and she’s currently all the rage in the media. For the first time in history, the U.S. Open women’s final sold out faster than the men’s final; I think everyone wants to witness a piece of history that Serena Williams is writing!

The last match on Arthur Ashe will be a battle between Spaniard Rafael Nadal (8) and Fabio Fognini (32). The two have met three times this year: Fognini won twice in Rio De Janeiro and Barcelona but Nadal won the most recent encounter during the final in Hamburg. Nadal is 2-0 against the Italian on hard court.

Champion in 2010 and 2013, Nadal improved his record to 22-1 in his last 23 matches at the US Open.

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.

Monday at the Rogers Cup in Pictures

By Mike McIntyre

The stars of the WTA Tour got into the action on Monday in Toronto as round one of the Rogers Cup began. Here are a few shots from around the grounds of the Rexall Centre.

You'd think it was 1999 walking in and seeing giant banners of Martina Hingis and Monica Seles hanging from the outside of Centre Court.

Your 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli was all smiles while practicing but does not quite look as conditioned as she could as the U.S. Open approaches.

Four Canadian women are in the draw this year, led by Eugenie Bouchard who at the age of 19 is already ranked 62nd in the world. Stephanie Dubois and Sharon Fichman play each other in the first round on Tuesday guaranteeing at least one Canuck moving on.

Number three seed Agnieszka Radwanska was all business during her practice session.

Jelena Jankovic, ranked 14th in the world, working some of the kinks out of her backhand.

A new look on Centre Court this year as the upper level bleachers have been removed to allow for a more intimate feel. I guess they're not quite selling as many tickets as they had hoped.

Flavia Pennetta takes out the younger Radwanska in the first match completed on Centre Court. Take a look at the first serve percentage by the Italian though...wow. Something tells me the statistician was sleeping on the job!

This kind of fashion statement could only be made by Bethanie Mattek-Sands who was called into action at the last minute when Laura Robson pulled out with a wrist injury.

Mattek-Sands would fall to Yanina Wickmayer (pictured above) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

A little insight into the media requirements that the top players have to adhere to on opening day.

Marion Bartoli explaining where she displays her Wimbledon trophy to ESPN's Kamakshi Tandon

Genie Bouchard signing for fans after losing in doubles with partner Kirsten Flipkens.

Lucie Safarova receiving some on-court coaching in a losing effort to fellow Czech Klara Zakopalova.

Monica Seles, Eugenie Bouchard, Venus and Serena Williams before their doubles exo that was won 8-5 by the Williams sisters.

Serena seemed enthralled as the question period rolled along!

Check back with us throughout the week for updates on all Rogers Cup action and be sure to follow us on Twitter as well for timely updates.