BleedGopher
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The Aussie Open is only two weeks away!
Go USA!!
Go USA!!
2020 Tennis Thread
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BleedGopher
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ESPN: Serena Williams sets sights on Court's record
Serena Williams hopes her famed determination can end the longest drought of her storied tennis career and lift her alongside Margaret Court as the owner of the most grand slam singles titles.
The American superstar said she felt relaxed two weeks out from the Australian Open, where her pursuit of a 24th crown will again be one of the dominant women's narrative in Melbourne.
Williams, 38, enters her fourth decade as a professional admitting that her role as a mother to two-year-old Alexis Olympia is a priority but that catching Australian legend Court continues to drive her.
"It's meant a lot to me for a while and now it is just about getting over that one hump," Williams told journalists in Auckland, where she will begin her year.
"I'm almost there, and I'm confident that I'll get there."
www.espn.com
Go Serena!!
Serena Williams hopes her famed determination can end the longest drought of her storied tennis career and lift her alongside Margaret Court as the owner of the most grand slam singles titles.
The American superstar said she felt relaxed two weeks out from the Australian Open, where her pursuit of a 24th crown will again be one of the dominant women's narrative in Melbourne.
Williams, 38, enters her fourth decade as a professional admitting that her role as a mother to two-year-old Alexis Olympia is a priority but that catching Australian legend Court continues to drive her.
"It's meant a lot to me for a while and now it is just about getting over that one hump," Williams told journalists in Auckland, where she will begin her year.
"I'm almost there, and I'm confident that I'll get there."
Williams sets sights on Court's record
Margaret Court's grand slam singles record is firmly in the sights of a relaxed but focused Serena Williams, two weeks out from the Australian Open.
Go Serena!!
BleedGopher
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Great start to the season for Serena!!
Serena Williams wins first title since daughter’s birth
Serena Williams has won her first title since becoming a mom - and immediately donated her $43,000 prize money to Australian bushfire relief.
The 38-year-old, who gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia in September 2017, lifted the trophy at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, after defeating fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-4.
Williams, who has now incredibly won titles across four decades after claiming her first in 1999, flung back her head in delight and relief after Pegula hit the ball wide on match point.
"Oh, it feels good!" said Williams, winner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles. "It's been a long time. I think you could see the relief on my face.
edition.cnn.com
Go Serena!!
Serena Williams wins first title since daughter’s birth
Serena Williams has won her first title since becoming a mom - and immediately donated her $43,000 prize money to Australian bushfire relief.
The 38-year-old, who gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia in September 2017, lifted the trophy at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, after defeating fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-4.
Williams, who has now incredibly won titles across four decades after claiming her first in 1999, flung back her head in delight and relief after Pegula hit the ball wide on match point.
"Oh, it feels good!" said Williams, winner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles. "It's been a long time. I think you could see the relief on my face.
Serena Williams wins first title since having her daughter three years ago | CNN
Serena Williams wins her first title as a mom, and 73rd total, in New Zealand warmup to the Australian Open.
Go Serena!!
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Madison Keys had a good first tournament as well, losing 7-5 in the third in the finals vs Plíšková.
Go USA!!
Go USA!!
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ESPN: Australian Open draw: Coco Gauff, Venus Williams to meet in 1st round
Get ready for Coco Gauff vs. Venus Williams, Part II.
That headline-grabbing pair of tennis players -- Gauff, 15, is the youngest woman in the Australian Open; Venus is the oldest -- will meet again in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament after Thursday's draw at Melbourne Park put them in a tough quarter that also includes Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.
Gauff had a breakout run at Wimbledon last year, when she became the youngest qualifier in tournament history, upset Venus Williams to start her main draw run and became the youngest player to reach the round of 16 there since Martina Hingis in 1996.
The winner could meet defending champion Osaka in the third round. The winner there potentially faces Venus' younger sister, 23-time major winner Serena Williams, in the quarterfinals.
Serena Williams is coming off a victory in the ASB Classic in Auckland, her first title since her victory at the 2017 Australian Open and her time off the tour to have her daughter. She is seeded eighth in Melbourne and will meet Anastasia Potapova in the first round. Osaka opens against Marie Bouzkova.
Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer were drawn into the same half of the field at Melbourne Park, where play begins Monday, so they could meet in the semifinals.
The second-ranked Djokovic has won a record seven Australian Open trophies and is coming off his unbeaten run at the inaugural ATP Cup, where he guided Serbia to the title. Federer hasn't added to his 20 Grand Slam titles since winning the Australian Open in 2018, his sixth title at Melbourne Park.
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal could face a fourth-round match against Nick Kyrgios -- their blockbuster at Wimbledon last year was memorable -- and a projected quarterfinal against Dominic Thiem, the man he has beaten in the last two French Open finals.
www.espn.com
Go USA!!
Get ready for Coco Gauff vs. Venus Williams, Part II.
That headline-grabbing pair of tennis players -- Gauff, 15, is the youngest woman in the Australian Open; Venus is the oldest -- will meet again in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament after Thursday's draw at Melbourne Park put them in a tough quarter that also includes Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.
Gauff had a breakout run at Wimbledon last year, when she became the youngest qualifier in tournament history, upset Venus Williams to start her main draw run and became the youngest player to reach the round of 16 there since Martina Hingis in 1996.
The winner could meet defending champion Osaka in the third round. The winner there potentially faces Venus' younger sister, 23-time major winner Serena Williams, in the quarterfinals.
Serena Williams is coming off a victory in the ASB Classic in Auckland, her first title since her victory at the 2017 Australian Open and her time off the tour to have her daughter. She is seeded eighth in Melbourne and will meet Anastasia Potapova in the first round. Osaka opens against Marie Bouzkova.
Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer were drawn into the same half of the field at Melbourne Park, where play begins Monday, so they could meet in the semifinals.
The second-ranked Djokovic has won a record seven Australian Open trophies and is coming off his unbeaten run at the inaugural ATP Cup, where he guided Serbia to the title. Federer hasn't added to his 20 Grand Slam titles since winning the Australian Open in 2018, his sixth title at Melbourne Park.
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal could face a fourth-round match against Nick Kyrgios -- their blockbuster at Wimbledon last year was memorable -- and a projected quarterfinal against Dominic Thiem, the man he has beaten in the last two French Open finals.
Aussie Open draw: Coco, Venus meet in 1st round
Coco Gauff and Venus Williams will meet in the first round of the Australian Open after they were drawn Thursday into a tough quarter with Serena Williams and defending champion Naomi Osaka.
Go USA!!
BleedGopher
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Naomi Osaka tuning out 'outside noise' after difficult year
Defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka said she has learned to ignore her critics after coming through what she called "the toughest year of my life."
Osaka, the No. 3 seed at this year's tournament, won her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open 12 months ago, a victory that gave her the world No. 1 ranking for the first time.
"Until Wimbledon I did," she said Saturday, referring to her first-round exit at the All England Club in July. "Then I just decided that this is what I've chosen to do, for the majority of my life. I've been training my whole life for this. I shouldn't let ... outside noise -- no offense to you guys, love you guys -- but outside noise dictate how I'm feeling."
Osaka, 22, admitted it was hard to ignore everything but said her life had been much simpler before she won her first title at Indian Wells in 2018, a victory that catapulted her to the world's attention.
"I guess just before [winning Indian Wells], everything, if I lost, it wouldn't be an article," she said. "Now if I lose, like, there's news. It was tough adjusting to that.
"Honestly, last year was the toughest year of my life, so I would hope it gets better. I think I [have] just got to keep fighting for every match, see [where] it takes me."
www.espn.com
Go USA!!
Defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka said she has learned to ignore her critics after coming through what she called "the toughest year of my life."
Osaka, the No. 3 seed at this year's tournament, won her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open 12 months ago, a victory that gave her the world No. 1 ranking for the first time.
"Until Wimbledon I did," she said Saturday, referring to her first-round exit at the All England Club in July. "Then I just decided that this is what I've chosen to do, for the majority of my life. I've been training my whole life for this. I shouldn't let ... outside noise -- no offense to you guys, love you guys -- but outside noise dictate how I'm feeling."
Osaka, 22, admitted it was hard to ignore everything but said her life had been much simpler before she won her first title at Indian Wells in 2018, a victory that catapulted her to the world's attention.
"I guess just before [winning Indian Wells], everything, if I lost, it wouldn't be an article," she said. "Now if I lose, like, there's news. It was tough adjusting to that.
"Honestly, last year was the toughest year of my life, so I would hope it gets better. I think I [have] just got to keep fighting for every match, see [where] it takes me."
Osaka ignoring critics after 'toughest year' of life
Naomi Osaka said she struggled with the scrutiny that came with being the No. 1-ranked player in the world but has made a conscious decision not to worry about "outside noise."
Go USA!!
BleedGopher
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Coco with a nice straight set win over Venus in the first round. Sloane Stephens with an early exit.
Go USA!!
Go USA!!
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ESPN: Coco Gauff shows how far she's come in Australian Open win over Venus Williams
When Coco Gauff beat Venus Williams at Wimbledon last summer, it was a huge shock. The 38-year-old knocked off by an almost unknown 15-year-old on her favorite surface in the hallowed place where Williams had been the queen of grass five times.
But seven months is a lifetime for a teenager. So when Gauff repeated her victory over Williams at the Australian Open on Monday, this time winning 7-6, 6-3, it was fully expected. Gauff showed everyone just how far she has come since she burst onto the scene by reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon last summer.
Her maturity is remarkable. Here was Williams, now 39 and playing in Australia for the 20th time, rattled, exasperated, furious at her mistakes, unable to cover the court the way she once did, unable to penetrate holes in the defense of Gauff, whose athleticism and movement resembles Venus at her best.
At the other end, Gauff was problem-solving, working out what she needed to do and how to do it to stave off a comeback and get over the line. Not many 15-year-olds can do that, but this is no ordinary 15-year-old.
"She clearly wants it, works very hard, is extremely mature for her age," Williams said. "I think the sky's the limit for her."
www.espn.com
Go Coco!!
When Coco Gauff beat Venus Williams at Wimbledon last summer, it was a huge shock. The 38-year-old knocked off by an almost unknown 15-year-old on her favorite surface in the hallowed place where Williams had been the queen of grass five times.
But seven months is a lifetime for a teenager. So when Gauff repeated her victory over Williams at the Australian Open on Monday, this time winning 7-6, 6-3, it was fully expected. Gauff showed everyone just how far she has come since she burst onto the scene by reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon last summer.
Her maturity is remarkable. Here was Williams, now 39 and playing in Australia for the 20th time, rattled, exasperated, furious at her mistakes, unable to cover the court the way she once did, unable to penetrate holes in the defense of Gauff, whose athleticism and movement resembles Venus at her best.
At the other end, Gauff was problem-solving, working out what she needed to do and how to do it to stave off a comeback and get over the line. Not many 15-year-olds can do that, but this is no ordinary 15-year-old.
"She clearly wants it, works very hard, is extremely mature for her age," Williams said. "I think the sky's the limit for her."
Coco Gauff shows how far she's come in Australian Open win
Coco Gauff made a strong statement in her opening-round victory over Venus Williams in Melbourne: The 15-year-old American fears no one.
Go Coco!!
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Bryans Taking Different Approach At Final Australian Open
This Grand Slam, their 85th together, will be different for Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan. The American twins have announced that 2020 will be their final season on the ATP Tour. After 22 years, the Bryans plan to retire after the 2020 US Open.
“This is our last time here. We're going to miss this place,” Mike Bryan said in Melbourne. “This has been our most successful Slam. So we're going to try to soak it in, no expectations.”
The Bryans have won the Australian Open six times, compared to two Roland Garros titles, three at Wimbledon and five at their home Slam. The twins first played at the Australian Open as a team in 2000.
“We're all honoured to be at this tournament,” Bob Bryan said. “We're just going to give it one last run.”
Unlike past years, though, when the Bryans have been so insularly focused on their practices, what they're eating and their results, they're taking a slightly different approach this fortnight.
The twins are lingering on site a little bit longer. They're gazing around the grounds more than once, attempting to absorb everything they'll miss about the tournament where they first became Grand Slam champions.
“This is a really special place for us. Really successful for us. I think we made nine out of 10 finals consecutively (2004-'13). We're stoked to be back here. We're going to obviously just try to soak it all in,” Mike Bryan said.
But of course, they'd prefer to play good tennis. The Bryans last played a match at the US Open, a third-round loss to compatriots Jack Sock/Jackson Withrow. They arrived in Melbourne a week and a half ago.
“We have a lot of days of practice, eight days so far... Trying to shake off the rust and put in a good performance. We're just hoping to thank a lot of people, walk around, give our gratitude for this wonderful tournament,” Mike Bryan said.
www.atptour.com
Go Bryan Brothers!!
This Grand Slam, their 85th together, will be different for Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan. The American twins have announced that 2020 will be their final season on the ATP Tour. After 22 years, the Bryans plan to retire after the 2020 US Open.
“This is our last time here. We're going to miss this place,” Mike Bryan said in Melbourne. “This has been our most successful Slam. So we're going to try to soak it in, no expectations.”
The Bryans have won the Australian Open six times, compared to two Roland Garros titles, three at Wimbledon and five at their home Slam. The twins first played at the Australian Open as a team in 2000.
“We're all honoured to be at this tournament,” Bob Bryan said. “We're just going to give it one last run.”
Unlike past years, though, when the Bryans have been so insularly focused on their practices, what they're eating and their results, they're taking a slightly different approach this fortnight.
The twins are lingering on site a little bit longer. They're gazing around the grounds more than once, attempting to absorb everything they'll miss about the tournament where they first became Grand Slam champions.
“This is a really special place for us. Really successful for us. I think we made nine out of 10 finals consecutively (2004-'13). We're stoked to be back here. We're going to obviously just try to soak it all in,” Mike Bryan said.
But of course, they'd prefer to play good tennis. The Bryans last played a match at the US Open, a third-round loss to compatriots Jack Sock/Jackson Withrow. They arrived in Melbourne a week and a half ago.
“We have a lot of days of practice, eight days so far... Trying to shake off the rust and put in a good performance. We're just hoping to thank a lot of people, walk around, give our gratitude for this wonderful tournament,” Mike Bryan said.
Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan Taking Different Approach At Final Australian Open | ATP Tour | Tennis
This Grand Slam, their 85th together, will be different for Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan. The 41-year-old American twins have announced that 2020 will be their final season on the ATP Tour. The Bryans plan to retire after the 2020 US Open.
Go Bryan Brothers!!
BleedGopher
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Isner with a very Isner-esque first round win: 6-7, 7-6. 7-6, 7-6.
Tiafoe needs to get into Top 32 so he doesn't face first round opponents like he did in the AO.
Sharapova out in first round without much fight.
Go USA!!
Tiafoe needs to get into Top 32 so he doesn't face first round opponents like he did in the AO.
Sharapova out in first round without much fight.
Go USA!!
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Yahoo: Sharapova career in balance after Melbourne humiliation
Maria Sharapova burst onto the scene as a supremely gifted teenager and won five Grand Slams before serving a drugs ban, but at age 32 a persistent injury has now thrown her turbulent career into grave doubt.
The Russian former world number one's ranking is set to dive below 350 after Tuesday's first-round defeat at the Australian Open.
There have been suggestions that Sharapova could soon retire and she did little to dispel that notion following the straight-sets loss to the 19th seed Donna Vekic.
Asked by AFP if she will be back in Melbourne again, she replied: "I don't know, I don't know.
"It's tough for me to tell what's going to happen in 12 months' time."
sports.yahoo.com
Go Serena!!
Maria Sharapova burst onto the scene as a supremely gifted teenager and won five Grand Slams before serving a drugs ban, but at age 32 a persistent injury has now thrown her turbulent career into grave doubt.
The Russian former world number one's ranking is set to dive below 350 after Tuesday's first-round defeat at the Australian Open.
There have been suggestions that Sharapova could soon retire and she did little to dispel that notion following the straight-sets loss to the 19th seed Donna Vekic.
Asked by AFP if she will be back in Melbourne again, she replied: "I don't know, I don't know.
"It's tough for me to tell what's going to happen in 12 months' time."
Sharapova career in balance after Melbourne humiliation
Maria Sharapova burst onto the scene as a supremely gifted teenager and won five Grand Slams before serving a drugs ban, but at age 32 a persistent injury has now thrown her turbulent career into grave doubt. The Russian former world number one's ranking is set to dive below 350 after Tuesday's...
Go Serena!!
BleedGopher
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What a great comeback for Coco!! Down a set, and then down 1-3 in the third set and she fought back for a 7-5 third set win. She's an amazing competitor and has a personality that is a marketer's dream.
Go Coco!!
Go Coco!!
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Taylor Fritz with a nice come from behind win over Kevin Anderson.
Go USA!!
Go USA!!
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What a huge win for Gauff!! Her competitive style is amazing. She faces another young American Sofia Kenin who is flying under the radar despite being seeded 14th. One of those two will advance to the Quarters!
Tough loss for Serena. I watched most of the match and Wang played incredible. I think it's fair at this time to start wondering if Serena is able to get to #24. I sure hope she can.
Federer with a gutsy 5th set win today. Down 8-4 in the 5th set super tie-breaker, he came back to win 10-8. Amazing how most of the crowd was cheering for Fed despite him playing an Aussie.
Go USA and Fed!!
Tough loss for Serena. I watched most of the match and Wang played incredible. I think it's fair at this time to start wondering if Serena is able to get to #24. I sure hope she can.
Federer with a gutsy 5th set win today. Down 8-4 in the 5th set super tie-breaker, he came back to win 10-8. Amazing how most of the crowd was cheering for Fed despite him playing an Aussie.
Go USA and Fed!!
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Coco's post-match interview:
Go Coco!!
Go Coco!!
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Roger fought off an amazing SEVEN match points last night over upstart American Tennys Sandgren. Roger hasn't been his best this tournament but he now finds himself in yet another Slam semifinal, and will face Novak.
On the women's side, young American Sofia Kenin is in her first Slam semi!
Go Federer and USA!!
On the women's side, young American Sofia Kenin is in her first Slam semi!
Go Federer and USA!!
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Dominic Thiem with the big upset over Nadal in 4 sets.
www.espn.com
Go Federer!!
Top seed Nadal ousted by Thiem at Aussie Open
Dominic Thiem beat top-seeded Rafael Nadal 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 in a thrilling quarterfinal match at the Australian Open.
Go Federer!!
What a tough win for Kenin! 76 75.
She trailed 6-4 in the first set breaker and won the last 4 points to steal it. Then Barty had 2 set points serving at 5-4 in the 2nd set, Kenin won 8 straight points to go up 6-5 and broke Barty to close out the match.
Barty #1 with the home crowd, air temperature was 101 when they finished...tough conditions.
She trailed 6-4 in the first set breaker and won the last 4 points to steal it. Then Barty had 2 set points serving at 5-4 in the 2nd set, Kenin won 8 straight points to go up 6-5 and broke Barty to close out the match.
Barty #1 with the home crowd, air temperature was 101 when they finished...tough conditions.
BleedGopher
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Heck of a win for Kenin, she's a feisty competitor. Very fun to watch. It would be awesome if she won the finals.
Novak with a straight win over Federer. Roger really needed that first set that went into the tie-breaker.
Go Kenin!!
Novak with a straight win over Federer. Roger really needed that first set that went into the tie-breaker.
Go Kenin!!
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Very happy for Kenin, she's been under the radar among the fantastic group of young American women! And after this Aussie run she'll apparently be ranked 7th in the world! She's an absolute competitor, love watching her play.
Go Kenin!!
Go Kenin!!
BleedGopher
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So much respect!
Go Federer!!
Go Federer!!
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Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin shows the future has arrived for women's tennis
Sofia Kenin came to the year's first Grand Slam as a player to watch -- a rising American placed in the toughest quarter of the draw -- but without many expectations.
She left it the sport's newest superstar.
After an impressive run to the finals that included knocking off world No. 1 and hometown favorite Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals and 15-year-old sensation Coco Gauff in the fourth round, the No. 14-seeded 21-year-old stormed back in Saturday's Australian Open championship match after losing the first set to unseeded Garbine Muguruza, a two-time major champion.
Kenin made her Grand Slam debut in 2015 at the US Open as a result of winning the USTA junior national championship. She became a fixture on the WTA Tour in 2017. She had her breakthrough season last year, winning three titles and reaching her then-career best ranking of No. 12 to end 2019, as well as being named the WTA's most improved player. She reached the fourth round of a major for the first time at the 2019 French Open after beating Serena Williams, one of her heroes. Earlier this week, she claimed that was the match that gave her the confidence to know she could compete against the best in the world.
And on Saturday, she joined Williams and Sharapova in the record books, becoming the youngest American to win a major since Williams in 2002, the youngest to win in Melbourne since Sharapova in 2008, and just the fourth woman in the Open era to earn their first Grand Slam title after dropping the first set. She will officially become the top-ranked American for the first time on Monday when she takes over the No. 7 spot -- two places ahead of Williams. It still doesn't feel real for her yet.
"It hasn't sunk in yet," she said. "Everything is just still a blur for me. I just can't believe what happened. It's just great. I feel like I'm doing some great things for American tennis. It's such an honor.
"I've watched Serena, I've been following her, all the Slams she's been winning. It's a special feeling just to be ahead of her. I'm just super excited."
Collecting a check of $2.76 million (AU$4.12 million), Kenin almost doubled her career earnings overnight. After advancing to the finals, she told doubles partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands in a video interview that she would be buying herself Cartier diamonds with her newfound wealth. She jokingly confirmed that after the match.
www.espn.com
Go Kenin!!
Sofia Kenin came to the year's first Grand Slam as a player to watch -- a rising American placed in the toughest quarter of the draw -- but without many expectations.
She left it the sport's newest superstar.
After an impressive run to the finals that included knocking off world No. 1 and hometown favorite Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals and 15-year-old sensation Coco Gauff in the fourth round, the No. 14-seeded 21-year-old stormed back in Saturday's Australian Open championship match after losing the first set to unseeded Garbine Muguruza, a two-time major champion.
Kenin made her Grand Slam debut in 2015 at the US Open as a result of winning the USTA junior national championship. She became a fixture on the WTA Tour in 2017. She had her breakthrough season last year, winning three titles and reaching her then-career best ranking of No. 12 to end 2019, as well as being named the WTA's most improved player. She reached the fourth round of a major for the first time at the 2019 French Open after beating Serena Williams, one of her heroes. Earlier this week, she claimed that was the match that gave her the confidence to know she could compete against the best in the world.
And on Saturday, she joined Williams and Sharapova in the record books, becoming the youngest American to win a major since Williams in 2002, the youngest to win in Melbourne since Sharapova in 2008, and just the fourth woman in the Open era to earn their first Grand Slam title after dropping the first set. She will officially become the top-ranked American for the first time on Monday when she takes over the No. 7 spot -- two places ahead of Williams. It still doesn't feel real for her yet.
"It hasn't sunk in yet," she said. "Everything is just still a blur for me. I just can't believe what happened. It's just great. I feel like I'm doing some great things for American tennis. It's such an honor.
"I've watched Serena, I've been following her, all the Slams she's been winning. It's a special feeling just to be ahead of her. I'm just super excited."
Collecting a check of $2.76 million (AU$4.12 million), Kenin almost doubled her career earnings overnight. After advancing to the finals, she told doubles partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands in a video interview that she would be buying herself Cartier diamonds with her newfound wealth. She jokingly confirmed that after the match.
Australian Open champ Kenin shows future has arrived for women's tennis
American Sofia Kenin, 21, became the latest in a crop of developing young stars to win a Grand Slam with her Australian Open victory over Garbine Muguruza.
Go Kenin!!
BleedGopher
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Novak with his 8th Aussie Open and 17th Slam overall.
Current Slam list:
Fed: 20
Nadal: 19
Novak: 17
Sampras: 14
We have to assume Nadal will win the French Open this spring and pull even with Roger. The big question is if Roger has one more in him, I sure hope he does.
Go Federer!!
Current Slam list:
Fed: 20
Nadal: 19
Novak: 17
Sampras: 14
We have to assume Nadal will win the French Open this spring and pull even with Roger. The big question is if Roger has one more in him, I sure hope he does.
Go Federer!!
BleedGopher
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2008
- Messages
- 60,800
- Reaction score
- 16,225
- Points
- 113
ESPN: U.S. men continue to face challenges on the ATP Tour
Steve Johnson squandered multiple chances in his second-round match with Andreas Seppi, 35 years old and ranked No 98, last week at the New York Open. When he smacked a double fault that sealed the match for Seppi, Johnson waved a hand in futility, called for his towel and cast his eyes up at the dark, light-studded ceiling of the Nassau Coliseum, muttering.
It has been like that a lot lately for Johnson, who's been shuttling back and forth from the Challenger to the ATP Tour, taking one step forward and two steps back in the quest to regain the form that once lifted him to the No. 21 ranking. He isn't the only faltering American man.
The tennis year is only six weeks old, but U.S. women, led by Sofia Kenin, have already hit some electric highs: an Australian Open singles title and a dramatic Fed Cup win that earned Team USA a berth in April's Fed Cup finals tournament. On the ATP side of the fence, the best result for an American has been Tennys Sandgren's unexpected quarterfinal finish at the year's first major.
The U.S. has eight players in the ATP Top 100, but these are challenging days for most of them.
"I do think we're in better shape now that we were four or five years ago," John Isner, the top-ranked American at No. 18 and top seed at the New York Open, said. "We have more promising players in that 23-and-under set now, but they still have a long way to go in terms of maturity if they want to compete with contemporaries like [Alexander] Zverev, [Stefanos] Tsitsipas, [Andrey] Rublev. Those guys are ridiculously determined and very, very professional. It's not that our guys aren't -- they just need to keep getting better in that facet."
www.espn.com
Go USA!!
Steve Johnson squandered multiple chances in his second-round match with Andreas Seppi, 35 years old and ranked No 98, last week at the New York Open. When he smacked a double fault that sealed the match for Seppi, Johnson waved a hand in futility, called for his towel and cast his eyes up at the dark, light-studded ceiling of the Nassau Coliseum, muttering.
It has been like that a lot lately for Johnson, who's been shuttling back and forth from the Challenger to the ATP Tour, taking one step forward and two steps back in the quest to regain the form that once lifted him to the No. 21 ranking. He isn't the only faltering American man.
The tennis year is only six weeks old, but U.S. women, led by Sofia Kenin, have already hit some electric highs: an Australian Open singles title and a dramatic Fed Cup win that earned Team USA a berth in April's Fed Cup finals tournament. On the ATP side of the fence, the best result for an American has been Tennys Sandgren's unexpected quarterfinal finish at the year's first major.
The U.S. has eight players in the ATP Top 100, but these are challenging days for most of them.
"I do think we're in better shape now that we were four or five years ago," John Isner, the top-ranked American at No. 18 and top seed at the New York Open, said. "We have more promising players in that 23-and-under set now, but they still have a long way to go in terms of maturity if they want to compete with contemporaries like [Alexander] Zverev, [Stefanos] Tsitsipas, [Andrey] Rublev. Those guys are ridiculously determined and very, very professional. It's not that our guys aren't -- they just need to keep getting better in that facet."
U.S. men continue to face challenges on the ATP Tour
The U.S., led by John Isner, has eight players in the ATP Top 100, but it has been 17 years since an American man won a Grand Slam.
Go USA!!