VANtage Point: Seriously, WTF?

Hey out there in DtL land! It’s Van, with the final VP of the year: I couldn’t let the ATP World Tour Finals go on without saying something about it. The field here could actually be more level than it has been in recent seasons, making for a potentially more exciting tournament. Anyway, if you don’t mind, I’m going to get right into things, first with…

 

A Look Back: This is usually where I reflect back upon the last tournament I previewed. Since that was the U.S. Open of 1884, it seems, why not do something a little more recent, like last year’s WTF? Roger Federer ran roughshod over the field then, only losing one set on the way to his fifth career year-end championship. Three of his victims were the players ranked above him: Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. It’s funny to think what a difference a year makes! But enough of the past, let’s get more into …

 

This Week’s Spotlight: The ATP World Tour Finals brings together the crème de la crème of men’s pro tennis, all together under one roof—specifically that of the O2 Arena in London. The players are divided into groups to go at it round-robin style. Group A includes Djokovic, Murray, David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych. Group B is made up of Nadal, Federer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Mardy Fish. Speaking of the players, though, here’s…

 

The Players to Watch: This is a very intriguing tournament, especially considering where the players are at this point in the year. Djokovic’s season has been unreal, but he has really struggled with injury lately. Can he find the form he’s had all year? Nadal has been out for a few weeks, but is he rested enough? Federer’s coming in to the event on a 12-match winning streak, but has he faced the best of the best? I’d say really keep an eye on those guys, plus two who I think are the most dangerous out there: Berdych and Tsonga, who’ve both been on a tear. They should have a good shot at …

 

The Final Four: Murray over Nadal and Federer over Berdych. Then it’s time for the main event …

 

And the Winner Is…: Murray over Federer, giving the Scotsman the biggest title of his career.

 

So long for 2011: Catch you more next season!

 

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone? Follow him on Twitter @ttanyone and Facebook here.

[Photo(s) credit: ATP]

VANtage Point: But how will it end? The US Open, I mean.

Neither rain nor sleet nor looming hurricane threatening to drop on my Brooklyn home any moment could keep me from delivering a special VANtage Point in time for the U.S. Open! Hey there, DtLeratti, it’s Van and I think this one could be one of the most exciting in years with the dominance of Novak Djokovic, American men playing well and Serena Williams rounding into form.
So let me get to the 'Point'. First …

A Look Back: I’m not going to go waaay back to the last time VP graced Down the Line!, but rather take a glance back at what’s gone down this summer. Mardy Fish and Serena both won the Olympus US Open Series with amazing runs. Djokovic dropped in and added to his staggering record, while Andy Murray showed he’s rounding into form.

This Week’s Spotlight: The US Open - need I say more? Of course I do, or else why would we have a VANtage Point?! The last Slam of the year is here with scores of players descending upon the Big Apple looking to loft that big silver trophy at the end.

Players to Watch: I’ve mentioned Djokovic, Fish and Murray, but I hear there’s a guy from Switzerland in the draw that’s had some decent showings here in the past by the name of Roger Federer. (I’m pretty sure you didn’t think I was talking about Stan Wawrinka!) It’s crazy to think that he hasn’t won a Grand Slam singles title in more than a year. I don’t think it’s going to happen here, but it’s hard to count that guy out! And speaking of guys that have had success in the past, Juan Martin del Potro could do some damage.

On the women’s side, Caroline Wozniacki has to make a move to Grand Slam glory at some point. Two Major winners this year—Li Na and Petra Kvitova—have tough draws and could be gone before you know it, so catch them while you can. Venus Williams is unseeded, but is slated to meet a buzz saw—Sabine Lisicki—in the second round. Either one of them has a chance to punch a hole in the draw.

The Final Fours: For the men, I’m going with Djokovic over Fish (sorry Roger, Jo-Willy Tsonga early on might just be too tough a hurdle) and Murray over defending champ Rafael Nadal. For the women, I’m picking Serena over Wozniacki and past US Open champ Maria Sharapova over the Aussie Samantha Stosur.

And the Winners Are … : Djokovic over Murray and Serena over Sharapova - big names that should make for serious entertainment. Enjoy the tournament everyone, and stay dry!

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone? Follow him on Twitter @ttanyone and Facebook here.

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

VANtage Point: Bonjour y'all, it's Roland Garros time!

Hey, it’s Van, returning to the scene of VANtage Point’s greatest triumph…

It was a year ago when the staff at VP (that being me, Van) made one of the boldest calls in bloggers-blogging-about-tennis history with the selection of Francesca Schiavone as a finalist at the 2010 French Open. I’m officially retiring any more mention of that choice since it’s all I’ve talked about for the past 12 months (“Sir, can I take your order?”/”Sure, I’ll have a burger and fries, and oh, did you know I picked Schiavone for the French finals last year?”)

In other words, let’s move on starting with …

This Week’s Spotlight: It’s upon us - no, not the Rapture - rather, the second major of the year, the French Open. And there are plenty of storylines going into this year’s event.

For instance, how about that Novak Djokovic fellow? He’s been playing pretty well lately, huh? (And for my next obvious statement: WATER IS WET.) Rafael Nadal’s been swept up in the Djokovic win streak this year. Can he turn the tables on his new rival? What about Nadal’s old rival, Roger Federer? Is there still something left in the tank?

As for the women, there’s Caroline Wozniacki’s quest for that elusive first Grand Slam title. Will it happen here? Or is it Maria Sharapova’s time? All that talk about players and their particular storylines makes for a nice segue into ...

Players to Watch: All eyes are on Djokovic, which is how it should be when someone’s on a near historic run like he is. I think he’s going to do just fine at this tournament. There's also Nicolas Almagro, a player poised for a major breakthrough. If you were to poll the men on who no one wants to play early on, after Djokovic and Nadal, the next likely man would be Juan Martin del Potro. Something has to give if he meets Djokovic in the third round.

On the women's side, watch out for defending champ Schiavone, who will surprise a lot of folks again. The other shock finalist from 2010, Sam Stosur, could have another nice run here. But you know who can really shake things up, provided her body holds up? Victoria Azarenka. She should take her place among …

The Final Fours: For the men, I think it will be Nadal over his countryman Almagro, then Djokovic topping Federer. On the women’s side, it’ll be Stosur (who I like to upset Wozniacki in the quarters) turning the tables on Schiavone and Azarenka topping Sharapova. And let’s keep it clean Vicki: no potty mouth!

And the Winners Are … : Unbelievable, historic, whatever you want to call it: I just don’t see anyone topping Djoko this tournament. And it’s Azarenka’s time. She seems to have the fire and game to join the Grand Slam-winning elite.

So get ready for an exciting tournament, folks. Au revoir!

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone? Follow him on Twitter @ttanyone and Facebook here.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

VANtage Point: Breaking down the Sony Ericsson Open

Hello, and Happy New Year! Granted, that sentiment might be a little late, but this is the first VANtage Point of 2011 and it would be rude for me to proceed without the proper salutations!

And if you’re wondering what VANtage Point is, it’s where guest blogger Van from Tennis Talk, Anyone? (that’s me) pops in on DtL and gives a breakdown of some of the biggest events on the ATP and WTA calendars. So let’s get into it, shall we? First, with …

This Week’s Spotlight: I’m taking my tournament-predicting talents to South Beach* - the scene of the Sony Ericsson Open - and what many in the tennis world consider the unofficial “Fifth Slam.” The defending champs are Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters who are both back in the field with all of the game’s elite. You know, players like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Caroline Wozniacki, Novak Djokovic and Vera Zvonareva—yeah, those guys!

Players to Watch: It’s funny to write this but keep your eye on that Federer fella. It’s hard to gauge how his season has gone so far: He’s made deep runs at every event he’s played—as he’s apt to do—but he keeps losing to Djokovic, who even took away Fed’s number-two ranking after capturing the crown in Indian Wells last week. Djokovic has a nice big bagel sitting in the loss column for the year, but can he keep the run he’s going on through Miami? Also, watch out for Andy Murray, who could possibly be a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him seed in Florida.

On the women’s side, I’m going to actually point out a whole quarter for you to watch! Check out the one where Zvonareva is the high seed. I think there are all types of players that could get far in the draw that aren’t the world number three. She could go out in the second round after playing the winner of the Dinara Safina-Jelena Dokic first-rounder. You also have last week’s Indian Wells finalist, Marion Bartoli, lurking. Higher up in that quarter, top-10 seeds Francesca Schiavone or Agnieszka Radwanska have a great shot at getting to the semis.

The Final Fours: For the men on the top half, I’m going with the dream match-up—Federer vs. Nadal with Federer winning. On the bottom half, I have a little bit of a surprise with Stanislas Wawrinka over Djokovic. As for the women, on the top half, I like Wozniacki to take out Svetlana Kuznetsova, then Schiavone falling to Clijsters.

And the Winners Are … : Federer and Clijsters: two future Hall-of-Famers getting it done. Enjoy the tournament.

*And a special kudos to you if you can figure out where I got that asterisked sentence from, tennis fans!

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?. Follow him on Twitter @ttanyone and Facebook here.

[Photo(s): ]

VANtage Point: Paris-Bercy brings the Masters 1000 season to a close

Hey DtL readers, it’s Van — last seen around these parts during the U.S. Open — with a final VANtage Point for the year. It was a pretty good season for the Point with some now-legendary calls, both good (Francesca Schiavone getting to the finals at the French) and bad (and I quote, from my Wimbledon breakdown on Rafael Nadal’s chances: “I think his draw is super, super tough so catch him while you can!”)

Anyway, in consults with Down the Line! honcho Rich, we decided I’d do a wrap-up of the year in ATP Masters 1000 tournaments (or “Super 9s” for you old-schoolers out there) before looking at the final one on the calendar taking place this week in Paris. So in VP fashion, let’s start with …

A Look Back: It was quite a year for the prestigious tournaments.

· If Indian Wells was going to be any indication for how the season would go, then we were all probably shocked. Veteran Ivan Ljubicic won the biggest title of his career, dusting multiple top tenners along the way: Novak Djokovic in the 16s, Rafa in the semis and Andy Roddick in the final.

· Roddick bounced back, though, in a big way in his next event, winning in Miami over Tomas Berdych in the final. This was Roddick’s first Masters 1000 title since Cincinnati in ’06. That win against Berdych was nice, but it was the semifinal win over Nadal that really stood out.

· Not that I want to cheat you out of more of the beautiful prose that makes up VANtage Point but I think I’m going to lump all the clay-court notes into one nifty little paragraph, especially seeing as how one man conquered the three big tourneys: Nadal. Just when doubt was growing about his game, a trip to Monte Carlo worked wonders as he won his first title of the year against countryman Fernando Verdasco. Then, it was off to Rome, where he blew out another Spaniard, David Ferrer, in the final. In his third final of the Masters 1000 clay-court swing, Nadal defeated Roger Federer in Madrid, reversing the previous year’s result. During this run of his, Nadal only dropped two sets in 15 matches and became the first player to sweep the Masters’ dirt stretch.

· After Wimbledon, it was back to North America for the summer hard court season. Andy Murray won the first big event in Toronto, going back-to-back against Nadal and Fed in the semis and finals, respectively.

· Federer won at Cincy in a dogfight with surprise finalist Mardy Fish. Funny that Federer had to work so hard in the finals because the road there wasn’t tough at all with a first-round bye, a retirement in the second round and a walkover in the third!

· Shanghai was number eight on the slate and Murray took the shield there for his second title of the year with both wins coming against Federer.

And now, here we are.

This Week’s Spotlight: The final regular-season event before the ATP World Tour Finals, the Paris Masters. It’s the crown jewel of the indoor season, and the defending champ is Novak Djokovic, who beat hometown fave Gael Monfils in the finals. The tournament, which kicked off yesterday, has already been rocked by the withdrawal of Nadal, but the rest of the gang is there. Plus, it’s the final place those in the hunt for a spot in the ATP World Tour Finals can gain points, which leads to ...

Players to Watch: There are three spots left for the Finals, and right now, Berdych is in sixth place, followed by last week’s Valencia Open champ Ferrer and Swiss Indoors semifinalist Roddick. You remember Berdych, right? That guy that put himself into the mix of Slam contenders after years of unfulfilled promise? Looks like he’s in a bit of a rut, to say the least. So is another Finals hopeful, Verdasco, who’s won only a single match since the U.S. Open. Watch out for Nikolay Davydenko and Monfils hurting their respective chances. I don’t think any of those guys will make the semis, though.

The Final Four: Federer, who has been in great form indoors, will take out Murray in the top half of the draw, while Roddick will stop Djokovic.

And the Winner Is … : Federer, for his first title at this event, which would be a nice way to enter the year-end championships, don’t you think?

So, signing off for VANtage Point this year, it’s Van (Get it? Van? VANtage Point?) saying see you later and enjoy your tennis viewing!

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

VANtage Point: US Open 2010 - Who will take the season's final major?

This is it, folks, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. No, I’m not talking about the US Open, but rather the latest edition of VANtage Point, which takes a look at the US Open!

Hey everyone out there in DtL world! It’s Van and like you at home I’m pretty psyched about the final Slam of the season. Going in, there are so many questions: Is the women’s title up for grabs for everyone with Serena Williams out? Can Roger Federer add to his Grand Slam tally and prove the doubters wrong? Will Rafael Nadal complete the career Slam? So many questions, but lucky for you, I have so many answers. So let me get to the “Point”!

First…

A Look Back: Usually, this is where I’d take a look back at the previous week’s event or major, but this time I’m going to take a brief gander at the Olympus US Open Series. Great stuff all around, I felt, with Mardy Fish coming into his own, Federer finally winning another title this year and Caroline Wozniacki making a run towards the top spot.

This Week’s Spotlight: I’ve probably mentioned this 46 times so far in this posting but it’s US Open time! In a perfect world, every sports section in every paper would only include US Open coverage: Nothing else matters.

Players to Watch: The good thing about Grand Slam events is you get to follow who’s doing what 128 times in each draw. On the men’s side, look out for David Nalbandian. You saw it here first DtL/VP readers: If he’s playing Nadal in the quarters, don’t be shocked if he pulls off an upset. Will Fish, one of the hottest players on the planet, keep it going? Andy Murray also broke his title-less drought this summer: Can he break Great Britain’s Slam-less streak? I expect a deep run.

As for the women, it’s funny how one player’s absence can shake up everyone’s expectations. A player who I think really needs this title is Maria Sharapova. By almost the same token, you can say the same about Jelena Jankovic. But I think the player everyone will have their eyes on is Wozniacki. Can she handle being the top seed at a major? She’s played a lot of tennis this summer with great results, but it could be a matter of peaking at the wrong time.

The Final Fours: Even though I said Nalbandian could have a real shot against Rafa, I think the Spaniard comes through that encounter to take on Murray. In the bottom half of the draw, it will be Andy Roddick vs. Federer. For the women, I see Sharapova taking on surprise semifinalist Agnieszka Radwanska while Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters go head to head in the other half.

And the Winners Are… : Believe it or not, I’m going with the old guy, that Federer fellow, to beat Murray, while I’m picking Clijsters to defend her title taking out Sharapova in the process. Those are my calls and I’m stickin’ to ’em. Enjoy all the Open has to offer!

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

[Photo(s): Michael Alan for DtL]

VANtage Point: Wimbledon 2010 bracket breakdown

Another Grand Slam so soon? That can only mean one thing: More VANtage Point, where our slogan is “The place where Schiavone was predicted to make the finals of the French Open!” (Sorry, RiCH: I promise that’ll be the last time I mention my prediction!) It’s that time of the year again, where even the non-tennis fans follow what’s going on in the sport. But first...

A Look Back: The last time I was here players were slip-sliding away on the clay at the French Open, where Rafael Nadal won his fifth title and Francesca Schiavone her first. Congrats to both of them!

This Week’s Spotlight: Wimbledon - Do I have to say anything else? Well, yeah, I guess I should! The most prestigious event on either tour kicks off in a matter of hours, and Roger Federer, the six-time champion, is looking to equal Pete Sampras’ record of seven titles. The road won’t be easy with Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick and 125 other guys trying to do their best to stop him. Defending women’s champ Serena Williams knows how to get it done there too as she tries for her fourth win. Big sis Venus really knows what it takes with five tiny plates from the All England Club lining her trophy cabinet. The sisters, the top two seeds, will be facing a number of contenders looking to break their dominant streak.

Players to Watch: Because there are so few standouts on grass, I feel this is the best surface to point out some players who could have their moment in the sun (provided there's enough to spare and there aren’t many rain outs). For instance, on the men’s side watch how Feliciano Lopez makes out (I’m sure there are a lot of you out there who would love to see how Lopez 'makes out'!) Seriously, though, if he was just a couple of notches better I’d say he would have a great shot at taking Fed out in the fourth round. In my heart of hearts, I see Lleyton Hewitt beating Novak Djokovic in the Sweet 16. And there’s this guy named Rafael Nadal who won the Big W a couple of years ago. He’s not your typical grass-court specialist, but he’s obviously gotten it done before. I think his draw is super, super tough so catch him while you can!

As for the women, I’m intrigued by the prospects of two players that are probably on a lot of “favorite” lists: Kim Clijsters and Jelena Jankovic, who are drawn to meet each other in the quarters. If neither one of them made it that far, I wouldn’t be surprised. And don’t sleep on former Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli making a run.

The Final Fours: For the men, I’m going with a repeat of last year’s epic final on the top half with the same result: Federer over Andy Roddick. On the bottom half, it’ll be Andy Murray stopping surprise semifinalist Marcos Baghdatis. As for the ladies, I’m picking Maria Sharapova (who I think will win a slugfest over Serena in the fourth round) to top Sam Stosur and Venus knocking off Justine Henin.

And the Winners Are … : I don’t think they’ll keep doing this forever, but Federer and Venus still have some cup- and plate-kissing, respectively, to do in their careers. Watch them continue that in two weeks.

Enjoy the tournament!

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

VANtage Point: Roland Garros 2010 bracket breakdown - who will come out on top?

Henin, Clijsters—everyone loves a good comeback story, right? So why not add VANtage Point to the list, and just in time for the 2010 French Open!

First, allow me to reintroduce myself and what’s going on here: My name is Van (it’s not short for VANtage, either) and I have a blog of my own called Tennis Talk, Anyone? Down the Line! in an example of pure blogging brotherhood gave me the opportunity to make some predictions on tournaments over here, like I love doing over at TTA? I’ve been a pro tennis statistics devourer for most of my life, and love reading and writing about the pros, just like RiCH here at DtL!

So enough of that background info stuff, which if you’ve seen the Point before, you didn’t really need. Let’s get on with it shall we?

A Look Back: This is where I usually recap the prior week’s tournament that I previewed. But let’s just skip this part since the last time I wrote a VANtage Point was in 1980 after the Borg-McEnroe finals.

This Week’s Spotlight: There’s nothing like Paris in the springtime; I’m assuming that’s what the pros are thinking! After all, there’s the matter of that second Slam of the year to be played, the French Open. It’s been hit harder than I can recall with a lot of big withdrawals, such as Kim Clijsters and Nikolay Davydenko. However, I wouldn’t say either draw has a weak field; you still have the favorites such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, the Williams sisters and one of the comeback queens, four-time champ Justine Henin, there.

Players to Watch: Let’s start with the men. I’d say you have to keep an eye out for defending champ Federer as his play the past few months has been rather spotty—at least by the standards he’s held. Also, how will Novak Djokovic’s breathing problems affect him? And Andy Roddick. It says here at VP he’ll get knocked out in the first round. Oh, while I’m thinking of it, has Fernando Verdasco played too much tennis?

For the women, you have to wonder how Serena Williams will hold up while Henin’s going to be all kinds of hell for a player to face. A player I’m curious to see how they make out on the women’s side is Ana Ivanovic: Was that run in Rome a fluke or is she back?

The Final Fours: In the top half of the men’s draw, I’m picking Federer and Tomas Berdych, with the Swiss winning that one. On the bottom half, it should be David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal with the 4-time champion coming out on top. For the women, I’ll take Henin over Jelena Jankovic from the top half of the draw. And on the bottom half, I’ll go with Francesca Schiavone beating Venus Williams in one of the craziest calls you’ll see in quite some time!

And the Winners Are… : It’s only fitting that the two greatest clay courters of their generations end up with their fifth titles, that being Nadal and Henin. Should be a great Slam. We’ll see you soon!

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

[Photo(s): SportsIllustrated.com]

VANtage Point: Cincinnati send off - so now what?

Hey everyone, welcome back to VANtage Point! In honor of the U.S. Open, which is only a matter of days away, I have something planned special for this week. I’ll get to that in a matter of sentences, but first let’s take …

A Look Back: So, see, umm, what I meant to say was that … OK, I blew it! I guess I picked the wrong week to go against the mighty Roger Federer, who dropped some hammers on my pick to win, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic in the last two rounds. And don’t get me started on my runner-up call, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Anyway, congratulations to Rog!

This Week’s Spotlight: So, here’s that special “in honor of the U.S. Open” deal I was talking about. I’m just going to skip over New Haven, where some of the top pros are playing, and go straight to Queens, where the U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament is going on. It’s where you get to see up-and-comers and players still hanging on or some returning from injury try to make it in the main draw. And if you live in New York and you’re a tennis fan, please, PLEASE, I beg of you to go out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and catch some of the action. It’s free and I think it’s the best deal you can get in any sport!

Players to Watch: This year, both the men and women’s draws are loaded. Here are some marquee (or former marquee or maybe one day could become marquee) names to watch out for: On the men’s side, you have veterans like Xavier Malisse, Stefan Koubek, Dominik Hrbaty and Vince Spadea playing. Young guys like Donald Young and Carsten Ball are also in the mix.

As for the women, keep an eye on Sesil Karatantcheva, Asia Muhammad and Carly Gullickson. There’s also the most veteran player of them all in the draw, Kimiko Date Krumm, the 38-year-old former top-five player who decided to make a comeback after being retired for years.

And the Winners Are: If you’ve read VP in the past, you might be wondering, “Hey, where’s the Final Four section?” Well, the way the qualifying tournament is set up, there really isn’t one. And there’s a LOT of players that go in after winning three rounds — 16 on each side. So, in a nod to the missing “Final Four” section, I’m going to pick four players from each side that I think will make it in. For the men, it’s Aussie Peter Luczak, hard-court specialist Frank Dancevic, and the previously mentioned Ball and “Ain’t Afraid o’ Ya” Spadea.

On the women’s side, I’m picking Krumm (she’s living the dream!), the missing Nicole Vaidisova, defending U.S. Open girl’s champ Coco Vandeweghe and Karolina Sprem.

That’s it! Enjoy the qualies; the main event’s only days away!

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

(image via flickr)

VANtage Point: See ya in Cincinnati!

So, what did I miss?

Hey DtL readers, it’s the return of VANtage Point! Sorry I’ve been away so long, but the past few months have been kind of hectic with tendinitis in the knees forcing me to take some time off. Then my wife gave birth to twins and … well, let’s just say I’ve been busy, but now I’m back. And if you aren’t familiar with VP, here’s the scoop:

Each week, I look at one of the tournaments on the ATP and WTA tours, then give my predictions from the semifinals on, as well as look at some of the players I think will make a big move during the week.

Anyway, without further adieu, here’s VANtage Point!

A Look Back: So much has happened since the last edition of the Point, and to recap all that would take up a lot of precious Internet space, so I’ll spare you. Last week was pretty big, though, with the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal stranglehold on the top two spots being broken by Andy Murray, who went on to win the ATP 1000 tournament in Montreal. Jelena Jankovic came away with a big title, too, picking up the crown in Cincinnati over Dinara Safina. Jankovic looked really good, I thought, in those last two matches and could be poised to challenge for the top spot by the end of the year.

This Week’s Spotlight: Since Cincy was such a hotbed of activity last week, why not keep it going by looking at what the men will be doing there? The ATP World Tour makes its annual visit to the Midwest with the ATP 1000 Cincinnati stop. All your favorite top tenners are there, led by Federer, Nadal, Murray and the gang. It’s a tough tournament for the second week in a row for the guys, but I guess you couldn’t ask for a better tuneup stretch heading into the last Slam of the year, the U.S. Open.

Players to Watch: There are three players I’m really going to have my eyes on this week. First is the top dog, Federer. Is he ready to get back on a roll again? I think he’ll do fine here. Then second, it’s Nadal. Last week, he managed to get in a few matches to work the rust out. I’m not too sure about how successful he’ll be here with a tough draw. And lastly, the other player I’m interested in seeing how he makes out is Juan Martin del Potro. He’s been playing lights out the last couple of weeks, but it look liked he show some signs of fatigue against Murray in the Montreal final. Those two are on track for a rematch in the quarters here.

The Final Four: In the top half of the draw, I’m expecting it to come down to Federer and Murray, with the Scot winning that matchup. On the other side, I’m picking Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (who I think will beat Nadal in the quarters) over Novak Djokovic.

And the Winner Is: Murray’s making it a habit of winning ATP 1000 events, and there’s no reason why this shouldn’t continue. It’ll be a tough final, but he has the game to handle big hitters like Jo-Willy. That’s my call and I’m sticking to it. Check back next week to see how I made out!

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

(image via getty)

VANtage Point: Meet up at Madrid Mutua Madrileña

Whew! After dominating the clay-court season with my Rafa-winning picks in Monte Carlo and Rome here at VANtage Point, a much-needed break was in order. See, there’s a lot of work involved in looking at a draw that has Nadal in it, particularly on clay, and tapping him as the winner. I have to use something that I don’t always put into play: common sense. Anyway, I’m back and ready to keep on digging in the dirt here at the Point!

A Look Back: Well, the last time I was here was around Rome time, which Nadal won, but that’s old news. How about that week of tennis that just transpired? It started off with Serena Williams saying she’s the true number one, then promptly losing her first-round match in Rome. Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova met in the finals of an event for the second week in a row, this time with top-ranked Safina winning. James Blake made his first European clay-court final (and the first by an American since 2003!) and there was a Mikhail Youzhny sighting in Munich, but he lost to another guy that’s been MIA, Tomas Berdych, in a wild three-setter in the finals. Novak Djokovic won that tourney his family runs and Yanina Wickmayer won the women’s Estoril event.

All this and news breaks of Richard Gasquet testing positive for coke (not “a-cola”, but the powdery stuff)! What a week!

This Week’s Spotlight: Madrid is the place to be for the boys and gals we call professional tennis players as the last major event before the French has kicked off. The only big-time player missing in either draw is Ana Ivanovic, who pulled out with a knee injury. I mean, even newlywed Andy Roddick, who hasn’t seen a clay-court event since 2003, it seems, is here. It must be a big deal!

Players to Watch: Let’s start with the guys and I want to mention something I just noticed looking at the draw. In Nadal’s quarter, there are eight Spaniards. Now that’s a lot of Spaniards! And it’s almost all the big ones: David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco, Feliciano Lopez, Juan Ferrero, etc. I guess the organizers want a lot of all-Spanish matchups! Watch Verdasco, though. I think he can push Nadal in the quarters. And in the semis, Rafa’s drawn to play Djoko, who is someone else I’d say keep an eye on. He’s played a LOT of tennis the past few weeks. How will he hold up? See the full men's draw here.


On the women’s side, can Serena snap this losing streak she’s on? That’s a tough first-rounder she has against Francesca Schiavone. Big sis Venus looked real good in Rome, and I like her to keep it up here. That’s rough to see Safina and Kuznetsova drawn against each other in the quarters when they’ve been the star dirtballers so far. Check out the full ladies' draw here.

The Final Fours: For the guys, I’m going to go with Nadal over Andreas Seppi (his upset of Djokovic will be the biggest call made by VANtage Point of the season!) and Roger Federer over Tommy Robredo.

For the women, I like Safina topping Jelena Jankovic and Elena Dementieva beating Venus Williams.

And the Winners Are: A week off will have done both Rafa and I good as he picks up the crown and I look like a genius (yeah, right) for picking him, and Safina goes back-to-back with tournament wins.

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

(images via getty)

VANtage Point: FED CUP follow-up, Rome rules

(Hey readers! I'm sure you've noticed a significant slow down in DtL posts. Well, you AREN'T insane, at least not right now. Life has decided I need to focus on some other things in my personal world like, oh, work that actually pays me something. I will PWP - post when possible. In the meantime, enjoy another edition of VANtage Point!)


Hey everyone and welcome back to VANtage Point, your weekly dose of up-close glances at tennis tournaments around the world. When last we left off, VP predicted the U.S. could put on a decent showing against the Czech Republic, but little did we know the squad had bigger goals than that! What will happen this week? Stay tuned! (You’re supposed to read that with an announcer’s voice for added effect!)

Anyway, let’s get on with the Point, shall we?

A Look Back: The Fed Cup finals are set now as both Italy and a surprising U.S. team both pulled off upsets this past weekend over Russia and the Czech Republic, respectively. Both squads really pulled together with big performances at crucial moments. And I have to tell you this: Admittedly, I’ve been kind of lukewarm about Fed Cup in the past, but if you get action and clutch play like what was on display this weekend, then sign me up as a full-fledged fan!

This Week’s Spotlight: Ever since I was a wee VANtage Pointer, the ATP Masters 1000 Internazionali BNL D’Italia has been one of my favorite tournaments on tour. I became a fan of it waaay back when, in 1989, watching Andre Agassi and former Argentine Davis Cup captain Alberto Mancini duke it out in the finals, with Mancini winning. Novak Djokovic is the defending champ. What? A clay tournament without Rafael Nadal holding the title? He lost early last year and Roger Federer lost in the quarterfinals. They’re back, with all the usual suspects. And what’s this? Sightings of Americans in a clay-court tournament draw? Well, one of them is already gone as James Blake has already lost. To a qualifier, no less.

Players to Watch: You know who I think is rounding into decent form and could make a good run here? Nikolay Davydenko. I think he’s gradually getting his legs under him after missing so much time this year. Also, I think Tommy Robredo can make a good run at the event. Andy Murray has a pretty tough draw, and I’m anxious to see what he does in the second round against Juan Monaco.


The Final Four: Shock of shocks, I’m picking Nadal to get that far and take out Davydenko. On the other side of the draw, I think it’ll be Robredo versus David Ferrer, with Ferrer winning that all-Spanish matchup.

And the Winner Is: It’s déjà vu all over again as Rafa takes out Ferrer for the second week in a row.

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

VANtage Point: Monte Carlo musings, FED CUP preview

Ahhh, nothing like basking in the glow of victory!

After picking the first correct champ in weeks here at VANtage Point, I decided to treat myself to a mini-vacation: I figured since I was down in Monte Carlo watching VP pick Rafael Nadal storm his way to victory, I might as well stay down there a few extra days. I deserved it after all those missed calls. And let me tell you, there’s nothing like Monte Carlo in the springtime!

(I can dream, can’t I?)

Anyway, now that I’m back (to reality) it’s VP time!

A Look Back: So this might’ve been the biggest no-brainer pick of them all that I’ve made, but Rafa took home his fifth Masters 1000 Monte Carlo title in a row, beating Novak Djokovic in a pretty decent three-setter. Nadal was my only semifinal pick to get that far: Andy Murray, Djoko and Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat the newlywed Roger Federer, all had better runs than I expected. I might have to revise my original train of thought about Murray on the dirt this year. And I think Djokovic will have a pretty strong clay-court season, too.


This Week’s Spotlight: “Hey, where are all the WTA tournaments this week?” you might be asking yourself. Well, readers, the answer is the calendar’s cleared off this week for Fed Cup. (“VANtage Point: Where we have all the answers”!) The WTA’s Davis Cup counterpart is down to the semifinals this weekend with national powerhouse and defending champs Russia traveling to Italy and the little-underdog-that-could U.S. squad heading to the Czech Republic. There’s also some intriguing playoff ties, such as Serbia vs. Spain and France vs. Slovak Republic, among the match-ups.

Players to Watch: Russia has three top 10 players it’s throwing out there—Vera Zvonareva, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Nadia Petrova—but I’m not tagging them as the ones to watch. (New world number-one Dinara Safina and number-three Elena Dementieva aren’t making the trip.) Rather, I think you should watch out for their Italian opponents, particularly Flavia Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone and Roberta Vinci. Schiavone and Vinci have been playing really well the past few weeks, and Pennetta’s always pretty tough. Even though on paper, they’re the underdogs, you have to wonder what playing at home will do for them on their favorite surface.


As for the other semifinal, the top U.S. player on the team, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, is making her Fed Cup debut—and doing that on the road in a later round is always tough, no matter who you are. For the Czech squad, I really want to see what Lucie Safarova does. She was supposed to be a solid top-tenner by now, but we all know that hasn’t happened. If she’s chosen to play, can she be a possible weak link?

And while it’s just a playoff tie, that Serbia-Spain one can be a dogfight with all the players on both squads going all-out.

And the Winners Are: You know what? I’m going to go with Italy in the upset, taking the tie 3-2. As for the other one, I think the matches will be closer than anyone would expect, but I still see the Czech Republic beating the U.S. 4-1.

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

(images via getty)

VANtage Point: Houston hangover, moving on to Monte Carlo

Hey guys, wait for me!

If we weren’t so busy here at VANtage Point HQ's stuffing our faces with Easter candy, maybe we would’ve realized the big Monte Carlo event started yesterday. Plus, there was a little bit of a pity party since VP pick Jeremy Chardy didn’t win Houston, which was more reason to eat candy. But Lleyton Hewitt won, so the candy eating was more celebratory. And Juan Carlos Ferrero, an old VANtage Point fave, won over in Casablanca, which called for more (wait for it): candy eating!

So now that all the chocolate has been properly disposed of, it’s time to knock the wrappers and Easter grass off the computer and get to the Point!

A Look Back: Well, at least I got it right on Evgeny Korolev getting to the semis! As mentioned above Chardy didn’t win the U.S. Clay Court Championships, but Hewitt did, a great result for someone months removed from hip surgery. As called here, though, last year’s finalists Marcel Granollers and James Blake both lost early. The tournament got decimated with no seeds making the quarterfinals. Anyway, congrats again to Lleyton for coming through.

This Week’s Spotlight: Even though it didn’t wait for the official VANtage Point send-off, you can’t help but look at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 stop in Monte Carlo this week, the first big clay-court tournament of the year, or as I like to refer to it, “The House of Rafa.” Rafael Nadal has won four titles in a row here, so it’s kind of safe to say he owns the joint. All of his top 10 compadres except Andy Roddick are here to challenge him. Roger Federer almost didn’t make it, but accepted a wild card to lead the contenders.

Players to Watch: I think we all know Rafa’s going to do well here, but he’s definitely one to watch just for pure entertainment’s sake. You want to know who I’m really interested in catching out here, though, and for the rest of the clay-court stretch? Andy Murray. I know he’s been one of the dominant players so far this year. I just want to see how his improved game translates to clay. I think Marin Cilic will get him here in the round of 16. A player I’m kind of high on this year, Tommy Robredo, could have a good run and I think he’ll push Federer in the quarterfinals. For old-school entertainment, check the first-round match between Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin.

The Final Four: I’m going with Nadal over Cilic and Fernando Verdasco (who has a pretty tough quarter to get through) over Federer.

And the Winner Is…: I said last week I was going to pick Nadal for every clay-court tournament he enters, right? Well, that starts here! Just kidding, I won’t pick him every time, but I do see him adding to the Monte Carlo title haul.

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

(image via getty)

VANtage Point: Miami flashback, honing in on Houston

Now that the hard part’s over … it’s on to the clay-court season!

Yes, VANtage Point is back and ready for some slip-sliding action on the dirt as both tours start one of the most difficult and physically draining stretches of the year. I figure it won’t be so hard for me, though: Whenever Rafael Nadal’s playing in a tournament, I should pick him for the title. That way, I can get my numbers up! Pretty easy, right?

Anyway, after a week off, let’s knock the dust off VP and get to it.

A Look Back: That was some Sony Ericsson Open, wasn’t it? I think the most impressive feat had to be Victoria Azarenka taking the title over my pick, Serena Williams. Over at my blog, Tennis Talk, Anyone?, my Slam predictions are riddled with Azarenka picks, but she has never come through for me. I guess I should stick with her now!

For the men, I think one word best sums it up: WOW. What can you say about Andy Murray? Is there any doubt he’s the best fast-court player on tour right now? I think he’ll get tripped up a little on the clay, but that’s a discussion for another day. He took out Novak Djokovic in the finals, who made some of the biggest noise in the tournament by beating Roger Federer. Or was that big noise Roger’s racquet being shattered? I can’t believe Fed is saying he’s happy to get off the hard courts: That’s a very bad sign. It wasn’t that bad an event for VANtage Point, either, with six of the eight total semifinalists between both draws picked. But I gotta start getting it right on some champs!

This Week’s Spotlight: Hmmm, where to start? Well, there’s a WTA event in Spain that has Serena Williams as the top seed, but I’m expecting her to drop out any second now and the rest of the draw doesn’t intrigue me. So I’m going with my traditionalist’s side and taking a look at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston, one of the oldest stops on the tour. The top seeds are James Blake and Mardy Fish, who won the title in 2006.

Players to Watch: Catch him while you can because I think last-year’s runner-up Blake is going out in the first round to Guillermo “Slick Willy” Canas. There’s three wild cards in the draw whose prospects I’m intrigued by: comeback kid Taylor Dent, John Isner and Tommy Haas. I like Haas to make a good run here. As for the defending champ, Marcel Granollers, I can see him going out early, too. A player I think you should really watch out for, here and during the dirt season, is Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.

The Final Fours: Since I just mentioned him, I’m going with Chardy over Evgeny Korolev and Jurgen Melzer over Tommy Haas.

And the Winner Is: Chardy takes out Haas in a shotmaking fan’s dream. This is my week, I can feel it!

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

(image via getty)

VANtage Point: Indian Wells flashback, Miami up next

Missed the Point? Well, you know what? It missed you, too! VANtage Point is back at Down the Line! after skipping a week due to the length of the BNP Paribas Open. The same is probably going to happen for the Sony Ericsson Open, which is kicking off today. But we’ll worry about all that later; right now it’s VP time!

A Look Back: Who wudda thunk it, Vera Zvonareva taking a big title? I’m glad to see her pull it off, even if she had to take out my pick, Ana Ivanovic, to do it. On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal beat Andy Murray easily. Both of those guys took out my picks for the finals, Andy Roddick and Roger Federer, respectively, in the semis. All in all, I’m not too disappointed with my tournament calls: Six out of eight possible semifinalists is all right (plus the Victoria Azarenka over Dinara Safina pick), but I have to get some champs right before I get put on notice here!

This Week’s Spotlight: While it was tempting to break down the draw at the men’s Challenger in Khorat, Thailand, I can’t ignore the “Fifth Slam” taking place in Miami, the Sony Ericsson Open (I’m so old school, I still think of this as the Lipton). The defending champs are Nikolay Davydenko, who’s still laid up with injury, and Serena Williams, who owns this event. The gangs are pretty much all here with Nadal and Williams leading the way as the top seeds.


Players to Watch: Let’s start with the women. I think you have to take a look at the Williams sisters first of all. Skipping Indian Wells hasn’t hurt Serena and Venus here in the past, and I think they’re capable of big runs. Then there’s a group of three players I’m going to lump together: Safina, Elena Dementieva and Jelena Jankovic. For some reason or another, they haven’t maintained their high level of play that they had over the past six months. I can see all of them falling fairly early. And will Ivanovic and Zvonareva’s good form continue? As far as lower-seeded players go, watch out for Dominika Cibulkova.

For the men, I just want to say this first: I picked him to make the semis last week in Indian Wells and he fell early, but if Jo-Wilfried Tsonga doesn’t do that this week, then I’d say he’s slumping. The highest-ranked player he’d have to face is Novak Djokovic, who he seems to own now. And I think you have to have your eye on Roger Federer. Provided he gets by Roddick in the quarters, he should have a good shot to the finals.

The Final Fours: For the women, I’m taking Serena over Venus and Ivanovic over Svetlana Kuznetsova (remember her?) As far as the guys go, you’d think these guys should only meet in finals now, but I like Nadal over Murray, and in the other half, Federer over Tsonga.

And the Winners Are: Everything goes right for Serena here and there’s no reason it shouldn’t continue. On the men’s side, I’m taking Nadal over Federer. Again, there’s no VANtage Point next week, but it’ll be back just in time for the clay-court season to really kick off!

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

(images via getty)

VANtage Point: Davis Cup doodle, Indian Wells begins!

Sorry for the delay, folks. I know what you’re probably thinking: “Van must be basking in the glory of getting so many Davis Cup picks right last weekend. How did he do it? Did he pay people off?” There’s no payola scandal or guesswork going on here at VANtage Point, my friends. Our crack team uses the latest statistics on a particular player, runs them through our high-powered jumbo supercomputer, which then produces the amount of accuracy you would come to expect at the Point! Anyway, the delay is due to the later start date of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, which I’ll discuss shortly. But first …

A Look Back: The first round of the Davis Cup has come and gone and it went pretty much how I expected. The only tie I missed the call on was Germany-Austria—that Jurgen Melzer: career journeyman if I ever saw one. He wasn’t the only one that stunk up the joint, though. I wasn’t too impressed by what Novak Djokovic and James Blake brought to the table, either. I guess France was kind of disappointing to some, but you saw it here first at the Point that the Czechs were gonna bounce them, and that they did!

This Week’s Spotlight: The men and women are goin’ back to Cali this week for the BNP Paribas Open. It starts today and the top 32 players get first-round byes. Anyone who is anyone is there, except for the Williams sisters. Roger Federer is back from “injury” and so is Maria Sharapova (sans quote marks around injury), but only to play doubles.

Players to Watch: I think you have to have your eye out for that Federer guy. This is his first match since, well, you know, that CRUSHING Australian Open finals loss. Also, Andy Murray’s been out of the loop for a couple of weeks now—what’s up with him? (I think Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will get him, but we’ll see.) You want to know who I’m really intrigued by? Andy Roddick. Does he have another Masters title in him and can he go through the Fantastic 4 to get it? As for the women, be sure to give a gander to Dinara Safina. Last year’s "It Girl" had a great Aussie Open this year, but other than that she’s had some tough losses. I actually think Victoria Azarenka will give her another one. And can the defending champ, Ana Ivanovic, break out of her slump here? Watch out for her. But all eyes will be on Sharapova. Personally, I don’t see the need to play doubles here unless you’re 100 percent, but that’s a subject for another day. Regardless, the amount of outside media attention she brings is good for the game.

The Final Fours: For the guys, I’m going with A-Rod over Rafael Nadal (Yeah, I said it!) and Federer over Tsonga. On the women’s side, I’m taking Azarenka over Vera Zvonareva and Ivanovic over Jelena Jankovic.

And the Winners Are: Federer’s “injury” timeout pays off and he takes out A-Rod in straights, while Ivanovic, like Federer, will be picking up her first title of the year here. VANtage Point won’t be around next week since this tournament is sooo long, but catch it the week after for a look at Miami!

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

(image via getty)