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: 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: 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]

PREVIEW: US Open Men's Final

Roger Federer (1) vs. Juan Martin del Potro (6)
Head-to-Head: 6 Fed, 0 Delpo
Last meeting: Roland Garros semifinals, Fed 3-6, 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-1, 6-4

Here it is: the very last match of the Grand Slam season. Go ahead and cry.

Roger Federer will be looking to match Bill Tilden's record of six straight US Open titles and earn his 16th major when he faces first-time finalist Juan Martin del Potro in today's final.

How They Got Here: Roger Federer played a brilliant match against a solid Novak Djokovic defeating the Serb 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5 and punctuating the win (or rubbing it in?) by cracking a tweener to reach match point. Sick. Delpo played the best match of his career by owning the baseline and dominating Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 to reach his maiden major final.

It will be the pair's seventh meeting with the Swiss dominating their series 6-0.


Here's what Rog had to say about Delpo's game:

Well, I mean to go back to the beginning of the year, I had a very easy match with him in Australia, which was very surprising to me, because he came ‑‑ you know, it was a quarterfinal match. I just found out Mirka was having twins.

I was going into that match like, All right, let's see how this is going to affect me. And it didn't. So I was relieved there.

Then in Madrid, and especially in Paris, you could feel like he was just improving every month. Every month he was getting better. He was hitting his serves better, from the baseline he was getting more confident. He knows much more now today what he needs to do on the tennis court.

Whereas maybe in the beginning, because he's so tall, he needs to figure out his game. And I think he did that in the last six months now. I don't know what's going to happen this time, because, again, Paris was clay. This is faster hardcourt. But he's got, you know, the all‑court game. I think it's going to be interesting, I think.

Here's some of what the Argentine had to say about facing Fed:

When I was playing against Roger in the French Open I was so close. On that surface was much better for me.

And if I play against him tomorrow, the surface going to help too much him not too much me. But I have a good sensation with everything, and I hope the best for tomorrow.

Outlook: It's hard to look past Fed as the winner here. He hasn't lost a match at the Open since 2003, has been playing some of his best stuff of late and will most likely have the crowd support. Plus he'll have his third straight first-time GS finalist at the US Open (Nole, Muzz) so he'll most likely benefit from some early match nerves by the Argentine.

It's a tough situation for Delpo but he managed to bring his game to new heights against Rafa on the big stage. He's well-suited to the fast courts of Flushing Meadows and has been using the pace and weight of his groundies to awesome effect.

But I think the moment may be a bit too big for the 20-year old. He may manage to grab a set but when all is said and done, Fed will be left standing.

WINNER: ROG

(Photos: Getty)

PREVIEW: US Open Ladies' Final

Kim Clijsters (WC) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (9)
Head-to-Head: 1st meeting

Can you believe we're actually here? After almost two days of rain, subsequent delays and unfortunate drama we've finally arrived at the US Open ladies' final! Kim Clijsters, who left the WTA tour almost two years ago, will look to become the first wild card ever (edit: on the ladies' tour that is) to win a Grand Slam title when she faces major final debutante Caroline Wozniacki for the US Open title.

Let's take a look!

How They Got Here: In an enthralling encounter on Arthur Ashe Stadium Kimmie outplayed a simmering Serena Williams throughout their semifinal match hitting with consistent depth and keeping the defending champ off-balance by moving the ball around, using angles, and changing the pace. ReRe eventually succumbed to the Belgian's superior play and her own overblown emotions in the now-infamous "match point meltdown" falling 6-4, 7-5. Fun Fact: The '05 champ became the first lady baller to defeat the Sisters Sledge at the same tourney twice ('02 WTA Championships.)

Wozzi earned the first trip to a major final by playing her brand of steady, heady tennis against a nervous Yanina Wickmayer hitting only 14 errors against the Belgian's 40 during the 6-3, 6-3 win.

It will be the pair's first career meeting.


Here's what Kimmie had to say about Woz:

Just by the way she was hitting the ball, by the way that she was doing everything I think around the tennis was ‑‑ you could just tell, you know, that she was going to be, you know, a rising star. You know, she's shown that in her results. She's very consistent. You know, she's a super nice girl, as well. I've been able to get to know her a little bit better. I knew her a little bit from the past, but then got to know her a little bit better over these past couple of weeks. She's a very sweet girl.

Wozzi had this to say about the Belgian:

Of course I think we're both nice girls off the court, but when we're on the court, we want to win. That's normal, and we're both fighters. We want to win. We want to, you know, win this Grand Slam, and it's going to be a tough match.

I haven't really thought about any strategies yet or anything. I mean, I'm just so excited to be in the finals. It's a first final in my career. I'm just, yeah, looking forward to play tomorrow, and I have a whole day tomorrow just to relax, just to enjoy that I'm in the finals.

When it gets close, I'm going to talk to my dad who is also my coach about the tactics. Hopefully it can pay off, but there are no guarantees. I just want to go out there and enjoy that I'm in the finals.

Outlook: This is Kimmie's match to win or lose. She has the experience and the more explosive game to take down her 19-year old Danish foe. But will she have an emotional meltdown or lose focus after last night's melodrama? It remains to be seen. If she does, Wozzi - who will need to manage her own emotions after making her first major final - will most definitely be ready to take the crown by playing her high-percentage, don't-go-for-nothin' game.

Kimmie will need to be aggressive throughout, control the points and keep the unforced errors down. I believe she'll do all three.

WINNER: KIMMIE

(Photos: Getty)

2009 US OPEN PREVIEW: The Boys

The major tourney season is coming to a close *cries* and it's the last chance for the boys to grasp at glory and make their mark on the 2009 season.

Who are top faves for the US Open title? Let’s take a look:

From where he started this year (think: Oz Open tearfest) it seemed Roger Federer was a broken baller. But in a display of impressive determination, he turned the season on its head grabbing a Career Slam by taking his first Roland Garros title, breaking Pete Sampras’ record of major wins by winning a sixth Wimbledon Championship and 15th Grand Slam (holds 3 outta the 4 majors now) and returning to the top spot. Of course, the Swiss maestro’s personal life has gained almost as much attention with his marriage to Mirka Vavrinec and subsequent births of his twin mangoes. So with all of these happenings you’d think he’d be slightly distracted and less motivated, right? Wrong-o. He capped off his US Open Series effort by snapping a 4-match losing streak to Andy Murray in Cincinnati on his way to snapping a 2-match losing streak to Novak Djokovic in the final, winning his 16th Masters 1000 shield (one behind all-time leader Andre Agassi.) Fed has an astounding 45-4 record at Flushing Meadow and hasn’t lost a match there since 2003 so he’ll be feeling good about his chances for a sixth consecutive title.

He’s the highest ranked baller from his country ever sitting at World No. 2 and becoming the first man not named Federer or Nadal to hold the 1-2 ranking since 2005. Unfortunately Andy Murray has fallen short at each of the Grand Slams this year including a fourth round loss in Oz, a quarterfinal exit in Paris, and a semifinal defeat at Wimby. But outdoor hard-courts are where this Brit baller shows his best counter-punching stuff as evidenced by wins at Doha, Miami, and Montreal, three of his five titles this season. Most pundits and fans agree it’s just a matter of time before Muzz wins his maiden major and most feel Flushing Meadow, where he won the US Open junior title and reached his first Grand Slam final last year, is his best chance.

After his devastating loss to Fed in their monstrous Wimby final battle, no one was sure how Andy Roddick would recover. Would he retreat into a defensive posture or become even more motivated to earn a second major title? The answer isn’t completely clear yet but the former US Open champ made a strong statement to the latter by reaching the final in Washington, DC and the semifinals in Montreal losing both times to Juan Martin del Potro. And even though he lost to a streaking Sam Querrey in his opening round match at Cincy, his physical and mental games have looked solid. If he can ride the waves of the New York crowd’s boisterous support, A-Rod could make his third trip to the final Sunday.

Novak Djokovic has been an enigma the entire season. At times the Serb seemed to be hitting his stride and at other times he seemed downright indifferent. Check this stat: he’s reached seven finals already this season but has lost five including four losses in Masters Series 1000 tourneys. Ouch. But Nole’s a former finalist in The Big Apple and enjoys the raucous atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium (when he’s not getting booed that is), a quality important in winning the US Open. Plus, the 22-year old will be toting around another former finalist, Todd Martin, in his coaching back pocket so maybe, just maybe, he’ll find his form again.

It seemed 2009 was going to be his for the taking, no? Rafael Nadal began the season as the world’s top baller and solidified that status by winning his first Oz Open title and sixth career major. He continued with wins at Indian Wells and his usual domination of the clay-court circuit until Madrid where, after winning an exhausting 4-plus hour semifinal against Nole, he was defeated by Fed snapping his 5-match winning streak against the Swiss and 33-match win streak on the slippery stuff. The biggest shocks were still to come as he suffered his first ever loss at Roland Garros to Robin Soderling in the fourth round and withdrew from the defense of his Wimby crown due to knee tendinitis. His return to the ATP World Tour has shown improvement with each week but he’ll need to be at his best form to reach his first final at Flushing Meadow and complete a possible Career Slam.

ON THE RADAR:

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO – He’s on the cusp of being a top contender but hasn’t reached a major final….yet. The hard-courts are the Argentine’s fave surface, though, having grabbed the biggest scalp of his career in Miami defeating then top baller Rafa in Miami while also earning titles in Auckland and Washington, DC on this surface. It was at Flushing Meadow last season where Delpo reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal so he’ll have good motivation to take it further.

SAM QUERREY – It seems Sam Querrey is becoming more comfortable with the mantle of "Next Best American Baller". The 21-year old went on an absolute tear post-Wimby reaching three straight finals (winning the last one in LA), grabbing the aforementioned win over A-Rod in Cincy, and ending as the US Open Series champ. Sam may not be quite ready to steal the top prize in Flushing Meadow but a second week appearance should be for the taking.

JO-WILFRIED TSONGA – The Frenchie made one of the most riveting comebacks in recent memory recovering from 1-5 down in the decider to defeat Rog at the Montreal Masters. It was his best win since defeating Rafa in the '08 Oz Open semifinals. His high-flying, athletic game and infectious personality should play well with the appreciative New York crowd so if he can gain their backing while playing with controlled aggression Jo-Willy could make a deep run here.

Also make sure to check out which ladies I think will make some NYC noise here!

(images via getty, ap)

2009 US OPEN PREVIEW: The Ladies

The WTA tour continues to be the place where the phrase “expect the unexpected” remains the constant theme, right? Well, not if you look at Serena Williams at the majors. She’s the defending champ at Flushing Meadow and also holds this year’s Oz Open + Wimbledon titles. So, should we just pack up our tennis bags and head home? Perhaps, but it IS the year’s final major so expect some of the leading ladies to lay it all on the line and make a big push towards the final Saturday.

Let’s take a look at the leading contender’s for the US Open ladies' title!

Who can really argue against picking the holder of three out of the last four Grand Slams and 11 career majors to win in two weeks? Fine, Serena Williams is not technically the top lady baller according to the WTA rankings and she hasn’t won a non-Grand Slam tourney since ’08 Charleston but when it comes to gutting out matches and winning on the biggest stages in the sport, Serena Williams is the best – hands down. The defending champ had uneven results during the US Open Series racking up losses to Sam Stosur, Sybille Bammer, and Elena Dementieva but as we all know she brings the big guns to the majors. A fourth US Open title is certainly well within her dramatic reach.

The newly-crowned Rogers Cup champ has had chances to make a major breakthrough this year. Elena Dementieva entered the Aussie Open as the smart pick with two tourney titles under her Yonex belt but fell from fatigue and ReRe’s game in the semifinals. In Paris a streaking Aussie Sam, who eventually made it to the semifinals, knocked her out early in shocker. But it was her epic, now classic heavy hitting bout with ReRe in the Wimby semifinals that finally gave Elena the belief she could go toe-to-toe with the Big Babes. And she’ll need this belief if she makes it to the second week in Flushing Meadow where surely another rematch with the defending champ could be waiting – in the final, no less.

Oh what a strange and confusing year it has been for Jelena Jankovic. The Serb began this year as the top lady baller with the dream of a first major title within her grasp. However, according to JJ, a muscle-building off-season regiment slowed her down and the result was an early loss in Oz and a big dent in her confidence. Though she won on the clay in Marbella, the inconsistency continued until Cincinnati where she gutted out a lopsided, three-set win over Elena in the semifinals then showed her best stuff crushing top seed Dinara Safina in the final for her 11th career title. Can last year’s finalist take that next step and earn her maiden Grand Slam?

Perplexing. That’s the best word to describe Dinara Safina this year. In her last matches at each of the Grand Slams – finals in Oz + Paris, semis at Wimby – the Russian was betrayed by her nerves and routed each time. However, she managed to grab the keys to the WTA Penthouse and has been housed there since April. The word is out on D, though: pressure her early, rush her long, loopy swings and she’ll fall to pieces as evidenced by the collapse of her serve and her double fault gift bags. Her most recent losses are the most worrisome: in her Cincy loss to JJ she couldn’t find the tennis court and during her opening round loss to Aravane Rezai in Toronto she seemed like mental toast. I could see D going out early or repeating her semifinal appearance from last year. Like I said, PERPLEXING.

The only reason Venus Williams is considered a contender at all is because of her glittering resume showcasing 7 Grand Slam titles including 2 US Opens, and certainly not because of her most recent results including a strange, opening round loss to Kateryna Bondarenko at the Rogers Cup last week. Unlike sister ReRe, you can’t always rely on V to bring her best stuff to any of the majors besides her fave Wimby (think second round loss in Oz to Carla Suarez Navarro and third round loss to Agnes Szavay in Paris this year.) But if she brings an attacking mentality to the fast Flushing Meadow courts and a laser-like focus, she has the experience and skills to earn her first US Open title in 8 years.

ON THE RADAR:

MARIA SHARAPOVA – Okay, so she’s still serving doubles in large doses. But Maria Sharapova has been improving with each week and made the first final since her comeback from injury in Toronto losing to Elena. She’s a former champ (2006) who loves the bright lights, big city vibe of New York and matches Gotham in its intensity. But again, it’s all about Shrieka’s serve: if it holds steady she’s a threat, but if it remains wonky she may not see the second round never mind the second week.

VICTORIA AZARENKA – I’ve been waiting, like many others, for Victoria Azarenka to make her major breakthrough. Yet, for some reason, she’s at a quarterfinal standstill reaching this stage in Paris and at Wimby. Moreover, her results during the US Open Series signal some possible physical, or more likely mental, fatigue for the 20-year old. I’m not sure Vika will make that long-awaited breakthrough here especially with Kim Clijsters + Venus Williams lurking in her quarter of the draw but hard-courts are her fave so who knows?

KIM CLIJSTERS – All hail the welcomed return of ’05 champ Kimmie! It’s the Belgian’s first major since leaving the tour a couple of years back and fans couldn’t be more excited though the lady ballers may feel otherwise. I mean, talk about a dangerous floater! She’s had impressive wins in her comeback over the likes of Vika, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Marion Bartoli, and Patty Schnyder so keep both eyes peeled for Kimmie.

(images via getty, ap)

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)

WIMBLEDON 2009: Preview

Just a mention to check out my Wimbledon preview over at Outsports!

On the boy's side, I'm betting (not literally now) we'll see a special appearance by Pete Sampras on the final Sunday. And for the ladies, it seems TENNIS.com's Steve Tignor might be my evil tennis twin. Who wudda thunk it?

(image via getty)

2009 French Open Preview: Outsports

As you regular DtL readers know, I usually post a preview of each Grand Slam around this time. However, the team over at Outsports asked me to put finger to keyboard and pen a preview for next week's French Open.

Check it out here!

(image: 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: 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: Welcome to Van, a look at Johannesburg

(Hey readers! Meet Van Sias, writer of the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone? and a new contributor to DtL. He'll be taking a weekly look at one of the upcoming tourneys and giving his picks on who'll come out on top. Welcome Van!)


Now that the Australian Open is out of the way, we can get on with other things, such as the launch of VANtage Point!

What’s up? My name is Van Sias and I publish a blog called Tennis Talk, Anyone? In a whole cross-marketing, cross-over, cross-pollinating thing going on, I’m going to write something for Down the Line! each week where I spotlight one of the many tournaments on the ATP and WTA tours — even taking into consideration the Challenger and ITF tournaments, too.

In case you’re wondering why you’d want to check this out, just know this: There’s almost nothing I’d rather do than break down draw sheets and make predictions on tournaments, and I’ve been that way for 20 years now. (Well, there are other things I like to do, but this stuff is near the top!)

Anyway, here’s how it goes: First , I’ll comment on an event last week or the one I spotlighted, then I’ll mention this week’s pick. I’ll give you a “Player to Watch” and make my predictions for the semifinals.

So without further ado, here’s the first VANtage Point!

A Look Back: The first major of 2009 has come and gone with Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams taking the crowns. My favorite moment of the tournament? The trophy presentation after the men’s final. Not many guys will admit this, but I’m a pretty emotional dude and I think I was bawling right along with Rog Federer! Good luck to him and hats off to the winners.

This Week’s Spotlight: To me, this is when the season really starts. You have months before another major, so it’s just players getting out there doing the work to set themselves up for the remaining Grand Slams. That being said, there’s a lot of action going on this week and the first tournament I’ve got my eye on is the ATP 250 stop in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This is the first time in a long time the Tour’s been in SA with a regular tour event and there’s a few big names sprinkled in the draw. The top two seeds are my boy Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (yeah, he is: Dude is the real deal) and David Ferrer. Check out the draw here.

Player to Watch: Now this is who I really have my eyes on there, and I’m saying it here first at the Point to look out for him the rest of the year: Marcos Baghdatis. I think if he’s healthy, he’s going to do some damage this season. Plus, he seems pretty dedicated: I mean, anytime someone gets a haircut that means they’re focused, right?

The Final Four: Jo-Willy over Bjorn Phau; the Bagh Man over Benjamin Becker.

And the Winner Is: Tsonga in a tough one.

There you have it: the first VANtage Point! It won’t be so long next time, but check back to see how I made out.

(image via Getty)

PREVIEW: Australian Open Men's Final

Rafael Nadal (1) vs. Roger Federer (2)
Head-to-head: Rafa 12, Fed 6
Last meeting: Wimbledon, Rafa 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-7 (8) 9-7

The next chapter in this already legendary rivalry between top seed Rafael Nadal and second seeded Roger Federer is ready to be told.

In the pair's 19th career meeting, Rafa will be looking to win his first hard-court major title and sixth overall when he battles 3-time champ Roger Federer who will attempt to tie Pete Sampras' record of 14 career major titles in Sunday's Aussie Open final. Let's take a look...

How They Got Here: Rafa played his first five matches in blazing form, not dropping a single set on his way to the final four. But that streak ended when he met up with compatriot Fernando Verdasco in an epic semifinal slugfest that now sits as the longest match in Oz Open history. No one will soon forget the stirring images from this now-classic match including the joy and relief of Rafa's reaction after a painful double-fault on match point by Nando gave the 22-year old a 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-7 (1), 6-4 victory.

Regal Rog also began the tourney relatively well but hit a major speed bump in his fourth rounder, coming back from 2 sets to none down to defeat Czech Tomas Berdych. In his semifinal match, Fed confronted an in-form, in-shape Andy Roddick but bested the American baller for the 16th time 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 to enter his fourth Oz Open final and fourth consecutive major final.

The last time these two met was in arguably the greatest tennis match ever played - the '08 Wimbledon final. It was the third consecutive meeting for the pair in the Wimby final but this time Rafa came out on top, earning his first Championship and stopping the Swiss stylist's streak of 5 consecutive titles at the All-England Club with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7 win.


In his semifinal post-match presser, the Mallorcan Matador was asked about facing Fed again and what tactics he might employ:

Q. How exciting is it for you to finally play Federer in a Grand Slam on hard court?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, always is ‑ I don't know ‑ special play against Federer any match, no? You play another final of Grand Slam is more exciting, no?

Little bit unlucky. Don't know how I gonna be for the final. I gonna try my best for sure for recover my body and my physical performance. But, you know, after one match like this, the next days you feel much heavier, no?

But for sure for me is amazing play another final of Grand Slam. Here in Australia, the first one. Well, unlucky all the time is against the same: the best. For sure, I prefer another opponent. But that's makes big the sport, too, no, finals like this.

Q. Do you plan to play closer to the baseline against Federer? Tonight you had to run really a lot.

RAFAEL NADAL: Was tough to be more inside, no? What do you think? Did you see the speed of the ball or not (laughter)?

Q. I saw he was able to stay farther in front.

RAFAEL NADAL: I would love to be more inside, yeah. I gonna try to be more inside for the final, but I am playing against Federer.

Fed was asked about Rafa's grueling 5-hour semifinal bout and if he thought now had an advantage in the final:

Q. You had a bit of trouble watching last night's match did you, or did you have to get back down here to do it?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I was practicing at the beginning of the match. It took a while, so I went for dinner and saw the end. It was really exciting. It was an unbelievable match.

Q. What did you think about? What was going through your mind as you were watching it?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, as I didn't see the whole thing, it was kind of difficult to judge. But you heard, you know, that Fernando was struggling with his leg, you know, at one stage, but then looked much better again.

But it was just good to see such a close contested match, I thought. In the end it was unfortunate it had to finish on a double fault, but I thought the quality was very good.

Q. It was one of the great ones. Does it make you feel that you've got more of that advantage now that you've had the extra 24 hours and Rafa has had to dig so deep through five hours?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, you could think that way, but I don't think it's really going to affect Rafa that much. He's had very easy matches going into this semifinal.

Okay, he has a day less. But, look, I mean, you got to be fit and recover from this kind of a match. I think he will, even though he took a while. His matches usually take longer than other matches because he takes his time out on the court. I don't think he will be really affected on Sunday.

Outlook: In full flight, Rafa would have more than enough game to topple The Fed in Oz. But after his grueling semifinal that ended in the early morning hours on Saturday and only a day to recover and get in some practice, will he be fit for the fight? Big question mark. But if anyone has the mental and physical strength to push the pain aside and pull through, it's Rafa. This time, however, it may be too much to ask. The top baller will need to pull ahead early (as he did at Wimby), keep the points short, hold his ground on the baseline, and step inside and attack when the opportunity hits. If he gets the first set or two, then game on.

For his part, Fed will be looking to lengthen the rallies, move Rafa side to side, and maybe throw in some drop shots to gauge the Spaniard's fitness early on. But the 13-time Grand Slammer is certainly the fresher of the two and will hold the advantage if they match gets to a fourth or fifth set. He'll still need to serve well, dictate with the forehand, and end points at the net in order to keep the World No.1 from gaining any momentum. Fed will be smart to stay aggressive and attack at every opportunity because even a weary Rafa will push himself to run for the fences.

However, with all that's on the line for Regal Rog coupled with a possibly-fatigued Rafa, we'll most likely looking at history in the making when he earns his second consecutive Grand Slam title and record-tying 14th career major in Oz.

WINNER: Fed

(images via AP, Getty)