Is Milos Raonic Overhyped?

Milos Raonic is seen as the new up-and-coming face of men's tennis.  He is definitely one of the top candidates to win their first major.  So, why do I see him as potentially overhyped?  Because he really has not done anything.

Milos Raonic burst onto the scene at the 2011 Australian Open.  It was here that he made his first Round of 16.  On the way, he beat a couple really good players, Michael Llodra and Mikhail Youzhney.  This was Raonic's coming out party.  This was the tournament where the rest of the field learned that Milos Raonic would be a force for many, many years.  Then, it was a question of whether he could continue his success and grow on it.  And the answer is, well, sort of.

Raonic never could really capitalize on that success.  On a surface on which he should be great on with his serve, grass, in neither 2011 nor 2012 has Raonic really thrived.  During both years, he lost in the Second Round.  How could someone with the serve that Raonic has possibly lose in the Second Round of a major on grass?  At the Olympics, again on grass, he lost in the Second Round to Jo-Wilfred Tsonga.  It was 25-23 in the third set, but Raonic was just outlasted by a clearly-better Tsonga.

After losing in the Round of 16 at the 2012 US Open (Raonic was taken to five sets in the First Round), yet again not surpassing that level of play he set for himself following the 2011 Australian Open, it was time for Raonic to improve at the end-of-the-year tournaments.  Unfortunately for Raonic, however, is that he is still struggling.  Playing lowered ranked foe Jarko Nieminem in the Quarterfinals of the PTT Thailand Open, he lost in straight sets, a bad defeat.  Now, you might be like, "Well in your last article you were praising Sara Errani for making the Quarterfinals of a tournament like this!".  And my response would be that Errani is still sort of a surprise, she is having a breakthrough year, but is not expected to make another major final.  For Raonic it is time to perform.

You see, it is all about expectations.  And for Milos Raonic there are high expectations.  But, he has not truly met these grand goals that were given to him by the public.  And for that reason, I believe that Milos Raonic is overhyped.

Sara Errani Continues Awesome Year

Wow, Sara Errani has had a great 2012.  She has played great defensive tennis, mustering all of her strength to truly challenge some of the great players on tour.  From making the Semifinals at one major to the Finals at another Errani has been sensational.  At the Pan Pacific Open, she is, once again, showing us why she is becoming one of the best players on tour.

At the Australian Open, Sara Errani showed that she would be a factor during the tour for the years to come.  Not only did she make it to the Quarterfinals, but she beat some of the top players on tour.  For instance, she beat Nadia Petrova and Xie Zheng on her run.  Both of those players have made semifinal appearances in their careers, so for Errani, who really had not done much in her career, this was a monumental tournament for her.  But, it would not top the French Open for Errani.

Sara Errani had the best major appearance of her career.  This was Errani's first major final.  Errani, with her defensive style suits clay perfectly, so it was no surprise that she made the Finals of this clay-court major.  On her way, she beat some of the top ranked players in the world.  She beat Ana Ivonovic, Angelique Kerber, and Samantha Stosur, just to name a few, on her title pursuit.  Even though she lost to Maria Sharapova in the Finals, her just making it there showed that her run at the Australian Open was no fluke.

Sara Errani later went to Wimbledon and the Olympics, both of these tournaments were on her weak surface, grass.  And although Errani did not perform perfectly, she was not a total disgrace either.  She did make it to the Third Round of Wimbledon, there is no shame in that.  And she also lost to Venus Williams in the First Round of the Olympics.  And let me tell you something, there is nothing to hang her head about losing to Venus Williams on grass.  Errani, however, looked to redeem herself at the US Open.

Sara Errani played like a superstar at the US Open.  She made it to the Semifinals, beating a, now, skyrocketing Angelique Kerber, only losing one set on her way to the semifinal round.  In the Semifinals, she met a hot Serena Williams, who beat Errani in two, quick sets.  This tournament did show, however, that Errani was not going to fade away after her French Open success.  That ERrani was hungry for more.

At the Toray Pan Pacific Ocean, Sara Errani really fought as we have expected her to do.  She beat Marion Bartoli, another really tough fighter, as she went on to the Quarterfinals.  Although she lost in three sets to yet another top player, Nadia Petrova, Sara Errani is once again proving she is definitely going to be a player in next year's majors.

And it will be exciting to see just how far she can go.

Is Brian Baker's Spectacular Season Tailing Off?

Brian Baker has had a great comeback.  A few years ago, he had to undergo devastating surgeries that might never allow him to play tennis again.  But, Baker did come back, and came back strong, surprising everyone at the Wimbledon Championships.  But, ever since Wimbledon,  Baker just has not looked the same.  So, we must ask ourselves, is Brian Baker's spectacular season tailing off?

After being out for what seemed like forever because of multiple surgeries, Brian Baker made his big comeback at the 2012 French Open.  A tough First Round matchup against journeyman Xavier Malisse awaited Baker.  Baker, however, would not be intimidated, winning in straight sets.  Then, in the Second Round, he lost in five sets to one of the better players on tour, Gilles Simon.  This was a great start for a comeback, and Baker would continue to progress.

At Wimbledon, he really made strides to show that he was going to be a factor in the years to come.   He only dropped one set, beating a pretty good Jarko Nieminem on the way to a Round of 16 matchup against Philipp Kohlschreiber.  Although Baker lost in convincing fashion, after being out of the game with his surgeries for so long to making the Round of 16 of a major championship makes for one of the best stories in tennis history.  Now, the bar was set high.  And now, Baker's challenge was to keep this performance going.

At the US Open, Brian Baker clearly regressed.  Yes, he did make it to the Second Round, but his First Round opponent was very weak, and any pretty good player should have no problem with this kind of player.  Then, when he plays a top ten player in the Second Round, he loses meekly in three sets.  It's not that Baker lost in the Second Round, but the way he lost it.  I would have suspected based on his Wimbledon performance that he could have played better in the Second Round of a major.

At the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, a tournament after the US Open, Baker continued his slide.  In the First Round, he played a no-name player, Michael Yani, who has never made it into the main draw of the Australian Open, and never past the First Round of any other major.  So, this is the type of player that Baker should easily dispatch.  This was not so.  Not only did Baker lose, but he did so in straight sets losing 6-3, 7-6 (4).  This was a glaring step back for Baker and shows he is definitely not ready to consistently compete at the tour level.

So, is Brian Baker's spectacular season tailing off?  Yes.  Am I starting to get worried about Brian?  Yes.  But, has his play this year been sensational at points and inspirational?  Oh yes.  And the thing is, there is more of this story that has yet to be told.

Does Venus Williams Have One More Run in Her?

We can all agree on the fact that Venus Williams has had a spectacular career.  Between her seven majors and three gold medals Venus could call it quits today and would still be called one of the best women's tennis players of all time.  But, what her recent results have shown is that Venus Williams is not quite ready to put away the racket just yet.  This leaves us asking  if Venus Williams has one more major run in her.

Venus Williams career was put on hold, for what seemed like it was going to be forever when, in late 2011, she announced she had an autoimmune disease where she could wake up one morning feeling fine, and the next feeling horrific.  Personally, I did not know if we would ever see Venus Williams step on the court as a tennis player again.  At the very least, she would take a very long time to recover. Well, she did step on the tennis court as a player, with shaky results.

Her first major back from the disease was the 2012 French Open.  She actually advanced farther than her sister, Serena, but her appearance, too, was very short.  In the First Round, she beat an overmatched Paula Ormaechea, but was demolished in the Second Round by that pesky Aga Radwanska.  Wimbledon singles was supposed to be Williams' breakout tournament.  It was anything but that.  She got obliterated in the First Round by Elena Vesnina in a total mismatch.  She seemed to find her groove in doubles, however, winning the doubles title with her sister, Serena.

The first real signs of life in singles for Williams came at the 2012 Olympic Games.  She reached the Round of 16 here before losing in a reallym close match to Angelique Kerber.  She continued to regain her powerful game as she won doubles gold.  Then, she challenged for the title at the 2012 Western and Southern Open before losing in three sets in the Semifinals to Li Na.  Then, it was time for the US Open.

After ripping through Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the First Round of the 2012 US Open, Venus faced that darn Kerber again!  This time she took a set, but was just a hair short, losing in three sets.  It was a heartbreaking fashion.  I saw some life in Williams during that match, however, like she can still compete for a major title.

So, now back to the original question: Does Venus Williams have one more run in her?  If you ask me, I say yes.  As the tournaments go by, I just see so much improvement in Williams' game.  I personally believe, most likely 2013 Wimbledon, we will see Venus Williams make one more run at a major title.

But, only time will tell.

Wrapping up the Men's Tennis Season

After an exciting year of extraordinary tennis, the tennis year is finally coming to a close.  Yes, there is a little Davis Cup left to be played, and some minor tournament are on the horizon, but the vast majority of the tennis season is over.  Let's take a look back at some of the highlight's of this year.

First off for congratulations is Novak Djokovic.  At the 2012 Australian Open, he continued to stay hot from the past season and won the major championship over Rafael Nadal in the final match.  He then proceeded to make at least the Finals of two other majors, and the semifinals of a third.  In those two final matches, the French Open and US Open, it was not as if Djokovic did not put up a fight, as he won at least one set in both matches.  Even though his year was not as spectacular as 2011, this was still a great year for Novak and a signal for more things to come.

Rafael Nadal played well this year.  Even though he was out for much of the second half of the season, he did not play at the Olympics or the US Open, when he did play, he succeeded.  He made it all the way to the Australian Open final before bowing out to Novak Djokovic in five sets, and then proceeded to get revenge on Djokovic when he beat him in four sets at the French Open.  It seems like Nadal's winning streak at the French Open is endless.  Although he did not do much for the rest of the years, Lukas Rosol and injuries the culprit, his start of the season is good enough to land him in this post.

Roger Federer played some amazing tennis too.  After his loss to Novak Djokovic in the French Open Semifinals there seemed to be a general consensus in the tennis community that Federer might never win another major.  Well, boy did he prove the doubters wrong.  At Wimbledon, he battled through a back injury and several close matches to make the final against hometown favorite Andy Murray.  He got down a set early, but then seemed to look 10 years younger as he battled back in the second set before taking the third and fourth sets to win yet another major.  Couple that with a silver medal at the Olympics and the fact that his Quarterfinals streak is still alive, and I would say Federer had a great year.

Andy Murray really had a wonderful year himself.  After really challenging Roger Federer at Wimbledon, he won a gold medal over that same Roger Federer in the Olympic gold for Great Britain at the All England Club.  It was not just the fact that he won, but how he won.  Murray had total control of the match as Federer was left helpless.  The big win, though, came at Flushing Meadows in the US Open.  After a few easy matches, and a couple tough ones, he found himself in the Finals against Novak Djokovic.  Murray took the first two sets before Djokovic stormed back to take the next two.  This could have been the end of yet another promising major for Murray, but he would not let this one slip away.  He won the fifth set and won his first major championship.  This was the best year of Murray's career.

Lastly, we cannot forget about Lukas Rosol.  This was the man who beat Rafael Nadal in the Second Round of Wimbledon.  I distinctively remember that fifth set as if it was yesterday.  That was the most dominate on a serve I have ever seen a player.  Nadal could barely get a racket on the powerful shot.  I remember the look on the two players faces as I watched the last game with Rosol serving at 5-4.  The focus of Rosol's and the disbelief on Nadal's.  Rosol won that set 6-4 to take the match in five sets.  Thank you, Lukas, for showing that the top four players are not unbeatable.

This has been an unbelievable year in men's tennis.  Could next year be any better?  We will have to see.

Wrapping Up the Women's Tennis Season

There have been many story lines from the year in women's tennis.  Although there are still some minor tournaments to come, the next time tennis will be a huge deal will be the 2013 Australian Open.  Let's look at some of the key points of the year.

The first thing I want to talk about is Victoria Azarenka's emergence.  She leaped onto the scene this year beating Maria Sharapova in the 2012 Australian Open Finals, which showed that she was ready to take the leap of stardom.  She did not rest on her achievement, however.  She gained the number one ranking in the world, which is a huge achievement.  Then, she went to the Olympics and performed well there too.  She won a bronze medal for her country Belarus to further her fantastic year.  Then, in the US Open Finals, she battled Serena Williams till the very end, showing she would be a major factor in the years to come.  Awesome job, Victoria.

Maria Sharapova really excelled this year.  After challenging Azarenka at the Australian Open, she finally mastered that pesky clay and rolled through the competition, beating surprise finalist Sara Errani in the Finals.  This was an especially important major for Sharapova to win as it gave her the career grand slam.  Sharapova also won a silver medal for her country, Russia.  This year truly solidified Sharapova's place as one of the best women's tennis players of all time.

Perhaps the player who had the best year, however, was Serena Williams.  After losing in the First Round of the French Open, Williams exploded.  She aced her way to a Wimbledon crown, her first major championship since her terrifying blood clot.   And by the way, she won the doubles title too with her sister Venus Williams.  She steamrolled her way to the Olympic gold, never being taken to three sets, and only losing one game in the final match.  She also won the women's doubles gold with Venus again.  Then, she went to the final major of the year, the US Open, and won there.  For a year that started so disappointing, not making past the Round of 16 in either of the first two majors of the year, this was an amazing finish.  Based partly on the latter part of this year, I believe we might be watching the great women's tennis player of all time.

We cannot also forget the player who beat Serena Williams in that epic First Round match at Rolland Garros: Virginie Razzano.  This women needs to be commended for such an impressive showing against such an impressive player.  The way she battled back from one set down, the way she battled as Serena Williams made one last push to save her tournament with that seemingly-forever deuce game when Razzano was up 5-3, was impressive.  This was an upset for the ages, and we, as tennis fans should be appreciative of such a spectacular performance.

After such a great year in women's tennis, we can only hope that 2013 brings us such great memories.

Can US Open Success Help Tomas Berdych For The Future?

If any of you remembers, on my draw day post, I said that Tomas Berdych could possibly lose in the First Round, and how he has a very difficult draw.  I will be the first say he definitely proved me wrong on this one.  I thought his woes from the season would continue.  Now, we have to ask the question, will this US Open performance help him for the future?

At the US Open, Tomas Berdych, in my opinion had a very difficult draw.  For starters, he would have to play David Goffin in the First Round.  Goffin challenged Roger Federer in the 2012 French Open Round of 16 this year.  Although this did not happen, I thought he might have to play Denis Istomin, a 2012 Wimbledon Quarterfinalist in the Second Round had he made it out of the first.  Well, first off, Istomin lost in the First Round, and second, Berdych completely ripped through his opponents.  He only dropped two sets until the Semifinals!

The most impressive win, however, had to be his Quarterfinals victory against Roger Federer.  Most people were penciling Federer in for a Semifinals appearance against Andy Murray, however, Berdych would have none of that.  He shocked the crowd, going up two sets to love.  His hard hit balls were overwhelming Federer.  Roger Federer, as always, would not go down without a fight, as he took the third set.  At that point, all of the momentum was going Federer's way, and for the time being, at least I thought he would come back to win the match in five sets.  Berdych would have one more surprise for the crowd during the fourth set.  He once again shocked the crowd somehow regaining the momentum to Federer 6-3 in the fourth, and final, set.  Berdych could not sustain this momentum, however, losing in four sets to Andy Murray in the Semifinals.

Now, we must look to the future.  Will Tomas Berdych build off this win and continue on with his successes?  Or will Berdych fade off, never to make another grand slam semifinal again?  If you ask me, I still will say the latter.  I feel like this US Open was a bit of a fluke with what happened earlier in the summer.  But that is just me.  The US Open, of course can be Tomas Berdych's building block for many future successes, but it is up to him to prove he can do it.

Caroline Wozniacki Fading Into Obscurity

Well, Caroline Wozniacki, it was fun while it lasted.  But, you can only stay at number without merit for so long.  Eventually, it had to catch up to her.  And it did.  And now we are mere spectators as she fades away into mere obscurity, bathing in her boyfriend's (Rory McIlrory) spotlight.

Caroline Wozniacki's first major breakthrough occurred at the 2009 US Open.  It was here that Wozniacki made her first, and only, major final.  She beat Svetlana Kuznetsova enroute to an appearance in the Finals against Kim Cljisters in Cljister's first appearance back from retirement.  Although she lost in straight sets, the future was bright for Wozniacki.  This girl seemed to have what it takes.

After this monumental win, Wozniacki continued to climb in the rankings until eventually she reached number one.  Unfortunately for her, however, was that she never could capitalize on this great achievement and consequently was absent from any major finals.  Despite this, she was not embarrassing herself, making a mockery of the WTA ranking system.  No, she would wait till she fell in the rankings to fade into obscurity.  Towards the end of this stretch, she started going out with Rory McIlroy (July 2011).

2012 was truly a horrible year for Caroline Wozniacki.  After losing in respectable fashion at the Australian Open (the final tournament where she was the world number one), her season fell to the dumps there.  She proceeded to lose in the Third Round of the French Open, earlier than what was expected of her.  This must be an aberration, right?  Nope.  Wimbledon was a total disaster for Wozniacki.  She played a hot Tamira Paszek in the First Round, and just could not get it done, losing in the opening round of the tournament.  This loss was tough on Wozniacki, because it was so close, and honestly she never really recovered.  At the Olympics,  Wozniacki skated by, relying on weak opponents to guide her to the next round.  Well, that would not work against Serena Williams.  Wozniacki was throttled by her in two sets.

Right around the time before the US Open, Caroline Wozniacki's boyfriend, Rory McIlroy, won his second major in golf, the PGA Championship.  This seems like it would have spurred her on to an impressive showing at final major of 2012.  That was not the case, not in the slightest.  She utterly embarrassed herself losing to the unknown Irina-Camelia Begu in straight sets.  One would think if Wozniacki saw the man she loves winning a major, she might want to do it herself.  That obviously did nothing for her as Wozniacki flickered out in the First Round.  Now one might say that McIlroy was bad for Wozniacki, but how can he win a major with this relationship, and she cannot?  That debunks that theory.

Caroline Wozniacki was a major finalist, and former world number one.  So how is she now fading into obscurity?

Is this the Defining Moment of Andy Murray's Career?

The term "defining moment" is one of the most difficult to define.  What is that moment where "good" gets turned into "great".  Where does someone turn from a good player who just has not made it to the top into a star.  Well, I offer some insight into what I think Andy Murray's defining moment is, in light of his new major championship.

Was his defining moment the singles Olympic gold?  The Olympics this year were played at the All England Club.  This was the chance for Murray to eradicate many demons and win in his home country.  And boy did he do that.  Andy Murray never dropped a set as he went on to win the Olympic gold.  Along the way he beat the 2011 breakout star Novak Djokovic, before whipping Roger Federer at the same place Federer had beat him the previous month at Wimbledon.  One could see the relief and joy on his face when he put away Federer.  The crowd delirious.  This could have easily been the defining moment in Andy Murray's career.  However, because he did not have that major championship, the Olympic gold in singles was not enough to be the defining moment of his career.

Was it the US Open championship?  This was Andy Murray's first major, and although not in England, still was an impressive feat.  I was someone who thought Murray would never breakthrough.  Would never win that elusive major.  Andy Murray would have none of that.  He overcame the rising star Milos Raonic, took down the pesky Tomas Berdych, before beating Novak Djokovic in an epic final.  Murray took the first two sets 7-6 (10), 7-5, before losing the next two sets in decisive fashion.  Murray could have folded here, but did not.  He fought back, only giving up two games, to win the match in five.  This seems to have been the defining moment in Murray's career.  That time where he went from a good second tier player, to one of the best in the game today.

We must also consider that this defining moment might be in the future.  The moment could be at the All England Club next year, this time for Wimbledon.  If Andy Murray were to win at Wimbledon next year, a major championship this time aroumd, then I would say that the major was easily a better defining moment than the one just occured.  We must also take into account the possibility that Murray might never win a major again.  Andy Murray could get lazy, bathing in his major spotlight, and have Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic overtake him once again.  That "defining moment", would then be seen as an abberation.  However unlikely as it may be, it is certainly a possibility.

Andy Murray finally won a major championship.  Was this the "defining moment" of his career?

Andy Murray: a Grand Slam Champion at Last

Ah, Andy it's been a long time coming.  From the time you entered the tennis world we all knew you had the potential to be a Grand Slam champion.  It seemed as if the only thing stopping Murray from finally breaking through against the vaunted big three: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic was himself.  Those oncourt tantrums were a major reason why Murray could not break through.  Let's look at the major moments leading up to this momentous occasion.

The first one was when Murray lost in the Wimbledon Finals to Roger Federer.  We knew then that Murray had what it takes to be a major champion.  He did not back away from the great, or the aura associated with him.  He even was up one set to love against Federer.  But his spectacular defense could only get him so far against Federer's persistent pressure, and eventually Murray wilted on Centre Court, losing in four sets.  Murray, undoubtedly, was devasted by the loss, but his gracious comments after the match made us learn that he was very close to a major title.  Well, we were right.

Murray then went on to the Olympic Finals, on Centre Court Wimbledon, with a gold medal on the line.  He was playing that pesky Federer guy.  Well, this time, Murray crushed Federer, seemingly always up a break, and put away a meek Federer in three decisive sets.  This was a great victory for Murray, as spectators all around the All-England Club jumped with glee.  It felt like Murray had won a major.  Soon enough.

Finally, it was time for the US Open.  After being challenged consistently during the second week, Murray ultimately reached the Finals.  Andy Murray would play Novak Djokovic with a major championship on the line.  He went up two sets, and a major championship was all but a certainty.  But, Djokovic would have none of that.  Murray won a total of five games over the next two sets, and Djokovic would take the next two sets to even the match at two-sets all.  This was the point in time where Murray could have went away.  Could have realized that it was just not to be.  Could have went away into the sunset as Djokovic went away with another US Open championship.  Murray would not be denied.  He not only beat Djokovic in the final set, but he crushed him winning 6-2 in the final, decisive set.  As Djokovic limped around the court defeated, Murray paraded around with a seemingly endless supply of energy.  Murray had won.

The US Open, it was Andy Murray's time.  After all of those years of disappointment, he had finished the job.  We could tell it was going to happen after the Wimbledon final.  After the Olympic gold.  Well, our suspicions were confirmed after the US Open.  Andy Murray was a grand slam champion at last.

Serena Williams Wins Again; A Step Above Everyone Else

She won singles and doubles at Wimbledon, she singles won at Stanford, then she won two golds at the Olympics, and now she has won singles at the US Open.  It has truly been a spectacular second half of the year for Serena Williams.  She is truly a step above everyone else.

Wimbledon, it seemed, was Serena's last hope.  If she did not find someway to win at Wimbledon, she might not ever win anything again after that devastating loss to Virginie Razzano.  She had some tough matches too, notably against Zheng Jie in the Third Round and Yaroslava Shvedova in the Round of 16, but ultimately she just was too good for the competition.  In the singles Finals, just like at the US Open, Serena dominated the first set before dropping the second and then finding a way in the third.  That time it was to Aga Radwanksa, this time to Victoria Azarenka.  Not to mention shw won the doubles title too.

After winning at Stanford, Serena Williams went to the Olympics.  It seemed at that time Williams peaked.  She was absolutely dominate commonly winning matches 6-0, 6-1, and never really giving the opponent a chance to win.  To sum up just how dominate Williams was, she dropped only one game in beating Maria Sharapova in the Finals.  Although things were not as easy against Azarenka, both matches prove that Williams is the real number one player in the world.  And did I mention she won the doubles gold with her sister Venus Williams too?

She proceeded to lose her only match this summer in the Quarterfinals of the Western and Southern Open to Angelique Kerber, a tournament where she looked flat all the way through, much like the second set and much of the third set in the final match of the US Open against Azarenka.  Everyone knew, however, that this loss was merely an abberation.  And boy were they right. 

Up until the Finals of the US Open, Serena Williams had not dropped a set.  Then, she took the first set 6-2 and it looked as if Williams would just skip her way to the championship.  That, however, was not the case.  Serena looked lost and defeated in her second set loss in the Finals against Azarenka.  Like her mind was elsewhere.  We knew, though, that Serena would eventually find her way.  When she came out like she did in the second set in the third, proceeding to go down 5-3, I thought it might be over for her.  Serena found her game just in time.  She won four straight games and finally, after an exhausting apporximately two and a half hours, beat Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.

So, what did we learn about Serena Williams by that final match against Azarenka?  We learned that she has incredible resolve.  Even on the brink of defeat Serena will never ever give in to her opponent.  We also saw that she was a step above everyone else.  Yes, Azarenka challenged her tonight, but when it all comes down to it, Williams still won.  In fact, it certainly seems like Serena Williams wins everything she sets out to win.

Three Awesome Hours and Five Amazing Minutes

Last night, Novak Djokovic took on Juan Martin Del Potro with a semifinal spot on the line.  Let me tell you something from a fan's perspective, this was the best straight-setter I have ever seen.  The fight out of Del Potro was tremendous and Djokovic was getting to every ball possible.  It was truly a fight to the bitter end.  Let's look back at the match.

In the first set, Del Potro was struggling to hold, and it seemed as if he would not have enough fight to really challenge Djokovic.  This could be the start of a trend for Del Potro as he was struggling at the beginning of the Roddick match too.  Although it was not a total disaster for Juan Martin, he still just could not make this set very competitive.  6-2 Djokovic.

The second set was the best I have seen in a long time.  Del Potro got up an early break, but just did not have enough to fend off Djokovic for the rest of the set, and fell back even with Novak.  At five all, Djokovic held easily, but on Del Potro's serve the fun began.   In a game that had right around 10 deuces and featured some of the hardest hit balls from Del Potro I have ever seen.  The thing is, however, Djokovic would get to almost every one of these balls and this game contributed greatly to an awesome defensive performance from Novak.  Del Potro just hit enough balls hard enough to allow him to take the game.  In the tiebreak, Del Potro gave everything he has, but it just was not enough, as he lost 7-4 in a depressing (for Juan Martin) tiebreak.  7-6 (7-4) Djokovic.

The third set continued to show Djokovic's superiority, and Del Potro's fight.  In the first game of the set, Del Potro was broken, but that did not stop Del Potro.  He was never broken again, even when down two break points down 2-4 in the set.  He fought Djokovic to the bitter end, hitting a running backhand winner as he came to the net.  This guy just would not quit.  Unfortunately for him, however, is that Djokovic had a lot of fight too.  He just would not lose serve, and finally beat Del Potro after an three awesome hours and five amazing minutes.  6-4 in the set.  6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in the match.  That was spectacular.

John Isner: Promise but no Delivery

John Isner was seen as the next great tennis player.  The guy that if you played tennis in the United States, you looked up to.  This was the guy who could break that god darn (in no particular order) Djokovic-Federer-Nadal mold that has arisen over time.  Well, when Isner finished up yet another five set loss, it hit me that maybe this guy is not as good as advertised.  He was supposed to be great, but never blossomed.  Isner was the future of men's American tennis.  John Isner had promise, but never delivered.

Isner's journey was first documented when he was a student at the University of Georgia.  In 2007, he led the Bulldogs to national championship.  If this was not impressive enough, he had the most singles, along with doubles, victories in the school's history.  Isner was the next "it" player just in time for when he went pro.

John Isner started his career off impressively.  In just his first year playing, 2007, he reached the Third Round of the US Open, beating a pretty good Jarkko Nieminen along the way.  He even went on to reach the 107th spot in the world within the year!  Even though the next year was not as impressive, the fact that he even broke into the top 100 during this time should have been alarming for the top players of the world.

Then, in 2009, he made his first Quarterfinals, albeit in doubles, but still for a young player, this is quite the accomplishment.  At Wimbledon, he got into the epic match with Nicolas Mahut over 11 hours!  This showed Isner's drive and determination.  The next two seasons were Isner's most impressive.  He made the 4th Round of the Australian Open, and the Third Round of the French Open.  His best showing at singles, though, happened at the very end of 2011, where he made the Quarterfinals, this time in singles.  This was about the time where people thought he could finally actually win a major.

In 2012, however, Isner has been struggling.  He has lost in every major in five sets.  At the Australian Open, it was to Feliciano Lopez.  During the French Open, it was to Paul-Henri Mathieu.  Wimbledon featured Isner losing to Alejandro Falla in five sets.  He lost in a couple sets to Federer, but that is to be expected, but there was some good news.  He beat Tomas Berdych in three sets to win in Winston Salem.  It was 11-9 in the third set tie break.  One wonders if matches such as these tire Isner out, and make it harder for Isner to win a major.  And finally at the US Open, he lost in five to Philipp Kohlschreiber.  If Isner wants to win a major championship, he will have to find a way to win five setters again.

John Isner has a lot of promise.  He has done so much in his career already.  But, unfortunately for Isner, however, is he he has just not delivered yet.

Thoughts for the First Three Rounds for the Men at the US Open and a Look Ahead

The First Three rounds are over at the US Open for the men.   Since yesterday I gave my thoughts on the women, today I decided to give my thoughts on the men's draw.  Who impressed me?  Who disappointed?  Find that out and a look ahead below.

The man who really impressed me has to be Tomas Berdych.  As you might recall, he was one of the people who I said had a terrible draw.  Well, he proved himself during this tournament.  He has only dropped one set, and has beaten a couple of really good opponents on his way to the Round of 16.  It looks as though his mid-summer slump was merely a bump in the road.  It is definitely a possibility that he can win another match and face most likely Roger Federer in the Quarterfinals.

Another player who has really impressed me is Andy Roddick.  Unlike Kim Clijsters, who seemed to be bogged down by her retirement announcement, Roddick seems to relish it.  Roddick is playing freely and without regrets, playing major-contending tennis.  He has only dropped one set, and when things were looking bad in the fourth set in his Third Round match against Fabio Fognini, he found another level and beat Fognini in four sets.  Roddick is playing some great tennis.

The same can not be said about Jo-Wilfred Tsonga.  When one is a top five seed, one is definitely at least to make it to the Quarterfinals and challenge the players at the top.  So, a Second Round loss to unseeded Martin Klizan is nothing other than a major disappointment.  It was not only the round that Tsonga lost in, but also the way he lost it.  After beating Klizan 6-1 in the second set to tie the match at one set a piece, Tsonga won a mere four games in the next two sets combined and whimpered out of the Second Round.  It seems as though Tsonga will never be on the level of the top 4 players.

Now, it is prediction time.  I believe Roger Federer will make it to the Semifinals, but my other semifinalist in that side of the draw might surprise some.  After a shaky First Round, Milos Raonic has not dropped a set, and I think he will beat Andy Murray in the Round of 16 and make it to the Semifinals.  In the other half of the draw, David Ferrer and Novak Djokovic will both advance to the Semifinals to play each other.  Federer will beat Raonic, and Djokovic will beat Ferrer.  This will set up a Roger Federer-Novak Djokovic final match.

In the Finals, Federer will get off to a hot start, and will beat Djokovic in three sets for his 18th major championship.

Thoughts on the First Three Rounds for the Women at the US Open and a Look Ahead

The US Open first three rounds came to a close yesterday for the women, so this is a good time for me to give my thoughts on the women during this opening stretch.  Who impressed?  Who disappointed?  Check it out below, along with a look ahead to the rest of the tournament.

One of the player who really impressed me with how well she has played is Victoria Azarenka.  All of the attention is on how Serena Williams is just going to waltz right into winning the championship here.  And even though she totally deserves it we have totally forgot about the number one seed!  She has dropped six games, and beat Zheng Jie 6-0, 6-1.  Zheng Jie has made two major semifinals and took Serena Williams to 9-7 in the third at Wimbledon.  So, I was expecting a really competitive match, which was not the case.  Looking at the draw ahead, I foresee her facing Maria Sharapova in the Semifinals, which is the other women who impressed me.

Maria Sharapova has been totally dominate during the US Open this year.  She has only dropped seven games so far this tournament, and has not dropped more than two games since the First Round.  She crushed the young Mallory Burdette 6-1, 6-1.  Her powerful groundstrokes have been an ever-so-present part of her game.  As mentioned earlier, I fully expect her to reach the Semifinals to face Victoria Azarenka, but her path is much harder as she has to play two ranked opponents, possibly five seed Petra Kvitova in the Quarterfinals.  With the way she is playing, however, I believe nobody can stop her until the Semifinals.

So, who has disappointed me?  Well, who else could it be other than Caroline Wozniacki?  This is the second major in a row that she has gone out in the First Round, however this one was different.  When she lost to Tamira Paszek at Wimbledon, she took a set and then went out fighting 6-4 in the third.  This time, against an unkown opponent Begu, she went out meekly.  She lost 6-2, 6-2 in a disappointing loss for the former number one.  For Wozniacki, now the long wait for the Australian Open ensues.

So, now it is prediction time.  I have already stated who will make it to the Semifinals in the top half of the bracket, but what about the bottom half?  The obvious semifinalist is Serena Williams, but the other one will be Angelique Kerber, who will just edge out Aga Radwanska in the Quarterfinals.  Sharapova will beat Azarenka in three sets, and Serena Williams, out for revenge against Angelique Kerber, will beat her in two sets.

So, the Finals will be Maria Sharapova against Serena Williams.  This is a rematch of the 2012 Olympic final.  Serena Williams won 6-0, 6-1 there, and I do not expect a much different result here either.  Serena Williams will beat Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-1 to win the US Open.