COVID-19 has created massive problems throughout the world, including the cancellation of tennis through July 13th (currently). The Mutua Madrid Open decided that, instead of cancelling the tournament altogether, they would hold a virtual tournament instead of the regular in-person clay court event.
While not ideal by any means, with the surge in popularity of esports, this seemed like a good way for tennis to enter into the gaming sphere. The tournament decided that Tennis World Tour would be the video game of choice and playstation to be the game console used.
With 150,000 euros at stake (with at least some of that total expected to go to a donation) and 50,000 additional euros set aside exclusively for donations, the stakes were high for the 32 players participating.
The tournament was still gender-separated with 16 ATP players and 16 WTA players parsed into groups of 4 for dueling round robin tournaments. In the round robin stage, the players played to 3, with at tiebreak at 3-3. There was also a charity tournament occurring simultaneously.
For the main tournaments, after the round robin, there would be a traditional quarterfinal, knock out-style setup. In the knock out stages of the tournament, a full set of virtual tennis was played to determine a winner. Kiki Bertens and Andy Murray ended up winning the WTA and ATP virtual titles, respectively.
So, how successful was the tournament? Could we see a wave of similar tournaments, even when the regular tours return? Let's dive in.
Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro Review
The tournament started off on the wrong foot with the withdrawal of Gael Monfils (whose spot was taken by Benoit Paire) due to an issue with the rights to stream his virtual matches.
Tennis journalist Matthew Willis made the point that the virtual tournament was exclusive to Facebook and Monfils was affiliated with Twitch, another streaming platform. The streaming on Facebook part is weird to Willis, who has showcased how much more popular Twitch is for streaming.
There were more withdrawals during the tournament too. The game itself was a laggy disaster (more on that later), and during the round robin stage of the men's tournament, Dominic Thiem and Karen Khachanov withdrew because of technical issues, giving opponents 3-0 wins.
Even in the charity tournament taking place alongside the main tournament, technical issues for Rafael Nadal and Donna Vekic forced the cancellation of that match.
If Tennis World Tour is the best video game that tennis has, then the future of video game play in the sport is in huge trouble. Willis showcased the glitchy, terrible graphics that almost certainly turned viewers off from the game.
Then, in the men's semifinals, when Andy Murray took on Diego Schwartzman, it was as tennis journalist Stuart Fraser reported Murray saying, "...a disaster." Technical difficulties marred the match and the players ultimately decided that Murray should advance to the final.
It was almost comical how poorly the tournament was working out. In the semifinals of a virtual tournament, the players can barely even play due to technical issues. If I'm being frank, it was a total embarrassment for the tournament and reflected poorly on the sport's ability to put together a solid virtual tournament.
Personally, when I was watching the quarterfinal matchup between Bianca Andreescu and Sorana Cirstea, a match which Cirstea eventually won in a tiebreak, there was at least one occasion that I can remember where a player served a let, but was inexplicably given the point. With as seriously as the virtual tournament was taking itself, even such a seemingly minor problem during play de-legitimizes the competition.
That's not to say that the organizers weren't trying their hardest. It was clear that Madrid tournament director Feliciano Lopez and the rest of the team at Madrid were trying their best to put on the best event possible.
The problem for the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro was that the the game itself felt deficient in someway. The graphics felt like they were from 10 or 15 years ago, as opposed to the modern day video games we are used to.
Tennis as sport might also just not be very well-suited to video games in general, at least serious video games trying to realistically replicate the action on the court. Watching the Virtual Pro, it felt like so much was missing. The cool angles and spins that players put on the ball, the trick shots, even the interaction between players and their boxes. All gone.
Instead, we got a glitchy, laggy, bland version of tennis that was a massive disappointment. The fun of NHL, FIFA, NBA2K, and Madden was replaced with this lame game.
A charity tournament featuring the Serena Williams Naomi Osaka, and Maria Sharapova (along with other tennis players and celebrities) is using Mario Tennis Aces as their game of choice. While that tournament, officially named the "Stay at Home Slam", is also using Facebook to stream, there is a key difference. The video game of choice is much better suited for a virtual tennis event meant to draw in fans.
Mario games are more about having fun than having serious, realistic competition. And perhaps that was the Virtual Pro's problem, they were so intent on having pros in the game itself that they forgot that a less serious video game like Mario Tennis Aces would actually be more fun to play and watch.
Let's be honest, no video game is going to realistically mimic the Nadal topspin forehand on clay.
However, a word of caution for the "Stay at Home Slam": the tournament is using John McEnroe along with Justine Ezarik for commentary. I believe that having official commentary was a very poor choice for the Virtual Pro. The commentary was unnecessary and took away from the players' own commentary. Yet another way the tournament was taking itself too seriously.
I don't mean for this to be a post where I just crap all over the virtual tournament. However, if we are to have video game tennis tournaments in the future, it's important to learn from past mistakes and try to provide the best viewer experience possible.
I appreciate the Mutua Madrid Open stepping up to the plate and essentially being the guinea pig for quarantine virtual content. Future tournaments can take what happened at the Virtual Pro and hopefully put together a better product.
Showing posts with label Madrid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Madrid. Show all posts
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Coco Vandeweghe Proves She Can Play on the Clay
For a while, it seemed as if Coco Vandeweghe was a lost cause on clay. After all, she had barely registered any wins on the surface and was excelling on the hard and grass courts, making the clay an afterthought. However, this clay season we have seen a different Vandeweghe on the dirt. Suddenly, Vandeweghe looks like a real factor in the clay court season and, perhaps, even a threat for the title at the French Open.
Before 2014, Coco Vandeweghe had not even won a WTA Tour-level match on clay in her entire life. The clay courts seemed like they wouldn't fit her powerful, first-strike tennis game, however, and the results backed up this notion. Even in 2014, she only had one win on clay, beating Iveta Melzer in the First Round before being convincingly beaten by Ekaterina Makarova in the Second Round. This was the same year that Coco won her first title, on a grass court in s'Hertogenbosch, so the difference between surfaces for Vandeweghe was very pronounced at this point.
In 2015, Vandeweghe only won two clay court matches, compiling a 2-5 record on the dirt, including Fed Cup. In Paris that year, Vandeweghe lost in the First Round to Julia Goerges. Again, the differences between her game on grass and clay were pronounced. At Wimbledon in 2015, she made the Quarterfinals, coming within one set of the semis before losing to Maria Sharapova. It seemed as if Vandeweghe would never show great results on clay, and this was seemingly confirmed by another lackluster clay court season in 2016 (including Fed Cup), where Coco went 1-4, her only victory coming in a three-setter at Roland Garros. Last year, Vandeweghe won s'Hertogenbosch again, which once again proved that she was playing good tennis, just not on clay.
Perhaps it was the 2017 Australian Open that gave Vandeweghe more confidence, which has been able to convert to the clay courts. During this year's Australian Open, Vandeweghe played spectacular tennis. Coco only dropped one set and came within one set of the Final before losing to Venus Williams in three sets in the Semifinals. Vandeweghe was "in the zone" for much of the tournament, and this was highlighted by a stomping of defending French Open champion Garbine Muguruza in the Quarterfinals. Vandeweghe seemingly couldn't miss and played precision power tennis, taking the racquet out of Muguruza's hands. She won the match 6-4, 6-0 and displayed, with the exception of Serena in Australia, the highest quality of tennis in that match that I have seen all season.
This match surely must have given Vandeweghe the confidence, if she didn't already have it, that she could play with the elites in the game and be a force on the WTA Tour. Not everyone in the tennis world likes her unfiltered attitude, but I find it refreshing to see a player not feel the need to act like a public relations employee at every moment. This is not a knock on people who are very careful in what they say, but there is something refreshing about Coco's attitude.
Coco went on a slump following her run in Australia, and it seemed like she might have to wait until the grass court season to regain her form. After a couple wins in Fed Cup, she lost in the First Round of Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami, which included shocking losses to Alison Riske and Jana Cepelova. However, on the green clay of the Fed Cup, with American support, Coco finally found her game again. Vandeweghe beat Vondrousova and Siniakova in straight sets, never losing more than four games in the process. She followed this up with a win against Kontaveit in Stuttgart, before falling in a hotly-contested match against Pliskova.
Vandeweghe then moved on to Madrid, where she has blossomed. After beating Kontaveit again in the First Round, Coco followed that up by beating recent Stuttgart champion Laura Siegemund in a three-setter, a surprising win for Coco given her lack of good results on the surface and Siegemund's great clay court play. Today, Coco then followed up that win with a huge result against Carla Suarez Navarro. Not only was Suarez Navarro playing in her home country, but her best surface is by far clay.
It would have been easy for Vandeweghe to fold, especially after she lost a tight first set 7-4. However, Coco wouldn't go away. Vandeweghe won the second set 6-4, and despite going down 3-0 in the third set, clawed her way to a three set victory, 7-5 in the third. This was a huge victory for Coco, and was confirmation that she could definitely play on the dirt. Yes, Madrid is at a high altitude, and thus, it helps power players, as the ball flies through the air. But, beating players so great on clay courts, such as Siegemund and Suarez Navarro says a lot more than about the altitude alone.
Since Frencesca Schiavone in 2010, the French Open has had a player that one couldn't refer to as a traditional "clay courter" win the title. In 2011, Li Na won the title, while Sharapova took the title in 2012 and 2014. In 2013 and 2015, Serena Williams won at Roland Garros, while in 2016, Garbine Muguruza lifted the winner's trophy. In my opinion, there is nothing stopping Vandeweghe from winning the title in this wide open women's field, given Serena's pregnancy. Power players can still win on clay, and if Vandeweghe plays up to her capabilities, she can beat anyone in the field, no matter the surface.
No matter the result of her match against Simona Halep in the Madrid Quarterfinals, Coco Vandeweghe has proven that she can play on clay. And, quite frankly, that should scare the rest of the WTA.
Before 2014, Coco Vandeweghe had not even won a WTA Tour-level match on clay in her entire life. The clay courts seemed like they wouldn't fit her powerful, first-strike tennis game, however, and the results backed up this notion. Even in 2014, she only had one win on clay, beating Iveta Melzer in the First Round before being convincingly beaten by Ekaterina Makarova in the Second Round. This was the same year that Coco won her first title, on a grass court in s'Hertogenbosch, so the difference between surfaces for Vandeweghe was very pronounced at this point.
In 2015, Vandeweghe only won two clay court matches, compiling a 2-5 record on the dirt, including Fed Cup. In Paris that year, Vandeweghe lost in the First Round to Julia Goerges. Again, the differences between her game on grass and clay were pronounced. At Wimbledon in 2015, she made the Quarterfinals, coming within one set of the semis before losing to Maria Sharapova. It seemed as if Vandeweghe would never show great results on clay, and this was seemingly confirmed by another lackluster clay court season in 2016 (including Fed Cup), where Coco went 1-4, her only victory coming in a three-setter at Roland Garros. Last year, Vandeweghe won s'Hertogenbosch again, which once again proved that she was playing good tennis, just not on clay.
Perhaps it was the 2017 Australian Open that gave Vandeweghe more confidence, which has been able to convert to the clay courts. During this year's Australian Open, Vandeweghe played spectacular tennis. Coco only dropped one set and came within one set of the Final before losing to Venus Williams in three sets in the Semifinals. Vandeweghe was "in the zone" for much of the tournament, and this was highlighted by a stomping of defending French Open champion Garbine Muguruza in the Quarterfinals. Vandeweghe seemingly couldn't miss and played precision power tennis, taking the racquet out of Muguruza's hands. She won the match 6-4, 6-0 and displayed, with the exception of Serena in Australia, the highest quality of tennis in that match that I have seen all season.
This match surely must have given Vandeweghe the confidence, if she didn't already have it, that she could play with the elites in the game and be a force on the WTA Tour. Not everyone in the tennis world likes her unfiltered attitude, but I find it refreshing to see a player not feel the need to act like a public relations employee at every moment. This is not a knock on people who are very careful in what they say, but there is something refreshing about Coco's attitude.
Coco went on a slump following her run in Australia, and it seemed like she might have to wait until the grass court season to regain her form. After a couple wins in Fed Cup, she lost in the First Round of Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami, which included shocking losses to Alison Riske and Jana Cepelova. However, on the green clay of the Fed Cup, with American support, Coco finally found her game again. Vandeweghe beat Vondrousova and Siniakova in straight sets, never losing more than four games in the process. She followed this up with a win against Kontaveit in Stuttgart, before falling in a hotly-contested match against Pliskova.
Vandeweghe then moved on to Madrid, where she has blossomed. After beating Kontaveit again in the First Round, Coco followed that up by beating recent Stuttgart champion Laura Siegemund in a three-setter, a surprising win for Coco given her lack of good results on the surface and Siegemund's great clay court play. Today, Coco then followed up that win with a huge result against Carla Suarez Navarro. Not only was Suarez Navarro playing in her home country, but her best surface is by far clay.
It would have been easy for Vandeweghe to fold, especially after she lost a tight first set 7-4. However, Coco wouldn't go away. Vandeweghe won the second set 6-4, and despite going down 3-0 in the third set, clawed her way to a three set victory, 7-5 in the third. This was a huge victory for Coco, and was confirmation that she could definitely play on the dirt. Yes, Madrid is at a high altitude, and thus, it helps power players, as the ball flies through the air. But, beating players so great on clay courts, such as Siegemund and Suarez Navarro says a lot more than about the altitude alone.
Since Frencesca Schiavone in 2010, the French Open has had a player that one couldn't refer to as a traditional "clay courter" win the title. In 2011, Li Na won the title, while Sharapova took the title in 2012 and 2014. In 2013 and 2015, Serena Williams won at Roland Garros, while in 2016, Garbine Muguruza lifted the winner's trophy. In my opinion, there is nothing stopping Vandeweghe from winning the title in this wide open women's field, given Serena's pregnancy. Power players can still win on clay, and if Vandeweghe plays up to her capabilities, she can beat anyone in the field, no matter the surface.
No matter the result of her match against Simona Halep in the Madrid Quarterfinals, Coco Vandeweghe has proven that she can play on clay. And, quite frankly, that should scare the rest of the WTA.
Monday, May 8, 2017
Eugenie Bouchard Silences Her Demons in Madrid
When Eugenie Bouchard finally beat Maria Sharapova 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in Madrid, it was obvious that much of the tennis world was in shock. Maria Sharapova was clearly the odds-on favorite, Intertops having her at -714, and with a clear head-to-head advantage. In their four prior matches, Sharapova won all four, with Bouchard only managing to get one set in the process.
In their previous match at the 2015 Australian Open, Sharapova had beaten Bouchard in straight sets, only losing five games in the entire match. With Bouchard struggling, many felt like this would be an easy match for Maria, a warmup before her battle with world number two Angelique Kerber in the next round. However, that was far from the case.
This match meant much more than what a random Second Round match would typically mean. For Sharapova, winning this match would mean that she would be a step closer to the main draw of Wimbledon, which would be crucial for her return to tennis following her meldonium use that forced her to spend 15 months on the sidelines. Getting in the main draw of a Grand Slam, in addition to the massive amounts of prize money, would make it much easier for Sharapova to catapult up the WTA rankings, where the number one spot is up for grab's due Serena Williams' pregnancy. However, with this loss, Sharapova will now look to Rome as an opportunity to move up the ranks of the WTA.
For Eugenie Bouchard, this match looked to be a crossroads for her career. Following a run to the Fourth Round of the Australian Open, coming within one set of the Quarterfinals before falling to CoCo Vandeweghe, Eugenie had massive struggles with her game. She lost in the First Round of Acapulco, Indian Wells, Miami, and Monterrey, before going to an ITF tournament in Indian Harbor Beach and only getting three games in a meek defeat to world number 484, Victoria Duval. And when Bouchard lost in the First Round of Istanbul too, it seemed more and more likely that her Wimbledon Final was nothing more than a massive fluke.
This match was complicated by Bouchard's chatter regarding Sharapova's drug use. Bouchard called Sharapova "a cheater" and also wanted her banned from tennis for life. This surely made proceedings personal between Eugenie and Maria, despite Maria saying that she was "way above that". This was condescending, in a way. Sharapova was essentially calling Bouchard immature, and definitely had a "holier than thou" attitude mixed into it. I'm sure that Bouchard's initial comments really irked Sharapova, and I'm also sure that Maria's condescending reply annoyed Eugenie as well.
This context provided the reasoning behind the electric intensity of the match. I watched much of the match, and one of the things that stuck out to me at the beginning was the ability of Bouchard to keep the point alive. While against some other players, Sharapova might have drawn more forced errors, Bouchard frequently refused to let the point die. Bouchard had a determined attitude, something that had been missing from her game until this match. This determined attitude started in her first match in the tournament against Cornet where, despite losing the second set, Bouchard won the third set in dominating fashion, 6-1.
When Sharapova broke first in the match to lead *4-2 in the first set, it would be easy for her to go away, knowing that the head-to-head (to this point) was a disaster, and that her year wasn't much better. However, Eugenie refused to go away. In a long seventh game of the match, Bouchard broke back and held from 0-30 down. Even after getting broken serving for the set at *5-4, Bouchard just wouldn't back down. At 5-5, despite not breaking on her first three chances in the game, Eugenie Bouchard broke through, winning Sharapova's service game and holding in the next game, despite facing a break point at 30-40.
In the second set, Sharapova imposed her will. Maria had to save a break point at 1-1 in the set, but didn't struggle much from there, taking the second set 6-2 to tie the match at one set all. This would have been the perfect time for Bouchard to look at her season, her past defeats to Sharapova, and perhaps, throw in the towel. After all, when Maria took the second set in Paris in the Semifinals of the French Open in 2014, she had little problems in the third set, taking it 6-2. Eugenie could have thought of that match, thought of history repeating itself in part, and put in a weak third set effort. But, in a stunning set, Bouchard rose above her competition.
The third set was a tussle of wills, a battle of who would outlast the other. Bouchard saved a break point at *0-1 to hold for 1-1, and then had 0-40 on the Sharapova serve, a crucial break nearly inevitable. However, utilizing huge serving and crushing play from the baseline, Maria held and then got up 0-40 on Bouchard's serve, one point away from a moment that would almost certainly crush her spirit. However, a combination of good serving from Bouchard and bad returning from Sharapova allowed her to escape the 0-40 hold, and eventually the game.
Eugenie then got to 0-40 on Sharapova's service game once again, but Maria's fighting spirit pushed her through to yet another hold. Once again, this was a crossroads for Bouchard. Having 0-40 in two games in a row, a combined eight break points lost in two Sharapova service games, it would be easy for Eugenie to have a let down, but she wouldn't quit. Despite going 15-30 down at 3-3 in the third set, Bouchard held on and then finally broke Maria when she got up 0-40 in yet another Sharapova service game to go up *4-3 in the third set, two holds from a huge victory.
But, Sharapova wouldn't go away, utilizing impressive power tennis, Sharapova pounded away at the Bouchard serve, never allowing Eugenie to get comfortable in the game, and breaking back for 4-all. It seemed to me, at this point, that Bouchard's will would finally be broken. She had done seemingly everything in her power to beat Maria, but it looked as if Sharapova had answered every one of Bouchard's questions. And when Sharapova went up 40-15 in her ensuing service game, it seemed as if a 6-4 third set to Maria was on it's way.
But, Bouchard had other plans. Eugenie ended up breaking Maria from 40-15 down, then saving two break points when serving for the match to win 7-5, 2-6, 6-4. This was, given the circumstances and Bouchard's year so far, definitely the biggest win of her year, and up there with the biggest wins of her career. To have such poor results before this match, to have so many headlines swirling around, to play such high-quality tennis was astounding.
Bouchard's defensive play was superb, and she was hitting her forehand the way I remembered her forehand looking in 2014, her breakout year on the WTA Tour. If Bouchard can continue to play, and compete, in a similar fashion to tonight, then there is no reason why she cannot make a deep run in both this tournament, and eventually, at Roland Garros. Sharapova has also shown that she will be a force on clay this year, and if she is luck enough to get a French Open wildcard (which I think that she shouldn't receive), she will definitely be a factor in Paris.
Next up for Bouchard is world number two Angelique Kerber, who before the tournament would be an almost-assured victory for Angelique. However, given the quality of play seen by Bouchard in this tournament thus far, there is no reason why Eugenie cannot win that match. Win or lose, however, Eugenie Bouchard has silenced her demons in Madrid.
In their previous match at the 2015 Australian Open, Sharapova had beaten Bouchard in straight sets, only losing five games in the entire match. With Bouchard struggling, many felt like this would be an easy match for Maria, a warmup before her battle with world number two Angelique Kerber in the next round. However, that was far from the case.
This match meant much more than what a random Second Round match would typically mean. For Sharapova, winning this match would mean that she would be a step closer to the main draw of Wimbledon, which would be crucial for her return to tennis following her meldonium use that forced her to spend 15 months on the sidelines. Getting in the main draw of a Grand Slam, in addition to the massive amounts of prize money, would make it much easier for Sharapova to catapult up the WTA rankings, where the number one spot is up for grab's due Serena Williams' pregnancy. However, with this loss, Sharapova will now look to Rome as an opportunity to move up the ranks of the WTA.
For Eugenie Bouchard, this match looked to be a crossroads for her career. Following a run to the Fourth Round of the Australian Open, coming within one set of the Quarterfinals before falling to CoCo Vandeweghe, Eugenie had massive struggles with her game. She lost in the First Round of Acapulco, Indian Wells, Miami, and Monterrey, before going to an ITF tournament in Indian Harbor Beach and only getting three games in a meek defeat to world number 484, Victoria Duval. And when Bouchard lost in the First Round of Istanbul too, it seemed more and more likely that her Wimbledon Final was nothing more than a massive fluke.
This match was complicated by Bouchard's chatter regarding Sharapova's drug use. Bouchard called Sharapova "a cheater" and also wanted her banned from tennis for life. This surely made proceedings personal between Eugenie and Maria, despite Maria saying that she was "way above that". This was condescending, in a way. Sharapova was essentially calling Bouchard immature, and definitely had a "holier than thou" attitude mixed into it. I'm sure that Bouchard's initial comments really irked Sharapova, and I'm also sure that Maria's condescending reply annoyed Eugenie as well.
This context provided the reasoning behind the electric intensity of the match. I watched much of the match, and one of the things that stuck out to me at the beginning was the ability of Bouchard to keep the point alive. While against some other players, Sharapova might have drawn more forced errors, Bouchard frequently refused to let the point die. Bouchard had a determined attitude, something that had been missing from her game until this match. This determined attitude started in her first match in the tournament against Cornet where, despite losing the second set, Bouchard won the third set in dominating fashion, 6-1.
When Sharapova broke first in the match to lead *4-2 in the first set, it would be easy for her to go away, knowing that the head-to-head (to this point) was a disaster, and that her year wasn't much better. However, Eugenie refused to go away. In a long seventh game of the match, Bouchard broke back and held from 0-30 down. Even after getting broken serving for the set at *5-4, Bouchard just wouldn't back down. At 5-5, despite not breaking on her first three chances in the game, Eugenie Bouchard broke through, winning Sharapova's service game and holding in the next game, despite facing a break point at 30-40.
In the second set, Sharapova imposed her will. Maria had to save a break point at 1-1 in the set, but didn't struggle much from there, taking the second set 6-2 to tie the match at one set all. This would have been the perfect time for Bouchard to look at her season, her past defeats to Sharapova, and perhaps, throw in the towel. After all, when Maria took the second set in Paris in the Semifinals of the French Open in 2014, she had little problems in the third set, taking it 6-2. Eugenie could have thought of that match, thought of history repeating itself in part, and put in a weak third set effort. But, in a stunning set, Bouchard rose above her competition.
The third set was a tussle of wills, a battle of who would outlast the other. Bouchard saved a break point at *0-1 to hold for 1-1, and then had 0-40 on the Sharapova serve, a crucial break nearly inevitable. However, utilizing huge serving and crushing play from the baseline, Maria held and then got up 0-40 on Bouchard's serve, one point away from a moment that would almost certainly crush her spirit. However, a combination of good serving from Bouchard and bad returning from Sharapova allowed her to escape the 0-40 hold, and eventually the game.
Eugenie then got to 0-40 on Sharapova's service game once again, but Maria's fighting spirit pushed her through to yet another hold. Once again, this was a crossroads for Bouchard. Having 0-40 in two games in a row, a combined eight break points lost in two Sharapova service games, it would be easy for Eugenie to have a let down, but she wouldn't quit. Despite going 15-30 down at 3-3 in the third set, Bouchard held on and then finally broke Maria when she got up 0-40 in yet another Sharapova service game to go up *4-3 in the third set, two holds from a huge victory.
But, Sharapova wouldn't go away, utilizing impressive power tennis, Sharapova pounded away at the Bouchard serve, never allowing Eugenie to get comfortable in the game, and breaking back for 4-all. It seemed to me, at this point, that Bouchard's will would finally be broken. She had done seemingly everything in her power to beat Maria, but it looked as if Sharapova had answered every one of Bouchard's questions. And when Sharapova went up 40-15 in her ensuing service game, it seemed as if a 6-4 third set to Maria was on it's way.
But, Bouchard had other plans. Eugenie ended up breaking Maria from 40-15 down, then saving two break points when serving for the match to win 7-5, 2-6, 6-4. This was, given the circumstances and Bouchard's year so far, definitely the biggest win of her year, and up there with the biggest wins of her career. To have such poor results before this match, to have so many headlines swirling around, to play such high-quality tennis was astounding.
Bouchard's defensive play was superb, and she was hitting her forehand the way I remembered her forehand looking in 2014, her breakout year on the WTA Tour. If Bouchard can continue to play, and compete, in a similar fashion to tonight, then there is no reason why she cannot make a deep run in both this tournament, and eventually, at Roland Garros. Sharapova has also shown that she will be a force on clay this year, and if she is luck enough to get a French Open wildcard (which I think that she shouldn't receive), she will definitely be a factor in Paris.
Next up for Bouchard is world number two Angelique Kerber, who before the tournament would be an almost-assured victory for Angelique. However, given the quality of play seen by Bouchard in this tournament thus far, there is no reason why Eugenie cannot win that match. Win or lose, however, Eugenie Bouchard has silenced her demons in Madrid.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
What Has Happened To Madison Keys?
When a player is ready to be great, the breakthrough becomes the norm. When a player is ready to be great, the results meet the expectations When a player is ready to be great, surprise turns into a steady focus. Madison Keys is not quite ready to be great yet.
Madison looked spectacular in Australian Open run in January. She made the Semifinals, beating great players such Petra Kvitova (in straight sets) and Venus Williams along the way. In fact, Keys only lost two sets en-route to the Semifinals and was within a two point swing of taking the first set from Serena Williams in an extremely tight first set. I remember sitting on my couch watching Madison rocket aces past Serena and thinking to myself, "This girl is unbelievable". Even though she lost that semifinal match against Serena, the world now knew Madison Keys' name, the breakthrough was complete.
However, the next step of the process is turning the breakthrough into the norm, which entails dealing the new pressures to succeed, dealing with the increased media presence (and outside distractions) surrounding you, and trying to stay humble. Obviously, this step is extremely hard to take,and it seems like Madison is having a very hard time taking this next step.
Following her great run in Melbourne, Keys went on to lose in her second match to a struggling (at the time) Jelena Jankovic at Indian Wells, and in her first match to Sloane Stephens in Miami to go a measly 1-2 in the spring American hard court swing. Gone was the jubilation of the run in Melbourne, replaced instead by the realization that the WTA tour (and the ATP tour for that matter) moves on with or without you.
Perhaps this was a wake-up call for Madison, because she performed quite well on the green clay in Charleston. I suspect, however, that this was more due to weak competition than anything else, as the strongest player Madison faced was Lauren Davis before the Final. However, I'm sure that these easier matches boosted Keys' confidence and allowed her to forget about her failures in Indian Wells and Miami. In the Final, though, Madison was leading 4-1 in the third set before collapsing and losing the third set 7-5, thus giving Angelique Kerber the tournament win. It took a lot of mental strength to make the semis in Melbourne (especially her tough win over Venus in the Quarterfinals), but it seems as if that mental strength did not transfer over to Charleston.
And Madison has not seemed to recover from that Charleston loss, losing in her first match in Madrid, in straight sets to Kaia Kanepi, and losing in her second match at Rome to Bojana Jovanovski, for another 1-2 record at big tournaments on the European clay court swing. At the small event in Strasbourg (currently going on this week), Keys won her first two matches, including a TOUGH match over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, before withdrawing with an injury, unable to gain any real momentum heading towards the French Open.
So, what do I think has happened to Madison Keys? I think she is overwhelmed right now. Overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed within the game and the new pressures around her outside of the game. Her confidence from the Australian Open also seems to be gone too, so Lindsey Davenport will really have to work with Madison regarding her confidence too. Lindsey will also have to try to get Madison to focus in on tennis itself, and not worry about what's going outside of the game.
At the end of the day, I still see a great future for Madison. It just might not come as soon as many predicted.
Madison looked spectacular in Australian Open run in January. She made the Semifinals, beating great players such Petra Kvitova (in straight sets) and Venus Williams along the way. In fact, Keys only lost two sets en-route to the Semifinals and was within a two point swing of taking the first set from Serena Williams in an extremely tight first set. I remember sitting on my couch watching Madison rocket aces past Serena and thinking to myself, "This girl is unbelievable". Even though she lost that semifinal match against Serena, the world now knew Madison Keys' name, the breakthrough was complete.
However, the next step of the process is turning the breakthrough into the norm, which entails dealing the new pressures to succeed, dealing with the increased media presence (and outside distractions) surrounding you, and trying to stay humble. Obviously, this step is extremely hard to take,and it seems like Madison is having a very hard time taking this next step.
Following her great run in Melbourne, Keys went on to lose in her second match to a struggling (at the time) Jelena Jankovic at Indian Wells, and in her first match to Sloane Stephens in Miami to go a measly 1-2 in the spring American hard court swing. Gone was the jubilation of the run in Melbourne, replaced instead by the realization that the WTA tour (and the ATP tour for that matter) moves on with or without you.
Perhaps this was a wake-up call for Madison, because she performed quite well on the green clay in Charleston. I suspect, however, that this was more due to weak competition than anything else, as the strongest player Madison faced was Lauren Davis before the Final. However, I'm sure that these easier matches boosted Keys' confidence and allowed her to forget about her failures in Indian Wells and Miami. In the Final, though, Madison was leading 4-1 in the third set before collapsing and losing the third set 7-5, thus giving Angelique Kerber the tournament win. It took a lot of mental strength to make the semis in Melbourne (especially her tough win over Venus in the Quarterfinals), but it seems as if that mental strength did not transfer over to Charleston.
And Madison has not seemed to recover from that Charleston loss, losing in her first match in Madrid, in straight sets to Kaia Kanepi, and losing in her second match at Rome to Bojana Jovanovski, for another 1-2 record at big tournaments on the European clay court swing. At the small event in Strasbourg (currently going on this week), Keys won her first two matches, including a TOUGH match over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, before withdrawing with an injury, unable to gain any real momentum heading towards the French Open.
So, what do I think has happened to Madison Keys? I think she is overwhelmed right now. Overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed within the game and the new pressures around her outside of the game. Her confidence from the Australian Open also seems to be gone too, so Lindsey Davenport will really have to work with Madison regarding her confidence too. Lindsey will also have to try to get Madison to focus in on tennis itself, and not worry about what's going outside of the game.
At the end of the day, I still see a great future for Madison. It just might not come as soon as many predicted.
Monday, May 18, 2015
So, Who is the Favorite at the French Open for the Men?
So, a major debate going on in the tennis world right now is: Who is the real men's favorite to win Roland Garros this season? Let's dig in.
Possible Favorites:
-Andy Murray: You might be thinking to yourself, "Huh? Not possible." But, I'm being dead serious when I include Murray in this section. Andy has been spectacular this clay season. After entering the clay court swing with no titles on the surface, he exits with two trophies and zero losses. He first won the title at the BMW Open in Munich, Germany. On the way he beat some pretty good clay court (and overall) players in Goffin, Bautista Agut, and Kohlscreiber (in a Monday Final!). Then Murray quickly went to Spain and played some of the best tennis, in my opinion, that he's ever played on any surface. He dismissed the new generation in Raonic and Nisikori, both in straight sets, and then rocked Rafael Nadal, only giving up five games in the process. Andy Murray has earned his place on my unimportant blog!
-Novak Djokovic: This guy is just incredible. After having won the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Miami on hard courts, Novak continued his success on the clay. He then went on to Win Monte Carlo (also destroying Nadal, only losing six games to him) and then went on to win Madrid, beating clay courters like Almagro and Ferrer and also beating all-court players like Federer and Nishikori to complete a perfect clay court season (him and Murray either played different events or Murray withdrew). Djokovic also has the claim that he made the Final of the French Open in two of the past three seasons, with seemingly only Rafa being able to stop him.
-Rafael Nadal: I don't even think I have to say a word here. Seriously. This guy has won nine of the past ten French Opens (2005-2014 sans 2009) and has utterly dominated other clay tournaments in past years with zero mercy. Rafa is a clay legend. But, while he did pick up a clay 250 in Buenos Aires, Rafa has not done as well this clay court season. He made the Round of 16 in Barcelona, quarters in Rome, semis in Rio and Monte Carlo, and the Final in Madrid. For a lot of people, that is a great clay season, but not for Rafa. It also was the way he meekly went out in a lot of those matches (such as Murray in Madrid and Wawrinka in Rome) that has a lot of tennis fans worried.
So, who do I think the favorite is? Let me first rule out Andy. Although he has played really well this season, I can't get over how he had zero clay titles before 2015. While Andy has GREATLY improved on the surface, it's too big of a stretch to say that he goes from not having even won a 250 on clay to the favorite for the French Open. He might make a run, but until Novak and Rafa are out, he won't be the favorite. That leads us Djokovic and Nadal. A lot of tennis "pundits" think that Novak is the favorite, and while I can't fault them for their choice (he has played AMAZING this season), I'm sticking with Rafa.
First off, I can't get over how Rafa is a nine-time champion at a MAJOR and has won 90% of the major champions in Paris over the last ten years! Just think about that. 90%! So, that brings with it a lot of psychological advantages, which I think the media is too quick to say is escaping from Nadal. On top of that, Djokovic has won 0 majors on the surface, which says a lot about how he performs in Paris, NOT how performs on clay. In addition, Nadal is 6-0 against Djokovic in best-of-five on clay (Davis Cup and FO, excluding a Djoker retirement). The main court at Roland Garros, Philippe Chatrier, also suits Nadal perfectly, giving him A LOT of room to move around, which is super important for Rafa's game. Rafa also has the uncanny ability to grind an opponent down in best-of-five which one cannot see in a best-of-three clay court event. Finally, when I was looking at Djokovic's past results at RG, I noticed that every one of his losing matches from 2010-2014 were in four or five sets. What does that tell me? It shows me that Djokovic can play extremely well on the surface, but despite having extraordinary conditioning, on clay he just wears down. It's not that he's being outclassed, he's just wearing down. And that is a disturbing trend.
So, there you have it! Let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree with what I've had to say!
Possible Favorites:
-Andy Murray: You might be thinking to yourself, "Huh? Not possible." But, I'm being dead serious when I include Murray in this section. Andy has been spectacular this clay season. After entering the clay court swing with no titles on the surface, he exits with two trophies and zero losses. He first won the title at the BMW Open in Munich, Germany. On the way he beat some pretty good clay court (and overall) players in Goffin, Bautista Agut, and Kohlscreiber (in a Monday Final!). Then Murray quickly went to Spain and played some of the best tennis, in my opinion, that he's ever played on any surface. He dismissed the new generation in Raonic and Nisikori, both in straight sets, and then rocked Rafael Nadal, only giving up five games in the process. Andy Murray has earned his place on my unimportant blog!
-Novak Djokovic: This guy is just incredible. After having won the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Miami on hard courts, Novak continued his success on the clay. He then went on to Win Monte Carlo (also destroying Nadal, only losing six games to him) and then went on to win Madrid, beating clay courters like Almagro and Ferrer and also beating all-court players like Federer and Nishikori to complete a perfect clay court season (him and Murray either played different events or Murray withdrew). Djokovic also has the claim that he made the Final of the French Open in two of the past three seasons, with seemingly only Rafa being able to stop him.
-Rafael Nadal: I don't even think I have to say a word here. Seriously. This guy has won nine of the past ten French Opens (2005-2014 sans 2009) and has utterly dominated other clay tournaments in past years with zero mercy. Rafa is a clay legend. But, while he did pick up a clay 250 in Buenos Aires, Rafa has not done as well this clay court season. He made the Round of 16 in Barcelona, quarters in Rome, semis in Rio and Monte Carlo, and the Final in Madrid. For a lot of people, that is a great clay season, but not for Rafa. It also was the way he meekly went out in a lot of those matches (such as Murray in Madrid and Wawrinka in Rome) that has a lot of tennis fans worried.
So, who do I think the favorite is? Let me first rule out Andy. Although he has played really well this season, I can't get over how he had zero clay titles before 2015. While Andy has GREATLY improved on the surface, it's too big of a stretch to say that he goes from not having even won a 250 on clay to the favorite for the French Open. He might make a run, but until Novak and Rafa are out, he won't be the favorite. That leads us Djokovic and Nadal. A lot of tennis "pundits" think that Novak is the favorite, and while I can't fault them for their choice (he has played AMAZING this season), I'm sticking with Rafa.
First off, I can't get over how Rafa is a nine-time champion at a MAJOR and has won 90% of the major champions in Paris over the last ten years! Just think about that. 90%! So, that brings with it a lot of psychological advantages, which I think the media is too quick to say is escaping from Nadal. On top of that, Djokovic has won 0 majors on the surface, which says a lot about how he performs in Paris, NOT how performs on clay. In addition, Nadal is 6-0 against Djokovic in best-of-five on clay (Davis Cup and FO, excluding a Djoker retirement). The main court at Roland Garros, Philippe Chatrier, also suits Nadal perfectly, giving him A LOT of room to move around, which is super important for Rafa's game. Rafa also has the uncanny ability to grind an opponent down in best-of-five which one cannot see in a best-of-three clay court event. Finally, when I was looking at Djokovic's past results at RG, I noticed that every one of his losing matches from 2010-2014 were in four or five sets. What does that tell me? It shows me that Djokovic can play extremely well on the surface, but despite having extraordinary conditioning, on clay he just wears down. It's not that he's being outclassed, he's just wearing down. And that is a disturbing trend.
So, there you have it! Let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree with what I've had to say!
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