2015 WIMBLEDON: Venus Serves Up Double Bagel; #1 and #2 seeds Win 1R

The first day of play at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships is over and the Top 2 seeds in the men and women's draw have not dropped a set. #1 seed (and defending champion) Novak Djokovic faced the toughest resistance, against Philipp Kohlschreiber but still won 6-4 6-4 6-4. #2 seed Roger Federer won his match in straight sets (6-1 6-3 6-3).

On the women's side #1 seed Serena Williams started off very slowly against Margarita Gasparyan and found herself down 1-3 early on. She got back on track against a spirited opponent and ended up winning 6-4 6-1. #2 seed (and defending champion) Petra Kvitova dominated her opponent with a 6-1 6-0 win (in 35 minutes!)

Other notable victories include 5-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams 6-0 6-0 win over fellow American Madison Brengle in 42 minutes Interestingly, there have been two other "double bagels" so far in the women's draw: Angelique Kerber and Andrea Petkovic also won their matches without losing a game.

The only major upsets so far is #9 seed Carla Suarez Navarro who lost 6-2 6-0.

TENNIS TUESDAY: Czechs Win Fed Cup; Serena-Woz Friendship, Federer Still In Hunt For 2014 #1 Rank

Czech Win Fed Cup (Again)
The Czech Republic dominated Germany to win the 2014 Fed Cup title; it is the country's 3rd win in four years (2014, 2012 and 2011). Anchored by 2-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, the 2014 Wimbledon champion scored wins over Angelique Kerber and Andrea Petkovic. Combined with Lucie Safarova's win over Kerber, this gave the Czech team a unassailable lead over Germany.

Serena-Wozniacki Friendship Puzzles Observers

Despite playing against each other in two recent high profile matches (2014 US Open final and the Year-End Championships semifinals) World #1 Serena Williams and former World #1 Caroline Wozniacki continue to be best friends and unafraid of showing the world they can be friendly off the court and fierce competitors off it.

Federer Likely To Reach Year End Championships Semifinals, Year End #1 (Theoretically) Possible

Roger Federer has won his first two matches at the ATP World Tour Finals in London by defeating Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori in straight sets. However since Nishikori and Murray have both won and lost one match each, it is theoretically possible that if Federer loses against Murray and Nishikori beats Raonic that they could qualify. But all Federer has to do is win a set against Murray and he will definitely qualify. Since Nishikori beat Murray it would be more likely that Nishikori could qualify before Murray along with Federer. If Raonic beats Nishikori then Federer and Murray will automatically qualify regardless of the result of their match. Federr could end the year #1 if he wins the Year--End Championships by remaining undefeated *and* wins multiple live rubbers in the Davis Cup final the following week.

2014 STANFORD: Serena Faces Kerber In Final

Serena Williams reached the final of her first tournament back on the WTA tour, beating Andrea Petkovic 7-5 6-0 on Saturday at the Bank of the West Classic on the campus of Stanford University. She will face Angelique Kerber in the final on Sunday afternoon after the German saved match point to win 4-6 7-6(4) 6-2 late Saturday night.

Serena had a tough battle with former World #1 Ana Ivanovic on Friday night, coming back herself from 2-6 down in the first set to win the last two sets 6-3 7-5. This was an important victory for Serena, facing a player with the most wins on tour this year, who had beaten her at the 2014 Australian Open. Ivanovic played very well, at times out-hitting Serena and showing none of the mental lapses that have plagued her game in the past; she will be rewarded by entering the Top 10 on Monday.

Earlier in the week Venus Williams surprised many by putting on a vintage display of power and will to defeat Victoria Azarenka 6-4 7-6(1). Petkovic managed to defeat her in one of the best matches of the year, 6-1 3-6 7-5. Venus fought hard, coming back from a break down in both the second and third sets, eventually evening the match out at 5-all in the final set but lost the two last games and the match.

2014 FRENCH OPEN: Women's Final Preview

Maria Sharapova (RUS) [7] vs Simona Halep (ROU) [4]

The 2014 French Open women's final will be between Maria Sharapova of Russia and Simona Halep  of Romania. Last year I correctly predicted Serena Williams would beat Sharapova in the final. This year I correctly predicted 2 of 2 women's semifinals, 2 of 2 men's semifinals, 2 of 4women's quarterfinals and 2 of 4 men's quarterfinals. Here are my predictions for the women's singles championship match at Roland Garros this year.

How Did They Get Here? Women's Semifinals Review
Maria Sharapova (RUS) [7] d. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) [18] 4-6 7-5 6-2. For the third match in a row in this year's tournament, Maria Sharapova had to come back from a set down in order to reach victory. She did it against Sam Stosur in the 4th round (winning the deciding set 6-0), against Garbine Muguruza (winning the decider 6-1) and then against Bouchard, who put up the most resistance. If Bouchard plays the way she played against Sharapova on regular tour-level matches she will soon be permanently ensconced in the WTA Top 10. The key to this match was the second set, where Sharapova blew a 5-2 lead, managing to double fault on not one but three set points. She eventually won the set on an error from Bouchard, who had failed to capitalize on the momentum gained from getting back to even to score an advantage in the set. The third set was actually a bit closer than the 6-2 score indicaes, but basically Sharapova started moving better so that her groundstrokes were heavier which drew far more errors from the young Canadian. This (unlike the Stosur match, and possibly the Muguruza one) was not a match that Sharapova's opponent lost, it was one that Sharapova reached out and grabbed.

Simona Halep (ROU) [4] d. Andrea Petkovic (GER) [28] 6-2 7-6(4) . Halep simply has too much game for a great athlete like Petkovic to handle. Clay court tennis rewards the better mover in most match-ups (though overwhelming advantages in firepower can change that inequality, c.f. Petkovic's win over Sara Errani in the quarterfinal 6-2 6-2). The tournament's remaining top seed ran away with the first set in under 25 minutes and was cruising in the second when she got tight and Petkovic got loose and a very competitive set ensued. But as the score revealed, Halep was still a little bit better when it really counted. It would have been useful to see Halep play a 3rd set in an important match. The very fact that she has won all 6 rounds in straight sets may harm her chances against Sharapova, because Halep does not have the familiarity with adversity that Sharapova has and may not know how to respond.

Who Will Win? Women's Final Preview

Not surprisingly the two have met recently, in the final of Madrid, and the result was a 3-set win by Sharapova after being blown out 1-6 in the first set. I think Halep will learn from that experience and acquit herself well in her first major final. But it is a very tough ask to expect a first-timer to win against Sharapova. Petra Kvitova did it at Wimbledon in 2011 so it has happened before, and my heart would be gladdened if it happened here, but my head says it won't.

Mad Professah's pick: Sharapova in 3 sets.

2014 FRENCH OPEN: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

The women's quarterfinals are now set at the 2014 French Open. Last year, I predicted 3 of 4 women's quarterfinals correctly and 4 of 4 men's quarterfinals correctly.

Serena Williams (USA) [1] Garbine Muguruza (ESP) vs. Maria Sharapova (RUS) [7]. Muguruza is the real deal, as the 20-year-old Spaniard finally lived up to her long-touted potential by eliminating  defending champion and World #1 Serena Williams in the second round in two un-competititve sets. However, Sharapova is literally the most successful player on clay for the last three seasons, with a mere 4 losses in 55 matches played, reaching the 2012 and 2013 finals here at Roland Garros. Sharapova got through a stuff test from one of the few remaining Grand Slam champions in the draw provided  for a set and a half by Samantha Stosur but ended that match by winning 9 games in a row. (In her  previous round she won 12 games in a row, so she is brimming with confidence. Muguruza is playing in her very first major quarterfinal while Sharapova is in the seventh of her career and 4th consecutive. Experience will trump youthful exuberance, and its hard to see anyone stop Sharapova from winning her 2nd French Open title next Saturday. Mad Professah's pick: Sharapova in 2 sets.

Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [14] vs. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) [18] Angelique Kerber (GER) [8]. Like Muguruza, Bouchard is another member of the next generation of WTA stars, and in fact she is playing in her second major quarterfinal of the year and has already won a WTA tour title. She has already overperformed by eliminating Top 10 mainstay Angie Kerber by only losing 3 games in the process. Suarez Navarro is a talented dirtballer of the highest order, and is coached by Conchita Martinez. Like her coach, Suarez Navarro can be a bit of a head case but her results have markedly improved in the last year and she has also recently won a tour title (which I take as a measure of mental toughness). Either Bouchard will run through this quickly (which I seriously doubt) or this will be a long war of attrition. Mad Professah's pick: Suarez Navarro in 3 sets.

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) [27] vs Simona Halep (ROU) [4].  This should be a compelling match because it is a first-time meeting and the person who wins this semifinal should have a very good chance to reach the final and attempt to stop Sharapova from her 2nd coronation in Paris. Kuznetsova is one of my longtime favorites on the women's tour and I think she is playing quite well enough in Paris to win the whole thing. Last year, she gave the eventual winner Serena Williams almost all she could handle in a tough 3-set match. I suspect history will repeat itself here. I am a big fan of Halep, havnig seen her play close-up in New York and Indian Wells in the last 9 months or so. She has been improving in every major she plays so I would not be surprised if that trend continues all the way to the final. There's a reason why she's the top remaining seed in the draw. Mad Professah's pick: Halep in 3 sets.

Andrea Petkovic (GER) [28] Na Li (CHN) [2] vs Sara Errani (ITA) [10]. The diminutive Italian does not get a lot of respect, but she is the closest thing the women's tour has to a David Ferrer, a play who has maximized their physical assets through sheer hard work, grit and determination. Petkovic is a good player, and won the Charleston tournament earlier this year so she is comfortable on clay. However, these two met in Madrid this year and Errani won easily. I haven't seen anything which indicates that the German is ready to make a big breakthrough here, while Errani, has made the semifinals here for the last two years and will likely do so a third time this year. Lucky for her, she does not have to face 2010 champion Li Na, who lost in the first round. Mad Professah's pick: Errani in 2 sets.

Venus Wins 44th WTA Title, 1st In 32 Months

Venus Williams, playing in her first tournament since losing a dramatic 3-set showdown with Angelique Kerber in the 2nd round of the 2012 US Open, won her 44th WTA Tour title of her career by defeating Monica Niculescu 6-3 6-2 in Luxembourg. It was Venus' first title since she won consecutive titles in February 2010 in Dubai (hard courts) and Acapulco (clay), a gap of nearly 32 months. During this long title drought, Venus's career title count was surpassed by her sister Serena who won the 2012 US Open who is now #1 among active players with 45 career titles (an astonishing 1/3 of which are grand slam titles), and is favored to win the WTA Tour championships which begin in Istanbul later this week.

The 32-year-old American who has been diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder had to go through players like Roberta Vinci and Andrea Petkovic to win the indoor hard court title at the Luxembourg Open. She says that her goal is to be seeded at the 2013 Australian Open. Her WTA ranking is in the mid-30s right now so getting to be #32 and earning a seeding seems like a very achievable goal.

Go Venus!

US OPEN 2011: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

Andrew Ong/usopen.org

Caroline Wozniacki DEN (1) v. Andrea Petkovic GER (10). Wozniacki was hand delivered a get-out-of-jail free card from Svetlana Kuznetsova, who was leading 7-6(6) 4-2 40-15 when suddenly the Russian had (another) one of her epic collapses, losing 11 of the next 13 games in a draining 3-hour-plus match. This was something of a repeat of their 2009 US Open 4th round encounter which Wozniacki had won 2-6 7-6 7-6 on her way to only major final. Her opponent Petkovic played a much less dramatic match against talented Spaniard Carlos Suarez Navarro, winning in straight sets 6-1 6-4. If  2-time major champion Sveta couldn't blast "Sunshine" off the court, what chance does Petkorazzi have of winning? Regardless of who wins this match to reach the semifinal, they have almost no chance getting to the final since they are in Serena Williams half of the draw. PREDICTION: Wozniacki.


Serena Williams USA (28) v. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS (17). The young, talented Russian was finally able to outlast the Iron Woman herself, Francesca Schiavone of Italy, in a 5-7 6-3 6-4 win to reach her second major quarterfinal of the year, claiming revenge for the come-from-behind win Schiavone had eked out during her historic journey to the 2011 French Open final. Unsurprisingly, Serena is the lowest seeded player to be in the final 8, following her straight sets dismissal of #4 seed Victoria Azarenka and #16 seed Ana Ivanovic. It is extremely doubtful the hard-hitting Pavlyuchenkova playing in her 2nd career quarterfinal will be able to make much impact on the hardest-hitting player of her generation playing in her 32nd quarterfinal.The only thing that could stop Serena winning the tournament on Saturday is being hit by a bus. PREDICTION: Williams.


Flavia Pennetta ITA (26) v. Angelique Kerber GER. The mystery quarterfinalists. It's not surprising that two of the quarterfinalists are from Germany, but that one of those German quarterfinalists is Angelique Kerber is stunning. After going through a notable lull after the great Steffi Graf, Germany has had a recent resurgence with Julia Georges, Sabine Lisicki and Andrea Petkovic all having reached the Top 20 in the rankings. However, it is the #4 German player who is in her first major quarterfinal against Italy's #2, Flavia Pennetta. Pennetta relishes her reputation as a giant killer, and eliminated Maria Sharapova from the draw 2 rounds ago. It is an incredible opportunity for the Italian to reach her first major semifinal and perhaps become the second woman from her country ever to reach a major final, and shockingly, the second Italian player this year. PREDICTION: Pennetta.


Vera Zvonareva RUS (2) v. Samantha Stosur AUS (9). This should be the popcorn match of the round. Zvonareva has been in 2 major finals and is now an established hard-court force to be reckoned with, but no-one who has ever had the mental collapses Vera has exhibited can ever really be counted on to play up to their potential level when it counts. In Samantha Stosur she faces an opponent who has beaten her 6 times in a row, but who is also known to wilt under the pressure of an important moment. Stosur has been improving in this category, and battling back to win the third set convincingly after losing the longest women's tie-break in Grand Slam history (15-17) against Maria Kirilenko shows her strengthening mental fortitude. Zvonareva has tasted success on these courts before and that might be the difference in a 3rd set tiebreak. PREDICTION: Zvonareva.

US OPEN 2011: Venus Withdraws in 2nd Round!

Oh no!! Just minutes before she was scheduled to play her 2nd round match against 2011 Wimbledon semifinalist Sabine Lisicki (which I did not believe she would win) 7-time major champion Venus Williams, 31, withdrew from the tournament, claiming an "unspecified illness."

Venus had won her first round match relatively handily 6-3 6-4 no Monday night and looked sharp. Still, she has only played 11 matches all year long, and will fall out of the Top 100, since she reached the 2010 US Open semifinals and will fail to defend those ranking points. Already her sister Serena Williams, the favorite to win her 14th major in New York, has stated that she would probably continue playing even if Venus were to retire. She reiterated that neither sister has any plans to retire any time soon.

Earlier this year Venus Williams retired for the first time ever during a Grand Slam match, in the 3rd round in Australia versus Andrea Petkovic.

In other news, my pre-tournament pick for the women's final, Marion Bartoli, was upset by American teenager Christina McHale.

UPDATE 05:28PM EDT
Venus has released a statement which says that she has been disgnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome. ESPN has the deets:

"I enjoyed playing my first match here, and wish I could continue but right now I am unable to," Williams said in a statement released by the tournament. "I am thankful I finally have a diagnosis and am now focused on getting better and returning to the court soon."

According to the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation website, the disease is a chronic autoimmune illness in which people's white blood cells attack their moisture-producing glands. Common symptoms include dry eyes and dry mouth. As many as 4 million Americans have the disease.

Williams arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Wednesday hours before her match was scheduled to begin and tried warming up by hitting balls.

When Williams left the site shortly before 5 p.m., wearing a white sweater and purple shorts, she was asked by reporters whether she would say anything. She smiled and waved and shook her head to indicate, "No," then climbed into the back of a tournament transportation car and rode away.

"All of us came with the full expectation she'd be playing today. She was geared up to play her match," said Williams' agent, Carlos Fleming.

"I just hope she's OK," Fleming added, "and I hope she's healthy and going to be fine."

Despite having won seven Grand Slam singles titles, Williams was unseeded at the U.S. Open because her ranking has fallen to 36th after a year of little action. Since reaching the semifinals at last year's U.S. Open, Williams has played only 11 matches, and the WTA projects that her ranking will slide out of the top 100.

Venus, Serena Win In Grass Season Debuts

Venus Williams, 5-time Wimbledon champion, played her first grass court match of the year and her first WTA tour match since losing in the 3rd round of the Australian Open Andrea Petkovic on Monday. Venus won 7-5 5-7 6-3 against the World #11 (#8 seed) at the Eastbourne warm-up tournament for Wimbledon, which starts on Monday June 20.

4-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams played her first tennis match in nearly a year at the same tournament today, beating 2010 Wimbledon semifinalist Tsvetana Pironkova 1-6 6-3 6-4.

Venus and Serena have won a combined 9 Wimbledon singles titles since 2000, playing 5 finals against each other. The graphic above illustrates Venus' amazing performances at Wimbledon since her 1998 debut, 5 titles, 3 finalists and 3 quarterfinals but also two horrendous early round losses in 2004 and 2006.

2011 FRENCH OPEN: Women's Semifinals Preview

AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau

Here are my predictions for the women's semifinals at Roland Garros for 2011. This year, I correctly predicted 3 of 4 women's quarterfinals and 2 of 3 men's quarterfinals. Last year I was correct in 2 of 2 2010 French Open women's semifinal predictions.

Marion Bartoli FRA (11) vs. Francesca Schiavone ITA (5).  The 2010 French Open defending champion made an astonishing escape to win her quarterfinal match with hard-hitting Anastasia Pavlyunchenkova. The Italian was down 1-6 1-4 but came back to lead 5-2 in the final set and gutted out the win 7-5 in the 3rd after the youngster stormed back to even the match at 5-all in the 3rd. Bartoli is in the semifinal of her country's major, a significant feat that 2-time major champion and former World #1 Amelie Mauresmo was unable to accomplish. Bartoli's dream is to play in and win the final in Roland Garros, but that will not be happening this year.

The Frenchwoman did well while Svetlana Kuznetsova committed one of her patented meltdowns to ruin my potential 100% accuracy rate in quarterfinal predictions.

Bartoli hits two-handed on both wings with impressive power and has increased her fitness level so that she can survive long rallies but her movement is suspect and Schiavone has the shot variety to expose the gaping weaknesses in Bartoli's unorthodox game.

The two have never met on clay, which is Schiavone's best surface, but the Italian still leads the career head-to-head 6-1, including a win on Bartoli's best surface, grass. Even though the two have not played each other in over two years I suspect even the new and improved Bartoli will be no match for the new and improved Schiavone who truly believes "nothing is impossible." PREDICTION: Schiavone in 2 sets.

Maria Sharapova RUS (7) vs. Na Li CHN (6). This should be an excellent match, with the winner most likely going on to win the title. Who would have thought the only woman on the tour to be in two major semifinals this year would be Li Na from China? Head-to-head Sharapova leads 5-2 but Li has won the last two times the two have played (which were both on the relatively slow grass of Birmingham in 2009 and 2010). The one time they played on clay was in Paris two years ago and Sharapova eked out a truly bizarre 6-4 0-6 6-4 victory. Sharapova is playing the clay as if it is a hard court, blasting serves and hitting groundstrokes even harder. She demolished Andrea Petkovic 6-0 6-3, a player who took her out in the year's first major tournament to reach this point. Li was able to dismiss heavy favorite World #4 Viktoria Azarenka 7-5 6-2 to reach her first major semifinal in Paris.

However, clay rewards great movement and there's no question Li is the superior mover between the two. Sharapova does hit the ball hard, but Li also has her own firepower, with one of the best backhands in the women's game. Sharapova, however, has 3 major titles and has been in 10 major semifinals. Li has been in one major semifinal, but it was this year--Sharapova's last major semifinal was 3 years ago in Australia when she won the entire tournament in 2008. Sharapova is on a clay court winning streak, having won the Madrid title two weeks before Paris over 2010 Roland Garros finalist Samantha Stosur. If Sharapova serves well and is accurate off the ground she should win the match, but if Li is able to withstand the onslaught Sharapova's penchant for painting the lines will become a liability as those shots slowly turn into errors and Li will be in her second major final. The mental edge should favor Sharapova since she is undefeated against both Schiavone and Bartoli. For Sharapova, this match is the final, and she would desperately love to be in the panoply of great women players who have completed the career slam (like Navratilova, Evert, Graf, S.Williams, King and Court) . For Li, she makes history every time she steps on the court and may be satisfied by being the most successful Chinese player ever. PREDICTION: Sharapova in 2 sets OR Li in 3 sets.

2011 FRENCH OPEN: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

Viktoria Azarenka is the favorite to capture the
 Roland Garros title this year, or is she?

Here are my predictions for the women's quarterfinals at Roland Garros this year. Last year, I was correct in 2 of 4 2010 French Open women's quarterfinal predictions.

Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (13) vs. Marion Bartoli FRA (11). The 2007 Wimbledon finalist has reached her first quarterfinal at her country's major tournament for the first time. She will face Kuznetsova, one of only two women left in the tournament who have won the entire event (the other, of course is Francesca Schiavone who won last year). In fact, Kuznetsova lost the final in 2006 and won the final in 2009. While Bartoli won her match when Gisela Dulko retired in the second set, Kuznetsova won a hard-fought 3-set affair with Daniela Hantuchova who had easily dismissed World #1 and top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki the round before. This could be a very ugly affair, with both players trying to lose the match, but I believe that Kutnetsova's prodigious talent will be the deciding factor. PREDICTION: Kuznetsova in 3 sets.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS (14) vs. Francesca Schiavone ITA (5).  The 2010 French Open defending champion made it through to this quarterfinal by winning a marathon 2 hour, 40-minute battle with 3-time French Open semifinalist (and former World #1)  Jelena Jankovic which featured over 30 breakpoints combined. The passionate Italian faces the talented Russian youngster who took out the last remaining top seed in World #3 Vera Zvonareva to reach her first career major quarterfinal. Pavlyuchenkova hits the ball hard and flat on both wings, while Schiavone rarely hits the ball the same way twice, and actually wants to move forward to show off her sterling net play. Plus Schiavone has the benefit of knowing that her style of play can be rewarded on the red clay courts of Paris from last year. PREDICTION: Schiavone in 2 sets.

Petra Kvitova CZE (9) Na Li CHN (6) vs. Victoria Azarenka BLR (4). The hard-hitting lefty Petra Kvitova was my call to win the entire tournament before it began. But, 2011 Australian Open finalist Li is also one of my favorite players. Kvitova was up 3-0 in the deciding set but then collapsed completely to lose 6 consecutive games and the match. Li continues to make history, becoming the first Chinese player, male or female, to reach the quarterfinals at the French Open. Azarenka is one of the hottest players on the women's tour, and despite never having won a quarterfinal at any major is the betting favorite to win the tournament, primarily due to her position as the top remaining seed in the draw at #4. Head-to-head Li actually leads Azarenka 3-1, including a straight set beating in the Round of 16 in Melbourne this year, but the two have never met on clay. Azarenka should use this opportunity to make her breakthrough at a major, but will the pressure of being the favorite get to her head? Li has the advantage of already making her breakthrough in a grand slam earlier this year. This match should be decided by who wants it more and should be a high quality affair. PREDICTION: Li in 3 sets.

Maria Sharapova RUS (7) vs. Andrea Petkovic GER (15). Could this really be Sharapova's year to win the French Open? If so, she needs to get through matches like this next one. In Petkovic she is playing a player who beat her in the previous major played this year and is unafraid of the 3-time major champion's firepower. Sharapova was able to get revenge a few months later in Miami and leads their career head-to-head 2-1, all played on hard courts. The two have never played on hard courts, but this match will be played on clay which us Sharapova's worst surface. Both players have won clay court titles this year. I have seen all of Sharapova's matches played at Roland Garros this year but none of Petkovic's. I suspect that the fact that Sharapova is in her 14th major quarterfinal (only her 2nd in the last two years) while Petkovic is in her second quarterfinal of her career despite the two being born in the same year will be the ultimate deciding factor. PREDICTION: Sharapova in 3 sets.