2019 US OPEN: Draw Analysis and Preview

The final major tournament of 2019 starts in New York City tomorrow. As usual, I will be attending the tournament during the holiday weekend. The defending champions are Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka, who come in to this year's tournaments as the #1 seeds also.

Here are the projected quarterfinals if results strictly follow seedings (which is very unlikely to happen).

MEN'S DRAW PROJECTED QUARTERFINALS

• (1) Novak Djokovic vs (5) Daniil Medvedev
• (3) Roger Federer vs   (7) Kei Nishikori 
• (4) Dominic Thiem vs (8) Stefanos Tsitsipas 
• (2) Rafael Nadal     vs (6) Sascha Zverev

WOMEN'S DRAW PROJECTED QUARTERFINALS

• (1) Naomi Osaka vs (7) Kiki Bertens
• (4) Simona Halep vs (6) Petra Kvitova
• (3) Karolina Pliskova vs (5) Elina Svitolina
• (2) Ash Barty vs (8) Serena Williams

Another aspect of analyzing the draw is looking at the exciting first round draws. This year there's one that is sucking all the attention: Serena Williams versus Maria Sharapova, in their 23rd meeting (Serena leads 19-3, with Sharapova getting a victory from the 2018 French Open 4th round  match which did not happen because Serena withdrew). Although this is a blockbuster match-up, I see no reason why the result should be any different from any other match that Serena has actually played against Serena for the last 15 years, which is basically 18 consecutive wins.

FIRST ROUNDS TO WATCH

S. Williams (8) versus M. Sharapova

A. Sabalenka (9) versus V. Azarenka

S. Kenin (20) versus C. Vandeweghe 

D. Shapovalov versus F. Auger-Aliassime (18)

R. Opelka verus F. Fognini (11)

S. Tsitsipas (8) versus A. Rublev

N. Kyrgios (28) versus S. Johnson

PRE-TOURNAMENT PICK

I have made my pre-tournament prediction for the women's title: S. Williams d. S. Halep 

I have also made my pre-tournament prediction for the men's title: R. Federer d. R. Nadal.

2019 AUS OPEN: Women's Final Preview (and Semifinals Review)

Naomi Osaka (JPN) [4] vs. Petra Kvitova (CZE) [8]

This is my prediction post for the 2019 Australian Open women's final. Last year I incorrectly predicted that Simona Halep would beat Caroline Wozniacki in the 2018 Aussie Open women's final.  This year I have correctly predicted 3 of 4 women's quarterfinals, 4 of 4 men's quarterfinals, 2 of 2 men's semifinals and 2 of 2 women's semifinals. I will also predict the winner of the 2019 Aussie Open men's final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

WOMEN'S SEMIFINALS REVIEW

Naomi Osaka (JPN) [4] d. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) [7] 6-2 4-6 6-4. This was actually quite a good match but it was overshadowed by the dramatics of the round before, when Pliskova completed one of the all-time historic comebacks, amazingly against Serena Williams. She came back from 1-5 30-40 down in the final set and won the last 6 games of the set after Serena roller her ankle and failed to win another point on serve, despite having four match points. So, one would have thought that Pliskova would realize that she's playing with "house money" and come out blasting against Osaka but that is not what happened. It's clear now that Osaka has the game and mentality to get to the top of the women's game and she has demonstrated that repeatedly in the last 6 months.

Petra Kvitova (CZE) [8] d. Danielle Collins (USA) 7-6(2) 6-0. Although Pliskova's upset of Serena was historic, in some sense Collins 6-0 6-2 win over 3-time major champion Angie Kerber in the fourth round is even more astounding. The 25-year-old American had never won a grand slam match before and she ended up winning 5 matches in a row in Melbourne. For one set she held Kvitova to a tiebreak set, the first player in the tournament to stay even with the 2-time major champion for so long this year. Collins has a feisty personality, enjoying the competition and the fight. She is an excellent counterpuncher and handles pace quite well. Hopefully this breakthrough will give her the confidence to make a bigger splash on the women's tour.

WOMEN'S FINALS PREVIEW

Last year's final featured two players in Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki who had not won a grand slam, who were also competing for the #1 ranking in the world (although they had both held it previously). This year, the final features two players in Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova who have both won a major but who have not reached World #1. If Osaka wins she will become World #1 at age 20, the youngest since Wozniacki did it in 2011. If Kvitova wins, she will become the oldest player to reach #1 for the first time. The two are taking undefeated grand slam final records in to this match, with Osaka 1-0 (2018 US Open, d. S. Williams) and Kvitova 2-0 (2014 Wimbledon d. Bouchard; 2011 Wimbledon d. Sharapova) so someone will experience their fist major final loss today. Kvitova has an amazing 26-7 record in finals and has won her last 8 on the tour. She is contending for the #1 spot because of her all-round stellar play on the tour, including wining the Sydney warm-up tournament over Ash Barty, while Osaka is going for her second consecutive major title.  Amazingly, the two have never played on tour before, so this is their very first meeting. That will almost certainly result in a very nervous start for both players. I would be shocked if P3tra doesn't live up to her name and the match end in straight sets. (Neither player has lost a set in a major final before either.) Their games are very similar, they play big babe, first strike tennis. Kvitova has the fact that she's a lefty in her favor, but Osaka has the more consistent serve. Osaka is possibly the better athlete, but Kvitova's amazing record in finals is very convincing to me.
 MadProfessah's pick: Kvitova.

2018 US OPEN: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

Here are my predictions for the women's quarterfinals at the US Open for 2018. Last year I correctly predicted 3 of 4 women's quarterfinals and correctly predicted 2 of 4 men's quarterfinals.  I also have  a prediction for the men's quarterfinals.

Serena Williams (USA) [17] Simona Halep (ROU) [1] vs. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) [8]. First I would like to recognize Kaia Kanepi, the hard-hitting veteran Estonian who took out my pick for the 2018 US Open title and played a nerveless, entertaining match against Serena Williams in the 4th round on Sunday despite losing the first set 6-0 in under 19 minutes. I believe that was exactly the match Serena needed to prepare her for this showdown with Karolina Pliskova who last beat her on this court just two years ago, in the 2016 US Open semifinals, just a few rounds after beating Venus Williams. last meeting in Stuttgart this year and they also split their 2 hard court matches. I saw Pliskova overwhelm Ash Barty the round before and she actually moves better than I expected (she's no Lindsay Davenport!) But Serena hates to lose to players in consecutive matches so she will be well prepared for this match. In some sense, her tough draw may actually have helped her raise the level of her game, which is approaching the level she was at pre-pregnancy. It's somewhat surprising these two have only played twice, so Serena has not really been active on the WTA tour as Pliskova became World #1 (briefly) and remains ensconced in the Top 10. As others have noted, one blaring hole in Serena's comeback to the tour this year has been her inability to win against Top 10 players this year and Pliskova will be her first she will be facing in New York. Despite that, I think Serena will find a way to reach yet another semifinal in New York.  PREDICTION: Williams.

 Anastasja Sevastova (LAT) [16] Elina Svitolina (UKR) [4] vs. Sloane Stephens (USA) [3]. This is a rematch of last year's quarterfinal which was quite a barnburner. Stephens had to come back from 1-3 down in the final set. Sevastova clearly plays her best tennis in New York and is completely unafraid of big stages. I saw her demolish the #7 seed Elina Svitolina in the relative obscurity of the Grandstand court on Saturday (winning 6-0 in the final set). We are no longer surprised by Stephens success in big matches, as her World #3 ranking and 2 major finals in the last 12 months have demonstrated. How the defending champ takes care of someone who gave her so much trouble last year will tell us a lot about whether Stephens will be able to defend her title as she most likely will face the ultimate test in Serena Williams. I believe she will beat Sevastova, but I don't think it's going to be easy. PREDICTION: Stephens.

Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) [30] Maria Sharapova (RUS) [22] vs. Madison Keys (USA) [15].  It's a quirk  of fate that Suárez Navarro's birthday falls in early September, so she has often had to play very important matches in her career on this date. 5 years ago when she turned 25 she famously lost to Serena Williams without winning a single game. Things did not look good when she was scheduled to play Maria Sharapova at night in Arthur Ashe stadium, where the 5-time major champion was 23-0. However, Suárez Navarro  was undeterred and although it was not a pretty match (both players were serving horrendously) it was quite entertaining. The Spaniard is mostly known for her clay court prowess but she has reached multiple quarterfinals at all the slams but Wimbledon. She has a one-handed backhand and is a great mover. The result was that she was able to end Sharapova's streak and dismiss the Russian in straight sets. Her opponent will be another big hitting, big serving player who moves a bit better: Madison Keys. Keys continued her domination of Dominika Cibulkova who looked a bit tired after her upset of Angie Kerber on Saturday in three sets. The fact that Keys is undefeated against Cibulkova is mysterious; the Slovak is too good a mover to be blasted off the court, but typically this is what happens in their matches, because Cibulkova likes to do that to her opponents, and with Keys she faces someone who goes for broke even earlier than she does. Keys is 3-0 against each of the players she could face to reach her second consecutive US Open final: Suárez Navarro, Osaka or Tsurenko. Will she do better dealing with the mental expectations of success this year than last year? I hope so. PREDICTION: Keys. 

Naomi Osaka (JPN) [20] vs. Lesia Tsurenko (UKR). It looks like 2018 may finally be the year for the breakout by the biracial 20-year-old Naomi Osaka into the big leagues of women's tennis. She won Indian Wells in a battle of the youngsters by defeating Daria Kasatkina (and a bevy of Top 10 players). However the rest of her season has been pretty quiet until reaching New York where she has been making a lot of noise by cutting through the draw like a scythe, losing only 7 games in the first three rounds. In the 4th round she faced a fellow youngster, 20-year-old Aryna Sabalenka who has been the hottest player on tour for most of the American summer hard court season. The two played a see-saw match which involved multiple breaks of serve and swings of momentum in the deciding set and ended on a double fault. (Happily I was in the stands at Louis Armstrong watching with delight.) The tennis was tension-filled because both players knew that they would have to face an unseeded player in their quarterfinal to reach the 2018 US Open semifinal. It looked that opponent would be 19-year-old lefty Marketa Vondrousova from Czech Republic but somehow 30-year-old Lesia Tsurenko was able to battle back and survive the brutal sun and humidity yesterday on the Grandstand court to deny the youngster. I don't think she'll be able to do that again.  PREDICTION: Osaka. 

2018 WIMBLEDON: Women's Final Preview (and Semifinals Review)

Angelique Kerber (GER) [11] vs Serena Williams (USA) [25] 

Here are my predictions for the women's final at the Wimbledon Championships for 2018. This year I correctly predicted 2 of 4 men's quarterfinals, correctly predicted 4 of 4 women's quarterfinals, and 2 of 2 women's semifinals. Last year I incorrectly predicted Venus Williams would defeat Garbine Muguruza. 

WOMEN'S SEMIFINALS REVIEW

 Angelique Kerber (GER) [11] d. Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) [12] 6-3 6-3. This was a much more complicated match than is reflected by the score. The result was ultimately decided by Ostapenko's refusal to stop aiming for the lines and making far too many errors (in addition to blasting dozens of winners). Basically, Kerber's defense was more effective than Ostapenko's offense. However, Kerber was up 5-1 in the second set and started making errors, Ostapenko stopped missing and suddenly things got complicated when serving for the match in the 9th game, but ultimately she held and won the match.

 Serena Williams (USA) [25] d. Julia Goerges (GER) [13] 6-2 6-4. This was the match that demonstrated to most observers that Serena is almost back to the level she was at before she left the tour to have a child. Although she lost as many games as Kerber did in her match, the result of this one never really seemed in doubt. In other words, the result of this match was not as close as the score indicates. Goerges acquitted herself well and did not seem negatively affected by the occasion of playing in her first major semifinal. The main reason she lost was because Serena was simply the better player that day.

WOMEN'S FINAL PREVIEW
This match-up is a reprise of the 2016 Wimbledon final which was won be Serena after the two had met at the Australian Open where Kerber had stunned Serena to win in three sets. This is Serena's 30th major final and she has a superlative 23-6 record. She has only lost major finals to 5 people, and only her sister Venus Williams has done it twice (2001 US Open, 2008 Wimbledon). The others are Maria Sharapova (2004 Wimbledon), Sam Stosur ( 2011 US Open), Angelique Kerber (2016 Australian Open), and Garbine Muguruza (2016 French Open). The two have played 8 times on tour and Kerber has won twice (2012 Cincinnati Open and 2016 Australian Open). Kerber at least has had the experience of beating Serena in a final so she knows its possible, Serena is also very aware of this fact and has great respect for the German's counterpunching skills. 

So, it is possible that Serena could lose this match, but it is unlikely. If she does win, it will be an amazing achievement to come back and win a major title after more than a year's absence from tennis, having a baby and experiencing life-threatening consequences. With 24 major titles, Serena will have as many major titles as anyone who has ever played tennis and will most likely go on to win more to cement her status as the Greatest of all Time. 

MadProfessah's pick: Serena.

2018 WIMBLEDON: Upsets Galore! Muguruza,Cilic,Wozniacki, Sharapova,Azarenka All Lose!

Whoa! Through the first two rounds of play the women's draw has been decimated by an exodus of seeds.

• #2 Wozniacki - OUT 2R 
• #3 Muguruza - OUT 2R 
• #4 Stephens - OUT 1R 
• #5 Svitolina - OUT 1R 
• #6 Garcia - OUT 1R 
• #8 Kvitova - OUT 1R

The loss of the defending champion Garbine Muguruza before the weekend is pretty shocking, but the real surprise was Kvitova's departure because she has been the most successful player on the WTA tour all year and grass is where she usually plays her best tennis. (She was the odds favorite and my choice to make the final.)  Others have noted that since her 2014 win, the 2-time Wimbledon champ's results have become rather pedestrian at the All-England Lawn and Tennis Club. But it is quite unusual to lose so many major champions in the first round. 5-time major champ Maria Sharapova lost in the first round despite having match points while up a set and a break, eventually succumbing to Russian Vitalia Diatchenko. 2-time major champion Victoria Azarenka did not come close to upsetting Karolina Pliskova, the #7 seed, and lost in straight sets.

The carnage among the has not been limited to the women's draw, with the shocking departure of last year's Wimbledon finalist and the Queen's Club champion Marin Cilic. Many people expected that Cilic would make the final again, and possibly upset 8-time Wimbledon champ Roger Federer in the semifinals.

2018 FRENCH OPEN: Women's Semifinals Preview

Here are my predictions for the women's semifinals at the 2018 French Open. Last year I correctly predicted 2 of 4 women's quarterfinals, 1 of 2 women's semifinals, 4 of 4 men's quarterfinals, and 2 of 2 men's semifinals. This year I correctly predicted 4 of 4 women's quarterfinals; I am also going to predict the men's semifinals.

Simona Halep (ROU) [1] vs. Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP) [3]. These two have faced each other 4 times and Muguruza has only lost once; this happened to have been on clay (in 2015). They are facing each other in a major semifinal so of course there is a lot at stake. However, in addition to a berth in the 2018 French Open final, the winner of this match will grab the WTA #1 ranking. Of course, Halep is the current World #1 and is a 2017 French Open finalist so she is trying to defend both of these achievements. Muguruza is a 2-time major champion and won the 2016 French Open title while Halep hasn't won a major title yet but has reached 2 of the last four major finals: 2018 Australian Open and 2017 French Open. Muguruza demolished Maria Sharapova in the previous round, losing only 3 games in just over an hour. Halep was also impressive in her quarterfinal win but in a very different fashion, surviving a 3-hour war of attrition against Angelique Kerber by losing the first set in a tiebreaker and coming back to win the last two sets fairly easily. Muguruza is playing at a very high level, but I believe that Halep has the skills and mental resilience to survive almost anything Muguruza throws at her. PREDICTION: Halep.

Madison Keys (USA) [13] vs. Sloane Stephens (USA) [10].  This is a reprise of the 2017 U.S. Open final. I don't think very many people would have predicted these two players would become the faces of American tennis after the Williams sisters but it is looking like the Keys-Stephens rivalry will be one that will not only be defining American tennis, but very possibly women's tennis, at the very highest level of competition. Curiously the two have only met twice on tour and Stephens has won both matches. An important feature of the 2017 U.S. Open final was the fact that Madison was completely overwhelmed by the occasion and could not  play anywhere near her best tennis and the match turned into a mismatch. I think her coach Lindsay Davenport will be able to prepare her so that this won' happen this time. The problem is that Sloane is simply a better athlete and mover than Madison and this is likely to be rewarded on clay.  Madison is the better server and the (much) harder hitter, so if the match was on grass she would have a distinct advantage, but it's not and she doesn't. PREDICTION: Stephens. 

2018 FRENCH OPEN: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

Here are my predictions for the women's quarterfinals at the 2018 French Open. Last year I correctly predicted 2 of 4 women's quarterfinals and correctly predicted 4 of 4 men's quarterfinals. This year I have also predicted the men's quarterfinals.

Simona Halep (ROU) [1] vs. Angelique Kerber [12] (GER). These two have faced each other 8 times and split the meetings evenly. Kerber has won the one match they played on clay while Halep won their last meeting in a major (the 2018 Australian Open semifinal). This is basically a pick 'em match. PREDICTION: Halep.

Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP) [3] vs. Maria Sharapova (RUS) [28]. After getting past Serena Williams for the first time in over a decade due to the 23-time major champion's withdrawal in the 4th round, Sharapova's reward is a match with one of the hottest players in the tournament, the #3 seed who is yet to drop a set. Surprisingly, Sharapova has never lost to  Muguruza in 3 matches, but none of their meetings have come since Muguruza broke through and became a major champion herself by beating Serena here two years ago. The two have a very similar style but Muguruza is younger and more athletic. I'd put my money on youth versus experience in this match up.  PREDICTION: Muguruza.

Madison Keys (USA) [13] vs. Venus Williams (USA) [5] Yulia Putintseva (KAZ).  I was in the stands when Venus Williams lost her first round match on the first day. That opened up this section of the draw and the surprise is that the diminutive (but hard-hitting) Putintseva is who was able to take advantage of the opening and reach her first major quarterfinal. Keys has been slipping through the draw under the radar but with her powerful groundstrokes and serve she is a threat on any surface, although one would expect clay would be where her game would be the least effective. However she has not lost a set in 4 rounds. I doubt that will change in this match and so she should reach her first French Open semifinal.  PREDICTION: Keys. 

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [2] Daria Kasatkina (RUS) [14] vs. Sloane Stephens (USA) [10]. Many tennis watchers are entranced by Kasatkina's game, which is reminiscent of that of Martina Hingis in its versatility and virtuosity. She basically dismantled and befuddled the #2 seed Caroline Wozniacki in the round before to reach her first major quarterfinal at age 20. Stephens is the reigning U.S. Open champion but has not really been talked about much as a potential winner here. But her game is well-suited to clay. Interestingly, these two have played twice before and each came away with a win with Stephens having won their (green) clay court meeting while Kasatkina won their meeting on hard courts this year. Stephens has much more experience at this level, so I give her the edge here but Kasatkina seems unfazed by big stages so I think it will come down to who is the better player on the day, and there's no question in my mind the American is the better athlete. PREDICTION: Stephens. 

2018 AUS OPEN: Women's Final Preview (and Semifinals Review)

Simona Halep (ROU) [1] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [2]

Here are my predictions for the 2018 Australian Open women's final. Last year I correctly predicted Serena Williams would beat Venus Williams in the women's final and also coreectly predicted  1 of 2 men's semifinals and 2 of 2 women's semifinals. This year I predicted correctly 2 of 2 women's semifinals, 2 of 2 men''s semifinals, 3 of 4 women's quarterfinals and 2 of 4 men's quarterfinals. 

WOMEN'S SEMIFINALS REVIEW

Simona Halep (ROU) [1] d. Angelique Kerber [21] (GER) 6-3 4-6 9-7.  As expected this was an absolute corker of a match and met the heightened expectations after both Kerber and Halep defeated hard-hitting opponents in their respective quarterfinals against Karolina Pliskova and Madison Keys, respectively. Halep started off quite strong, racing to a 5-0 lead but then faltered when serving for the set and let Kerber get back to 5-3 but then won the set 6-3. Again in the second set Halep was up a break at 3-1 but then Kerber got it back to 3-all and eventually won the set 6-4. The deciding set Halep had match points at 4-5, 15-40  with Kerber serving but then had to save match points herself when Kerber served at 6-5, 40-15. Eventually, Halep broke in the sixteenth game to win the decider 9-7. The match featured extremely high-quality play on both sides of the net and included several incredible, gut-busting rallies of length in the 20-shot range.

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [2] d. Elise Mertens (BEL) [16] 6-3 7-6(2).  This was a closer match than anyone expected but as expected Wozniacki was able to beat the unheralded Belgian player in a pretty routine fashion. There were none of the lapses or streaks which Wozniacki has had in other matches here in Melbourne, like in her quarterfinal which she won 6-0, 7-6(3), 6-2 with Carla Suarez Navarro saving match points in the second set but then going away in the third. Mertens put up a more consistent defense but it was not enough to deny Wozniacki the win.


WOMEN'S FINAL PREVIEW
As with most major finals, this will be a historic match. But this will make a bit more history than most. It is a rare showdown between the World #1 and World #2 in a major final and the winner of the match will be #1 after the tournament.  (The last time that happened was when #1 Serena Williams beat #2 Maria Sharapova in 2015.) This is also the first time that both players have saved match points en route to a major final, and Halep has done it in two matches (against Kerber in the semifinals and against Davis in the 3rd round while Wozniacki did it against Fett in the 2nd round.) This is also the 3rd time in the last four slams to be contested between first-time Slam winners (2017 French Open final where Jelena Ostapenko d. Halep and 2017 U.S. Open final Sloane Stephens d. Keys). This is Wozniacki's 43rd major championship appearance (only Jana Novotna, Marion Bartoli and Flavia Pennetta had more appearances before winning their first major). It is Halep's 31st appearance. Interestingly, they are both playing in their 3rd major final.

If Wozniacki wins the championship and thus gets to #1, that will be the largest gap in times at #1 in the history of the WTA tour (almost exactly 6 years, surpassing Serena's record of 5-plus years).  Head to head some may be surprised to discover that Wozniacki holds a 4-2 lead, and has won their last 3 matches, including a 6-0 6-2 drubbing at the 2017 WTA Tour finals. However, Halep leads 2-1 in their outdoor hard-courts. and the two have never contested a final.

I think this will probably be an even better match than the Halep-Kerber match, but I think it is also very likely that nerves will play a significant role, more so for Wozniacki, who has not been in a major final since the 2014 U.S. Open, where she lost to Serena. Her previous appearance was the 2009 U.S. Open final against Kim Clijsters. Neither of those matches did anyone give her a decent shot at winning, while in this final with Halep, she knows she can win and she also knows this may not have any more chances at winning that elusive major after this chance, especially with Serena's imminent return. I believe Halep will have learned from her play against Ostapenko where she lost a match up a set and  a break and will be the aggressor again, against a  Wozniacki who will be playing more aggressive than usual but whose natural instinct is to be a counterpuncher. Regardless, I will be happy with whomever wins, but I think it will be the World #1.

MadProfessah's prediction: Halep.

2018 AUS OPEN: Draw Preview and Predictions

The draw for the 2018 Australian Open is out. The defending champions are Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Serena has withdrawn because she is not quite ready after giving birth to her first child about 4 months ago. 

Women's Draw Preview
The women's draw features only two former Australian Open champions: Angelique Kerber (2016) and Maria Sharapova (2008). If the draw goes according to seedings, this would be the women's quarterfinals:

• [1] Simona Halep (ROU)          vs [6] Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
• [3] Garbine Muguruza (ESP)  vs [8] Caroline Garcia (FRA)
• [4] Elina Svitolina (UKR)         vs [5] Venus Williams (USA)
• [2] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs [7] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)

I doubt anyone thinks this will actually happen. Kerber is (again) playing excellent tennis and is on a 9-match winning streak, which allowed her to win the Sydney warm-up tournament. However, I think that other "K" layers will have even bigger breakthroughs this year, including Konta, Kvitova amd Keys. So, I am predicting the following:

• Semifinals: Kvitova versus Keys and Wozniacki versus Svitolina.
• Final: Keys versus Wozniacki.
• Champion: Keys.

Men's Draw Preview
The men's draw features the return of 6-time Aussie Open champion Novak Djokovic, and of course last year's finalists Federer and Nadal resume their rivalry. Of course, Djokovic ends up in Federer's half, along with Dominc Thiem, Sascha Zverev, David Goffin and Juan Martin del Potro. Nadal has an amazingly gentle draw, and even though he has not played a professional match all year and has fueled speculation about his fitness, the current World #1 has a very good shot at winning his second consecutive hard-court major. However, it is long past time for a member of the "new" generation to step up and win a major. Surely this will happen in 2018, but can it happen in Melbourne?

If the draw goes according to seedings, this would be the men's quarterfinals:

• [1] Rafael Nadal (ESP)            vs [6] Marin Cilic (CRO)
• [3] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)     vs [8] Jack Sock (USA)
• [4] Sascha Zverev (GER)        vs [5] Dominic Thiem (AUT) 
• [2] Roger Federer (SUI)          vs [7] David Goffin (BEL)

This is more likely to happen than on the women's side  but still it is relatively unlikely. Instead, I am predicting:

• Semifinals: Nadal vs Dimitrov, Federer vs Zverev
• Final: Dimitrov versus Federer.
• Champion: Federer.

We shall see!

2017 US OPEN: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

Here are my predictions for the women's quarterfinals at the US Open for 2017. Last year I correctly predicted 4 of 4 women's quarterfinals and correctly predicted 3 of 4 men's quarterfinals. This year I will also predict the men's quarterfinals.

Karolina Pliskova (CZE) [1] vs. CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) [20]. Pliskova needs to reach the finals again to preserve her #1 ranking, while the American is finally beginning to fulfil her potential from winning the girls title here in 2008. This year CoCo has reached three major quarterfinals, and she has 1-1 record. These two have played four times on tour so far and split the results; Pliskova won their last meeting in Stuttgart this year and they also split their 2 hard court matches. Clearly the Czech player does not have problems with facing a hostile American crowd since last year she dispatched Venus Williams and then Serena Williams to reach her first major final. CoCo has clearly improved recently (perhaps due to the influence of coach Mats Wilander), she is less volatile on the court, which is aligning her results with her confidence (and self regard). However I still give a slight edge to the more experienced player, although I would not be surprised to see either player win.  PREDICTION: Pliskova.

Madison Keys (USA) [15] Elina Svitolina (UKR) [4] vs. Kaia Kanepi (LAT). This should have been Svitolina's chance to make a big splash on the sport's biggest stage and continue her quest for the #1 spot in the rankings. But despite being up 4-2 in the deciding set, she managed to lose the last four games of that set (and the match) as the crowd surged behind Keys and provided her with the momentum to get across the finish line. It was a remarkable moment, and hopefully will be a turning point in the career of the hard-hitting American who has the game to overpower basically any opponent on tour but has yet to demonstrate this consistently at majors. Her compatriot (Coco Vandeweghe) is head of her in this department but Keys is younger, more powerful and is expected to have the bigger career. If so, she really needs to be able to win matches like this. She's facing a 31-year-old veteran who hits the ball hard but having come back from injury, is literally ranked in the 400s. This still could be tricky, because Kanepi has gone through qualifying and is match-tough, but, if Keys' coach (Lindsay Davenport) does her job well, this match should not be close.  PREDICTION: Keys.

Venus Williams (USA) [9] vs. Petra Kvitova (CZE) [13] Garbine Muguruza (ESP) [3].  This quarterfinal is worthy of a major final. The two players have a combined 9 major titles between them. Kvitova got here by putting one of her dazzling displays of power and accuracy against the pre-tournament favorite (and reigning Wimbledon champion) Garbine Muguruza in the round before. That 7-6(3) 6-3 match is the highlight of the women's tournament to date, but this showdown is expected to rival that. Venus is here because she is playing some of the best tennis in her career in 2017, having reached (and lost) two major finals (Australia and Wimbledon) this year, 9 years after her last one, and 6 years after the diagnosis of an auto-immune disorder. Unfortunately, history does not bode well for Venus in this matchup, since she has only won one of their 5 meetings. However, every single one has gone to 3 sets and I fully expect that to happen here. In fact, I am basing my prediction on the belief that Kvitova will not be able to maintain the high level of play she has so far demonstrated in her first four matches (coming through without losing a set). If that does happen, then even Venus will not be able to stop Kvitova from winning her 3rd major. PREDICTION: Venus. 

Anastasja Sevastova (LAT) [16] Simona Halep (ROU) [2] vs. Sloane Stephens (USA). For the second year in a row Sevastova delivered a major upset at the U.S. Open. Last year it was taking out Muguruza and this year it was taking out Maria Sharapova. She has only ever reached two major quarterfinals and they both have happened in New York. She will face a resurgent Sloane Stephens who is finally capitalizing on her athletic abilities to simply refuse to lose matches. This is an incredible opportunity for American tennis to demonstrate what the post-Williams future of tennis will look like. Interestingly, all three non-Williams American quarterfinalists have reached major semifinals on hard courts, but in Australia (Stephens in 2013, Keys in 2015 and Vandeweghe in 2017) not New York. I'm fairly confident that streak will end this year. There's also a reasonable chance of an all-American final for the first time since Serena beat Venus in 2002.  PREDICTION: Stephens. 

2017 US OPEN: Sharapova-Halep, Federer-Tiafoe thrillers; Kerber Loses to Osaka; Nadal,Pliskova Cruise

Naomi Osaka defeated defending champion Angie Kerber in straight sets

Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep played one of the
most anticipated first round matches in years

The 2017 U.S. Open has begun and already there have been fireworks in the first two days. It began with the most highly-anticipated 1R match in years as #2 Simona Halep had the misfortune to be paired with wild card-granted 5-time major champion Maria Sharapova (returning from injury and 18-month layoff caused by a drug ban). Sharapova ended up taking out Halep in a high-quality 3-set match with multiple swings of momentum 6-4 4-6 6-3 in nearly 3 hours. But before that happened British hope Jo Konta was bounced from the tournament by former giant-killer Alexandra Krunic.

On Day 2, Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka overwhelmed defending champion Angelique Kerber 6-3 6-1. After winning two majors in 2016, 2017 had nothing but disappointment (and shame) at the biggest tournaments and the former #1 will likely fall out of the Top 10 as a result. The day ended with what should have been a routine encounter between #3 seed (and 5-time champion) Roger Federer and 20-year-old Francis Tiafoe turning into a 5-set thriller as the 36-year-old was either rusty or suffering from injury as he was only able to play high-quality tennis in patches. Tiafoe took the first set 6-4 after beginning the match with a break of serve in the first game (assisted by three consecutive errors by Federer). Federer then won the next two sets 6-2 and 6-1. The fourth set was on serve  early when Federer's game collapsed and he lost 5 games in a row to lose the set 1-6. The fifth set had an early break and hold by Federer to go up 4-1 and he served for the match (including getting to match point) at 5-3 and promptly lost his serve again. However two loose points by Tiafoe serving 4-5 brought double match point at 15-40 and although the youngster saved the first one, on the second he mangled a half-volley into the net to give Federer the escape he was looking for. Hopefully, Federer will use the rest because he will not make it to a semifinal showdown with Rafael Nadal if he does not significantly raise his level.

The #1 seeds Nadal and Karolina Pliskova cruised into round 2 without dropping a set. Hopefully I will see some good tennis when I go to the US Open for my traditional Labor Day weekend visit!

2017 WIMBLEDON: Women's Final Preview (and Semifinals Review)

Here are my predictions for the women's final at the Wimbledon Championships for 2017. Last year I correctly predicted Serena Williams would beat Angie Kerber in the women's final and Andy Murray would beat Milos Raonic. This year I correctly predicted 2 of 2 men's semifinals, 2 of 2 women's semifinals, 4 of 4 women's quarterfinals and 2 of 4 men's quarterfinals.

Women's Semifinals Review

Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP) [14] d. Magadalena Rybarikova (RUS) 6-1 6-1. This match ended up being more of a mismatch, as Muguruza was ruthlessly aggressive, repeatedly approaching the net to control the outcome of the point. The result of the match was also negatively impacted by the fact that Rybarikova was a bit overwhelmed by the occasion of playing in her first major semifinal and thus was unable to take advantage of her excellent return game. It was over in under an hour.

Venus Williams (USA) [10] d. Johanna Konta (GBR) [6] 6-4 6-2. This was expected to be a hard-fought, high-quality match with an uncertain outcome. For the first set it lived up to that billing, with Venus sneaking out the set after boldly saving two breakpoints (one with a 106 mph second unreturnable serve!) and an untimely Konta wobble.  Although Venus had one one ace (compared to Konta's 9) she won far more points by using well-timed body serves that Konta could not seem to handle at all. Some people said it was Venus's most impressive match of the tournament (I would argue that her straight sets dismissal of the reigning French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinal was even more significant.) Venus is still hitting winners from every part of the court, but her error count was strikingly low, which demonstrates how well she is playing.

Women's Final Preview

The Williams sisters have won the Wimbledon title 12 of the last 17 years with only Petra Kvitova, Maria Sharapova, Amelie Mauresmo and Marion Bartoli breaking up their dominance. However, Venus has not been here since 2009, while Muguruza last played in the Wimbledon final in 2015. Head-to-head, Venus leads 3-1 but lost the last time they played, on clay in Rome. This was the first match that they played after Muguruza had become a major champion in her own right. 

Most people think that this is a very hard match to predict and I agree that I believe it will be close but I still think the person who is playing in their 16th career major final  (7W-8L) has an edge over the person playing in their 3rd career major final (1W-1L record). It is true that the last time there was such a sentimental favorite playing in a surprise Wimbledon final was 1994. That was Martina Navratilova against Conchita Martinez. In a shock, the Spanish clay courter beat the 9-time Wimbledon champion, denying Martina her 19th major title. Interestingly, Martinez is now coaching Garbine as she tries to deny a 5-time Wimbledon champion her 8th major title.

Looking at the x's and o's Venus is simply playing better tennis than Garbine. She is hitting more winners and aces than her opponent in the first six rounds and her forehand, which used to be a liability is now her weapon. Look out!

MadProfessah's prediction: Venus.

TENNIS TUESDAY: Nadal Nearly Nude; Djokovic Attempts Reset; Sharapova Haters Savor Victories

NADAL POSES NEARLY NUDE IN TOMMY HILFIGER UNDERWEAR
14-time major champion Rafael Nadal is undefeated on clay in 2017 and has won his 10th title at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona tournament. He is on track to win his 10th title at Roland Garros in Paris this year. To celebrate(?), he is posing nearly nude wearing Tommy Hilfiger underwear. You're welcome!

DJOKOVIC TRIES TO RESET HIS SEASON BY FIRING ENTIRE COACHING STAFF
While Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are resurgent this season the former World #1 Novak Djokovic (who is still at #2 in the rankings) has taken the radical step of firing his entire coaching team, including longtime coach Marian Vajda whom has been with him for over a decade (June 2006). Since winning his 12th major and achieving the career slam (and Nole Slam) at the 2016 French Open, Djokovic has been oddly off-kilter, despite making the 2016 US Open final (where he lost to Stan Wawrinka) and by the end of the year he eventually lost the World #1 ranking to Andy Murray.

SHARAPOVA COMEBACK STALLED BY LOSING TO PLAYERS WHO HATE HER
Since 5-time major champion Maria Sharapova returned after serving a 15-month suspension from the game, she has played well so far but ultimately come up short in the latter stages of crucial matches to two players who were sharply critical of her: Kiki Mladenovic (3-6 7-5 6-4 Stuttgart semifinal) and Genie Bouchard (Madrid 2nd Round 7-5 2-6 6-4). Both Bouchard and Mladenovic called Sharapova a cheater, and in addition to doing their talking off the court, they followed it up with even larger statements on the court, defeating Sharapova in important tournaments.

TENNIS TUESDAY: Nadal Wins 10th Monte Carlo; Serena Back At #1; Sharapova Returns To Tour; Tiafoe Up to #72

RAFAEL NADAL WINS 10th ATM MONTE CARLO TITLE; 50th CAREER CLAY TITLE
The King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, won his record 10th title at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters by defeating fellow lefty Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Nadal became the first man in the Open era to win the same tournament 10 times. Later this season he has the chance to win the French Open and the Barcelona Open 10 times. With his win, Nadal takes the overall lead of 50 clay court titles in his career, the most ever. His total number of ATP tour titles  won to date is 70. He has now moved up to World #5 on the ATP rankings.

SERENA REGAINS #1 RANKING DESPITE NOT PLAYING FOR THE REST OF 2017
Despite announcing her pregnancy last week and the fact that she has not hit a tennis ball since winning the Australian Open with no possibility that she will play for the rest of 2017, Serena Williams returned to the #1 slot this week as the points for winning in Stuttgart last week fall off of Angelique Kerber's record so she falls down to #2.

MARIA SHARAPOVA RETURNS TO TOUR THIS WEEK; CONTROVERSY ROILS AROUND WHETHER SHE WILL GET WILD CARDS AT MAJOR TOURNAMENTS
5-time major champion Maria Sharapova is returning to the WTA Tour this week, receiving a wild card directly into the main draw of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Tournament in Stuttgart. Many players feel like wild cards should be reserved for players who are returning to the tour after injury or some other reason, and not an 18-month drug ban. The real question will be what will happen when the two summer majors come around? Right now it looks like Sharapova will be given a wild card into the qualifying draw, which I think is a reasonable compromise.

FRANCES TIAFOE, 19, WINS THIRD CHALLENGER TITLE
Frances Tiafoe has long been touted as the future of American men's tennis. The 19-year-old African-American is now firmly in the Top 100, up to #72 in the rankings, and this week he won a third title on the Challengers tour, winning the Sarasota Open.

CELEBRITY FRIDAY: Serena Anounces She's 20 Weeks Pregnant, Will Not Play Again In 2017

Serena Williams stunned the tennis and sporting worlds by revealing on Instagram a few days ago (on Maria Sharapova's 30th birthday, no less)  that she is 20 weeks pregnant. The implications of this announcement are huge.

First, it means that when Serena won her 23rd major title at the 2017 Australian Open approximately 12 weeks ago, she was two months pregnant at the time!! (I wonder if Venus knew? I doubt it! I wonder is Serena knew? Probably!) This should put to rest any doubts as to whether Serena is the greatest female tennis player of all time.

Secondly, Serena's spokesperson also made it very clear that Serena will not be competing at any other tournaments in 2017, which clears the field for other players to win some trophies, namely, Victoria Azarenka, who just gave birth in December, and Sharapova, who is returning to competitive tennis next week after a 2-year gap due to a drug violation ban.

Thirdly, it means that Serena is revealing that she has been having unprotected sex (and is presumably not using birth control) with her fiance Alexis Ohanian. Will she have the child and be an unwed mother or will they push forward the date of the wedding? (No date had previously been announced.) If Serena is 20 weeks pregnant now, she should give birth before the end of the summer. Maybe a June wedding? She'll be pretty huge, by then!

Beynce and Serena pregnant at the same time is too much motherhood to take! #mindblown