Category: Grand Slam Results

American Men Have Weak Performance at French Open

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The performance of the American men at the 2013 French Open was at the opposite end of the spectrum from the women. Ten players entered the tournament, four made it to the second round, and two played their final match in the third round. Combined, they had a total of six wins and three losses.

Unfortunately, the outlook for the future is more of the same.  Only 4 of the 10 American entrants were born after 1990, i.e. they are less than 23 years of age.

The record and birth year of the American men follows:

First round losers (0-1)

  • Alex Kuznetsov,  1987
  • Michael Russell, 1978
  • Rhyne Williams, 1991
  • Steve Johnson, 1989
  • James Blake, 1979
  • Denis Kudia, 1992.

Second round losers (1-1)

  • Jack Sock, 1992
  • Ryan Harrison, 1992

Third round losers (2-1)

  • John Isner, 1985
  • Sam Querrey, 1987.

Without a doubt, every player on this list is a talented player. Unfortunately none of them have made a name for themselves as consistently strong performers in the Grand Slams.

Will we see a breakthrough performance for the American men in the 2013 Wimbledon? Can John Isner’s big serve carry him to a strong performance? Will one of the younger players advance into the third or fourth rounds?  Not likely.

A Shift in Power for the Grand Slams?

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Without a doubt Wimbledon is the premier tennis tournament in the world. It was the first held in 1877 and is the oldest Grand Slam. The inaugural U.S. Championships where held four years later, in 1881, followed by the French Open in 1891. Finally, the first Australian Open was held in 1905.

With the increased importance of China, India, and surrounding countries, a shift in power may be in place that favors the Australian Open. This shift would be driven by the increased population and television viewership in these countries and the fact that they are in the same time zone as Australia.

This is illustrated by the following summary of viewership for select Grand Slam events.

U.S. Open

  • 2012 US Open Men’s Finals – 16.2 million viewers watched Djokovic beat Murray (Source: AP).
  • 2012 US Open Women’s Finals – 17.7 million viewers watched Serena Williams beat Vika Azarenka (Source: AP).
  • 2002 US Open Women’s Finals – 20.1 million viewers watched Serena Williams beat Venus Williams (Source: AP)

French Open

  • 2011 French Open Women’s Finals – 65 million viewers in China watched Li Na defeat Francesca Schiavone (Source: Xinhua)
  • 2011 Australian Open Women’s Finals – 135 million viewers in China watched Li Na lose to Kim Clijsters. (Source: Sydney Morning Herald).
  • 2013 Australian Open Women’s Finals – The projected viewership in China was estimated to be greater than 200 million for finals – Vika Azarenka beat  Li Na. (Source: Sydney Morning Herald).

The increased prominence of the Asian market will ultimately impact the other Grand Slam events and the relative strength of tennis in the U.S. Consider the following questions:

Despite its tradition, will the Australian Open continue to reside “Down Under”, or will it be relocated to a more centrally located  Asian-Pacific city?

  • How much will the prestige and importance of the Australian Open increase given the size of the Asian market?
  • Will other majors be added to accommodate tennis in Asia?
  • How much will excitement over players such as Li Na increase the number of participants in China and around the world?
  • How will increased viewership in Asia impact the role of the USTA in global tennis?
  • With projected growth of the sport in Asia, will American players ever dominate the Grand Slams to the extent that the Williams sisters have?
  • Because of the time zone difference, will the U.S. be able to capitalize off the projected increase in popularity of tennis in Asia.

It will be interesting to see what changes occur in the Grand Slams over the next ten years.

 

Performance of U.S. Men and Boys at Australian Open was (You Fill in the Blank)

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Ho hum! The Men’s bracket of the Australian Open was just another win by the Big Three.

In 2003 Roger Federer won Wimbledon and Andy Roddick won the U.S. Open, this was Federer’s first Grand Slam title and the last time an American man won a Grand Slam. Since then Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic have won 9 of 10 Australian Opens, 8 of 9 French Opens, 10 of 10 Wimbledons, and 7 of 10 U.S. Opens – combined they have won 34 of the last 39 Grand Slams.

The performance by the American men and junior boys was (you fill in the blank).

Men’s Open

Overall the 8 American men were 6-8 at the Australian Open.

First Round

Ryan Harrison, Sam Querry, Brian Baker, Tim Smyczek, and Rajeev Ram won their first round matches.

Michael Russell, Steve Johnson, and Rhyne Williams lost in the first round.

Second Round

Sam Querry won his second round match.

Ryan Harrison, Brian Baker, Tim Smyczek, and Rajeev Ram lost their second round matches.

Third Round

Sam Querry lost his third round match.

The age and world ranking of the American men who participated in the Australian Open are listed below (source: Australian Open website).

  • Sam Querry, 26, ranked 22.
  • Brian Baker, 28, ranked 57.
  • Ryan Harrison, 21, ranked 64.
  • Michael Russell, 35, ranked 94.
  • Tim Symczek, 26, ranked 125.
  • Rajeev Ram, 29, ranked 130.
  • Steve Johnson, 24, ranked 175.
  • Rhyne Williams, 22, ranked 194.

There isn’t a club player in the United States who would love to play as well as these 8 players. Unfortunately, the top American men are not elite players.

Junior Boys

Overall the 3 junior boys were 1-3.

First Round

Mackenzie MacDonald won his match and Martin Redlicki and Thai-Son Kwiatkowski lost their matches.

Second Round

Mackenzie MacDonald lost his match.

The ITF rankings show there are 4 American junior boys ranked in the top 20 junior boys and 6 in the top 50. Kwiatkowski has the highest ranking at #14. MacDonald is ranked 17th and Redlicki is ranked 45th.

Over the past 25 years, the USTA has spent millions of dollars on player development. The results of this and other tournaments suggest that has been a (you fill in the blank) investment.

 

U.S. Women – Hope and Change at Australian Open

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Very early this morning Mountain Standard Time, Victoria Azarenka maintained her number one ranking with the defense of her title at the Australian Open. For the Americans, the theme of the tournament was hope and change – led by Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens. There is hope that the change in American women’s tennis will include players who have the potential to consistently play at the level of the Williams sisters.

Oddly enough, Taylor Townsend was absent. As the 2012 junior winner, Townsend was given an automatic slot in the qualifying tournament for the Open; however, she reportedly did not enter the event because the USTA did not provide sponsorship funding. (Last fall, the USTA chose to stop funding her because she was “out of shape.”)

The Americans were represented by 3 junior girls and 11 women.

Junior Girls

Overall, it was a weak performance for the girls (3-3).

First Round

Jamie Loeb and Alexandra Kiick won their first round matches.

Christina McHale lost in the first round.

Second Round

Kiick advanced and Loeb was defeated.

Third Round

Kiick lost to eventual champion Ana Konjuh.

Women’s Open

Overall, the 11 American women won 14 matches and lost 11. Serena and Venus Williams accounted for 6 of the 14 wins and Sloane Stephens added another five victories.

First Round

Jamie Hampton, Varvara Lepchenko, Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens, and Venus Williams won their first round matches.

Lauren Davis, Christina McHale, Vania King, Melanie Oudin, Coco Vandeweghe, and Madison Keys lost their first round matches.

Second Round

Jamie Hampton, Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens, and Venus Williams won their second round matches.

Varvara Lepchenko lost in the second round.

Third Round (Round of Sixteen)

Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens won their third round matches.

Jamie Hampton and Venus Williams lost their third round matches.

Quarterfinals

Stephens upset Williams in the best win of her career.

Semifinals

Stephens was ousted by Azarenka.

Stephens demonstrated that she may have the ability to follow in the footsteps of the Williams sisters.

Unfortunately the other “talent” appears to be several notches below Stephens. The other unknown in the equation is Taylor Townsend. It seems rather bizarre that the USTA would drop sponsorship of her at a time when she was number 1 in the world in juniors. Hopefully that situation can be resolved to the benefit of all parties.

 

Another Weak Performance by American Men in a Grand Slam

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The U.S. men posted another weak performance in the final Grand Slam of 2012. Of the 128 men entered in the U.S. Open, 20 were Americans. Only two made it to the round of 16.

The 2012 event was noteworthy because of the lousy weather, the retirement of Andy Roddick, (America’s top player for much of the past decade), and someone other than Djokovic, Federer, or Nadal won the event (Andy Murray).

The singles results for Americans are listed below.

Round of 128
The 20 U.S. men players had a strong start – 12 wins and 8 losses. While all players are incredibly gifted athletes, only Roddick and possibly Fish, Blake, and Isner have limited name recognition in the U.S.
• Winners – Mardy Fish, Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, James Blake, Tim Smyczek, Brian Baker, John Isner, Bradley Klahn, Steve Johnson, Ryan Harrison, Andy Roddick, and Dennis Novikov.
• Losers – Donald Young, Robby Ginepri, Michael Russell, Denis Kudia, Bobby Reynolds, Rajeev Ram, Rhyne Williams, and Jesse Levine.

Round of 64
The American players continued their winning ways in the second round – 7 wins and 5 losses.
• Winners – Mardy Fish, Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, James Blake, John Isner, Steve Johnson, and Andy Roddick.
• Losers – Tim Smyczek, Brian Baker, Bradley Klahn, Ryan Harrison, and Dennis Novikov.

Round of 32
At the Australian Open 1 of 11 American men made it to the round of 32, while none of 8 American men made it to the round of 32 at the French Open. Four made it to the round of 32 at Wimbledon. Seven Americans were in the round of 32 at the U.S. Open. (It is hard to believe that reaching the round of 32 is now considered a milestone for American men’s tennis players).

The 5 American men had 2 wins and 3 losses.
• Winners – Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick.
• Losers – Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, James Blake, John Isner, and Steve Johnson.

Round of 16
Both players bowed out in the round of 16, although Fish withdrew for medical reasons.
• Losers – Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick.

At Wimbledon, the 12 American men won 14 matches and lost 12.
At the French Open, the 8 American men won 3 matches and lost 8.
At the Australian Open, the 11 American men won 7 matches and lost 11.
At the U.S. Open, the 20 American men won 12 matches and lost 20.

For the 2012 Grand Slam season, the American men won 36 matches and lost 51.

The outlook for American men’s tennis is bleak with the combination of Roddick’s retirement, the less than stellar performance of the other American men and the dismal results of the junior boys. The results of the American men at this year’s Grand Slam singles tournaments raises a question about the return on investment of the millions of dollars spent by the USTA on player development.

Mixed Results for American Women at U.S. Open

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Thank goodness for Serena Williams!

Once again Serena demonstrated that she is unequivocally the top player in women’s tennis and the only elite singles player in the United States.

While there are a handful of juniors and a half-dozen women under the age of 24 who have shown promise, time will tell if they will become elite players. Mallory Burdette and Sloane Stephens showed that they may be more than one-hit wonders by reaching the round of 32. Time will tell.

This year 16 of the 128 women players were from the U.S. and four reached the round of 32.

Round of 128
The 16 U.S. women players had an embarrassingly weak first round – 5 wins and 11 losses.
• Winners – Varvara Lepchenko, Mallory Burdette, Sloane Stephens, Serena Williams, Venus Williams.
• Losers -. Samantha Crawford, Victoria Duval, Julia Cohen, Melodie Oudin, Jamie Hampton, Nicole Gibbs, Coco Vandeweghe, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Christina McHale, Irina Falconi, and Vania King.

Round of 64
The women fared well in the second round – 4 wins and 1 loss.
• Winners – Varvara Lepchenko, Mallory Burdette, Sloane Stephens, and Serena Williams.
• Loser – Venus Williams.

Round of 32
With the exception of Serena Williams, the other American women lost (Stephens had a strong showing) – 1 win and 3 losses.
• Winners – Serena Williams.
• Losers – Varvara Lepchenko, Mallory Burdette, and Sloane Stephens.

Round of 16
Serena William remained on the winning track – 1 win and 0 loss.

Quarterfinals
Serena defeated Ivanovic handily – 1 win and 0 loss.

Semifinals
Serena blew out Errani – 1 win and 0 loss.

Finals
Serena wins in three sets against Azarenka – 1 win and 0 losses

At the Australian Open, the 10 American women won 9 matches and lost 10. (Serena won 3 matches)
At the French Open, the 12 American women won 15 matches and lost 12. (Serena won 0 matches)
At Wimbledon, the 10 American women won 14 matches and lost 9. (Serena won 7 matches)
At the U.S. Open, the 16 American women won 14 matches and lost 15. (Serena won 7 matches).

In the 2012 Grand Slams, the American women won 52 matches and lost 46. Serena Williams was 17-2. She won 17 of the 52 matches won by American women.

Given the track record of the USTA Player Development Program, hopefully, Serena can stay healthy for a long, long time.

Outlook for American Men’s Tennis Remains Bleak

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The performance of the American juniors at the U.S. Open was like the New York weather – there were good days and there were  bad days.

The boys’ results were an embarrassment to the USTA Player Development efforts, while the girls ended the year on a positive note.

FIFTEEN of the 64 players in the boys draw were Americans (which is a lot). None of them were paired against Americans in the first round, which increased the chances of an increased number of players advancing. Only 4 advanced past the first round.

Their results follow:

Round of 64
The boys had a combined record of 4-11 in the first round.
Winners: Harrison Adams, Stefan Kozlov, Michael Mmoh, and Martin Redlicki.
Losers: Mackenzie MacDonald, Alexios Halebian, Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, Jared Donaldson, Mitchell Krueger, Henrik Wiersholm, Ronnie Schneider, Jared Hiltzik, Spencer Papa, Noah Rubin, and Deiton Baughman.

Round of 32
The boys had a blasé second round, 2-2.
Winners: Harrison Adams and Stefan Kozlov.
Loser: Michael Mmoh, and Martin Redlicki.

Round of 16
The boys failed to advance beyond the round of 16, 0-2.
Winners: None.
Losers: Michael Mmoh, and Martin Redlicki.

A summary of the season for the American boys follows:

  • In the Australian Open, the boys were 4-3 and Mckenzie McDonald lost in the semifinals.
  • At the French Open they were 9-6 and Mitchell Krueger lost in the semifinals.
  • At Wimbledon, the boys were 7-8 and Mitchell Krueger lost in the semifinals.
  • At the U.S. Open, the boys were 6-15.

Overall they had 26 wins and 32 losses in the 2012 Grand Slams and they failed to win any championships. There is a lack of depth and consistency in the American boys, based on their performance in these tournaments.

TWENTY girls represented the U.S. in the singles draw. None were pitted against fellow Americans in the first round. Their results follow.

Round of 64
The girls had a modest showing in the first round, 11-9.
Winners: Taylor Townsend, Jamie Loeb, Alexandra Kiick, Victoria Duval, Anne-Liz Jeukeng, Caroline Doyle, Chalena Scholl, Tornado Alicia Black, Kyle S. McPhillips, Sachia Vickery, and Samantha Crawford.
Losers: Christina Makarova, Brooke Austin, Krista Hardebeck, Louisa Chirico, Nicole Frenkel, Jennifer Brady, Kimberly Yee, Rasheeda Mcadoo, and Gabrielle Andrews.

Round of 32
The girls posted mediocre results in the second round, 5-6.
Winners: Taylor Townsend, Victoria Duval, Caroline Doyle, Sachia Vickery, and Samantha Crawford.
Losers: Jamie Loeb, Alexandra Kiick, Anne-Liz Jeukeng, Chalena Scholl, Tornado Alicia Black, Kyle S. McPhillips.

Round of 16
The girls had a solid third round (Crawford ousted Vickery), 3-2.
Winners: Taylor Townsend, Victoria Duval, and Samantha Crawford.
Losers: Caroline Doyle and Sachia Vickery.

Quarterfinals
The girls had a solid quarterfinals, although Townsend was upset, 2-1.
Winners: Victoria Duval, and Samantha Crawford.
Loser: Taylor Townsend.

Semifinals
One player advanced in the semis, 1-1.
Winner: Samantha Crawford.
Loser: Victoria Duval.

Finals
Winner: Samantha Crawford.

A summary of the season for the American girls follows:

  • In the Australian Open, the American girls had 18 wins and 6 losses. Taylor Townsend won the event and Krista Hardebeck was defeated in the semis.
  • At the French Open the American girls had 10 wins and 7 losses, although nobody advanced past the round of 16.
  • At Wimbledon, the U.S. girls had a disappointing showing with 7 wins and 8 losses and three players advanced to the round of 16.
  • At the U.S. Open the American girls had a strong showing with 23 wins and 19 losses. Samantha Crawford won the event and Victoria Duval was defeated in the semis.

It is going to be awhile before someone other than Serena Williams (male or female) wins a Grand Slams title for the U.S; however, the American girls had a respectable 2012 season, with two championships. They demonstrated there may be some backups for the Williams sisters when they retire. That hope and change was not evident on the boys side.

 

U.S. Juniors Have Mediocre Showing at Wimbledon

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After solid performances in the French and Australian Opens, the American juniors had a disappointing performance at Wimbledon. Through the first three Grand Slams, the two strongest performers have been Mitchell Krueger and Taylor Townsend.

The girls and boys singles events were won by a pair of Canadians. Eugenie Bouchard defeated Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) in the finals of the Girls’ singles. In the Boys’ event Filip Peliwo upset Luke Saville of Australia.

Eight Americans Boys represented the U.S. in singles. Their results are listed below.

Round of 64
The boys had a combined record of 3-5 in the first round.
Winners: Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, Stefan Kozlov and Mitchell Krueger.
Losers: Noah Rubin, Alexios Halebian, Connor Farren, MacKenzie McDonald, and Spencer Papa.

Round of 32
The boys had a strong second round, 2-1.
Winners: Thai-Son Kwiatkowski and Mitchell Krueger.
Loser: Stefan Kozlov.

Round of 16
The boys split their matches in the third round, 1-1
Winners: Mitchell Krueger.
Losers: Thai-Son Kwiatkowski.

Quarterfinals
Only Krueger advanced to the semifinals, 1-0.
Winner: Mitchell Krueger.
Loser: None.

Semifinals
The journey ended in the semifinals for the boys, 0-1.
Winner: None
Loser: Mitchell Krueger.

The boys had a combined record of 7-8 at Wimbledon. Krueger, the top American, also lost in the semifinals of the French Open. At the French Open, the American Boys were 9-6. Down Under they were 4-3, and McKenzie McDonald led the way, bowing out in the semifinals.

Eight girls represented the U.S. in the singles draw. Their results follow.

Round of 64
The girls had a modest showing in the first round, 4-4.
Winners: Taylor Townsend, Alexandra Kiick, Sachia Vickery, and Kyle S. McPhillips.
Losers: Christina Makarova, Catherine Harrison, Chalena Scholl, and Jennifer Brady.

Round of 32
The girls had a solid second round, 3-1.
Winners: Taylor Townsend, Alexandra Kiick, and Sachia Vickery.
Loser: Kyle S. McPhillips.

Round of 16
The girls had a disastrous third round, 0-3.
Winners: None.
Losers: Taylor Townsend, Alexandra Kiick, and Sachia Vickery.

Overall, the girls had a disappointing showing at Wimbledon, with 7 wins and 8 losses. At the French Open the American girls had 10 wins and 7 losses, although nobody advanced past the round of 16. Down Under, the American girls had 18 wins and 6 losses. Taylor Townsend won the event and Krista Hardebeck was ousted in the semis.

There will like be a larger contingency of American juniors at the U.S. Open. With a little luck and some good home cooking, a strong showing should be on tap.

With the Exception of Serena, Americans Have Mediocre Performance at Wimbledon

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Tennis at the 2012 Wimbledon tournament was fabulous, with a surprising mix of results.

None could be more bizarre than the third round match between Sara Errani, French Open finalist, and Yaroslava Shvedova. Errani didn’t win a point in the first set.

From the American perspective Serena Williams demonstrated that she continues to be a dominant player when she is healthy. She captured her fifth singles title, set a record with 102 aces in singles, and won the doubles title with her sister Venus. Her win also begs the question, “What happens when she and her sister finally get too old to win tournaments?”

There are about a half dozen American women under the age of 24 who have demonstrated they can win Grand Slam matches. Unfortunately, they demonstrated that they are only capable of winning one or two rounds. The most impressive are Sloane Stephens and Taylor Townsend. Stephens is 19 and Townsend is still playing juniors.

Hopefully, Serena and Venus can stay healthy for a long, long time.

Murray lifted the spirits of Brits who have been humiliated recently by Barclay’s LIBOR rate fixing scandal and Rupert Murdoch’s less than ethical behavior. Despite Murray’s loss to Roger Federer, who won his 17th Grand Slam, the Brits can take solace in knowing they are slightly more fortunate than the Chicago Cubs (Fred Perry was the last British man to win the title in 1936 and the Cubs last won the World Series in 1908).

The win by Federer makes this the 33rd out of the last 37 Grand Slams to be won by the big three.

The American men had their strongest Grand Slam performance of the year as 30-year old journeymen Mardy Fish and 27-year old Brian Baker bowed out in the round of 16. Nine of the 12 American players who contended at Wimbledon are 25 years old or older. That means they are the same age or older as Nadal and Djokovic. While they are wonderful players, they have demonstrated they are not consistent “world-beaters” and they are not likely to win a Grand Slam event as long as the top three are at the top of their game.

Ryan Harrison is the most promising up-and-coming player along with junior Mitchell Krueger and McKenzie McDonald. In other words, the dry spell in American men’s tennis is likely to continue for awhile.

 

The singles results for Americans are listed below.

U.S. Men’s Results
Round of 128
The 12 U.S. men players had strong start – 8 wins and 4 losses.
• Winners – Ryan Harrison, Michael Russell, Ryan Sweeting, Andy Roddick, Sam Querrey, Jesse Levine, Mardy Fish, and Brian Baker.
• Losers – James Blake, John Isner, Donald Young, and Wayne Odesnik.

Round of 64
Half of the remaining American players lost in the second round – 4 wins and 4 losses.
• Winners – Andy Roddick, Sam Querrey, Mardy Fish, and Brian Baker.
• Losers – Ryan Harrison, Michael Russell, Ryan Sweeting, and Jesse Levine.

Round of 32
At the Australian Open 1 of 11 American men made it to the round of 32, while none of 8 American men made it to the round of 32 at the French Open. At Wimbledon, the remaining four American men split their matches – 2 wins and 2 losses.
• Winners – Mardy Fish and Brian Baker.
• Losers – Andy Roddick and Sam Querrey.

Round of 16
Both players lost in the round of 16.
• Losers – Mardy Fish and Brian Baker.

At Wimbledon, the 12 American men won 14 matches and lost 12.
At the French Open, the 8 American men won 3 matches and lost 8.
At the Australian Open, the 11 American men won 7 matches and lost 11.

U.S. – Women’s Results
Round of 128
The 10 U.S. women players had a comparatively weak first round – 5 wins and 5 losses.
• Winners – Sloane Stephens, Christina McHale, Jamie Hampton, Serena Williams, and Varvara Lepchenko.
• Losers -. Vania King, Venus Williams, Melanie Oudin, Coco Vandeweghe, and Irina Falconi.

Round of 64
The women fared well in the second round – 4 wins and 1 loss.
• Winners – Sloane Stephens, Christina McHale, Serena Williams, and Varvara Lepchenko.
• Losers – Jamie Hampton.

Round of 32
With the exception of Serena Williams, the American women lost – 1 win and 3 losses.
• Winners – Serena Williams.
• Losers – Sloane Stephens, Christina McHale, and Varvara Lepchenko.

Round of 16
Serena William remained on the winning track – 1 win and 0 losses.

Quarterfinals
Serena continued to play well – 1 win and 0 losses.

Semifinals
Serena won a tough two-set match against Azarenka – 1 win and 0 losses.

Finals
Serena wins in three sets – 1 win and 0 losses

The 10 American women won 14 matches and lost 9, although Serena won half the matches.

At the French Open the 12 American women won 15 matches and lost 12. At the Australian Open, the 10 American women won 9 matches and lost 10.

Additional results and discussion about the performance of American players is available at posts summarizing the French Open and Australian Open tournaments.

This year there is a bonus. The Olympics will be played between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. We can only hope for the best for the red, white, and blue in these upcoming events.

Jay Berger will be coaching the men’s team. Singles players will include Andy Roddick, John Isner, Ryan Harrison, and Donald Young. If Roddick or Isner get hot or lucky, they might be in line for a medal. The two doubles teams will feature Bob and Mike Bryan and Isner and Roddick. The Bryan Brothers should be medal contenders.

Mary Joe Fernandez will be coaching the women’s team. Singles players will include the Williams sisters, Christina McHale and Varvara Lepchenko. If Serena remains healthy she will be favored to win a singles medal. Both doubles teams, Liezel Huber/Lisa Raymond and the Williams sisters are medal contenders.

Tennis became an Olympic medal sport in 1988. Since then, U.S. players have graced the award podium on 17 occasions. It will be disappointing if four additional medals aren’t added at this year’s event.

 

U.S. Juniors Have Solid Outing at French Open

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At this year’s French Open, the American Men failed to advance a player out of the round of 64. The women fared better with Varvera Lepchenko and Sloane Stephens advancing to the round of 16.

Fortunately, the results were better on the junior side. In total the 13 American boys and girls posted combined winning records.

At the French Open, the Williams sisters showed that they were on the downhill side of their careers with Serena exiting first round and Venus following in the second round. Some of the other players showed that there is reason to be optimistic that replacements are on the horizon.

Six Americans Boys represented the U.S. in singles. Their results are listed below.

Round of 64
The boys had a combined record of 3-3 in the first round.
Winners: Spencer Papa, Noah Rubin, and Mitchell Krueger.
Losers: MacKenzie McDonald, Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, Alexios Halebian.

Round of 32
The boys had a strong second round, 3-0.
Winners: Spencer Papa, Noah Rubin, and Mitchell Krueger.
Losers: None.

Round of 16
The boys had a solid third round, 2-1
Winners: Noah Rubin, and Mitchell Krueger.
Losers: Spencer Papa.

Quarterfinals
The boys split the quarterfinal matches, 1-1.
Winner: Mitchell Krueger.
Loser: Noah Rubin.

Semifinals
The journey ended in the semifinals for the boys, 0-1.
Winner: None
Loser: Mitchell Krueger.

The boys had a combined record of 9-6.

Seven girls represented the U.S. in the singles draw. They built on their strong showing at the Australian Open. Their results follow.

Round of 64
The girls had a strong showing in the first round, 5-2.
Winners: Taylor Townsend, Jennifer Brady, Kyle S. McPhillips, Alexandra Kiick, and Chalena Scholl.
Losers: Sachia Vickery and Krista Hardebeck.

Round of 32
The girls had a solid second round, 3-2.
Winners: Taylor Townsend, Alexandra Kiick, and Chalena Scholl.
Losers: Jennifer Brady and Kyle S. McPhillips.

Round of 16
The girls had a solid second round, 2-1, although #1 seed Townsend was upset.
Winners: Alexandra Kiick and Chalena Scholl.
Loser: Taylor Townsend.

Quarterfinals
The girls bowed out in the quarters, 0-2.
Winners: None
Losers: Alexandra Kiick and Chalena Scholl.

Overall, the girls had a respectable showing with 10 wins and 7 losses.

Combined the boys and girls won 19 matches and lost 13. At the Australian Open they were 22-13 and Taylor Townsend was the winner. With a little luck, a strong showing should be on tap for Wimbledon.