Tag: U.S. Open

Serena Still the Most Dominant Player in Women’s Tennis

horvath Leave a comment

Bummer! Serena Lost!

After being the most dominant player in women’s tennis for the past decade, it is disappointing that Serena Williams was not able to cap off 2015 with a calendar Grand Slam.

At the same time the fairy tale finish of Italian finalists Roberta Vinci and Flavia Pennetta gives hope to underdogs everywhere. They demonstrated that even against the most staggering odds, it is possible for unseeded and lower ranked players to win matches they are “supposed” to lose.

Day-in and day-out Serena Williams has been the player to beat at the U.S. Open since her first match there in 1998. Her win-loss record in the tourney is 84-10; she has won the championship six times, and has been the runner-up on two occasions.  Even though Serena has dominated the U.S. Open, she has raised the bar for how the sport should be played and she has made her competitors better players.

Overall, the American women were a force to be reckoned with. In addition to Serena’s strong showing her sister, Venus, reached the quarters while Madison Keys and Varvara Lepchenko were ousted in the 16s.

American Women 1st Rd 0-1 2nd Rd 1-1 3rd Rd 2-1 16s 3-1 Qrtrs 4-1 Semis 5-1 Finals
Serena Williams X
Bethanie Mattek-Sands X
Coco Vandeweghe X
Sloane Stephens X
Madison Keys X
Irina Falconi X
Samantha Crawford X
Venus Williams X
Madison Brengle X
Anna Tatishvili X
Lauren Davis X
Vania King X
Sofia Kenin X
Alison Riske X
Jessica Pegula X
Nicole Gibbs X
Louise Chirico X
Christina McHale X
Jamie Loeb X
Varvara Lepchenko X
Shelby Rogers X
Sachia Vickery X
TOTAL W-L 13-9 7-6 4-3 2-2 1-1 0-1

Combined, the 22 American women had a solid 27-22 win-loss record.

It is exciting to see promising Americans working their way through the ranks as top junior players. Over the next three months they will have a chance to hone their skills in China and neighboring countries in hopes that some day they can fill the void that will be left when the Williams sisters retire.

Next stop! Australian Open January 18, 2016

American Men at U.S. Open – When Will Insanity End?

horvath Leave a comment

“Insanity is doing something over and over and expecting different results.” – attributed to Albert Einstein.

Unfortunately, this saying applies to the USTA’s player development program, particularly on the men’s side.

Sixteen American men were entered in the 2015 U.S. Open. The group included a handful of up-and-coming juniors; however, the majority were the same American men who are excellent players who have had lackluster performances in the Grand Slams.

Those who exited the tournament after first round losses included:
• Tommy Paul
• Tim Smyczek
• Steve Johnson
• Ryan Shane
• Frances Tiafoe
• Ryan Harrison
• Bjorn Fratangelo
• Denis Kudla
• Sam Querrey
• Jared Donaldson

Second round losers included:
• Mardy Fish
• Jack Sock
• Rajeev Ram
• Austin Krajicek.

After two rounds only Donald Young and John Isner remained.

As a junior Donald Young was billed as the next Arthur Ashe. Unfortunately, he has never lived up to that billing, typically losing in the first round of most Grand Slams. This was his best showing in a Grand Slam since 2011. Young’s singles record at the U.S. Open has been 9-11.

Since 2010 John Isner has been a consistent performer, usually winning two or three matches before bowing out. Isner’s previous best at the U.S. Open came in 2011 when he reached the quarterfinals. Isner’s career record at the U.S. Open has been 21-9.

Young and Isner won their third round matches, but lost in the fourth round to Wawrinka and Federer, respectively.

To put things in perspective, Roger Federer has been 85-10 at the 2015 U.S. Open, prior to this year’s event.

Overall, the 16 American men won 10 matches and lost 16 at this year’s event.Insanity USTA Player Development

On a positive note, the American juniors have dominated play in the U.S. Juniors Open; however, the new general manager of USTA Player Development, Martin Blackman, has been quick to temper expectations for the juniors.

The bottom line … It is tough to develop strong juniors. It is even more difficult to train strong juniors who can make the transition to the professional game and compete and win Grand Slam events.

We’ll see if the latest change by the USTA puts an end to the insanity known as USTA Player Development.

American Women – More Fizzle than Sizzle at U.S. Open

horvath Leave a comment

With the exception of Serena Williams, there was more fizzle than sizzle on the courts for the American women at the 2014 U.S. Open.

The pre-match publicity set high expectations for the American women. Unfortunately, they didn’t live up to the hype.

The best news was that twelve of the seventeen women advanced past the first round and Serena captured her 18th Grand Slam.

First round losers included Taylor Townsend, Lauren Davis, Alison Riske, Grace Min, and Danielle Collins.

The second round reduced the number of American women from twelve to four.

The losers included Vania King, Coco Vandeweghe, Shelby Rogers, Madison Keys, Christina McHale, C.C. Bellis, Sloane Stephens, and Madison Brengle. The losses by Keys and Stephens were particularly painful.

Varvara Lepchenko, Nicole Gibbs, and Venus Williams bowed out in the third round, with 2-1 records.

There were some bright spots. Overall, the American women won 21 matches and lost 16. (Serena Williams won seven of those matches).

Despite first round loses, Americans Taylor Townsend and Donald Young teamed up to reach the semifinals of the Mixed Doubles. Unfortunately, success in professional tennis is usually measured in Grand Slam singles wins and trophies.

C.C. Bellis charmed spectators with her tennis and innocence. Time will tell if she turns out to be a rising star or the next Melanie Oudin.

The 2014 U.S. Open was a test of not only the player’s tennis skills, but their physical strength and fitness level. Eugenie Bouchard and Peng Shuai can attest to that. Much of the event was played under the WTA Tour’s extreme heat rules, which presented an extra challenge to players in all brackets.

What is in store for the American women when the Williams sisters retire? At the moment the answer is simple. There is heir apparent among the younger American women.

Congratulations to Serena Williams on another great Grand Slam performance.

 

American Juniors Have Strong Showing at 2014 U.S. Open

horvath Leave a comment

The combination of a home court advantage and solid play propelled the American juniors to a strong showing at the 2014 U.S. Open. It also helped that the boys had 17 entrants and the girls 19 in the 64 player draws.

For the boys, seven players advanced out of the first round. The following ten players lost their only match: Dennis Uspensky, Logan Smith, Walker Duncan, Aron Hitzik, Sameer Kumar, Deton Baughman, Tommy Paul, Michael Mmoh, Eduardo Nava, and John McNally.

Only two of the remaining seven players dropped their second round matches: Reilly Opelka, and Alex Rybakov.

In the third round, three players exited the tournament with 2-1 records: Taylor Harry-Fritz, Henrik Wiersholm, and Jared Donaldson.

Stefan Kozlov was ousted in the fourth round (quarterfinals) with a 3-1 record.  Frances Tiafoe was defeated in the semifinals with a 4-1 record.

Overall, the group won 15 matches and lost 17. Although none of the players advanced to the finals, they had one player in the semis, two in the quarters, and five in the round of sixteen.

The results for the girls were similar.

Nine players advanced out of the first round with ten players dropping their only match: Katrine Steffenson, Ingrid Neel, Sofia Kenin, Claire Lu, Brooke Austin, Jessica Ho, Madison Bourguignon, Dasha Ivanova, Kylie McKenzie, and Ena Shibahara.

Five of the remaining nine players were defeated in the second round with 1-1 records: C.C. Bellis, Michaela Gordon, Francesca Delorenzo, Kelly Chen, and Usue Maitane Arconada.

Only one of the remaining four players exited in the third round: Raveena Kingsley. She had a 2-1 record.

In the fourth round (quarterfinals), Tornado Alicia Black was defeated. She won three matches before losing.

Katerina Stewart and Carolyn Dolehide were ousted in the semifinals. Both were 4-1.

Overall, the group won 18 matches and lost 19. Despite the fact that none of the players advanced to the finals, two players were in the semifinals, three were in the quarterfinals, and four were in the round of sixteen.

Does this strong showing bode well for American tennis in the future?

These American juniors are some of the top players in the world. A majority of them will test their skills on the pro tour and some will end up in the top 100. That is the good news.

The most recent group of juniors to enter the pro ranks (Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Alison Riske, et. al.) are demonstrating how difficult it is to become an elite player. The current group of  juniors are likely to face even greater challenges.

If anything, the 2014 U.S. Open demonstrated how tough it is for young players to become an elite player and continue to play at that level.

 

American Junior Girls Have Solid Performance at U.S. Open – Boys Performance is Subpar

horvath Leave a comment

The Americans had a strong contingency of junior players with 16 boys and 15 girls in the 64 draws.

Junior Girls

First-round losers for the American girls included:

  • Usue Maitane Arconada
  • Jamie Loeb
  • Raveena Kingsley
  • Johnnie Renaud
  • C. Quellet-Pizer

Ten American girls advanced.

In the round of 32, the following six players were defeated:

  • Christina Makarova
  • Claire Liu
  • Kaitlyn McCarthy
  • Brooke Austin
  • Katerina Stewart
  • Peggy Porter

Four American girls advanced.

In the round of 16 Michaela Gordon and Catherine Bellis were ousted.

Louisa Chirico lost in the quarterfinals.

Tornado Alicia Black dropped a third set tiebreaker in the finals.

Overall, the American girls won 18 matches and lost 15.

There is mixed news in these results. Eleven of the fifteen girls lost in the first two rounds. Chirico exited earlier than expected and Black had a stronger than anticipated performance.

There are a group of American junior girls who have potential to be difference makers on the WTA Tour. At the same time, there are a number of strong foreign players who are equally as talented.

Junior Boys

The performance of the American boys was subpar.

Of the 16 American boys entered, 10 lost their first round match:

  • Taylor Harry Fritz
  • Tommy Paul
  • Alex Rybakov
  • Francis Tiafoe
  • Reilly Olpeka
  • JC Aragone
  • Luca Corinteli
  • Jared Donaldson
  • Stefan Kozlov
  • Ernesto Escobedo

Only 6 of the 16 American boys advanced.

In the round of 32, Daniel Kerznerman and Noah Rubin were defeated. Four American boys advanced.

In the round of 16 Martin Redicki, Mackenzie MacDonald, and Cage Brymer were ousted. Only one player advanced.

Collin Altamirano was defeated in the quarterfinals.

The 16 American boys won 11 matches and lost 16. Twelve of the sixteen boys lost in the first two rounds and only one player reached the quarterfinals.

While the American boys are incredibly talented, as a group they have not fared well against their foreign competitors. The USTA Player Development program appears to be ineffective, particularly in developing world-class male players, i.e. players capable of winning Grand Slams.

 

Hope and Change – American Men Out with a Whimper at U.S. Open

horvath Leave a comment

Hope and change were on the minds of the 15 American men who entered the 2013 U.S. Open. There was hope their fortunes would change and they would have a better outing than in previous Grand Slams.

Unfortunately, the American men combined to win 11 matches while losing 15. In the first round there were 8 winners. The 7 first-round losers included:

  • Brian Baker
  • Steve Johnson
  • James Blake
  • Michael Russell
  • Collin Attamirano
  • Rhyne Williams
  • Ryan Harrison.

There was hope that James Blake would end his 13 year career by playing deep into the draw. Unfortunately, he lost a five-set match in the first round. Though he was never a Grand Slam winner, he was a world class competitor and a great representative of U.S. tennis. He will be missed.

Second round (round of 64) losers included:

  • Rajeev Ram
  • Donald Young
  • Denis Kudia
  • Bradley Klahn
  • Sam Querrey

Only three men moved to the third round (round of 32).

Third round losers included Tim Smyczek, Jack Sock, and John Isner. In other words, no American men advanced to the round of 16.

For the second consecutive Grand Slam the American men went out with a whimper.

If there is to be hope for improvement in American men’s tennis, it will be necessary for change to occur in the philosophy and management of the USTA Player’s Development program.

Another Weak Performance by American Men in a Grand Slam

horvath Leave a comment

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.

Outlook for American Men’s Tennis Remains Bleak

horvath Leave a comment

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.

 

Three Reasons the U.S. Fails to Dominate Men’s Tennis

horvath Leave a comment

If you were asked to list three reasons the United States does not dominate men’s tennis what would you say?

The politically charged response is, “The USTA is doing a horrible job with player development, America’s best athletes play other sports, and American kids choose to be well-rounded, rather than focused on individual sports.”

A less controversial response to the question is, “Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.” The 3 Ss – (Swiss, Spaniard, and Serbian) have had an unprecedented death grip on the Grand Slam trophies since 2004. And they have a lot at stake in the upcoming French Open.

• If Federer captures the top prize, he will become the third player to complete a double career Slam. A win at Roland Garros would up his total of Grand Slams to 17.

• If Rafael Nadal wins he will surpass Bjorn Borg with seven French titles.

• Djokovic currently holds three consecutive Grand Slam titles. A win would make him the second player of the Open Era to hold all four titles at once. The only other player to do that was Rod Laver.

The following results show the dominance of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic in Grand Slams since 2000. (Each name is followed by a fraction. The top number represents the number of Grand Slam wins through that tournament and the number on the bottom is the total number of career Grand Slams won by the player. Players with only one win do not have a number listed by their name).

Australian Open
2000 Andre Agassi (6/8)
2001 Andre Agassi (7/8)
2002 Thomas Johansson
2003 Andre Agassi (8/8)
2004 Roger Federer (2/16)
2005 Marat Safin (2/2)
2006 Roger Federer (7/16)
2007 Roger Federer (10/16)
2008 Novak Djokovic (1/5)
2009 Rafael Nadal (6/10)
2010 Roger Federer (16/16)
2011 Novak Djokovic (2/5)
2012 Novak Djokovic (5/5)
Since 2004 the trio has won every Australian Open except 2005. Federer has won four Australian Opens.

French Open
2000 Gustavo Kuerten (2/3)
2001 Gustavo Kuerten (3/3)
2002 Albert Costa
2003 Juan Carlos Ferrero
2004 Gastón Gaudio
2005 Rafael Nadal (1/10)
2006 Rafael Nadal (2/10)
2007 Rafael Nadal (3/10)
2008 Rafael Nadal (4/10)
2009 Roger Federer (14/16)
2010 Rafael Nadal (7/10)
2011 Rafael Nadal (10/10)
Since 2005 Nadal and Federer have won every French Open. Nadal has won six total wins.

Wimbledon
2000 Pete Sampras (13/14)
2001 Goran Ivanišević
2002 Lleyton Hewitt (2/2)
2003 Roger Federer (1/16)
2004 Roger Federer (3/16)
2005 Roger Federer (5/16)
2006 Roger Federer (8/16)
2007 Roger Federer (11/16)
2008 Rafael Nadal (5/10)
2009 Roger Federer (15/16)
2010 Rafael Nadal (8/10)
2011 Novak Djokovic (3/5)
Since 2003 the trio has won every Wimbledon tournament. Federer has won six.

U.S. Open
2000 Marat Safin (1/2)
2001 Lleyton Hewitt (1/2)
2002 Pete Sampras (14/14)
2003 Andy Roddick
2004 Roger Federer (4/16)
2005 Roger Federer (6/16)
2006 Roger Federer (9/16)
2007 Roger Federer (12/16)
2008 Roger Federer (13/16)
2009 Juan Martín del Potro
2010 Rafael Nadal (9/10)
2011 Novak Djokovic (4/5
Since 2004 the threesome has won every U.S. Open. Federer has won five U.S. Opens.

Beginning with Wimbledon in 2003 through the Australian Open in 2012, Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic have won 31 of 35 Grand Slams.

Although American purists may long for the days of Sampras vs. Agassi or Connors vs. McEnroe, the remaining 2012 Grand Slams will be tennis at its finest. In three months we will know if the 3Ss continue their stranglehold on the sport and make it 34 of 38 Grand Slams.