Tag: USTA Player Development

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.

 

American Women Record Wins at French Open

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This past weekend, Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal were crowned Men’s and Women’s Champions at the French Open. For the trio of Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal, this was their 32nd win in the last 36 Grand Slams. Total dominance. For Nadal, this was his record setting seventh French Open championship.

Sharapova’s victory was also historic. She ousted a determined Sara Errani, retained her #1 ranking in the world, and completed a career grand slam. In a classy, post-match interview Sharapova provided some words of wisdom for life on and off the court, “I’ll retire the day I wake up and don’t believe I can be a better player.”

Overall, the showing by the Americans in singles was mixed. The women results for the women were respectable, while the outcome of the men’s matches was ugly.

The singles results for Americans are listed below.

U.S. Men’s Results
Round of 128
The 8 U.S. men players had a weak start – 3 wins and 5 losses.
• Winners – Brian Baker, John Isner, and Jesse Levine.
• Losers – James Blake, Ryan Harrison, Sam Querrey, Andy Roddick, and Donald Young.

Round of 64
The American players were pathetic in the second round – 0 wins and 3 losses.
• Winners – NONE.
• Losers – Brian Baker, John Isner, 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, 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 12 U.S. women players showed promise in the first round – 10 wins and 2 losses.
• Winners – Lauren Davis, Irina Falconi, Alexa Glatch, Vania King, Varvara Lepchenko, Christina McHale, Melanie Oudin, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Sloane Stephens, and Venus Williams.
• Losers – Jamie Hampton and Serena Williams.

Round of 64
The women didn’t fare as well in the second round – 3 wins and 7 losses, although 2 of the matches pitted American players against each other.
• Winners – Varvara Lepchenko, Christina McHale, and Sloane Stephens.
• Losers – Lauren Davis, Irina Falconi, Alexa Glatch, Vania King, Melanie Oudin, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, and Venus Williams.

Round of 32
The American women performed admirably in the third round – 2 wins and 1 loss.
• Winners – Varvara Lepchenko and Sloane Stephens.
• Losers – Christina McHale.

Round of 16
The American women lost to the 4th and 6th seeds – 0 wins and 2 losses.
• Losers – Sloane Stephens and Varvara Lepchenko lost.

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

The Grand Slams are not a team or country contest. Nevertheless, it is still interesting to look at the performance of the top players an countries.

France had 29 players with 30 wins and 29 losses.
Spain had 20 players with 30 wins and 19 losses.
USA also had 20 players with 18 wins and 20 losses.
Russia had 17 players with 10 wins and 16 losses.
Germany had 15 players with 13 wins and 15 losses.
Italy had 12 players with 15 wins and 12 losses.
The Czech Republic has 12 players with 14 wins and 12 losses.
USA Tennis is a solid performer, but clearly not a dominant factor in the sport.

American tennis fans can only hope that the women continue to play well at Wimbledon. With a little luck, some of the younger players will have a break-through tournament. While the American men are fabulous players, they demonstrated again that they are clearly not in the upper tier.

 

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

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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.

 

Australian Open – Promise for American Women’s Tennis

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With the exception of John Isner (2-1) and Serena Williams (3-1), the 21 American men and women made a weak showing at the Australian Open.

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

There is a glimmer of hope that the next generation of U.S. tennis greats is on the horizon, particularly for those worried about who is going to be the face of American women’s tennis when the Williams sisters retire.

Typically American juniors don’t flock to the Australian Open. It is a long and expensive trip.Such was the case in the Boys’ Singles.

Three Americans entered. Conner Farren and Trey Strobel were ousted in the first round. McKenzie McDonald had a much better showing. He had four wins and 1 loss (semifinals).

Ten American girls entered the singles draw. Their results are listed below.

Round of 64
The girls had a combined record of 7-3.
Winners: Stephanie Nanta, Julie Elbaba, Krista Hardebeck, Taylor Townsend, Samantha Crawford, Kyle McPhillips,

Christina Makarova.
Losers: Sachia Vickery, Catherine Harrison, Gabrielle Andrews.

Round of 32
The girls had a combined record of 5-2.
Winners: Krista Hardebeck, Taylor Townsend, Samantha Crawford, Kyle McPhillips, Christina Makarova.
Losers: Stephanie Nanta, Julie Elbaba.

Round of 16
The girls had a combined record of 2-3.
Winners: Krista Hardebeck, Taylor Townsend.
Losers: Samantha Crawford, Kyle McPhillips, Christina Makarova.

Quarterfinals
The girls had a combined record of 2-0.
Winners: Krista Hardebeck, Taylor Townsend.
Losers: None.

Semifinals
The girls had a combined record of 1-1. Townsend beat Hardebeck in the semifinals.
Winners: Krista Hardebeck, Taylor Townsend.
Losers: None.

Finals
Townsend won the championship and finished 6-0.

Combined, the 10 American girls had an 18-9 record.

Given these results, American tennis fans can look forward to the French Open with anticipation.

 

Weak Showing by American Singles Players – Australian Open

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This past weekend, Victoria Azarenka and Novak Djokovic were crowned Men’s and Women’s Champions at the Australian Open. The showing by the American players was dismal – with Serena Williams reaching the round of 16 and John Isner the round of 32. While they are wonderful players, neither Williams (30) nor Isner (almost 27) are in the prime of their careers.

The lack of success of the top players, in yet another Grand Slam event raises a number of questions.
• Many of the top players in the world train and practice in the United States. We have great coaches and great facilities, why don’t we have more of the top players? Why can foreign players come to the U.S. and become elite and the same doesn’t happen with American players?
• During the time the USTA Player Development Program has been in place there have been few successes, as measured by Grand Slam singles wins. There are roughly 25 million U.S. tennis players. With hundreds of millions of dollars invested in player development, why hasn’t the USTA program produced more elite players?
• Are American youth really interested in playing tennis at a highly competitive level? Are they willing to dedicate themselves to tennis between the ages of 8 and 18 or would they rather participate in a variety of activities while they are growing up?
• Has the sport become too structured with lessons, leagues, drill sessions, camps, and tournaments? Are players participating in these activities without learning how to practice or to tactically and mentally play the sport?
• The day of riding your bike to the park and playing all day is gone. Back in the day, players learned from playing pick-up games and adults. Was that possibly a better way to learn the sport?
• Is it too expensive for America’s youth to become elite tennis players? Are there too few clubs or recreation facilities where they can afford to learn to play?
• Are youth too consumed with computers, television, game boys, social media, and the electronic age to play tennis?
• Tennis is a challenging sport to master. Has the age of instant gratification made tennis less appealing?
• There are a number of sports options, including extreme sports. Is tennis too boring or is it perceived to be too boring?
• Is tennis properly marketed to America’s youth? Are introductory programs engaging youth or are they turning them off to the sport?
• Are America’s best athletes playing team sports where they can receive greater notoriety?
• Has the level of competition risen to the point that it is unrealistic to expect the U.S. to dominate the way they once did? If so, why are the Russian and Eastern European players having such success?
• Is the lack of success a sign that Americans have lost their drive to excel?
• Just as the U.S. is not the top country in sports such as cricket, does it really matter anymore that we no longer dominate tennis?

The results for Americans are listed below.

U.S. Men’s Results
Round of 128
The ten U.S. men players had a promising start – 6 wins and 5 losses.
• Winners – Andy Roddick, Ryan Sweeting, Mardy Fish, Sam Querrey, John Isner, Denis Kudia, and Donald Young.
• Losers – Michael Russell, Ryan Harrison, Jesse Levine, and Alex Kuznetsov.
Round of 64
The American players were not up to the task in the second round – 1 win and 5 losses.
• Winners – John Isner.
• Losers – Andy Roddick, Ryan Sweeting, Mardy Fish, Sam Querrey, and Donald Young.
Round of 32
The lone American player lost. NO AMERICAN MEN ADVANCED PAST THE ROUND OF 32 – 0 wins and 1 loss.
• Losers – John Isner.

The 11 American men won 7 matches and lost 11.

U.S. – Women’s Results
Round of 128
The 10 U.S. women players broke even in the first round – 5 wins and 5 losses.
• Winners – Christina McHale, Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens, Jamie Hampton, and Vania King.
• Losers – Varvara Lepchenko, Irina Falconi, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Alison Riske, and Madison Keys.
Round of 64
The remaining American women posted a winning record in the second round – 3 wins and 2 losses.
• Winners – Christina McHale, Serena Williams, and Vania King.
• Losers – Sloane Stephens and Jamie Hampton.
Round of 32
Competition was tougher in the round of 32 – 1 win and 2 losses.
• Winners – Serena Williams.
• Losers – Christina McHale and Vania King.
Round of 16
This was the end of the tournament for the American women.  NO AMERICAN WOMEN ADVANCED PAST THE ROUND OF 16 – 0 wins and 1 loss.
• Loser – Serena Williams.

The 10 American women won 9 matches and lost 10.

The U.S. had 21 singles entrants – 16 wins 21 losses. Only John Isner (2-1) and Serena Williams (3-1) had winning records.

American tennis fans can only hope for a better showing at the French Open in 4 months.