Tag: USTA

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.

 

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.

 

USTA Ten and Under Mandate Remains Contentious

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The United States Tennis Association recently announced that it passed rules requiring that 10-and-under tournaments be played using smaller courts and lighter equipment.

Their press release quoted USTA President Lucy Garvin as saying, “We’re very excited about what this change means to the future of tennis in the United States. Competition is an important element of learning and growing the game, and now all children 10 and under will have the proper platform with which to compete.”

In addition, Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA said, “This rule change to the competition format for kids 10 and under is critical to the long-term growth of our sport, and ultimately will help us develop new generations of talented players.”

The press release continued by saying that the change in tournament format by both the USTA and the ITF was reached after weighing the benefits for beginners as well as recurring and high-performing youth players. Studies have found that competition, when conducted in a welcoming environment that allows for multiple play opportunities, enhances kids’ enjoyment of the game. And for aspiring collegiate and professional players, the QuickStart Tennis play format fosters proper technique and enhances strategy, key components to success in competitive play.

Over the years teaching professionals, coaches, and manufacturers have endorsed the notion that multiple play opportunities, short courts, lighter racquets, and quality instruction increase the chances that juniors will enjoy and stay in the game. In fact they have developed short racquets, lighter balls, and have had short court programs in place since the mid-1980s.

The mandate handed down by the USTA was not welcomed by some prominent teaching professionals and many in the industry. The following objections to the 10U ruling are from a variety of sources:
• Some 10-year olds have advanced beyond the short court teaching tools and are playing competitive tennis on a full court. For that reason, an appropriate rule change would have allowed short courts for 10U competitive play rather than mandating them.
• The ruling in counter-productive. Ten-year olds who are already playing on a regular court will avoid the 10Us and play the 12Us.
• This is yet another attempt by the USTA to create a monopoly. They want to take credit for the work of others and try to control all aspects of the industry.
• The ruling has not been put in place for the benefit of the sport, but rather the benefit of increasing USTA power.
• Garvin and the USTA do not support the teaching profession. This is illustrated by her comment “Now all children 10 and under will have the proper platform with which to compete.”
• The USTA has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the Player Development program, but have had limited success in development of world class players. This rule change illustrates they are not in touch with the sport or the needs of the tennis industry.
• Every USTA President and Board wants to leave their mark on the sport. This mandate is nothing more than that.
• The USTA is schizophrenic in its decision-making. It wasn’t that long ago that the USTA eliminated lower level age division rankings because research had demonstrated that competition was bad for players under 12 years of age. Now they are calling for increased competition at the younger ages.
• Over the past 20 years, clubs have gone out of business and courts have been eliminated at existing facilities. Dedicating space for new junior courts or converting existing courts for 10U play is not a cost effective investment for recreation departments, tennis facilities, or country clubs.
• The U.S. still has not fully recovered from the Great Recession. The USTA, which has not been a articipant in the recession, is not in touch with the challenges facing the industry.
• Similarly, the new ruling creates barriers to entry for new clubs. 10U courts have limited potential for revenue generation.

Even after the decision has been made, this remains a contentious issue between the USTA and some members of the industry. The real question remains, “Will the 10 and under players ultimately be the winner?”

Over the years, the USTA has introduced a number of excellent programs. Time will tell whether the recent 10U mandate will prove to be a “critical driver of long-term growth of the sport” and a generator of “generations of talented players”. In the meantime it is up to the teaching professionals and the industry to track the success of this USTA decision and hold them accountable if it turns out to be another USTA boondoggle.