Nadal, Williams Favorites Heading Into French Open

The second Grand Slam tournament of the year has belonged to the “King of Clay” Rafael Nadal the past six out of seven years. The Spaniard is bidding to eclipse the record he holds with Sweden’s Bjorn Borg to become the first player in history to win seven French Open titles.

On the women’s side, Serena Williams is in solid position to win her second French Open championship. Only five months into the season, Williams already has more wins this year than her entire 2011 season. Williams enters the tournament with an impressive win on the controversial blue clay of Madrid and a semifinals appearance in Rome.

Rafael Nadal is aiming for a record seventh French Open title. (Photo by Romana Cvitkovic/Tennis Grandstand)

Here’s a look at the two leading contenders:


Rafael Nadal (Ranking: 2, 2012 W-L Record: 33-4, Champion – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011)

After a disappointing third-round exit in Madrid earlier this month, Nadal lost the world No. 2 ranking to Swiss Roger Federer. Nadal, however, wasted no time earning it back with a win in Rome over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. For the seventh time in the last eight years Nadal, 25, enters Roland Garros having won the most clay court titles, with three this season – at Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome.

Serena Williams (Ranking: 5, 2012 W-L Record: 27-2, Champion – 2002)

This year’s French Open could be Williams’ best chance to add to her 2002 championship trophy. Leading up to Roland Garros, Williams scored commanding victories over world No. 2 Maria Sharapova and current world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in Madrid. As a precaution Williams, 30, withdrew prior to the semifinals of the following tournament in Rome due to a back injury and has said she will be 100 percent for the French Open.

Serena Williams is looking for her second French Open title and first since 2002.

Other notable contenders to watch out for:

Men’s:

Novak Djokovic (Ranking: 1, 2012 W-L Record: 30-5, Semifinalist – 2007, 2008, 2011)

Djokovic, winner of last year’s Wimbledon and U.S. Open and this year’s Australian Open, is attempting to collect his fourth straight Grand Slam and the only major title that has eluded him. The top-ranked Serb enters the tournament in good form on clay, losing in the finals to Nadal in Rome and Monte Carlo, and reaching the quarterfinals in Madrid. If Djokovic, 25, wins, he will complete the non-calendar year Grand Slam, and he will be the first player to hold all four titles at the same time since Australian great Rod Laver did so in 1969.

Roger Federer (Ranking: 3, 2012 W-L Record: 31-4, Champion – 2009)

Even at an age where most players’ careers decelerate, the 30-year-old owner of 16-Grand Slam titles shows no signs of slowing down. For a brief week earlier this month, Federer rose back to the No. 2 ranking before relinquishing it to rival Nadal. He enters Roland Garros with a win in Madrid and semifinals appearance in Rome, where he lost to eventual champion Djokovic.

David Ferrer (Ranking: 6, 2012 W-L Record: 33-7, Quarterfinalist – 2005, 2008)

A perennial top-10 player, Ferrer has the agility and fitness to make a run in any Grand Slam. While he does not possess the power of some of the top players, the Spaniard’s return game and ability to keep the ball in play gives opponents fits. In the clay court tournaments leading up to Roland Garros this year, the 30-year-old Ferrer has reached the finals in Barcelona, semifinals in Rome (losing both to Nadal), and quarterfinals in Madrid (losing to eventual champion Federer.)

Women’s:

Victoria Azarenka (Ranking: 1, 2012 W-L Record: 35-3, Quarterfinalist – 2009, 2011)

The 2012 season has belonged to the 22-year-old Belarusian, who began the year on a 26-match win streak. With renewed demeanor and focus, Azarenka captured her first Grand Slam championship at the Australian Open to become the top ranked player in the world. She reached the finals at Stuttgart and Madrid, losing to Sharapova and Williams, respectively. She withdrew from Rome after winning her first round, citing a right shoulder injury, but is scheduled to play in Paris.

Maria Sharapova (Ranking: 2, 2012 W-L Record: 29-5, Semifinalist – 2007, 2011)

The former world No. 1 is one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. Even with the distractions and accolades, there is no questioning Sharapova’s desire to win. More than four years have gone by since she last hoisted a major championship trophy (Australian Open 2008) but Sharapova, 25, is as motivated as ever to win the only Grand Slam missing from her collection. The current world No. 2 reached the finals at Stuttgart and Rome, and fell in the quarterfinals in Madrid to eventual champion Williams.

Agnieszka Radwanska (Ranking: 3, 2012 W-L Record: 32-7, Fourth Round – 2008, 2009, 2011)

At a career-high world No. 3 ranking, Radwanska is experiencing her best season on the pro tour, claiming titles in Miami and Dubai. She is currently competing in the Brussels Open as the top seed and has reached the final four. The 23-year-old Pole also finished with a semifinals appearance in Madrid, where she lost to rival Azarenka. Radwanska is 0-6 vs. the Belarusian this year.

Notes:

The draw for the 2012 French Open will be available Friday, May 25. The main draw of the tournament is scheduled to begin May 27th and runs through June 10th.

This article was written for The Epoch Times. View the online version here. 
 

Brian Baker’s dream season pushes on

Former junior standout Brian Baker will play in his first Grand Slam since 2005 at the French Open. (Photo by Kathy Willens, AP)

 Brian Baker’s biggest win on the ATP World Tour occurred in the first round of the 2005 U.S. Open, where he upset ninth-seeded Gaston Gaudio.

It would be more than six years and five major surgeries later before Baker would earn another ATP main draw victory.

After breezing through the qualifying rounds, the 27-year-old Baker defeated world No. 84 Sergiy Stakhovsky in the first round of the Nice Open in France and will meet fourth seeded Gael Monfils next.

The win continues the comeback story of the former junior phenom, who earned a USTA wild card into the 2012 French Open by winning the Savannah Challenger in Georgia last month. For Baker, it will be a return to the scene he once commanded.

Back in 2003, Baker reached the Boys’ Singles final at Roland Garros – losing to former top 10 player Stanislas Wawrinka. En route he defeated 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis in the quarterfinals and current world No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals. The tennis world had its eyes on the tall, powerful American.

But injuries and surgeries – left hip, sports hernia, right hip, left hip again and a Tommy John elbow procedure – would rear its ugly head.

By the time Baker was 23, the Nashville, Tenn. native returned home and enrolled at nearby Belmont University, where he worked as an assistant tennis coach. He was majoring in business with a finance concentration and still has one more year to complete.

The degree may have to wait a little longer than planned.

Now world No. 216 and not far off from his career best of No. 172 from November 2004, Baker has jumped more than 200 spots since the beginning of the year.

In a career full of twists and turns, Baker now has the chance to make the biggest splash of them all – mounting a comeback that no one expected.

This article was written for my weekly column at Tennis Grandstand and can be viewed here.

Roger Federer and Serena Williams are still on top of the game

Roger Federer, 30, is into the quarterfinals at Rome after winning the title in Madrid last week. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe)

Over the last couple years both players have been dismissed as past their primes, too old to dominate the game they once owned.

But Roger Federer and Serena Williams, both 30, have been turning back the clock these past few weeks, conquering the blue clay at the Madrid Open and continuing their win streaks at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, Italy.

With the title – his third in Madrid – Federer surpassed rival Rafael Nadal for the world No. 2 spot and Williams moved up three positions to No. 6, her highest ranking since 2010.

Federer, owner of 16 Grand Slams, continues to deliver on the big stages – showing consistency that few, if any, other players possess. Thirteen-time major champion Williams appears to be returning her dominating form, with convincing straight sets wins over former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova and current world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in Madrid.

Seeded third in Rome, Federer has battled his way into the quarterfinals and will play crowd favorite, Italian Andreas Seppi next. Seppi saved six match points in his fourth round encounter with Federer’s compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka.

No. 9 seed Williams has reached the semifinals in Rome after Italy’s Flavia Pennetta retired while being down 4-0 in the first set due to a right wrist injury. Williams awaits the winner of 14^th seed Dominika Cibulkova and eighth seeded Li Na. Older sister Venus will face No. 2 seed Maria Sharapova in a quarterfinal matchup.

Serena Williams, 30, overpowered world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3 to win the 2012 Mutua Madrid Open. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe)

Whether it’s the blue clay of Madrid or the classic red clay of Rome, both players are rising to the occasion and are still on top of the game that was once undisputedly theirs. It wasn’t long ago that some fans and analysts began writing Federer and Serena off as no longer contenders, but these champions continue to prove skeptics wrong.

And these two are just getting warmed up for the main show that begins May 22 at Roland Garros.

This article was written for my weekly column at Tennis Grandstand and can be viewed here.

Varvara Lepchenko’s successful season continues in Madrid

What do Serena Williams and Varvara Lepchenko have in common? Both players are into the third round at the 2012 Mutua Madrid Open and are the only American women left in the tournament.

While the former has a much higher profile, Lepchenko, an Uzbek-born American, scored the bigger win with a first round upset over 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone – the best win of her career. She followed up the victory by beating former world No. 11 Shahar Peer in the second round and will take on 30^th seed Anabel Medina Garrigues next.

Varvara Lepchenko, 25, is one of only two American women players left at the 2012 Mutua Madrid Open. (Nick Laham/Getty Images North America)

Currently ranked No. 77 in the world, Lepchenko reached a career high No. 73 just last month. The 25-year-old is now the fifth ranked American, behind only Williams (9), older sister Venus (72), and youngsters Christina McHale (36) and Vania King (57).

Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Lepchenko has lived in the United States since 2001 – the same year she turned pro. She switched nationalities from UZB to USA in 2007 and became a U.S. citizen last September. She currently resides in Allentown, PA.

Lepchenko has spent the past six years bouncing in and out of the top 100 – her highest year-end finish was at world No. 79 in 2010. Her best Grand Slam result has been reaching the second round, which she accomplished at the 2006 U.S. Open, 2010 Wimbledon, and 2010 and 2011 French Open.
But the success in Madrid may signal a breakout year for Lepchenko. Throughout the season she has battled through the qualifying rounds. In addition to Madrid, Lepchenko successfully qualified for the main draw in Melbourne, Paris, Doha, Indian Wells, and Madrid.

Even after more than a decade on the professional tour, it appears that Lepchenko’s best is yet to come.

This article was written for Tennis Grandstand and can be viewed here.

New sponsor, facility upgrades for Legg Mason Tennis Classic

Change is coming to the nation’s capital and it might take tennis fans some time to adjust.

The Legg Mason Tennis Classic is now the Citi Open, after Legg Mason, the title sponsor of the ATP tournament in Washington, D.C. for the past 18 years, has decided not to renew its contract.

The facility upgrades for the Citi Open include a new 2,500 seat Grandstand and five new practice courts.

No reason was given for the why the Baltimore-based Legg Mason will no longer be the title sponsor, but Donald Dell, the chairman and co-founder of the tournament, emphasized that both sides parted on good terms.

“I want to thank Legg Mason for their tremendous sponsorship,” he said. “They have been with us 18 years – they were the longest running title sponsor in tennis in North America. We owe the Legg Mason a great bit. They decided not to come back – their contract expired in November. It was a very amicable transition.”

Stepping in to replace Legg Mason is Citigroup Inc., the sponsor of the inaugural professional women’s tournament in College Park, MD last summer, for a five-year deal. The Citi Open will combine the ATP tournament with the women’s event in efforts to attract an even more diverse fan base.

“We are very excited about [having a joint tournament], because over the years we’ve had lots of requests and lots of pressure to have both events – men and women – and the demographics of tennis is 52 percent men and 48 percent women,” said Dell.

The men’s tournament will remain an ATP 500 event, one of only two in the United States (the other is in Memphis), and the women’s will be a $250,000 International Level tournament. Last year’s winner on the men’s side was Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic, while Russia’s Nadia Petrova claimed the women’s trophy.

Along with the name change and the inclusion of the women’s tournament will be stadium upgrades to accommodate the increase of players. The renovations, which will begin in May and finish before the start of the summer tournament, will include a new show court that seats 2,500 people and five new practice courts. The Washington Tennis and Education Foundation (WTEF), a charitable foundation that provides tennis instruction and education to DC-area youth, privately funded the expansion. The tournament is owned by the organization.

“We built [the stadium] with [WTEF] in 1989, and we just think it’s time to upgrade in a lot of different ways,” said Dell. “We are competing on the world tour. It is very competitive that we have a facility and proper usage of the court site for the players.”

The Citi Open will continue to be held at the William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park and will run from July 28 to Aug. 5.

Because the tournament coincides with the London Olympics, the draw size will decrease from the usual 48 players to 32. While several marquee players will be competing for Olympic medals, current world No. 9 Mardy Fish has already confirmed to play at the Citi Open in preparations for the U.S. Open. Also expected is former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt.

Despite the tournament expansion, Dell said that there are no plans on increasing parking, but that General Admission ticket prices will most likely not rise.

The name may take some getting used to, but the changes should give tennis fans in the metropolitan area much to be excited about.

This article was written for Tennis Grandstand and can be viewed here. 
 

Donald Young’s Slump Continues

Donald Young proved doubters wrong last season.

It began with an upset win over then world No. 5 Andy Murray at the 2011 Indian Wells Masters. Then came a series of career highs as Young reached his first ATP semifinals in Washington, D.C., had a fourth round showing at the U.S. Open, and played in his maiden ATP final in Bangkok. After struggling on the ATP Tour, it appeared that Young was on his way to fulfill the potential he showed during his extremely successful junior career.

But despite the momentum heading into the new season and reaching a career high No. 38 in February, the 22-year-old Young is struggling to repeat the success in 2012.

World No. 50 Donald Young owns a 2-9 record for the 2012 season. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe)

In the nine tournaments Young has played this year he has only gone past the first round twice – at the Australian Open and at Memphis, losing both in the second round. His latest loss came at the hands of world No. 352 Paul-Henri Mathieu, losing 6-0, 6-1 in the first round at the Monte Carlo Masters. It was his fifth consecutive loss to a lower ranked player.

At No. 50 in the world, Young is the fourth ranked American and is still in a position to turn around his sub-par season. And if the 2011 U.S. Open was any indication, American tennis fans are eager to see Young succeed. With each victory in Flushing Meadows, the crowds for Young grew increasing boisterous and spirited. Young, who often exhibits negative body language during his matches, seemed to be on an upward trajectory and the American player to watch. That distinction now belongs to 26-year-old John Isner, who at No. 9 in the world is the top ranked American.

With Young, the coaching question is never far. After accepting an increased role from the USTA coaches last season, Young decided to go back to being coached by his mother Ilona in late 2011. As of now, there is no indication Young will be making any coaching changes.

Young may have proved his skeptics wrong last season, and as a result played with confidence befitting his talents, but he must find his game quickly before the doubts and doubters begin creeping up again.

View this article at its original Tennis Grandstand publication here.

Maryland Men’s Tennis Finishes Season With Statement Win

Overcome with emotion, head coach Kyle Spencer had trouble finding the words to describe his team’s upset victory over No. 18 ranked University of North Carolina.

“I’m over the moon. I’m speechless,” said the third year coach. “I’m so proud of the guys. It’s been a very trying year this year. I’m just really happy.”

In its last season as a varsity program, the No. 70 ranked University of Maryland men’s tennis team closed out the regular season with an impressive 5-2 win over its ACC opponent, its first victory over the Tar Heels since 1990.

Heading into the season, the team was given the ignominy of being one of eight varsity teams facing elimination this year, a decision made to alleviate the athletic department’s multimillion-dollar budget deficit. With the extra distraction of the budget cuts looming over the players’ heads, the team played inconsistently throughout the season.

“It’s been up and down,” said junior John Collins, who will play for the University of Tennessee next year. “We had a really hard schedule. A bunch of guys have been fighting injuries, including myself. I’m coming back from a wrist injury. We’re just pushing and pushing. It’s tough. We didn’t get as many wins as we wanted to, but we’re still competing, and we’re still having fun.”

Despite the uneven record, the Terps (7-14, 4-7 ACC) appear to be saving their best for last, having won the past three of four matches against ranked opponents.

The statement win over North Carolina keeps the team in contention for a NCAA tournament berth and boosts its confidence going into the ACC tournament, which starts April 19.

“The beginning we had some mental issues, and we didn’t have everyone playing their best tennis at the same time,” said junior Sergio Wyss, whose win at No. 3 singles clinched the match. “Like last year, it all came together at the end, so that’s kind of a great thing.”

For Coach Spencer, he is finally seeing the team he envisioned at the beginning of the season.

“This is the level I thought we would be playing at, and for whatever reason that hasn’t happened,” he said. “We’ve shown spurts of it and never played a complete match. We’ve played some bad matches. But we never ever thought to pack it in and give up. These guys aren’t built like that. It’s just been five percent better, five percent better, five percent better – that’s been sort of like our mantra, and I think today we were 10 percent better.”

Despite the wins and accolades, the team understands its time together is nearing an end. Several players have reached out to other schools, but some like Wyss, are unsure whether or not to play elsewhere. This uncertainty, however, has not dampened how the players feel about each other.

“We love each other,” said Collins, who went to cheer on his team after his victory at No. 5 singles. “We’d do anything for each other. We poke fun of each other all the time. Everyone has a good heart about it. It’s a really good team chemistry.”

The bond was palpable during the team’s win on the warm Sunday afternoon. The players joined the approximately 50 fans to cheer on the team, chanting nicknames and shouting encouragements from start to finish.

“I loved every single moment [of my time with Maryland tennis],” said Wyss. “The tough moments, the good moments, the emotional moments - it’s been a great team. I enjoyed it all the way through. I couldn’t imagine better.”

With the budget cuts effective July 1, 2012, the fans and supporters of the Terps men’s tennis team hope that these moments will soon return to the University of Maryland.

Click here to view this article at its original USTA/Maryland publication.