2014 US Open Preview

On the eve of the 2014 US Open, I'm sure that whoever is reading this can hardly wait for the best two weeks of tennis to start! But just so that you don't get overwhelmed and spaz out due to all the excitement, I will give you ten things to look for over the coming two weeks in both the Men's and Women's draws.

1. Watch how Novak Djokovic does early 

Novak Djokovic is my pick to win the Men's Singles title, but after early losses in Cincinnati and Toronto to Tommy Robredo and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, my pick looks at least a little bit dicey. It will be interesting to see if Djokovic has any hiccups before the Quarterfinals in which he is scheduled to face either Andy Murray or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga again. As for the Quarterfinals, it will also be interesting to see if either Murray or Tsonga gives Djokovic a real run for his money.

2. Watch how Victoria Azarenka does early 

The real mystery player in the Women's Singles draw is Victoria Azarenka. When healthy, she is the best hard court player in the women's game. But with all the injuries she has had, she finds herself seeded #16. If she can make it to the Round of 16 to face #3 Petra Kvitova, then we have to consider here a serious threat to win the title. But until she gets to that point, all eyes will be on her to see if she is healthy and ready to make a serious push in a Grand Slam.

3. Will Andy Murray have a bounce back event? 

After winning his two Grand Slams at the US Open and Wimbledon, things have suddenly turned rather quiet for Andy Murray after losing in the Quarterfinals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier in the season. While he did reach the Semifinals of the French Open, he is yet to reach a Grand Slam Final this year. Will he end the drought at the US Open this week? It's hard to say given that Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Novak Djokovic are in his half the draw, but if he plays up to his full potential, he could make a really deep run and knock out both of those players.

4. Will Sloane Stephens come back from the dead? 

Going into this season, Sloane Stephens was coming off of her best season in which she reached the Semifinals of the Australian Open and the Quarterfinals of Wimbledon. Everybody thought that 2014 was going to be more fruitful for her, but so far this year, she has failed to get past the 4th round of any Grand Slam. Will the young American recapture the magic from 2013 in front of the home crowd in New York City? Fortunately, she has Angelique Kerber and Jelena Jankovic in her section of the draw, which means if she gets passed them, she will make the Quarterfinals. I like her odds to do get passed both of them. Beyond that, it's tough to say. Agnieszka Radwanska seeded 4th is projected to be waiting in the Quarterfinals and her consistency will definitely give Stephens a real challenge.

5. Will John Isner show any signs of life? 

John Isner finds ways to let down American tennis fans every year at the US Open and while I don't expect things to change this year, a lot of attention will be on him as he is the top ranked American man. Maybe he'll take Novak Djokovic to a 5th set tiebreaker in the 4th round and shock the world. I doubt he will, but American tennis fans can still hope.

6. Will Eugenie Bouchard get even with Petra Kvitova? 

Eugenie Bouchard, who currently is seeded #7 just so happens to be projected to face #3 Petra Kvitova in the Quarterfinals. What makes this awesome is that this would be a rematch of the Wimbledon Final! A rematch against Kvitova would be an awesome test for Bouchard. It would also be interesting to see what adjustments she makes after not fairing so well in the Wimbledon Final.

7. Does Roger Federer have one more Grand Slam title in him? 

Somehow I believe that Roger Federer still has at least one more Grand Slam title left in him. With Rafael Nadal out, Novak Djokovic struggling as of late, and Andy Murray in a bit of a funk, this certainly would be a good time to pick him to go all the way.

8. Will Simona Halep continue to back up the hype? 

Simona Halep is having a career year, notching trips to the Quarterfinals of the Australian Open, Final of the French Open, and Semifinals of Wimbledon. Her fantastic play has gotten her the #2 seed in the US Open and she will once again have to prove that she belongs among the game's elite. It will be interesting to see if she makes another deep run in a Grand Slam to close out the year.

9. Look for Novak Djokovic to win it all

When all is said and done, I expect Novak Djokovic to win the US Open. His Wimbledon title this year overshadows his recent struggles in Cincinnati and Toronto, and with Rafael Nadal out and Andy Murray struggling, only Roger Federer can be said to pose any sort of serious threat to him. I personally think that if Djokovic were to face Federer in the US Open Final, he would get it done. Winning Wimbledon I think gives Djokovic a lot of confidence going into this year's US Open. Especially since hard court is his favorite surface.

10. Serena Williams better win because otherwise I have no idea who to pick to win the Women's title  

Serena Williams hasn't won a Grand Slam all season and so naturally it feels like she is due to win a Grand Slam again. Ana Ivanovic, who stunned her in Australia is projected to face her in the Quarterfinals, but I doubt lightning strikes twice on that front after seeing Serena Williams beat Ivanovic three times since Australia. Na Li's absence and Victoria Azarenka's injury woes make Serena Williams the clear favorite to win the Women's Singles title at the US Open. If she doesn't, then we're looking at a seven to eight horse race for the title with it really being anybody's ball game.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @atp_guy 

Novak Djokovic has a real chance to get a chokehold on the #1 ranking

                                        (credit: theguardian.com)
After winning Wimbledon last month, Novak Djokovic finally ended his drought of not winning a grand slam since the 2013 Australian Open. The whole tennis world was uneasy as he continued to fall short in grand slams, but after he finally got back in the winner's circle, all appeared to be right in the tennis world again. We all knew that Djokovic wasn't done winning grand slams, but with each passing slam that he didn't win (especially when he fell to Stanislas Wawrinka at the 2014 Australian Open), it was unclear when he would win a grand slam again.

But now that he has won the 2014 Wimbledon title, the feeling has shifted from uneasiness about when he'll win another grand slam to confidence that he can win the next two grand slams (US Open and Australian Open) which will both be on hard court. At this point, Djokovic has to be the favorite to win both of these grand slam events with Rafael Nadal nursing a wrist injury, Roger Federer aging, and Andy Murray slipping beneath the waves.

 If he comes through and wins both of these slams, Novak Djokovic will once again be on the verge of winning four straight grand slams as he heads into the French Open. In addition, he will have reestablished himself as the best tennis player in the world with everybody else chasing him.

Obviously, he still needs to go out and win these matches and after seeing the way Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stomped him this week in Toronto, it's no slam-dunk that he mows down the competition in either New York or Australia. But with that being said, this Wimbledon title really is a B12 shot to his confidence, which is enough of a reason to make him the favorite going into both hard court slams.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @atp_guy 

2014 Gentlemen's Wimbledon Singles Final: Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer

                                               (credit: theguardian.com)
While the Ladies' Wimbledon Singles Final featured two players with little grand slam final experience, the Gentlemen's Wimbledon Singles Final features two players who have plenty of grand slam final experience. Roger Federer has 17 grand slam singles titles of his own and Novak Djokovic has 6. However, don't let their grand slam success fool you into thinking that neither man has something he wants to prove. Roger Federer wants to prove that he still has what it takes to be a grand slam champion in addition to adding on to his career grand slam total. As for Novak Djokovic, he wants to remind the tennis world that he still is a threat to win grand slam titles after not winning a grand slam since the 2013 Australian Open. Both men have compelling reasons to want the 2014 Wimbledon crown and yet only one will wear it. Which one will it be? Only time will tell for sure, but since I have to make a prediction, I will predict that Roger Federer comes out on top because he has played better over the course of this tournament, has an 18-16 career head-to-head record against Novak Djokovic, and he is playing on his preferred surface.

                                             (credit: telegraph.co.uk)
     During these past 2 weeks at Wimbledon, Roger Federer has only dropped 1 set and he easily mowed down the big serving Canadian Milos Raonic who was seeded 8th in the semifinals. The only set he dropped was against the 5th seed Stanislas Wawrinka and that was the opening set. After that, Federer found his groove and took out Stan in 4 sets. The rest of his tournament has been totally uneventful. He crushed the 23rd seed Tommy Robredo in the 4th round, he destroyed Santiago Giraldo in the 3rd round, and both of his 1st and 2nd round opponents were left in the dust.
     As for Novak Djokovic, he hasn't had such an easy run. In his semifinal match, the 11th seed Grigor Dimitrov was a couple of points away from forcing a 5th set, and Marin Cilic took 2 out of the first 3 sets against him in his Quarterfinal match, which forced the match to go 5 sets. Similarly to the Dimitrov match, Radek Stepanek nearly forced a 5th set against Djokovic as well, falling in a 4th set tiebreak. The fact that Federer has had a much easier run to the final is a huge indicator that this is his tournament to lose.
    Federer's 18-16 head-to-head record against Djokovic is another reason why I think Federer wins. Over the course of their meetings, Federer has gotten the better of Djokovic, and in their only encounter on grass, which was back in 2012 in the Wimbledon semifinals, Federer won pretty handily in 4 sets. As for their very recent encounters, Federer has won 2 out of their 3 matches this season with wins at Monte Carlo and Dubai on hard court.
     The final reason why I really like Roger Federer to win on Sunday is because he is playing on his favorite surface, which is grass. If this were being played on hard court, I would have a hard time picking against Djokovic. But with Federer playing on his favorite surface and favorite court in the world (Wimbledon Centre Court), I think one has to say that Federer has to be the favorite going into this match.
     This isn't to say that Novak Djokovic doesn't have a chance to win on Sunday or that it won't be close, but upon looking at the facts and the data, the odds are in Federer's favor. Very often times in tennis, the player who is favored doesn't come out on top. Especially in matches that feature two great champions like these ones. But for the time being, if I'm going to have to make a prediction, I'm going to say that Federer pulls this one out in 5 sets. It'll definitely be a great match to watch!

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @atp_guy 

2014 Ladies Wimbledon Singles Final Preview: Eugenie Bouchard vs. Petra Kvitova

Saturday's Ladies Wimbledon Singles Final will feature two women who both are very hungry for a grand slam title. Petra Kvitova won her first grand slam title back in 2011 at Wimbledon, but hasn't won a grand slam since. She is eager to show that her grand slam title in 2011 wasn't an aberration but a sign of things to come. For 20 year old Eugenie Bouchard, she is trying to breakthrough to win her first grand slam title after reaching the Semifinals of the French Open and Australian Open. As do many of us who follow the game of tennis, she feels like it is only a matter of time before she wins a grand slam, and she hopes Saturday will be the day she gets it done.

                                               (credit: telegraph.co.uk)
     After paying close attention to how both women have played over this fortnight at Wimbledon, I think that what we'll see on Saturday will be a hard fought contest that likely goes three sets. With that being said, I do have a favorite to win the match, and that would be Petra Kvitova. I'm not picking Kvitova merely because of her experience, but also because of the improvement I have seen in her game during Wimbledon. The number one thing I've seen as an improvement in Kvitova's game is her fitness. She appears to have dropped at least 25 lbs, which has resulted in her moving much more swiftly on the court. I will be the first to admit that I have not been on the Petra Kvitova hope train over the years. I have said that she will never win another grand slam and that she is a "one-slam wonder". However, it should be noted that the number one reason I felt that way was because I found her fitness to be sub par. She appeared to be overweight and sluggish as she moved around on the court. But now that she has dropped the weight and is moving much better, her shot making abilities along with her dangerous left-handed serve makes her a threat to win any grand slam title and not just Wimbledon. The improvement I've seen in her game has made me a believer in her again and I expect her to win her second grand slam title on Saturday.

                                               (credit: keepitchick.com)


     That doesn't mean that I don't see good things about Eugenie Bouchard's game. The number one thing about her game that has been really solid is her net game. In her Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches, Eugenie Bouchard converted 21 of her 26 points at the net, and that is something that bodes well for her on the grass. In addition, she has a tremendous amount of confidence and focus. When a fan fainted in the crowd during her Semifinal match against Simona Halep, Bouchard didn't let that phase her at all, and she stayed focused on the task at hand. When you hear her interviewed, you can tell that though she is a really beautiful and charming young lady, she means business on the court and she is all about winning. Her attitude, focus, and play on the court will definitely win her a grand slam in the near future, but I don't think Saturday will be the day.
     Ultimately, I think Bouchard still has some more growing pains to go through. This is her first grand slam final, and we are yet to see how she handles the pressure. I expect her to handle it well, but knowing that Kvitova has been here before is huge along with the fact that Kvitova has greatly improved her fitness and movement. The bottom line is I see Kvitova getting it done, but it won't be an easy win. It'll be a tough battle with momentum swinging in favor of both players at times. It'll definitely be a match worth watching.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @atp_guy 

2014 Wimbledon Preview

With the French Open now behind us, we have Wimbledon to look forward to, which starts on Monday. Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova both had amazing runs to win the French Open, but now they have to make a quick turn around from clay to grass and try to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles. It's a very difficult task to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back, but both players should be up to the challenge. Like all my Grand Slam previews, I will give you ten things to look for in this year's Wimbledon to help hone in your focus on some key things. Five things will be from the Men's draw and five will be from the Women's. Without further ado, I will begin my list.

1. How will Victoria Azarenka play after her layoff? 

Victoria Azarenka didn't play at the French Open due to a foot injury and has been off to a slow start this year, only reaching the Quarterfinals of the Australian Open back in January. Her ranking has fallen to #9 in the world and she is seeded 8th at Wimbledon. Normally, I would have her as one of my favorites to win this event, given the fact that she has been to the semifinals twice. But since she is recovering from a foot injury and hasn't played in a while, it's hard to figure where she ends up. The one good news for her is she avoided the sections of Serena Williams, Sabine Lisicki, Maria Sharapova, and Na Li. Her projected Round of 16 match is against Dominika Cibulkova and her projected Quarterfinal match is against Agnieszka Radwanska. I like her draw provided she is capable of playing at a high level.

2. How does Andy Murray handle the pressure of being a defending Wimbledon champion? How does the crowd treat him? 

This is probably the most interesting thing to watch for in this tournament. Andy Murray no longer has the pressure of being the first Brit to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry, but there is an added pressure of being the defending champion and being expected to defend the crown for the Motherland. How Murray responds to his new role as defending Wimbledon champion will be fascinating to see in addition to how the crowd responds to him. Will there be the same excitement and buzz around "Murray's Mound"? (Note: To me, it will always be "Henman Hill")

3. How will Serena Williams bounce back from her early French Open exit? 

Losing in the second round of the French Open does not sit well with Serena Williams after she came in as the overwhelming favorite. To see how she rebounds at Wimbledon will be something to watch for. I expect her to play well and make a very deep run.

4. Will Rafael Nadal play well on the grass? 

Rafael Nadal is the greatest player to ever play on clay, and in my opinion, he is the greatest tennis player of all time. But even with that being said, grass has never been his strong suit, and after losing his Wimbledon tune up match, questions immediately are raised about how far he will go in Wimbledon. I expect him to go far and contend, but the first couple of matches will be key for him to gain some confidence. If he does well in his first 2-3 matches, then I think we can be confident that he's going to go deep and at least make the semifinals. In essence, I'm saying he either gets bounced really early in rounds 1 or 2, or he goes to the semifinals or beyond. Given his overall track record for success, I think he goes to at least the semifinals.

5. Will Sabine Lisicki break through and win Wimbledon? 

Sabine Lisicki hasn't found much success at other Grand Slam events, but Wimbledon is where she comes alive. She reached the Final last year, and looks to make another deep run this year. Seeded 19th, she has her work cut out for her, but fortunately, her section looks pretty favorable with Simona Halep, Carla Suarez Navarro, Jelena Jankovic, and Ana Ivanovic being the players ranked ahead of her in her section. I like hr chances to come out of that quarter and make a run to the semifinals, but can she put it all together and win the whole thing? Therein lies the question.

6. Is this the Grand Slam Novak Djokovic gets back in the winner's circle? 

It seems like it was just yesterday that Novak Djokovic was at the peak of his tennis powers winning every Grand Slam except the French Open. But now his Grand Slam drought has gone on pretty long, not winning a slam since the 2013 Australian Open. I think he has a pretty good shot to end the drought here at Wimbledon, but do keep in mind that he has only won one Wimbledon, and that was in 2011.

7.  How does Maria Sharapova do coming off her French Open title? 

Maria Sharapova has always won her Grand Slams far apart from each other and never close to each other, so it's hard to predict she wins back-to-back Grand Slam titles. That being said, if something happens to Serena Williams before their projected Quarterfinals match, Sharapova has to be considered a favorite to win Wimbledon since nobody else ahead of her can be said to be any more likely to win it all.

8. Does Roger Federer have one more Wimbledon in him? 

Roger Federer won Wimbledon back in 2012, but when he did, it felt like he was winning it for the last time as part of the Roger Federer farewell tour. However, he was #1 in the world at the time and still has shown to have some gas left in the tank. Perhaps he gets another Wimbledon title before riding off into the sunset.

9. Look for Serena Williams to win. If she doesn't, then I have no idea who wins the Women's title

Serena Williams is the clear cut favorite to win the Women's Singles title at Wimbledon. But if she doesn't win it all, then it'll be a free for all. Maria Sharapova, Angelique Keber, Sabine Lisicki, and Na Li are some of the ladies who I think are most likely to win it if Serena goes down.

10. Look for Andy Murray to defend his title 

It's really hard for me to pick a winner for the Men's draw, and while I kind of hope it will be Novak Djokovic, I have a hard time picking against Andy Murray. He won Wimbledon last year, so the pressures on him last year are gone and he should be feeling more confident. He played well at Roland Garros and I expect him to play well at Wimbledon. He should have no problem getting past David Ferrer in the Quarterfinals to reach the Semifinals, and he has been successful against Novak Djokovic, his projected Semifinals opponent. Ultimately, I like Murray to win this title, but I wouldn't be shocked if Djokovic, Nadal, or Federer won it.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter for tennis news @atp_guy 

Men's French Open Final Preview: Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic

                                                 (image from: tennisworldusa.org) 

Unlike the Women's French Open final, the Men's French Open final features the two players everybody thought would reach the final: Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. It's no shock that after two weeks of intense tennis on the red clay of Roland Garros, both of these men are still playing for the title. Where people do disagree is when it comes to picking who is going to win the title. A lot of experts think Novak Djokovic will dethrone Rafael Nadal of his French Open crown, and many others including myself think Rafael Nadal will once again reign on the clay as French Open champion.

If I can be perfectly candid, I don't understand why anybody would pick Novak Djokovic to win this title with Rafael Nadal still in it. I say this knowing that many tennis analysts who know the game far better than myself are picking Novak Djokovic to win this title and in the process have him beating Rafael Nadal. Why might they think this? I can only guess that it has something to do with the fact that Djokovic beat him on clay earlier this year in Rome, that Djokovic is hungry for his first French Open title, and that Rafael Nadal can't possibly keep beating a player like Novak Djokovic to win French Open titles. My problem with this line of thinking is that it simply doesn't add up from a logical point of view. It only adds up from the point of view of somebody who doesn't want Rafael Nadal to win or somebody who wants to see Novak Djokovic complete a career slam. The bottom line is that the argument for why Rafael Nadal will win the French Open is much stronger.

Before we even analyze Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic in their head-to-head matches, I will first lay out some important facts that support my conclusion that Rafael Nadal will win the French Open for the 9th time in 10 years. The first thing I would like to point out is that Novak Djokovic hasn't won a Grand Slam title since the 2013 Australian Open. For a player who recently was expected to challenge Roger Federer's record for most Grand Slam titles, this is quite a drought for Novak Djokovic. More notably, he hasn't won a Grand Slam title outside of the Australian Open since the 2011 US Open. Novak Djokovic practically owns the Australian Open with 4 of his 6 Grand Slam titles coming from the Australian Open but as for Wimbledon and the US Open, he has only won those titles once. As for the French Open, this is just his second trip to the French Open final. It is hard to think that a player who hasn't won a Grand Slam title in the amount of time that he has will end his dry spell on his least favorite surface against the most dominant force we have ever seen play on clay. With Nadal's dominance on clay being unlike anything we have seen from any player on any surface, is it really reasonable to pick Novak Djokovic to come up big and dethrone Nadal to win the French Open?

Secondly, Rafael Nadal hasn't faced any serious opposition all tournament. He's only dropped one set all tournament and that was to David Ferrer in the Quarterfinals. After dropping the first set to Ferrer, Nadal came roaring back, crushing Ferrer 6-4, 6-0, 6-1 in the final 3 sets. As for Andy Murray in the Semifinals, Nadal was so dominant that Murray didn't even need to bother showing up. Nadal destroyed him by the final score of 6-3, 6-2, 6-1. Nadal has plenty of gas in the tank and is coming in really strong and confident. Djokovic will be lucky to get one set off Nadal. Picking him to take 3 sets off Nadal to win the match almost seems preposterous.

As for the head-to-head aspect of this matchup, Nadal owns Djokovic on the red clay at Roland Garros. Sure, Djokovic has beaten Nadal on clay at other venues including Rome earlier this year, but at Roland Garros, Nadal is 5-0 against Novak Djokovic. It is true that Nadal narrowly got away with a 9-7 win in the 5th set the last time they faced at Roland Garros, but he still prevailed, and that is all that matters.

The bottom line is Rafael Nadal should be heavily favored to win this title for the 9th time in 10 years. I don't want to sound like there isn't good reason to watch this match because if anybody can beat Nadal on clay at Roland Garros, it's Novak Djokovic. We've seen him press Nadal at Roland Garros and he is such a great champion himself that you never want to count him out. But what is certain is that if Djokovic is going to defeat Nadal in Sunday's French Open final, he will have to play the match of his life.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @atp_guy 

Women's French Open Final Preview: Maria Sharapova vs. Simona Halep

                                               (image from: tennis.si.com) 

The Women's French Open Final is on Saturday and the two women standing are Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep. Neither woman was expected to get to the Final, but after two weeks of intense tennis on the clay it is clear that both women belong on tennis' biggest stage, which is a Grand Slam Final.

 For Sharapova, she has shown that not only can she win on clay, but more impressively has shown that clay might be her best surface! Clay requires patience and quality foot work while not rewarding players who only like to hit the ball hard to end points quickly. Sharapova has gone from being a player who was great on surfaces like hard court and grass but struggled on clay to being a player who might be best suited for it. Once you learn the patience and the quality foot work, having the weapons that Sharapova does like her strong forehand and power makes you even more dangerous. Her transformation has been incredible to watch and is truly a testament to her hard work and dedication.

As for Simona Halep, what makes her reaching this final so impressive is that nobody knew whether or not her World #4 ranking was legitimate. After backing up her run to the Quarterfinals of the Australian Open with a run to the Final of the French Open, Halep has shown that she is the real deal and not afraid of the pressures and expectations that come from being a player ranked so high. Her game itself I must admit I am less familiar with, but from what I have seen I can tell that she is really consistent, patient, and confident in her game. She doesn't seem to be afraid of the big moments and I certainly expect her to play well in Saturday's Final.

Before I make my prediction, let me give you some info on both of these competitors that would be good to know going into this Final. To get to this Final, Sharapova had to beat former US Open Champion Samantha Stosur, Garbine Murguruza who took out Serena Williams, and Canadian sensation Eugenie Bouchard. As for Simona Halep, she had to beat rising American star Sloane Stephens, former French Open and US Open Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Andrea Petkovic who was coming back from injury and near retirement. As far as the paths both players took, I think both players had very similar roads. They both had to beat players who have won grand slams before and they both had to beat two budding stars from the North American continent. As for their head-to-head comparison, Maria Sharapova is 3-0 against Simona Halep beating her in Indian Wells, Beijing, and Madrid, which was this year. It should be noted that the wins in Indian Wells and Beijing were in straight sets on hard court, and the win for Sharapova in Madrid was on clay and went 3 sets. However, after dropping the first set 1-6, Sharapova came back to win the next two sets 6-2, 6-3, so it isn't like it was really dramatic.

When considering the info above along with Maria Sharapova's overall success throughout her career, I have to pick her to beat Simona Halep to win her 5th Grand Slam title. Sharapova has won the French Open before and she has won 4 Grand Slams. It's hard to pick against her when Halep is playing in her first ever Grand Slam Final. With that being said, there is more pressure on Sharapova to win because she is the favorite. Halep is the player who nobody really knows much about, which could give her an edge because she can play more loose and relaxed. But that isn't enough of a reason for me to pick her to beat Sharapova. Ultimately, I expect this to be a competitive match since Halep has been playing so well, but I do see Sharapova coming out on top and continuing to add to her Hall of Fame resume.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @atp_guy 

2014 French Open Preview

Roland Garros (a.k.a. The French Open), which is the second grand slam of the year, gets underway today in Paris, France. There are a lot of interesting things to look for over these coming two weeks on both the Men and Women’s side. What I will do is help narrow things down for you and give you ten things to look for over the coming two weeks.

1.    Look for Stanislas Wawrinka to make another deep run: We’re so used to Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic dominating tennis that when another guy wins a Grand Slam it feels like the sky is falling. Well, it felt like that to me at least when Stanislas Wawrinka won the Australian Open back in January. A key thing to look for at this French Open is how he responds to the pressures of being the last guy to win a Grand Slam. Does he play well with the extra boost of confidence coming from his title or does he not play as well because of the expectations? I expect the former. I think he will play well and will make another deep run at a Grand Slam. How deep of a run? I expect him to reach the Semifinals and beat Andy Murray in the Quarterfinals. He is 3-0 against Murray all-time on the dirt, which I think bodes very well for him going into this Grand Slam.

2.    Maria Sharapova is going to need some help: I thought Maria Sharapova had a shot to go deep in this tournament judging by how she was playing on clay going into this tournament until I saw that her likely Quarterfinal opponent is Serena Williams. Williams owns Sharapova, winning 15 straight matches against her. If Sharapova wants to once again be called the “Queen of Clay”, she’s going to need somebody to knock out Serena Williams before the Quarterfinals.

3.    How far will Grigor Dimitrov go? Grigor Dimitrov (a.k.a. Baby Fed) is one of the few guys on tour who truly is labeled as “up and coming”. His is ranked #12 in the world, the highest of his career and is coming off his best Grand Slam performance down at Australia with a Quarterfinals appearance. His stock could rise with another deep run at a Grand Slam. It’ll be interesting to see how he does at Roland Garros since the furthest he’s ever gone on the dirt in Paris is the 3^rd round.

4.    How will Simona Halep play? Simona Halep is the #4 player in the world, the highest she’s ever been ranked, and yet she doesn’t have much Grand Slam success. She has been to the 4th round of the US Open and Quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Will she back up her ranking or will she flame out early? Only time will tell.

5.    Will David Ferrer gain any confidence from beating Rafael Nadal on clay? David Ferrer defeated Rafael Nadal on clay earlier this year. The previous time he beat Rafa on clay was back in 2004 in Stuttgart, Germany. They are scheduled to face each other in the Quarterfinals, and it will be interesting to see how Ferrer plays in light of his recent victory. I expect Nadal to win of course, but Ferrer’s recent win makes the match much more interesting.

6.    Is Sloane Stephens poised to make a deep run? Sloane Stephens has a really nice draw in my opinion. The top 2 seeds in her quarter of the draw are Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep. Neither player screams Grand Slam success, which is why if you are picking somebody unexpected to make a deep run, this is the section of the women’s draw to focus on. Sloane Stephens has had success in Paris before and with this kind of draw, she could easily find herself in the Semifinals of the French Open.

7.    Does Novak Djokovic’s wrist bother him? Djokovic is going into this French Open having had a wrist injury. Reports say his wrist feels fine, but how will it hold up over the coming 2 weeks? Since Djokovic is the only real threat to Rafael Nadal on clay, the health of Djokovic will definitely be something to watch for.

8.    How successful will Serena Williams be? Serena Williams is coming in as the favorite to win the French Open by many, but she has only won the event twice in her career (2002 and 2013). The clay clearly isn’t her favorite surface and her earliest exit from a Grand Slam was in the 1^st round of the 2012 French Open when Virginie Razzano stunned Serena Williams and the tennis world to go along with it. I think Serena can be very successful this year at the French Open, but she’s going to have to mentally overcome the fact that this has been her least successful Grand Slam.

(image from tennisnow.com)

9.    Look for Rafael Nadal to win it all: When it is all said and done, I expect the King of Clay to win it all once again. The French Open is his favorite event and the event where he absolutely dominates and plays his best tennis. He has won 8 French Open titles (8 of the last 9) and I don’t expect that to change. Only Novak Djokovic poses a serious threat to Nadal in my opinion and I don’t see Djokovic getting it done. If Rafael Nadal doesn’t win the French Open, that will be the biggest tennis story of the decade up to this point.

(image from zimbio.com)

10.  Look for Na Li to win it all on the Women’s side: Na Li is the player I’m picking to win the Women’s French Open title. She’s the #2 seed at the French Open with a projected Quarterfinal match against Jelena Jankovic and a projected Semifinals match against whoever comes out of that chaotic Petra Kvitova/Simona Halep/Sloane Stephens section of the draw. I fully expect Na Li to reach the Final, and considering Serena Williams’ past as this event, there are good odds Na Li never sees Serena. I see no reason to pick another player (other than maybe Serena) to win this event, especially since Na Li just won the Australian Open. I expect Na Li to win her 2^nd French Open title and 3^rd Grand Slam title overall. 

---Ben Parker: for more tennis news from me, follow me @atp_guy. My personal twitter handle is @slamdunk406 

Despite A Rough Couple Of Weeks, Rafael Nadal Is Still The Favorite To Win The French Open

                                               (Image from telegraph.co.uk) 

Rafel Nadal has had a rough couple of weeks on clay, losing last week to David Ferrer in the Quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters and losing this week to Nicolas Almagro in the Quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. Now while it's true that losing this early on clay in two consecutive weeks is highly unusual for Nadal, it's no reason to panic. Not only is it no reason to panic, but Nadal is still the clear favorite to win the French Open.
   
     Let's not forget that a year ago, Rafael Nadal was going into the French Open not having played in a Grand Slam since losing in the 2nd Round of Wimbledon to Lukas Rosol. He had also withdrawn from the US Open due to knee tendinitis and from the Australian Open due to a stomach virus, and yet he still went on to win the French Open for the 8th time of his career. This time around, Nadal is entering the French Open after winning the previous US Open and reaching the final of the previous Australian Open. Not only that, but he is currently the #1 ranked player in the world and is coming off one of his best seasons ever. For one to let these last two weeks overshadow Nadal's body of work over the past 12 months is nothing short of idiotic and incredibly short-sighted.
         Nadal may be struggling right now, but he isn't worried about winning tournaments now. He's worried about winning one tournament and that one tournament is the French Open. He has plenty of time to get things ironed out and go on to win his 9th French Open title. If he has to only go 75% in other tournaments so as to not get himself injured or exhausted, then that is what he needs to do. It's a lot like Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong trained all year to peak at the Tour de France and every other event was viewed as a means to help him peak. He frequently wouldn't win other events because his best cycling wasn't going to be seen until the Tour de France. The same goes for Rafael Nadal. Nadal isn't going to win all these events because his best tennis isn't going to be seen until the French Open. He's trying to peak for the French Open, and since the French Open isn't for another month, Nadal isn't close to peaking for the French Open, hence he's not playing his best tennis right now. This is what I honestly think is going on.
     So while it is true that these past couple of weeks have been disappointing for Nadal and for his fans, there isn't any reason to suddenly say he isn't the clear favorite to win the French Open. He's coming off his best season ever, he was just in the last Grand Slam final, and he's the greatest force we've ever seen play on clay. A two week slump isn't going to overshadow that for me by a long shot and I have full faith that he will get back to his championship level form in time to win his 9th French Open title come May and June.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @atp_guy 

Will Masters Titles In Miami and Indian Wells get Novak Djokovic Back On Track?

                                                    (Image from: espn.go.com) 

It has been a while since Novak Djokovic last won a grand slam title, at least for his standards anyways. Djokovic's last grand slam title was the 2013 Australian Open, and since then he has failed to win a grand slam. During the course of that time,  Rafael Nadal once again defended his French Open crown and also won the US Open, Andy Murray finally won Wimbledon, and Stanislas Wawrinka came out of nowhere to win the Australian Open. With the resurgence of Nadal, the feel-good story of a Brit winning Wimbledon, and Stanislas Wawrinka's shocking success down under, it is easy for us to forget about Novak Djokovic. While we still are a ways away from the next grand slam (French Open), Novak Djokovic's recent success at the last two ATP World Tour Masters events in Indian Wells, CA and Key Biscayne, FL is his way of reminding the tennis world that he still is a force to be reckoned with.
     To win the BNP Paribas Masters at Indian Wells, Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in the final and to win the Sony Open at Key Biscayne, he defeated Rafael Nadal in the final. Those are two of the toughest opponents he has to beat all year, and for him to beat them in back-to-back events is sending a pretty strong message to the rest of the tour. Look, I'm in the minority when it comes to valuing tournaments not called "Grand Slams". I don't hold them to nearly as much value as other people do, but I do think the Masters events can be important for guys who are trying to find their groove again. For Djokovic, if he wants to get back to winning grand slams and win at least one in 2014, he has to start somewhere to build up his confidence, and winning both Masters titles at Key Biscayne and Indian Wells is a great start!

In my opinion, these two Masters titles is definitely something to take note of. I think that for him to win both events is a very encouraging sign for Djokovic and his fans that he is gearing up to go on another dominating run. While I don't see this translating into a French Open title or anything since these two events are on hard court, I do see these two Masters titles potentially translating into success at Wimbledon and the US Open. Obviously, if Novak Djokovic doesn't win a grand slam this year, these two titles will mean almost nothing, but if goes on to win a grand slam this year, I think it is more than reasonable to look back at these two Masters titles as the catalyst that got him back on track to winning more Grand Slams.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @atp_guy 

Indian Wells Preview

                                                     (image from: usta.com)

The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, an ATP Masters 1000 event/WTA Premiere event kicks off this week, with Round 1 action already done. However, with none of the seeded players playing yet, there is still time for me to break down this tournament and give you some key things to look for over these next 10 days.

1. What Does Roger Federer's Win At Dubai Really Mean? 
Roger Federer is coming into Indian Wells having just won the title in Dubai, which included a win over Novak Djokovic. Naturally, Federer fans were ecstatic with his win over Djokovic, many saying "Fed's back!" and other over-the-top statements that any tried and true Federer fan would say. While I think the win over Djokovic is a good sign, I'm not at all convinced that it is an indicator that he will win another slam or something along those lines. However, what happens down in Indian Wells to Federer could give us a better sense of what that victory actually wins. If Federer were to win the event and beat Djokovic again, then we could maybe look back at the Dubai win over Djokovic as a spring board to launch Federer into a successful 2014 campaign. If Federer falters and either loses to Djokovic in the Final or loses in earlier rounds, then his success at Dubai will likely be interpreted as a nice week for Federer but nothing to use as a barometer for his future success.

2. Can Sabine Lisicki Get It Together On Hard Court? 

We all know Sabine Lisicki is a threat at Wimbledon, but she hasn't yet proven she is a threat to win a grand slam elsewhere. While winning this event isn't likely for her, I do think that Sabine Lisicki is a player who could take tremendous confidence with her for the rest of the season if she put forth a solid outing at Indian Wells. If she reaches the the Semis at this event, which is possible, she should like her odds at making a run at a slam not called Wimbledon later this year.

3. Will Stanislas Wawrinka Back Up His Australian Open Title? 

I don't mean to say this as any sort of implication that his title at the Australian Open wasn't legit, but I do think a win for Wawrinka at Indian Wells would give the rest of the ATP Tour a real scare going forward into the rest of the season. Winning at Indian Wells could do a lot for Stanislas Wawrinka to show that his title down under wasn't just the product of a great two weeks or Nadal's back, but rather the result of his fantastic play.

4. No Serena Williams Doesn't Mean There Isn't Anything To Be Learned On The Women's Draw

The Williams sisters once again boycott the event after being subject to racial prejudice at the event more than a decade ago. While the absence of the Williams sisters, specifically Serena is a letdown every year, don't think that this diminishes the achievements of whoever wins this event or that there isn't something to take away from these 10 days.

5. Watch For The Health Of Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal

With both Murray and Nadal battling back problems recently,  this event should give us a good sense of how both guys are feeling health wise. Hopefully both guys can feel healthy enough to contend and possibly win.

6. Maria Sharapova Needs To Win A Big Event And She Might As Well Start Here

Despite all her off the court success with Sugarpova and her love life with Grigor "Baby Fed" Dimitrov, Maria Sharapova has struggled against the likes of Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka on the hard courts. Serena isn't playing for reasons previously explained, but Azarenka is, and if Sharapova could beat her in the process of winning this whole event, that would be really good for Sharapova.

7. Will Any Men Take Inspiration From Wawrinka? 

After seeing Stanislas Wawrinka win the Australian Open, there has to be a greater sense of hope among guys not listed in the "Big Four" that winning a grand slam is possible. While Indian Wells isn't a grand slam, it is the next best thing. It'll be interesting to see if guys like Del Potro, Tsonga, and Berdych take inspiration from Wawrinka and run the table to win the whole thing.

8. Petra Kvitova Needs A Wake Up Call

Ever since winning Wimbledon, Petra Kvitova has slowly receded into the background of the WTA tour and hasn't proven that she isn't a one slam wonder. She can't get rid of that reputation at Indian Wells of course, but a win at this event could propel her to success at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

9. Novak Djokovic Can't Really Do Much To Improve His Stock 

Some guys could do a lot to improve their stock and status at this event, but others can't. I don't really see a win at this event giving Djokovic a huge boost, and nor do I see him failing to win a crisis either. Novak has his eyes on Roland Garros, which is really his next big test. The Masters events leading up to Roland Garros will matter to Djokovic way more than Indian Wells.

10. Winning At Indian Wells Would Be Nice For Na Li, But It Won't Be A Big Deal If She Has  A Rough Outing 

Don't expect Na Li to struggle, but if she does, don't freak out and think the end for her is near. She just won the Australian Open and seems prime for a great 2014 regardless of what happens at Indian Wells. She can't do much to improve her stock at this event and her stock won't really go down too much if she struggles or gets bounced early.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @atp_guy