THE CHAMPIONSHIPS, WIMBLEDON 2019

The Spin

This grass season has been quite challenging for the Spin Team. This was due to the fact that a member of our team had plans to visit Birmingham, the plans got shelved, and said team member went into a downward spiral.  It was made even worst when said team member's faourite player in the world decided to play in Birmingham.  That being said, the team member has recovered from her disappointment and is looking forward to the start of The Championships, Wimbledon.

I have not had a chance to look at the draw but I have listened to the Realz podcast and while every draw has its challenges, it would seem as if Serena of House Williams has a tough ride to 24. Venus, also of House Williams also has a challenge in playing against the young American qualifier, Cori Gauff, the youngest player in the draw.

I happened to watch the video of Serena's pre-tournament press conference and she seemed relaxed and happy. For a quick minute she was shocked that Ashleigh Barty was now No. 1, a fact which Pam Shriver thought was disrespectful.  I guess she has never seen or heard her colleagues misidentify the careers of the women on the Tour. There is no reason why Serena should be aware of who is No. 1.The fact that she knew enough about Barty's year, the fact that she knew what tournaments she had won (Miami and the French Open) is to me a testament that Serena does pay attention to what is happening on the WTA Tour. Compare and contrast that to so many players who will tell you that they do not watch women's tennis and as we have seen on social media, during a very over hyped men's match, the women will be tweeting up a storm. I have always found that to be incredibly disrespectful to the WTA Tour but I guess for Pam and others of her ilk, not knowing who is No. 1 is considered to be more disrespectful. 

Anywho, the ATP has been trying to score headlines so players have been coming out on social media publicly declaring that they have resigned from the Player Council. Dramatic. Intended to draw headlines and possibly ending up as much ado about nothing. A situation symptomatic of the ATP Tour. Unless someone comes out and speaks definitively about why they have resigned, I say we all look to the tennis and leave the men alone with their hormones.

Day 1 OOP and Spin's Picks below

Elina Svitolina [8] vs Daria Gavrilova
Margarita Gasparyan vs Anna-Lena Friedsam
Marie Bouzkova [LL] vs Mona Barthel
Bernarda Pera vs Maria Sakkari [31]

Petra Martic [24] vs Jennifer Brady 
Anastasia Potapova vs Jil Teichmann
Danielle Collins vs Zarina Diyas
Kristie Ahn [Q] vs Anastasija Sevastova [12]

Marketa Vondrousova [16] vs Madison Brengle
Karolina Muchova vs Aleksandra Krunic
Caty McNally [Q] vs Heather Watson
Shelby Rogers vs Anett Kontaveit [20]

Su-Wei Hsieh [28] vs Jelena Ostapenko
Dalila Jakupovic vs Kirsten Flipkens
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova vs Monica Puig
Lin Zhu vs Karolina Pliskova [3]

Simona Halep [7] vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich
Mihaela Buzarnescu vs Jessica Pegula
Alize Cornet vs Victoria Azarenka
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Daria Kasatkina [29]

Madison Keys [17] vs Luksika Kumkhum
Polona Hercog vs Viktoria Kuzmova
Venus Williams vs Cori Gauff [Q]
Magdalena Rybarikova vs Aryna Sabalenka [10]

Caroline Wozniacki [14] vs Sara Sorribes Tormo
Veronika Kudermetova vs Ysaline Bonaventure [Q]
Rebecca Peterson vs Yanina Wickmayer [Q]
Shuai Zhang vs Carolina Garcia [23]

Sofia Kenin [27] vs Astra Sharma
Dayana Yastremska vs Camila Giorgi
Iga Swiatek vs Viktorija Golubic
Yulia Putintseva vs Naomi Osaka [2]

Must see matches

Venus v Cori

Putintseva v Osaka

Rybarikova v Sabalenka

Azarenka v Cornet

Hseih v Ostapenko

Upset Special

Putintseva beating Osaka

Ahn beating Sevastova

Too close to call

Hercog Kuzmova

Yastremska v Giorgi (the poor ball)

LADIES FINAL PREVIEW

The Spin 

Steve Simon spoke.  Finally.  

In case you missed it, the Chief Executive Officer of the WTA Tour had some choice words for the organisers of the French Open.  He told them in no uncertain terms how disrespectful they have been to women's tennis and that they needed to rethink their stance as it relates to court assignments. 

I really did think that after such strong words the organisers of the French Open would have been quaking in their boots and that even one of the women's semifinals would have been moved to Chatrier, but that was not the case. 

I woke up to see Konta losing to Vondrousova and Anisamova serving to stay in the match against Barty.  The Anisimova match was not on tv in my area, but the Konta match was.  As soon as that match was over, and Bartoli came out on court to interview Vondrousova, the tv cameras immediately flipped to Federer walking out on court over on Chartrier.  

That is how tv treats women's tennis.  That is how women's tennis has always been treated. 

One can only hope that the resumption of the incomplete men's semi-final will be relegated to Court 1. 

A few years ago, I finally cut off Tennis Channel because of their penchant of placing most, if not all, women's matches on their premium channels, while showcasing men's tennis on the cheaper channel.  Unless you are a a diehard fan of women's tennis, and could afford a subscription (or lived in an area where you could actually subscribe to TC Plus) you had to be hunting illegal streams in order to see women's tennis.  That happened for almost 2-3 years.  When Tennis Channel lost the rights to broadcast women's matches in the US, there were howls of protests all over, but those of us who have had to suffer for years, felt little or no sympathy for Tennis Channel. 

The WTA TV website has its issues (hello Order of Play and no app), but it brings fans of the women's game much closer to the women and at least you get to see great matches all the time. 

This is why Vondrousova making it to the final of the French Open has not come as a shock to me.  A fighter, it is never over until the last ball is struck.  Usually, in her favour.  I like Vondrousova.  I like her demeanour on court.  I like the variety that she has in her game.  I like that she smiles when she has hit a terrific drop shot or a beautiful winner.  I like that she is shy.  I like that she struggles to articulate her thoughts in English, but mostly I absolutely love her game.  There are not many Czech players that I like, but Marketa (must be that black name) just gives me a different vibe.  Her game is not run of the mill.  It has variety and nuance.  My only issue with her is sometimes her fitness level is not what it needs to be.  I would be absolutely thrilled if she takes the title on Saturday, but ...

It can be hard when you have been classed as a prodigy and then struggle to get wins.  Ashleigh Barty is a lesson for all young up and coming players.  You would never believe from looking at her that she is only 21 years old.  Very mature for her years and with a game that is made for tennis.  

Many may not know that for a short time, Barty was coached by Justine Henin (or at least Henin mentored her).  After suffering a series of setbacks, Barty left the sport of tennis and went to play cricket.  For those of you who may not know it, cricket is to Australia as tennis is to England.  It is in their blood.  A long time ago they were very good at it (as were the West Indies team, but we won't go there).  Suffice it to say Barty is such an incredible athlete that switching sport was never an issue for her. 

She returned to the Tour about 3 years ago, and after winning her biggest title to date (the Miami Open), playing some of the best tennis that I have seen in quite some time, Barty has made her way to the final of a Grand Slam.  I am sure that there has been much celebration in Australia.  

Both women have done incredibly well to get this far.  They are a testament to hard work and perseverance, and of the sacrifices that were made (and still being made).  

The Spin Team wishes them all the best (but will be quietly cheering Vondrousova to victory)

I AM A DIVA

I am a Diva and I know it

The Spin

So folks are up in their feelings over Serena Williams and whether she is a diva or not.  My take:  If Serena Jameka Williams is behaving like a diva its because she has earned it.  We see accommodations being made for people who do not have the volume of work that Serena has done.  Who have not achieved the heights of a career that Serena has done. At some point that has to count for something.  The fact that she did not in this instance do what she is alleged to have done, i.e. kick Dominic Thiem out of a press conference room so that she could speak to the media is for some by the way, but let us pause for a moment and talk a little bit about Serena and her career and what she has done for tennis. 

Bursting onto the scene in the late 90s, Serena has played against almost 5 generation of tennis players.  5 generations that were supposed to usher in the end of the Williams era.  Lest we forget but let us pray for them in passing: the Russians, Belgians, Serbians, Young Americans, and the Rising Stars and the list goes on and on.  Yet here she stands, ranked No. 10 in the world and now with a husband and child (and grandchild).  For my money, Serena has earned her place as a diva in this sport.  She should always play on Center Court, as the Australian Open and French Open organisers recognised.  She should always get a choice of what time of the day she should play and frankly if some minion player is in the large press room, he should be booted out so that Serena can take her place at the head of the table. 

If we are honest, who really wants to hear what Thiem has to say about men's tennis?  Seriously?  Is there a reporter out there who is being paid to write 5,000 word pieces on Thiem's thoughts on tennis?  I am sure somewhere in Austria there may be someone who is interested in his thoughts, but I doubt the international press corps is a part of that.  I have never seen an article where Thiem is quoted and it makes me want to go and read it in depth.  Possibly the only time the casual tennis fan (and let us be real here, it is the casual tennis fan that tennis needs in order to survive), knew anything about this Thiem fellow was when this whole make believe, fictitious, click bait article came out on social media that Serena had asked for him to be moved so that she could have her press conference. 

Serena's coach posted recently about the fake sportsmanship that is exhibited in men's tennis.  I agree with him.  Players believe that they need to show that there is camaraderie amongst them, when that is as far from the truth as you can get.  

Serena is a diva.  I love that she is a diva.  I was hoping that she had indeed kicked Thiem out of the press room so that she could give her thoughts on tennis and then go home to her French apartment with her husband and daughter (and grand daughter) and field calls from tournament directors who are hoping that she accepts their wild card offers to play before Wimbledon.  There are also fans out there who are waiting with baited breath to press submit on their ticket purchases hoping that they get the chance to see Serena play at a tournament before Wimbledon. That is what is important to tennis.  The ability to host a successful tournament with a big name player who can at least keep the debt collectors from the door.  Not some run of the mill player who has gotten lucky to be in the semis of a Grand Slam where he will no doubt be mauled by his opponent, and even if he gets to the final, he will once again display, for all the world to see, his inability to take his game to the next level when asked to do so. 

Onwards ... 

People ask me all the time why do I love the WTA Tour so much.  I usually point them to the unpredictability of the women's game.  The fact that no matter who the opponent is, every woman will give of her best on the day to win that point.  Women's tennis is not hierachial in the same way that men's tennis has become.  There is parity.  You can be ranked outside the top 100 and you come across the No. 1 player in the world on the biggest stages of the sport and you realise there and then that this is your moment.  If not now, when? And you go for it.  We saw that 2 years ago with Jelena Ostapenko blasting winners, left and right to win the French Open title, wresting it from the cold dead hands of Simona Halep. 

We saw Sloane Stephens, realising that she had a chance to win a huge title, fought her way back from a break point down in the third set against Venus Williams and literally creamed poor Keys' clock to win the US Open. 

Amanda Anisimova (Charles Platiau - Reuters)

Many people are in awe of the 4 women who have made the semis of the French Open. Me, not so much.  Maybe with Konta I am a bit shocked and to a lesser extent Ashleigh Barty, but Vondrousova and Anisimova have shown us what they are made of on the regular WTA Tour.  The Spin's preview

Ashleigh Barty

Anisimova v Barty - this is going to be literally youth v experience.  Anisimova as we all saw this morning in her dismantling of the 2018 champion hits a hard ball.  Apart from that though she serves extremely well, is focused during points, and has a steadier baseline game than Barty.  Barty is going to attempt to mix it up on her backhand slice by trying to keep the ball low and forcing Anisimova to the net where she is not yet comfortable. However, that may not work in Barty's favour as I have seen Anisimova take those short slices and hit them into corners that I did not know existed on a tennis court.  Look for her to do the same in her match. 

Of the 4 semifinalists in this year's tournament, Anisimova has the lowest rating in terms of aces, return games won, break points converted etc., yet here she is with a chance to play for her first Grand Slam title.  I would not write her off at all. 

Joanna Konta

Konta v Vondrousova - again, a case of experience going up against youth.  While I had pegged Vondrousova to do well at this tournament, there is one weakness that she has that I don't think has been addressed and that is her fitness.  She hits a hard deep ball and that may be what keeps her in the match against an opponent who stays on the baseline and redirects off both wings.  

Marketa Vondrousova

Konta's game is not the prettiest but it it is effective.  The problem lies when you get the chance to move her off the baseline (not something that is easy to achieve) and get her moving on the clay.  If anyone can do that, it is going to be Vondrousova.  A big heavy whipping lefty forehand will give Konta nightmares if used effectively and while the Czech is not the best mover, she has a killer drop shot/lob combo that will get Konta moving forward and backward.  

On a good day, the  Spin would not watch a Konta match, but I am excited to see how this one pans out. 

Spin's Picks

Anisimova v Barty - Anisimova

Konta v Vondrousova - Vondrousova

2019 French Open champion - Vondrousova 

POPULARITY OF WOMEN'S TENNIS

The Spin

On 31 May Christopher Clarey tweeted that the press box was full during the Sevastova/Mertens match.  He attributed the full press box not to the match that was currently on show but the match that was coming up, i.e. Roger Federer going up against some fellow named Rudd.  

That statement is what ails tennis journalism. 

In case you missed it, Anastasia Sevastova, she of the second career (in case you did not know Ms. Sevastova had retired from the Tour and has now returned) and Elise Mertens, a rising star who previously trained at the Kim Clijsters academy and actually had Clijsters in her box on a few occassions early on in her career, played a fantastic match before a packed stadium.  Ms. Sevastova recently made it to the semifinals of the 2018 US Open and Mertens beat 3 or 4 top 10 players, saving match points along the way, to win her biggest title to date at the Dubai Duty Free tournament.  Neither of these women are unknown to tennis fans.  Frankly, the shouts from the Belgian fans could be heard all over Roland Garros as while I had the Mertens' match on my TV, I was watching the Krunic/Tsurenko match on my computer and I could hear the shouts of ELISE. 

For a renowned journalist like Mr. Clarey to opine that the only reason why the press would come out in numbers to watch a tennis match was because the next match up featured Roger Federer is an insult to the 2 women who were giving their all.  The Sevastova/Mertens match lasted for over 3 hours and I dare say the fans got their money's worth. 

It seems to me that from what Mr. Clarey said, the press would not deign to go and watch a women's match live.  One of the reasons why I love women's tennis is that if you follow the Tour closely, you know who the players are who will have their breakout moments at the Slams and you are never shocked by it.  

I am not shocked that Sevastova and Mertens played such a great match.  I am not shocked that Vondrousova is playing well (I am really looking for her to do big things this year).  I am not shocked that so many players that never get a feature on Tennis Channel or ESPN continue to draw crowds whenever they  play. 

We all love the stars of the sport.  Many people sometimes complain when there is a Serena Williams match and the stands are empty.  It is not that people do not appreciate Serena's game or that they don't like her, but sometimes there are much more compelling matches on the grounds and fans who have planned for the big tournaments for a long time would like to get the whole fan experience so that they can talk about it, and in some cases even write about it.  

From time to time I notice people who are designated as journalists who are at tournaments and who never set foot outside of the press area.  They are never mingling with the crowds to get a feel of what fans are appreciating about a player.  I believe the only tournament I have seen that does this is the Australian Open.  Perhaps Mr. Clarey and others of  his ilk should leave the press area from time to time and go have a chat with fans at a match where he does not even know the names of the players and find out why they are there. 

Tennis is a global sport.  It is not about Federer, or Nadal, or Djokovic or Serena.  The sport is about tennis and the sooner the press realise this, the better off we will all be. 

Now for the tennis, the women as always are bringing it.  If you have no idea who some of these players are, get yourself a WTATV subscription for about a month and watch the tennis that is played on Tour.  I promise you that you too will become as excited as I am by the level of tennis and from the talent that abounds in the sport. 

I have to say that it has been good to watch the tennis without the commentary.  There are times when I miss it as I find that it brings a certain level of engagement with what is happening on the court, especially if its done right.  

The matches have been captivating.  The fight from the players on the big stages has been something to see.  The drama has been something else and you can see from the emotions from the players how much they are fighting for even the smallest points. 

I hope everyone is as excited to see what happens in the second week, as much as I am.