Tag: Cincinnati 2015

No More under the Radar

ATP Players 4 Comments

On Friday, men’s quarterfinals in Cincinnati featured five top-10 players, the number 13, 23, and a qualifier by the name of Alexandr Dolgopolov. When the day ended, the world’s top three players, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Roger Federer took their place in the semifinals, along with that guy Dolgopolov. He is from Ukraine and he is ranked number 66 in the ATP Tour. He may require an introduction because he redefined the term “going under the radar” this week.

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The Ukrainian has won five matches, and has yet to play on Center Court. While the other winners of yesterday and today have for the most part enjoyed (or suffered) the company of a dozen or more media members in their after-match press conferences, only one media member asked to talk to Dolgopolov yesterday following his win vs. Jerzy Janowicz, and today, as a semifinalist, that number increased to a whopping two. As one of those two (the other was the knowledgeable Pete Ziebron – Twitter: @tennisacumen), I asked him if the lack of attention bothered him or not. He shrugged his shoulders, then laughed and said “No, it’s good that I save some time, I mean, I can concentrate on my tennis, that’s my concern now.” When asked if he was surprised by his run to the semifinals as a qualifier, his answer was two-fold: “I always think there is a possibility that I get a result. Obviously I couldn’t come here and expect to be in the semifinals from qualifying, with a tough match against [Santiago] Giraldo in the qualies [won 6-3 3-6 6-4]. I was playing quite good actually since the grass-court season. I had a lot of tight matches and a few bad losses. I couldn’t expect to make the semis here coming in, but I know I have the ability to do that. So both, I am surprised and not surprised.”

Many tennis fans believe that lower-ranked players faces less pressure when they surprisingly advance to the later rounds, and face highly ranked players, because they have “nothing to lose.” In Dolgopolov’s case, there is no doubt that that this is an invalid assumption. On Thursday, when he faced Janowicz, it was obvious looking from the outside that he was under tremendous pressure. He led 5-2 in the final set and had two match point opportunities that slipped out of his hands. In the next game, on his serve, he got very tight, and visibly could not hit the ball freely. He ended the game with double fault, giving up the break advantage. He calmed down during the game change, and with a little bit of help from his opponent who committed two unforced errors and two double faults, Dolgopolov was able to close the match out. The relief was clearly showing on his face as he shook Janowicz’ hand and left the court later.

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The Ukrainian confirmed that he felt the weight of that match on his shoulders, especially when he was leading: “I was thinking about [the win] too much when I was closer to winning. It was a big match for me point-wise you know, because I lost some ranking spots in the start of the year, I had a surgery last year. It was really important to find my game and some results because I have not had a great year so far this year. So that match I was very nervous. I just tried to survive, get the ball back in play. I don’t think I played as well as I played today.”

Against Berdych today, Dolgopolov seemed to give a clinic on how to pacify the big Czech’s powerful game that is known to reduce opponents to just getting balls back in the court. Already in his first service game, Dolgopolov put to use the 1-2 punch, following up his serve with a winner attempt or an aggressive shot, enough to send an early message to Berdych: he was not going to play the match on his opponent’s terms. As he confirmed later, playing aggressive was the one clear idea he had before going into the match. Once he held his serve, he remained unpredictable, mostly avoiding longer, hard-hitting, monotonous rallies which would have given Berdych rhythm. He worked the angle cross-courts, followed by hard flat down-the-line winner attempts. He utilized his sizzling slices, well-known drop shots, keeping Berdych off-balance, not allowing him to direct traffic during points. He even did something rare on a few occasions which is to all of a sudden move into the court during the rally, and almost half-volley the ball and follow it up to the net in order to rush Berdych (if you have access to match replay, watch the 6-4 4-2, 15-30 point on Berdych’s serve for an example of this). These patterns left Berdych unsure of what was to come next and unable to plant his feet to unleash his ground strokes. Again, if you have access to replay, the point at 6-4 2-1 40-15 is a wonderful example of a long rally during which Dolgopolov uses a wide variety of shots and effects on the ball, always keeping Berdych on the stretch, eventually forcing him into an error.

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Surprisingly, Dolgopolov said he did not have any specific pre-planned patterns as he stepped on the court for the match, other than playing an overall aggressive game: “I mean, I was just finding ways to win the rallies. I did not have a really set-up plan on how to play him because he is solid from the baseline. It’s tough to find ways with him. I was searching for what is best for me on this day. I think I was very good at hitting angles on my forehand and that was probably the key in the match. But I can’t say that there was a specific tactic you know. I know he is an all-around player. He does not give you a lot of easy points and he does not have bad shots. It was more about what he will show today and what I will show. I played him a few times. You can see if he is playing good or not. If he feels uncomfortable than you try to make him play more. Obviously, I had more or less a tactic that I wanted to play aggressive, but then, I was just looking to see what happens on the court.” In retrospect, it is so true that when a certain pattern worked in his favor, Dolgopolov looked to repeat it as much as he could. But those patterns were discovered as the match progressed and not planned in advance. The point is that Dolgopolov’s case, at least in this match, shows that we should not universally assume that every player goes into a match with a detailed scheme already mapped out in their head.

During the match, a problem that has existed for years in the Western & Southern Open once again resurfaced. When Berdych and Dolgopolov started their match, Serena Williams and Ana Ivanovic were expected to begin their match shortly after on the adjacent Center Court. Until the women began their match, loud announcements and music could clearly be heard from the Grandstand. Other players have complained about this in the past, as well as earlier in the week. It was no exception with the two men who had to play until 4-3 in the first set with that noise, at which point the match started on Center Court and the music stopped. Until then, both Dolgopolov and Berdych complained several time to the chair umpire about it. Dolgopolov voiced his anger twice in the early games, and Berdych followed suit, especially after he went down a break at 2-4. “I thought it was disrespectful you know” Dolgopolov said, “I understand that it’s the Center Court but it was too loud. Both of us said it a few times. There has been also other things in this tournament with which I am not happy [would not elaborate]. It’s their choice. I mean, it’s their choice if they want to make the players happy or make the money and do what they care about. Our job is to go out and play. Nothing changes if you are not happy with something.”

On Saturday, Dolgopolov will face the ultimate challenge when he walks on the Center Court to take on the world number 1 Novak Djokovic in the first semifinal match scheduled for 1 PM. Djokovic is well aware of his opponent. He said that although his prepration remains the same on match days, he will do specific things during the morning warm-up in preparation for his opponent because he is a “different player” than the one he face today (Wawrinka). In any case, one thing is certain: Dolgopolov will no longer have the luxury to remain under the radar to his opponents, the media, or the fans.

Note: Watch for commentary posts here and stay tuned to MT-Desk on Twitter for frequent live updates.

David Goffin: Adjusting to Higher Expectations

ATP Players 2 Comments
Source: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

David Goffin first made a name for himself in 2012, as a 21-year old, when he reached the fourth round of the French Open as a qualifier, and eventually lost to his childhood hero Roger Federer. Then, last year, he went on a tear in the summer, winning 34 out of 36 matches, a stretch that included three challenger and two ATP Event titles, establishing himself as a top 30 player. Steady progress and consistent results have propelled the Belgian to the number 14 position entering the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati this week.

So far, in the ATP 1000 event in Cincinnati, he is keeping his end of the bargain as the 13th seed. On Wednesday, he defeated the dangerous Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-4 7-6 to earn a spot in the third round where he will face the world number 1 player Novak Djokovic. He played his “A” game, staying solid from the baseline and forcing Verdasco to take risks which led to a few winners, but also to a cluster of errors by his opponent.

When I asked him about how he managed to handle a “loose-cannon” adversary like Verdasco, he said that he was well aware of what awaited him: “If he does not make mistakes, it’s very difficult to control his ball. You have to really try to make him overplay and miss, while you remain aggressive. If you are not up to the task, he takes matters into his own hands and complicates everything for you. So I tried not to back up during the rallies, make him move, especially on his backhand side because everyone knows that it is the less-effective side. But we also know that his forehand is really great. I tried to play the right zones, keep the ball deep, and play aggressive so that he does not seize control of the point and misses a bit. There are rallies like the ones at the end of the first set that he wins, then you can only say “well played” – Verdasco uncharacteristically outlasted Goffin in two consecutive long rallies in the tenth game before finally losing it, and the set 6-4. Then again, if he was playing every point like those, he would not be where he currently is [Verdasco is ranked 43].”

Most players have an off-season period in the middle of the year to fine-tune their games and rest their bodies. Goffin did not have such luxury this year. He nevertheless seems happy with his game’s progress: “For now, things are working out ok. I try to work on playing my game on my terms, play aggressive. Obviously if I have to run a lot and stay far behind the baseline, I am clearly not as good. So I try to play with my weapons, which are my return, my footwork, my speed, the quality of my shots while playing fast to find a rhythm in rallies that bothers other players. I try to improve my forward movement; I think the most important thing is that I stay aggressive.”

That being said, Goffin also knows that with his higher ranking, he will also have to revamp his schedule next year: “There are always small blocks of time during which you can work on your physical preparation or work on your game, such as the period after Wimbledon. But, in my case, I had already engaged to play this tournament. I signed up for it 6 weeks ago. It is hard to change and not go, after that. And then, on grass, you never know how it will go. As for me, last year I went back to clay courts last year after grass. I played well in Challengers and won, and then I won Kitzbuhel. So, this year I had decided to go back again to clay courts after Wimbledon. When I made those plans, I did not know that I was going to reach the finals at s’Hertogenbosch [on grass] and the 4th round at Wimbledon, and that the grass season was going to turn out to be that draining. So, it’s true that when I see my latest results on clay, after Rome, Roland Garros, and the grass-court season, it would have served me well to have a break now. I still had good post-Wimbledon clay-court season, I still reached the finals in Gstaad after Wimbledon. It’s a scheduling choice, but I think one that we have to reconsider next year.”

He still looks forward to the US Open and the Davis Cup. Belgium is in the semifinals of Davis Cup for the first time since 1999, and there is a lot expected out of the 24-year-old top Belgian player. According to Goffin, although being the most accomplished men’s tennis player in the history of Belgian tennis does not necessarily pique the curiosity of the tennis fans at his home, largely due to the success of women such as Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin who have both attained the number 1 ranking in the world, he admits that going further in Davis Cup could add to his career: “It could be an exceptional moment if we could reach the finals or do better.”

For now, the question revolves more around how to stay fresh physically than how to handle the added pressure of reaching an elevated status. When asked if he felt the weight of any extra pressure, he responded: “Not necessarily. I will try to do my best just like I do at any other tournament, so there is not really any particular extra pressure. I will be seeded at the US Open, so maybe more will be expected out of me. I suppose that in Davis Cup people will expect a lot from me, especially the two singles points for the team, that’s clear. Well, I will try to manage this pressure well. In any case, I deal with pressure a lot better now than in the past. I am also excited. I played a lot of matches in the last few months. To stay fresh will be the most important. My confidence is there, but I will need to endure matches that require three sets to win.”

The most daunting challenge for Goffin in the immediate future will be his next round opponent Novak Djokovic. They are scheduled to play the second match on Center Court and a win against the Serb would put Goffin under the spotlight more than ever. For his part, the larger goal remains the same: “I don’t function in terms of results, but rather in quality of my game. I will try to produce my best tennis the rest of this summer.”

Note: Watch for commentary posts here and stay tuned to MT-Desk on Twitter for frequent live updates from Cincinnati.

Monday at “Cincy Tennis”… Briefly…

ATP & WTA No Comments

Here is a brief summary of Monday, and I mean “brief” because the rain delay forced a late finish, with the last match between Irina-Camelia Begu and Alize Cornet just finishing moments ago, little before 1 AM. The talented Romanian took out Cornet in straight sets, 6-4 6-4.

While there were a couple of close matches, in general, Monday’s action was lackluster, with only a few matches that went to distance or provided high-quality tennis. It almost seemed like the spectators on the ground were more interested in what was happening outside the matches. Let me travel into the terrain of exaggeration and claim that more people watched Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Nick Kyrgios practice than the tournament matches (first two for obvious reasons, the third for the infamous comment directed at Wawrinka during their match last week). See below the crowds at the Nadal and Federer practices, and keep in mind that people on top are watching them practice rather than the matches on the Grandstand. During Nadal’s practice (on top), Gilles Simon and Ivo Karlovic were playing, and during Federer’s (bottom), Wimbledon finalist Garbine Muguruza was busy getting upset by Yaroslava Shvedova.

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And here is a panoramic clip view of the crowd for Federer’s practice.

That was not all. There was a man who had everything planned to propose to his companion (named Michele according to the large banner he had made that said: “Michele, will you marry me?”) during Federer’s practice! She did say “Yes,” and he insisted that Roger hears about it!

Federer finished his practice. Fabio Fognini arrived on the court (with a clean cut and shave) and began his preparation for his encounter vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis later.
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Fognini practiced for about 5 minutes in front a full crowd, because Federer was still on the court chatting with a youngster and Severin Luthi while getting his stuff together. When Roger left through the door on the other side, the crowd evacuated the stands so abruptly that 3 minutes later, Fabio found himself hitting in front of about 20 people. His clean look did not change his on-court personality much, as he argued with the umpire and gave fans grief during his three-set loss to Kokkinakis in the evening.

As the night settled, Roberto Bautista-Agut who is currently ranked 22, and has been within the top 20 for most of the past 12 months, walked through the grounds and the crowds to the furthest court possible (Ct. 4) to play his match, without anybody noticing him. He played a great match against Pablo Cuevas, another regular top-30 player (currently 36) who is also “anonymous” to most fans. Bautista-Agut won in straight sets, 6-3 6-4, advancing to meet Federer next, in what is guaranteed to be a more “visible” encounter on his part.

Later, Alison Riske and Elina Svitolina played on Stadium 3. The first two tightly contested sets were a pleasure to watch. At the end of 1 hour and 37 minutes (and past 11:30 PM), the score was even at one set all. The promise of a thrilling third set quickly disappeared as Svitolina ran away with the third set (6-0) in less than 30 minutes.
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Begu and Cornet were the only ones left playing well past midnight. Tuesday has some explosive matches on the schedule. At 11 AM, there will already be three matches that promise some fireworks. On the Grandstand, two youngsters that are deemed to be an important part of the ATP’s future, Borna Coric and Alexander Zverev (both 18 years old), will battle for a spot in the second round against Stan Wawrinka. On Stadium 3, Nick Kyrgios and Richard Gasquet (remember their epic battles at Wimbledon?) will face each other. On Center Court, the in-form Sloan Stephens will do everything she can to keep the 10th seed Carla Suarez-Navarro out-of-form. Roger Federer vs. Bautista-Agut, Ana Ivanovic vs. Venus Williams, Angelique Kerber vs. Belinda Bencic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Fernando Verdasco, Alexandr Dolgopolov vs. Bernard Tomic, Kevin Anderson vs. Leonardo Mayer, and Daria Gavrilova vs. Sara Errani, are some of the other notable matches scheduled for Tuesday. Bring it on!

Note: Watch for commentary posts here and stay tuned to MT-Desk on Twitter for frequent live updates.

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