tennis gut

2013 US Open Women’s Preview – 23 Aug 2013 Serena Williams So Serena has lost only 4 times in the last 12 months (72-4), and only twice in the last 6 months.  Who could possibly choose against her on home turf at the US Open?  Plus she is defending champion.  She’s been chewing up opponents in dominating fashion. But just when you think she’s done flossing opponents out of her teeth, she’ll lose to a world #24 at Wimbledon (Lisicki), or a #25 at the Australian (Stephens)... both losses, notably, at the slams.  She’s also lost twice to Victoria Azarenka (Doha, Cincy).  So the field has to have a glimmer of hope.  Serena is not exactly young anymore.  She’s the oldest woman to be ranked #1 on the computer, and the losses, especially to Lisicki, made her look uncertain, tentative, unsure of her skills, and in short, old.  All the more remarkable then that she’s still winning so much. She lost at Cincinnati last year and went on ...

2013 US Open – Men’s Preview So who exactly is the favourite?  Nadal has been blitzing summer hard courts, Murray is the defending US champion and winner at Wimbledon, and Djokovic is usually regarded as the best hard-court player of this generation.  As I start writing I feel bewildered about how this US Open might turn out... vacillating like a Danish prince with a relative to avenge...  What can we tease from the trends of the last few months?  Is Murray plump for a let down?  Have Nadal and his knees become invincible?  Is Federer finished?  Will Djokovic shed his malaise like a King of Rohan?  Has Samson Del Potro’s hair regrown enough to regain the strength of 2009? Big Four (?) Novak Djokovic I think Djokovic is afraid of winning too much too soon.  In 2011 he proved he could win 43 matches in a row and 3 grand slams.  But then he finished the year weakly.  Since then he seems to be adopting energ...