tennis gut

Iga Swiatek is far and away the leader on the WTA computer, with more than double the points of #2 Ons Jabeur.  But is Swiatek the favourite for the Australian Open title?   First Quarter Swiatek (seeded 1) is the bookies’ favourite for the title, by some margin, and justifiably so.   She has been the most reliable performer of the past year, and was only beaten by Barty in last year’s semi-final at this tournament.   And then by February, she started on the streak, the four 1000, slam-winning extravaganza that anchored her year and separated her from the pack.   But the last six months have brought her down to earth a bit more.   She looks more like just ‘one of’ the upper echelon.   That echelon probably includes Garcia, Sabalenka, and Pegula – who all have recent wins over Iga – as well as Jabeur. But none of those other four have won a slam, which is a significant hurdle to cross.   So even if she is one of equals, Swiatek has the advantage of knowing what it feels like to

Djokovic is back in Australia at the tournament he’s won nine times, and Nadal returns as defending champion in a state of relative fitness.  Will this old guard hold off the new generation for one more year?   First Quarter Rafael Nadal (seeded 1) claims he is in reasonable health, and a healthy Nadal is always a threat for the title. His ball-striking talent, match strategy, and speed, are world class; and his mental toughness may be the greatest ever.   But how fragile is his health? He’s lost six of his last seven tour matches and has a very tough draw.   He opens against Jack Draper , an up and coming British 21-year old who rose from a ranking of #262 last year to #40 now, while claiming wins over Tsitsipas and Auger Aliassime.   It’s a rough road for both players, but a fresh Nadal should prevail.   The second and third rounds don’t get much easier, and by the fourth, Nadal could face Tiafoe who beat him in the US Open last year. Frances Tiafoe (16) has all kinds of weap