Tennis Prose




Mar/17

28

Miami Open Scoops

Belinda Bencic is playing a Challenger in France and I was told she needs to win to make the main draw of Roland Garros. Last year Bencic was a top ten seed in Paris but a back injury last year and foot inflammation earlier this year contributed to her ranking plunge.

Simona Halep’s saving match point victory last night vs Stosur was her first of the sort since three years ago in Doha against Kanepi.

The Lucic-Baroni vs Pliskova quarterfinal will break the three to three head to head deadlock. Pliskova won their first meeting in 2012 in Nassau and Lucic won the last in January at Australian Open QF.

Roger Federer is 5-0 vs Roberto B Agut his fourth round opponent has never won a set in twelve sets vs RF.

Jim Martz of Florida Tennis broke the story last week regarding the Miami Open being sold by IMG to Dolphins owner Steve Ross and relocating to a new venue to be constructed near the NFL stadium.

Halep quote last night: “I never give up. I may look like I do sometimes but I never give up. I always try my best.”

Nick Kyrgios quotes on new mindset: “I think you can just tell the way I’m competing. I think that just shows where I am mentally at the moment. I’m just trying to take it day by day. I’m not trying to think ahead. Davis Cup next week. I’m not thinking too far ahead. Then I have a week off. I’m just taking it day by day. Trying as hard as I can.1490726417862-539292248

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20 comments

  • Scoop malinowski · March 28, 2017 at 5:12 pm

    Mladenovic (w Kuznetsova) just lost in doubles to Peng Hlavackova 16 57. Mladenovic could have taken no 1 away from Mattek Sands by winning two more matches in Miami. Caro Garcia is 4 currently but shes now focusing on singles. Hingis is at 8. Peng who was the best player on court today is at 14.

  • Hartt · March 28, 2017 at 5:20 pm

    Other results today for women’s doubles: Mirza/Strycova over King/Shvedova and Dabrowski/Xu over Arruabarrena/Liang.

  • Scoop malinowski · March 28, 2017 at 5:49 pm

    I saw parts of all three of these doubles. Mirza down early break but roared back. Dabrowski and lefty Xu were too good. Sweet Dabrowski bh pass winner off a very deep ball on the third match point on a deciding point after Dabrowski blew a double match point 40-15 lead with a double dault and barely long slice approach down middle.

  • Scoop malinowski · March 28, 2017 at 5:57 pm

    Sock beat Donaldson decisively and just four reporters came to his press conf in the main room (three American). Only one (Aussie) came to interview Sock after he beat Vesely at 11 pm. American sports editors and media just not giving proper credit respect to Sock who next faces Rafa who he almost beat in China in three sets.

  • Andrew Miller · March 28, 2017 at 7:19 pm

    Prediction: Sock takes out Nadal. No Miami crown for the Mallorcan in a defeat that reminds him of Roddick’s run in 2010.

  • Scoop malinowski · March 28, 2017 at 7:35 pm

    Agree Andrew I believe Socks big BIG win is inevitable and Rafa could get blitzed. Sock is on fire. Just beat Granollers Dodig for SF slot against Bryans.

  • Hartt · March 28, 2017 at 8:18 pm

    If Sock does win over Rafa, and I agree that is a real possibility, I bet there will be lots of reporters at his press conference then!

    Today we saw examples of the youthful oldie, Fed, winning over RBA even though Roger was not at his best, and the youngster and future star, Sascha Zverev, win over Stan. Sascha is still a few weeks from his 20th birthday and I think he will continue to improve at a fast rate.

  • Andrew Miller · March 28, 2017 at 8:53 pm

    The big test: Sock, Zverev Alex, or Kyrgios winning Miami. One of them does this that changes the sport for the men’s game.

  • Andrew Miller · March 28, 2017 at 9:02 pm

    That said Nadal has a say here. He could feel this is his last and best chance to grab Miami, erase the bad taste of losing several finals here. That’s a powerful motivator for a man who has done it all!

  • Scoop Malinowski · March 28, 2017 at 9:45 pm

    Agree Hartt – All Sock needs is to beat a Big Five superstar and then the press perception of Sock will forever be changed – the press is still skeptical and sports editors don’t believe in Sock (yet) – Could all change this week –

  • Andrew Miller · March 28, 2017 at 11:42 pm

    Wozniaki again, Safarova played well. I love how Safarova plays, as i think Wozniaki is the Danish Clijsters, no doubt about it Wozniaki looking for big wins these days.

  • Thomas Tung · March 29, 2017 at 12:36 am

    My guess is that a lot of American sports editors are suffering from “post-Roddick” burnout due to the lack of young Americans in the Top 20, let alone the Top 10 (unfortunately John Isner and Jack Sock don’t make for good copy in their books, as opposed to the temperamental and testy Roddick).

    So those guys are just hedging their bets until some young gun finally breaks into the Top 10.

  • catherine bell · March 29, 2017 at 3:35 am

    Sorry to read elsewhere that Venus W is in favour of OCC. All players seem to toe the WTA party line on any topic so no surprise there.

    I’d like Angie to win because I think she deserves to – has really tried to climb out of her slump since the AO.
    But probably Venus in a night match on her home turf. It’s funny but Kerber seems to irritate people sometimes. I’m not sure if it’s her game or her – or why.

    Konta will want to get one over Simona before Fed Cup.And vice versa.

  • Scoop malinowski · March 29, 2017 at 7:50 am

    Sports editors in usa dont seem to love tennis. Way down on their totem poles. Sock and Isner just dont light their Christmas trees. Sock has the potential though as he is a bright witty funny guy. Isner is too though.

  • Andrew Miller · March 29, 2017 at 9:28 am

    Thomas, the biggest names care in a passive way as far as I cam tell. It’s either the death of tennis or its rebirth, and sports writers alternate between the extremes. In 2014 it was oh my goodness the second best American man I ranked #67!!! Sound the alarm! Fire Patrick McEnroe!!! (as a fan here I was like yeah definitely ask Pat McEnroe and tell him to stop playing favorites!).
    But now, with way more than two American men in the top 70 in the world, and a suite of young men ready to raid ATP tournaments as they keep improving, there’s no narrative at all. Us men’s tennis is neither at its heights or at its lowest point, it’s an under the radar story acknowledged by the better tennis writers bloggers and fans. We wont have Bob Costa singing us men’s tennis praises anytime soon.
    But, just like Germany had a big story coming with Kerber, and likely one with Zverev the younger, so too the States if major publications wanted to pay attention.
    And look at it another way – the us tennis market is enormous. Losing tournaments every year has gutted one of the reasons American players could make a go of it. Tournaments have closed in many major cities. But it’s still a crucial market with four nig tournaments.

  • Andrew Miller · March 29, 2017 at 9:35 am

    Or, American men have won three ATP titles already. None by Isner. It’s not an enormous story but it real.

  • Andrew Miller · March 29, 2017 at 9:42 am

    Example, only ONE blog in the entire world called Harrison to beat Raonic at the us open and make it back to the top fifty. That was this blog.

  • Scoop malinowski · March 29, 2017 at 1:01 pm

    Thanks for the acknowledgement Andrew. And Im also feeling a Sock upset tonight. Rumble young man rumble.

  • Thomas Tung · March 29, 2017 at 1:59 pm

    Andrew, you know how it is — Americans don’t “dominate” tennis, so American sports editors/major TV networks won’t show enough tennis (with notable exceptions being golf and the Olympics, with its unique once-every-4-years format). At least MLS Men’s Soccer is slowly-but-surely growing (slow but steady wins the race?).

  • Bryan · April 1, 2017 at 3:26 pm

    “American sports editors are suffering from “post-Roddick” burnout due to the lack of young Americans in the Top 20.”

    Partly true, but also the sport isn’t on mainstream American media’s radar unless we have a world top 5 who contends for majors. The only exception is Tiafoe. If Fritz or Opelka continue to rise they’ll ignore it whereas if Tiafoe had a similar rise to Fritz they’d be all over him.

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