2013/05/22

2013 Australian Open Women’s Contender Profiles

Victoria Azarenka Taste of Tennis

Profiles of the top Women’s Singles contenders for the 2013 Australian Open. Note: Grand Slam records for main draw matches only.  – by Jack Cunniff     http://twitter.com/jrcunniff

 

1. Victoria Azarenka

2012 Record:  69-12

Grand Slam Record:  73-27

Australian Open Record:  21-6

Australian Open Best Result:  W (2012) 

Fast Fact:  Azarenka has won 13 of her 14 titles in straight sets (def. Li 2012 Sydney in three sets).

 

2. Maria Sharapova

2012 Record:  60-11

Grand Slam Record:  137-34

Australian Open Record:  34-8

Australian Open Best Result:  W (2008)

Fast Fact:  Sharapova’s 2012 season was her most successful in terms of Grand Slam match wins (21) and tied for her best season in terms of victories over Top Ten opponents (14).

 

3. Serena Williams

2012 Record:  58-4

Grand Slam Record:  225-34

Australian Open Record:  54-7

Australian Open Best Result:  W (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010)

Fast Fact:  If she can win her 57th Australian Open match in the Third Round, Serena will pass Lindsay Davenport for most match wins at the event (Open Era).

 

4. Agnieszka Radwanska

2012 Record:  59-19

Grand Slam Record:  63-26

Australian Open Record:  15-6

Australian Open Best Result:  QF (2008, 2011, 2012)

Fast Fact: Radwanska became the sixth woman to win two Australian Open warm-up events since the event moved to January in 1988, and the second to achieve that without dropping a set (Smashnova, 2002).

 

5. Angelique Kerber

2012 Record:  60-22

Grand Slam Record:  26-20

Australian Open Record:  5-5

Australian Open Best Result:  3R (2010, 2012)

Fast Fact:  Kerber’s opening round match at the Australian Open will be her 500th match as a professional (316-183).

 

6. Na Li

2012 Record:  42-17

Grand Slam Record:  65-25

Australian Open Record:  21-7

Australian Open Best Result:  RU (2011)

Fast Fact:  While Li struggled in Grand Slam events in 2012, she tied with Radwanska for the second best win total (26) at the Premier level events, trailing only Azarenka (28).

 

7. Sara Errani

2012 Record:  55-22

Grand Slam Record:  32-21

Australian Open Record:  8-5

Australian Open Best Result: QF (2012) 

Fast Fact:  Errani won more Grand Slam matches in 2012 (17) than she had won through her entire career prior to 2012 (15).

 

8. Petra Kvitova

2012 Record:  46-17

Grand Slam Record:  45-17

Australian Open Record:  10-4

Australian Open Best Result:  SF (2012)

Fast Fact:  Kvitova has won only three of her last 10 matches.

 

9. Samantha Stosur

2012 Record:  44-24

Grand Slam Record:  59-37

Australian Open Record:  14-10

Australian Open Best Result:  4R (2006, 2010)

Fast Fact:  Stosur holds a sub-.500 match record in Australia (33-37), but has a winning percentage over 60% outside of her homeland; she currently has a five match losing streak in Australia.

 

10. Caroline Wozniacki

2012 Record:  50-21

Grand Slam Record:  61-23

Australian Open Record:  17-5

Australian Open Best Result:  SF (2011)

Fast Fact:  Wozniacki has lost her last three matches in Grand Slams, and will lose her fourth straight if she falls to Sabine Lisicki in the First Round (1-2 head-to-head record).

 

11. Marion Bartoli

2012 Record:  41-25

Grand Slam Record:  69-44

Australian Open Record:  13-11

Australian Open Best Result:  QF (2009)

Fast Fact:  Bartoli has spent 292 consecutive weeks ranked in the Top Twenty (since July 2007), the longest active streak among all players.

 

12. Nadia Petrova

2012 Record:  39-19

Grand Slam Record: 109-50 

Australian Open Record:  27-13

Australian Open Best Result:  QF (2006, 2010)

Fast Fact:  Two-thirds of Petrova’s 2012 match wins came in the second half of the year, after the French Open.

 

 

 

 

 

13. Ana Ivanovic

2012 Record:  37-21

Grand Slam Record:  79-31

Australian Open Record:  17-8

Australian Open Best Result:  RU (2008)

Fast Fact: Since winning the 2008 French Open, Ivanovic has defeated only one Top Twenty opponent in a Grand Slam event (def. Stosur, 2009 French Open).

 

25. Venus Williams

2012 Record:  24-9

Grand Slam Record:  212-49

Australian Open Record:  39-12

Australian Open Best Result:  RU (2003)

Fast Fact:  Venus’ last appearance at the Australian Open was her only retirement in a Grand Slam match (lost to Petkovic, 3R, 2011).

 

uns. Svetlana Kuznetsova

2012 Record:  16-13

Grand Slam Record:  117-39  

Australian Open Record:  27-11

Australian Open Best Result:  QF (2005, 2009)

Fast Fact:  This is the first Grand Slam event where Kuznetsova has been unseeded since the 2003 French Open, ending a streak of 37 consecutive Slams where she’s been seeded.

 

 

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2013 Australian Open Men’s Contender Profiles

Novak Djokovic

Profiles of the top Men’s Singles contenders for the 2013 Australian Open. Note: Grand Slam records for main draw matches only.  – by Jack Cunniff     http://twitter.com/jrcunniff

 

1. Novak Djokovic

2012 Record: 75-12

Grand Slam Record: 134-27

Australian Open Record: 32-5

Australian Open Best Result:  W (2008, 2011, 2012)

Fast Fact: Djokovic could reach his 15th consecutive Slam quarterfinal, and 11th consecutive Slam semifinal in Melbourne, placing him alone in 2nd place behind Federer in both categories.

 

2. Roger Federer

2012 Record: 71-12

Grand Slam Record: 247-37

Australian Open Record:  63-9

Australian Open Best Result:  W (2004, ’06, ’07, ‘10)

Fast Fact: The only players entered in the draw that Federer has lost to at the Australian Open are Djokovic and Haas.

 

3. Andy Murray

2012 Record:  56-16

Grand Slam Record: 100-27

Australian Open Record: 23-7

Australian Open Best Result:  RU (2010, 2011)

Fast Fact:  Murray achieved his 100th Grand Slam match win by defeating Djokovic in the U.S. Open Finals.

 

4. David Ferrer

2012 Record: 76-15

Grand Slam Record:  92-40

Australian Open Record:  23-10

Australian Open Best Result:  SF (2011)

Fast Fact:   Ferrer has reached the 4th Round in ten consecutive Grand Slam events.

 

5. Tomas Berdych

2012 Record:  61-23

Grand Slam Record:  77-37

Australian Open Record:  20-9

Australian Open Best Result:  QF (2011, 2012)

Fast Fact: Seven of Berdych’s nine losses at the Australian Open have come against players ranked among the Top Six.

 

6. Juan Martin Del Potro

2012 Record:  65-17

Grand Slam Record:  54-22

Australian Open Record:  14-6

Australian Open Best Result:  QF (2009, 2012)

Fast Fact:  In the last 12 months Del Potro has lost only twice to players outside of the Top Ten (Stepanek, Llodra).

7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

2012 Record:  55-25

Grand Slam Record:  62-21

Australian Open Record: 20-6

Australian Open Best Result:  RU (2008)

Fast Fact:  Tsonga is on a 12 match losing streak against Top Ten opponents.

 

8. Janko Tipsarevic

2012 Record:  57-28

Grand Slam Record:  41-35

Australian Open Record:  9-8

Australian Open Best Result:  3R (2008, 2012)

Fast Fact:  Tipsarevic has lost only eight five-set matches in his career, but five of them have been at the Australian Open.

 

9. Richard Gasquet

2012 Record:  42-22

Grand Slam Record:  54-32

Australian Open Record:  13-9

Australian Open Best Result:  4R (2007, 2008, 2012)

Fast Fact:  In the last 20 months, Gasquet has played 98 matches, but only once against a fellow Frenchman (def. Simon, 2012 Bangkok).

 

10. Nicolas Almagro

2012 Record:  59-24

Grand Slam Record:  47-33

Australian Open Record:  11-8

Australian Open Best Result:  4R (2010, 2011, 2012)

Fast Fact:  Almagro’s 59 match wins in 2012 far exceeded his previous best (47 wins in 2011), and were the sixth most for the season, trailing Ferrer, Djokovic, Federer, Del Potro, and Berdych.

 

11. Juan Monaco

2012 Record:  39-19

Grand Slam Record: 24-31

Australian Open Record:  6-8

Australian Open Best Result:  3R (2008, 2010)

Fast Fact:  Monaco has never defeated a Top Fifty opponent at the Australian Open (0-6).

 

12. Marin Cilic

2012 Record:  39-19

Grand Slam Record:  44-22

Australian Open Record:  14-5

Australian Open Best Result:  SF (2010)

Fast Fact:  Of the players entered in 2013, Cilic has the fifth best match winning percentage at the Australian Open, trailing Federer, Djokovic, Tsonga, and Murray.

 

 

 

13. Milos Raonic

2012 Record:  45-20

Grand Slam Record:  12-8

Australian Open Record:  5-2

Australian Open Best Result:  4R (2011)

Fast Fact:  Since upsetting Andy Murray in Tokyo, Raonic has a 2-5 record in ATP matches, and was 0-3 at the Kooyong exhibition.

 

18. Alexandr Dolgopolov

2012 Record:  34-25

Grand Slam Record:  17-11

Australian Open Record:  6-2

Australian Open Best Result:  QF (2011)

Fast Fact:  Dolgopolov has only three wins over Top Ten opponents, although one of those wins came at the Australian Open (def. Soderling, 2011 4R).

 

19. Tommy Haas

2012 Record:  31-16

Grand Slam Record:  95-49

Australian Open Record:  26-11

Australian Open Best Result:  SF (1999, 2002, 2007)

Fast Fact:  This is Haas’ 51st appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam event, tied for 16th place in the open era, and trailing only Federer and Hewitt among active players.

 

20. Sam Querrey

2012 Record:  37-26

Grand Slam Record: 23-23

Australian Open Record:  5-6

Australian Open Best Result:  3R (2007, 2008)

Fast Fact:  Thirty of Querrey’s 37 match wins in 2012 came in the second half of the year, after the French Open.

 

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Australian Open Trivia

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By Jack Cunniff

Australian Open Trivia  – In advance of the 2013 Australian Open, test your knowledge of the event and its contestants.  For more tennis trivia throughout the event – and all year long – follow Jack Cunniff on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jrcunniff

Also check our right sidebar for a tennis trivia widget.

1. Who was the last Australian to appear in an Australian Open singles final?

(a)   Lleyton Hewitt

(b)   Samantha Stosur

(c)   Patrick Rafter

(d)   Evonne Goolagong

(e)   Mark Philippoussis

 

 2. Which Hall-of-Famer never appeared in an Australian Open final?

(a)   Guillermo Vilas

(b)   Boris Becker

(c)   John McEnroe

(d)   Michael Chang

(e)   Jimmy Connors

 

3. Which of these players never won three consecutive Australian Open Women’s Singles titles?

(a)   Martina Hingis

(b)   Monica Seles

(c)   Evonne Goolagong

(d)   Steffi Graf

(e)   Martina Navratilova

 

4. Who is the only player to win an Australian Open singles title on both grass and hard courts?

(a)   Boris Becker

(b)   Hana Mandlikova

(c)   Steffi Graf

(d)   Mats Wilander

(e)   Martina Navratilova

 

 5. Which player has won the most Australian Open singles titles in the Open Era?

(a)   Federer

(b)   Sampras

(c)   Serena Williams

(d)   Graf

(e)   Agassi

 

6. The most recent Australian Open Mixed Doubles title that featured both partners representing the same country was:

(a)   USA

(b)   Russia

(c)   India

(d)   Belarus

(e)   South Africa

 

 

7. Who were the last two men to repeat as finalists in an Australian Open singles final?

(a)   Becker/Sampras

(b)   Courier/Edberg

(c)   Agassi/Kafelnikov

(d)   Federer/Nadal

(e)   Denton/Kriek

 

8. Which player reached the Finals of the Australian Open in every singles appearance?

(a)   Monica Seles

(b)   Chris Evert

(c)   Evonne Goolagong

(d)   Margaret Court

(e)   Martina Hingis

 

9. In which year did the Australian Open expand to a 128-player singles draw?

(a)   1985

(b)   1987

(c)   1988

(d)   1989

 

10. Since moving to hard courts, how many players have won their only Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open?

(a)   1

(b)   2

(c)   3

(d)   4

 

11. Which No. 1 ranked doubles player never won a Women’s Doubles title at the Australian Open?

(a)   Flavia Pennetta

(b)   Paola Suarez

(c)   Natasha Zvereva

(d)   Jana Novotna

(e)   Lindsay Davenport

 

12. How many matches have the Bryan Brothers lost in Melbourne since 2006?

(a)   0

(b)   1

(c)   2

(d)   3

 

13. Since the Australian Open was first held in 1905, which is the only city that hasn’t held the tournament?

(a)   Canberra

(b)   Sydney

(c)   Perth

(d)   Brisbane

(e)   Adelaide

 

 

14. Which of these women never reached the singles semifinals of the Australian Open?

(a)   Julie Halard-Decugis

(b)   Belinda Cordwell

(c)   Marianne Werdel-Witmeyer

(d)   Claudia Porwik

 

15. Which of these men never reached the singles semifinals of the Australian Open?

(a)   Jan Gunnarsson

(b)   Malivai Washington

(c)   Patrick McEnroe

(d)   Aaron Krickstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRIVIA ANSWERS

1. Who was the last Australian to appear in an Australian Open singles final?

(a) Lleyton Hewitt, 2005 losing to Marat Safin.

 

2. Which Hall-of-Famer never appeared in an Australian Open final?

(c) John McEnroe. His best finish was a semifinal in 1983.

 

3. Which of these players never won three consecutive Australian Open Women’s Singles titles?

(e) Martina Navratilova. Navratilova won titles in 1981, 1983, and 1985.

 

4. Who is the only player to win an Australian Open singles title on both grass and hard courts?

(d) Mats Wilander. He won titles on grass in 1983 and 1984, and hard courts in 1988.

 

5. Which player has won the most Australian Open singles titles in the Open Era?

(c) Serena Williams, winning five Australian singles titles to date.

 

6. The most recent Australian Open Mixed Doubles title that featured both partners representing the same country was:

(c) India. Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi won the Mixed Doubles title in 2009.

 

7. Who were the last two men to repeat as finalists in an Australian Open singles final?

(b) Courier and Edberg met in the 1992-93 finals, with Courier winning on both occasions.

 

8. Which player reached the Finals of the Australian Open in every singles appearance?

(b) Chris Evert. She reached the finals in all six of her appearances (1974, 1981, 1982, 194, 1985, and 1988.

 

9. In which year did the Australian Open expand to a 128-player singles draw?

(c) 1988, the first year that the event moved to Melbourne (Flinders) Park.

 

10. Since moving to hard courts, how many players have won their only Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open?

(c) 3. Petr Korda (1998), Thomas Johansson (2002) and Victoria Azarenka (2012)

 

11. Which No. 1 ranked doubles player never won a Women’s Doubles title at the Australian Open?

(e) Lindsay Davemport.

 

12. How many matches have the Bryan Brothers lost in Melbourne since 2006?

(c) 2 matches, losing to Bhupathi and Knowles in the 2008 semifinals, and to Paes & Stepanek in the 2012 finals

 

13. Since the Australian Open was first held in 1905, which is the only city that hasn’t held the tournament?

(a) Canberra

 

14. Which of these women never reached the singles semifinals of the Australian Open?

(a) Julie Halard-Decugis. Cordwell (1989), Werdel-Witmeyer (1995), and Porwik (1988) all reached semifinals, while Halard-Decugis’ best finish was QF in 1993 and 2000.

 

15. Which of these men never reached the singles semifinals of the Australian Open?

(b) Malivai Washington. Gunnarsson (1989), Patrick McEnroe (1991) and Krickstein (1995) all reached semifinals, while Washington’s best finish was QF in 1994.

 

 

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2012 US Open Men’s Contender Profiles – Fast Facts with Jack Cunniff

Profiles of the top contenders for the 2012 U.S. Open. Note: Grand Slam records for main draw matches only.  – by Jack Cunniff     http://twitter.com/jrcunniff

 

1. Roger Federer

2012 Record: 56-7

Grand Slam Record: 244-36

U.S. Open Record:  61-7

U.S. Open Best Result:  W (2003–’08)

Fast Fact: Federer has held match points in his last two U.S. Open losses (2010 SF, 2011 SF, both to Djokovic).

 

2. Novak Djokovic

2012 Record: 54-10

Grand Slam Record: 128-26

U.S. Open Record: 33-6

U.S. Open Best Result:  W (2011)

Fast Fact: All of Djokovic’s losses at the U.S. Open have come to former champions, except for his first tournament in 2005 (lost to Verdasco).

 

3. Andy Murray

2012 Record:  40-11

Grand Slam Record: 93-27

U.S. Open Record: 22-7

U.S. Open Best Result:  RU (2008)

Fast Fact:  Since the U.S. Open was moved to hard court, Murray is one of two players (Chang) to have won both Masters events (Canada and Cincinnati) leading into the Open, but not the U.S. Open.

 

4. David Ferrer

2012 Record: 53-11

Grand Slam Record:  87-39

U.S. Open Record:  18-9

U.S. Open Best Result:  SF (2007)

Fast Fact:   Ferrer’s Wimbledon loss to Murray was the only match this year that he lost after winning the first set (49-1).

 

5. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

2012 Record:  40-16

Grand Slam Record:  61-20

U.S. Open Record: 11-4

U.S. Open Best Result:  QF (2011)

Fast Fact:  Tsonga has never reached the finals of an event in North America.

 

6. Tomas Berdych

2012 Record:  41-16

Grand Slam Record:  72-36

U.S. Open Record:  16-9

U.S. Open Best Result:  4R (2004, ’06-‘07)

Fast Fact: Berdych has never defeated a Top Twenty opponent at the U.S. Open.

 

7. Juan Martin Del Potro

2012 Record:  48-13

Grand Slam Record:  50-21

U.S. Open Record:  15-4

U.S. Open Best Result:  W (2009)

Fast Fact:  Del Potro has had to defeat an Argentine countryman in each of his last three U.S. Open appearances (2008, ’09, ’11), but has never played one at another Grand Slam.

 

8. Janko Tipsarevic

2012 Record:  44-18

Grand Slam Record:  37-34

U.S. Open Record:  7-8

U.S. Open Best Result:  QF (2011)

Fast Fact:  Of his seven wins at the U.S. Open, six have come in the last two years.

 

9. John Isner

2012 Record:  41-15

Grand Slam Record: 23-18

U.S. Open Record:  11-5

U.S. Open Best Result:  QF (2011)

Fast Fact:  Isner has 11 career wins against Top Ten opponents, but six of them have come in 2012 (6-2).

 

10. Juan Monaco

2012 Record:  33-13

Grand Slam Record: 24-30

U.S. Open Record:  6-8

U.S. Open Best Result:  4R (2007, ‘11)

Fast Fact:  Monaco is the only Top twenty player with a losing record in Grand Slam tournaments.

 

11. Nicolas Almagro

2012 Record:  49-16

Grand Slam Record:  44-32

U.S. Open Record:  9-7

U.S. Open Best Result:  3R (2007-‘10)

Fast Fact:  Almagro hasn’t played a match on hard courts since Miami (March); no one has ever won the U.S. Open without playing a hard court warm up event.

 

12. Marin Cilic

2012 Record:  30-14

Grand Slam Record:  40-21

U.S. Open Record:  9-5

U.S. Open Best Result:  QF (2009)

Fast Fact:  Cilic, who’s best career win was at the U.S. Open (def. No. 2 Murray, 2009 4r), will be playing in his 200th hard court match in the opening round (129-70).

 

13. Richard Gasquet

2012 Record:  30-17

Grand Slam Record:  51-31

U.S. Open Record:  11-6

U.S. Open Best Result:  4R (2005-’06, ‘10)

Fast Fact:  Gasquet has defeated a higher ranked opponent at a Grand Slam only four times in his career, but two of those wins are in 2012 (def. Tipsarevic  at Australian Open, def. Almagro at Wimbledon).

 

14. Alexandr Dolgopolov

2012 Record:  25-18

Grand Slam Record:  15-10

U.S. Open Record:  3-2

U.S. Open Best Result:  4R (2011)

Fast Fact:  Over a third of Dolgopolov’s Grand Slam matches (9 of 25, or 36%) have been five set matches; he holds a 6-3 record in these matches.

 

15. Milos Raonic

2012 Record:  33-14

Grand Slam Record:  9-7

U.S. Open Record:  0-1

U.S. Open Best Result:  1R (2010)

Fast Fact:  Raonic is looking for his first main draw win at the U.S. Open.

 

20. Andy Roddick

2012 Record:  20-15

Grand Slam Record: 128-44

U.S. Open Record:  40-11

U.S. Open Best Result:  W (2003)

Fast Fact:  Along with Federer, Roddick is seeded at the U.S. Open for the 12th consecutive year; they are tied for 4th on that list with John McEnroe, behind Connors (18), Lendl (14), and Sampras (13). (Agassi’s 16 years were non-consecutive.)

 

21. Tommy Haas

2012 Record:  27-12

Grand Slam Record: 95-48

U.S. Open Record:  32-14

U.S. Open Best Result:  QF (2004, ’06-‘07)

Fast Fact:  Haas has won 496 matches in his career, could reach win No. 500 if he reaches the U.S. Open quarterfinals.

 

23. Mardy Fish

2012 Record:  18-11

Grand Slam Record: 48-37

U.S. Open Record:  15-11

U.S. Open Best Result:  QF (2008)

Fast Fact:  Fish’s win over Juan Monaco in 2012 Toronto was his first Top Ten win since defeating Rafael Nadal a year ago (2011 Cincinnati).

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2012 US Open Women’s Contender Profiles – Fast Facts with Jack Cunniff

Victoria Azarenka

Profiles of the top contenders for the 2012 U.S. Open. Note: Grand Slam records for main draw matches only.  – by Jack Cunniff     http://twitter.com/jrcunniff

 

1. Victoria Azarenka

2012 Record:  48-7

Grand Slam Record:  67-26

U.S. Open Record:  12-6

U.S. Open Best Result:  4R (2007)

Fast Fact:  Azarenka has reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event seven times, but never at the U.S. Open.

 

2. Agnieszka Radwanska

2012 Record:  48-14

Grand Slam Record:  60-25

U.S. Open Record:  10-6

U.S. Open Best Result:  4R (2007-’08)

Fast Fact: In the first half of the year, Radwanska compiled a winning percentage over 80% (44-10, 81.5%), but since Wimbledon has only won half of her matches (4-4, 50%).

 

3. Maria Sharapova

2012 Record:  44-7

Grand Slam Record:  132-33

U.S. Open Record:  24-7

U.S. Open Best Result:  W (2006)

Fast Fact:  In her four appearance at the U.S. Open since winning the title in 2006, Sharapova has three losses in the Third Round to players ranked outside of the Top Twenty (Radwanska, Oudin, Pennetta).

 

4. Serena Williams

2012 Record:  46-4

Grand Slam Record:  218-34

U.S. Open Record:  58-9

U.S. Open Best Result:  W (1999, 2002, ‘08)

Fast Fact:  Serena Williams is the only active player who won a Grand Slam Singles title in the 90s.

 

5. Petra Kvitova

2012 Record:  41-12

Grand Slam Record:  42-16

U.S. Open Record:  5-4

U.S. Open Best Result:  4R (2009)

Fast Fact:  Kvitova managed only two hardcourt summer wins (2-2) leading into the 2011 U.S. Open; but has compiled a 12-1 record headed to the 2012 U.S. Open.

 

6. Angelique Kerber

2012 Record:  53-16

Grand Slam Record:  23-19

U.S. Open Record:  6-4

U.S. Open Best Result:  SF (2011)

Fast Fact:  Since turning pro in 2003 through 2011, Kerber won 58 matches in the main draw of WTA and Grand Slam events; in 2012, she has won 53 matches through Cincinnati.

 

7. Samantha Stosur

2012 Record:  31-17

Grand Slam Record:  55-36

U.S. Open Record:  13-7

U.S. Open Best Result:  W (2011)

Fast Fact:  As the No. 7 seed, Stosur becomes the lowest seeded defending champion in U.S. Open history.

 

8. Caroline Wozniacki

2012 Record:  32-17

Grand Slam Record:  61-22

U.S. Open Record:  20-5

U.S. Open Best Result:  RU (2009)

Fast Fact:  Wozniacki is the only player who has advanced to the second week (Fourth Round) of the U.S. Open in each of the last four years.

 

9. Na Li

2012 Record:  34-12

Grand Slam Record:  62-24

U.S. Open Record:  10-6

U.S. Open Best Result:  QF (2009)

Fast Fact:  Li has not won a U.S. Open match since defeating Schiavone in the Fourth Round of the 2009 event.

 

10. Sara Errani

2012 Record:  47-17

Grand Slam Record:  27-20

U.S. Open Record:  6-5

U.S. Open Best Result: 3R (2009-‘10)

Fast Fact:  Errani is the highest combined (Singles and Doubles) ranked player in the WTA (No. 13, No. 10 in Singles, No. 3 in Doubles).

 

11. Marion Bartoli

2012 Record:  31-20

Grand Slam Record:  64-43

U.S. Open Record:  16-10

U.S. Open Best Result:  4R (2007-‘08)

Fast Fact:  Since ending Azarenka’s 26 match winning streak in Miami, Bartoli has only won half her matches (14-14, 50.0%).

 

12. Ana Ivanovic

2012 Record:  25-15

Grand Slam Record:  74-30

U.S. Open Record:  13-7

U.S. Open Best Result:  4R (2007, ’10-‘11)

Fast Fact:  Ivanovic has not reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event since winning the 2008 French Open.

 

14. Maria Kirilenko

2012 Record:  28-18

Grand Slam Record:  52-35

U.S. Open Record:  15-9

U.S. Open Best Result:  4R (2011)

Fast Fact:  Kirilenko is ranked 53rd on the WTA career prize money list, just $73,000 outside of the Top Fifty, which she will likely crack after the U.S. Open.

 

23. Kim Clijsters

2012 Record:  19-5

Grand Slam Record:  131-30

U.S. Open Record:  37-5

U.S. Open Best Result:  W (2005, ’09-‘10)

Fast Fact:  Clijsters last U.S. Open loss was to Justine Henin in the 2003 finals.

 

uns. Venus Williams

2012 Record:  18-8

Grand Slam Record:  211-48

U.S. Open Record:  60-10

U.S. Open Best Result:  W (2000-’01)

Fast Fact:  All of Venus Williams’ losses at the U.S. Open have been to players that have ranked No. 1 and won the title (Hingis, Davenport, Serena Williams, Henin, Clijsters).

 

 

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Kvitova Holds On To Take Her First New Haven Open Championship

By Jack Cunniff

New Haven Open at Yale– Saturday, August 25, 2012

Summary of Saturday’s Finals at the Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven:

Final: (2) Petra Kvitova def. (7) Maria Kirilenko, 7-6 (9), 7-5

 

The New Haven fans got their money’s worth in the final, as Petra Kvitova snuck past Maria Kirilenko in a closely contested match.  With both players holding set points in both sets, the match truly could have gone either way.

 

The finalists exchanged four service breaks within the opening six games of the match until they settled in at 3-3.  Nerves got the best of Kirilenko, and at 5-5, 30-30, she served two double faults that allowed Kvitova to serve for the first set.  However Kvitova returned the favor with her own double fault to hand the service break back, and the set headed into a tiebreaker.  The tiebreaker was a see-saw battle, with six different set points in total.  Kirilenko’s final backhand pass attempt went slightly wide, and Kvitova captured the opening set, 11-9 in the tiebreaker.

 

Maria Kirilenko

As the second set got underway, it was a very different contest.  There was a noticeable dip in energy, particularly from Kvitova.  After the match, the Czech noted “I was really down physically. I felt like without energy.”  Kirilenko capitalized on this lull in the action. With Kvitova serving 2-2, 40-40, the Russian swept the next eleven points to grab a 5-2 advantage.  Kirilenko served for the set twice, at 5-2 and again at 5-4, but could not convert.  The momentum had shifted back to Kvitova.  Sweeping the last five games, Kvitova earned her second hard court title of the summer, and positioned herself as a top contender for the U.S. Open.

 

Final: (1) Liezel Huber/Lisa Raymond def. (2) Andrea Hlavackova/Lucie Hradecka, 4-6, 6-0, 10-4

 

After starting the season winning four of their first six events, the American pair of Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond were stuck in a twelve event losing streak, a disappointing statistic for the co-No. 1 ranked doubles players.  They made the last minute decision to join the New Haven Open field after an early round loss in Cincinnati.

 

These two teams last met during that losing streak, on the grass of Wimbledon in the semifinals of the 2012 London Summer Olympics.  The Czech duo of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka won that match in straight sets.  Although they were the lower seeded team in the New Haven final, there was no doubt they were capable of winning the Championship.  A break of serve from the No. 2 seeds allowed them to serve out the opening set 6-4, halfway to the title.

 

It’s sometimes said, “the match was closer than the score indicated,” and that was certainly true in the second set.  While the 6-0 set appeared one-sided, each game reached deuce.  Inspired play from Huber and Raymond saw them win the seventh point in every game.  (With Doubles using no-ad scoring, a seventh point is played at 40-40 to determine the winner of the game.)  The shutout set gave Huber and Raymond the confidence to capture the third set super-tiebreak.  The American team jumped to a quick 5-1 lead, and closed out the match for their first title since March.

 

Around the Grounds – Saturday August 25th:

During Petra Kvitova’s on-court interview after winning the title, she confused several people in the crowd when thanking Tournament Director Anne Worcester for the “vodka”.  She was actually thanking Worcester for the “wild card” entry into the event, but with her Czech accent it sounded differently… Maria Kirilenko’s boyfriend Alex Ovechkin, a left wing for the NHL’s Washington Capitals, appeared in her friend’s box today.  At changeovers during the match, several fans ran over for autographs and pictures, which Ovechkin good-naturedly accommodated… In their post-match press conference, Lisa Raymond and Liezel Huber entertained.  Huber expounded on the convenience of renting an apartment during the two weeks of a Grand Slam event, describing herself as a “laundry freak” who was planning to do her own laundry and cooking at her rented New York apartment starting this evening.  And when Raymond was told that her 79 doubles titles placed her ahead of Roger Federer for titles, she exclaimed: “That’s the best stat I’ve heard all day!”

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Wozniacki’s Streak Snapped, Kvitova Serves Her Way to Final

By Jack Cunniff

New Haven Open at Yale– Friday, August 24, 2012

Summary of Friday semifinal action at the Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven:

 

Semifinal: (7) Maria Kirilenko def. (3) Caroline Wozniacki, 7-5, ret.

 

The Caroline Wozniacki winning streak at the New Haven Open ended Friday, through a combination of Maria Kirilenko and an injury to her right knee.  Wozniacki, who had won 20 consecutive matches in New Haven and was undefeated lifetime in the tournament, was questionable for her semifinal after injuring the knee in yesterday’s quarterfinal against Dominika Cibulkova.  However, early reports indicated she had a successful practice in the morning, and would take the court for match.

 

The first set was high quality tennis, with both women combining for over 20 winners.  They held serve comfortably throughout the set, relying on the placement of their serves rather than power.  The first break points of the match didn’t occur until the eleventh game, with Wozniacki serving at 5-5.  Two down-the-line backhand winners for Kirilenko brought her to double break point at 15-40. Wozniacki fought off both break points, the first with an entertaining net exchange punctuated by an open-court volley winner by Wozniacki.  But a return of serve winner by Kirilenko gave her a third break opportunity, one that she would capitalize on.  Kirilenko held serve easily to win the first set, 7-5.

 

As it turned out, it would be the only set.  Wozniacki called for the trainer on the changeover. After having a brief examination, Wozniacki made the decision to retire from the match.  Following the match, Wozniacki was evasive in answering questions about the diagnosis of the injury, and would only offer that she felt the knee getting worse as play continued.  She hopes that with a few days of rest, she will recover and be ready for the U.S. Open next week.

 

Meanwhile, Kirilenko advances to her eleventh career final, her first on U.S. soil.  Regardless of the result of the final, she will reach a career high No. 12 in the rankings next week.

 

Semifinal: (2) Petra Kvitova def. (4) Sara Errani, 6-1, 6-3

 

Petra Kvitova picked up where she left off Thursday, imposing her daunting serve on an overmatched opponent.  And just as in the quarterfinals, her service statistics looked impeccable: eight aces, no double faults, and no break points.  In total, she lost only nine points in her eight service games.  Kvitova has certainly found her groove on serve.

 

Errani was a game competitor.  She tried to run down the Kvitova groundstrokes, and mix up the pace of the rallies.  She acknowledged afterwards the difficulty of the situation, deciding to attempt more powerful shots while risking errors, or trying to prolong points and let Kvitova make mistakes.  But with the Czech playing as well as she did, it’s not certain either strategy would have worked against her.

 

With Kvitova easily holding serve, she was able to take risks on Errani’s service games, and strike winners on her service returns.  She broke the Italian twice in each set, and easily advanced into her second final of 2012.

 

 

Around the Grounds – Friday August 24th:

Prior to tomorrow’s Singles Final, the Doubles Final will be held featuring the world No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams.  Americans Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond, the higher ranked and top-seeded doubles team, will battle the Czech pair of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.  This is a rematch of the 2012 London Olympic semifinal which the Czechs won en route to a silver medal… It was a somber press conference for Caroline Wozniacki, being asked the details of her injury and it’s impact on her U.S. Open prospects, but she did manage a moment of levity.  When asked to look back at her last five years in New Haven and what the tournament has meant to her, Wozniacki laughed: “It sounds like I’m retiring.”… Maria Kirilenko was asked if her boyfriend Alex Ovechkin, left wing for the NHL Washington Capitals, would be in attendance for Saturday’s final, but she was coy in her response: “I don’t know. Can be.”… All three of Petra Kvitova’s New Haven Open matches have been played in the evening session.  When asked about her preference for day of night matches, she admitted that she had asked for night matches.  “In the night, it’s not as hot as during the day. I think tomorrow will be so –so. I hope it will be okay.”

Jack Cunniff is covering the New Haven Open for Tennis Panorama News. Follow his updates on twitter @TennisNewsTPN. His personal twitter is @JRCunniff.

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Kvitova defeats Gibbs in New Haven

 

By Jack Cunniff

New Haven Open – Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Summary of Wednesday evening second round action at the Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven:

 

Second Round: (2) Petra Kvitova def. Nicole Gibbs, 6-2, 6-4

 

The tale of the tape in this match looked like a blowout: world No. 5 Kvitova against No. 312 Gibbs. But while the final result was never really in doubt, the reigning NCAA singles and doubles champion Gibbs was able to put up a fight.

 

Gibbs stayed even in the first set until a long service game at 2-3. She dodged three break points from the former Wimbledon titlist, until Kvitova smacked a backhand return of serve crosscourt on the fourth break point to gain a 4-2 advantage. Kvitova went on a streak, winning six of seven games to lead 6-2, 4-1. Suddenly, as is often the case with Kvitova, she went away long enough for Gibbs to catch up. At 4-4 in the second, Kvitova hit three winners and a 100mph ace to regain the lead and put the pressure back on the American. In another long game, Gibbs was able to move beautifully around the court to hold off three match points, but the power of Kvitova was too much in the end. Kvitova advances to her fifth consecutive quarterfinal appearance, 6-2, 6-4.

 

In the short-term, both Kvitova and Gibbs will be headed to Flushing Meadow to play in the 2012 U.S. Open, but their paths diverge from there. Gibbs plans to return to Stanford for her junior year, although she intends to try to play some professional events, while balancing a full class load. Kvitova, meanwhile, has titles to defend in Linz, Austria, the Tour Championships in Istanbul, and leading the Czech Fed Cup team at home against Serbia in the finals.

 

Around the Grounds – Wednesday August 22nd:

Nicole Gibbs on the quality of college tennis: “I would say at the top level of college tennis, there are a lot of similarities. Otherwise I don’t think I could compete as well at the professional level. It’s definitely a great training ground for the playing professionally just because of the quantity of matches that you get in, and you’re playing back to back, you learn how to get your fitness up. There are definitely differences, playing Kvitova is different than playing any girl on the college tour, but I think it’s been very valuable for me to train at the college level.”… Both players who won the 2012 U.S. Open National Playoff at the Connecticut Tennis Center this weekend lost in the opening round of U.S. Open Qualifying Wednesday. Alexandra Mueller of the United States fell to Beatriz Garcia Vidagany of Spain, 7-5, 6-4, and Clement Reix of France was eliminated by Japan’s Hiroki Moriya, 6-1, 6-3… Time to rethink marketing dollars? When asked about her chances to clinch the U.S. Open Series title with her New Haven result, Petra Kvitova responded, “I’m not caring really about the U.S. Open Series, I’m just looking at the next match.”… Rivalry renewed: The quarterfinal pairing between No. 3 seed Caroline Wozniacki and No. 6 seed Dominika Cibulkova will mark the eleventh time that the two have met, including two other encounters in New Haven, both won by Wozniacki. While the four-time defending champion Wozniacki leads the head-to-head by a 7-3 margin, the last four matches have been split evenly between the two.

Jack Cunniff is covering the New Haven Open for Tennis Panorama News. Follow his updates on twitter @TennisNewsTPN. His personal twitter is @JRCunniff.

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New Haven Open – WTA All-Access Hour

 

By Jack Cunniff

On Sunday, three of the top four seeds of the 2012 New Haven Open met with the press to talk about on a variety of topics. Here are excerpts from those conversations.

 http://youtu.be/UZsLijqwobE

Italy’s Sara Errani, the fourth seed in New Haven, is one of the most improved players on the year. She started her year by reaching her first ever Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open in January. Her year peaked in June, when she reached the French Open final in both singles and doubles. While she came up short in the Ladies’ Singles final against Maria Sharapova, she and partner Roberta Vinci won the Ladies’ Doubles title. As a result of her strong play in Paris, Errani cracked the Top Ten in the world for the first time.

 

  • On what’s changed this year that has resulted in her new-found success: “I have changed rackets, so it was an important thing, a good change for me, and made me play better. It was more confidence and more matches won and everything.”

 

  • On why the racket change was successful: “It is a bit longer and has more power. Before it was not easy for me, I’m not very tall so it was important for me to make more power as possible.”

 

  • On why she decided to change rackets: “I tried, I don’t know why, another player in the academy where I practice was playing with that racket, so I just take it and play a few shots. It was an amazing feeling from the first ball.”

 

  • On Venus Williams, who defeated Errani twice this summer (Summer Olympics and Cincinnati): “Both Williams have, I don’t know, they have another category against other players, so much stronger than the others… Everything I tried was bad. I tried to make changes, change the spin and everything, try to make her run. But last weekend and the Olympics, I had no chance.”

 

  • On how life has changed after the French Open success: “It’s a bit different, more things to do like this (the interview), maybe before I never did… but I try to keep near me always the same people I like, and the same thing that I’ve done to arrive to these results.”

 

  • On the recent success of Italian players in the WTA, and Italy’s Fed Cup titles (2009 and 2010): “I think we are a good team, all four of us, Schiavone, Pennetta, Roberta (Vinci). We motivate each other, if one is going well, maybe the others see and so it’s a good competition.”

 Sara Errani WTA All-Access New Haven Open 08192012

 

http://youtu.be/9rkEykIUDlE

Like Errani, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland also reached her first Grand Slam final this year, at Wimbledon. On the strength of that result and several tournament victories over the last twelve months, she has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the world. However, since Wimbledon, she’s hit a rough patch, losing in the opening round of the Olympics to Julia Goerges and two overwhelming losses to Li Na. She is the top seed at the 2012 New Haven Open.

 

  • On what’s the next step for her to reach No. 1: “Winning a couple more matches, that’s for sure. I’m working on it.”

 

  • On her shoulder : “It’s OK, it could be better, but I think I played this year so many tournaments, so many matches, and changed the surface so many times and the balls. It’s always the worst part of the season because it’s almost the end.” (Note: Radwanska retired in her first match in New Haven.)

 

  • On whether she has been able to finish her degree: “I’m trying, I’m trying to finish because I think it’s a great thing to finish university.”

 

  • On her improvement in 2012: “I didn’t really change anything. I was working hard off season… I think a little bit more experience, for sure. It was a great experience at Wimbledon being for the first time in the final. This is such a different feeling, being in the finals of a Grand Slam.”

 

  • On her impact on Poland, and whether girls look up to her as a role model: “I think so, I think more people are planning tennis (in Poland) more kids are playing tennis. I’m just very happy I can be part of Polish history, tennis in Poland. It’s a great feeling that I’m doing something good.”

 

  • On what she remembers from her early years of playing tennis (having started at age 5): “It was so much fun, especially when we were playing with other kids, with the balloons, the plastic rackets, and actually I think I was smaller than the net!”

 

  • On her sister’s success (Urszula, world rank No. 44): “She really starting to play much better. I’m very happy for her that she can have some good results, after she was really struggling with her back for a long time before. I’m just hoping we can play all the tournaments together.”

 

  • On her fame in Poland: “They know who I am, yes, for sure. There are not so many athletes in Poland especially playing a sport that’s famous around the world.”

 

  • On her mobile phone tennis game, and whether she has played it: “Yes I did, but I think I’m better on court, for real! It’s a nice thing to have and I’m very happy that other people like it as well.”

 Agniezska Radwanska WTA All-Access New Haven Open 08192012

http://youtu.be/lWvb1D-JeV0

Caroline Wozniacki is no stranger to New Haven, as the four-time defending champion. While she’s no longer the No. 1 ranked player in women’s tennis, she has maintained a Top Ten ranking, and continues to challenge the best in the world, including a win over Serena Williams in Miami earlier this year. Wozniacki, from Denmark, is seeded third at the 2012 New Haven Open.

 

  • On why New Haven is so successful for her: “It’s a very homey tournament. Anne (Worcester, Tournament Director) really takes care of the players. I just like the courts and the atmosphere here.”

 

  • On working with coach Thomas Johansson: “I haven’t worked with him so much lately because he’s been on holidays and relaxing a little bit, but he’s coming here. He’s a great guy and he knows the whole tennis life because he’s done it before himself.”

 

  • On what Thomas Johansson brings to her game: “It’s tough to say for me without going in to details and I don’t really feel like going into details. He comes with some good advice, and it’s nice to have my dad on court, as always, and nice having Thomas on court as well coming with a few different inputs.”

 

  • On boyfriend Rory McIlroy’s success, having won the PGA Championships: “It’s great. I’m really happy for him and proud of him because of what’s he’s achieved. Winning by 8 (strokes) in the PGA is unbelievable.”

 

  • On how she deals with the madness in New York City during the U.S. Open: “I love it. I think it’s great; I like Manhattan, I like the whole buzz around the U.S. Open. But the week before you don’t really want to be around that all the time, because you can get tired, you can start thinking about it too much, too early. So it’s nice to be here (in New Haven) and kind of just ease into it.”

 

  • On her recent Summer Olympics experience: “This was my second Olympics and it was a bit different than it was in Beijing. Because in Beijing you could stay at the Olympic Village and feel as part of a team, you really got that whole Olympic feeling because you’re eating with all the other athletes, the site was very close to the village so you just basically walk from and back. In London, it was a bit different because the Olympic Village was an hour and a half drive from the site, and we played at Wimbledon where the site was sold out but it wasn’t packed, and a lot of security around. It just wasn’t the same feeling. Hopefully in four years in Brazil we’ll be able to stay at the village and get that whole Olympic spirit.”

 

  • On what drives her competitively: “I’m just a competitive person, so no matter what I play, if I play cards with my family, or if I play Monopoly, or whatever, I hate losing. I can be so groggy if I lose. And if someone loses on purpose to let me win, I get even more upset. Just so competitive, but I think the whole family is, really, my brother, my mom, my dad, but especially my dad. He will do anything to win as well, so we get up into these small family fights!”

 

  • On balancing her competitive streak with her tournament winless streak: “You always want to win tournaments, that’s what you play for. But if you don’t, it’s not like the world is going to break down in front of you and you always have a next week. I always look at it in a positive way. So many people in the world are in a much worse position, I just enjoy what I do actually. That feeling you get after a win or a good point, that’s something that no one can take away from you.”

 Caroline Wozniacki WTA All-Access New Haven Open 08192012

Jack Cunniff is covering the New Haven Open for Tennis Panorama News. Follow his updates on twitter @TennisNewsTPN. His personal twitter is @JRCunniff.

Sara Errani at WTA All-Access at New Haven Open [ 6:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Agniezska Radwanska at WTA All-Access at New Haven Open [ 16:19 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Caroline Wozniacki at WTA All-Access Hour at New Haven Open [ 12:13 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Around the Grounds at the New Haven Open – Sunday August 19, 2012

By Jack Cunniff

New Haven Open – Sunday August 19, 2012

Summaries of Sunday’s first round action at the Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven:

 

Lucie Safarova

First Round: (8) Lucie Safarova def. Varvara Lepchenko, 6-3, 4-1 ret.

 

Lucie Safarova enters New Haven at a career high world ranking of No.19, and a successful run to the semifinals of Montreal two weeks ago.  Her opponent has also found success this year. Varvara Lepchenko, born in Uzbekistan but now an American citizen, reached the fourth round of the French Open by defeating former champion Francesca Schiavone.  This had the makings of a competitive match in the early going, but Safarova’s service returns made the difference.  The Czech was able to break Lepchenko for a 4-2 lead in the first set, and never looked back.  After holding serve to close out the first set, Safarova broke Lepchenko in the opening game of the second set.

 

Lepchenko was fighting another opponent on court today: her injured left wrist. She later explained that her wrist had been bothering her, and she was unwilling to risk further damage by continuing to play. A medical timeout by Lepchenko at 1-2 in the second set couldn’t alleviate the problem, and she retired two games later. Lepchenko, a U.S. representative at the 2012 Summer Olympics earlier this month, is hopeful that MRIs won’t reveal significant problems and she will be ready to play at the U.S. Open in New York next week.

 

Safarova provided a candid self-assessment after the match, explaining her lack of consistency is what has held her back throughout her career. While she’s improved her play this year, she’s performed poorly at the Grand Slam events.  The eighth seed is hoping her form today continues this week and into the U.S. Open.

 

Sloane Stephens

First Round: Sloane Stephens def. Tamira Paszek, 6-3, 6-1

 

This result qualified as an upset, as No. 49 Sloane Stephens knocked out No. 36 Tamira Paszek, but most of Paszek’s success this year has come on grass courts.  Stephens, on the other hand, has had a very balanced year finding success on all surfaces.  Nineteen-year-old Stephens, the youngest player ranked in the Top Fifty, showed a versatile mix of offense and defense, and jumped out to the early lead in both sets.  Meanwhile, Paszek endured the kind of day that saw her dump an easy overhead into the net and serve two double faults at key moments in the match.

 

Stephens’ game has a lot of easy power, which kept her opponent on the defensive for much of the match.  Stephens also dominated on her serve; in the second set she fired two aces and dropped only seven points in four service games, cruising to the 6-3, 6-1 victory.  As she continues to improve, the Florida native acknowledged that she’s had to change her goals for the season as she’s achieved several during the course of the year.  But when pressed for specifics on her goals, she remained mum. “I can’t tell you. It’s a secret. You’ll see one day when we get there.”  The personable American deflects the pressure of being considered the next U.S. tennis hope. “I’m doing the best I can do, and that’s all that really matters.”

 

Around the Grounds:

 

Stephens’ search for a U.S. Open Mixed Doubles partner continues. When asked if she had located a partner yet: “None. None. This one guy was like ‘Hmm, well, I’m going to wait until next week (to decide).’ What the heck? I still have no one but it’s OK. If I don’t play mixed doubles it’s not the end of the world.”… Marion Bartoli of France, seeded fifth at the New Haven Open, survived twelve double faults and blew a 4-0 lead in the second set, but she held on for a 6-3, 6-3 win over Laura Robson of Great Britain… Agnes Szavay, the 2007 New Haven finalist is currently unranked having been off the tour much of the last two years with a back injury.  She managed to push No. 42 Carla Suarez Navarro to a first set tiebreaker, but with Szavay serving at 3-4 in the tiebreaker, she thought her opponent’s shot sailed wide. The linesperson and chair umpire Lynn Welch disagreed, despite Szavay’s pleas.  Suarez Navarro swept the rest of the tiebreaker, and the match, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Jack Cunniff is covering the New Haven Open for Tennis Panorama News. Follow his updates on twitter @TennisNewsTPN. His personal twitter is @JRCunniff.

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