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The Fans Aren’t Always The Winners

Shapovalov has the tools to trouble Djokovic, while Hurkacz beats Federer and looks born to play on grass

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What’s a tennis fan to do?

The fan can’t win on a Wimbledon quarterfinal day that features Roger Federer and bright young budding superstar Denis Shapovalov playing at the same time. Not against each other, but on different show courts at Wimbledon.

Shapovalov is in the final game of a five-set victory over Karen Khachanov that sent the blond-haired Canadian into a semifinal showdown with Novak Djokovic. Federer is in the fourth game of one of the most humiliating losses of his storied tennis career.

Even fans in the stadiums watching these two matches couldn’t fully enjoy both of them.

There has to be a better alternative than this.

A GREAT DAY GOES HAYWIRE

Of course, ESPN and ESPN2 had the matches covered. A fan could sit in front of a TV and watch both matches in their entirety with this wonderful modern technology named “record” by DIRECTV and other cable providers.

It’s a great day to watch the whole show, all four quarterfinals. You can go back and forth on the recordings a few times to avoid getting too far behind the other match.

Of course, you want to be sure to keep track of Federer since he is trying to keep his hopes alive for a record 21th Grand Slam title. So, you start out watching Roger and a previously obscure Polish 24-year-old. You think this one won’t take long. Fed’s just too good, you reason.

THERE’S NO SECRET: ESPN BREAKS THE NEWS

So, what happens? The ESPN crew, led by Chris Fowler, alerts viewers: “On the No. 1 court Denis Shapovalov is trying to close out Khachanov, up a break in the fifth . . . two points away from a semifinal date with Djokovic.”

All of your planning is shot. You rush to switch to the live version of the Shapovalov match. And there it is: Shapovalov is up 30-15.

The explosive left-hander goes to 40-15 and a double match point with a forehand winner, followed by another sizzling forehand that forces a netted backhand by Khachanov. That sends Shapovalov on a backward celebrative dive to the turf and a sprawl-out.

He’s there, ready for a shot at Djokovic, who is seeking a tie with Federer and Rafa Nadal at 20 Grand Slam titles.

SHAPOVALOV IS CAPABLE OF TAKING IT ALL

It would be a big upset, but I think Shapovalov has the tools to halt Djokovic’s drive to 20. The Canadian left-hander with the one-hand backhand has some of the biggest ground strokes in pro tennis, a sizzling forehand and a picture-book backhand that he can whip in either direction.

Shapovalov is all power, everything from ground strokes to serve and overheads, along with great volleys due to his quickness and athletic ability. Yes, he can run with Novak. Shapovalov just needs to be a little more deliberate in choosing when to go for his shots.

The net is about the only thing that can prevent Shapovalov’s missiles from hitting his opponent’s grass. He does net a few forehands and backhands when he’s rushing his decision and shots.

But don’t go betting against Novak yet. It might be safe when Shapovalov serves ahead 40-15 and a break in a decisive game in the fifth set.

If not this time, the 22-year-old Tel Aviv native has plenty of time. Tennis fans around the world witnessed the so-often effects of age a little after Shapovalov finished off a 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Khachanov.

WHO IS HUBERT?

It’s a little unfortunate for Federer and his fans that he had to go down so easily in straight sets and a love third.

To Hubert Hurkacz?

Who?

It just happens that the almost awkward-looking and moving 6-4 Polish player has beaten most of the top players in the game this year, with the exception of Djokovic and Nadal and a couple others.

Now that Federer and No. 2 ranked Daniil Medvedev have fallen prey to Hurkacz, he has had a solid year. He also owns wins in 2021 over the likes of hotshots Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner and Shapovalov along with Milos Raonic while winning the big Masters Miami Open.

HURKACZ VS. BERRETTINI

Can Hurkacz take out strong-hitting Matteo Berrettini in Friday’s Wimbledon semifinals? Hurkacz defeated Berrettini in 2019 in Miami in their only official tour tournament meeting, but lost to the Italian a year earlier in qualifying for the Australian Open.

Berrettini will come at Hurkacz with power. But Hurkacz is becoming quite the tamer of big hitters such as Medvedev and even silky smooth hitters like Federer.

Hurkacz’ most effective weapon is his serve. It’s among the best in pro tennis. He can hit the outside line like clockwork at a high speed. His backhands and forehands look a little awkward. But they are highly effective, especially when he knows he can back them up with nifty drop shots and amazingly accurate shots at the smallest opening.

A GAME BREAKER

Even though he doesn’t look like he can run, Hurkacz is very quick. He also has long arms that seem to reach halfway across the court, and he can sky straight skyward at the net if an opponent happens to throw up a lob off his drop shots. He used that ability in one key point that appeared to discourage Medvedev late in the fifth set of their round of 16 match.

Hurkacz  is also an effective volleyer. He even beat Federer in at least one exchange of multiple volleys at the net.

Wimbledon’s grass suits Hurkacz perfectly.

He practically took the racket out of Medvedev’s and Federer’s hands.

And he does it all with a straight face, or what might be called a “game face”. Even when he is doing serious damage to the image of a legend like Federer.


See James Beck’s Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier columns at postandcourier.com (search on James Beck column). James Beck can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com

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Indian Wells Daily Preview: The Championship Matches in Men’s and Women’s Singles

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Iga Swiatek during Friday’s semifinals (twitter.com/BNPPARIBASOPEN)

It’s championship Sunday in tennis paradise, featuring rematches from recent finals in the desert.

In the women’s singles championship match, it’s a rematch from the 2022 final, as World No.1 Iga Swiatek faces a rejuvenated Maria Sakkari.  And the men’s singles championship match is a rematch from just a year ago, as Carlos Alcaraz takes on Daniil Medvedev.  Will Iga and Carlitos become multi-time champions of this event, or will Maria and Daniil win their first Indian Wells titles?


Iga Swiatek (1) vs. Maria Sakkari (9) – 11:00am on Stadium 1

This is yet another tournament during which Swiatek has gone completely unchallenged.  She has not dropped a set, and lost only 17 games through nine completed sets.  Iga is 7-2 in WTA 1000 finals, and an excellent 18-4 in tour finals overall.

By contrast, four out of Sakkari’s five matches this fortnight have gone three sets, including the last two against top Americans Coco Gauff and Emma Navarro.  Friday’s night’s semifinal against Gauff was a dramatic, extended affair, which went late into the evening due to a long rain delay in the desert.  Playing such a draining contest, and then coming back just 36 hours later to play at 11:00am in the morning, with be an extremely challenging turnaround for Maria.

After a subpar 2023 season, Sakkari is back to playing her best tennis, in the first tournament of the working relationship with her new coach, David Witt.  She is 1-2 in WTA 1000 finals, though she just won her first title at this level six months ago in Guadalajara.  But Maria is a meek 2-7 in tour finals, and as per Tennis Abstract, is just 3-7 against top 10 opposition within the last year.

Sakkari claimed their first two meetings, back in 2021 before Swiatek rose to the top of the sport.  The last three have all gone to Iga, with the most recent being the 2022 final at this same event.  All five of their matches have been straight-setters.  So while this is Maria’s favorite event, and her new coach has helped restore her confidence, Iga remains a clear favorite to win her second title in Indian Wells.


Daniil Medvedev (4) vs. Carlos Alcaraz (2)  – Not Before 2:00pm on Stadium 1

Despite playing in a location where “it never rains,” both the men’s and women’s semifinals suffered from severe rain delays, leading to the men’s semis finishing much later on Saturday than expected.  And both went three sets, so neither Alcaraz nor Medvedev will be fully fresh on Sunday.  Carlitos came back from a set down to hand Jannik Sinner his first defeat of the year, while Daniil came from a set down to oust American Tommy Paul.

In the championship here a year ago, Alcaraz comfortably prevailed against a depleted Medvedev, who had won 19 matches in the month leading up to that final.  They would go on to play three more times in 2023, with Carlitos taking three of four.  However, Daniil was able to overcome the Spaniard in the US Open semifinals, winning 6-3 in the fourth.  Overall Alcaraz is 3-2 against Medvedev.

Carlitos has not been the same player since losing the near four-hour final last summer in Cincinnati to Novak Djokovic.  But his victory over Sinner on Saturday felt significant, and it brought him to his first final since that one in Cincinnati. 

Alcaraz is 12-4 in ATP finals, and 4-1 at this level.  Medvedev is 20-17 in ATP finals, and 6-3 in Masters finals.  Hard courts easily remain Daniil’s strongest surface, though he made it painfully clear here a year ago that the slower-playing courts in Indian Wells are not to his liking.  And coming off an inspiring effort to defeat Sinner, the ATP’s best player of the last six months, Carlitos should be favored to become the first man to defend this title since Djokovic in 2016.


Sunday’s full Order of Play is here.

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Indian Wells Daily Preview: Alcaraz and Sinner Reignite an Electrifying Rivalry in the Semifinals

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Jannik Sinner during Thursday’s quarterfinals (twitter.com/BNPPARIBASOPEN)

The men’s singles semifinals will be played on Saturday, as will the women’s doubles championship match.

18 months ago at the US Open, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner contested one of the best matches in recent memory.  After five hours and 15 minutes of scintillating rallies, Alcaraz would prevail 6-3 in the fifth, and go on to claim his first Major a few days later.  On Saturday, they meet for the eighth time at tour level, in the most anticipated semifinal of the fortnight.

The other men’s singles semifinal sees last year’s runner-up, Daniil Medvedev, take on the No.2-ranked American, Tommy Paul.

Plus, the women’s doubles final features two of the top three seeds.  At 11:00am local time, it will be Su-Wei Hsieh and Elise Mertens (1) vs. Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova (3).  At January’s Australian Open, Su-Wei and Mertens defeated Hunter and Siniakova in the semifinals, before going on to win the title.


Jannik Sinner (3) vs. Carlos Alcaraz (2) – Not Before 1:30pm on Stadium 1

Sinner leads their head-to-head 4-3, and 3-2 on hard courts.  They’ve met three times since the aforementioned 2022 US Open epic, including in the same round of this same event a year ago, when Alcaraz prevailed in straight sets.  Two weeks later in the semis of Miami, Jannik claimed a three-hour three-setter.  And six months ago in Beijing, the Italian won in straights.

These two phenomenal players have achieved contrasting results across the past six months.  Sinner is now 36-2 since last summer’s US Open, with four singles titles.  He also propelled Italy to the Davis Cup title.  Jannik has beaten Novak Djokovic three times during this span, and also achieved his first Major championship.  However, within that same time, Alcaraz has reached no tournament finals, and is 0-4 in his last four semifinals.

Jannik is an undefeated 16-0 in 2024, and has not dropped a set in Indian Wells.  Carlitos is 10-3 this season, and has taken eight consecutive sets after losing the first set he played here last week.  Based on recent form, Sinner is a considerable favorite to advance to his first championship match in the desert.  And in doing so, he would take the No.2 ranking away from Alcaraz, reaching a new career-high.


Tommy Paul (17) vs. Daniil Medvedev (4) – Last on Stadium 1

Medvedev is 13-2 on the year, and has now appeared in the semifinals in all three tournaments he’s played this season.  He dropped one set earlier in the event, to Sebastian Korda.  Daniil is vying for his second consecutive final in Indian Wells, and his first Masters 1000 final since surprisingly winning a clay court title almost a year ago in Rome.

This is a second semifinal at this level for Paul, after first achieving this feat last summer in Canada, where he upset Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.  The 26-year-old American had a poor ending to his 2023 season, going 6-8, but is now 14-4 in 2024 after reaching back-to-back finals last month in Dallas and Delray Beach.  Like Daniil, Tommy has lost just one set this fortnight, in the quarterfinals to Casper Ruud.

Paul is extremely quick around the court, and likes to use his forehand to end points.  Yet he has an 0-2 record against Medvedev, which includes a 6-2, 6-1 loss six months ago in Beijing.  While the crowd will be solidly behind Tommy, Daniil’s hard court abilities are well-established, and the fourth seed should be favored on Saturday.


Saturday’s full Order of Play is here.

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Novak Djokovic Announces Withdrawal From Miami Open

Novak Djokovic will not be playing the Miami Open after losing early in Indian Wells.

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(@BNPPARIBASOPEN - Twitter)

Novak Djokovic has announced that he has withdrawn from the second Masters 1000 of the season in Miami.

The news comes after the world number one lost in the third round of Indian Wells to lucky loser Luca Nardi.

Many people expected Djokovic to play in Miami given the Serb’s result in California.

However that appears not to be the case as Djokovic has announce on X that he has withdrawn from the tournament.

This means for the second time in three years Djokovic will enter the clay court season without winning a trophy.

The Serb will look to change that stat when he plays the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters which starts on the 7th of April.

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