2018 Men's Tennis Predictions

Hard to call it at this point, but it's time for yours truly to go out on a limb.

Nadal, if he can return to full health, will win his 11th French Open. Can Rafa regain the #1 ranking? I'd say it's 50-50 whether or not he does.

Cilic will win his first Wimbledon. I know it's really hard to tell with him, but Marian has reached the finals of two of the last three grand slams. His time will come.

I expect either Thiem or Zverev to reach their first grand slam finals this year. Don't be surprised though, if they come out second best. You don't always win all the grand slam finals you reach. Just ask Andy Murray.

Speaking of which, Murray I just have the feeling will make a strong comeback. I think he and Djokovic will return to the top ten in rankings. And though a grand slam will probably elude both of them this year, don't discount 'em.

As for Roger Federer, is this the year his age finally catches up with him? So far, no. Can he sustain this remarkable longevity? I gotta think it should catch up a little to him. But Roger always seems to have that other aspect of his game that compensates for any decline his game might show. I just never thought he'd last this long. I'm not sure he can keep this up, though. An ageless wonder, for sure. How long can he hold that #1 ranking? Federer has many-a-point to defend for the remainder of the year. Not sure what Roger's plans are for the French Open.

Juan Martin del Potro has a title and a finals appearance this year, so far. Like Cilic, he really didn't do much in 2017 until half-way (or more) through the year. So essentially, he needs to just show up and win a match (or two) to bolster his ranking points.

Common Denominator: Djokovic And Murray.

"Born a week apart in 1987, finished a year on a tremendous 24-match winning streak not long after a loss at the US Open."

For Novak Djokovic, born May 22nd, 1987, that was 2013. He watched as Nadal caught up to him and passed him in the rankings that year, including beating him in a four-set US Open finals. However, the Serb was not about to lose again.

He won both his rubbers at a Davis Cup tie vs. Canada, beating both Milos Raonic and Vaskek Pospisil (Both of whom were in the top 50 at that time). Neiter player managed to win a set off Djokovic. Then Novak went to Beijing and beat Richard Gasquet in the semis and Nadal in the finals.

Novak won in Shanghai, beating Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin del Potro in the last three rounds. Challenges were coming his way, and Djokovic was meeting them with open arms.

At Paris, he beat David Ferrer in the finals, having overcome a pair of players from Switzerland in the previous rounds named Wawrinka and Federer. Roger won set of him. Wawrinka and Ferrer weren't so lucky. 6-4, 6-3 and 6-3, 6-3.

Federer, del Potro and Gasquet then put up spirited fights at the ATP Finals in London, but Djokovic beat them all in three sets. Wawrinka and Nadal managed to win a combined total of 13 games against Djokovic in the semifinals and finals. It was all-too-easy after three early scares.

One more hurdle existed in 2013 for Djokovic. The Davis Cup finals was against Czech Republic. Check out the score vs. Tomas Berdych. 6-4, 7-6, 6-2. Check out the score vs. Radek Stepanek, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4.

Djokovic found himself being hounded by Andy Murray three years later. He lost the US Open finals to Wawrinka. But Novak beat Andy in the Australian Open final and later at the French Open finals.

Murray, though, won Wimbledon, and then the Olympics. He lost a Davis Cup tie vs. del Potro after losing in the quarters of the US Open. The loss to Juan was Andy's last of 2016.

He came to China following Great Britain's loss (Although Murray beat Guido Pella in his other singles' match) to Argentina at the Davis Cup. In China, Andy roared to the finals without losing a set. Grigor Dimitrov had been hammered into submission by Andy Murray in the round of sixteen at the US Open, and played much better in the finals. But not good enough to win a set. Murray won, 6-4, 7-6.

Shanghai, and the same. Murray didn't lose a set. In the finals, he beat Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6, 6-1.

Off to Vienna, and Andy was a little more human. He dropped a set in his first two matches, then didn't lose another. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was the last to fall to him, 6-3, 7-6.

Paris saw Andy Murray beat Tomas Berdych in the quarters, Milos Raonic (by default) in the semis, and finally John Isner in the finals. This time, Murray dropped a set. He'd routed Isner at Vienna. Here, the Scotsman scraped by, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4.

In the round robin of the ATP Finals in London, Murray dropped a set to Kei Nishikori. In the semifinals, Milos Raonic was his opponent. The Canadian gave him all he could handle, but Andy Murray found a way, 5-7, 7-6, 7-6.

The finals should have been a challenged, but Andy Murray had all the answers for Novak Djokovic's quest for another Year-End Championship. With a 6-3, 6-4 win, Murray had title #9 on the year, and would finish #1 for the first time in his career.

The 29-year old was born on May 15th, 1987, one week before his vanquished opponent, who happened to have five ATP Finals titles to his name. 2016 had started out frustrating for him. But it ended with 24 wins (Plus 2 more by default). Djokovic likewise ended 2013 with 24 consecutive victories, and still is great player on all surfaces. Both players will be 30 in May of next year. Their rivalry will no doubt continue to be a riveting one. However, other than the Grand Slams, they'll be looking out for the #1 ranking in 2017.


References


"Andy Murray Career Statistics." Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia . Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Unknown, 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Murray_career_statistics>

"Novak Djokovic Career Statistics." Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia . Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Unknown, 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Novak_Djokovic_ career_ statistics>

"Official Site of Men's Professional Tennis | ATP World Tour | Tennis." ATP World Tour. Emirates. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.  <http://www.atpworldtour.com/>

My Favourite "Big Threes"

In sports, so many teams have, the big three. Here are my favourite

10) Lebron, CB4, and DW

We'll just have to wait and see...

9) Gretzky, Kurri, Coffey

When these guys were on the ice, the opposition never touched the puck. Imagine taking a penalty against these guys. No wonder the NHL implemented the 5-5 for coincidental penalties in 85/86, a season that saw Gretzky get 163 ASSISTS and Coffey get 48 goals, as a defenceman. Kurri led the NHL with 68 goals, one shy of the all time single season mark for right wingers.

8) Mantle, Maris, Howard

During a stretch from 1960 to 1964, the Yankees won 5 pennants, 2 World Series and 4 MVPs. Maris won 2 (60-61), Mantle and Howard one each (1962 and 1963). Plus all three were great fielders. Howard almost single-handedly carried the Yanks to the World Series in 1963, with Mantle and Maris hurt. Howard provided the steady calming influence on the pitching staff. But Mantle and Maris both hit dramatic homeruns that year, so poor old Ellie...

UPDATE: My father just read this and said Yogi Berra (3 MVPs in the 1950s) should be included. Fine. Big 4!

7) Jim Rice, Dwight Evans, Fred Lynn

Rice was underrated as a fielder, Evans was underrated as a hitter, especially when the 80s dawned. No other AL player hit more homeruns (256) in that decade that Evans. Lynn, when healthy, could do it all.

6) Koufax, Drysdale, Podres

Yes, Podres should be in there because of his two clutch World Series wins in 1959 and 1963. Should I mention he also won 2 for Brooklyn in 1955? But when it got to LA and Koufax (You knew what was coming alright, you just couldn't hit it), Drysdale (He'd knock down his own mother if she was batting, I swear) reached their prime...I mean, can you imagine playing a three game set against the Dodgers with these guys starting one after another? Just leave the bats at home! Plus, did I mention Podres was a lefty, as well?

5) Jordan, Pippen, Rodman

DEFENSE! Yeah, these guys were awesome! Is it any wonder in their three years together they won 3 NBA Championships? Anyways, Pippen was always better than his stats were, we all know that. Rodman was the best rebounder in the NBA from his rookie season until his last year, seriously. Jordan, well...

4) Bird, McHale, Johnson

Disclaimer:

I should have included Robert Parrish here, as no team in the 80s wins without a center. Actually, no team until the 90s could win without a center. See #5 for that. Also, in 85/86 the team had Bill Walton as the backup center. 5 Hall Of Famers.

But these three made the real difference. McHale, like Pippen, you had to see play. Bird, btw, was one of the smartest players ever, and DJ was the most underrated player, ever.

3) Kareem, Magic, And Big Game

Poor James Worthy, no one will ever remeber he scored 28 points to win the 1982 NCAA Final. Again, see #5 for who did that. Magic made the game fun and Kareem just got better with age.

2) Federer, Nadal, Djokovic

They've made tennis so much fun to watch in the last few years

1) Palmer, Nicklaus, Player

(Need I say more?)

A Tale Of Four Different Tennis Players: Have We Seen Them Before?

Last year (2011) was, without even a thought, the year of Djokovic.

But this year there are other tennis players who are looking for a breakout.

(Disclaimer: I know Nole won the Australian Open 3 years before last year. I have to)

Andy Murray

Amazing how is path to greatness is sort of like his coach, Ivan Lendl. Take a look:

1981: Finalist @ French Open, 0/1

1982: Finalist @ US Open 0/2

1983: Finalist @ Australian Open & @ US Open 0/3, 0/4

1984 WINNER @ French Open, Finalist @ US Open 1/5, 1/6

1985 Finalist @ French Open, WINNER @ US Open 1/7, 2/8

You get the idea, eh? Lendl had his problem with Grand Slam finals, even after he got not one, but two Grand Slams under his belt. Look again, notice you don't see Wimbledon there? 0 for 2 in finals. In all, he lost 11 Grand Slam Finals.

But he also won 8.

I'm not sure if Murray can be Lendl, but I do know he will win a Slam.

Although, winning a slam might not be his plan (Yup, got that quote from Star Wars: A New Hope). This year, he has the Olympics, right there in London. He's got to have that circled.

Thomas Berdych

He reminds me of a young Goran Ivanisevic or even Marat Safin between times when his head was on straight.

Two years ago he reached the semifinals of the French Open, then knocked off Federer and Djokovic at Wimbledon to make the finals. A loss to Federer little over a month later brought him down to earth, and Thomas went out in the first round as the US Open.

The best he has done since is two Australian Open quarterfinals.

It seems like all or nothing with Berdych. When he's on, he's tough to beat and tough to break. But too many times his game just falls apart and he's just another player, much like Goran and Marat.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

He came out of nowhere back in the 2008 Australian Open. Unseeded he beat Rafael Nadal, then in the final faced someone else looking for his first slam, Djokovic. Tsonga took the first set, then proceded to lose a tough four setter.

Since then, he's reached the final four again down under, two years ago (and two years after getting to the final), plus the Wimbledon semifinals last year, beating Federer on the way before again falling in four to Nole. Federer then beat him in straight sets in US Open quarterfinals. Roger and him hooked up in a gem of a match at the Barclays Finals to cap off the year, with the Fed man taking it in a tough three setter.

Tsonga is 3-7 against Nadal, 5-4 against Djokovic (plus one win by walkover), 3-8 against Federer (plus a walkover win earlier this year on his way to a title in Doha).  Also is should be noted he's just 1-5 against Murray. Still, he's been making life tough in his matches recently Federer.

Tsonga, because of his appearance similar to Mohammad Ali, is a fighter in more ways than one. Not just in looks.

Maybe is his fate not to win Slams, but always fight his way to the semifinals and finals. The new Todd Martin?

Juan Martin Del Potro

I swear, this guy is taller than 6 ft 6 inn.

And he moves well.

Granted, he's gotta start doing better at Wimbledon, but that US Open win of 2009, which does seem like a long time ago, doesn't seem like a fluke. It just seems like a matter of time before he wins again.

After his injury in 2010, he is slowing getting back to where he once was.

Problem is, Federer seems to have his number again.

In fact, Delpi, as I call him, beat Federer later in 2009 at the Barclay's.

He has lost all five matches they have played since. In fact, he has yet to win a set off him since 2009.

Yet it is important to remember, that at one point in his career, he beat Federer twice in a row, Nadal, three times in a row. Yeah, he was at one point a giant killer. Kinda maybe like Adriano Panatta, who always gave Borg a tough time on clay.


References


Infosys, FedEx, Peugeot, and LeSports. "Official Site of Men's Professional Tennis | ATP World Tour | Tennis." ATP World Tour. Emirates. Web. 4 Apr. 2012.  <http://www.atpworldtour.com/>

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. <https://en.wikipedia.org/>

Vilas: The Man The Djokovic Is Chasing!

Flyers' 1979/80, 36 game unbeaten streak.

Lakers' 1971/72, 33 game winnings streak.

DiMaggio's 1941, 56 game hitting streak.

Williams' 1949, 84 game reaching base safely streak.

Orel Hershiser's 1989, 59 consecutive (it could actually be considered 67 if you include the ALCS) scoreless inning streak.

These are all examples of amazing winning/hitting/shutout streaks in sports history.

In tennis, the record for consecutive matches won is 46 by Guillermo Vilas. Second on the list is Ivan Lendl, with 44.

Djokovic is at 43 wins, with the first two comming last year. Although, the reality is that it should be tied with Lendl. His quarter-finals opponent (Fabio Fognini), had to default.

But does anyone think he could have beaten The Joker?

A shame that match wasn't played. We can assume Djokovic would have won to tie a record set by John McEnroe in 1984. Most wins to start the season (42). We can be very serious about that, John!

But if he beats Federer tomorrow, he'll tie it anyway. A win over Nadal or Murray (Really, I think we have to go with Rafa on this one, don't we?) in the finals on Sunday will break the record and leave him three short of Vilas' 46, set back in 1977.

Let's take a look at Vilas' streak shall we.

It started right after Wimbledon, where Vilas was knocked out in the third round by Billy Martin (not to be confused with the New York Yankees fiery manager at that time). A rather meek loss, it nevertheless launched Vilas into invincibility!

He came to an event in Kitzbuhel, Austria, held on a surface to his liking: clay.

He mowed down Britain's Buster Mottram, Croatian's Zeljko Franulovic and Czech Jan Kodes to win the title. Kodes, who Vilas had beaten in the first round at Wimbledon (Jan won the event in 1973), pushed Vilas to 5 before falling.

Then Vilas was in another clay court tournament in Washington DC. The event was notable for a few things:

1) He beat both the Gottfried's

2) He overcame 2 French Open finalists (Brian Gottfried and Victor Pecci)

3) He beat one of the "Bagel Brothers", Eddie Dibbs.

Then Vilas won a tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, by beating a past-his prime Ion Tiriac (Boris Becker's future coach), Phil Dent (Taylor's dad), and Dibbs again in the final three matches. The streak was at 17 matches.

At Southern Orange, Vilas won still another clay court tournament. He only had to play 5 matches, but the last two were against John McEnroe (6-0, in the deciding third set), and Roscoe Tanner, who had beaten him in the finals of the January, 1977 Australian Open (The event was held twice that year!)

At Columbus Ohio, in the first week of August, Vilas swept through the field and avenged his loss to Martin at Wimbledon by losing just two games to him, then making almost as short work of Brian Gottfried in the finals. Brian won three games in two sets. Poor Brian, this was one of three times he would lose to Vilas this year, none worse than the 1977 French Open finals: 6-0, 6-3, 6-0!

So it was off to the big show. The US Open. It would be the last year it was held at Forest Hills. It was clay again, but for you serious tennis fans: Hard-Tru!

Vilas rolled through, again.

He beat a fading Manuel Santana in the first round, polished off Gene Mayer, the American, in the second round. Then he beat Denver's own Victor Amaya (his claim to fame was taking Bjorn Borg to five sets in the first round of the 1978 Wimbledon) to get to the round of 16. There he topped Roger Federer's future mentor  Jose Higueras, then routed nondescript Raymond Moore to reach the final four. At this point, the closest anyone has come to winning a set of him is four sets of 6-3 Vilas.

Harold Solomon (The other bagel brother, by the way) was close in the second set. But Vilas won it 7-6 and surrounding it were a pair of 6-2 sets. The only man left was Connors, the defending champion.

But Vilas rose to the challenge.

Connors won the first set, but that just woke up Vilas, who took the second easily, then outlasted Jimmy in the third set tiebreaker. Connors didn't win another game.

Vilas became more diplomatic in his next two matches, part of the Davis Cup tie against Australia. Clay again, if you are wondering.

He won both his singles matches against Phil Dent and John Alexander, the last great Australian player prior to Pat Cash. Now he was up to 37 straight matches won.

He won his next tournament, held in Paris, France, by beating a few obscure players. Hans Gildermeister, who is currently the Chilean tennis team coach, went down meekly in the quarters. Then Patrick Proisy (1972 French Open finalist) of France pushed Vilas to 5 sets. The finals was a routine straight setter (although the third was a tie-breaker) over Christope Roger-Vasselin of Britian. 42 straight. Bravo, Guillermo!

The last week of September saw Vilas try his luck at France again. The event was held in Aix en Provence.

He overcame doubles specialist Peter McNamara in the round of 16, despite losing the first set. Then he beat Higueras in two close ones. He reached the finals by taking down homeboy Eric Deblicker, despite losing second and third set tiebreakers (the semis were best of five). 46 straight. And actually, 52 straight on clay at this point! And only the Joker of his time, an over-the-hill Ilie Nastase (31 years old) to worry about. What could go wrong?

Nastase knew every trick in the books to getting opponents of their game. Sometimes he resorted to rule bending. But note I didn't say breaking. No!

In 1977, the big fad in tennis had been about new strings that were sort of wider. Called "Spaghetti Strings" by the tennis establishment, they produced strange bounces and even wilder spins. They were woven from the second string on the left hand side of the racket frame, to the second last right string on the right side.

Nastase trotted out with one such racket.

And won the first two sets, 6-1, 7-5.

At this point, perhaps Vilas knew the jig was up. He walked to the umpire's chair and defaulted. And probably had no way of knowing that 34 years later, someone would approach his record!

Oh, and the string? The ITF stepped in shortly thereafter and permanently banned it. That's why I expect Vilas to have some spaghetti if his streak is broken, to keep up with the tradition in a legal way!

References

Collins, Bud. The Bud Collins History Of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia And Record Book. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: New Chapter, 2010. Print.

Kirkpatrick, Curry. "GUILLERMO VILAS." SI.com. Sports Illustrated, n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2016. Orginally published in Sports Illustrated, May 29, 1978 <http://www.si.com/vault/1978/05/29/ 822681/the-mild-bull-of-the-pampas-introspective-articulate-exceedingly-sensitive-guillermo-vilas-of-argentina-is-a-world-apart-from-compeers-jimmy-connors-and-bjorn-borg>

Official Site Of Men's Professional Tennis. Emirates, n.d. Web. 03 June 2011.

"Valley News from Van Nuys, California, Page 40." Newspapers.com. Valley News, n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2016. Originally published December 7, 1977. Page 4, Section 4. <https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/30399618/>

(Dead Link)

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IaBSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Vn0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6719,2621035&dq=vilas+tennis+nastase&hl=en