Late Night Cool: Grigor on Spotify

Hey guys, Love preparing for my matches to Music. Thanks @spotifyjosh http://t.co/jImfUyfVVP
— Grigor Dimitrov (@GrigorDimitrov) April 21, 2014

Aside from watching tennis, two of my bigger passions are singing and listening to music. When these two worlds collide, my head explodes.

Divas galore

KABLAMO! Towards the beginning of his Bucharest title run, Grigor Dimitrov shared with us his Spotify account and a playlist he listens to pre-match. While this particular collection of recent hits was nothing to write home about, there are so many gems below the surface that everyone should know.

There is a playlist titled "Sweet" which contains a song from rapper Eve featuring Alicia Keys called Gangsta Lovin'. Another song, Sexercise, from synth-pop diva Kylie Minogue can be found in another playlist titled "Late Night." Maybe those were meant for Maria Sharapova's ears only.

However, my favorite playlist of his, has to be his "Retro" playlist; it's a place where Grigor and I truly connect given my love for music from the late 80s and 1990s. Here you can find a couple of random Michael Jackson hits, a solid selection of Madonna classics, a semi-obscure Bobby Brown jam, a sensual vocal from Toni Braxton, and the one of the Druest of Dru Hill love anthems.



How would one describe Grisha's music tastes? Well, they are kind of all over the place. According to his playlists, he's a big fan of Drake (ugh...), Kanye West (ughhhh...), and Jay-Z, but also "starred" a recent Selena Gomez release and I constantly catch him listening to Independent Women, Pt. 1 from Destiny's Child. I don't know what to make of these juxtapositions. Sometimes I think he's a closet thug, other times I think he's a closet case. Who really knows.

Regardless, I am 100% in favor of tennis players sharing their Spotify activity. Personally, I can connect to a player's individuality and likes through their music choices and I love that Grigor has given us this medium to get to know him a little better. I implore the rest of the ATP and WTA to do the same. I'll try not to judge you lol jk.

Anarchy of Tennis Professionals

Well, that escalated quickly.

I've sensed this quiet disturbance in the men's tennis force earlier this year. There have been patches of the 2014 season that made you question, is this the year the ATP gives us something new? Even though 'something new' came very quickly with Stan Wawrinka bagging the Australian Open title unexpectedly, it was a common exercise to point to Rafael Nadal's untimely back injury as the reason Stan won. Still, there were little sprinklings of evidence signaling the arrival of new blood and the weakening stranglehold the Big Four had on the rest of the tour.

Tele-Kei-nesis

Funnily enough, it starts with Rafa's Australian Open campaign, where he was subtly pushed by Kei Nishikori and Grigor Dimitrov in consecutive rounds. In both of those matches, Rafa couldn't fall back on his B-game to get him through. It made me think that maybe, just maybe, the Next Generation was ready to start making some noise. Maybe the oft-overlooked B-Squad was about to come out of the shadows.

As the season moved forward, the results slowly became more conspicuous. In February, Grigor outlasted Andy in Acapulco when, in the years prior, "Grigor" and "outlast" didn't belong in the same sentence. Milos Raonic turned himself into a ubiquitous presence in the quarterfinals of Masters 1000 tournaments. Kei stunned Roger Federer in Miami and was blitzing Rafa on Madrid clay before coming up lame with a back injury that forced him to retire in the final. Roger lost what looked like sure titles in Monte Carlo and Toronto to Stan and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Even 19 year-old Nick Kyrgios got in on the action with his takedown of Nadal at Wimbledon.

The men's locker room was buzzing about Stan opening doors for them and their increased belief. The impossible was proved to be possible. This U.S. Open is an even bigger feather in the Belief Cap. With just one round to go before the 36th thrilling installment of Fedole, Marin Cilic routined Roger and Kei played the role of Iron Man, having enough willpower to stand the humidity and Novak Djokovic after beating Milos and Stan in two physically, and mentally, draining five-setters. Not since the 2005 Australian Open have we had both Slam finalists come from outside of the Big Four. Either Cilic or Nishikori will become the second first-time Slam winner on the ATP this season. The last year there were multiple first-time winners was 2003.

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? In 2003, Agassi won his last Slam in Melbourne before Juan Carlos Ferrero, Roger Federer, and Andy Roddick cleaned up the rest, beginning their own periods at the top of the game. 2003 can definitively be classified as a year of upheaval, harbinger of the Fed Era that we are still trying to wade through. Is 2014 the signal of another instantaneous shuffle at the top?

A large fact refuting this new regime is the current cream of the rankings crop compared to that of 2003. A-Rod, Fed, and JCF were the tour's Top 3 back then, a complete changing of the guard. The Top 3 now are Novak, Rafa, and Roger, and they will likely remain in their positions by season's end. The Big 3 still reign in that department. It also doesn't help that two of those three are holding Slam trophies, with the other having made a final and two additional semis.

So there is something strong in the air this year, but expect the same names to still be very relevant in the big picture of 2015 just with these new names in the mix on Sundays. The ATP is still very much the Big Four's world and they will still stand on the majority of podiums, but, as 2014 has shown, nothing lasts forever. It's about time we start to accept the idea of other champions in this sport. One will be forced upon us tonight. Nishikori in four.

What are your thoughts? Is this the first page of "The End of the Big Four" novel? Or is this a fluke? Leave a comment!

WTA Sidebar: you are ridiculous, Serena Williams. Congratulations on 18. And commiserations to Caroline. So glad to see her back near the top where she belong.

(Image from stevegtennis.com)

US Open Series: A Dash for Cash

Solid gold belts are now affordable

The US Open is hurtling towards us, with main draw play beginning just days from now. Final tune-ups are taking place in New Haven and Winston-Salem. Those venues also serve as a last opportunity to accumulate US Open Series points, which give the Top 3 finishers a chance to earn a significant amount of bonus cash-money depending on how well they do in Flushing Meadows. It sounds like a fun way to boost the stakes during the American summer hard courts, but what has it done for tennis exactly?

In terms of its importance, the players don't exactly treat this part of the calendar with any more reverence. It could be argued that they don't care that much at all given how relatively weak some of the fields at the Coupe Rogers, one of the two largest tournaments in the Series, have been over the last few years. There isn't any indication that the Series has been a boon to exposure, either, with ticket sales and television viewership peaking in 2009.

However, with all of this money on the line, wouldn't the players really hunker down and try to win the Series? You would think so, but there is no real correlation to winning the Series and winning the US Open. Out of the 20 winners from 2004-2013, only four have gone on to take the trophy: Kim Clijsters, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams. Of those, one can only argue that performance in the Series spurred on Kim, who had not won a Grand Slam at that point in her career; the other three were on the short list of GOAT candidates in their respective tours at the time of their title runs.

Still, Kim Clijsters' 2005 US Open was spurred by her desire to win a Slam, not by money. Unfortunately for tennis, money remains the primary selling point of the US Open Series, and it is my biggest peeve. You see it all the time on TV, whenever an ESPN crony whips out the Series standings; it never goes without mentioning the associated cash prize. The focus on money was made apparent during last year's trophy ceremonies for Serena and Rafa, both of whom won the 2013 Series. Mary Carrillo went down and presented their trophies, but then handed them a check worth $3.6 million, exuberantly pointing out to the viewers that they have made an extra million bucks for doing the best at their jobs for essentially two tournaments. For someone who might have been sitting in front of his 12-inch TV eating pasta for the umpteenth night in a row, these words can be a bit off-putting, especially considering Serena and Rafa are two of the world's richest athletes.

Yes, these players are trying to earn a paycheck. That's why they chase appearance fees, play exhibitions during their off time, commit to a plethora of sponsor obligations, and tout candy and cheesecake and watches and their Signature Statement collection. But the US Open, one of the four most prestigious tournaments in the world, should not be reduced to a cash grab opportunity. Most of these players want to win the US Open for glory, not for money, so to treat a moment in which one has won a Grand Slam as someone winning the lottery is unfair. Serena and Rafa didn't give everything they had to win the US Open Series just for a chance have some additional change in their pockets.

What do you think of the US Open Series? Totally game or totally lame? Leave a comment and leave a dollar for my troubles. I need every penny.

P.S. I will be on site for US Open qualies on Friday! Tweet at me or come say 'hi' if you're around!

A 'Murrican Tennis Outlook

My sleep/work schedule is rejoicing tennis being back in the States. Matches are so much more fun to watch when they're on primetime television with an adult beverage in hand or well-rested on a relaxing weekend afternoon. On Friday night I watched, with heavy eyelids, Serena Williams battle back to defeat Ana Ivanovic. On Saturday, an ultimately disappointed Donald Young held his own against Milos Raonic.

Besides the Williams sisters, American tennis is going through a long-winded lull. The players are less exciting (we kinda-sorta miss you, A-Rod, but you're doing a bang up job as an analyst) and the number of events on home soil has dwindled and become more scattered, but we'll focus more on the players, or lack thereof. Given Serena's roller coaster ride of a 2014, we're forced to gaze into the crystal ball and see the future landscape of American tennis, and it's exactly what you'd expect to be looking at when confronted with a crystal ball: fog and lots of it.

Really, really sad

To be fair, the Grand Slam prospects on the women's side look pretty decent. Madison Keys has had ups and downs, but has mostly made strides in 2014. Even through her ugly patches (speaking of roller coasters...), Sloane Stephens still has considerable talent that can be honed. Vicky Duval is in the Top 100 (and kicking cancer's ass in the process) and Taylor Townsend has shone brightly on and off of the court. However, the men are a totally different story. John Isner has been lumbering in and largely out of the Top 10, Young is getting his bearings together yet again, and Steve Johnson is only beginning to make a name for himself on the main tour. Jack Sock has seen steady improvement, but Sam Querrey has been...sad.

Among all of the aforementioned names, Big John is the only one that could feasibly win a Slam by 2015. However, Jizzner's game makes any given match a toss-up, and that amounts to a <1% chance of winning seven matches in a single event (yes, I did the math). We also seemingly lack personalities that we can love (or love to hate). Serena and Sloane started to give us some of that last year, but have largely been consumed by their respective on-court woes since. Madison, Vicky, and Taylor are all likable girls, but have yet to show their on-court prowess deep at the biggest stages, leaving them fairly anonymous with casual fans.

All of that said, Serena is still #1, the tournament favorite everywhere she plays, and a household name. Venus is still plugging away and doesn't seem to be hanging it up anytime soon. Taylor is a future star in training. Sloane is Sloane, as she would say, and is still giving us something to talk about, NuvaRings and all. There were seven American boys in the last 16 of Wimbledon's Boy's Championships, two of whom faced off in the final. We may have a bit more fog to wade through, but it can be cleared pretty quickly with some strong results, especially if they can come within the next five weeks on home soil.

Thoughts? Rebuttals? Leave a comment! #MERICA

Piling on the Princess

It's not a bad thing to be Eugenie Bouchard today. She's young and good looking, she has legions of fans and admirers, and, as the 2014 Wimbledon finalist, she's wildly successful at her job. A pretty fun job, at that.

With that success, however, comes visibility, and with visibility comes scrutiny, the one not-so-great aspect of Genie's life right now. And there has been a lot of it, too. From handshake-gate at Fed Cup to not wanting to make friends on tour to the fallout with former bestie, Laura Robson (who's popular and widely well-liked), Genie has been forced to deal with the negative press that comes with it and has handled it with...ambivalence?

She doesn't show much in terms of emotions, good or bad, which is a testament to her competitive focus and determination. But when you're being marketed as the fresh personality of the WTA, it's a bit off-putting to learn that Genie...isn't very personable, at all.

As fans, we like our tennis stars to have a superhero(ine)'s air about them on court, for the most part, but to show their vulnerability and their human side off of it. At the height of her dominance, there were many people who couldn't stand Serena Williams. Slowly, as her insecurities regarding her health and age began to surface, there are many more people on her side than not. Something similar could be said about Monica Seles (although her situation was much more heartbreaking), Maria Sharapova, and even Victoria Azarenka, who's injury luck and recent return have softened those who criticized her the loudest. No, she doesn't need an injury or incident to get on the public's good side. But right now, Genie's guard is up so high, it's hard to get to know who she truly is other than someone who only takes pleasure in winning and very little else.

Still, she's very young, and it's still incredibly early in her career. There will be ebbs and flows, peaks followed by valleys, and in due time, we will learn something about Genie that helps us relate to her. She will someday reveal something about herself that garners no scrutiny, but appreciation instead.

Sweet, Sweet Fantasy Baby

As if Wimbledon was not already the most anticipated, and renowned, tournament on the tennis calendar, the All-England Lawn Tennis Club decided to add a component to the event that caters to every fanatic: a fantasy team.

I use the word 'team' very loosely because the players on each team created do not pool all of their respective statistics. Rather, we choose what part of a tennis stat sheet that each player will contribute to our team total, almost like a less gruesome way of pulling apart the arms, reflexes, and brains of a few tennis players to create a racquet-wielding robot of sorts. For example, the "Power" category, one (of five categories) which rewards the player's winners and deducts for unforced errors, on my team is headed by Tomas Berdych, who underperformed in the first round (he has since found a way to make up for it). However, performance is relative. Berdych cost me 300 points out of my 1,000-point budget. Ana Konjuh, on the other hand, only cost me 50 points and really gained me some useful points for the relatively low cost (and yes, she's my new favorite tennis player).

I wish I could provide more on the rules and how exactly the game works on a detailed level, but I'm still playing this thing by ear. The best I can do is give you the blow-by-blow of inward drama that is my Fantasy Wimbledon team. There will be tears when I make some cuts (once I figure out how that works...).

CATEGORIES

SERVE: Kei Nishikori
ANALYSIS: Baaaaad move. The dude cost me 200 points, but has done LITERALLY NOTHING for the team. Definitely first on the chopping block.

POWER: Tomas Berdych
ANALYSIS: Disappointing first round, especially because I paid 300 points (pounds?) for his winners, but I have faith he'll pull through in the later rounds

RETURN: Ana Konjuh
ANALYSIS: Team MVP (relatively speaking)! She's a keeper as long as she keeps winning her return points. And this is the category where you can really dig deep in the recesses of the tour to find a player who will only cost you 50 points because the amount of potential points from Return category is limited anyway, as it is dependent upon a percentage (no more than 100 points, an impossible feat).

NET PLAY: Roger Federer (wildcard)
ANALYSIS: Boooooooo you suck, Roger. I thought you were supposed to be the GOAT? Maybe I should've gotten Stakhovsky for this role. I mean, he's a serve-and-volleyer and he did "kick [your] butt" last year. Plus, I'm sure he won't cost me an arm and a leg. Sell.

MIND: Nick Kyrgios
ANALYSIS: Terrible casting by me, as he rocketed down 20+ aces in his win today and hardly had a single break opportunity. He's gonna be my first team change once I figure out how many switches I have left. I don't want to burn them all after only two days of play. He's cheap though, so no big loss.

All in all, a solid team that has gotten me solidly in the Top 10 of my league. But, as in all fantasy leagues, things can go downhill in an instant...

I will do my best to keep you abreast on our progress, any cuts I've made, and any new rules I learn. Just know I play to win. Competitors beware.

Uncertain Certainties

Tears will fall as fast as her ranking

Only hours before Wimbledon 2014 commences! What the heck will happen you ask? Here are five things that are certain to occur:

• Sabine Lisicki will open play on Centre on Day 2, entering the stadium in tears. Marion Bartoli will watch from the stands wearing Louboutins and a smug look on her face. When Sabine catches sight of Marion looking flawless, the memories of last year's final will overwhelm her and she will be carted off the field, going down to Julia Glushko, 1-6, 0-4 RET.
• Rafael Nadal will beat Lukas Rosol in the second round in five sets, avenging his shock loss to the Czech man in 2012. The match will finish beneath a closed Centre Court roof way four hours after curfew, culminating in a 13-11 final set scoreline. Nadal will later pull out of his third round match against Ivo Karlovic, citing over-elation.
• Sorana Cirstea will reassert herself as the Queen of Romania, upending Simona Halep in the third round. She will promptly lose in the following round to Tara Moore after being paid a handsome sum by a group of British journos.
• Agnieszka Radwanska and Victoria Azarenka will produce a dog fight of a match, rife with shrieks, glares, side-eyes, come-ons, and snubs. A tearful Aga will admonish Vika's grunt during her loser's press conference, while Vika deems the confrontation "hilarious" and that she was "laughing out loud" because of it.
• Grigor Dimitrov will face Andy Murray in a highly anticipated quarterfinal. The match will be awkward for the crowd as they will want to root for the next coming of Roger Federer. Grigor will get off to a quick start in the first set, fall back to earth in the second, and lose the third and fourth sets in romp after scanning the crowd and seeing Maria Sharapova eating gummy candies and judging him.

For things that definitely won't happen, here are my abbreviated picks:

Women's semifinals: Halep def. Sharapova; Azarenka def. Wozniacki

Women's final: Azarenka def. Halep

Men's semifinals: Djokovic def. Dimitrov; Federer def. Kyrgios (why not?)

Men's final: Federer def. Djokovic

Here's to hoping Novak proves me wrong. Happy Wimbledon, everyone!

The Grass is Greener (Than Clay)

Now that I have run out of tears to cry over the result of this past French Open (we just want one title, Rafa...), I am ready to discuss Wimbledon, the possibilities, and the major players heading into the All-England Club. Who's in need of championship run, or at least a deep showing?

1. For someone who plays only two ATP 500s per year (and no 250s), Novak Djokovic has been playing the vulture for the better part of the last 18 months. He's currently the defending champion at seven tournaments, none of them being Grand Slams. And for the only of the Big Four to be a virtual lock to make it to the latter stages of every event he enters, he hasn't won a major in his last five attempts. Maybe the stars will align this Wimbledon, but doubt has taken over hope given his current results.
2. Roger Federer made his sixth final and won his second title of the year in Halle, but his peak form from the post-Australian Open hard court swing seems to have waned a bit, not a good sign heading into the place that cemented his legend. Winning a grass court tune-up (and getting a nice draw) should boost his confidence, but we've seen Roger have sniffs at matches/titles yet come up short.
3. With a new, badass coach in his corner, Andy Murray heads into Wimbledon with a renewed purpose. How can one top breaking a 77-year drought? By doing it again, this time with a Amelie Mauresmo in tow. It'll be a tough ask, but quelling the haters is great motivation.
4. Jerzy Janowicz has been in freefall since making the semifinals at SW19 last year. He went through a winless streak that lasted from the middle of February until the beginning of the French Open, including a Davis Cup loss to Borna Coric, a young up-and-comer barely ranked within the Top 300. About half of his ranking points are attributed to his stellar run last year, so a poor showing will cause him to completely plummet, possibly outside the Top 60.
5. For a player widely considered to be unbeatable, Serena Williams has been beaten quite a bit in 2014 (based on her standards, anyway). Especially disconcerting were results at the first two majors this year, particularly in Paris, where she was dusted in barely over an hour by Garbine Muguruza. Serena's getting close to 33 now, so her invincibility of the previous two years may be wearing off, but she needs to relearn how to raise her game for the Slams like she did in Brisbane, Miami, and Rome this year.
6. Agnieszka Radwanska is #5 in the Road To Singapore and has had a decent year, but she doesn't have a title to show for it. She's a player who's game doesn't automatically scream Slam champion, but Aga has had very real opportunities, at Wimbledon last year and at the Oz in January, slip through her fingers to stealthily grab her first major. With the other top players (not counting Maria Sharapova) in a bit of flux, Aga should want to capitalize on the grass that she loves.
7. Sloane Stephens used to enjoy the label of being the youngest player in her section of the rankings. She has since ceded that position to Eugenie Bouchard, a cohort who has zoomed past her this season. The other girls in her age group are also making steady, noticeable gains, but Sloane seems to be stuck in third gear, scraping by with a ranking barely inside the Top 20. Making six straight second weeks in Slams is quite impressive, but that statistic is getting stale, especially since the last three were only fourth round forays. If she can get to the semis (not an easy task), she can reinsert herself as a dangerous player for anyone to face.

Any other players you think could use a deep run? Leave a comment! Should be a fun fortnight.

City of Mights

• Arrivederci Roma, and bonjour Paris! Roland Garros draws have been released, so now we have an idea of what might happen in the City of Lights. (Forgive the formatting; lack of time and blogging from an iPad that doesn't autocorrect tennis names and terms nowhere near the same level as my phone are conflicting positions...)
  
  
  • Serena might successfully defend Roland Garros for the time in her career, something she has achieved at the other three Slams. Her road to victory could be complicated, with a scheduled third round tussle with big sis and a potential round of 16 match against the always dangerous Sabine Lisicki. However, she hasn't lost to Venus on clay since 1998 and has lost a combined four games to Lisicki in their two meetings outside of SW19. Her biggest foe in her quarter is Sam Stosur, but she is owned by Maria Sharapova, her likely fourth round opponent.
  • The second quarter of the women's draw might feature a surprise semifinalist. Anchored by Aga Radwanska and Angelique Kerber, two unreliable clay courters, bet on proven clay specialist Carla Suarez Navarro, the dramatic hometown favorite Alizé Cornet, or possibly a resurgent Francesca Schiavone to come through. Or maybe even Taylor Townsend! #merica
  • Sloane might break her second week streak at Slams. Currently at five consecutive fourth rounds or better, Sloane has been slumping going into Roland Garros, losing three of her last four matches. Recent titles by cohorts Eugenie Bouchard and Monica Puig will add unwanted additional pressure to keep pace with her results.
  • Nadal might be a five-time defending champion at a Slam, erasing one of the few accomplishments in which Roger Federer has him beat. Rafa's draw is manageable, but his hiccups this clay season means nothing is guaranteed this year. He could run into semi-proven talent Dominic Thiem in the second round and the very proven talent Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals.
  • Djokovic might complete the Career Slam. He's been knocking on the door of this elusive Slam for the last three years, coming within one net violation of virtually taking the crown last year. Nole's win over Rafa in Rome should give him a ton of confidence, and he'll need every bit of it. He's due to meet Marin Cilic in the third round, French native Jo-Wilfried Tsongs in the fourth, and either Milos Raonic or Kei Nishikori in the quarters
  • Federer versus Gulbis might be really exciting. Granted, our beloved Ernie would have to get there, and he's been rather unreliable to make it past the first week of majors. Still, imagine the drama: Fed will feed off the crowd and Ernie's "boring" comments from last year, Ernie will settle into his villain role with aplomb, and the match will last five sets with darkness threatening before Roger eeks out the victory. Love it.
  So let's throw down, French Open! I might be looking forward to the second week already!

B-Squad High

The ATP has, at times, been equivocated to a high school. With a bunch of young-ish guys secluded together, cliques form, rivalries intensify, and there is a definitive cool kids table occupied by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. But let's imagine for a second that each member of the Big 4 transferred to a prep school, where do the others fall in the hierarchy now that we're back in Europe on red clay? I have a handy guide using senior superlatives and other high school words that I haven't used in years!

Stanislas Wawrinka, Valedictorian - Stan is suffering from a bit of Senioritis post-Melbourne, but being the first person to beat both Rafa and Novak at a Slam automatically vaults you to the head of the class. Not even Roger can boast such a feat (though we'll cut the Swiss No. 2 some slack). Back on clay, his favorite surface, we should see the return of Stan's best tennis.

Cutest Couple

Tomas Berdych, Salutatorian - has been the one member of the B-squad who has been, for years, consistently present at the top of the rankings and at the latter stages of majors relative to his peers. He has beaten Roger twice at Slams, Novak on another occasion, and, if weather and certain points had gone in his favor during the 2012 US Open and 2014 Aussie Open semifinals, very well could've added Murray and Nadal to his list of scalps. Despite all of this, he's still on the hunt for his maiden Slam trophy. It all comes down to playing the biggest matches and biggest points much better than he has. It made all the difference in the world for Wawrinka.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Class Clown - Oh Jo...before the year started, I tagged you as my pick ahead of your peers in the second tier to win a major this year. Sadly, you are proving me so, so wrong. Between your blow out loss to Federer in Melbourne and your horrendous choke job to a limping Gojowczyk in the Davis Cup quarterfinals, you have had a laughable season thus far. (I hope Jo reads this paragraph, seeing as I'm speaking directly to him.)

David Ferrer, Super Senior - this category could almost be called "Senior Citizen." Daveed has tried really hard to live up to his billing as the guy who actually broke through the Top 4 rankings-wise while "Big 4" was a relevant term, but his inability to snag a victory over one of those members has held him back in a huge way. Niggling injuries and semi-puzzling losses have crept their way in and his status may continue to decline as the season progresses.

Grigor Dimitrov, Skipped a Grade - Baby Fed is nearly all grown up. Impressive performances in Melbourne and Acapulco have pretty much cemented his arrival. His March Masters swing was a bit underwhelming, winning just one match each in Indian Wells and Miami, but you can't deny how good he's been this year. Grigor heads to clay and grass soon and, with a nice bump in the rankings, should make a fair bit of noise at the two European Grand Slams. It's been an inspiration watching his development this season.

Juan Martin del Potro, Left Back - Cut down once again by his wrists, it looks more and more as if his 2009 U.S. Open victory was an outlier. Even still, putting his wrist problems aside for a moment, he has had some disappointing runs at a few majors in which he was healthy. Counting his incredible semifinal finish at last year's Wimbledon, DelPo's last four Slam results include two second-round exits and a DNP at Roland Garros.

Flying high

Ernests Gulbis, Most Improved - Ernie just might make it after all. Our beloved SeaGulbis is backing up his surprisingly positive 2013 season with some great play in the first quarter of 2014. Early losses in Miami (and now Monte Carlo) aside, it's been an impressively staid year for a such a volatile personality.

Jerzy Janowicz, Good Boy Gone Bad - speaking of volatile personalities, we're witnessing quite the implosion from Jerzy. For someone who won five matches at Wimbledon last year, he's been on the winning side only four times since the beginning of February. Male JJ may have benefited from a bit more recovery time after revealing an injured foot during the Australian Open, but has charged along through the indoor hard court swing, and he's paying the price now, suffering through a six-match losing streak.

Any other superlatives to add to the list? Leave a comment and tell me who!

Fixing Sloane Stephens

What to do with a player who has the talent, but lacks in the mental department? That's the situation with Sloane Stephens heading to red clay, arguably the surface which she's been the most consistently successful.

At a glance, Sloane's resume as one of the leading members of WTA's "Next Generation" is not too shabby. She's produced a couple of major upsets, has been a regular in the second week of Grand Slam tournaments, and hit a career high ranking of #11 back in October. However, many of those who know her talent and follow her from week to week find it hard to ignore some of the deep valleys she has found herself in. Her penchant for losing several consecutive games within a match while seemingly unable to find any sort of solution (and to lesser players) is astonishing, and alarming.

Deleting Twitter hate can't be taught, either

There is a belief within almost every sporting circle that you can teach an athlete the skills needed to play the game, but you can't teach an athlete how to perform under pressure. While "winning" can't be taught in practice, it can be learned through experience. In Charleston, Venus Williams herself said that she acquired some of her killer instinct not naturally, but by watching her sister Serena tough out close matches.

So there is hope for Sloane yet! She is a strong girl physically, but here are a few simple steps she can take towards building her heart and brain muscle that every champion needs:

1. Play smaller tournaments. She's already in the process of checking this one off since she will be playing in Bogota this week. More match play can only do good for a player who might be low on confidence. With only one other Top 50 opponent in the Bogota field, picking up momentum has never been easier.
2. Play more doubles, which she's also doing this week by pairing up with Paula Ormaechea! For someone who's known for her rocket forehand from the baseline, Sloane is surprisingly adept finishing in the forecourt. Extra reps at net may add some much-needed diversity to her gameplan in singles.
3. Play every point. While Sloane's 10-year outlook on her tennis career is correct, tennis is a sport where you're only as good as the last point you played and giving away points (or entire games) doesn't do you any favors. When Sharapova was on her double-bagel streak at the 2013 Australian Open, she was asked why she couldn't give away just one game. She replied, "That's not my style." If one wants to be successful in tennis, it shouldn't be anyone's style.

I have faith in Sloane's game and that she'll turn it around mentally. She's still very young and there is time to put all the pieces of her tennis together, but I hope she realizes time is as unrelenting an opponent as anyone she'll ever face and it won't be on her side forever.

Any other Sloane backers out there? Leave a comment and keep me company on this quickly emptying bandwagon!

All's Indian Wells That Ends Indian Wells

World Tennis Day has come and gone, but which players can use a holiday boost in the desert? Below are a few players who could benefit from a good run at the Fifth Slam:

Novak Djokovic - While he's only played 8 matches this year, it's clear that Nole has been off to an uncharacteristic start. It's the first time since 2006 that he has come into Indian Wells title-less. He took the first set of both matches he lost (and was up a break in the fifth set against Wawrinka in Melbourne), leading to many questions regarding his mental state and lacking killer instinct. Djokovic has a nice draw to the final though, being the only one of the Big 4 in his half.

Andy Murray - It's been a slow comeback for Muzz and he's traditionally struggled in California, but the courts at Indian Wells suit his game and he SHOULD do well. If we get the quarterfinal matchup between him and Rafa, we'll really get a sense as to where Andy is at compared to his Big 4 brethren.

Milos can't pull off this look

Milos Raonic - The Canadian Missile has definitely been shunted to the side by his cohorts as of late, most notably Grigor Dimitrov, winner of Acapulco and all-around cutie pie. He's had to pull out of Davis Cup and withdraw from Zagreb due to a bum ankle, but winning a potential showdown against Jerzy Janowicz in the third round can ease a lot of the pain.

Petra Kvitova - Two years after being a few points of the No. 1 ranking, Petra suddenly has a lot to prove. This year's first round loss in Australia sounded several alarms, whether it was her continued struggles in warm playing conditions or her penchant to go completely off the rails with her groundstrokes. She needs a big result at a relevant tournament to quell the questioners. A semifinal or better run at Indian Wells (or Miami) would help Kvitova's cause.

Australian coffee is her kryptonite

Sam Stosur - Sam is in a bit of a career crossroads, but with some of the top players stumbling out of the gates this season, she has the opportunity to make something of a run in the desert. If she gets through her early rounds, Sam is a dangerous opponent for any of the WTA's upper crust. Indian Wells should be a good surface for her playstyle and hopefully she's confident in her abilities after her best result in Australia in awhile, reaching the third round of Melbourne. (That sounded rude, but it's the truth.)

Sloane Stephens - Obviously (Sloane's favorite word) she has been in a funk. Although she went 0 for the Middle East yet again, Sloane can silence a bunch of critics with a deep run, and she has a draw that could break her way if she takes care of business on the front end. A decent result here can give her ranking a bolster, too, as she isn't defending any points from 2013.

Anyone else in mind that could use Indian Wells as a springboard to 2014 success? Leave a comment and tell me who! Should be a fun tournament, as always. Please God, let men's doubles have decent TV coverage in the early rounds...

The Tiring (Semi-)Retirees

He'll have to get a haircut before his first day

Good news for non-Nadal fans: Robin Söderling isn't retired after all!

But...wait. He just took the position of Tournament Director of the Stockholm Open and Swedish Open. How will this work? Well, unless he plans on making history of being the first person to ever win an ATP event which he also ran, it won't work.

Someone who is planning a comeback wouldn't have such a behind-the-scenes job in the tennis world. Does he plan on being active at all in 2014? Söderling should know that it gets harder and harder to get back to the tour grind the longer you are sidelined. Maybe he thinks he'll pull a Pim Pim Johannson, but the likelihood of that happening is quite low.

Another adamantly non-retired person is Mardy Fish. The tennis player turned maybe-golf pro has denied rumors of his retirement on several occasions. Unfortunately for him, the assumptions have a lot of teeth to them as we've seen more news about him missing cuts at amateur golf tournaments than him having a hit on a practice court.

I am not one to say whether someone should come back to tennis or not. Soderling can become the tournament director at Roland Garros and Wimbledon if he wants to. Fish should try his hand at golf or bowling or shuffleboard if he pleases, it's his life. I just want them to own up to it. If you aren't ready to play yet, say it! What irks me is their insistence that their careers are not over and not only not doing anything to actively dispel those rumors, but actively supporting them by running tennis tournaments and taking up an entirely different sport.

What do you guys think of our former Top 10ers? Are you sick of them, too, or am I being a wee bit harsh? Whether you're retired or unretired, leave a comment!

Dream Thiem

Thiem would lose the arm wrestling contest 6-0, 6-0

Last week in Rotterdam, the tennis world was introduced to qualifier Dominic Thiem, 20 year-old Austrian and new member of the ATP Top 100. He pushed Andy Murray to three sets in a losing effort and impressed everyone with his shotmaking ability off of both wings. After just one match of seeing him play, you can consider me an expert on Thiem's potential as a tennis star. Here are three basic things you need to know about this addition to our Next Generation roster of talent.

First and foremost, he hits the ball hard. For someone who isn't physically imposing, he really goes for his shots. He can clock the forehand and will pull the trigger early (to his detriment, at times) on the down-the-line backhand. Watching him run Andy from side to side was entertaining.

Second, and already most exhausting, he has a one-handed backhand. Wielding a one-hander is almost a guarantee that experts will talk about you and how beautiful (elegant, free-flowing, gorgeous, awe-striking, etc.) that one singular groundstroke is. Every one-hander is different, but I would compare the way it zips through the court to that of Richard Gasquet's. However, unlike Reesh, Thiem isn't content to sit back and do all the heavy lifting from that wing.

Lastly, he's a fighter. After getting down an early break in the final set, he did well to stay in touch with Andy until the end, making Andy serve his way out of the match.

It's always fun seeing an up-and-comer rise up and test a big name. Thiem's game seems perfectly suited for clay, so it should be a player to keep an eye on when April rolls around. I daresay he has a better chance to pull off a big upset then!

What do you think of the baby-faced Thiem's upside? Leave a comment!

21 Questions

The summer sun has set in Australia for the ATP and WTA. Tennis has left the continent until 2015, but the train rolls along to the hard courts, whether outdoors or otherwise, of the Middle East and Europe. Many players take much needed breaks to enjoy family time, serve food to drivers stuck in blizzard traffic, or cover the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Still, there are many other unanswered questions that need to be tended to before we hit the restart button. U.S. hard courts and the Euroclay swing will be here sooner than we think! Here are some inquiries that will potentially require the rest of the year to investigate and uncover:

1. Will Serena recover from a disappointing Oz for a third straight year? It's been hard luck Down Under for Serena. She's skipping Doha which may signal a more serious back issue than originally thought, but she should be well rested for Miami. Patrick Mouratoglou should be #proud either way.
2. Does Li Na have a healthy chance to get even closer to a Career Slam? The fact that this is even in the cards for her is a testament to her recent consistency. Li is great on all surfaces and, given Serena's occasional frailty at recent Slams, she should have a decent shot at a Wimbledon or U.S. Open title.
3. Will MaSha be ready to rev up her season post-Sochi? She was decent in Brisbane and off her game in Melbourne and the Paris Indoors. Sharapova's the defending champ at Indian Wells, so she'll have to find her form quickly.
4. How often will we hear "Pome!" at the other large events? Cibulkova showed every facet of her results by busting through to the final at the Australian Open, then losing her two singles rubbers in Fed Cup. I expect largely the same, though I wouldn't be surprised to see her have similar successes at Roland Garros.
5. Can Aga fight her own demons and nab that elusive maiden major title? Another Slam semifinal, another bitter disappointment. These are getting harder swallow for Radwanska. The Middle East and American hard court swing will be a good gauge to see where her head is at?
6. Will we see Auckland Venus or Melbourne Venus (or both) in 2014? She had many chances against Makarova in Australia, but played well through poor patches to push Ivanovic in New Zealand. It's a toss-up, but I think we'll see more of vintage Venus this year.
7. How can Vika get her groove back? She owned Aga, but got sliced open and carbo-loaded in Melbourne. Now she's dealing with a bum foot. Azarenka isn't defending until the summer hard courts, so these next few months present a big opportunity to pick up much needed momentum.
8. Will Genie 2014 mirror Sloane's 2013? Bouchard is steadier and is mentally ready for the pressure of being a top player. Expect her to use this rankings gain to her advantage.
9. How much confidence did Ana Ivanovic gain from her Australian summer? A title run and a win over Serena is pretty darn impressive. She looks happier with her team, too. Ana could be a threat to do some things in the coming months, especially as we head towards the clay.
10. Is Simona Halep ready for primetime? She's defending almost nothing in the next few months, but the pressure cooker will be on high once Rome rolls around. Making a Slam quarter should be good for her confidence.
11. Will Wozniacki fall even further? Eight Slams, zero second-week appearances. It's become a bad trend for Woz to get hit off the court without much of a fight. Still, with Serena, MaSha, Vika, and Aga in somewhat vulnerable mindsets, she can scrape together some solid results to get the train back on the tracks; she is derailed at the moment.
12. What is #Stanimal's follow up act? Wawrinka did something that even Federer can't boast, and that's defeat the Top 2 players AND defeat Rafa and Nole to win a Grand Slam. Hard to follow that up, but the current rankings don't lie. He's definitely the third likeliest to win the French Open this season.
13. Will Stan's win start a shift to a post-Big 4 era? Unlike Del Potro in 2009, Stan's title run did not seem like a "lightning in a bottle" type of performance. However, as we've seen with DelPo, it'll take more consistent, day-in and day-out high-level tennis than the result of a singular Grand Slam to shake the core of the Big 4 (I like to rhyme occasionally).
14. What does Dimitrov do next to impress? Baby Fed's game is awe-striking and dynamic and we finally have a very good Grand Slam result to back up the hype. His performance against Rafa was notable for the way he won the first set as much as it was for his reaction to ultimately losing the match. He's got the goods to play on all surfaces and a higher ranking should boost his chances of making three more second-week appearances at Slams this year.
15. What can Milos Raonic do regain control of the "Next Generation" conversation? Bernard Tomic was the first to make a Slam quarterfinal, Jerzy Janowicz made a Slam semi, and Dimitrov has that big win over a No. 1 and also made a quarterfinal appearance, beating out Raonic in the process. A loss to his cohort has shifted the attention away from Milos in a big way. He will need a stellar performance at either Indian Wells or Miami, semis or better, to grab back some of the hype that has been redistributed amongst his peers.
16. Has Novak lost his killer instinct? I wrote my remarks about Novak's recent Slam struggles here, but maybe losing Oz will galvanize him for the remainder of the year, just as losing the No. 1 ranking was a springboard for his immaculate fall. He's still, in my eyes, the best player on tour all things equal and that should give him some confidence going forward (I hope).
17. Is Nadal scheduled for a dip in results? The one thing Rafa has never done was earn the year-end No. 1 ranking for consecutive seasons. It'll be hard to match his amazing 2013, but he's ripe to hold onto the top spot given his big lead and Djokovic's shakiness.
18. Is Roger back on track? He ran circles around an out-of-sorts Tsonga and dazzled, though not without a slight stumble, against Murray. But then he was beaten down, mentally and otherwise, by Nadal. It was a great run and losing to Nadal isn't anything new for Federer, but the way he lost to him (and in Brisbane to Hewitt) has me hesitating to proclaim Roger "back." I need a bigger sample size.
19. When should we expect Andy Murray to return to form? Losing to an in-form Roger isn't the end of the world. Still, he has a chunk of points to defend before the European clay swing, and will want to get back on his horse quickly. Then again, Andy Murray and the month of March generally don't get along.
20. Are DelPo and Isner doomed to disappoint at the Slams? Both big men won titles the weekend before the Australian Open commenced and both were cut down during the heat wave, citing injuries. Del Potro has been dealing with the left wrist for some time and Isner said he had ankle issues in Auckland, you would think they would manage their schedules better to avoid early Slam exits. Our expectations of these talents are so much higher than their results on the major stages, and I don't see them improving too much on that front this year.
21. How different will the Slam winners look this year? An interesting question because both top-ranked players on each of the tours should expect at least some decline from their monstrous 2013 seasons and the No. 2s are in a bit of a professional flux. The French Open is likely the biggest opportunity for a Slam-less WTAer to nab her first major and I think the U.S. Open could be a chance for the ATP B-squad, particularly Berdych and Tsonga, to join Stan as this year's first-time champions.

Woof, that was long! Any questions you want answered for the remainder of 2014? Have a different answer to any of the questions already posed? Leave a comment! Doha and Rotterdam are underway, and it may give us some clues regarding these inquiries.

Mental Double-Edge

“I sincerely hope he can bring that mental edge because he recognizes the situations that one top player is facing, especially during the Grand Slams and the pressures and expectations. That’s what we’re hoping to work on and improve the most. And, of course, a couple of other elements of my game.”

"Mental edge." "Mental" seems to be Novak Djokovic's go-to vocabulary word of 2014. How does a player who was, until very recently, ranked No. 1 in the world, expert vanquisher of match points against him, and six-time Grand Slam champion need someone with fewer career accomplishments than he help him with the game's mental approach?

During Novak's ascendence to the very top of the tennis world, he received criticism for many different things: his cocksure attitude, his brash confidence, and his annoyingly accurate impersonations left a bad taste in the many mouths of the sport's traditionalists. (I've always loved and appreciated his early behavior.) The abundance of loathing he garnered from the lovers of the Federer-Nadal rivalry was even further augmented by his ability to thwart their battles for ATP supremacy.

The singular on-court aspect of Novak that was easy to bash, however, was his lacking mental fortitude. For someone who talked a big game and backed it up quite often, Novak was horrible when the chips were down. King of Retirements and master of double-faulting break point down, his lack of fight that his contemporaries had, specifically Nadal and Andy Murray, was his Achilles' Heel throughout his Slam-less 2009 and 2010 seasons.

But that all changed, starting with his back-from-the-brink win against Roger Federer at the 2010 U.S. Open semifinals, saving two match points. His next intermediary achievement was leading Team Serbia to their first ever Davis Cup victory. Those two shows of determination catapulted him to one of the greatest seasons in tennis history. In 2011, he took home three Slams, five Masters titles, and achieved 41 consecutive victories and never looked back. He was 6-0 against Nadal on all surfaces (and all in finals) and once again was left for dead against Federer in the U.S. Open semis before saving two more match points, one of which was eradicated on one of the most memorable service returns ever struck.

As if that wasn't enough to prove his fortitude, he played an epic 2012 Australian Open final, Novak's seventh straight meeting against Nadal at that stage, and outlasted one of the games greatest ever competitors, both physically and mentally, in a nearly six-hour slugfest. He didn't sustain this extraordinarily high level of success throughout the remainder of 2012 and 2013, but who could? He was consistently in the mix late in majors and held the top spot of the rankings for over 100 weeks, a benchmark only the legends reach.

In 2013, Novak found himself losing a little more frequently, both on big and small stages. Mental lapses became a bit more commonplace, most infamously during his Roland Garros semifinal against Rafa when, up a break in the fifth set, he ran into the net, losing the point on an easy putaway. Game, set, match, and year to Rafael Nadal. Djokovic was unable to bring it against his rivals for the remainder of the Grand Slam season.

Okay, so Novak was slightly below his ridiculously high par. No big deal. He won a ton of nail-biters over the years, those things are bound to even out in a sport with such small margins. On top of that, he managed to salvage at least some of his 2013 with a blazing fall, winning every match, including two routine victories over Nadal, to close out the season. No need to panic, right?

Which brings us to the hire of new head coach Boris Becker, tennis legend and owner of the proprietary "mental edge" that Novak believes will help him in 2014. There were jokes and laughs and doubts about Becker's ability to coach at this level, but Novak had his reasons. Novak, the most complete player in the game, likes to improve and add new tricks and he believes Becker will teach him to be more aggressive on serve and in the forecourt, all while giving him that oft-cited "mental edge."

We saw Becker's influence on Novak's game at their first tournament together, the Australian Open. Then in the quarterfinals, while involved in another five-set overtime tussle with Stanislas Wawrinka, his abilities to close failed him in a big way. He went up a quick break in the fifth set only to immediately dump serve on four careless forehand errors. He failed to convert break points in the pivotal seventh game of the set. Most egregiously, he horrendously shanked an easy forehand volley down match point. The one part of Novak's game he was supposedly improving deserted him for one crucial moment.

That being said, I am not blaming Boris Becker. He didn't hit that sitter volley for Novak. I'm not blaming the tactical choice to serve-and-volley, either. Novak has been implementing serve-and-volley throughout many matches in 2013 and the play got him the result he wanted, until it got to the "volley" portion of the strategy. I'm more concerned with what was going on in Novak's brain while it was sending signals to his right arm and hand, lungs, and legs.

All of this talk about Novak trying to find the "mental edge" over his rivals got me wondering if there is an "edge" to find. The "mental edge" is something that comes to you. But it doesn't come in your dreams at night in a 'Eureka!' fashion. It doesn't come on the practice courts with a brand name coach at your helm. It comes right at the exact moment you need it to. It comes when you blast a backhand down the line to set up an easy crosscourt backhand winner against your chief rival at a tournament he won eight times in a row. It comes to you when your opponent comes to the net on a great approach only to be felled by your brilliant passing shot. It comes to you in a single gutsy forehand while emotionally vulnerable and down match point, with the Greatest Of All Time serving on the other side of the net.

Whatever "mental edge" Novak Djokovic is looking for, he may not find it in Boris Becker. It comes and goes, flitting between the guys at the top, and it takes experience before it finds you again. Rafa regained the "mental edge" on Novak after seven consecutive heartbreaking losses. Wawrinka may have found the elusive "mental edge" last summer in Flushing Meadows. At this moment, Novak is overthinking in his search for it. He needs to let the "mental edge" come to him. Boris Becker may yet be a great addition to his team, but if Novak thinks that Becker will provide the cure to his recent Grand Slam disappointments, he may find himself hunting for the "edge" in vain.

(Link: a great live analysis of Novak Djokovic vs. Stanislas Wawrinka by @juanjosetennis of The Changeover)

Oi...

The Australian Open has just begun and I have no idea what will happen. Well, I have an idea, but it will likely mean very little come Day 14. Anyway, I can give you a 41% guarantee that the following WILL happen. Here are my picks for Champion and "Surprise Semifinalist":

• Men's Champion: Novak Djokovic - He's coming in with a head of steam. I understand that an entire offseason has happened and that new coach Boris Becker can throw a small hitch in his game, but Nole has been the king of Melbourne Park for three years running. I can't foresee anyone bringing him down, especially with Nadal's semi-shaky Doha title run (and his ridiculously tough draw) and Andy Murray's limited match play since the U.S. Open.
• Surprise Semifinalist: John Isner - Much like Novak, he's coming in with some momentum ahead of a solid title run in Auckland. He was fortunate enough to be in the quarter anchored by a rusty Murray and an erratic Federer. Big John's big serve should do a ton of damage and he should feel no pressure this year, having missed last year's Oz due to injury.
• Women's Champion: Serena Williams - I'm not gonna bother rationalizing this pick. NEXT.
• Surprise Semifinalist: Andrea Petkovic - She was drawn into the slightly unstable Sharapova quarter and she has a manageable path. She plays No. 32 seed Magdalena Rybarikova in the first round, but Magda is known to crap out in Slams. Petko could get JJ in the third round.

I'll stop myself here before I make myself look dumb. Looking forward to enjoying the Happy Slam and lots of coffee on weekday mornings. Sleep is for the weak. Or for the smart, whichever.

Less is More in 2-0-1-4

It's a new year, a new tennis season, and a new slew of things that I want to complain about! This year, less is more. Here are a few things I would like to see less of to make tennis more enjoyable in 2014:

1. Less injuries. They suck. One reason why the Australian Open was so lackluster in 2013 was Nadal's absence due to his health problems. Injuries and pull-outs are a part of tennis, but seeing less of them this year would be awesome.
2. Less chair umpire involvement in matches. Looking at you Mohamed Lahyani.
3. Less fan rowdiness. I'm all for cheering on your guy like heck, but when someone has been trying to serve for the last five minutes, just stfu. Please.
4. Less piling on. Some of the media have a tendency to hop on the bash bandwagon rather quickly, whether it's directed at Victoria Azarenka or Sloane Stephens or Bernard Tomic or Donald Young, then change tact when that player achieves something to earn praise. A little more perspective, both ways, really makes a difference.
5. Less blatantly pronouncing names wrong. Dear Greg Garber, it's Djo-ko-VITCH, not Djo-ko-VICK. Get yourself together. Sincerely, literally everyone remotely paying attention to tennis within the last six years.
6. Fewer articles about Venus/Serena skipping Indian Wells. Their decision is final, stop harping on about it.
7. Fewer complaints about grunting. Why that's stopping you from watching great tennis, I will never know.
8. Less courteousness among the players. Give me all of the drama. Andy Murray agrees.
9. Fewer television coverage issues. See ATP Miami final on CBS. Or only see up until it gets to a final-set tiebreaker, then search for a completely different means to the watch the conclusion of the match, with none of those means being related to CBS or Tennis Channel or Tennis TV. Yeah, it was THAT dumb.



Less violating the net...

10. Less surface homogenization. I just want Tsvetana Pironkova to make a Wimbledon final. Or, at the very least, fewer of the same names left standing at the end of each tournament year-round.

What do you want to see less of this season? Leave a comment and complain away. The Australian Open is just days away! Prepping myself for less sleep.

Canadian Missile Crisis: Make or Break Time for Raonic

This December, I'm going to attempt to profile a few players to watch in advance of the 2014 season. Leave a comment on any of these postmortems if there is a player you think I overlooked!

Maybe it's maple leaf

Although he missed qualifying for the World Tour Finals in 2013, Milos Raonic did well to finish the year at No. 11. He's the youngest guy in the Top 20 and second youngest in the Top 50. So why does it seem like 2014 is a make or break season for the Pride of Canada (or something)? It's because his 2013 didn't really consist of anything special. There were a few highs, and a few lows, but he's been mostly stagnant in terms of big wins or impressive runs. Here's how his 2013 shook out:

The Good

Milos should really be able to take advantage of his improved ranking on the Australian hard courts. He had a really impressive Asian swing, winning the Bangkok title over Tomas Berdych and defending his finalist points in Tokyo (ultimately losing to the hot hand of Juan Martin Del Potro). His big fall left him with an outside shot of qualifying for London going into Bercy. Even with all of that, Milos's season will be most remembered for his run to his first Masters 1000 final in his backyard at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, winning some very tight matches to get there.

The Bad

Unfortunately for Raonic, he continues to flounder against the guys ranked above him. His 2013 record against the Top 10 was only 3-9, with two of those victories coming after the U.S. Open and one of them muddled by controversy (more on that later). His Grand Slam performances have also been a disappointment. He failed to reach the quarterfinals of a single Slam this year and had his opportunity in Flushing Meadows against everyone's favorite Round of 16 opponent, Richard Gasquet. Milos had a match point in the very long fourth set tiebreaker, but couldn't close.

The Ugly

Milos really took unexpected heat when he hypothetically/technically gamed the system at the expense of beloved DelPo en route to the Rogers Cup final. Granted, Milos was on his way to winning that match and he did well to eventually apologize, but it wasn't a good look for him or for tennis. Raonic's desire to win matches is very evident, but it makes me wonder whether this helps or hurts him during pressure points. For someone who is prone to playing tiebreakers, he had a very mediocre 20-19 record last season.

2014 Outlook

I'm not sure what this new season will bring for Milos. His improved ranking should help him get slightly softer draws at Slams, but he's lost to lower ranked players in the past, and in rather routine fashion. We'll see if he can do some damage on the hard courts, especially in North America. Events outside of his home continent may be tough on Milos. He hasn't done a whole lot on clay and he's useless on grass. If he is to make a big move up to the upper crust of the rankings, Raonic better take advantage of the Melbourne, Indian Wells, and Miami hard courts. Who knows if he will, eh? (Had to.)

Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment!