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!