Kasatkina wins battle of teenagers

The Davis Cup semi finals have been decided and the WTA titles in Monterrey and Charleston handed out.

Nick Kyrgios led Australia to victory over the USA, winning both his singles matches to help reach an unbeatable 3-1 position.  The semi final opponent is Belgium,  whose win was achieved in a similar manner, over Italy, David Goffin securing both his singles matches, and Italy only managing the doubles in the first four matches.

The other quarter finals were straightforward wins for Serbia over Spain and France over Great Britain.  In each instance the first three matches were won and the ties wrapped up, the final two clashes just for exhibition.

The Volvo Car Open in Charleston ended in a final between two unseeded 19 year olds and that augurs well for the future of women's tennis.  It was Russia's Daria Kasatkina who triumphed, capturing her first WTA title, leaving Jelena Ostapenko in her dust 6-1 6-3. 

The two players have come through the juniors together, and even won successive Grand Slam junior titles - Kasatkina the 2014 French Open and Ostapenko the 2014 Wimbledon.

Kasatkina jumps 13 spots to 29 in the world rankings.

The top two seeds battled for the Abierto GNP Seguros trophy in Monterrey and Angie Kerber missed her opportunity at a first title since the US Open last year.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova prevailed over three sets, surviving a Kerber comeback in the second set 6-2 to level the match.

The Russian steadied, grabbing back the momentum and rushing through the decider 6-1.

Kerber remains the statistical number one because of her rolling twelve months performances, but she is sitting at number 10 in purely 2017 output.  

Interestingly Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic are numbers one and two on the rolling twelve month rankings.  However they are 12 and 22 respectively on 2017 performances.

Ostapenko shocks Wozniacki

Contrasting quarter final results in WTA events in Monterrey and Charleston.

Caroline Wozniacki, fully expected to romp into the semi finals in Charleston with a win over Jelena Ostapenko, was dumped unceremoniously in straight sets by the 19 year old Latvian.

In the current climate the win was a surprise for Ostapenko, given Wozniacki had made at least the quarters in 11 of her last 14 events.  However, the only time the two had played previously was in New Haven last year, and the outcome was the same.

The opening set saw Jelena have trouble hitting the mark with her first serve, but beyond that everything worked to her advantage, shots seeming to hit the line most times where there was a margin of error, whereas Caroline was unable to produce her best.  Broken twice and losing 2-6, the momentum shift just didn't arrive and set two was a struggle for the Danish star.

Wozniacki was broken for the third successive time in the first game of the second set but bounced back with some of the best returning of the match to tie it at 1-1.  However, Ostapenko continued her aggressive approach and it paid dividends in the fifth game where the Danish serve was again demolished.

Serving for the match at 5-4, Ostapenko wobbled as Wozniacki saved three match points.  Maintaining her composure, the 66th ranked player converted on the next chance and reached only the second second semi final of a Premier level tournament in her short career.

Unseeded players in two other quarter finals also won the day.  Daria Kasatkina ended the tournament for 10th seed Irina-Camellia Begu and Laura Siegemund was too accomplished for 8th seed Anastasija Sevastova.

The only seed left in the final four is the oldest player in the event, 35 year old 11th seed Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, whose quarter final victim was the last American standing, Shelby Rogers.  The oldest will meet the youngest, Ostapenko, in one semi final, while the unseeded semi will be Sevastova v Kasatkina. 

It could be an all Latvian final should Sevastova and Ostapenko win their semis.

Monterrey has gone to script for organisers, with the top four seeds comprising the semi final final berths.

Top seed Angie Kerber won two tight sets against Heather Watson and now faces fourth seed Carla Suarez Navarro in a semi.  The Spanish player dominated French seventh seed Alize Cornet at a cost of just two games.

The other semi final will please French fans disappointed at the Cornet defeat, as it includes third seed Caroline Garcia.  Garcia took just a minute over the hour to defeat American Julia Boserup and set up a clash with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The second seeded Russian had some work to do in finding a way past fifth seed Hungarian Timea Babos.

After winning the opener 6-2,  Pavlyuchenkova lost direction and the second set 3-6.

The decider was fairly close but the Russian won some key points, including squeezing out a second break of the Babos serve, finally prevailing 6-2 3-6 7-5.

Australia fast start v USA

Australia has had a dream start to its Davis Cup quarter final tie with the USA in Brisbane.

Jordan Thompson, playing in only his second live match in Davis Cup for Australia, shocked hot favourite Jack Sock in four sets to give the home nation an unexpected advantage.

The 79th ranked player opened much better on serve, successful 60% of the time with his first attempt compared with 45% for Sock.  Additionally, Thompson won 85% of points when relying on his second serve, making it extremely difficult for the American to break through.

Sock was the more attacking and for that, produced more errors, but he too was solid on serve.  Only three opportunities presented themselves for service breaks in the set and Thompson converted one to take a 6-3 lead.

Sock is number fifteen in the world for good reason and it was no surprise to see him rebound in set two.  Thompson continued to be solid in most parts of his game, but Sock lifted beyond that, and never faced a break point.  The set was on his racquet for the majority of the set,  and he won the key points, keeping his errors to a reasonable quantity. Same score but this time reversed.

The third set went to a tie break and Thompson won out, 7 points to 4.  

17 unforced errors in the fourth and final set proved Jack Sock's undoing and he went down to the Aussie in a close encounter.  6-3 3-6 7-6 6-4

Nick Kyrgios won a big serving match against John Isner 7-5 7-6 7-6.

35 aces between them and average first serves for the match 205 km/h and 210km/h for Kyrgios and Isner respectively.

Kyrgios was down 5-2 in the third set tie break and Isner was serving at 5 points to 4 for the set.  Kyrgios saved two of the best returns you'd want to see just for this occasion and suddenly he was serving for the match.  Fittingly an ace did the trick and at the end of Day One the score read Australia 2 USA 0.

Not so much fun for the Aussie women in Charleston.  Third round losses for Samantha Stosur to Irina-Camelia Begu, Dasha Gavrilova to Daria Kasatkina and Anastasia Rodionova to Caroline Wozniacki.

The quarter final match ups are:

Shelby Rogers (unseeded) v Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (11)

Jelena Ostapenko v Caroline Wozniacki (5)

Anastasija Sevastova (8) v Laura Siegemund 

Irina-Camelia Begu (10) v Daria Kasatkina 

Wozniacki is the class act amongst the eight left and this should be her first title for 2017.

Davis Cup Quarter Finals Week

While the WTA Tour continues with tournaments in Charleston and Monterrey this week, the ATP Tour takes a rest, leaving room for Davis Cup quarter finals.

Serbia plays host to Spain and as usual Novak Djokovic makes himself available for his country.  Sadly, with a bunch of players in the top fifty, Spain enters this contest without their two highest ranked singles players Nadal and Bautista Agut, and their highest ranked doubles player Feliciano Lopez.

The same lack of top players robs the France v Great Britain tie of much potential.  No Tsonga, Gasquet or Monfils is a pity for the Rouen locals who will nevertheless be cheering wildly for Lucas Pouille et al.   Without Andy Murray, Great Britain may struggle, and the doubles will be key,

The USA v Australia match up promises some sensational tennis.  Played in Brisbane,  two of the form players will thrill the crowds.  Nick Kyrgios and Jack Sock are good mates, but not on court for the next few days.

Sock has the greater support in Isner and Querrey, but the doubles could be Australia's saving grace, John Peers at the top of his game.

Belgium meets Italy at home and fields a strong team led by David Goffin.  It would take something special from Italy to make it through to the semis, but Davis Cup does have a habit of producing magic moments.

Charleston boasted a strong field including the two finalists from the Miami Open, Johanna Konta and Caroline Wozniacki.  Unfortunately Konta withdrew at the last moment.  Still that left Madison Keys as top seed, Venus Williams and Elena Vesnina headlining the Volvo Car Open with Wozniacki.

After first round byes, the top seeds crashed.  Keys won her opening set against fellow American Shelby Rogers before losing the next two 6-1 6-1.

Venus spent three hours deciding whether she would win or lose against Laura Siegemund, and after eighteen breaks of serve in the match, the American relented to the German.

Elena Vesnina rose to the top of the tree when she captured Indian Wells, but since then things have been rather ordinary.  A first up loss to Tomljanovic in Miami and now a first up loss to 18 year old Hungarian qualifier Fanny Stollar, ranked 282 in the world.

Caro Wozniacki is now the highest ranked player left in the event but she hasn't hit a tennis ball outside of practice.  Annika Beck is aiming for an upset.

Angie Kerber, desperate for a title, is top seed at the Abierto GNP Seguros tournament in Monterrey, Mexico.

Number one in the world, but playing at a level just below, this draw is ideal for Kerber with no other top ten players, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova the only other top twenty player.

Francesca Schiavone won Roland Garros in 2010, but now aged 36 and 152 in the world, her tennis is played more for enjoyment.

Well she really enjoyed her opening set against Angie Kerber, breaking serve twice on the way to a 6-4 lead.

Even in a smaller tournament in Mexico, Kerber's inconsistent form couldn't be hidden.

The switch was turned in time though.  A first round loss was incomprehensible so Angie strolled through set two, losing a mere nine points, and controlled the decider, never facing a break point.

Just a first round victory, but maybe the match which turned the fortunes for Kerber for 2017. 4-6 6-0 6-4.

Federer rules in Florida

Federer has done what Djokovic did in 2015 and 2016 - won the Aus Open and the first two Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami .

Along the way he defeated Rafa Nadal in each tournament, twice in finals, including here in Southern Florida.

True the absence of Murray and Djokovic potentially opened up the draw for Federer, but nothing can take away the fact that he was forced to play exceptional tennis just to reach the final against Nadal.

His first set of the tournament was a tie break against US qualifier Frances Tiafoe, and he produced his best to push past a dangerous third round opponent in Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets.

Roberto Bautista Agut took Federer to two tie breaks and then it became even tougher.

Tomas Berdych had match points in a three set thriller from which Roger escaped, only to find himself in probably the match of the year, a semi final against Nick Kyrgios.

Three more tie break sets, two which went to twenty points, again saw Roger slip through the grip of his Aussie opponent and step into the final.

Nadal had taken the easier route, Kohlschreiber (26) and Sock (13) the only seeded players he met on the way.

Federer had the edge throughout the final, winning 87% of points on his first serve and breaking once in each of the two sets.  Nadal couldn't convert any of the four chances he had during the one and a half hours on court.

A typically controlled performance from Federer finished with a 6-3 6-4 victory and another Miami Open trophy.

Yes, Andy and Novak may have been missing, but to be required to defeat del Potro, Bautista Agut, Berdych, Kyrgios and Nadal in order to win a non Grand Slam tournament is a task more than noteworthy, and it was completed in style.

Johanna Konta triumphs in Miami

Johanna Konta has won the Miami Open, her first Premier Mandatory tournament success and biggest win of her career.

She was too strong in the end for Caroline Wozniacki, who despite a higher than usual unforced error count, still remained in contention for most of the match.

Konta set the pattern in the opening game, breaking the Danish serve, but Wozniacki struck back in the third game and then levelled at 2-2.  

Another exchange of breaks and it was 4-4,  but then Wozniacki threw in a pair of double faults at the worst possible time to gift Konta the ninth game.

Serving for the set, Konta found herself in trouble at 15-40 but the break points were saved thanks to solid deliveries.  Wozniacki couldn't hold back any longer and Konta led 6-4.

Second set nerves were displayed with Wozniacki saving four break points before surrendering serve in the opening game, just as she had in the first set.

Konta donated the break back immediately and at this point no one appeared ready to take command of proceedings.

Wozniacki held serve to love, including her first ace of the match, but called for a trainer at the change of ends, her ankle the cause for concern.

Konta held for 2-2 and Wozniacki seemed to be moving without any problem from her strapped ankle.

The seventh game was the killer for Wozniacki as she played poorly to be down 0-40. Although she fought hard to save a couple of the break points,  Konta was determined not to let this opportunity slip and converted for 4-3.

After holding serve to lead 5-3, Konta played a perfect returning game and on match point pulled out a superb lob which landed spot on the baseline giving Wozniacki no chance.

Johanna Konta won 6-4 6-3, but was made to work by a persistent Caroline Wozniacki who graciously admitted she was outplayed.

Two titles in 2017 for Konta now, following Sydney in January, earning her a career high ranking of seven.

Wozniacki has lost a third final in 2017, adding to Doha and Dubai, but surely will be victorious soon given her consistent runs to the final stages of tournaments.  Caroline moves up another two spots to number twelve in the world.

Federer outlasts Kyrgios - just !

In over three hours of some of the best tennis played on the men's tour this year, Roger Federer scraped over the line against a valiant Nick Kyrgios who was booed and heckled by a crowd spoilt by the riches being delivered to them, but unable to contain their vitriol towards one of those providing the elite entertainment.

Even Mrs Federer at one stage joined in the chorus of anti Kyrgios sentiment when in fact she should have simply rejoiced in what her husband was delivering.

Set one was where perhaps Kyrgios lost his chance to stamp authority on the Miami Open semi final.  Federer was holding serve with apparently more ease than Kyrgios, but both reached three holds without too much drama.

Then the Australian produced a stunning return game which surprised the Swiss ace who these days is surprised by little on any tennis court.

Two break points were created, and only the first was able to be saved, as the twelfth seed broke for a 4-3 lead.  5-3 came quickly with Federer rattled.

Serving to stay in the set, Federer drew on all his reserves to avoid another lapse, and despite being pressured constantly to deuce, he managed to hold and ask Kyrgios to serve for it.

At 15-30 Kyrgios played the perfect point except for the easy put away which he carelessly put outside the court.  

Federer seized on the break points gifted him and won the game to level at 5-5.

The eventual tie break was a marathon in itself and Kyrgios again left chances begging before Federer decided to claim the prize 11 points to 9.

Deflated at losing a set which he should really have won, Kyrgios didn't fall in a screaming heap, rather kept up his end of a thrilling contest and the two served their respective ways to another tie break - this one lasting as long as the first.

Kyrgios saved match points and Federer saved set points but for the first time in the tournament Roger lost a tie break.

Set three - tie break again.  Kyrgios up 5-3 and in a replica of the Berdych quarter final, Federer won the final four points of the match.  7-6 6-7 7-6 and Federer in the final.

One that slipped from his grasp for Nick Kyrgios, but after all the tears and racquet destruction he must take heaps of positives from the match.

He forced Federer to produce his absolute best to win, and there was only a breath in it.

A shame that the crowd was so disgraceful in its vociferous abuse of Kyrgios.  Yes it is a choice not to like someone, but to yell it at him for three hours, even at times while he was preparing to serve or about to hit a forehand was a bit rich.

Love Roger till the cows come home but leave the hate somewhere else.

There was a second semi final, actually played before the first, and Rafa Nadal dispensed with Fabio Fognini as expected, in straight sets 6-1 7-5.

This match was the first of the day and played before a women's doubles semi final.

The tournament organisers scheduled it correctly because the Nadal match turned out to be about as interesting as a curtain raiser for the doubles.

The Nadal / Federer final however, should be a cracker.  Federer is on a roll in the head to head battle which has historically been a Nadal picnic.  Twice this year - Aus Open final and Indian Wells round of sixteen - Roger has mastered Rafa, and Rafa is a little angry.  Can he change his game plan sufficiently to blunt the Swiss serve which has overpowered the Spaniard so far in 2017 ?

On what we have seen from Berdych and Kyrgios against the Fed Express there is every chance that a first Miami trophy could find its way into the Nadal luggage.