Davis Cup Predictions.

The first round of the Davis Cup begins tomorrow, here are my picks.

Canada vs. Spain
Team Canada:  Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil, Frank Dancevic, Daniel Nestor
Team Spain: Marcel Granollers, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Albert Ramos, Marc Lopez

Spain sends a depleted squad, especially when its highest ranked player on the team is Marcelo Granollers.  They feature doubles specialist Marc Lopez who is currently ranked #3 in doubles.  Canada combats with Milos Raonic and #4 rated doubles player Daniel Nestor.

On paper you have to lean towards Canada with Raonic and being at home, but no way can I pick Canada to beat the Spaniards who have owned Davis Cup ties with as much regularity as their National Football Team has soccer.

Pick:  Spain 3-2

Italy vs. Croatia
Team Italy:  Andreas Seppi, Fabio Fognini, Paolo Lorenzi, Simone Bolelli
Team Croatia:  Marin Cilic, Ivan Dodig, Nikola Metkic, Mate Pavcic

The Italians will be at home, and their only tough foe will be Cilic.  Dodig is a serviceable "jobber", but the other two guys are nobodies.  Seppi is having a good start to the season, and Fognini plays well on clay.  Fognini will also get under the skin of the Croats with his shenanigans.

Pick:  Italy in a minor upset 4-1

Belgium vs. Serbia
Team Belgium:  David Goffin, Steve Darcis, Ruben Bemelmans, Olivier Rochus
Team Serbia:  Novak Djokovic, Viktor Troicki, Nenad Zimonjic, Boris Pashanski

Belgium is at home....Who cares? This will be an ass beating.

Pick:  Serbia 5-0

United States  vs. Brazil
Team USA:  John Isner, Sam Querrey, Mike Bryan, Bob Bryan.
Team Brazil: Thomaz Bellucci, Thiago Alves, Marcelo Melo, Bruno Soares

This is a perfect matchup for the United States here.  Isner is probably still complaining of fatigue from the match vs. Mahut at Wimbledon, but even on one leg he should be able to beat his opponent.  This will be a walkthrough for the home Americans.

Pick:  United States 4-1

France vs. Israel
Team France: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, Julien Benneteau, Michael Llodra
Team Israel: Dudi Sela, Amir Weintraub, Jonathan Erlich, Noam Okun

France is way too powerful and talented.  On top of that, they are playing in France.  Maybe Israel pulls out a doubles win, or a match that will not matter on the 3rd day if they are lucky.

Pick:  France 5-0

Argentina  vs. Germany
Team Argentina:  Juan Monaco, Horacio Zeballos, Carlos Berlocq, David Nalbandian
Team Germany:  Philipp Kohlschreiber, Florian Mayer, Tobias Kamke, Christopher Kas

This should be a highly competitive matchup.  Juan Monaco is the highest ranked player between both teams, but has not had a good start to this season.  Kohlschreiber and Mayer are playing fairly well.  But the matches will be played on clay in Argentina.  That may be the difference in a tie that may come down to the last match.

Pick:  Argentina 3-2

Kazakhstan  vs. Austria
Team Kazakhstan:  Mikhail Kukushkin, Andrey Golubev, Evgeny Korolev, Yuriy Schukin
Team Austria:  Jurgen Melzer, Andreas Haider-Maurer, Alexander Peya, Julian Knowle

I really like Kazakhstan in this matchup.  Beyond Melzer, Austria doesn't really have that strong of a team.  Kazakhstan playing at home, with a rowdy crowd behind them...Hell, when was the last time a major sporting event was played in Kazakhstan?  The Borat-like people will be stirred into a frenzy and push their tennis playing brethren to victory.

Pick:  Kazakhstan 3-2

Switzerland  vs. Czech Republic
Team Switzerland:  Stanislas Wawrinka, Marco Chiudinelli, Michael Lammer, Henri Laaksonen
Team Czech Republic:  Tomas Berdych, Lukas Rosol, Ivo Minar, Jiri Vesely

The defending champion Czech team start their cup defense on the road in Switzerland.  Switzerland's most famous resident Roger Federer decided not to play this time around.  Leaving Stanislas Wawrinka and 3 bums to defend the home soil.  The Czech team features Tomas Berdych, who is one of the elite players in the world, but is without their bothersome gnat Radek Stepanek.  The Czech team is just better, and who knows how Wawrinka will respond in his first match since the crushing defeat to Novak Djokovic.  His confidence may be slightly fractured at the moment.  I'm not ready to count the champs out yet.

Pick:  Czech Republic 4-1

First Power Rankings of the 2013 Season.

I'm back.....for now.  So here we go.

The first Grand Slam event is finished, and my power rankings have been updated. My rankings unlike the ATP official rankings start over at the beginning of the season.  Everyone starts at zero and accumulates points throughout the year.  How do you get points you ask.

This is how players get points in my rankings:

GRAND SLAM EVENTS

3 points are earned for every win at a grand slam tournament up until the final.
5 points is earned by the player who wins in the final.

example: Juan Martin Del Potro won 7 matches to win the U.S. Open.
1st round defeated Juan Monaco = 3 pts
2nd round defeated Jurgen Melzer = 3 pts
3rd round defeated Daniel Koellerer = 3 pts
4th round defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero = 3pts
Quarterfinals defeated Marin Cilic = 3 pts
Semifinals defeated Rafael Nadal = 3pts
Final defeated Roger Federer = 5 pts

For a total of 23 points for winning a major.

Masters Series Events
There are about 8 Masters Series tournaments a year and they normally have a field of 64 players. Which means you must win 6 matches to be the champion.

Rounds 1st to Semifinals = 2pts each
Final = 3 pts to the winner.

For a total of 13 points for winning a Masters Series tournament.

All Other Tournaments
Most other smaller tournaments have 32 player fields, so 5 matches are needed to win.
Rounds 1-4 = 1pt
Final = 2 pts to the winner.
For a total of winning 6 points for winning any smaller tournament.

So with my system the bigger the tournament the more points there are to be earned. Kind of makes sense to me. Also the same system is used for both the men and women.


So here are the first rankings for the 2013 season

Women
1. Na Li (CHN)                                              27pts
2. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)                            26
3. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)                     24
4. Sloane Stephens (USA)                              20
5. Serena Williams (USA)                               18
6. Elena Vesnina (RUS)                                  17
7. Maria Sharapova (RUS)                             15
8. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL)                               14
8. Angelique Kerber (GER)                            14
8. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)                       14

Men
1. David Ferrer (ESP)                                    24 pts
1. Andy Murray (GBR)                                  24
3. Novak Djokovic (SRB)                             23
4. Roger Federer (SUI)                                 15
4. Richard Gasquet (FRA)                             15
4. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB)                             15
7. Tomas Berdych (CZE)                               14
8. Kevin Anderson (RSA)                              13
9. Nicolas Almagro (ESP)                              12
9. Jeremy Chardy (FRA)                                12
9. Kei Nishikori (JPN)                                   12
9. Andrea Seppi (ITA)                                   12
9. Bernard Tomic (AUS)                                12
9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)                          12

A new updated Power Rankings will come out at the end of each "Grand Slam" event, and Final Power Ranking at the end of the Tour Championships in November.

Is Melanie Oudin committed to tennis anymore?

I ask the question "Is Melanie Oudin committed to tennis anymore?" because of her recent results, and what I witnessed today.

Melanie Oudin has fallen to 166th in the world rankings, she is no longer a regular participant on the WTA circuit, and is an afterthought of being chosen for Fed Cup duties.  This week Melanie is playing in the ITF 100k event in Midland, Michigan.  She lost her first round match on Tuesday evening to Stephanie Foretz-Gacon in straight sets.  I did not see her singles match, but I did get to witness her play doubles today with partner Jamie Hampton.  I could not believe what I saw when she took off her warmups.  She had a nice size tummy, and bigger arms that were not well defined.  She wasn't even close to looking as fit as I remember seeing her on television making a run at the U.S. Open, or even when she was a regular on the WTA tour.  There was one point during the match where it was an overhead lob on Oudin's side of the court she jumped to try a overhead smash, but came up about 6 inches short.  Her vertical leap rivaled my 77 year old grandfather's on his worst day.  Oudin and Hampton ended up defeating Kustova and Scholl, but Hampton carried the team.  Oudin looked extremely rusty and definitely overweight.

It seems that her recent misgivings have pushed her into a depression where she packed on some pounds, or she just doesn't care about getting back to where she once was, and doesn't want to put in the work to get fit and fulfill her lofty expectations. 

The expectations put upon her are not her fault.  I remember reading an article by a respected longtime tennis journalist saying, "America has found its version of Justine Henin".  This was right after her amazing U.S. Open run where she pulled off upset after upset in a surprising deep run.  This wasn't fair, even I knew that a few of them matches were pure luck and she was in the zone them few days.  She doesn't have an overpowering game and must use deception and consistency to win.  She needs fitness, which is severely lacking at this point in time.

So those of you wanting and waiting for Melanie Oudin will be back in the top 20, please don't hold your breath.  It seems like she is rock bottom right now.  She is not playing well, and she does not even look close to being in match shape.

She can only go up from here, will Melanie Oudin fight from the depths and make a charge at the top again?

NO WAY!! STICK A FORK IN HER, SHE'S DONE!!

Swine steals Djokovic shirt from little girl.

After Novak Djokovic's Australian Open final win over Rafael Nadal, Djokovic walked over to the side of the court to give his shirt to a 14 year old girl who had been cheering him the entire match.  When Djokovic threw the shirt in her direction a "lady" and I use that term loosely snatches the shirt in mid air before it could get to the intended recipient.

After catching heat the last few days, the asshole that stole the shirt has decided not to give it to the young girl, but to put the shirt up for auction and the money would go to "charity".  My gut feeling is that this charity getting the money will be the shirt snatchers bank account.

The shirt eventually was auctioned off for 6,000 dollars.  The high bidder and winner of the shirt happened to be the mother of the little girl who was robbed.  So in the end the little girl got the shirt, but it cost her mom 6k to get it.  Not the smartest of business transactions, but good job mom.

Be The First To Follow Us On Twitter!!

https://twitter.com/#!/TennisBlogging
Up to date news.

My Outlook on Some Womens Player's "Fortunes" for 2012.

Women are much harder to read.  You know, with all them hormones and stuff.  Crystal ball is a little foggy.

Victoria Azarenka:  Shocked she didn't come down with an illness, or take a header into the pavement on a jog forcing her out of the tournament.  Not only did she avoid those things she showed a consistent power game that blew off the rest of the competition.  Azarenka will have her dips, and meltdowns still, but they will be less frequent and she will be a factor in all tournaments she enters.

Petra Kvitova:  Nasty serve out-wide.  Wimbledon favorite.  She just needs to work on consistency and fitness.  Fast surfaces fit her best and will be tough to beat while playing on them.  She'll underwhelm on clay.

Serena Williams:  "All eyes on me".  Body seems to be breaking down from what I would imagine is taking too many "roids" or "HGH".  For someone who hates the game and hates to work out or do anything athletic, she is built like a "brick shithouse".  This "I'm girly at heart" routine isn't fooling anyone.  "Girly girls" don't have fits of roid' rage at the U.S. Open 2 years in a row.  Unfortunately Serena will probably win a Grand Slam this year.  Either Wimbledon or the U.S. Open.

Venus Williams:  Like Andy Roddick, washed up.  But Venus has the bigger penis of the two.

Maria Sharapova:  Somebody take her vocal chords out.  She will continue to choke on the biggest of stages.  No Grand Slam titles for you, Maria.  Way too inconsistent on ground strokes.

Jelena Jankovic:  Supposedly she worked out extremely hard in the off-season.  I think she will make a comeback and be a threat to hang around in the Top 5.  She still doesn't have the power game, or mental toughness to win a slam, but she will hang in there and make the quarterfinals and a semifinal or two.

Ana Ivanovic:  Meh.  Improved from last year, but that isn't saying much.
Simona Halep:  Proof that smaller boobs is better for the forehand.  Still isn't any good though.
Vera Zvonareva:  Last 2 years were "her run".  Look for her to start fading and falling off.
Svetlana Kuznetsova:  Her days as a Grand Slam title contender are over.
Na Li:  When she isn't "choking" she is quite good.  She may contend for a Slam this year.
Kim Clijsters:  You are always injured because you are no longer committed.  Retire already.
Sabine Liscki:  Nice story, but a one trick pony with the serve. Stuck in the 3rd-4th round range.
Andrea Petkovic:  If she fully recovers from back injury she is very serviceable and good.
Dinara Safina:  Does she play tennis anymore?
Agnieszka Radwanska:  Put Lisicki's serve with Radwanska's ground strokes and you have a new #1.
Francesca Schiavone:  So fun to watch,  but her only shot to compete with the big girls is on clay.
Samantha Stosur:  Bi-Polar. I'm not sure if i'm more confused over her game or if she is a lesbian.
Caroline Wozniacki:  None more annoying.  From her laugh to her overconfidence.  Pusher's suck.

My Outlook on Some Mens Player's "Fortunes" for 2012.

Lets take a look at some of the top players and not so top players on the mens side and try to break down how their 2012 will shape up.

Novak Djokovic:  Guy is an absolute stud, and the Australian Open proved that he now has both the physical and mental stamina to dominate on all surfaces.  He'll win 1-2 more Grand Slams this season.

Rafael Nadal:  A grinder and a fighter, but he seems to be breaking down.  He doesn't have the serve to win easy points, and has to depend on his mobility to win long drawn out points.  He'll be the favorite at Roland Garros, but will come up short at all the other Slams.  He'll also continue to whine about the ATP schedule and drug testing the rest of the year.  Uncle Toni will also continue to think of the best means of getting away with "on-court coaching", and also finding the best steroids "masking agents" money can buy.

Roger Federer:  He basically needs the luck of the draw to make it to a Grand Slam final, and then win it.  No way can he beat 2 of the Top 4 in a slam anymore.  He need to hope for early upsets and weasle his way to a final and a win.  Skills are starting to diminish a little, but still is elite enough to beat anyone anywhere no any given day.  The consistency just isn't there anymore.

Andy Murray:  Besides Djokovic, Murray was the 2nd biggest winner in Melbourne.  He came away from his semifinal loss with a renewed confidence in himself and that he belongs with the best in the world.  New coach Ivan Lendl has really improved Murray's mental strength which reinforced Murray's belief in his own game.  Murray will break out with his first Grand Slam win this year.  Probably at the U.S. Open, still a little too much pressure on Murray for him to win Wimbledon.

David Ferrer:  A little grinder, who never gives up on a point in any match, whether he's playing a qualifier in the 1st round of a 250 event, or playing a top ranked player in a Grand Slam.  One of the most fun to watch players on the tour, who will show bursts of energy and anger.  Ferrer isn't against smashing a racket or two.  His game just isn't at the level as the previous aforementioned.  He'll hang in the 5-12 range as far as rankings go.

Juan Martin Del Potro:  I still don't think he's fully healed from his wrist injury yet.  It may be more mental than actually physical.  This is the year many people believed Del Po would get back to his U.S. Open winning form, but I just don't see it.  He isn't fully ready to take the next step yet.  He will be good, but he won't be pushing for a spot in the "Big 4" this year.

Andy Roddick:  Washed-up.  Stick a fork in this guy.
Milos Raonic:  Overrated.  North America's answer to Ivo Karlovic.
John Isner:  Still whining about playing so long at 2010 Wimbledon.  Crap for fitness.
Fernando Verdasco:  (See Andy Roddick)  but add in "Pretty boy" instead of "guy".
Janko Tipsarevic:  Meteoric rise to #9 in world.  Will retire from 80% of his matches.  He's a tool.
Tomas Berdych: Has the game to compete with the best, but is a choker and shades of a whiner.
Mardy Fish:  Poor man's Andy Roddick.  Had a lucky year last year.  He'll go back to being a scrub.
Richard Gasquet:  Needs to quit doing blow off stripper's asses.  Great backhand.  Mental midget.
Gael Monfils:  Least intelligent player in the game.  But also extremely athletically gifted.
Sam Querrey:  This guy still plays tennis?
Robin Soderling:  Needs to dump his girlfriend and go back to being a bad ass.  His game has suffered.

First Power Rankings of the Year.

The first Grand Slam event is finished, and my power rankings have been updated. My rankings unlike the ATP official rankings start over at the beginning of the season.  Everyone starts at zero and accumulates points throughout the year.  How do you get points you ask.

This is how players get points in my rankings:

GRAND SLAM EVENTS

3 points are earned for every win at a grand slam tournament up until the final.
5 points is earned by the player who wins in the final.

example: Juan Martin Del Potro won 7 matches to win the U.S. Open.
1st round defeated Juan Monaco = 3 pts
2nd round defeated Jurgen Melzer = 3 pts
3rd round defeated Daniel Koellerer = 3 pts
4th round defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero = 3pts
Quarterfinals defeated Marin Cilic = 3 pts
Semifinals defeated Rafael Nadal = 3pts
Final defeated Roger Federer = 5 pts

For a total of 23 points for winning a major.

Masters Series Events
There are about 8 Masters Series tournaments a year and they normally have a field of 64 players. Which means you must win 6 matches to be the champion.

Rounds 1st to Semifinals = 2pts each
Final = 3 pts to the winner.

For a total of 13 points for winning a Masters Series tournament.

All Other Tournaments
Most other smaller tournaments have 32 player fields, so 5 matches are needed to win.
Rounds 1-4 = 1pt
Final = 2 pts to the winner.
For a total of winning 6 points for winning any smaller tournament.

So with my system the bigger the tournament the more points there are to be earned. Kind of makes sense to me. Also the same system is used for both the men and women.


So here are the first rankings for the 2012 season


Women
1.  Victoria Azarenka (BLR)  34
2.  Petra Kvitova (CZE)  21
2.  Kim Clijsters (BEL)  21
4.  Maria Sharapova (RUS)  18
4.  Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)  18
4.  Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)  18
7.  Na Li (CHN)  17
8.  Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)  16
9.  Jelena Jankovic (SRB)  15
9.  Jie Zheng (CHN)  15
9.  Sara Errani  (ITA)  15




Men
1.  Novak Djokovic (SRB)  23
2.  Rafael Nadal (ESP)  21
2.  Andy Murray (GBR)  21
4.  Roger Federer (SUI)  18
4.  David Ferrer (ESP)  18
6.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)  15
7.  Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)  14
7.  Nicolas Almagro (ESP)  14
9.  Kei Nishikori (JPN)  13
10.  Tomas Berdych (CZE)  12
10.  Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)  12
10.  Milos Raonic (CAN)  12
10.  Bernard Tomic (AUS)  12

I may be making a comeback in the world of below average blogging.

It has been almost a year since I blogged last.  I am getting that itch again.  Look for my Australian Open wrap up blog and new Top 10 Men's and Women's power rankings in the next few days.

Like the facebook page, I will be keeping that up to date as well.

Mary Jo Fernandez needs to tell the Williams sisters to "Get Bent".

There is a ITF rule that states that a player must make themselves available for Fed Cup duty in 2 years out of the 4 to be eligible to play for their country in the Olympics.  Now this does not mean they have to play in every Fed Cup tie for 2 years.  In the least a player can play once each year.  Lets think about that, all you have to do is show up and play for 2 weekends in four years, and you are eligible to compete in the Olympic Games.  Sounds pretty simple, right?

Well not for the Williams sisters.  If they can't make a little money off of it, they will be sure to think of an injury or excuse for why they cannot play.  According to ITF officials, they have ruled that Venus and Serena have not made themselves available for Fed Cup duty in 2009 and 2010.  So that means they must play atleast once in 2011 and 2012 to be in the 2012 Olympics.

Here is when it gets a little tricky.  The U.S. has a Fed Cup matchup in April, and if they lose this matchup there will be no more Fed Cup ties for the U.S. in 2011.  So that means if the Williams sisters decide to get their nuts waxed that weekend they will be ineligible to represent their country in 2012.

Since when did the Williams sisters care about playing for their country?  They get the opportunity to do it 3-4 times a year and decline to do so in rare pathetic fashion.  If there is no money or a big time spotlight on it, they want nothing to do with it.  For instance in 2009 Serena Williams confimed that she would play in the Fed Cup final against Italy, 3 days later during the Tour Championship she pulled out of the Fed Cup final due to fatigue, yet 2 days after that she won the Tour Championship.

That would be like you or I shooting hoops in the yard, and your husband/wife/girlfriend asking you to take out the trash, you responding by saying "I'm too tired to do it." and then continuing to shoot hoops for another hour.  Its horse shit, plain and simple.

While the Williams sisters are getting vasectomies, plugging garbage on QVC, walking the red carpet for crappy films, going to weddings of fellow retards like LaLa and Carmelo Anthony, and players like Melanie Oudin and Bethany Mattek-Sands get on a plane and play wherever they are asked for Fed Cup.  They aren't the best players, but they actually do quite well and seem to play their best tennis while representing their country and being patriotic.  If anything, even when they lose, they are still there supporting their fellow teammates and enjoying the experience.

The Williams brats have yanked U.S. Fed Cup captain Mary Jo Fernandez's chain so many times over the past few years by committing to play, yet to pull out due to hypochondria.  Fernandez needs to take the power back and stick it in their ear and not even ask them to play.  Let the players who have been loyal to Fernandez like Mattek-Sands, Oudin, and Liezel Huber play.  Its just utter garbage that Venus and Serena can have total control over something that in reality they don't care about.  Yet will pretend to care  once it comes time that it becomes in their best interest that they play.

In reality they are selfish in their tennis outlook and as fake as that garbage Serena peddles on QVC.  The USTA and ITF need to stand up and take a stand and not bend the rules if for some reason these babies come up with another excuse.  But we all know they don't have a back bone and will let Serena and Venus make the rules.

They need to grow a sac as big as Venus' and then maybe they could make a stand on this issue.