Tennis Note #1

Introductions, 2015 Predictions and Aussie Open

Who is Nikita Taparia and why should I read her tennis notes? These are probably the two questions running through your head and I guess my answer will determine if you continue reading. So here it is:

Hey! My name is Nikita. I just hit the quarter century mark a couple of months ago. I am an engineering graduate student. But more importantly, I am a tennis enthusiast. My dad introduced me to the game during the Sampras-Agassi regime but it probably wasn't until college that I pretty much lived and breathed tennis. I am completely serious. The worldwide tennis schedule regulated my sleeping habits, which was fine. I mean, what engineering student sleeps in their four years of college anyway? As a result, I went from just watching Grand Slam finals to following every single tournament. Last year, my twitter officially became a way to express my emotions during every point in 140 characters or less. I even sat through the 2010 Isner-Mahut Wimbledon match. All 11 hours, 5 minutes. While I can use the same amount of time convincing you that I am tennis obsessed, I won’t. Instead, you can watch the end of that historic match while you make your decision.

John Isner d. Nicolas Mahut in five sets with the final set reaching 70–68. In the last set of tennis at Wimbledon, you must win by two games. There is no tiebreaker.

2015: Changing of the Guard

Excellent. If you have made it this far, then you like me! Last year, I stated my hopes for a few players in the beginning of the year. While some came through, others were injured and are still recovering. The major grand slam headlines to remember from last year are the following:

• Stan Wawrinka overcomes 4-time Aussie Open champion Novak Djokovic and beats Rafael Nadal for his first grand slam title. Everyone who knows me, knows that I love Stan’s backhand so get familiar with it.

Stan the Man hitting his classic, powerful one handed backhand. It is lethal.

• Rafael Nadal wins his 9th Roland Garros title. I have been a Rafa fan for ten years. TEN. He is an important character in my life. My emotions during the year usually depend on his performance. No, I am not exaggerating.

Rafael Nadal d. N. Djokovic for his ninth Roland Garros title.

• Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic reach Wimbledon SF but in the end Novak Djokovic d. Roger Federer for his 2nd Wimbledon title.
• Marin Cilic d. Kei Nishikori at the US Open for his first title after the two overcome Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, respectively.

For those who do not watch tennis on a regular basis, this was a big deal. With exception to Juan Martin del Potro’s 2009 US Open title, this was the first time the big four did not monopolize the biggest titles in tennis since Rafael Nadal’s first Roland Garros title in 2005. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. These guys have been household names for ten years so the expectations are always high. I will probably dedicate many tennis notes to them alone. What do I expect, if they are playing to the best of their ability?

• Novak Djokovic finally wins Roland Garros and possibly all the grand slams.
• Roger Federer wins his 18th grand slam, preferably at Wimbledon because it would be bittersweet and his 8th title there.
• Rafael Nadal wins his 10th Roland Garros. Defeating Rafa, on clay, in Paris, in a final, is mission impossible. It has not happened.
• Andy Murray regains form and wins multiple grand slams.

However, I want to move away from the big four. Last year actually highlighted the changing of the guard. Every tennis analyst has been saying this day would come but last year we actually saw a complete transformation. The new generation, specifically Kei Nishikori, Milos Raonic, and Grigor Dimitrov, started to break through the impenetrable rankings. All three have revolutionized tennis for their respective countries. If they can continue their growth from last year, all of them could win a grand slam despite their vastly varying styles of play. I’ll leave that to another discussion. I will also table my thoughts on various other younger generation players.

My tennis wish for this year is a very close top ten. During the wonder years (what I call the Federer-Nadal dominance), the points were literally split between the top two or three players and everyone else fought for the scraps. I want the exact opposite. I want the new generation and the old generation to really clash. I want a breath of fresh air. An amazing feat would be if all the grand slam winners were completely new but the likelihood of that happening is rather slim. If anything, I want a full season the young players. Stay healthy. Stay fit. Stay confident. I will readdress the rankings before each grand slam and the world tour final.

Aussie Open Men’s Singles Must-See’s

The first round of the Australian Open begins today at 7 PM ET and streamed on WatchESPN for free or you can listen to the AO Radio from your phone through the Australian Open app. Need to get familiar with the players? Player profiles in the New York Times and Sports Illustrated should be sufficient. Of course, you cannot watch every single match but here are some first round matches and potential future matches you will want to watch.

• Dustin Brown v. Grigor Dimitrov: This match will essentially be a hot shot reel. Dustin Brown likes to keep things quick and finish points fast. Grigor is just brilliant at times and is a rising star in the world of tennis.

Grigor Dimitrov’s double hot shot against Jack Sock at Stockholm Open 2014.

• Mikhail Youzhny v. Rafael Nadal: Rafa’s early test. If he can get through this, he should be fine for the first week. Rafa has not played many matches in the last six months due to surgery so this match could definitely be a confidence boost.
• Dominic Thiem v. Roberto Bautista Agut: While Agut is already in the top 20, Dominic Thiem has the capabilities of breaking into the top ranks in the next couple of years. Both are young guys and part of that future generation.
• Thanasi Kokkinakis v. Ernests Gulbis: Thanasi is a young Australian who can definitely upset Gulbis. Also, it is fun to hear the supporting Aussie cheers.
• Nick Kygrios and Bernard Tomic: Both Aussies could make a dent in the men’s bracket. Tomic made headlines a couple of years ago as part of the bright tennis future while 19 yr. old Kygrios made a name for himself by upsetting Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in the 4R and that was after he saved nine match points against Richard Gasquet in the 2R.

Nick Kygrios stuns Rafael Nadal in the forth round of Wimbledon.

• Vasek Pospisil v. Sam Querrey: Vasek and doubles partner Jack Sock won Wimbledon doubles against the Bryan brothers last year. He has the ability to upset Sam, who has reached the third round in the last couple of years.

Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock, first time doubles partners, win Wimbledon against the Bryan Brothers going for their 99th title together.

• Kei Nishikori v. Nicolas Almagro: While Almagro (a former top ten player) is coming back from an injury, it is very possible he could be an early test for Nishikori. I also absolutely love watching Nishikori hit winning shots.

Kei Nishikori, an offensive baseline player, outplays Milos Raonic, who relies on big serves, forehand winners, and volleys. This is one of the big rivalries of the new generation.

• Jiri Vesely v. Viktor Troicki: Both just had title wins. It is unfortunate that they must meet in the first round. Jiri Vesely is another young player with a lot of promise.
• David Goffin: He received the 2014 Comeback Player of the Year. He was ranked 111 at the beginning of 2014 and is currently seeded 20th. Follow his matches throughout the year.
• Andy Murray: Last year Andy Murray had to readjust to his back and he hired a new female coach — former champion Amelie Mauresmo. The fact that Mauresmo is a woman should not be a big deal but even the world of tennis cannot escape sexism. If he were to win this grand slam, he could potentially encounter Dimitrov in 4R, Federer in QF, Nadal in SF, and Djokovic in F. All of those matches would be spectacular and I actually would love to see this happen.
• Potential Quarter Final Match Ups: Djokovic v. Raonic, Wawrinka v. Nishikori, Berdych v. Nadal, Murray v. Federer
• I did not talk about women’s tennis today but I think the biggest matches will be Sloane Stephens v. Vika Azarenka and Taylor Townsend v. Caro Wozniacki. The winners of these two matches, ideally Vika and Caro, meet each other in the second round. If that is not enough, in the end they have to meet Serena Williams down the road. Essentially what I like to refer to as a ‘tennis bloodbath’.

There is always the potential for upsets. While the big four dominance made the endings quite predictable, since last year anything is possible. It is an exciting time to be a tennis fan. This is where most of you say:

“Hey Nikita. I know nothing about tennis. I have no idea what I just read. Who are these people? How do you play tennis? What is a grand slam? Why should I care?”

Do not worry. While this tennis note literally jumps right in, my hope is to transfer my passion and love for the sport to a new audience. I will break done the basics, the big names, the big matches and rivalries. You can start with Courtney Nguyen’s 2015 Tennis Starter Pack. Tennis is an elegant sport. It is one of the most popular sports in the world. Stick with me and I’ll have you speaking the beautiful language of tennis by the end of the year.

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