Marion and my Blog announces retirements

2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli has announced her retirement from women's tennis due to pains and aches all over her body after playing tennis. After a 3 set loss to Simona Halep in the second round, Bartoli announced in her press conference this completely surprising news. Au revoir Marion and we wish you the best in the rest of your life!

I have decided I do not have the passion or the time to continue writing this blog. I thought it would be interesting to try and see my commitment to it, but I have decided to stop. Thank you all for visiting and another great tennis blog if you haven't seen it before is moo21tennis.blogspot.com. Stop by there and see if you like it!

Cahill Coaches Cirstea into Final - to face Serena!

After Darren Cahill came on court midway through the second set, Sorana Cirstea seemed down and out at 1-4 after taking the first set 6-1. However, Cahill worked his magic and focused an increasingly tempermental Cirstea, who took 5 of the next 6 games to sweep aside Li Na 6-1, 7-6(7-5). It will be her first final since 2008, when she won Tashkent. Facing her in the final, will be none other than the favorite to win it all - Serena Williams. Williams had her struggles, but eventually got by Agnieszka Radwanska 7-6(7-3), 6-4. Williams was constantly blowing her nose during changeovers and seemed a bit slow moving, but improved her undefeated against Radwanska to 6-0.

Prediction: (1)Serena Williams over Sorana Cirstea in 3 sets
Williams struggled today against Radwanska, but anything but a win would be a shocker. Cirstea has been playing well all week and has dropped one set against Wozniacki in the second round. I think Williams will start a bit slowing in this final, but roar back to take the Rogers Cup title. However, don't count out the equally hard-hitting Cirstea. If she can get the ball consistently in the court, she has the power to trouble anyone. And with Williams seemingly ill and/or injured, a shocker could be in hand...

Elsewhere...
(3)Anna-Lena Groenefeld/Kveta Peschke over Jelena Jankovic/Katarina Srebotnik in 2 tight sets
Both teams have been dominant on their way to the final, but I would favor the team who has not dropped a set all week and is a relatively familiar pairing compared to Jankovic and Srebotnik who are in their second tournament together.

ATP & WTA Rogers Cup Abridged Quarterfinal Predictions!

I have been busy this week preparing for school, so some shortened predictions for the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup!

(1)Serena Williams over Magdalena Rybarikova in 2 sets
Recent Citi Open champ hasn't dropped a set all week, though was lucky in her 3rd round match against Bartoli when she retired with an abdominal injury. But given Serena's dominant form against the in-form Flipkens in her 3rd round match, Rybarikova will need a very special performance to overcome one of the greatest of all time players.
(3)Agnieszka Radwanska over (5)Sara Errani in 2 grinding sets
Their last hardcourt meeting lasted almost 3 and a half hours at the WTA Champs in 2012. Both extremely good at defending, who will take their offensive opportunity's better? I would favor Errani on a clay court, but I think Radwanska will win today.
(4)Li Na over Dominika Cibulkova in 3 sets
Li leads their head-to-head 3-0, but Cibulkova has been turning around head-to-heads the past couple weeks. Recent Stanford champion will take on the defending finalist in a very interesting matchup. Both players possess the speed and power, but it will be a matter of execution today.
(6)Petra Kvitova over Sorana Cirstea in 2 tight sets
Two EXTREMELY big hitters that nearly go for broke on every ball. Defending champ Kvitova has been in ominous form this week never dropping more than 3 games in a set over Bouchard and Stosur. Cirstea has been equally strong with big upsets over Wozniacki and Jankovic, saving match points against Wozniacki. I have to pick the more experienced player.

(1)Novak Djokovic over (7)Richard Gasquet in 2 sets (1 easy, 1 tight)
The only matchup that lived up to their seedings, two-time defending champ Djokovic takes on Gasquet. Djokovic was sorely pushed by Istomin in his previous match, but I expect him to raise his level today against the talented Frenchman. 
(4)Rafael Nadal over (Q)Marinko Matosevic in 2 sets (1 easy, 1 tight)
Matosevic has been turning around his 2013 campaign recently. After having reached one quarterfinal all year (semifinal in Memphis), Matosevic continued his success on North American soil by reaching the quarterfinals of the Citi Open last week, and the quarterfinals of the Masters 1000 event in Montreal. However, Nadal has lost only 3 times ALL YEAR and I don't expect his fourth loss to be to Matosevic.
(WC)Vasek Pospisil over Nikolay Davydenko in 3 sets
In the most surprise matchup of the week, wildcard Pospisil will take on former top 5 player Davydenko. I'm all for dream runs, and if Pospisil plays like he did against Berdych, he has a good chance to reach the semifinals on home soil.
(11)Milos Raonic over Ernest Gulbis in 3 tight sets
How perfect it would be for an all Canadian semifinal...Raonic must first get past the big-hitting Gulbis who took out Murray in straight sets. If Raonic was returning like he did against del Potro (an unheard of FIVE breaks in a 2 set match though del Potro was struggling with a back injury), Gulbis will be hard pressed to win against one of the biggest servers on tour.

ATP Rogers Cup - Predictions

Rogers Cup - Men's Singles by zziptennislife

WTA Rogers Cup - Predictions

Rogers Cup - Women's Singles by zziptennislife

Airport Troubles

Yesterday I went to pick up a family member from the airport and didn't get home until 2AM today! I will post my predicted draw as soon as possible and start previewing Toronto, Montreal, and possibly Suzhou tomorrow. Thanks for staying patient!

Granollers Rallies for Kitzbühel Title, Semifinals Set in Washington and Carlsbad!

Granollers clinched his 4th ATP title over Juan Monaco.

Marcel Granollers bounced back from a horrid first set to defeat Juan Monaco 0-6, 7-6(7-3), 6-4. Granollers served for the second set at 5-4 and eventually closed out the set in a tiebreak. He rushed out to a 4-0 lead over Monaco in the decider, before Monaco staged a brief fightback for 4-3. However, Granollers closed out the title and is the second person in history to win an ATP title after getting bagelled in one set.

At the ATP Citi Open, Juan Martin del Potro, Tommy Haas, John Isner, and Dmitry Tursunov all clinched their spots in the semifinals. del Potro rolled through a first set tiebreak against Kevin Anderson and never really looked back in a 7-6(7-0), 6-3 win. Grigor Dimitrov wasted 5 break point chances against Haas and lost in two tiebreaks 7-6(7-5), 7-6(7-3) despite not being broken the whole tournament. Tursunov edged Marinko Matosevic in a thriller 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(7-4) to reach the semifinals at the age of 30. Isner rallied from a set down to defeat Marcos Baghdatis 6-7(5-7), 6-4, 6-4, surprisingly losing a tiebreak.

At the WTA Citi Open, defending champ Magdalena Rybarikova, Ekaterina Makarova, Alize Cornet, and Andrea Petkovic are the last 4 remaining. Rybarikova knocked out top seed and world no.9 Angelique Kerber 7-6(7-0), 3-6, 6-3. Makarova won just one game, but it was enough against Monica Niculescu who retired with a left wrist injury after the very first game of the match (which she lost to love). Cornet edged the mercurial Sorana Cirstea 7-6(7-5), 6-2, never really looking back after winning the first set. Former top 10 player Petkovic rallied from a set down to win against Paula Ormaechea 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, who won by default in her second round match.

In Carlsbad, Victoria Azarenka, Ana Ivanovic, Virginie Razzano, and Samantha Stosur all clinched semifinal berths in contrasting fashions. Ivanovic was the first to advance, recovering from a second set letdown to win against Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-7(1-7), 6-2, getting revenge after a shocking double bagel defeat last time they met. Razzano was the second to advance, winning a marathon 3 hour and 35 minute thriller against Petra Kvitova. In my opinion, this match was very similar to the famous Serena-Razzano match as Razzano wasted many match points at 5-3 (including one on a double fault), before finally closing out Kvitova after saving two match points 6-7(6-8), 7-5, 7-6(10-8). Stosur was the third to advance defeating Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, in an up and down match. Azarenka was the last to advance, routing Urszula Radwanska 6-1, 6-2. 

Citi Open WTA Semifinals
(3)Ekaterina Makarova over (7)Magdalena Rybarikova in 3 sets
Had these two player met in the first round, I would have picked Rybarikova. But however, I think tiredness will come into play for the defending champion after playing three three-setters in three matches. Makarova has not dropped a set and just 8 games total.
Andrea Petkovic over (4)Alize Cornet in 3 sets
I don't think Cornet will be good enough on hard courts against the former top 10 player Petkovic who is on the comeback trail. But don't underestimate the clay-loving Cornet, who has also been as high as #11 in the world.

Citi Open ATP Semifinals
(1/WC)Juan Martin del Potro over (3)Tommy Haas in 2 tight sets
del Potro has been advancing quietly through the draw with little drama while Haas has struggled a bit this week. del Potro leads the head-to-head 4-0 and I don't think that is changing here.
(8)John Isner over Dmitry Tursunov in 2 tight sets
Something about playing on American soil brings out the best in Isner. 6 of his 7 ATP titles have come in the USA, while 12 of the 14 finals he has been in were in the USA. Tursunov has had a great run this week, including an upset over Gilles Simon, but I think Isner will come through.

Southern California Open WTA Semifinals
(1)Victoria Azarenka over (7)Ana Ivanovic in 2 sets (1 tight, 1 easy)
Azarenka only leads the head to head 3-2, but has won the last two meetings easily in straight sets. Azarenka has been one of the best, if not the best, on hardcourts this year. I just can't imagine the former world no.1 and French Open champ upsetting the two time reigning Australian Open champ. 
(5/WC)Samantha Stosur over (WC)Virginie Razzano in 3 sets
The former world no.16 Razzano has come back to form this week with wins over Kuznetsova, Suarez Navarro, and a 3 hour and 35 minute thriller over Kvitova. However, fatigue will come into play today against the former US Open champ Stosur, who edged Aga Radwanska in 3 sets in the quarterfinals in a less physical match. If Razzano were to win this, I think it will have to be in straights and on very very bad Stosur play. Never count out the Serena-killer though...