The X Blog - Dysfunctional Tennis Blogging at its Finest

April 24th, 2016

Del Potro Returns at Munich; ATP Previews This Week

No Top 20 players, but Istanbul you do have Bernie “The Tank Engine” Tomic! For at least a round…

Posted by Staff @ 10:11 am in Estoril, Istanbul, Munich, Tennis | 8 Comments »

January 2nd, 2016

Djokovic, Nadal Lead Loaded Doha; ATP/WTA Week 1 Previews

Federer has won the most singles titles of any player in Doha, and is a perfect 3-0 in finals…Ferrer beat Berdych in last year’s final…Nadal, who is playing doubles with Verdasco, has won the most doubles titles of anyone at the event with four (2005,’09,’11,’15)…Former singles champs in the field are Ferrer (2015), Nadal (2014), and Federer (2011,’06-05).

Posted by Staff @ 8:56 pm in Tennis | 52 Comments »

August 1st, 2015

Murray in, Serena Out on U.S. Hardcourts; ATP/WTA Previews

All 16 seeds receive opening-round byes, but some potential interesting second-rounders with (12) Pospisil vs. (WC) Haas, (4) Gasquet vs. the hot-handed Muller, break-up boy (6) Dimitrov vs. the resurgent Baghdatis, and (7) Lopez vs. (WC) Hewitt on his retirement tour…

Posted by Staff @ 1:55 pm in Stanford, Tennis, Washington | 12 Comments »

July 25th, 2015

Rafa Heads Hamburg, Isner in Atlanta; ATP/WTA Previews

Notes: Time for the tournament sponsored by an online betting site as the tour fights rampant match-fixing…Loaded dirt field…Rafa makes his first appearance since being upset at Wimbledon…Tough starts for (1) Rafa vs. Hot Sauce

Posted by Staff @ 11:47 pm in Tennis | 10 Comments »

July 7th, 2015

Federer, Murray Head Toward SFs, Djokovic Faces Cilic Test; Wimbledon QF Picks And Pans

Sean Randall handicaps the Wimbledon men’s quarterfinals. Can the top 3 – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray – advance to the semifinals?

Posted by Sean Randall @ 3:46 pm in Wimbledon | 341 Comments »

June 7th, 2015

ATP/WTA Previews: Nadal Helps Debut Stuttgart Grass Event

Notes: The tournament makes the switch to grass as part of the tour’s extended grasscourt season…Tough starts for (1) Nadal against the Baghdatis-Rosol winner, and (8) Troicki vs. Coric…Wildcards went to Germans Tommy Haas, Maximilian Marterer and Alexander Zverev…Pulling from the event were Julien Benneteau and Jiri Vesely…The Bryan brothers are the top seeds in doubles…Nadal (2007,’05) is the lone returning former champ in the field.

Posted by Staff @ 6:07 pm in Tennis | 39 Comments »

September 21st, 2014

ATP/WTA Preview: Loaded Women’s Field at China Debut Event

Notes: It’s the debut of the Premier 5 Series event in China…Victoria Azarenka pulls from the event with a foot injury, and announces she will miss the rest of the year…Potential tough starts include (1) Serena Williams after a bye vs. her nemesis Cornet, the struggling (6) Bouchard after a bye vs. the resurgent Peng, (4) Sharapova after a bye vs. countrywoman and former world No. 2 Kuznetsova, (5) Radwanska after a bye vs. the Venus/Garcia winner, (16) Petkovic vs. the comer (Q) Vekic, (12) Cibulkova vs. the big-hitting Keys, and (14) Safarova vs. the likewise big-hitting Lisicki…

Posted by Staff @ 6:47 pm in Tennis | 1 Comment »

August 3rd, 2014

Serena, Goffin, Kuznetsova, Raonic Win ATP/WTA Titles

It was Williams’ third Stanford title, her fourth title of the year, and her 61st career title. She rose to only No. 4 in the 2014-only standings in the road to qualifying for the WTA year-end championships.

Posted by Staff @ 10:15 pm in Tennis | 1 Comment »

August 3rd, 2014

Raonic, Pospisil Meet In Historic First All-Canadian Final; Serena Seeds Third Stanford Title

A Canadian will win in Washington today, which one will it be?

Posted by Staff @ 10:09 am in Stanford, Washington | 9 Comments »

July 27th, 2014

Serena Leads Stanford, Men and Women in Washington; ATP/WTA Previews

Notes: Solid field with four Top 10ers and two unseeded Slam champs…The Top 4 seeds receive opening round byes, with tough starts for (5) Ivanovic vs. Lisicki, (4) Azarenka after a bye likely vs. (WC) Venus, (3) Kerber likely vs. Vandeweghe, (7) Suarez Navarro vs. Puig, and (2) Radwanska likely vs. Garcia…Wildcards went to Americans Kristie Ahn and Venus, and Azarenka…Pulling from the tournament were Sara Errani and Petra Kvitova…Cibulkova beat Radwanska in last year’s final…Venus is 2-4 in Stanford finals…Martina Navratilova (5-4) has reached the most Stanford finals in the tournament’s history…Returning champs in the field are Cibulkova (2013), Serena Williams (2012-11), Azarenka (2010), and Venus Williams (2002,’00).

Posted by Staff @ 11:11 am in Tennis | Comments Off on Serena Leads Stanford, Men and Women in Washington; ATP/WTA Previews

July 20th, 2014

Isner Kicks Off US Open Series in Atlanta: ATP/WTA Previews

Wimbledon winners Sock and Vasek Pospisil are the top seeds in the doubles with no Bryan brothers in the draw…Other notable pulls from the event were Richard Gasquet, Lleyton Hewitt, Ivo Karlovic, American Bradley Klahn and Dmitry Tursunov…Isner (2013) is the lone returning former champ in the field.

Posted by Staff @ 3:24 pm in Tennis | 2 Comments »

July 12th, 2014

ATP Previews: Gasquet, Ferrer Lead at Bogota, Hamburg

Notes: All 16 seeds receive opening-round byes in the 48-player draw…Dolgopolov has not won a match at Hamburg in three attempts, and fellow seeds Youzhny, Kohlschreiber, Granollers and Giraldo also have losing records in the ‘burg…Tough potential starts for (16) Seppi vs. Monaco, (4) Dolgopolov vs. Janowicz, (7) Kohlschreiber vs. Montanes, and (14) Sousa vs. Rosol…107th edition of the event…

Posted by Staff @ 9:16 pm in Tennis | 1 Comment »

June 16th, 2014

Azarenka Returns at Eastboune; WTA, ATP Previews

Wildcards went to Azarenka and Brits Heather Watson and Johanna Konta…Pulling from the event were Svetlana Kuznetsova and Sorana Cirstea…Tough starts go to (5) Kerber vs. Riske, (4) Azarenka vs. Giogi, (8) Wozniacki vs. Stosur, and (2) Kvitova vs. Safarova…Returning former champs in the field are Wozniacki (2009) and Radwanksa (2008).

Posted by Staff @ 12:17 am in Tennis | 9 Comments »

May 26th, 2014

Tennis-X Wrap: Wawrinka Struggles with Pressure at French Open

“I’ve had ups and downs,” Wawrinka said. “That’s why I’m saying I am not at the level of Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, because they have been around for many years, and they win everything. I know I’ll have the level. I could defeat them, but it’s different…I need to put the puzzle back together, find solutions, because the pressure is different.”

Posted by Staff @ 8:24 pm in French Open, Tennis | 82 Comments »

April 20th, 2014

Nadal in Barcelona, Sharapova in Stuttgart: Previews

Notes: Eight-time winner Rafael Nadal heads the field, and after a bye likely starts against Davydenko…(14) Marcel Granollers after a bye likely starts against The Worm…Wildcards went to Argentine Facundo Arguelleo, and Spaniards Roberto Carballes Baena, Inigo Cervantes, Daniel Gimeno-Traver…Withdrawing from the event were Pablo Andujar, Federico Delbonis, Richard Gasquet, Ivo Karlovic and Juan Monaco…David Ferrer is 0-4 in Barcelona finals…Fabio Fognini has never won a match in Barcelona (0-4)…Nadal beat Almagro in last year’s all-Spanish final…The two-time champ Bryan brothers are the top seeds in the doubles…Former singles champs in the field are Nadal (2013-11,’09-05), Robredo (2004), and Verdasco (2010).

Posted by Staff @ 1:48 am in Tennis | 10 Comments »