After 103 minutes Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open chances looked over after an incredible turn around 15 minutes later she completed a comeback, but how did she turn the tables on Garbine Muguruza?

After one hour and forty three minutes Naomi Osaka's chances of winning the Australian Open looked slim, 15 minutes later three time major champion knocked out Garbine Muguruza in their first meeting together. How did she turn it around? In the preview I said Naomi will find joy off her forehand and moving Muguruza about.... Continue Reading →

February 15, 2021 0

How Simona Halep turned it around against Iga Swiatek to set up another Grand Slam battle with Serena

Iga Swiatek may have only played a handful of Grand Slam events but she has proved to be a tough opponent to break down. After taking the first set 6-3 it left Simona Halep with a mountain to climb. This set by Iga meant that the teenager had won 21 consecutive sets at Grand Slam... Continue Reading →

February 14, 2021 1

Grigor Dimitrov defeats Dominic Thiem for the third consecutive time with similar patterns emerging once more…

Dominic Thiem knows how tricky Grigor Dimitrov is, a couple of years ago the Bulgarian defeated Roger Federer in five sets at Flushing Meadows. 6 weeks or so later he pummelled the Austrian at the Paris Indoors Masters in a performance I said was better and felt more poignant so the danger signs were there.... Continue Reading →

February 14, 2021 1

Smooth, Brutal & Delightful, Dominic Thiem continues to set the standard in London

It does not get much better than that. The level of tennis from Dominic Thiem to beat Rafael Nadal was superb and tactical perfection as the Austrian won 7-6 7-6. Dominic Thiem has adapted his game tremendously well since the start of last year to become equally effective on hard courts as he is on... Continue Reading →

November 17, 2020 0

Shanghai Showdown 2015: Tsonga 6-4 0-6 7-5 Nadal

In these pieces I have said Shanghai brings out the best in people. It’s after the US Open, players have had time to reflect and build for the end of the season. At the stage Shanghai with the flair and brilliance of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and you’ve got a dream pair. When you play against Rafa... Continue Reading →

October 17, 2020 0

Shanghai Showdown 2017: Nadal 6-3 6-7 6-3 Dimitrov

2017 was a magnificent year for Grigor Dimitrov, not many would have expected the year to end with him winning the ATP Finals in London but before that there was some work to do. Down in Shanghai the Bulgarian missed out only slightly in an epic battle with Rafael Nadal! A place in the semi-finals... Continue Reading →

October 14, 2020 0

Shanghai Showdown 2019: Berrettini 7-6 6-4 Thiem

Matteo Berrettini had an incredible breakthrough season in 2019, the Italian rose to the occasion, took and created opportunities and sealed some big wins in a year which I described as a learning curve. One of which was a 7-6 6-4 win over Dominic Thiem in Shanghai. I thought the performance was very clever from... Continue Reading →

October 12, 2020 0

Stefanos Tsitsipas can hold his own in extended rallies and excelled in Paris but he has a gap to close in the shorter exchanges…

One of the stories of Roland Garros was the form of Stefanos Tsitsipas. I love watching this guy play, being one of the minority in Madrid last year watching him take apart Nadal was magnificent! He has the pieces, just putting them all together is where he is at. It is easy to forget he... Continue Reading →

October 10, 2020 0

504 minutes of relentless dismantling from Iga Swiatek in Paris

There aren't many runs to a major title which are flawless throughout. Not many players win a major without dropping a set en-route to being crowned champion but a teenager who had never been passed the fourth round of a Grand Slam has done that. Winning a Grand Slam is about having the confidence, temperament,... Continue Reading →

October 10, 2020 0

Diego delights under the Rome lights producing a masterclass to see off Nadal!

Getting the better of Rafael Nadal on a clay court takes some doing. At Masters 1000 level the Spaniard has won 184 matches and lost just 21 matches now one of the 21 is Diego Schwartzman. Rafa who owns 25 Masters 1000 titles on the clay courts around Europe will be heading to the French... Continue Reading →

September 20, 2020 0

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