DC's Citi Open Wrap-up and US Open Series update

Special Thanks:
1) To the media crew from Sage Communications / Steve Winters' team was very helpful to my staff this week. Even though it was the first year for the Citi Open group, all the facilities at the media center were run like clockwork and food was excellent. For new photographers and reporters, it was a welcoming experience to provide promotional coverage for Citi Open.

2) To the volunteers (purple shirts) who were very friendly and helpful for getting this event coordinated even with all the rain delay and late nights there.

3) For the athletes to come to DC and compete in this first ever ATP/WTA combined event in Washington. Their willingness to speak with us and offer the post-game interviews was invaluable.

4) Last but not least, to my crew Mikhail Bezruchko - senior photographer for his photography contributions and my lead ATP consultant/blog writer Nikhil Subramanian for his insights and match previews throughout the week.

Great experience for us at Citi Open 2012, and hope to see everyone out there again next year!

Looking ahead - 3 more weeks until NYC and the US Open 2012

US Open Series Bonus Challenge Standings (8/5/12)

Position	Player	Country	Total Points
1	Sam Querrey	USA	95
T-2	Alexandr Dolgopolov	UKR	70
	Andy Roddick	USA	70
T-4	Ricardas Berankis	LTU	45
	Tommy Haas	GER	45
	Gilles Muller	LUX	45
T-7	Xavier Malisse	BEL	30
	Michael Russell	USA	30
T-9	Mardy Fish	USA	25
	John Isner	USA	25
	Marinko Matosevic	AUS	25
	Rajeev Ram	USA	25
	Go Soeda	JPN	25

ATP Final: Alex Dolgopolov vs Tommy Haas

Post-Olympic tennis tonight on American Hard courts in DC -  US Open less than 4 weeks away!

A new contender vs the seasoned veteran.

Hot vs cold, Erratic vs calm, Young vs Old.

Tommy Haas - ATP Veteran
Photo by Mikhail Bezruchko.  COPYRIGHT Tennis-Bargains.com 

Tommy Haas

Tommy has already beaten Federer on grass in Germany just weeks ago. Although he did not get on the German Olympic team, this ATP 500 title would be a great sense of redemption and achievement.

He is playing his best tennis in recent history. Entering the "Agassi 2nd career" phase now at 34, Tommy looks very hungry for another title.

Well conditioned for the heat in his semi-finals match against Fish, last night he came back out to do a bit of scouting against his younger opponent. Let's see how mentally tough he will be against the flash and dazzle of Dolg.

Dolgopolov serving up 1st ATP 500 Final
Photo by Mikhail Bezruchko.  COPYRIGHT Tennis-Bargains.com

Alexandr "The Dog" Dolgopolov

At 24, he will be the young pup in this fight, but brings some amazing shot-making ability to the table. His serve can a double-edged sword. Either excellent and unreadable, or backfire and give him some trouble even when 40-0 up in his service game.

It will be Alex's first ever ATP 500 Final - but he has handled the pressure very well this week...up until today. Let's see if nerves hold or if this hot/humid DC afternoon will change anything with his game plan. Handling his emotions and playing aggressively on the return will again be keys to this match for him.

Interesting note: Apparently Alex uses the same Luxilon Ace 18 strings as me.

My prediction

Both are great competitors. I've seen Haas here for years and would be nice him to finally break through. He looks more hungry of the two. Dolg has the higher ranking and building more confidence with each win. If he brings his "A" game and step up to the next gear against Haas, it will be a great match!

It will either be Haas in 2 sets, or Dolgopolov in 3  - with at least one tie-break set. Should be a great ATP final in Washington, DC tonight.

From London back to DC - ATP Men's Final

Welcome back from London to our nation's capital DC at the Citi Open ATP 500 Men's Final.

Watch it on ESPN2 @ 4PM EST live!

Super Sat ATP 500 Semi-Finals: Fish vs Haas, Querry vs Dolgopolov

Mardy Fish vs Tommy Haas: "Old Guys" Semi-Final

This is the match-up of two 30+ tour veterans looking for a big ATP win in DC. Most of the week, I have been predicting this SF. Last Sunday the two played a practice match against each other, where it looked like Haas was the more determined aggressor and Fish is still a bit on eggshells to find his peak form.

Look for Fish's serve to lead the charge for the rest of his game.

Haas had a relatively easy win over Kamke on Friday afternoon and should be well rested for this scorcher in the afternoon.

My prediction is a close 3-sets with Haas a slight edge in conditioning to take the decider.

Tommy Haas - COPYRIGHT: JCTennis.com (c) Mikhail Bezruchko

Learn how to get ~$35 ATP 500 Semi-Finals and Final Tickets with these money-saving tips

Reminder: Sat, Aug 4 is Military Appreciation Day

• Free entry for all active duty and retired members, family for afternoon session.
• Plus our nation's heroes also get free 2-for-1 tickets, any day of the week.

Sam Querrey vs Alex Dolgopolov: "Young Guns" Semi-Final

The match-up of the 24 year old rising stars. Playing in the evening at 7pm should give a slight edge to Dolg, who has been getting the last match on stadium court several nights in a row now.

Sam's 1-2 tennis has earned him a 3-peat at the LA Farmer's Classic last weekend. He's the big serve and run-around forehand style that will match up very nicely against Alex's counter-punching and tactical explosiveness.

Against the Blake power, Alex was able to wear him down and run him to the net for the passing shots. If Alex is able to hold his serve against Sam (who would be a stronger/younger version of Blake's power), then he will make it through. If Querrey is able to dictate play from the baseline then it will be extremely hard even with Dolg's great defensive skills to stay in the match.

For this one, I will predict two tie-breakers with Alex prevailing on a couple key breaks of serve.

Alexandr Dolgopolov - COPYRIGHT: JCTennis.com (c) Mikhail Bezruchko

Military Appreciation Day hosted by Geico Saturday, August 4, Gates open at 11:00amThe Citi Open and Geico will be honoring and showing respect for all of the brave men and women that are serving in all the military branches. The day will feature many patriotic elements, including Color Guard, a coin toss by a Wounded Warrior, a flag unfurling, the National Anthem sung by Army SFC Antonio Guiliano and a clinic for military families on Saturday morning.

Military members and veterans who present their military ID at the box office will receive free admission (subject to availability) for Saturday afternoon's session courtesy of Geico. Additionally, all active duty and retired military members and families will receive a 2-for-1 discount (limit four [4] free tickets per person) on reserved tickets throughout the entire week of the tournament (redeemable at the box office).

Citi Open August 2, 2012 - Key Match-ups

Round of 16: Men's Preview and Predictions

Analyst and picks made by: ATP analyst Nikhil with results input by JC

Another great line-up scheduled for Thursday, August 2nd at the Citi Open. Plenty of good matches in store, so make sure you have your tickets in hand. I'm not much of a gambling man, but who can't throw a few darts at tennis picks? Here's a stab at the men's matches to watch.

Anderson v. Serra

Serra came through qualifying this week and caused a semi-upset when he ousted Brian Baker. Kevin Anderson was impressive in his Tuesday night win over Juergen Zopp. The 6' 7" South African has played college tennis at the University of Illinois, so the 4PM heat will be no surprise to him. Expect some close and hard fought baseline rallies, as Serra will try to his guile outmaneuver his biggest opponent. Anderson will have to serve well and throw in some forays to the net but this match will come down to Serra's ability to stay on serve.

Our Picks:

Nik - Anderson in two tough sets.
JC - Anderson in straights, if Serra doesn't come up with the goods on serve.
Let's see if Serra will serenade the audience again with his French explicatives by the 2nd set.

Querrey v. Becker

Sam was presumably a little jet-lagged from his Monday West Coast flight from L. A. as he battled Igor Andreev on Tuesday, well past midnight. Querrey stayed aggressive though to come through in the triple tie-break threat. Becker, has a big serve for 5' 10" and generally maximizes his court time and ability in every match. Watch this match to see Querrey absolutely hit the cover off the ball, consistently hit 130mph serves and see how the tie-breaks pan out.

Our Picks:

Nik - I fancy Querrey will take this one in two tie-break sets.
JC - Querrey will take this relatively easy with 6-3, 6-4 win.
Still on a hot winning streak on hard courts and I expect to see him add onto his US Open bonus points. I would say the warmer temps should favor the American.

Fish v. Berankis

Fish is battling a sore ankle and a recent heart issue(arrhythmia) so his confidence has been up and down, particularly his opening outing against Phau. I suspect Fish will be more zoned in for this match but Berankis is no pushover. Fish may not be able to just stay on the baseline in this one, he'll need to throw Berankis off balance by occasionally approaching the net.

Our Pick:
Nik - The first two sets will be close, but Fish gets through in three.
JC - Close one with at least one tie-break.
Fish said in his post-match conference that he's "100%" now, this is going to test that statement physically. Berankis won't go down easy.

Chardy v. Malisse

This is likely going to be the most interesting match of the day. In tennis, matches between closely matched opponents are usually a lot more interesting than a mismatch between the no. 10 player in the world versus number 100. In terms of rankings, the one pits 47 ranked Chardy (who fancies himself as a TV actor) against the X-Man, ranked 67. The match-up is as even as it gets. Malisse, always prone to a meltdown and some drama, wasn't too happy with the Grandstand court in his previous match against Mathieu - he complained (justifiably) about the windscreens, the crowds walking past behind him, wailing babies, speakers that were too close to the court, the lights and just about everything else.

The important thing is he still managed to win the match. Chardy, while less dramatic, can fade in and out as well. Look for the Frenchman to control the court with his big first serve and his inside out forehand. Chardy is an aggressive baseliner and he will have his task cut out. Malisse has a great backhand a workable forehand and generally can play an all court game.

Our Pick:

Nik - This one's a tight three setter, Chardy may just scrape through in a dramatic third.
JC - My heart says X-Man, but my head says Chardy.
I say the winner of the 1st set will take this one in 3.

What do you think, who's your pick? Feel free to add your own comments below!

Citi Open 2012 - ATP/WTA Picture Gallery

COPYRIGHT: JCTennis.com (c) Mikhail Bezruchko http://mikhailbezruchko.zenfolio.com