Simona Halep, 2018 Roland Garros Champion

I will admit, I shed a tear this time. Well, maybe a tear or two. Simona Halep was due this. I understand that nobody in sports is owed anything. No matter how many close calls an athlete has, in the end it is in their hands whether they win or lose. You have to do … Continue reading →

Naomi Osaka Wins 2018 BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells)

Oh. Yes. Heck. Yes. Naomi Osaka’s championship victory at the 2018 BNP Paribas open at Indian Wells was the most thrilling win to watch as a fan for me in a very long time. I often speak of my Mount Rushmore top four currently being Madison Keys, Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep. But right … Continue reading →

Australian Open 2018: Sweet Caroline!

The women’s final at the 2018 Australian Open was going to be special regardless of the outcome. It was a battle between the top two ranked players in the world. But more than that, it was a battle between arguably the two best players currently on tour without a Major win in singles. While it … Continue reading →

Jeļena Ostapenko Wins Roland Garros 2017

In 2016, Jeļena Ostapenko lost in the first round of every Major. What a difference a year makes. The 20 year old Latvian blasted 50-plus winners again to come back from a set and 0-3 down to defeat Simona Halep and win Roland Garros 2017, 4-6 6-4 6-3. Going into the match, Jeļena was winless … Continue reading →

2017 Miami Open Winner Johanna Konta: The Next Major Champion?

Although the runner-up at the 2017 Australian Open in women’s singles was Venus Williams, I submit that the 2nd best player (to Serena, obviously) in Melbourne was Great Britain’s Johanna Konta. She had the misfortune of facing Serena in the quarters in a match where Konta played tight as a drum and fell short of … Continue reading →

Elena Vesnina Wins 2017 BNP Paribas Open

When Elena Vesnina made the singles semifinals of Wimbledon 2016, I thought it was a wonderful achievement. However, I didn’t think it was anything more than an isolated once in a career kind of Major run where everything fell together perfectly. Don’t misunderstand, I know Elena has a Hall of Fame type of resume…as a … Continue reading →

Karolina Pliskova Wins 2017 Brisbane International; Lauren Davis, Katerina Siniakova Win First WTA Titles

If you want to know how great Karolina Pliskova was in winning the 2017 Brisbane International final 6-0 6-3 over Alize Cornet, look no further than the comments Cornet herself made when she went to press . She called Pliskova’s serve harder to read than Serena Williams. That’s not to say Serena’s serve isn’t more … Continue reading →

Czech Republic Wins 2016 Fed Cup; 3rd Straight Title, 5th Title in 6 Years

Just a quick congratulations to the 2016 Fed Cup Champion Czech Republic. Continuing a historically great run of play, the Czech team captures its 3rd straight Fed Cup title by defeating France 3-2, becoming the first team since Spain (1993-1995) to accomplish that feat. This also marks their 5th title in 6 years and 10th … Continue reading →

2016 WTA Finals Day Eight: Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina Win Doubles Title

The 2016 WTA Finals might have disappointed me in singles, but at least the doubles championship featured my favorite duo, Team Bucie, against another of the top pairs, Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. So while I was pulling for Team Bucie, a 7-6 (5) 6-3 title victory by Kate and Elena is still cause to … Continue reading →

Agnieszka Radwanska Wins 2016 China Open; Team Bucie On A Roll In Doubles

Agnieszka Radwanska was her usually precise and controlled self in winning the 2016 China Open. Keeping her unforced errors to a minimum, the Polish star defeated Johanna Konta, 6-4 6-2. For Aga, it marked her 2nd China Open title and 20th career singles title. She didn’t drop a set in winning the championship in Beijing … Continue reading →