It’s starting to heat up down under. After making a run to the US Open quarterfinals last fall, 18-year old Belinda Bencic is one match away from equaling that result at the 2016 Australian Open. The new Swiss Miss had to come back from a set down to defeat Kateryna Bondarenko, 4-6 6-2 6-4. Obviously, … Continue reading
For the past two years I have counted down the top 30 (2013) and top 25 (2014) players on the WTA and LPGA money lists as my year-end wrap-up. This year I am reducing the list to the top 15. However, I am adding the LPGA of Japan (JLPGA) to the countdown. For the WTA, … Continue reading
The past two years I have counted down the top 30 (2013) and top 25 (2014) players on the WTA and LPGA money lists as my year-end wrap-up. This year I am reducing the list to the top 15. However, I am adding the LPGA of Japan (JLPGA) to the countdown. For the WTA, singles, … Continue reading
Unfortunately, following the semis of the 2015 WTA Finals, some other obligations pulled me away from blogging. But even though this is almost a week belated, I cannot pass up the opportunity to offer warm congratulations to Agnieszka Radwanska for winning the biggest title of her career. Not only did she go through top seed … Continue reading
Since she broke through with her first singles title at the 2014 Hobart International, I’ve had a keen eye on how Garbine Muguruza would progress as an up and coming player. She has far exceeded what I thought she would do through this point. She upset defending champion Serena Williams at Roland Garros 2014. She … Continue reading
Serena Williams has shut it down for the 2015 season, but big sister Venus is still active and playing well. She added a 47th singles title (to go along with 21 women’s doubles and 2 mixed doubles titles) to her Hall of Fame career resume by winning the 2015 Wuhan Open. This is her first … Continue reading
Back in June, in a warm-up for Wimbledon, Belinda Bencic won her first WTA title at the 2015 Aegon International by defeating Agnieszka Radwanska in three sets on grass. Aga just struck a measure of revenge on hard court by winning the 2015 Toray Pan-Pacific Open in straight sets over Bencic, 6-2 6-2. It’s the … Continue reading
I came into the 2015 US Open with a keen eye on many players. Two, in particular, are 19th seeded American Madison Keys and 25th seeded Eugenie Bouchard. Madison is my favorite active player so naturally I want to see how far she can go and how her game is developing. She has been very … Continue reading
For me, a lifelong tennis fanatic, this is the most wonderful time of the year. Wimbledon? Sure, I’m not unaware or dismissive of the sport’s ultimate prize. But it’s not at the top of my list. Even my LPGA fandom didn’t move me to look too hard at the United States Solheim Cup announcement today. … Continue reading
Talk about winning in style. Although the 2015 Rogers Cup women’s singles final ended with a disappointing retirement, in no way does that diminish what Belinda Bencic accomplished this week. She beat former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard, former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, another former Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki, another former world number one Ana … Continue reading
Fairways and Forehands 