2016 CITI OPEN DAY 6: THE YANKS ARE COMING

Maybe it was the chronological proximity to the Olympic games, or the Davis Cup, or the Rogers Cup.  For whatever reason, the main draw of the 2016 Citi Open played host to 17 Americans.  As young as 18, as old as 31, the door seemed to be open to anyone with a navy blue passport and a forehand.  At just a hawk-eye's margin under 1/3rd of the field, it seems the only American tennis players who didn't appear for DC's premiere annual international sporting event, were the 10 names that encircle the stadium court as previous champions.  Which brings me to the subject of the Day 6 recap: there remains (for the 9th year running) a curious gap in the long tradition of American success at this event, which collides in history with the last American to win a major - one Andrew Stephen Roddick. Given the excitement surrounding the many supplicants who would gape to be his heir, both as the titlist here, and the next American world champion (with a "Y" chromosome), it begs a brief history of those yankee doodle dandies who've brought the bacon home from DC.

Now, if Donald Dell, John Harris and Steve Potts had had their way, I'm quite certain that the American they would have chosen to win the inaugural event in the nation's capital, would have been the man who's vision it was to do more than put the same complexioned asses in the seats over and over again.  After all, who but Arthur Ashe could have elicited the integrated audience that the socially conscious men behind the curtain had hoped for, and indeed achieved, in the first (and last) 5-set final in the history of the tournament in 1969.  On that day, everyone in the audience had hoped for a victory from the man born and raised 90 miles away in that other US capital (of the Confederate States of America).  His effort was herculean, albeit erratic, losing the first two advantage sets, with the second lasting 16 games.  And although he found his feet in the 3rd and penultimate sets, try as he and everyone watching did, his loosed-limbed, left handed Brazilian opponent on the day, Thomas Koch, simply would not yield the right of way.

A year later, an American champion was guaranteed, as Ashe returned to compete for the final against Cliff Richey, a bare-knuckled brawler born of Texas tennis royalty.  His sister Nancy Richey is an ITHOF inductee who won the Australian Championships in 1967, and the first French Open in 1968, to go with 3 other majors in doubles.  Ashe would gain some measure of revenge when it counted, when he beat Richey two years later in a US Open semi-final...but on that day, the stars at night shone bright for the big heart from Texas.  

The Aussies took over the next couple of years, when Rosewall and Roche (in succession) disposed of the same Marty Riessen, denying the Illinois native his place on the ring of champions at the William H. Fitzgerald Tennis Center.  So it wasn't until 1973 that Ashe finally fulfilled the promise envisioned 5 years earlier and won the title to the delight of the partisan audience.  In a replay of the first US Open final (also 5 years earlier) Ashe defeated the wily, but altogether over-matched, dutchman Tom Okker, who had made a(n almost forgotten) kind of history himself by being the first Jewish tennis player to make a major final in the Open era.  In 1974 another American son of Abraham, Harold Solomon, ascended to the top row of the annals of Citi Open history, by beating none other than 3-time champion Guillermo Vilas, who wouldn't lose another final here until 1981.

In the interim, Vilas alternated titles with Americans for 6 years (missing the 7th by losing to his professional nemesis, and elegant compatriot, Jose Luis Clerc.  Jimmy Connors, by then the most imposing player in the world, both technically and in terms of his influence on the game, took the bicentennial year title in 1976, then won a second two years later against Eddie Dibbs.  In a repeat of their memorable, but lightly attended consolation (3rd place) match in 1971, Connors still had the better of his less illustrious compatriot.  Had he entered the tournament in 1980, it’s not altogether certain that he would have won it.  Though Connors record on clay was exemplary by the standards of mere mortals, for those whose faces grace the Mount Rush(the net)more of tennis, clay was by far his worst surface managing only one major title on the slippery stuff, and that in the familiar surroundings of the West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills - also in 1976 (over Bjorn Borg, no less, but I digress). 

The best American on clay in 1980 was Brian Gottfried, who was enjoying one of the most successful years of his career, and nobody had worked harder to earn his place in Citi Open Valhalla than him.  Gottfried was the kind of player who would (and in fact did) only take one day off from practice...the day he got married.  That year, Gottfried earned his title by holding at bay the man most Argentine tennis fans pitted against their beloved Vilas, as the fairest fuzz whacking gaucho of them all.  It would be his one and only title in Washington DC.

Although a couple of Bollitieri Academy graduates (Jimmy Arias in 1982 and 1983, Aaron Krickstein in 1984) tried their best, the title escaped American possession until Jimmy Connors, in a prodigal return, killed two bald eagles with one stone, ending his own personal 4-year title drought, and one twice that long for Americans at the Citi Open, with a victory over the talented and languid, pre-Roland Garros conquering Ecuadoran Andres Gomez.  Connors initiated an American revival, resulting in titles for the Red, White and Blue in 9 of the next 12 years.  This sequence would include all 5 of Agassi’s titles (1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, 1999), both of Michael Chang’s (1996, 1997) and Tim Mayotte's lone title in 1989, which would have been American either way because his opponent that year was Brad Gilbert.

With so many Americans enjoying their 15 minutes at the DC troth, one could have been forgiven for assuming that the trend would continue ad infinitum.  The trend was eventually proven illusory, but Roddick surprised everyone with a victory over Sjeng Shalken in 2001 for his maiden title here (and the third of his rookie year) followed by an even bigger surprise the next year when James Blake won his one and only title, over Paradorn Shrichipan, having precociously usurped Andre the Giant in the semi-final.  Unfortunately Blake’s interlude as the American standard bearer was short lived, both in the grand scheme of things and at this tournament.  Roddick would match his one-time American coach Jimmy Connors with 3 titles, his third (and last) would also spell the latest of an amazing tally of 19 titles in 45 years...four better than a third, and four shy of half. 

So who then, among the band of brothers still in the field is most likely to make their maiden title in DC #20 for the US of A?  

Well, there is the record holder for profligacy, 3-times bridesmaid John Isner, who’s professional breakthrough came at this very tournament, when Roddick last carried the flag.  That year, Tommy Haas joked that there ought to be a height limit on tennis players, after falling to the long-limbed tarheel in a 3^rd set tie-break.  Last year Isner fell to the fastest hands in the (far) east, in a gripping final against Kei Nishikori.  This year, a well earned victory over Marcos Baghdatis, a natural talent who counts his return of serve as one of his weapons, is a good sign:  that's because it seems to be the only kind of a player with a snowball's chance on a summer afternoon in DC, of beating him on that lightning quick Stadium Court.  James Duckworth, didn't benefit from any hangover from Isner's Davis Cup disappointment.  It could turn out to be a delayed reaction, and he will need all his reserves of fortitude to overcome his opponent in the quarterfinal.

Speaking of which, could Steve Johnson be the most likely to end the American drought in DC?  Already a winner at Nottingham this year, his respectable 4th round performance against Roger Federer at Wimbledon, may signal a coming of age for him.  He is (as is to be expected) older than players with similar experience on the ATP tour, but this is the first year Johnson's game is a match for his commitment to give every last drop of effort in him to his own cause.  He (very) effectively blunted the potency of Ryan Harrison's serve with a series of clever and effective chip returns to the deep recesses of the court.  

This is precisely the location of Nishikori's most effective returns last year against Isner, and I have a feeling that if he's feeling it at all in the legs, he will have neither the energy, nor the inclination to make the court smaller by serving and volleying - the only viable reply to Johnson's rather obvious, but even more effective, solution.  And as hard as it is to imagine it, his serve may be even more effective this year than last, and Isner struggled to find it then. So, this could be the Trojan man's moment, and if he can get past Isner, there aren't too many players left in the field with all tools necessary to push him back down the walls of Troy.

Then there's Sam Querey:  another quiet American who (to this day, despite all his megaton serving contemporaries) still holds the ATP record for the most consecutive aces in a single match (10 against James Blake in 2007).  Surprising some with a magnificent effort to overcome 2012 Champion Alexander Dolgopolov tonight, Querrey showed that, more than an anomaly in his summer, his victory over Djokovic at Wimbledon foretells a resurgence in his career that could lead to him winning a title here that he has sought since 2009.  To do this, he will need all the free points he can get from his serve against a man who has been putting on a serving exhibition here himself:  the flash, flamboyant Frenchman Gael Monfils, who has hit 22 aces in 2 matches.  If Monfils is taking himself seriously, he has the pedigree to douse the fire lit in Querrey.  But if that Gallic Shrug, combined with the circus shots he sometimes tries, makes another appearance, I like the chances of (the) Sam(urai) Querrey.

Finally there's Jack Sock, who, in addition to hitting a tennis ball harder than anyone ever has, is apparently running for president.  I have always been of the opinion that if you want to know who has a shot to be the best player in the world, look for the guy that's doing something that nobody else can:  Alexander (the Great) Zverev is hitting his groundstrokes at an average speed of 81 mph - 6 mph faster than anyone else at the Citi Open.  Nick Kyrgios displays Federer-ish combinations of accuracy, variety and disguise on his serve.  And Jack Sock is hitting his forehand at as much as 6300 rpm...Rafael Nadal, the former King of Spain, maxes out at 5800 (with all due respect to Federer's slice backhand that reaches 7200 rpm...but that's a very different kettle of fish).

So this is a tool in Sock's sock that is exclusive to him - it's his Excalibur, his Aegis, the ring of which he is the Lord...and boy did he put it to good use today.  Like a game of cat and mouse played by men with racquets, he used his rpm to consistently force Daniel Evans into a series of very limited choices, most of which ended with him lancing the boil of Evans' frustration with a screaming forehand winner.  The minute Evans left a shot not quite far enough into Sock's backhand corner to...well, force him to hit a backhand, Sock began ripping his forehand, really heavily and at an acute angle, into Evans' backhand.  

It was neither deep nor short, and if Evans tried to step in and come over it, the ball would jump up into his chest and he would invariably framed it.  If he moved back, the court would open like a sliced grapefruit, beckoning Sock to exploit the now gaping wound that was Evans' forehand corner.  And if Evans tried to slice it, he could get away with it a couple of times, maybe even three, but eventually the temptation to exit from that constrictive tango was too much.  He couldn't resist trying to go up the line, either an error, or a short ball would ensue, and Sock would simply put him out of his misery or start the sequence again.

It was almost sadistic:  a lesson in humility that Mr. S(p)ock can impose on his opponents like the Kobyashi Maru.  Time and again, Evans made a choice, and time again it ended in a fatal exercise in total futility.  Strangely, although Evans is not the fittest fiddle in the orchestra, he seemed to grow in efficacy as the match wore on, after very nearly losing the first set in a 20 minute bagel.  But Sock's superior movement, serve and that blood-thirsty sword of Damocles (masquerading as a forehand) he wields eventually dropped right on top of Evans' head.

I have the feeling that of all the players that US has produced in the last 10 years, Sock's game is the most likely to achieve a major title.  At the height of his powers, nobody has an answer to what he can do, which is why it is such a shame that he so rarely reaches that apex.  The likelihood of doing so over a fortnight, which would be required to drink of the immortal ambrosia reserved for his major winning American predecessors, is for the moment, remote.  But ask me if he can do it over the next 3 days, and I would argue that is hardly a bridge, over the Potomac, too far.

So, if I had to place a bet on who wins the Citi Open, I would drop a 10 euro note on Sasha "Fierce" Zverev.  But if the currency must be green, with dead presidents (perhaps poetically, given that we're 6 miles from the National Mall) I'd place it on John "the Hitman" Isner.  If (and it's a pretty big if) he can get past the Trojan dark horse, he is a better player with a better serve than Karlovic, who I think will take the racquet right out of Sock's hand in their quarterfinal, rendering his wizardry entirely moot.  Querrey is unlikely to get past Monfils, and if he does, his reward would be a date with Zverev in the semi-final, and I don't see him bringing that Chincoteague pony to heel any time soon.  

The one and only player that can take the racquet out of Zverev's hand is Isner - let's just hope he brings it in what would be his 4th final.  He already holds the record for runner-ups at the Citi Open, and I'm quite certain he doesn't want to pad it.

CITI OPEN: LAST (BUT NOT LEAST) THOUGHTS

So what did we learn from the 2015 Citi Open?  A hell of a lot.  With one of the strongest fields in the history of the tournament, including two players ranked in the top 5 for the first time since 1987, and one of the best performance from the collective American entrants, there's much to ponder about the world of tennis in general, and specifically preparations for the US Open in September.  Here are some of the thoughts that I came away with.

TOO BIG TO FAIL SUCCEED

There were so many players standing taller than 6'3 in the tournament this year, Mr. Dell may need to consider raising the doorways.  At 6'10", the tallest man in the draw did everything he could to finally break his duck at the ATP 500 level, and had it not been for the mercurial resistance of one of the shortest players in the draw, John Isner may very well have done just that.  But he wasn't alone breathing "the air up there", with 6'9" "Dr." Ivo Karlovic, 6'8" Kevin Anderson, 6'6" Nicolas Jarry, Marin Cilic, Sam Query and the precocious big man, Alexander "Sasha" Zverev, all raining down a plague of monster serves, and (almost) irresistible leverage on their ground strokes.  One wouldn't be unreasonable to wonder if the game reached a tipping point.  

Despite the fact that only two men above 6'3 have ever won majors in tennis (both at the US Open in Juan Martin del Potro in 2009 and said Croatian Marin Cilic in 2014) it seemed the height of champions at the Citi Open, like the height of tennis players in general, was once again on the way up.  And last year's Canadian finalists, Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil seem like scramblers compared to the line up of spindly, rangy, praying mantises of men that littered the field in 2015.  But each and every one of them was felled by the sword of a man at least 6 inches shorter than them, so while the median athleticism of the game continues into the realm of other sports, there continues to be a place in the game for those sufficiently fleet of foot and hands, to stake their claim to this little throne, and potentially the big one at Flushing Meadows.

Kei Nishikori continues to show the world that there is no substitute for technique in tennis.  Neither the raw athleticism of the 6'4" Aussie Rules football moonlighting Sam Groth, nor the tobacco row basketball wannabe John Isner, nor the volleyball obliterating, bump-set-spiking physique of the Marin Cilic, were able to disrupt his path to the head of the table.  In fact, in many ways, the player that gave Nishikori the most trouble was another vertically challenged player, James Duckworth, who took the champion to 3 sets in his first match in DC.  (For a little perspective, James Duckworth, who looks up at most of his opponents these days, is the exact same height at Pete Sampras).  So it seems the fastest hands in tennis, are still able to slice and dice their way through a field of giants who's imposing physical presence reminds us of two maxims of sports we should never forget:  nobody can cover more ground than the ball, and if you do nothing else, be sure to hit it where they ain't.

AND YOUNG AFFECTION GAPES TO BE HIS HEIR

He did graduate from the University of Georgia in 2007 and has been playing on the ATP for 8 years since, but you may be still surprised to discover that John Isner joined the over 30 club in 2015.  That club includes a number of players that are also on the wrong side of that milestone, but still seem to ply their trade with all the vim and vigor of their more (naturally, but) heavily hormoned contemporaries:

John Isner - 30
Lleyton Hewitt - 34
Feliciano Lopez - 32
Ivo Karlovic - 36
Tommy Haas - 37
Victor Estrella Bourgos - 35
Marinko Matosevic - 30
Ivan Dodig - 30
Teymuraz Gabashvili - 30
Benjamin Becker - 34
Lu Yen-Hsun (Randy) - 31
Malek Jaziri - 31
Gilles Muller - 32
Go Soeda - 30
Dudi Sela - 30

By my count, 15 of the 48 players in the main draw were on the wrong side of 30 - or who's to say it is the wrong side?  One of them made the final, and although none of them made the quarterfinal, this was an unexpected results, as many of the biggest names in the field were felled by some very disrespectful brethren who will need to continue to kick, scratch and claw their way into the hallowed ground of appearance fees and lucrative endorsements.  This begs the question:  with the average age of the top players inching closer to that magic number, should more junior players eschew the early (if not easy) money of turning pro before they're ready, and try their hand at collegiate tennis?  

After all, with no less than 4 NCAA champions in the tournament this year (2 who made/played the main draw) and John Isner, a stalwart of the NCAA team champion University of Georgia in 2007, it seems there may be more to learn about the game, and the game of life, in the virtual classroom of the tennis court and the real classroom (you know, with books and stuff) of a college education?  When I asked him about it in his press conference after the final, John Isner said he had expected this would be more and more the case given the density of players over 30 in the top 100, but that a new crop of young players making their way directly into professional tennis may delay that.  But ultimately he feels that what he and Steve Johnson, and other players who've come the way of the NCAA's, have learned from that experience something that is as often in short supply, as it is valuable to a professional tennis player - the art of competing.


OTSUKARE SAMA DESHITA

Translated from Japanese, literally this means, "After a long day, we are very tired," and is used to congratulate someone coming through a very long hard road to success.  If anyone deserves to hear that at the end of the 2015 Citi Open, it's Kei Nishikori.  Man, did he ever do it the hard way.  Not only did he play 3 players at least 6 inches taller than him, he also played 3 out of 4 matches that went to 3 sets, coming back from a set down in each.  The fascinating thing about his victories, aside from the herculean depths of resilience he displayed, was the way he used his best weapon to his advantage - his ability to analyze and adjust.  I am of the belief that this underrated skill is second only to technique in the world of tennis, because no matter how hard you hit the ball, there's always someone out there who hits harder, therefore the players who have something in the tool kit to counteract the monolithic ball-bashing that takes place in the modern game, always have the advantage when the going gets tough - and boy did it get tough for King Kei.

Against spirited resistance from James Duckworth, at first glance he appeared to be the better player - there was just one problem, his second serve points were problematic, particularly when under duress.  As an adjustment he took speed off the first serve in the second set, and Duckworth's natural instinct to play conservative returns on the first serve (frequently in spite of the fact that they're eminently attackable) resulted in Nishikori winning 100% of his first serve points, but more importantly (since they were less frequent) 65% of his second serve points, as opposed to just 50% in the first.  In doing so he didn't face a single break point the entire set, and the pressure that put on Duckworth's serve was more telling - he went from winning 47% of his second serve points to just 25% in the second.  

Against Cilic, the serve was again the key factor, not for Nishikori, but for Cilic.  Nothing puts pressure on a serve like a returner who can burn one by your feet before you've finished your stroke, and watching his hands come through the point of contact in a blur over and over again had an irresistible effect on Cilic.  The most interesting part of the match was the extent to which Cilic's second serve speed diminished from the first set (which he won) with several coming in at 100mph+ (two at 116mph matching Nishikori's top first serve speed), versus the second, with none breaking triple digits and a couple clocked in the high 80's.  What was the difference? Nishikori got a beat on the first serve, and put several past Cilic with aplomb, and this caused him to be more conservative, which had the ironic effect of letting Nishikori have his way even moreso on the return.  The obvious solution would have been for Cilic to go bigger on the second serve, but that is far easier said than done, and going big on the second delivery is the domain of only greatest serves in the history of the game (think Pancho Gonzales or Pete Sampras).  As well as he can serve, Cilic will not finish his career in that category.

Finally, against Isner, Nishikori was able to make the adjustment in his court positioning to take away the wide serve in the deuce court, which Isner uses to set up his post potent delivery up the T.  As well as he serves, even Isner cannot rely on blowing the ball past his opponent up the middle on every occasion - eventually a rational professional moves to the middle, and when forced to serve out wide, the margins seem to shrink for him, making both serves less effective.  That's why it's so important for Isner to establish the wide serve first - which Nishikori didn't allow in the second set.  Although Isner maintained triple digit speeds on the second serve, the placement was not nearly as good in the second as it was in the first, and Nishikori, having resisted Isner's bid to break in the first game of the second set, gained the inroads he required to force Isner's overall game to carry the weight of his (only slightly) lacking serve.  That is not his recipe for success, and the result was as telling as Nishikori's cerebral approach to cutting down his opponents, bit by bit, until they're no taller than a stump in the ground.

Nishikori's hands are also useful at net, and against Duckworth, who approached at every opportunity available to him, he made a concerted effort to engage in sneak attacks off of 1-2 combinations, as well as a deceptively effective slice backhand approach that stays low and forces his taller opponents to hit up on the pass.  Nishikori, on the other hand, doesn't have as much of that challenge as they do, and nobody in tennis passes better than him.  If he can combine his already excellent passing shots, with an ability to take the net away altogether, it will help him conserve his energy at the US Open, and possibly get over the hurdle to win it all this time around.

A TWO SIDED COIN WITH SLOANE STEPHENS' FACE ON IT

As to what one can interpret from Sloan Stephens victory at the Citi Open..well there are two sides to every story, and depending on whether you want to believe she's turned a corner or dispassionately reserve your judgment, here are a few reasons for each, starting with the latter:

Reserving My Judgment

1. The strength of the field on the women's side was not the equal of the men this year.  Although there were two major champions in the field, Svetlana Kuznetsova (who's last came at Roland Garros in 2009) withdrew due to injury, and Sam Stosur (who won her one and only major at the US Open in 2011), whom Stephens beat (semi) convincingly in the semi-final, were both ranked outside the top 20 before the start of the tournament.  In fact the only player in the field ranked in the top 20 was Ekaterina Makarova at #12, and she was the #1 seed.  The work only gets harder from here in Canada, Cincinnati and New York.
2. Her serve needs work...like, a lot of work.  Although not nearly as critical in the women's game as the men's, Stephens' serve fails to impress, particularly her second delivery, which rarely breaks the 85mph mark, and frequently costs her breaks of serve.  In fact, of all the strokes in her game, specifically (and ironically) the worst is her serve, this despite having the leg and shoulder strength that most (reasonably competitive) female tennis athletes would die for. A ball in hand is better than two coming over the net, yet Stephens seems to prefer receiving to taking.  But she's going to have to take it to win the bigger titles, because 'dem big babes at the top sure as hell won't give it to her.
3. The privilege of pressure does not suit her.  When asked in a press conference whether she experiences more or less pressure facing an up and coming young American (like Louisa Chirico) she claimed that it was the same as any other player.  Bullshit like that may fool a player from American Samoa - who will never face a countryman on tour, but for an American who has just raised her head above the swelling tide of Americans coming through the door of the WTA tour, to claim that there is no difference, smacks of denial.  And just like the river in Egypt that it "ain't", it doesn't bode well for her ability to embrace what Billie Jean King coined "the Privilege of Pressure", which is the most common trait amongst true champions.
4. There isn't a single thing she does better than everyone else in the world.  Her forehand can be monstrous, but not moreso than about 5 women who's names end in "ova", let alone the entire WTA.  Her backhand can penetrate, but she is that rare combination of technically asymmetry, but with almost no tactical adjustment to account for it.  For the most part she plays as if her backhand were as good as her forehand, and as a result, it's easier for the better players to force it to be.  It isn't and that makes it harder to deliver against the best of the best.  Her defensive skills are deceptively counterproductive - she's quick, but she uses that to stay further behind the baseline than her immense power potential can fully take advantage of.  Somewhere down the road, like Dimitrov on the men's side, she'll have to adopt a generic strategic objective and design a tactical plan around meeting it - so far she dips her toes in the shallow waters of both - neither well enough to win big.

Wanting To Believe

If you're American, and you want to believe that Sloan Stephens is the next best thing, this week was just the tonic for you, and here are the best reasons why:

1. The only thing worse than a weak field, is losing to it, so, for those of you who would castigate her for winning under those conditions:  what else is she to do, reserve her maiden WTA victory for the US Open?  And the fact of the matter is that if she wants to do just that, for at least 3 rounds, she'll have to beat the same field of players that she beat this week in DC, which has not been a sure thing over the last couple of years.  It bodes well that this week, she has found her way through the land mines players that have no business beating her (and a couple that do) - if she had a virtual mine sniffing dog with her this week, she should feed it only Orijen Regional Red Grain until the second Monday in September.
2. She came to her senses and returned to Nick Saviano, who has the honesty and background with her to know when she's full of shit with her effort, and when she's really giving it her best.  Time and again he talks to her about putting in the full effort, and not trying to guarantee a result by not losing, and it seems to have helped.  Where Nick needs to improve (as well as Sloan) is in giving her the tools, both tactical and technical, to implement physically, what he's convinced her to do mentally.  It's one thing to talk about committing to grinding out every point, but doing it is another.
3. She's still the most athletic of all the young Americans that are making a bid to join the other big babes at the adult table.  Madison Keys lacks the grace and Navratilova-like pitter patter of her feet when ghosting about the court.  Jamie Hampton lacks the fitness (she's been out the whole year after double-hip surgery) and Christina McHale lacks any discernible athletic prowess - not that she doesn't have any, she just not going to win a broad jump or 100 dash any time soon.  There are other Americans worth mentioning, but none more ready physically to compete against the best in the world, and the women's game is fast becoming a battle of physical, rather than technical, prowess.

The Ruling:  A Suspended Sentence

I don't think her time is yet, but that's not the end of the world for a 21-year old who's just won her first tournament on the WTA tour.  The cons currently outweigh the pros, but things always do and will change - the hope is that this week in DC signals a change for the better.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

I can't say enough about some of the people I met while working the Citi Open - the PR folks from Sheena Pegarido to Molly Flores to Gabo Lemons to Lindsey Foster to Cindy Wilsbach to everyone I'm forgetting, they made it so easy to cover the tournament, and the avalanche of posts on the Citi Open I shoved down the mountain this year is all down to the infrastructure they have in place, and the support they've provided.  And the press conference moderators, whose names escape me, painstakingly spread the wealth and never once made me feel unwelcome (including when I asked a question that got as big a laugh from the press corp as it did a roll of the eyes from the interviewee).  I had a great first experience, I hope to do more, but if I never do it again, I will always be thankful to them for making this one the best it could be.

I also met quite a few fellow residents of the blogosphere, including Mehrban Iranshad of Tennis Files and Steve Fogleman of Tennis Atlantic, two colleagues who gave me great information about where to go and what to do, who share a passion for this marvelous game of ours, but most importantly demonstrated the patience of Job all week.  Either one of them will tell you that, if you let me, I'll talk your ear off about tennis, and boy did they let me - when they were waiting for a press conference, eating, watching a match...doesn't matter, I talked to them and they never once told me (which was their right) to shut the hell up!  It was a lot of fun guys, and you represented the blogosphere well.  I encourage you to check out their websites - I certainly will.

Well, thanks again, and until next year...check that, until the Rogers Cup...oh shit - that's starts today, doesn't it? 

Off to write that post...

2015 CITI OPEN FINAL: NISHIKORI V ISNER - BLOW BY BLOW

After a rousing rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, the audience, subdued perhaps by the heat, were lifted into the proper level of anticipation for a final that promises to be tight and enthralling. Wayne Bryan, one of the best things to happen to the Citi Open, brought his enthusiasm and energy to the proceedings by hitting balls into the crowd before the match. 

Isner is introduced first to an enormous ovation, as "Bad to the Bone" plays on the stadium speakers. Nishikori also receives a good ovation.  Isner comes out of his chair first, all smiles, bouncing up and down, and shaking hands. Nishikori saunters onto the court in no particular hurry, as is his wont.  Although Nishikori has the better pedigree, this being his 3rd final in DC, Isner appears to be the more relaxed player. I noticed that he humbly moved into the court to retrieve a ball during the warm up, while Nishikori calmly waited for it to be retrieved for him, though the ball was at least 5 feet closer to him than Isner's. 

Nerves?  Tension?  Habit?

Isner starts out firing on all cylinders, holding at love with two aces and two winners. Importantly his second serves are well overt 100mph, which seemed to be the tipping point for Cilic yesterday. Nishikori's first two serves are tame by comparison, but no less effective, hitting service winners and one cross court forehand winner from the center of the court.  Isner then follows up with another workmanlike hold before the first changeover.  His 1-2 combination is working, and will be key to his chances today if Nishikori returns the way we know he can and should - Isner is up 2-1.

Nishikori makes a nervous error on his first 1-2 combination, on a forehand error from the center of the court but recovers well with two service winners.  Isner put the pressure on with a huge inside out forehand return for 30-30, followed by inside-out forehand error.  Nishikori then gets to ad in with two forced errors in the rally to Isner's forehand.  Isner appears committed to applying maximum pressure on the return of serve.  But Nishikori draws first blood with a forehand return at his feet in the first point at 2-2.  Isner responds with two aces up the T, before Nishikori grabs a bite of a poorly placed serve wide at 30-15, before belting a cross court backhand winner to get his first break point.  Isner kicks it high on a second serve hit at 94mph, handling the break point, but Nishikori earns another with his feet as Isner dumps as forehand volley in the net after bossing him in the rally.  Isner saves again with an ace up the T again to earn a third deuce. Two huge serves later he holds for a 3-2 lead.

Nishikori hits an 82mph second serve which Isner jumps on to take the first point, but he runs Isner ragged on the next point, which elicits return errors in the subsequent two points to get to 40-15 - Isner looks really out of breath.  On game point he pulls Isner wide, then scores an easy 1-2 combination with a cross court backhand winner to hold.  Isner then gets a service winner, then loses the second point after Nishikori chips the second serve kicked wide in the ad court for 40-15. Nishikori then chases the wide serve in the deuce court with a Jimmy Connors like stretch return on the two hander, before eliciting a backhand error in the rally. Isner holds with a service winner and leads 4-3.

With a long rally in the first point again elcits a return error in the second for a 30-0 lead. He then turns the screws with a drop shot, and elicits a return error to win the game. Isner then gets to 30-0 after Nishikori misses a backhand pass. A return winner for 30-15 is followed by a kick serve to the backhand, but Nishikori puts pressure with another great forehand return. Under duress Isner hits a 113 second serve, and after a heavy inside out forehand approach Isner hits a drop volley winner to hold for 5-4.

Scoreboard pressure now on Nishikori, who ropes a backhand cross court with both feet in the air eliciting a backhand error. Nishikori then tries a forehand drop shot but misses the cross court passe before Isner takes a big cut in the rally to get to 15-30, then a big inside out forehand to get to double set point off of a 76mph second serve. He then takes the set with a solid forehand return up the line. The crowd erupts as he gestures towards his box.

One has the feeling that the return of serve, particularly the second serve return, will determine this match. Isner has put only one second serve under 100, which was a huge kicker, but Nishikori, under pressure dropped below the 90's several times which costs him the set. 

Nishikori starts the second with a huge cross court forehand, then another which rushes Isner into an error. He then hits a two handed half volley winner that clipped the net and a service winners to get to 30-30. Nishikori makes a long rally which Isner pushes a backhand long before acing. At deuce Nishikori for the third time belts a third forehand at Isner's feet. On break point he hits an ace wide that's challenged and overturned. He pushes a forehand wide and wastes a challenge - with his serve he wants as many of those in his pocket as he can get. 

Nishikori then consolidates with a jeu Blanche, including a first successful net approach off another great cross court backhand. Isner gets to 40-0 with his serve, but Nishikori puts him under pressure with a two good passes.  Isner then holds for 1-2. Clearly Isner's strategy is to unload even from the center of the court at the first opportunity. The idea is to put the result on his racquet win or lose.  He then calls for the trainer on the changeover to work on his right shoulder and the area between the shoulder and the neck. That appears to be an issue of fatigue.

Nishikori comes out before time is called to get loose, but still floats a forehand long on the first point. After a long rally, Nishikori pushes a backhand up the line wide to bring up 0-30. In the next three points Nishikori targets Isner's backhand, until he pushes him wide enough to open up the deuce court. Isner chubs a forehand wide on a 116mph body serve. Isner then hits three service winners and an ace to hold for 2-3.

The CMO of Citi is an Irishman who's father played Laver at the oldest club in the UK, which held the first women's tournament.

Nishikori starts out serving two aces in a row, followed by a service winner to get to 40-0. The first double fault of the match suggests nerves for Nishikori, but he holds with a forehand winner from the center of the court. It bears noting that the match is at least half over at the hour mark with Nishikori up 4-2. Both players grab a drink illegally during the ball change. Isner is still serving above 80% first serves, despite going down a break in the second. Nishikori is actually serving better than Isner winning 73% serve points to Isner's 67%, also returning better with 33% to Isner's 27%.

Nishikori serves his way to yet another jeu Blanche, and Isner's follows with 3 service winners. He does not appear to be spending much energy on the return, but on his serve he is resolute and holds to force Nishikori to serve it out.

This would be Isner's first 500 level win if he can pull it off.  The crowd raise their level of support to help him get there, but King Kei demands silence with a second serve ace followed by an Isner unforced error off the frame. Nishikori then belies his nerves when he hits his second double fault of the match before dumping in a 78mph second serve then an error. A good inside out forehand in the next point elicits an error in the net, but Isner belts a return to bring up deuce. Nishikori is down to 46% first serves this set. Nishikori holds after Isner hits it wide in the rally - in a Freudian slip he swipes away the mark on a close ball, though Isner doesn't challenge.

Isner is out of his seat early, but still starts with his first double fault of the match. He then earns the hold with 4 first serves in the high 120s/ low 130s range. Nishikori starts with a good serve on the first point, but Isner's focus has in erased palpably. He gestures to his box after eliciting an error off a low slice, then comes over a backhand return and polishes off a forehand volley winner and gestures again. Kei pulls a one two combination with a backhand cross court winner and an Isner makes an error for 1-1. Nishikori then hits a sliding backhand pass after an amazing return from the forehand. After an Isner ace, Nishikori belts another return at Isner's feet, eliciting an error, then another - this one a backhand to darn two break points. The break is complete when Nishikori frames a backhand return 6 inches inside the baseline which Isner jokingly tried to wave out before he realized it was going to land in. He hit a solid overhead, but from the baseline which Nishikori belted right back at his feet.

Nishikori hits a service winner, a backhand winner up the line then an inside out winner to consolidate the hold. Isner appears to be tired and the crowd impel him to keep his foot on the gas, with rhythmic claps of encouragement. Isner obliges with a service winner and a forced error, the another service winner on a wide serve in the deuce court. Isner finishes off the love hold with a 1-2 combination, fished with a cross court forehand winner.

Nishikori serves at 3-2, after massaging his thighs with ice packs during the changeover. That familiar subdued gait belies his concentration - he'll need it to deal with the scoreboard pressure. It a long way to go to consolidate a hold in the second service game. Nishikori elicits an error, the. Executes a leaping forehand winner up the line. Another forced error and a service winner consolidates the hold. Isner is now really facing scoreboard pressure now - a break would be fatal, as his fatigue is showing now piling up the unforced and forced errors. Isner holds when Nishikori nets a backhand slice approach after yet another scintillating return - he's making it look routine at this point.

Up 4-3, Nishikori can surely see the finish line, but he must concentrate - he starts with a 1-2 combination forehand winner to the ad court from the center of the court, and follows with a forced error. Isner then panicks and blast a second serve backhand return 6 feet wide (inside out). Isner gets his frustrations out with another wide serve in the deuce court followed by a massive inside out forehand winner. He follows up with two service winners to take the game and force Nishikori to serve it out.

Here is where Nishikori has been the shakiest all week. When serving under duress. The crowd implores Isner to prolong the match with supportive cheers, as a Georgia fan unfurls a banner in his view. Nishikori responds with another 1-2, then an irresistible backhand up the line that clips the baseline. A forces error sets up triple championship point which Nishikori takes with aplomb, tow forehands hit so well that Isner's dying resistance is put down with a backhand volley that Nishikori hits with his back to the court and exalts with relief at his victory. 

It's been a long week, with three three set come back wins, including two in succession over two of the biggest serves in tennis. Otsukare sama deshita!