Tennis' Weekly Winners and Losers Roars into the Far East
Although world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and superstar rival Rafael Nadal only staged an exhibition match to help boost tourism in Thailand, it's evidence of just how much tennis is heating up the Far East part of the world.
It could very well boost younger generations of aspiring tennis players, given the opportunity. For the record, Djokovic cruised to an easy 6-4, 6-2 win.
This week's “winners and losers” column takes a look at ATP-250 tournaments in Shenzhen, China, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Find out who moved closer to clinching a place in London's WTF November final and who lost an important match that might have seen his hopes for London fade away.
The best action was set to be a fabulous WTA final between Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza. Unfortunately, the ending hit a flat note.
Loser: Grigor Dimitrov
1 of 6
Last year, Grigor Dimitrov moved into the ATP top 10 after peaking as a Wimbledon semifinalist. He was a dark cloud ready to burst, looking to reign as one of the future stars in tennis.
A year later, Wimbledon 2015 was the signal for another transition. Dimitrov had faded, rarely contending for titles and bowing out meekly in opportunities against other top players.
Soon after Wimbledon, he split with coach Roger Rasheed, and a short time later, he parted ways with girlfriend Maria Sharapova.
He said, per Reuters: "Now I'm concentrated entirely on the game and I'm sure the results will soon be seen... This is the summer of the new beginning for me."
OK then, let’s look at the results.
His 2015 record with Rasheed and Sharapova was 21-12—an admittedly lackluster 64 percent.
The new Dimitrov has since amassed a 6-5 record, a small sample size but a more meager 54 percent winning clip.
We could mention that 10 of 11 opponents have been ranked lower than Dimitrov. He had a tougher assortment of opponents through July than the cream-puffs he has slipped on since Wimbledon.
Summer is over, but since Dimitrov brought up the seasons, it would be more fitting to point out that it’s fall.
Winner: Venus Williams
2 of 6
It was almost ironic watching Venus Williams outlast a rising star while world No. 5 Garbine Muguruza retired with an ankle injury in the final at Wuhan, China, after trailing 6-3, 3-0.
Venus has had plenty of physical setbacks through the last half decade, but here she is with another title to remind the world that she is still a great champion who could have competed for more major titles.
For now, Venus moved up 12 places in the world rankings to No. 14, and she is in the thick of contenders hoping for one of the top eight slots for the Road to Singapore, where they stage the women’s year-end tennis final.
Venus might also get in because her sister Serena has chosen to shut down the rest of her tennis year. Serena’s vacancy gives the ninth player a ticket to Singapore, and Venus just might be the one to cash in.
Loser: Nick Kyrgios
3 of 6
There’s a lot that Nick Kyrgios can learn from a tough, experienced veteran like Feliciano Lopez. The Spaniard is more adept at applying pressure and using the whole court. He scraps, fights and can make an opponent uncomfortable.
It really wasn’t a surprise to see Kyrgios lose both tiebreakers to Lopez in Malaysia’s semifinals.
Although Kyrgios possesses a massive serve, the flip side is that his return of serve game was feeble. In tight tiebreakers, that was the difference in winning and losing.
Against Ivo Karlovic in the quarterfinals, he won both tiebreakers, but against Lopez, the worm turned.
Kyrgios wants to be a star, and his talent is well known, but following the John Isner blueprint is not going to get him there.
More matches, more training, more work and more experience in defeating blue-collar performers like Lopez is really the answer, more than his renowned past triumphs over Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Winner: Tomas Berdych
4 of 6
Tomas Berdych had to wait an extra day, but the payoff was worth it. His final at Shenzhen, China, against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez was postponed until Monday because of heavy rain, but he prevailed for his first title of 2015.
It also means that he has locked up 4,000 points in the ATP Race for London.
What does 4,000 points mean? Last year, only Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal topped 5,000 points in qualifying for London’s WTF final.
The next six players all hovered in the 4,000-point range. David Ferrer played one WTF match as an alternate player for injured Milos Raonic after barely topping 4,000 points.
Berdych is all but certain to arrive at London for the sixth straight year. Although he has struggled to hold up trophies, he’s been good enough to play deep in several important tournaments.
Loser: Marin Cilic
5 of 6
Garcia-Lopez dealt a big blow to Marin Cilic’s chances of qualifying as one of London’s elite eight for the WTF final.
Down a set, the Spaniard rallied back to dump Cilic and deny the big Croat an opportunity at 250 points and a title. He will settle for only 90 points, and he is currently ranked No. 14, 1,500 points behind No. 8 Rafael Nadal.
Last year, Cilic got into London on the strength of his U.S. Open title. Injuries caused him to limp down the stretch to London, and he was unable to compete with the powerful game he showed for that major.
Is Cilic at a crossroads now? The 27-year-old is young enough and experienced enough to go after Masters 1000 titles and win another major. However, the high he had captured last year has long disappeared. He’s a consistent player with more potential than he sometimes exhibits.
Consistency, desire in the details and everyday grind are what separate players like Andy Murray and Cilic.
Not to denigrate Cilic, but should he be able to win more? Keeping health and rhythm is important, but he will need more big wins to regain the confidence he had in blitzing through other worthy stars at Flushing Meadows last year.
Winner: David Ferrer
6 of 6
Chalk up 250 points for David Ferrer as he moved 175 points ahead of countryman Rafael Nadal. The two swapped the seventh and eighth positions in the ATP rankings.
Ferrer won the Malaysian Open for his fourth title this year, but it’s been a long time in getting back after injuries prevented him from competing earlier this summer.
He was optimistic in giving himself a clean bill of health, saying his “sensations after [his] elbow injury are now very good," per ATP World Tour.
The indefatigable king of the mid-majors is now 1,205 points ahead of Milos Raonic in solidifying his place to qualify as one of the elite eight for London’s WTF final.
He will also be the busiest player during the upcoming weeks, which may be a concern if he becomes fatigued. However, he could be energized and fresh after sitting through injuries.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
