Grand Slam Professional Tennis Predictions and Picks by Nick Bollettieri. US Open, French Open, Wimbledon, Australian Open

The world’s ninth-ranked player, Richard Gasquet, fell to qualifier Luis Horna earlier today 6-4, 6-1 in the first round at Rome. This marks two consecutive weeks that Gasquet has made relatively early exits (for his standards). Last week he lost to American Sam Querrey on the clay at Barcelona.

Heading into this match, Horna was riding a two-month losing streak and was ranked #111 in the world. During the match, Gasquet didn’t get a single break chance and only got in 51% of his first serves.

Gasquet is the only player ranked in the top 10 to have not reached a quarterfinal at an ATP event this year. The last time he lost to a player ranked outside of the top 100, was in February of 2007 in the Davis Cup against Andrei Pavel. This can’t be a good sign for Gasquet, as he heads into the French Open as his countries greatest hope.

Here is the big tennis news from the weekend…

• Another weekend on clay and another title for Nadal. His 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 victory over David Ferrer gave his four straight Barcelona titles. This is the second tournament in a row that he has won four straight times (Monte Carlo is the other). Nadal is now playing in Rome this week, and just like in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, he is hunting for his fourth consecutive title. Nadal will face either Nicolas Kiefer or Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second round in Rome. There is one player in this week’s draw that Nadal didn’t have to deal with last week: Roger Federer. Now, we all know how dominant Nadal has been against Federer in the past on clay, but Federer is capable of pushing the Spaniard to the limit.
• Fernando Gonzalez captured his 10th career title, and second of 2008, over the weekend at Munich. Gonzalez defeated Simone Bolelli in the finals 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 6-3. With the win, Gonzalez jumped four spots in the rankings from #15 to #11. He is playing this week in Rome, and will face Serbian Janko Tipsarevic in the first round.
• One of the feel-good stories from last week that may have gotten lost in all the Nadal-hype was the return of 36-year old Younes El Aynaoui. The former top 15 player, has won a Challenger and a Future already this year and played in Munich last week. He reached the semis, before he fell to eventual champion Gonzalez. He did beat two top 100 players last week in Steve Darcis and Juan Martin Del Potro. Now ranked 295th, he had not reached a semi-final since October 2003 and - with his effort here this week - he became the oldest semi-finalist in an ATP tournament since 40-year-old Jimmy Connors reached the round of four at San Francisco in 1993. Younes is one of my favorite guys. He spent quite a lot of time at the Academy in the past, and is always a crowd pleaser. It is great to have him back on the tour and playing.
• On the women’s side, Vera Zvonareva and Gisela Dulko both won titles. Zvonareva beat Victoria Azarenka in the finals at Prague to win her sixth career WTA Tour title, and her first of 2008. In Fes,
  Morocco Gisela Dulko won her third career title and first of the year, beating top-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues in the finals 7-6(2), 7-6(5). Congratulations to both Zvonareva and Dulko!

SYOSSET, NY – May 1, 2008 - Legendary tennis coach, Nick Bollettieri, will be honored at the New York College of Health Professions graduation ceremony on May 18, 2008 with an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters.  During the ceremony Nick will also serve as Commencement Speaker to over one thousand attendees at the College’s Commencement ceremony.

Nick Bollettieri is the stuff that legends are made of.  In 1978, he founded the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy (NBTA) in Bradenton, Florida. The NBTA was the first full-time tennis boarding school to combine intense training on the court with a custom-designed academic curriculum.  The Bollettieri approach not only builds athletes on the court, but more importantly, Nick’s high expectations of each of his students prepare them for a successful life off the court as well.  It was this proven method that Nick used to coach nine #1 players in the world – Agassi, Becker, Courier, Hingis, Rios, Seles, Sharapova and Venus and Serena Williams.

In 1987, Nick expanded his vision when he joined forces with IMG, the sports and entertainment conglomerate, to turn the Tennis Academy into a multi-sport training facility, now known as IMG Academies. Located on over 300 acres, the campus at IMG Academies continues to be the best known and most prestigious training ground of champions.

However, Nick has been selected for this prestigious honor not only because of his success as a tennis coach, but also for his spirit of perseverance, which has inspired countless individuals and embodies what is best in America.  In addition to motivating those students who spend time at the Academy, Nick also travels the globe promoting physical fitness and sharing his experiences and insights with young and old.

Ted Meekma, Senior Vice President of IMG and Director at IMG Academies, shares “This is a very well-deserved honor for Nick. I say this because I’ve never seen anyone pursue his PhD in ‘Life’ with the determination, the passion and the dedication of Nick Bollettieri.”

What makes this honor even more special is that one of Nick’s former students, and current President of the College, Lisa Pamintuan, will be presenting him with the degree.

Pamintuan moved from her Indiana home to Bradenton at the age of ten to be one of the first players to train at the now world famous Academy.  There she grew up at her ‘new home’ playing with Agassi and other young players under the grueling Florida sun and watchful eye of Nick.  Pamintuan went on to be the youngest winner of the Irish Open, competed at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, but with numerous injuries she went on to law school instead of pursuing a career in professional tennis.

After being an entrepreneur Lisa began a career at New York College of Health Professions, a leading College of Holistic Health in the world, which offers undergraduate and graduate degrees.  She soon became one of the youngest College Presidents in the United States and led the College to national institutional accreditation.

Under Pamintuan’s leadership, New York College of Health Professions has accumulated a large multimillion dollar surplus at a time when other institutions of its kind are in financial trouble and closing.  A high level representative from the New York State Education Department referred to the institution as “a great Phoenix Rising”.  The College is currently expanding into many new areas and is working on wellness products and centers with some of the largest companies in the world.

On May 18th, Pamintuan will present her coach and mentor with one of the highest awards in the country.  “It is an honor for me to give something back to a person who not only taught me championship on the court, but how to win in the world by always striving for excellence.”

“Training champions is one thing, but making an impact on individuals is the highest reward.  To see the success of students such as Lisa is what it is all about,” Nick countered.  “I look forward to sharing a few words of wisdom with the graduating class.”

The 2008 Commencement Ceremony will take place at 11:00 am on Sunday, May 18, 2008, in the Grand Ballroom of the Melville Marriott, Long Island, 1350 Old Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY
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About New York College for Health Professions - New York College for Health Professions, located in Syosset, Long Island, New York, has been a leader in holistic education and care for over 25 years.  The College offers accredited undergraduate and graduate-level degree programs in Massage Therapy, Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and Certificate programs in Holistic Nursing and the Science of Self Improvement.  Located on the College’s main campus in Syosset is the professional outpatient Integrative Health Center, as well as the Academic Health Care Teaching Clinics, which provide holistic treatments to the community while providing clinical internships for student practitioners.  New York College also maintains a 35-acre modern medical facility in Luo Yang, The People’s Republic of China. The College has grown remarkably in the past several years and will continue to develop new educational programs as well as expand into many new areas.  Additional information about New York College of Health Professions can be found at www.nycollege.edu.

About Nick Bollettieri – Having coached nine #1 ranked players of the world, along with countless other top professional and collegiate tennis players, Nick Bollettieri is one of the most celebrated names in the history of coaching.  In 1978, he founded the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy which today is part of the prestigious IMG Academies.  In addition to coaching, Nick is a strong advocate and role model for living a healthy lifestyle.  He regularly speaks at clinics, corporate events, universities, conferences, and seminars and has published a number of books, videos, and audio CDs.  Nick’s insights into the game of tennis are sought after by news organizations around the world and he is a regular contributor to magazines and internet sites worldwide.  For more information please visit www.nickbollettieri.com.

About IMG Academies - IMG Academies, a division of IMG, is the world’s largest and most successful multi-sport, training and education camp/academy business. Spread out over 300 acres in Bradenton, Florida, the IMG Academies complex encompasses the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, The Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Softball, and Swimming Academies, International Performance Institute, The Pendleton School, University of Miami, The Wellness Spa, Academy Realty, and the IMG Academies Golf and Country Club.  More information about IMG Academies is available at www.imgacademies.com.

Playing in his native country, Rafael Nadal won his 100th match in his last 101 tries on clay with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. That one loss came last year in the finals at Hamburg to Roger Federer. Nadal, who is seeking his fourth straight Barcelona title, will now face Juan Ignacio Chela in the quarterfinals. Nadal is 3-1 against Chela in his career, with two wins over him on clay.

The winner of the Nadal/Chela match will face either Denis Gremelmayr or Nicolas Almagro in the semis. Gremelmayr continued his impressive run with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over #15 Dmitry Tursunov. Gremelmayr, don’t forget, beat James Blake in the previous round. Almagro picked up a big win over unseeded Mario Ancic in the third round, taking the match 7-6(5), 6-2.

On the other side of the draw, second-seeded David Ferrer will face #6 Tommy Robredo and unseeded Albert Montanes will take on #14 Stanislas Wawrinka. Ferrer won a tough three-setter 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 over Nicolas Lapentti and Robredo beat #9 Guillermo Canas 6-1, 7-5. Ferrer is 2-1 against Robredo, with one of those wins coming on clay at Valencia earlier this year.

Finally, Montanes will take on Wawrinka in what is an unexpected quarterfinal match. In the second round, Montanes upset Ivo Karlovic 6-7(7), 6-3, 7-5 and then he beat Russian qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin in the third round 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Wawrinka pulled off a big upset in the third round, and made it look relatively easy as he bear #3 David Nalbandian 6-3, 6-1. Wawrinka and Montanes are 1-1 against each other, with Montanes winning their only previous match on clay.

With the quarterfinals now set, Nadal definitely has to be the favorite (duh). I don’t really see anybody that is going to stand in his path. Almagro could give him a good challenge in the semis, and Ferrer has the tools to push him in the finals (if they win their matches). But, Nadal has excellent clay-court records against both of them. He is 2-0 versus Almagro, and 4-1 against Ferrer (including a victory last week at Monte Carlo).

What Nadal is doing on clay is unbelievable. His dominance on the surface is unparalleled, and I cannot state this enough. He is virtually unbeatable, and to think that someone could win 100/101 matches on one surface boggles my mind. I think Tom Perrotta made an excellent comparison in his article on ESPN, to a basketball player in the NBA. He also points out that Nadal has been tested, but in the end he always comes through!

As we mentioned earlier in the week, NBTA students Sachia Vickery and Victoria Duval faced off in the finals of the Girls 16 ATP Gator Bowl final. Vickery, who is 12 years old, took home the title, winning 7-5, 6-3. Both girls work with Nick during the day, and are also part of the USTA’s Elite Player Development program.

Both girls wanted to give a big thanks to Mr. Mark Fisher, Mr. Craig Kruse, Mrs. Betsy McCormack, and Mr. Anthony Gaudio and his gang!

Here are some photos of the girls with Nick and Betsy McCormack:

Well I guess there goes the potential Rafael Nadal/James Blake semifinal. The American fell to German Denis Gremelmayr 6-1, 6-4 in the second round at Barcelona. This makes it two straight clay-court losses in a row for Blake. The last match he played was a loss in the finals at Houston to Marcel Granollers of Spain. Gremelmayr will now face #15 Dmitry Tursunov in the third round.

This has got to be a tough loss for Blake. I am sure he is looking to try and get his body ready for the French Open, and a loss like this will definitely sting. He has never had great success at Roland Garros, with his best result coming in 2006 when he reached the third round.

Also falling was seventh-seeded Andy Murray. He lost to Mario Ancic 6-4, 6-4 and has now lost six of his last 12 matches. Ancic will next face #10 Nicolas Almagro, whom he is 1-0 against with that victory coming at Wimbledon in 2006.

On a bright note, three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal continued his pursuit for a fourth straight title with a 6-4, 6-2 trouncing of Potito Starce. He will face fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the third round. Nadal and Lopez have played three times previously, with Nadal holding a 2-1 edge. Of those three matches, two have been played on clay, and guess what, Nadal won both of those!

Former NBTA student, Austin Krajicek was named to the All-Big 12 Singles Team after a great Freshmen year at Texas A&M. Krajicek also was named the Newcomer of the Year, Freshmen of the Year, and was also named to the All-Big 12 Doubles Team! Krajicek becomes the fifth all-time A&M player to win newcomer accolades, and is the third in the last four years and fourth overall to win the freshman of the year award.

Krajicek has trained at the NBTA for the last couple of years, and he continues to come here in the off-season. He is a lefty who is very comfortable at the net, and this will certainly pay big dividends for him in the future. Our entire team here feels he has all the guns needed to be a strong candidate to become a professional down the line.

We couldn’t be prouder of Austin, and we wish him nothing but the best as he moves forward. Congratulations!!

NBTA student and Japanese tennis sensation Kei Nishikori has signed with Sony, and according to the press release he will promote the company worldwide and endorse a wide range of Sony products. He will also wear the Sony logo on his right sleeve during official competition. Word in the locker room is that this is a pretty big deal, and maybe even a record breaker in terms of tennis sponsorship.

Here are some photos of the press conference, and a couple where you can see the Sony logo on Kei’s sleeve.

Rafael Nadal is going for his second straight four-peat this week in Barcelona. Last week he accomplished the feat in Monte Carlo, and now he will try to do it again in his native Spain. Nadal has won the title the last three years, defeating Guillermo Canas, Tommy Robredo, and Juan Carlos Ferrero. His arch-nemesis Roger Federer isn’t playing this week so he can rest up for Rome (next week). If Nadal wins this week in Barcelona, he will be going for another four-peat next week in Rome.

Before he can get to any of that, Nadal will face Italian Potito Starace in the second round. Nadal is 2-0 against Starace, including a victory over him last year at Barcelona.

If we look ahead just a bit at the Barcelona draw, there is the potential for a Nadal/Blake semifinal match. Blake is 3-2 against Nadal, but has lost to him twice already this year. The two have never actually faced on clay, and certainly if they do the edge would go to Nadal.

Another interesting match this is already set is between Andy Murray and Mario Ancic. Like Nadal and Blake, these two have never played on clay. Ancic is 2-1 against Murray, including a victory over him earlier this year at Miami. Murray comes into the tournament ranked #19 in the world which is down 10 spots from where he started in 2008. Ancic, on the other hand, started the year ranked #85 due to his lack of play in 2007 and has climbed up to #51 already. This is going to be a good match, and right now I think Ancic has the edge because of his clay court experience. He is a former French Open and Rome quarterfinalist (2006), and moves well on the dirt.

Chalk up another victory for 12-year old Sachia Vickery. Coming off the heels of her Easter Bowl title, Vickery made another impressive run to capture the Gator Bowl.  At the Easter Bowl, Vickery won the 14 Girls Singles Title, but here she stepped it up a notch and took the Girls 16 Singles Title!

Vickery, who trains at the NBTA, defeated fellow NBTA student Victoria Duval in the finals of the Gator Bowl to win the tournament. Both girls pulled off upsets, as Vickery defeated the second-seed 6-0, 6-0 in the semis and Duval beat the top-seed 6-3, 6-4 in the semis.

Congratulations to both girls on a great tournament! We should have some pictures and quotes from the girls tomorrow, so stay tuned.