Ricardas Berankis

IMG Bollettieri pro Ricardas Berankis knocked off former world #59 and hard-serving lefty, Gilles Muller, 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarters of the Odlum Brown Vancouver Open. Berankis, who turned 20 this summer, was the 2007 world #1 Junior and Jr. US Open Champion. He reached his first career ATP Tour quarterfinal earlier this year in San Jose and played in his first Grand Slam main draw at Wimbledon. He served 12 aces in the match against Muller and he is currently the second youngest player in the top 150.

Berankis will next face another player who has spent plenty of time at the Academy – Jesse Levine. Also playing in the tournament is American Taylor Dent, who trains at the Academy, and who is the top seed in the tournament. He will face Australian Nick Lindahl in the second round.

Good luck to both Richard and Taylor!

IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy student Ryan Harrison

Seventeen-year old IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy student, Ryan Harrison, will make his debut in the main draw of a Grand Slam at the 2010 Australian Open. The young American won the USTA Wild Card Playoff by beating fellow IMG Bollettieri pro, Jesse Levine (world #115), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3. This is was the first time Ryan played and won a best three-out-of-five set match.

At 17, Harrison is one of the best young players in the world, and definitely one of the top young Americans. Congratulations to him and good luck in Australia!

IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy student Ryan Harrison

Three players who have spent many days on the courts of the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy will take to the court in Atlanta this weekend with a chance to compete in the main draw of the 2010 Australian Open on the line. The three  players are 17-year old Ryan Harrison, 22-year old Jesse Levine, and 20-year old Michael McClune. They will be joined by five other men – Jack Sock, Donald Young, Ryan Sweeting, Alex Kuznetsov, and Wayne Odesnik – and they will play for a spot in the Aussie Open.

Good luck!

Taylor Dent training at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy

Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy pros Taylor Dent and Jesse Levine both played and won their first round matches at the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island. Dent, who received a wild card, beat Brazilian Marcos Daniel 6-2, 6-1 and will face either Fabrice Santoro or Flavio Cipolla in the second round. Levine defeated the big-serving Australian Chris Guccione 7-6(2), 7-6(2) and will take on either Philipp Petzschner or Horacio Zeballos in the next round.

Congrats to both players and good luck in the next round.

Jesse Levine (USA) vs. Benjamin Becker (GER)

Levine is not a giant in size, but he truly is a warrior. Being a lefty is certainly helpful, especially if his wide slice is on to the ad side of the court. His game includes a little bit of everything and he can come to the net.

Becker is no longer the rookie that knocked out Agassi at the US Open. He has powerful groundstrokes from both side, but his driving forehand is definitely his bred and butter shot.

Match up:

Becker is 1-0 against Levine, with that win coming back in 2007 at Delray Beach. Becker must not loose his focus and positive attitude, especially when Levine fights for every ball. Jesse spent a great deal of time at the NBTA training and as a result of this I really got to know him very well. To win this match he must take advantage of all opportunities and put pressure on Becker at all times. This is going to be a close one.

Nick’s Pick – Levine in 3 sets

Sam Querrey (USA) vs. Gilles Muller (LUX)

Querrey has long been the hope as the leader of the next wave of American talent. So far, he has had mixed results but at times has shown he can hang with the best. He comes in ranked #47 in the world and he did reach the finals in Auckland earlier this year.

Muller is a 25-year old lefty that has a big game. He is currently ranked #69 in the world and did reach the third round of the Aussie Open back in January. He has an abundance of talent, he has just not yet found the best way to harness it.

Match up:

Querrey is 1-0 against Muller, with that win coming earlier this year in Auckland. Both men have big serves and big groundstrokes. Muller is no push over and has had some good wins in his career. The key to this match will be Querrey’s serve. If he gets a high percentage of first serves in play and is able to attack the net then he has a good chance of winning this match. Muller will not give too many serves that can be attacked. With the crowd behind him, I’m going with Querrey.

Nick’s Pick – Querrey in 3 sets

Tommy Haas (GER) vs. Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ)

Haas is coming off a nice run to the third round at Indian Wells before falling to Novak Djokovic. He has been working extremely hard at the Academy over the last couple of months and seems to be healthy once again. He has been to the fourth round at Miami once before, and has always played well on the hard courts.

Kukushkin is a 21-year old from Kazakhstan who is currently ranked #142 in the world. He is playing in his first ATP Main Draw event of 2009, but has faired well at a couple of Challengers this year.

Match-Up:

This is the first career meeting between Haas and Kukushkin. Haas comes into the match fit with a great attitude. I feel in his older age, he has really done a much better job of controlling his temper and maintaining his focus. I have been working with him on the court and he is getting excellent depth on his groundstrokes and his backhand looks as good as ever. Kukushkin is going to have to go for it all in this match. He will have no pressure on him and needs to take advantage of every defensive ball and opportunity that he has. I look for Tommy to come through this match, but he will have to stay focused the entire time.

Nick’s Pick – Haas in 2 sets

Yuki Bhambri (IND) vs. Diego Junqueira (ARG)

Bhambri is a 16-year old that has trained at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy for the last couple of years. He was a very highly ranked junior and won both the prestigious Orange Bowl and he won the Junior Australian Open earlier this year. He is playing in his first ATP main draw singles match!

Junqueira is a 28-year old veteran who comes into the tournament ranked #73 in the world. He pushed Richard Gasquet to four sets at the Aussie Open earlier this year and is a bit more comfortable on clay than he is on the hard courts.

Match up:

This is the first career meeting between Bhambri and Junqueira. Bhambri has an outstanding forehand, solid backhand, is a comfortable volleyer, and has a peculiar service motion but it is effective! He needs to put on about 15 to 20 more pounds of muscle, but is working hard at the Academy all the time to build his strength. All of India will be watching him in this match, as he is one of the best young prospects in the world. Against Junqueira he has to hit with depth and put arc on the ball, he cannot hit it too flat and short otherwise he will be in major trouble. Junqueira is also a lefty and moves well, which can be a tricky combination for a young player to deal with. I feel if Bhambri can get ahead early and gain some confidence he can win this match. This match can really go either way, but I’ve got to go with my young student!

Nick’s Pick – Bhambri in 3 sets

Kei takes a quick break from practicing on Center Court at the 2008 AIG Open in Tokyo, Japan

Japanese phenom Kei Nishikori won his opening round match today in front of his home fans at the AIG Open in tokyo. Nishikori, who trains at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, defeated American Robbie Kendrick 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-2 in just over two hours. Nishikori saved both break points that he faced and broke Kendrick twice. Nishikori will now face 16th-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the second round. This isn’t that bad of a draw considering how fast the court is playing over there.

This is a nice win for Kei, and it is also important for the entire country of Japan. To have a player that they can look up to and follow is a great inspiration for all. I would like to thank Mr. Morita for making this possible and also to Shuzo Matsuoka for everything he has done for Japanese tennis. Good luck to Kei in the second round, keep it up!

Also winning was American Jesse Levine. He beat Danai Udomchoke 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 in just about an hour and 20 minutes. Levine broke Udomchoke six times in 11 chances. He will now face the top seed in the tournament, David Ferrer, in the second round.

Later in the day, newly-minted top 100 player, Jesse Levine took the court against Australian Chris Guccione. I knew Guccione could serve, but I didn’t know he could serve that like. It was simply astounding to watch. He had 32 aces and always seemed to come up with a big serve at the right time. Guccione won 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(6). Jesse had a good chance to take a comanding two set to one lead, but couldn’t capitilize in the third-set tiebreaker. Levine needed to get more first serves in, because that was really the big difference in the match. When he got them in, he really controlled the points. When he didn’t he had to fight to win every game. Tough match for Jesse, but he is still making a lot of progress and the fans really enjoyed his spirit.

Tomorrow will be a busy day for us as Nicole Vaidisova, Kei Nishikori, and Sabine Lisicki all take the court. We will have live coverage so stay tuned.

Pictures from today can be seen here.

Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Arnaud Clement (FRA)

Djokovic comes in as one of the favorites to win this tournament, and this year he is taking a different approach. He has said he is done with the impersonations and making bold predictions (like he did at Wimbledon), and I feel that is a good move. The question is: Can he get back to the finals for the second straight year?

Clement made a surprise run to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and comes in ranked #78 in the world. His best showing at the US Open was back in 2000 when he reached the quarterfinals, and he has also been to the fourth round here three other times.

The Match-Up:

These two have faced twice before, with each player winning one match. Clement has been around for a long time. He is excellent from the baseline, a very good doubles player, and won’t back down from anyone. The one thing he will not be able to do in this match is control the court. Djokovic will use his outstanding forehand and fantastic two-handed backhand to move Clement all over the court. That will cause Clement to hit too many unforced errors and give Djokovic plenty of chances to hit winners. This will not be an easy match for Djokovic, but he just has too much firepower for the French veteran.

Nick’s Pick – Djokovic in three sets

Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. Sam Querrey (USA)

Berdych has not had his best year on tour. He has seen his ranking drop to #22 in the world (down from a career high of #9), and has struggled to find consistency thus far in 2008. He has been to the fourth round here three out of the last four years, but to do that this year he is going to have to find his game right from the outset.

Querrey is no longer the new kid on the block. This is his third US Open, and in two prior appearances he has yet to get out of the second round. It is time for him to step up. He did win a hard court title back in March at Las Vegas, and he got to the semis at Indianapolis in July.

The Match-Up:

Berdych is 1-0 against Querrey, with that win coming earlier this year at Miami. Querrey is know for his big serve, but has is more than that. He has excellent groundstrokes, a very nice two-handed backhand, and for a big boy (6’6″) he moves well and has an excellent foundation. I feel that Querrey has to come in to the net more often if he is going to reach another level of excellence. He is solid from the baseline, but there are players on tour that are better.

Berdych has always been touted as one of the best youngsters coming up, but it is time now that he breaks through on a big stage. He really doesn’t have a weakness on the court, except for his mental approach. At times he seems like he is just floating around out there, and not really focused on the task at hand. There is no doubt that his thundering groundstrokes give him the edge from the baseline, but any mental breakdown might cause an upset (especially with the American fans cheering on Querrey).

Nick’s Pick – Berdych in four or five sets

Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) vs. Guillermo Canas (ARG)

About a year and a half ago I spoke to Del Potro’s coach, and we spoke about how much potential this young man has. It seems like he is finally starting to come into his own. No one is hotter right now on the ATP Tour, as Del Potro comes in winning the last four tournaments he has played in. Some people questioned his decision to pull out of New Haven to prep for the Open when he had the chance to win the US Open Series, but I agree with decision. The money will come if he continues to play like he has been.

After having a great 2007, Canas has taken a step back in 2008. He started out the year ranked #17 in the world, and he is currently at #53. He has never had great success at the US Open, but he is capable of beating anyone when playing well. I certainly wouldn’t take him lightly.

The Match-Up:

Del Potro is 1-0 against Canas, with that win coming back in 2007 at Cincinnati. Right now, Del Potro is very dangerous. He has a big serve, huge forehand, and is moving with a lot of confidence. When he comes to the net, all he has to do is put away a simple block volley because of the defensive balls that he is seeing. One thing is for sure, Del Potro has definitely won the respect of his competitors now, and in a recent interview Brad Gilbert picked him as the one guy he would like to work with if he had a choice. I would agree!!

Canas will be the retriever in this match. He runs well from side to side, gets a lot of balls back, and will simply not stop competing. However, Del Potro’s firepower will produce a lot of errors and/or defensive balls. Canas is a fierce competitor and the longer this match goes, the more it favors him. Del Potro has to get this over with quickly, he does not want this to go five.

Nick’s Pick – Del Potro in three or four sets.

Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Fabrice Santoro (FRA)

Roddick has been dealing with a shoulder injury for most of the year, which caused him to miss the French Open. Earlier this year he won titles at San Jose and Dubai, and he reached the finals at Los Angeles during the US Open Series (falling to Del Potro). Roddick won this tournament back in 2003 and reached the finals in 2006, another run like that this year would certainly be a welcome site.

I love watching Fabrice Santoro play, but anybody that plays him has to get a massage afterwards because of the way he jerks his opponents around the court! He is one of my favorite guys on the tour, but it seems like age may finally be starting to catch up with him. The clock is ticking, and he is now 35-years old and in his 19^th year on the ATP Tour! I hope he continues to play for a couple more years, because he is great for the tour.

Match-Up:

Roddick is 2-1 against Santoro, but he lost the last time they faced back in 2007. Santoro is a brilliant thinker on the court. He moves and anticipates so well, and only a few people in the history of the game can match his shot-making using two-hands from both sides. He has the ability to drive the greatest players nuts with his chips, slices, dinks, dunks, lobs, and just about every other shot you can think of!

Roddick certainly has what it takes to make a run at winning another Grand Slam, however just having a serve is not enough. He counts on his forehand to control the court, and he has cut down on the errors from that side. The question is, and always will be, his backhand. He is not able to control play or get out of trouble (hit deep heavy balls or change the pace) with it. To win this match he has to have a big serving day, and cannot get frustrated. If he stands back five or six feet behind the baseline, Santoro will take advantage. Roddick has to move forward and be ready to hit those short spinning balls, but at the same time he cannot over-hit. The longer this match goes, the more it favors Santoro because he will wear Roddick down. I don’t think Roddick will let that happen though.

Nick’s Pick – Roddick in three sets

Jesse Levine (USA) vs. Chris Guccione (AUS)

Levine has come a long way, and having spent time at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy has certainly helped his game. He is coming off of a quarterfinal performance at New Haven, which should definitely give him some confidence coming in. If you get a chance, you should try to get out there and watch him play. His energy is simply contagious.

Guccione is a 23-year old Australian, who is currently ranked #88 in the world. Back in January he reached the finals at Sydney, but he hasn’t done much since. He is a talented player, but just needs to believe in himself to win on a consistent basis.

Match-Up:

Guccione is 1-0 against Levine, and that win came just about a month ago at Cincinnati. Guccione has a huge serve, and anytime you play against a guy with a big serve your main focus just has to be getting the ball back in play. Levine has to make Guccione work to win his serve, and he absolutely has to win his own serve. Guccione can also put the ball away on any defensive return, and Levine knows this from their prior match. Levine, who is a lefty, competes extremely well, and is very clever. If he has a big serving day, this could be a real match. If not, Guccione has the edge. I think this one is going to be competitive, but in the end I have to give the slightest of edges to the Australian.

Nick’s Pick – Guccione in 4 sets

Matches to Watch –

James Blake (USA) vs. Donald Young (USA) – The young hopeful vs. the American veteran. This should be a good one. Young has been on the rise for quite some time now, and he needs to have a good tournament because last year he reached the third round. Defeating Blake will not be an easy task, especially with the “J-Block” out there supporting him. Blake just reached the semis of the Olympics, and is playing very well. He knows this is his best chance to compete for a Grand Slam and has great success here in the past. This is one match I would like to watch.

Tommy Haas (GER) vs. Richard Gasquet (FRA) – Tommy just turned the big 30, and injuries have certainly derailed his career. It has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride for him, from being #2 in the world to dealing with constant shoulder injuries. When healthy, his game is good enough to challenge anyone. On the other side of the net is the shot-maker, Richard Gasquet. He can hit any shot from anywhere on the court, but like Haas has dealt with injuries in 2008. To win this match, Tommy has to serve well, force the issue, and come in whenever he can.

Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs. Juan Monaco (ARG) – Kei has surprised and impressed a lot of people this year, including James Blake and Rafael Nadal. He has been dealing with a strained abdomen muscle, which has hampered his movement and serve. If he is feeling 100%, watch out this kid is for real. Monaco is definitely the favorite in this match by rank, but if Kei is playing well this could be an upset.

Others to Watch

Richard Gasquet (FRA)
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 165 lbs.
D.O.B: 06/18/1986
Turned Pro: 2002
Rank: 12
Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: None
2007 US Open: 2^nd Round

Nick’s Thoughts:

Gasquet has reached the fourth round here in two out of the last three years. Last year was the exception because he had to pull out in the second round due to an injury. This year he has been affected by injuries that have really taken a toll on him, causing him to miss the French Open. At Wimbledon he played well, but was beaten in five sets by Andy Murray in the fourth round.

I think Gasquet has a good shot at being around during the second week if he is healthy. His silky-smooth style and his great all-around game make him a threat in any tournament.

Fernando Verdasco (ESP)
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 179 lbs.
D.O.B: 11/15/1983
Turned Pro: 2001
Rank: 13
Plays: Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Umag
2007 US Open: 3^rd Round

Nick’s Thoughts:

Verdasco has made his way up the rankings, jumping into the top 15 for the first time in his career. This guy has one of, if not, the best forehands on the ATP Tour. Many players (including Andy Roddick) have said that it is the best. There is no reason he shouldn’t be able to do well on the hard courts, because with his big serve and forehand he has all the tools to do some damage. Could this be the year he breaks through at a Grand Slam?

Ivo Karlovic (CRO)
Height: 6’10″
Weight: 230 lbs.
D.O.B: 02/28/1979
Turned Pro: 2000
Rank: 14
Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Nottingham
2007 US Open: 1^st Round

Nick’s Thoughts:

While Dr. Ivo has never had a great run here, he is more than capable of stringing together some big wins on the hard court. I think you saw a pretty good example of that in Cincinnati where he beat Federer and reached the semis before falling to Murray. If he gets that big serve going, and he is volleying well, he is one of the most difficult guys to beat on a hard court.

Gilles Simon (FRA)
Height: 5’11″
Weight: 143 lbs.
D.O.B: 12/27/1984
Turned Pro: 2002
Rank: 16
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Indianapolis and Casablanca
2007 US Open: 2^nd Round

Nick’s Thoughts:

This 23-year old Frenchman has had a great summer hard-court season. He won the tournament in Indianapolis and then reached the semifinals in Toronto (beating Federer along the way). The way he plays, he can give anyone trouble. The question with him is going to be his mental toughness. Is he ready to be a favorite on the grandest of stages? Only time will tell.

Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 172 lbs.
D.O.B: 09/23/1988
Rank: 17
Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Washington, Kitzbuhel, Stuttgart, and Los Angeles
2007 US Open: 3^rd Round

Nick’s Thoughts:

There is no one other than Nadal who is playing better tennis that Del Potro. He has won the last four tournaments he has played in, with the last two coming on hard courts! In LA he beat American Andy Roddick in the finals 6-1, 7-6(2) and looked very impressive doing it. He has a huge serve, a controlling backhand that penetrates the court, he will play huge flat forehands from any position on the court, he is not hesistatnt to come to the net, and maybe most importantly his opponents now accept him as one of the best young players on Tour.

Del Potro is someone that I have touted for a long time, and he seems to have finally found his stroke and confidence. He loves playing on the hard courts, and the US Open may be just the place where he makes a name for himself.

Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)
Height: 5’10″
Weight: 154 lbs.
D.O.B: 10/16/1983
Turned Pro: 2001
Rank: 25
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Auckland
2007 US Open: 3^rd Round

Nick’s Thoughts:

Kohlschreiber is another talented guy who has big guns and a sonic serve. He went to the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year, which is his best result at any Grand Slam. He has played well throughout the entire year, winning in Auckland, reaching the finals in Halle and the quarters in Stuttgart, Cincinnati, and Doha. A quarterfinal run at Flushing Meadows wouldn’t be a big surprise.

Marin Cilic (CRO)
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 180 lbs.
D.O.B: 09/28/1988
Turned Pro: 2005
Rank: 31
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: None
2007 US Open: N/A

Nick’s Thoughts:

Last year at this time Cilic was ranked about 115 in the world, and since then he has jumped all the way up into the top 35. He is coming off of a fourth round appearance at Wimbledon, and two quarterfinal runs at Gstaad and Toronto. He is extremely talented, has a serve that is like a bomb, and moves well for a tall guy. He still has too many first round exits, but for 19-years old this kid has a very bright future.

Ernests Gulbis (LAT)
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 169 lbs.
D.O.B: 08/30/1988
Turned Pro: 2004
Rank: 40
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: None
2007 US Open: Fourth Round

Nick’s Thoughts:

Gulbis made a name for himself at last year’s US Open, where he reached the fourth round, beating Robredo before falling to Carlos Moya. This year he has picked up right where he left off, reaching the quarters at the French Open and at the Masters Series event in Cincinnati. Right now, he is the “it” guy on the ATP Tour. The only thing that could stop him is if he gets a bad draw like at Wimbledon where he had to face Nadal in the second round.

Keep your eye out for these young Americans…

Sam Querrey – Posted a semifinal result in Indy, but since then has only won one match. Can he finally breakthrough on the big stage?

Donald Young – No player has been surrounded by more hype than DY. He got a big win over Tommy Haas in LA, but other than that he has struggled in 2008. Last year he reached the third round, let’s see if he can do it again!

Jesse Levine – Jesse grew up at the Academy and you will not find a harder worker than him. He is quick around the court and his lefty game is unpredictable at times. The crowd really takes to him, and this should help his cause.

John Isner – After a great summer in 2007, Isner has not had the same success in 2008. A couple of wins here would go a long way to help restore his confidence and ranking!

Austin Krajicek – Austin received a main draw wild card for winning the USTA National Championships, and is a fun player to watch. He has trained at the Academy for some time now, and is one of the few true serve and volleyers coming up on the ATP Tour. If you get a chance, make sure to check him out!

Fellow NBTA alum, Jesse Levine, will take the court today for his first round match against Australian Chris Guccione. Levine received a main-draw wild card for the tournament, while Guccione had to qualify. This will be the first career meeting between Levine and Guccione. Jesse will have to be patient and take the ball early in this match. Guccione has a big serve and Jesse cannot get frustrated by it. Good luck to Jesse!