This is definitely going to be one of the louder finals you have ever heard! Both women grunt and both are known to shriek so I suggest your purchase a set of earplugs and sit back to watch a battle with a ton on the line. The winner not only receives $2.3 million dollars, but also the title and the #1 ranking in the world! Let’s breakdown each player…

Maria Sharapova

I am very familiar and friendly with the Sharapova family as Maria has been a part of the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy since she was 9 years old. Looking back to her early years, I must say that her father, Yuri, had a big influence on her life. Yuri stayed on the court hours and hours per day, not only watching every move she made, but also wrote down everything I said. He had a limited background in tennis, but was very wise to put her int he hands of the coaches who had great experience. Believe me when I say, Yuri was a big factor in her success, but let’s not put aside that he knew when to step aside and hire a full-time coach (Michael Joyce). This was a big decision and the results have been tremendous. Maria is now working with Thomas Hogstedt and they seem to be a great team.

Sharapova’s game is very simple. She stands close to inside the baseline taking the ball early. She hits it hard and flat from both sides, has quick preparation on her backhand side, goes for broke on the return of serve, will angle her shots when she moves the opponents deep behind the baseline, has worked on her serve which has really become a weapon, is extremely strong mentally and loves to hit the swinging volleys. Her best asset though is her will to win. She always finds a way, no matter what and if she loses it is only because she has run out of time!

Victoria Azarenka

Azarenka is one heck of a player and will match Sharapova grunt for grunt with her powerful shots! She is a big hitter with a powerful, killer forehand. She plays the important points very well and this is a sign of a champion. She often lets her opponents off the hook by not coming up and hitting a few swinging volleys, has a solid backhand and will constantly put pressure on her opponents throughout the match. She has yet to lose this year, and I know she doesn’t want that first “L” now!

Nick’s Pick – This is not an easy match to pick, but to me this comes down to forced and unforced errors. I don’t know Azarenka as well as I know Sharapova, but I know for a fact that Sharapova will not have any mental lapses. If Sharapova serves well I give her the edge, but regardless this is going to be close. There is no way I can pick against my girl, Maria! Sharapova in three sets!

Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Andy Murray (GBR) – I have watched both players throughout this tournament and sum up my opinions of both in a few short sentences. Djokovic will stand close to the baseline and move Murray in all directions. He will get several quick points from his serve and will put a ton of pressure on Murray’s serve. He feels confident and this will play an important role on the outcome of this match. Murray will stand a few feet behind the baseline, will get to every ball, his serve has improved and Lendl has helped him maintain his focus.

Djokovic will not relent and will continually pressure Murray from every direction and their are going to be plenty of long rallies in this match. Their is no doubt in my mind that both men are capable of winning this tournament, but in the end I cannot pick against Djokovic. Djokovic in 4 sets.

Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Roger Federer (SUI) – This match-up can be compared to the New England Patriots vs. the Baltimore Ravens. Federer, to me, is like Tom Brady. Both men are smooth and cool under pressure and they play with a great finesse. Nadal is like Ray Lewis. They both play a physical style of defense and will come at you with all their might and if you get up they will knock you down again! The Super Bowl draws a huge audience and so will this match! This is how I see it…

Roger Federer – He uses a heavy racket to play with and this means he cannot try to work the racket using physical strength, but he has to relax and use his talented hands and racket head speed with the racket head and arm extended away from his body on the forward swing and then driving the racket head an arm totally out to the target, Many say he has the very best finishing shots in the game, but to do that he has to be completely balanced and have control of his entire body before the ball arrives. Brady and Federer are both with the ability to read the defense and make a quick adjustment. Once again, both of them have soft hands which enables them to handle the ball easily. In addition, Roger has gained a great deal of confidence with his backhand and is much more aggressive on his passing shots.  No one changes the pace better than Roger with his biting low slice and don’t forget his drop shots from both sides. He also has the ability to use the very same serve toss to hit a kicker or a wide-slice serve.

Rafael Nadal – Nadal is one of a kind and there is no doubt in my mind that he is basically a freak of nature! It’s amazing to me when just about everyone is ready to say he can’t come back and then guess what, he comes back again! The entire world should try to follow his work ethic because this guy never gets tired and is always trying to get better and better. Nadal will do what he has always done against Federer which is to hit his lefty cross-court forehand with heavy spin to Federer’s one-handed backhand. Federer will move Nadal all over the court and try to avoid cross-court rallies. Both men are in top form, but what will be a major factor as the match rolls on is whether or not Federer is able to play his variety of shots which includes coming into the net.

The odds certainly favor Nadal, especially if the match becomes a dog fight with long sets and rallies. Most experts and I agree that the longer the match goes on, the more it favors Nadal. We must also bring our the clear facts that the heavy cross-court forehands of Nadal could take a toll on Federer’s backhand. Having said all of that, I just like the way Federer is playing and I am going to give a slight edge to him. Although, if this match goes five sets, I give it to Nadal. Federer in 4, Nadal in 5!

Women

Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. Petra Kvitova (CZE) – Kvitova has had success against Sharapova in the past, but Maria is playing great tennis right now! Kvitova’s forehand is hard to read because she is a left and she can hit winners from anywhere on the court. Her bakchand is also an offensive shot and she doesn’t hit with much spin. Her first serve is very good, and she has a lot of action on her second serve, but it can be attacked. She is very comfy at the net and also moves well for her height. Pay close attention to the way she returns serve because she does it very well and with great consistency.

There is no reason to break down Sharapova’s game in to much detail, but this is what will take place. She will stand close to the baseline and pound the tar out of every ball with little spin. She will go after tentative second serves and punish you at all times. She has spent many hours on her physical fitness program and equal time working on her return! Her serve is still a major weapon and will have a big impact on a win or a loss. Finally, no one is stronger mentally that Sharapova!

I give a slight edge to Sharapova because she refuses to lose and will find a way to win! Sharapova in 3 sets.

Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) – Their will be no surprises between these two as they know each other’s game very well. Del Potro has a sonic serve, a big icker second serve, a very aggressive, flat forehand, an excellent two-handed backhand, and moves really well for a big guy. On the other side, you know what Federer does. He moves around the court like Ali glided over the boxing ring, his grounstrokes are fantastic and he can place his serve anywhere. We are all thrilled to have Del Potro back and playing good tennis again, but Federer will not be impressed because he will play his game and that will make him a winner. Should be a great match, but going with Fed. Federer in 4 sets.

Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Tomas Berdych (CZE) – Berdych’s match against Almagro ended with the fans booing him for refusing to shake Almagro’s hand. We will have to see if that has any effect on this match. I would imagine that the fans would be squarely in Nadal’s corner for this match, and they do have an effect. Nadal would do what he does best and hit heavy spinning balls, trying to push Berdych back off the court. Berdych has the big serve and powerful groundies, but I’m not sure if that will be enough. Gotta go Nadal here and looking forward to a possible Nadal/Federer semi! Nadal in 4 sets.

Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. David Ferrer (ESP) – Djokovic continues to roll and many wonder how he can play at that high of a level for so long. That, I cannot answer, but his physical conditioning and nutrition certainly have a lot to do with it. Novak definitely has the advantage against Ferrer (he does against everyone!) and will play a much more aggressive game than his counterpart. Ferrer is in great shape and covers the court extremely well. I give a ton of respect to Ferrer and the way he plays the game, but it’s impossible to pick against Djokovic. Djokovic in 4 sets.

Women

Victoria Azarenaka (BLR) vs. Aggie Radwanska (POL) – Azarenka is looking for that first Grand Slam title, and boy this is a great opportunity. She has monster groundstrokes, has become a better defensive player, plays the big points very well and can turn defense into offense better than most anyone. Her serve has been great and she hasn’t been broken yet throughout the tournament. Radwanska has a tough task here. She doesn’t have the big weapons, but she doesn’t make any mistakes either. She moves extremely well and anticipates where the ball is going to be perfectly. Azarenka should be able to control points, and if she continues to serve at the current pace, she should win. Azarenka in 2 sets.

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Kim Clijsters (BEL) – Wow, this is going to be a barn-burner! Both women come in playing fantastic tennis and even though Clijsters may be a little nicked up from her last match against Na Li, she will be competing to the last point. Wozniacki looked great against Jankovic, but Clijsters will come at her from the first ball. Clijsters’ movement is superb, her serve is solid and her aggressiveness is what really sets her apart. Wozniacki will need a good serving day, because any weakness here and Clijsters will jump all over her. This is going to be a tough match, but I have to give the edge to Clijsters. Clijsters in 3 sets.

Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) – Sharapova has been all business in her matches and only knows one way to play. She stands inside the baseline taking the ball early, has a superb return of serve, and her groundstrokes are some of the best. Makarova is a lefty who built her game based on her movement and making you hit one extra shot. She is sneaky good and should be full of confidence after dispatching Serena Williams in straight sets. Makarova must go for her shots and use her slice serve to keep Sharapova off-balance. The key to this match is whether or not she gets a good percentage of first serves in play because Sharapova will pounce on her second serve. Because of the stage and their experience, I definitely give the edge to Sharapova. Sharapova in 2 sets.

Men

Mardy Fish (USA) vs. Gilles Muller (LUX) – This should be a good test for Mardy. He had an unbelievable year in 2011 and it will be interesting to see if he can maintain that momentum in 2012. He has a great two-handed backhand, he is one of the best returners in the game, his forehand is improved and he is really comfy at the net. The difference here should be Fish’s mentality and his ability to return the serve. Muller has a big-time serve and he has monster groundstrokes, but Fish should be able to win this match if he is playing his game. Fish in 4 sets. 

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs. Bernard Tomic (AUS) – This is the match that all the Australian fans are going to be honing in on. Tomic is one of the best up-and-comers in the world and after a third round appearance last year, there is going to be plenty of pressure on him to repeat that performance. Verdasco clearly isn’t the player he was a few years ago, but he can still whip it around with a killer forehand. Tomic has the ability to lull his opponents to sleep and when you combine that with his big serve, excellent forehand and his outstanding two-handed backhand he is very dangerous. This should be a fun match to watch, but I am going with the upset. Tomic in 4 or 5 sets. 

Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Ryan Harrison (USA) – Wow! Another great first-rounder. Harrison needs to get into this match early and he needs to control his emotions throughout. If he allows Murray to get off to a fast start, then he will be in trouble from the outset. You know what Murray is capable of, and while Harrison is a bit of a wild card he has the potential to pull of a big upset. We will all be rooting for Harrison here at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy and wish his good luck! Based on history and experience, I have to give the edge to Murray here, but this should be a close one. Murray in 4 sets. 

Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) – Can Djokovic repeat his 2011 numbers in 2012? Well, anything is possible, but I am not sure if anyone can have a season like that again. He shouldn’t have any troubles with the Italian, Lorenzi, in fact he should send him back to the pizza parlor real quickly! The real thing to watch for in this match is how well Djokovic plays. Djokovic in 3 sets. 

Women

Na Li (CHN) vs. Tsenia Pervak - After reaching the finals here last year, Na Li went on to win the French Open, but after that she struggled throughout the rest of 2011. Can she recapture her magic from early 2011 or will she continue to play like she did at the end? Pervak can definitely push Li around the court, but Li thrives off her opponent’s pace and she should be able to win this routinely. Li in 2 sets. 

Kim Clisjters (BEL) vs. Qualifier – At this point, Clijsters opponent is unknown, and it really shouldn’t matter. She is the defending champion down under and will be favored again for a deep run. Questions about her health will remain until she can prove she is good to go, but she shouldn’t have any issues reaching the second round. Clijsters in 2 sets. 

Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. Gisela Dulko (ARG) - Sharapova spent plenty of time at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy during the off-season, and it was all business for her. She worked a lot on her physical strength and her base, and you know when healthy she is more than capable of winning this tournament. Dulko is a cagey veteran who should be able to test Sharapova, but as long as Sharapova remains healthy and focused she should advance. Sharapova in 2 sets. 

Heather Watson (GBR) vs. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) - Here is another match that features a young IMG Bollettieri student, Heather Watson, against a top seed, Victoria Azarenka. Watson has had some close matches against the top players, but she hasn’t been able to pull one out yet. I told her to let her game do all the talking and when she gets into those tight situations to relax and don’t over-think it. Azarenka is certainly favored to win this match as she is one of the best in the game, but don’t be surprised if Watson pushes her to three sets. I have to go with Azarenka, but I will be rooting for Heather! Azarenka in 3 sets. 

After a very tough first-round win over Heather Watson, Sharapova powered her way through Anastasiya Yakimova 6-1, 6-1. She still committed too many unforced errors (23), but she never let Yakimova get in the match for one second and she won close to 60% of the points on her opponents’ serve. Nice win for Maria!

Pennetta came into the tournament ranked #25 in the world and she is looking to get back to the fourth round of the US Open after losing at this stage last year. She’s lost a total of 8 games in two matches thus far, so she is clearly playing some excellent tennis.

Match-Up:

Sharapova is 2-1 against Pennetta, but they haven’t met in over two years. Pennetta is solid from the baseline, she can come in to the net, and she doesn’t make many mistakes. She’s not going to be able to necessarily hurt Sharapova with her shots, but she will make Sharapova work for every ball. Maria will want to play shorter points by hitting her powerful serve which forces a defensive return and opens the court up for an easy winner. If she serves well and is able to keep Pennetta pushed back behind the baseline she should win this match in two sets. If Pennetta is able to move Sharapova all over the court, she could be in trouble. The difference here is that Sharapova is just relentless with her groundstrokes and her serve. She will not back down and she will not stop coming at Pennetta even if she hits an error or a double fault. This is what separates her from most of the other women on the WTA tour.

Nick’s Pick – Sharapova in 2 sets

Sam Stosur (AUS) vs. Nadia Petrova (RUS)

Stosur knocked off young American, Coco Vandeweghe, in straight sets to reach the third round of the US Open for the second time in her career. Last year, she was a quarterfinalist here, and I see no reason why she can’t repeat those results in 2011.

Petrova had to fight off a tough challenge from Yung-Jan Chan in the opening round, but she cruised to a straight set win over Polona Hercog after that. She has twice been a quarterfinalist at the US Open and she has reached the fourth round two other times.

Match-Up:

Petrova is 4-1 against Stosur, but in their one meeting this year, Stosur won in straight sets. Both of these girls can really hit the ball and control the court at all times. Stosur definitely has the advantage with her serve and her movement is probably a bit better, but once the ball is in play, it is anybody’s game. Look for Petrova to try and win quicker points with her flat, penetrating groundstrokes, whereas Stosur won’t mind tracking down an extra ball or two to make Petrova work even harder. Both of these girls are veterans and understand what it takes to win. I have to give a slight edge to Stosur, based on the way they have played in 2011, but I could see this going three sets.

Nick’s Pick – Stosur in 3 sets

Serena Williams (USA) vs. Victora Azarenka (BLR)

Serena cruised to an easy win over Michaella Krajicek in the second round, but I don’t think she is going to have such an good time against Azarenka. When you seed Serena this low, this is the kind of match you are going to get in the third round, which is unfortunate for both girls.

Azarenka comes in ranked #5 in the world, but she hasn’t played too much this summer. After reaching the finals at Wimbledon, she lost early at Stanford and then reached the semis in Toronto. She should be fresh and she won’t have any problems getting pumped for a match of this importance.

Match-Up:

Serena is 5-1 against Azarenka and beat her recently in the semis of Toronto in straight sets. If you are heading out to watch this match, you better bring your helmet and shield because both of these girls are going to be firing missiles back and forth! Both girls are going to play extremely aggressive tennis and neither is going to back down from the challenge. I know Serena hasn’t played much tennis this year, but every time she takes the court I think she is going to win. If she falls behind early, Azarenka won’t waste any time jumping all over her, but in the end, I have to give the edge to Serena.

Nick’s Pick – S. Williams in 3 sets

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Vania King (USA)

Everyone wants to know when Wozniacki is finally going to have that breakthrough moment and win her first Grand Slam. Well, I think she is playing the kind of tennis right now that can get her to that spot. The draw has opened up nicely, and I don’t see any reason why she wouldn’t be considered a favorite to win this tournament.

King has reached the third round of the US Open for the second time in her career. A win here would put her into the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. Now, she has won multiple Grand Slam titles on the doubles side, but I am sure she would love to pull off a big upset in front of the American crowd!

Match-Up:

Wozniacki is 2-0 against King, which includes a 6-1, 6-0 win over her earlier this year at the Australian Open. King is an excellent doubles player, and she is going to have to use some of those skills if she wants to win this match. She cannot beat Wozniacki from the baseline. She must come in and try and take the ball early and catch Wozniacki out of position. That is extremely difficult to do though, as Wozniacki is one of the best movers on the tour. You certainly have to give the advantage in this match to Wozniacki, but King has the ability to keep it close and put the pressure on.

Nick’s Pick – Wozniacki in 2 sets

Peer hasn’t had a great year, posting a 20-17 record but she did reach the finals in Washington, DC before falling to Nadia Petrova in straight sets. She then lost in the first round at Toronto and the third round in Cincinnati. Her best result at the US Open came back in 2007 when she reached the quarterfinals, but she has yet to repeat that performance since.

Mirza’s career has been up-and-down and sometimes it seems like she is more focused on what she has going on off the court rather than what’s happening on the court. If she stays focused though, she has the potential to be a real player and she could be a huge star in India.

Match-Up:

Mirza is 4-1 against Peer, but the two haven’t met since 2009. When Peer first came on the tour, her advantage over many of the women was her fitness and her focus. It seems like she has lost a bit of that over the last few years, but she still is a very dangerous player. She covers the court well, has excellent groundstrokes and is usually in great shape. Against Mirza, she needs to keep the pressure up and force her backwards and if she does that she should win. This is not going to be an easy win for Peer, but I look for her to advance.

Nick’s Pick – Peer in 3 sets

Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Alison Riske (USA)

Jankovic comes in ranked #12 in the world and she should have plenty of confidence after reaching the finals of Cincinnati. It will be interesting to see how she rebounds after that performance and to see if she can sustain that level of play for two weeks. She was a finalist here just three years ago and she definitely has the talent to reach that point again.

Riske is a 21-year old American who was given a wild card into the tournament. She’s ranked #117 in the world and has a 22-21 record thus far in 2011. This is his first appearance in the main draw of the US Open, and only the fourth Grand Slam main draw appearance overall.

Match-Up:

This is the first career meeting between Jankovic and Riske and whenever you have young Americans involved against top players, you know there is going to be some interest. To me, this match is all about Jankovic. A couple of years ago her movement was off the charts, but she doesn’t seem to be covering the court as well as she used to. Her two-handed backhand is still one of the best and when she is able to step in and hit it down the line, she is very difficult to beat. Against Riske, she needs to get down to business right away and not let the crowd get into it. Jankovic is a bit unpredictable because of her emotions, so the longer this match goes the better Riske’s chances are at winning. I look for Jankovic to win, but this will be a fun match.

Nick’s Pick – Jankovic in 2 sets

Heather Watson (GBR) vs. Maria Sharapova (RUS)

Watson has been training at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy for many years and she is, without a doubt, one of the best up-and-comers on the tour. She won the Junior US Open a few years ago and that really propelled her into the spotlight, especially in her home country of England. She has all the tools, and as she gets more experience she is only going to become more dangerous.

Sharapova is definitely one of the favorites to win this tournament, especially after winning Cincinnati. She’s had a great year, posting a 39-10 record and reaching the finals of Wimbledon and it is absolutely fantastic that she is back inside the top five and winning again because the tour needs her to be a competitor at every stop!

Match-Up:

This is the first career meeting between Watson and Sharapova, but they know each other well as they both train at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy. Wow, this is going to be a big one! Watson has a very solid game. She serves well, has fantastic groundstrokes and her movement is great. She can sometimes lose focus, but I doubt that will happen in a match of this magnitude. Sharapova is going to try and dictate play and win quick points with a big serve and devatstating forehand. If Watson can play longer points and force Sharapova to cover more court then she has a chance. She doesn’t want to get into a slugging match with Sharapova, so she needs to change the pace a bit and try and keep her off balance. I have to give Sharapova the edge because of her experience and consistency on the big stage, but this one could definitely go three sets.

Nick’s Pick – Sharapova in 3 sets

Sabine Lisicki (GER) vs. Alona Bondarenko (UKR)

Lisicki comes in ranked #23 in the world, which is only two spots lower than her career high of #21. She reached her first career Grand Slam semifinal earlier this year at Wimbledon and she is certainly a threat every time she steps on the court. Like Watson and Sharapova, she grew at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy and I have worked with her for many years. She always has a great attitude on the court and if she can stay healthy, she has an extremely bright future.

Bondarenko has been ranked as high as #19 in the world, but right now she’s #125. She missed the first part of the year and didn’t compete until May due to a wrist/right knee injury. She’s been to the third round here three times in her career, and if she is healthy she is a tricky out.

Match-Up:

These two have met once before, back at the 2008 US Open and Bondarenko won that in three sets. Bondarenko is an experienced player who has had excellent results on both the singles and doubles side. She doesn’t have any huge weapons, but she will make you cover the court and she will not roll over. Lisicki likes to go for everything. She hits the tar out of the ball from both wings and her serve is one of the best on tour. She needs to get a high percentage of first serves in to win this match, and she also needs to remain patient. I give her the edge because of Bondarenko’s injury issues and the fact that Lisicki has had an excellent year and loves playing on the hard courts.

Nick’s Pick – Lisicki in 3 sets

• What’s going on with Andy Roddick? I was shocked to see him lose so early as he definitely has the goods to compete with the best. He is still a top-ten guy, but he needs a big summer and an even bigger US Open to show that he is still elite. I wouldn’t bet against Andy. He is a tough competitor and he has more good tennis in him.
• Despite being injured and having not played for a long time, it is still sad to see the Williams’ sisters not playing at the very end. They are great for the sport and the women’s game really misses them. Hopefully they will stay healthy and we will be seeing more of them going forward. If they are playing in the US Open they are both real threats to win the tournament.
• The same can be said for Kim Clijsters. Not having her in the women’s field is a shame. She brings so much life and energy to the court and the Wimbledon fans really love her. I hope she recovers well and is able to defend her US Open title.
• Caroline Wozniacki needs to win a Grand Slam to put all the doubters to rest. The talk isn’t going to stop until she wins a big title. She has the game, she just needs to be more aggressive and work on her second serve. It is going to be tough to win one with a weak second serve.
• Petra Kvitova is for real! This girl has the talent to win numerous Grand Slam titles and she just blew Sharapova off the court. She can hit from anywhere and when she strikes the ball (and it goes in) she is very tough to beat. I am looking for big things from this lefty in the future.
• Speaking of lefties, people have also talked about whether or not lefties have an advantage and I certainly think they do. You see Nadal on the men’s side and Kvitova on the women’s side and because they are left-handed they are able to serve out wide on the deuce side and into the body on the ad side and it really opens up the court. In today’s game, lefties definitely have a slight advantage.
• It was great to see Maria Sharapova back in the finals of a Grand Slam. It’s been too long since she has gotten there, and she proved to everyone that she is still one of the best in the world. Her serve isn’t the same as it was years ago, but it is still a weapon and better than most. I think she is without a doubt one of the top contenders for the US Open.
• You have to love what Sabine Lisicki did at Wimbledon. After winning Birmingham, she writes a letter asking for wild card, gets in and then reaches the semis before losing to Sharapova. Lisicki has been at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy for quite some time and you will not meet better people. Her father does a great job with her (I wish more tennis parents were like him) and even when she was down on her luck last year, Lisicki always kept a positive attitude and now she is back and playing great tennis again. I am so proud of how far she has come and the sky is the limit for Sabine!
• I am not sure what happened to Andy Murray in the semis against Nadal. He came out on fire in the first set and then it just seemed to slip away from him as the match progressed. He didn’t look as aggressive and he wasn’t moving as well. I thought this was a great opportunity for Murray to reach the finals at Wimbledon, but I think he will have others. I love watching him play and I am excited to see how he does at the US Open.
• Were you as shocked as I was to see Jo-Wilfried Tsonga pull off the upset over Roger Federer? That may be the shocker of the year thus far in 2011, especially since Federer was up 2 sets to love. He had been 178-0 when winning the first two sets at a Grand Slam and he appeared to be on his way to the semis when Tsonga just went nuts. He hit winners from all over the court and he was awesome. It will be interesting to see how Federer recovers from this going forward.
• Finally, what can I say about Novak Djokovic? The guy is absolutely phenomenal and to beat Rafael Nadal on grass in the finals of Wimbledon is a daunting task. He was able to control play and even when Nadal looked like he had hit a winner, Djokovic was able to get it back and eventually win the point. These two are clearly the best in the game right now, and it is great for the sport to have two men who are playing at such a high level so consistently. I can’t wait to see what happens at the US Open.

I want to give a big thank you to The Independent newspaper for their great work throughout the tournament. I also want to say what a great job Wimbledon does every year. The tournament is a spectacle and is run extremely well every year. I think next year I am going to stay longer!!

Kvitova

When Kvitova steps on the court, she plays the game on way: Whatever she sees, she hits and wherever it goes nobody knows! She is a very young girl (21 years old). but she hits with a ton of power and has the advantage of bring a lefty. Throughout my almost six decades of teaching tennis, I can say from experience that lefties are a different breed. They see the court dimensions differently, their thinking process is totally different from right-handers, their thinking process is completely different from righties, and they have a huge serving advantage to both the ad and deuce courts.

When serving to the ad court, the low, wide slice serve takes the receiver outside the singles and doubles lines to make the return leaving the entire court open for the server. When serving to the deuce court, the slice breaks into the body, eliminating the receiver from hitting their forehand. If they take it on the backhand, they move in between the singles and doubles lines leaving the court wide open for the server to hit their return shot.

Kvitova is not going to slow down with her forehand. If I were her coach, I would suggest a little more racket head speed and follow through. At times, she slows down resulting in the ball flying out. Her backhand is not a weakness and she doesn’t make many errors from this wing. She will come in at times, and why not? So much of the time she is on the offensive with defensive shots coming to her. By the way, lefties are also well-known for their sharp angles hit from both sides, this drives their opponents bazooka!

Sharapova

Maria came to the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy when she was only nine years old along with her father Yuri, who is a close friend of mine. When she came to me, Yuri was coaching her but he was just starting to learn the game. He acknowledged that he had much to learn and for the next several years Yuri absorbed as much as he could about the game and would take notes all the time. At one point, he suggested Maria try being a lefty and to be honest she could of, but what ended up taking place was that her left-hand got stronger and the results speak form themselves. Yuri was extremely smart and when he reached a point when he thought Maria would benefit from another coach he hired one for her full-time. I only wish other parents would do the same!

Back to her game…no one has more consistent and powerful groundstrokes  (with little spin) from both sides than Maria. This is because of the grips she is using. On the forehand side her grip is a strong eastern to weak semi-western and on the backhand  side her bottom hand is in a strong continental to weak eastern while her top hand is in an eastern grip that definitely does all the work.

So much talk has been about her serious shoulder injury and how that affected her serve. She tried out several different service motions over the years, and has found one that works for her. For the most part the serve is not a weakness, but against Lisicki she had 13 double faults which she can’t do against Kvitova. I could write volumes about Sharapova, but what it comes down to is that no one competes better and never once, even when she was down 3-0 to Lisicki in the first set, did she look like she was losing. She reminds me of Michael Jordan on the basketball court. You just knew he wasn’t going to let his opponents beat him.

Nick’s Pick –  Kvitova is 0-1 against Sharapova with that loss coming in 2010 at Memphis. She is definitely one of the best young players on the tour and I do think she can win multiple Grand Slam titles. At this time, I have to give the edget to Sharapova because she plays like a champions, she feels like a champion and she refuses to lose in the big moments. I think this is going to be a very interesting match and I am going to pick Sharapova in 3 sets.

Well, with this match-up, the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy is guaranteed one player that trains here will reach the finals and I couldn’t be more excited! Lisicki played incredibly well against Marion Bartoli and in reaching the semis, she is the first German woman to do so since Steffi Graf did 12 years ago. She is probably the hottest player on the WTA tour right now, having won Birmingham beforehand and ousting two top-ten players already at Wimbledon. She’s faced Sharapova once before, earlier this year at the Sony Ericsson Open, and she lost that match. I am sure they have run into each other here at the Academy so they will know each other’s games very well.

To me, this match comes down to Lisicki’s serve versus Sharapova’s mentality and focus. If you look at their games, they are pretty even. Both have excellent forehands, both have solid backhands, neither will come to the net much, and both move pretty well on grass. Lisicki probably will hit more drop shots (like she did against Bartoli) and has more on her serve. That being said, Sharapova has been to this position before and she thrives in these pressure moments.

This match is going to be thrilling for my staff and I to watch because we know these girls so well. Whoever wins, we are proud of both of them for getting this far. I want to hear who you think is going to win! Let me know by commenting on this post.

Nick’s Pick – You make the pick!

Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Petra Kvitova (CZE)

Azarenka advanced with a relatively easy straight set win over Tamira Paszek in the quarters and she is in the semis of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. She has always had the talent, but at times you have to wonder where her focus is. A win here would be a big turning point in her career and it would cement her as one of the top women on the tour.

Kvitova had to fight extremely hard to get by Pironkova in the quarters and she is into the semis of Wimbledon for the second straight year. She is looking to get into the finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career and I know my good buddy, Brad Gilbert, picked her to win it all. He may look like a genius at the end of this thing!

Like the Sharapova/Lisicki match, this one is hard to call as well. Both girls hit the ball so well from both sides and both can really be aggressive and at times make too many mistakes. Being a lefty will give Kvitova an advantage, but I don’t think it will be a big advantage because of the way the courts are playing right now. This is really a toss up because both girls are more than capable of winning this title. I am going to give a slight edge to Azarenka as long as she doesn’t have any health issues, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kvitova win this either.

Nick’s Pick – Azarenka in 3 sets

Sabine Lisicki will face Maria Sharapova in the semis of Wimbledon

It’s official: One-half of the Wimbledon women’s semifinals will be an all IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy matchup.

Maria Sharapova, ranked No. 6 in the world, will face the No. 62-ranked Sabine Lisicki for a spot in the Wimbledon finals. For Sharapova, it’s a chance to win her second Wimbledon title and fourth overall Grand Slam. As for Lisicki, it’s her first Grand Slam semifinal appearance, and the first by a German woman since Steffi Graf 12 years ago.

The 24-year-old Sharapova first enrolled in the IMG Bollettieri program in 1996 and has trained at the facility frequently since turning pro. Lisicki, now 21, came to IMG Bollettieri in 2003 and also utilizes it as her training base in between tournaments.

“This is incredibly exciting for the Academy to have two students face each other at Wimbledon,” said Nick Bollettieri. “It’s sure to be a very interesting match, as Sabine has fought her way back up in the rankings, while Maria has overcome a very serious shoulder injury.

“I think it will come down to the mentality of Sharapova versus the big hitting of Lisicki.”

Lisicki and Sharapova have faced each other one time previously, when Sharapova defeated Lisicki at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open.

Lisicki has been on a tear, winning at Birmingham the week prior to Wimbledon to earn her second career WTA title. She also defeated reigning French Open champion Na Li in the 2nd round of this year’s Wimbledon.