Maria Sharapova training at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy

Standing in the epicenter of the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy’s 56 tennis courts last week, one could look around and see the following all on adjacent courts:

• Maria Sharapova working on her game while coach Michael Joyce gave advice from a chair on the side of the court

• Jelena Jankovic going through drills with IMG Bollettieri Director Chip Brooks as he offered encouragement through his distinct Southern twang

• Sabine Lisicki fine-tuning her serve

• Future stars Ricardas (Richard) Berankis, Filip Krajinovic, Michelle Larcher de Brito and Heather Watson smashing forehands

Jelena Jankovic training at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy

With established pros like Xavier Malisse, Michaella Krajicek and Jelena Dokic also refining their game, and ATP stars like Kei Nishikori, Taylor Dent and Radek Stepanek slated to arrive later in the week, the IMG Bollettieri courts possess quite possibly the best collection of talent in the world during the lead-up to the US Open.

Practicing on courts easily viewed by excited IMG Academies campers and their families, all of the players were extremely gracious in taking photos or signing autographs after their training sessions ended.

Will Andy make another run to the finals?

This is a potential firecracker match-up because it will represent the first real test of Andy Roddick’s credentials as a tournament contender against someone who can cause him problems. Llodra is a big, strong guy with a powerful serve, and (like Roddick) has a game that is suited to the grass. He can serve and volley, and he’s a leftie – which gives him all the usual advantages, including the slice serve out wide.

Llodra’s in good form, having won recently on grass at Eastbourne and reached the quarters at Queen’s, beating strong players including Marin Cilic on the way. Llodra has also been working recently with Amélie Mauresmo, a compatriot of the same age who knows what it takes to win the singles in SW19 having lifted the Wimbledon ladies title in 2006.

I find it fascinating, and heartening that Mauresmo is working as a mentor. One could argue that she underachieved in grand slams, and suffered at times with the mental side of the game, but she certainly seems to be helping Llodra now. Roddick’s slam record still stands at just one – the US Open in 2003. But there is mitigation: he has played in the age of Federer, losing three Wimbledon finals alone to the GOAT. Andy will need a big serving day, but then I fully expect him to produce one.

The key to the match for me will be how well Roddick returns Llodra’s serves. If Roddick can get an early read on it and get into the groove, his progress is going to be smoother – but it won’t be easy.

Roddick has improved his backhand, using his left hand more, and he’s now able to dip the ball further by playing from above the shoulder. He’s in great shape physically; he’s happily married and therefore at ease generally, and he seems to be full of confidence.

I know some people might ask whether Roddick has been affected by what happened last year here, when he was defeatedby Federer again despite playing out of his skin. I personally don’t think that’s an issue at this stage.

It’s going to come down to tennis, pure and simple – which means two big servers battling to make sure their biggest weapons are firing. If Roddick copes with Llodra’s serve better than vice versa then Roddick will win. Also key will be who converts more break points, and again you’d favour Roddick because he’s comfortable on this stage whereas Llodra has never been past the second round here.

I would imagine that Roddick will have the crowd on his side. The Wimbledon fans seem to have soft spot for him and evidently appreciate what he’s achieved here.

I think Roddick will win, but it won’t be a cakewalk. He’ll certainly get tested by the leftie serve. I don’t think it’ll be straight sets.

Today’s big match: Michael Llodra v Andy Roddick

HOW THEY MATCH UP

French ……… Nationality ……… American

30 ……… Age ……… 27

Rueil-Malmaison………  Residence ……… Austin

Left-handed ……… Plays ……… Right-handed

6ft 3in ……… Height ……… 6ft 2in

No 37 ……… World ranking ……… No 7

5 ……… Career titles ……… 29

$5.2m ……… Career prize money ……… $18.4m

W5 L9 ……… Wimbledon record ……… W35 L9

R (Five times) ……… Wimbledon best ……… R-up (Three)

Head-to-head ……… Leads 2-0

4-1 ……… Odds ……… 1-5

Bollettieri’s prediction Roddick in four tough sets

Coaching report: Rafael Nadal v Kei Nishikori: Rafa’s serve looks in good nick but my man is still one to keep an eye on

Rafael Nadal opened the ‘defence’ of his 2008 title with a straight-sets win over one of my students, Kei Nishikori, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4, but it wasn’t the stroll the score suggests. I bumped into Rafa afterwards and congratulated him. His serve especially has improved on its considerable qualities. That biting slow slice to the ad court was a real problem for Kei. Rafa looked fit, mobile and strong, and that all bodes well for a long run.

I then saw Kei and we had a quick chat about what a positive performance he’d given as he returns from his long-term arm injury. There were games where Kei was 40-0 ahead and 15-40 up on Rafa’s serve that he subsequently lost, but the point is not to dwell on letting slip those positions but that he was competitive in those games in the first place. He’s a young guy and a big star at home and a major hope for Japanese sport. Getting his recovery right is more important than achieving it quickly.

You gotta tell it like you see it

I was sitting on a bench in the sun before play started yesterday and Michelle Larcher de Brito walked past, ahead of her match on Centre Court with Serena Williams. Michelle is still only 17 but has been at my academy for years. “Hey Michelle,” I said. She looked at me, a little annoyed. “Two sets?” she said. Whoops, I thought. She’d read my online predictions that had forecast a two-set win for Serena. “Two sets, Nick? Two sets, eh?” I just said to her I had to give an honest view and her only prayer lay with outright attack. I’m not in any way pleased, for my prediction’s sake, that it came true. It wasn’t about suggesting an easy match, just an acknowledgement that Serena is a great champion, in great shape, and would be a tough opponent for anyone in the world.

Michelle bangs that ball like crazy. She has a strength and force to her game that belies her frame. She’s a battler and a fighter and mentally tough. But the lesson here is she lacks variety and needs to realise she must add it to her game. She’s a talented girl but in the modern game you need weapons – plural. You gotta tell it like you see it.

Murray in a hurry, home to Surrey, job done

Andy Murray got off to the perfect start with his three-set win over the Czech world No90, Jan Hajek, and it was more impressive, not less, for the quick bounce back from a break down to be 1-3 behind in that first set. Murray put enough on the ball to control it well, and control the match. He looked confident and got the tricky opening match out the way. Psychologically he’s made an important step, quickly and efficiently, towards week two.

World cup of tennis

I try to predict soccer matches in South Africa based upon the strengths of the nations in tennis, and by assessing national sporting personalities through the traits of tennis players I’ve known and worked with. Then, I project my findings onto the soccer and see what happens. And Holy Cow! Yesterday we hit a bull’s eye in predicting that France would come a cropper against the hosts. Domenech’s troubled side let their petulance get the better of them.

USA v Algeria

This is a mismatch in tennis terms because there’s just one Algerian player in the world’s top 1,000 (that’s Lamine Ouahab at No 160), while even with US tennis not at a peak there are 66 American men inside the top 1,000 and eight inside the top 100, including Andy Roddick at No 7. On that count, the US are going to come out on top today.

Even in soccer terms the US win, with Algeria ranked No 30 in the world against the US’s No 14.

What if we take a US soccer player and an Algerian player and imagine who’d win a tennis match? Let’s pit Landon Donovan – who I know because he trained at our soccer academy, which was the US base at one time – against Portsmouth’s Nadir Belhadj.

I imagine Belhadj having good footwork, and his strength and stature could help him be a power server. But Donovan is a good all-round athlete and a brilliant thinker, so he’d win. USA today? Yes.

Win a week at my academy

Want a week’s tennis holiday at my academy in Florida? Included in the prize is five days’ top-class tuition. The prize can be for an adult wanting to shape up your game, or for a child who wants to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Andre Agassi, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova, among other players who went from being kids under my tuition to No1 in the world.

All you have to do is email to tell me who will win today’s big match. I want a specific score line, and as a tie-breaker, a one-sentence summary of the manner in which your pick will win. All winners go into a hat, with one overall winner picked from there. Email: n.bollettieri@independent.co.uk

Yesterday’s winner was: Julie Kurtzman.

If the prize is for a child, parent(s) or guardian(s) must accompany at your own expense. The winner arranges the travel.

Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Laura Robson (ENG)

Jankovic has moved back up to #4 in the world after a semifinal showing at the French Open and is looking to make a deep run at Wimbledon for the first time in her career. Surprisingly, she has never been past the fourth round on the grass but I think this is the year she changes that. She’s been working with IMG Bollettieri Director of Tennis, Chip Brooks, and the two have made a great team thus far!

Robson and IMG Bollettieri student, Heather Watson, are two of the best young English players in the world and both will get a chance to get the British newspapers abuzz if they can get some wins. Robson comes into the tournament tanked #236 in the world and is looking to get past the first round of Wimbledon for the first time.

Match-Up:

This is the first career meeting between the 25-year old Jankovic and the 16-year old Robson. All eyes of England will be focused on this match as they are looking for big things from Robson. This will be a tough match for her to win as Jankovic is playing extremely well. Look for Jankovic to use her improved serve, fantastic movement and great two-handed backhand to control the court and keep Robson off-balance. Jankovic will attack any weak second-serves and as long as she just focuses on this match and doesn’t get caught up in all the media hoopla she will advance.

Nick’s Pick – Jankovic in 2 sets

Shahar Peer (ISR) vs. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)

Peer comes into Wimbledon ranked #14 in the world and seems to have really found a nice groove thus far in 2010. She lost in the fourth round of the French Open and was also a semifinalist in Madrid. Her best result at Wimbledon came back in 2008 when she reached the fourth round before falling to Elena Dementieva.

Ivanovic has been mired in a slump for a long time now, and there are no signs that she is coming out of it. She lost in the second round of the French Open and has a paltry 10-10 record in 2010. A win here would be a big boost for her confidence and may go a long way in helping her tennis career!

Match-Up:

Peer is 1-0 against Ivanovic with that win coming back in 2007 on the hard courts. There has been plenty of talk about Ivanovic and if she will ever get back the player she was just a couple of years ago. I don’t know the answer and only time will tell. What I do know, is that she is plenty capable of winning this match and she will push Peer. However, Peer is a fighter and will not go down easily. Peer moves well, has great groundstrokes and is aggressive. I look for this match to go three sets, and I have to give the edge to Peer based on their results this year.

Nick’s Pick – Peer in 3 sets

Serena Williams (USA) vs. Michelle Larcher de Brito (POR)

Serena fell in the quarters of the French Open to the in-form Sam Stosur, but the grass is where she thrives! She’s won this title three times and is the defending champion here and after failing to win the French Open title you know she is going to be extremely determined to take this one. There is no doubt in my mind that she is the player to beat.

Larcher de Brito has been training at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy for many years and is still looking for her first big breakthrough at a Grand Slam. Well, taking down Serena at Wimbledon would definitely qualify as that!

Match-Up:

This is the second meeting between Serena and the young Larcher de Brito. The first came back in 2008 at Stanford where Larcher de Brito won the first set, but Serena came back to win the next two sets and take the match. I look for Serena to come out with guns-a-blazin’ and take it to her opponent. Larcher de Brito has to go for broke. She cannot stand on the baseline and just hit with Serena, or she will get blown off the court. She needs to go for winners or throw some change of pace shots at Serena because that is her only chance. Serena will pounce on any weak serves and will use her own serve to control the match. I look for Larcher de Brito to  push Serena, but in the end Serena has too much power.

Nick’s Pick – S. Williams in 2 sets

Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR)

Sharapova comes into the tournament ranked #17 in the world and has won two titles already this year. She just reached the finals of Birmingham on grass before falling to Na Li in straight sets. Despite the loss in the finals, it’s good to see Sharapova winning and playing well on the grass. I’m expecting a good tournament from her.

Bondarenko has not had a great year, as she comes in with a 4-7 record and having lost in the second round of the French Open. She’s ranked #35 in the world and has never been out of the second round of Wimbledon.

Match-Up:

This is the first career meeting between the two 23-year olds and promises to be exciting. It’s nice to see Sharapova feeling good and playing with enthusiasm again. It’s been a tough road for her over the last couple of years and she seems to have her power back and has settled in with her new service motion. Bondarenko doesn’t do anything that can hurt Sharapova, yet she understands what it takes to win and will not go down without a fight. I look for Sharapova to advance, but I think it will be a good test for her.

Nick’s Pick – Sharapova in 2, could go 3

Heather Watson

Seventeen-year old IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy student, Michelle Larcher de Brito, won her first round match at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston yesterday. Larcher de Brito beat Vesna Manasieva 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 and will face either Patty Schnyder or Chanelle Scheepers in the second round.

Also playing in the tournament is IMG Bollettieri student Heather Watson. The young Brit qualified and will face 10th-seeded Elena Vesnina in the opening round. Watson, the 2009 Junior US Open champ, is also part of Team AEGON, the elite squad of British players. Last week she reached the quarters of an ITF event in Mississippi and this is only her second main draw match on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

“I’m so happy that I was able to qualify for a Premiere event. From my last tournament to yesterday I have played eight matches in eight days and won seven of them so I’m feeling very confident in my game. I’m excited about playing Vesnina.  I just want to go out there and do all the right things and just gain more experience against the top players,” said Watson.

Congrats to Michelle for her win and good luck to both girls in their next match!

Michelle Larcher de Brito (POR) vs. Sorana Cirstea (ROU)

Larcher de Brito, who trains at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy, burst onto the scene at the 2007 Sony Ericsson Open when she beat veteran American Meghann Shaughnessy 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(3) as a 14-year old. Three years later, Larcher de Brito is now 17-years old and is currently ranked #120 in the world. It will be interesting to see if she can recapture some of the magic she has had in the past in Miami.

Cirstea is a 19-year old Romanian who is currently ranked #40 in the world. She reached the second round at Indian Wells, beating Kaia Kanepi before falling to Jie Zheng in straight sets. This is her third time playing Miami, and she is still looking for her first win down here.

Match-up:

Cirstea is 2-0 against Larcher de Brito including a win over her last year in Los Angeles. Larcher de Brito will come after Cirstea from the first ball. She moves great side-to-side and fights about as hard as anyone on the tour. She has relentless groundstrokes from both sides and her serve is improving. Cirstea is a good doubles player who is comfortable at the net. Her groundstrokes are solid from both sides, but she has had trouble closing out matches in the past. The one thing you cannot do against Larcher de Brito is give her any signs that you are letting up because she will pounce all over you. Larcher de Brito will have to change it up a bit against Cirstea and try to keep her off-balance throughout the match.

Nick’s Pick – Going to be a close one, but I give a slight edge to Larcher de Brito if she mixes it up

Justine Henin (BEL) vs. Jill Craybas (USA)

Henin is ranked just outside the top 30, at #33 in the world. It won’t be too long before you see her back in the top 10. After reaching the finals of the Australian Open she took some time off and then played at Indian Wells where she lost to Gisela Dulko in three sets. Henin has never won this tournament, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see her playing on the final weekend this year.

Craybas is a veteran American who comes into the tournament ranked #90 in the world. At the age of 35, Craybas is definitely on the backside of her career, but she is in great shape and won’t get down without a fight.

Match-up:

Henin is 1-0 against Craybas, but that win came all the way back in 2001 in Hawaii. Craybas is an excellent mover and a big-time competitor. What she doesn’t have is a big weapon to hurt Henin. Look for Henin to control the court from the outset, using her powerful forehand, beautiful one-handed backhand, and fantastic variety to keep Craybas off balance. The one area where Craybas will look to attack is on the return of serve. If Henin’s serve is off at all, Craybas will have a chance to put the pressure on the Belgian. This will be an entertaining match, but in the end, Henin has too much of everything.

Nick’s Pick – Henin in 2 sets

Roger Federer begins his quest for a sixth straight US Open title against American Devin Britton

It’s US Open time again and we are thrilled to be back in New York for the entire tournament. Be sure to stay with Nick’s Picks throughout the tournament for live coverage of the year’s final Grand Slam. We begin today with our breakdown of the draws.

Men’s Draw

The big story about the men’s draw is the change at the top. For the first time in a long while, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal could have faced before the finals. Nadal has slipped to #3 in the rankings because of injuries and Federer and Andy Murray have taken over the top two spots. Alas, it was not to be, as Nadal was placed in Murray’s half of the draw and can still face Federer in the finals.

Speaking of Federer, he starts off with an interesting match against young American, Devin Britton. Britton spent many years training at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy and then as a freshman in college he won the NCAA singles championship this year at Ole Miss. Britton is a serve-and-volleyer and this will be a great experience for him.

Assuming Federer plays like he has, he should be able to move through the draw with not many issues. He could face Lleyton Hewitt in the third round and possibly James Blake in the fourth, but I don’t see either of those guys stopping FedEx. A potential Nikolay Davydenko quarter could be tricky, but the match we all want to see is a Federer/Andy Roddick semifinal. After a fantastic Wimbledon final, a rematch in the semis here would be must-see TV.

Roddick’s path could be tough though as he could run into some trouble in the fourth round against either Tommy Haas or Fernando Verdasco. He would also have to get by Novak Djokovic in the quarters, whom he lost to in last year’s quarterfinals. Since then though, Roddick has beaten him three consecutive times (all this year).

On the bottom half of the draw, all the talk is about Murray and Nadal. Murray, last year’s runner-up, begins his quest for a first Grand Slam title with a tough opponent in Ernests Gulbis. He could also face a big-serving third round opponent as Ivo Karlovic and Taylor Dent both loom in that section of the draw.

Those guys aren’t the only big guys who can serve in the bottom half, as they are joined by Jo-Willy Tsonga, Tomas Berdych, Juan Martin Del Potro, Marin Cilic, and Stan Wawrinka. All of those guys are talented enough to beat anyone. You’ve also got a couple of sly Frenchmen in Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon in the draw; watch out for those guys as well!

The match everyone is going to be looking at early on is Nadal vs. Richard Gasquet. We all know that Nadal has been dealing with injuries, but Gasquet is playing in his first ATP Tour level match since April after missing most of 2009 because of a drug suspension. He comes in ranked #46 in the world, but has been as high as #7.  This will be a very interesting match for both players.

Overall, I think the bottom half of the draw is a bit stronger than the top half just because of the quantity of men who are more than capable of taking down the top guys. I wouldn’t be surprised to see any one of those guys playing well into the second week.

Women’s Draw

As has been the case for most of 2009, the field is once again wide open. This draw seems top-heavy to me. On the top you have a very strong contingent of Russian women which includes: Dinara Safina, Alisa Kleybanova, Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova, Nadia Petrova, and Svetalana Kuznetsova. You’ve also got Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Sabine Lisicki, Caroline Wozniacki and Jie Zheng. This is an extremely tough half of the draw and whoever comes out is going to be battle-tested.

The top-seed on the women’s side is Safina, and she is still looking for her first Grand Slam title. She has not been able to put together a strong showing in the finals of a Grand Slam yet, and some people question whether or not she should be the top seed. She could face fellow Russian Kleybanova (a big hitter) in the third round and possibly Jankovic, Ivanovic, or Lisicki in the quarters.

The semis on the top half of the draw are tough to predict. You’ve got Dementieva (who I think has the best groundstrokes on tour), and two former champions here: Sharapova and Kuznetsova. Dementieva and Sharapova could meet in an epic third-round bout with the winner having to move on and face maybe Kuznetsova or even Wozniacki in the quarters. Should be interesting to follow.

On the bottom half of the draw the story revolves around two names: Williams and Clijsters. Both Serena and Venus find themselves in the bottom half with wild-card Kim Clijsters (2005 champion) also lurking. Serena, the defending champion, opens up with American Alexa Glatch, and could face Daniela Hantuchova in the fourth round and possibly the uber-talented Vera Zvonareva in the quarters.

Venus and Clijsters could face in the fourth round, which would be one heck of a match. The winner of that match could be looking at Victoria Azarenka in the quarters, and beating her is never an easy task.

Don’t forget about the young Michelle Larcher de Brito. The 16-year old Portuguese sensation, who trains at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy, opens up with Mathilde Johansson and is looking for her first career win at the US Open.

My prediction for the women’s draw has to start with Serena. Until someone knocks her off, I just can’t predict her to lose. She is so good when she is focused and fit and playing in New York always seems to bring out the best in her. Don’t be surprised if there are numerous upsets in the draw, because when the field is this wide open, who knows what will happen!!

Here are some photos of Michelle training from this morning:

Michelle Larcher de Brito

Sixteen-year old Portuguese tennis sensation Michelle Larcher de Brito has been given a wild card into the main draw of next week’s LA Women’s Tennis Championships. Larcher de Brito, who trains at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy, is currently the youngest player ranked in the top 100 (#91) and is coming off of a very successful stretch of matches. She reached the third round at the French Open as a qualifier (beating Jie Zheng along the way) and then in her Wimbledon debut she advanced to the second round. She is without a doubt one of, if not, the best young player in the world and she is now getting a chance to showcase her talent. This will be her first tournament since Wimbledon.

Good luck to Michelle next week in Los Angeles!

Here are some photos of Michelle from the French Open…

Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon 2009

Two young Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy students, Sabine Lisicki and Michelle Larcher de Brito, continued to move up in the rankings after solid performances at Wimbledon. Lisicki, 19, reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career at Wimbledon, beating seeds Anna Chakvetadze, Svetlana Kuznetsova (2009 French Open champion) and Caroline Wozniacki. She is now ranked a career high of #26 in the world and is primed to continue advancing up throughout 2009!

Also making strides is 16-year old Portuguese sensation, Michelle Larcher de Brito. She moved up 15 spots from #91 to a career high of #76 and is the youngest player ranked in the top 100. After qualifying for the French Open, she reached the third round and beat #15 Zie Jheng along the way. She then received a wild card into Wimbledon and won her first round match against Klara Zakopalova before falling to Francesca Schiavone in two tough tiebreak sets.

Congrats to both girls and good luck in the future!

Michelle Larcher de Brito

Sixteen-year old Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy student, Michelle Larcher de Brito, won her first round match today at Wimbledon. Larcher de Brito beat Klara Zakopalova 6-2, 7-5 to advance to the second round where she will face Francesca Schiavone of Italy. The win is her first at Wimbledon, as this is only her second appearance in a Grand Slam main draw. The first came just a couple of weeks ago at the French Open, where she qualified and then reached the third round beating 15th-ranked Jie Zheng en route.

Larcher de Brito is currently the youngest player in the top 100 and her ranking will continue to climb higher as she gets more wins.

Congrats to Michelle for her win today and good luck in the next round!