This Week's Drop Shots: August 20, 2020
"This Week's Drop Shots" details the latest results, hot takes, and breaking news from around the tennis world in a quick and easy to read format.
Tennis is Back!
Wow it felt good to type those words. The entire tennis world has been counting down the days until pro tennis officially returned to the courts, and that day has officially arrived!!
Plenty of exhibition events popped up to help players stay sharp while the ATP, WTA, and ITF coordinated a plan of action. But with sanctioned tournaments back on the docket, the 2020 season is cautiously a go.
Quote of the Week
"You should care. Do you have rocks in your head?"
Nick Kyrgios
After the fiasco known as the Adria Tour, Nick Krygios criticized players for their reckless behavior.
Some players apologized, but others like Borna Coric shot back at Kyrgios. Unfortunately for Coric, Kyrgios's social media game is even stronger than his first serve.
WTA Leads the Charge
On August 3rd, tennis fans rejoiced as WTA stars returned to the court for the 31st Palermo Ladies Open. The tournament featured players like Petra Martic and Elise Mertens. In total eight players ranked in the top 30 participated.
Local Italian Camila Giorgi powered her way to the semifinals, but she fell short against Frenchwoman Fiona Ferro. In the finals, Ferro continued her solid week of tennis, defeating Anna Kontaveit to take home the title.
While Ferro gracefully slid around the red clay, her performance wouldn't have been possible without a committed grounds crew.
It was clear Ferro hit the practice courts during the hiatus, and it looks like the players weren't the only ones staying sharp.
Serena and Venus, 31st Edition
After a successful return to the court in Palermo, the WTA saw its next action at the Top Seed Open in Nicholasville, KY.
Typically a lower-tier event, this year's tourney featured a stacked line-up. Tennis icons Serena and Venus Williams made the trip to the rolling hills of Kentucky, as did Viktoria Azarenka and Johanna Konta.
Though the tournament didn't allow fans, the Cracked Racquets team snuck on site as the official media provider, providing play-by-play commentary through the Tennis One app.
Serena was the talk of the tournament, but Jennifer Brady stole the show. She defeated several fellow Americans, including Coco Gauff, en route to the title.
Meanwhile across the pond.
Serena's star power tends to steal the spotlight. But she wasn't the only superstar stepping back on court. Simona Halep also made her return this past week at the Prague Open.
Though she looked rusty in her return, Halep battled through the early round with her trademark grit and scrappiness. In the finals, she found her footing to defeat Elise Mertens in straight sets.
The title in Prague marked Halep's second title in a row. One caveat — those titles were six months apart due to the pandemic.
Don't Pop the Bubble
When the pandemic hit, the tennis world came to a standstill. Tournaments cancelled en masse as the severity of the pandemic came into focus.
Roland Garros was pushed back. Wimbledon called it quits for 2020. And the U.S. Open... well the U.S. Open actually decided to move forward.
With several months of lead time, tournament organizers enacted a comprehensive plan to host the tournament without compromising player safety.
The TL;DR version — they made a giant bubble.
Months of planning have come to fruition as players make themselves at home in Queens for a two tournament bubble. In addition to the U.S. Open, players will also participate in the Western & Southern Open tune-up event. Typically hosted in Cincinnati, the tournament relocated to New York to avoid the risk of interstate travel.
For some, the bubble isn't enough.
Given the current situation, some players have elected to skip the U.S. Open, a completely understandable decision.
Concerned about international travel, Rafael Nadal announced he wouldn't defend his title. Bianca Andreescu, made the same choice but for a different reason as a string of injuries has hampered her return.
Other big names missing out this year include Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Belinda Bencic, Nick Kyrgios, Elena Svitolina, Gael Monfils, and Ashleigh Barty.
I still expect top-notch tennis, but given the number of players missing out you have to wonder if the history books will put an asterisk by this one.
Double or Nothing
Who says you can only double down in Blackjack?
With our new Double or Nothing podcast, Cracked Racquets will bring you the latest advice, discussion, and stories from the gambling world of tennis.
Hosted by Alex Rushin and Clark Cummings, each show will consist of weekly bet recaps, advice for upcoming tournaments, and exclusive guests!
Tune in through Apple Podcasts or Spotify!
Aces & Winners
After a tragic life event, Michael Woodson found his passion as a tennis coach and dedicated himself to the profession. Now at age 31, he's just been named interim head coach of the Baylor Bears.
Cracked Racquets made headlines as the media provider for the Top Seed Open in Nicholasville, KY. Some will call it pure luck, and we're perfectly okay with that.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said the first slam of 2021 is on track to offer full prize money and host up to 400,000 fans. How is that possible in the middle of a global pandemic? Extensive planning.
Nick Kyrgios shared his thoughts on what the pandemic means for the sport, his quarantine training regimen, and more.
In a world where athletes seem to specialize younger and younger, JJ Wolf proves that isn't necessary for elite performance in the long run.
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