Bill Simons
Anyone into advertising will tell you that Madison Avenue is packed with power players. And anyone who follows tennis knows there are few players who are packed with more power than Madison Keys. At 14, the Illinois-born prospect moved to Florida to hone her game. Soon she would emerge as a top prospect. Lindsay Davenport, another big, clean-striking American from an earlier generation, came on board as her coach. One year at the French Open, observers noticed that she had the fastest forehand and backhand of any player – male or female.
She won her share of titles, but fell short of reaching a Slam final. The conventional wisdom was that she needed to learn how to master her power and craft her points.
Then, strong-willed Madison showed the critics a thing or two when she reached the 2017 US Open final. But sadly, at crunch time she was nervous, her performance was flat and dispirited. Her close friend Sloane prevailed.
But not to worry – we were assured she would soon claim a Slam. Yet it didn’t happen. The tour is a demanding grind. Madison won the Cincinnati in 2019 and plenty of big matches, but continually came up short at Slams. She hasn’t gotten beyond the fourth round at a major since 2019.
After her 2017 US Open final, nine other women won their first major title. Meanwhile Madison struggled with injuries. She drew great praise for her unique work to combat online bullying but sometimes it seemed as if she was bullied by her own drive and the expectations from unsparing critics. Her ranking dropped as low as No. 87. It was said that when she was baffled in a match her default mode was to just hit bigger.
But now the popular 26-year-old has won seven matches in a row.
Has she turned a corner? Rennae Stubbs noted that “Madison looks super, super relaxed. That’s the key (no pun intended) to her game.” Pam Shriver added: “Something is different in her game. She has a different look.” Sam Gore agreed, saying Keys “was locked in. The drive and ambition were there.” Shriver added, “Madison’s margin of error was better. She was playing better percentage tennis.”
Stubbs gushed, “Madison’s variety has been on display. It’s been so beautiful.” Keys, who can be guarded, offered revealing insights in an interview with Stubbs. Asked about her new spirit, she confided, “Honestly, I just had a big mentality shift after last year. I [had] put the weight of the world on my shoulders. Every match was life or death and I was playing like that. This year I just wanted to have fun and get back to all the reasons I love doing this…My boyfriend [Bjorn Fratangelo] sat me down last year and said, ‘I can’t keep watching you doing this to yourself.’ And he was absolutely right…My coach [Thomas Hogstedt] reminded me there is no ‘need to’ and no ‘have to.’ I get to compete on a big stage in front of a lot of people…[And] I’m not feeling that panic I felt in the past.”
Madison next faces Qiang Wang who beat Coco Gauff in the third round, and then could face Paula Badosa. Shriver noted, “It’s the most unpredictable time in the history of tennis, and Madison has to be saying, ‘Why not me?’”
TENNIS TO THE PEOPLE – NOT: A good number of the Australian Open’s week one matches, including the often compelling late-day matchups, are broadcast on ESPN+, which is behind a paywall.
THE STORY OF MY LIFE: When Pat McEnroe complained that his interview on ESPN was too short, he asked with a twinkle in his eye, “You are kicking me out?” Sam Gore explained that his interview with his older brother John had gone long. But of course that only made matters worse. Pat quipped, “So John took all my time. That’s the story of my life.”
DAVIS CUP TO RENO: After 43 years, the Davis Cup is kind of coming to the Northern California market. Reno’s Events Center will host the US vs. Columbia Davis Cup tie, March 4-5. The last Davis Cup in the NorCal market was US vs. Italy in 1979 in San Francisco, which featured a 350-pound Italian cheerleader, the disco-loving Vitas Gerulaitis and a new long-haired phenom they called Johnnie Mac. At that time the US was so dominant that the Italians complained we could win the Davis Cup by using just our fourth or fifth team. In a kind of last hurrah, Stan Smith and Bob Lutz clinched the tie. After 11 tears if Davis Cup glory, they would be replaced by a young east coast duo with swagger, Mac and Peter Fleming. At the time, no one imagined that for the next 43 years McEnroe would remain front and center on the tennis scene and that the Davis Cup would not return to the Northern California/Nevada market until now.
FASHION, FURRY AND THE BATTLE OF THE BICEPS: The bright, sleeveless Nike shirts of the hunks Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe are giving fans about as good a display of over-the-top musculature since we swooned over Rafa…When asked about her flashy shoes, Ash Barty insisted, “Red shoes go faster, right?”…Many players are sporting Adidas’ pastel look. Somewhere Claude Monet is smiling…Why do some players still wear black or dark blue on hot days?…Shouldn’t there be some kind of constitutional amendment against players wearing the same outfit on court?…Until Naomi Osaka explained it to us, we had no clue that Osaka’s Nike outfit was an homage to Melbourne’s skyline.
AMERICAN HOPES: Never mind that Americans No. 25 John Isner, No. 41 Tommy Paul, No. 55 Mackie McDonald, and No. 68 Brandon Nakashima, among others, have already suffered defeat, and 2021 phenom Jenson Brooksby withdrew due to COVID, recently there’s been a good vibe about American tennis.
An upbeat Brad Gilbert suggested that seven American men could make the top 30 this year. He added, “Korda [who is now No. 43] can easily finish the year in the top 20.” Broadcaster Jill Craybas said Seb “is definitely a future Grand Slam winner.” The 21-year-old Floridian, who’s recovering from COVID, emerged from his hotel to beat No. 12 seed Cam Norrie and then scored an extraordinary 3-6, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 (10-8) win over Frenchman Corentin Moutet, No. 100. Seb, whose father won the 1998 Aussie Open, will next face No. 19 seed, Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
Big Reilly Opelka, No. 29, has already dismissed Kevin Anderson and was too much for Tulane’s Dominik Koepfer. Now he’ll face No. 14 seed Denis Shapovalov.
To celebrate his 24th birthday, Frances Tiafoe will take on No. 20 seed Taylor Fritz. But the Californian might spoil the party; Taylor won their last two matches.
The still-battling-after-all-these-years Stevie Johnson, 32, again showed his grit with a five-set win over Aussie Jordan Thompson, but will now face the young Italian phenom, No. 11 seed Jannik Sinner. The French-born, American-reared Maxime Cressy, the hottest American male player, has won nine of his last 11 matches. The 6’ 6” serve and volleyer “only” has to beat No. 132 Tomas Machac and then the No. 175 player in the world, Aussie Chris O’Connell to reach the fourth round.
Only five of the original 18 American women are still standing. Coco Gauff, Sofia Kenin, Sloane Stephens, Shelby Rogers and Alison Riske, among others, have fallen. But it is thrilling to see the reemergence of Amanda Anisimova. The 20-year-old Floridian of Russian heritage has faced so many obstacles. But with the well-respected Darren Cahill as her new advisor and with her extraordinarily clean and powerful groundies in place, she won the Melbourne Summer Set tourney. At the Aussie Open she scored a convincing straight-set upset over Olympic gold medalist and No. 22 Belinda Bencic. Many say Amanda, who is 7-0 this year, is bound to win a Grand Slam. She next faces defending champion Naomi Osaka.
Jesse Pegula watched from Melbourne as her dad’s Buffalo Bills overcame freezing temps to win in northern New York. Then she overcame gusty winds to reach the third round in southern Australia.
Madison Keys seems revitalized and will face Coco Gauff’s conqueror, Qiang Wang, in the third round. Danielle Collins, the hard-hitting Floridian who flourished last summer, will meet Croatian Ana Konjuh in the second round.
After coming from behind to win in the first round, Washington DC’s Hailey Baptiste, 20, will face Aussie wildcard Maddison Ingles.
SHOT OF THE YEAR: Wednesday, Pablo Carreno Busta hit a wrong side of the net flick winner against Tallon Griekspoor.
Quotebook
“In the wind, I am one of the best…If I only played a circuit with wind, I would be top 15, top 20. I was born in the wind…” – Richard Gasquet after beating Ugo Humbert on a windy day
“Madison Brengle gives you nothing you want.” – Australian Open Radio
“When I know I have the crowd in the palm of my hand…that’s exciting.” – The charismatic Aussie Nick Kyrgios on his theatrical performances on John Cain Arena
“Incredible experience. It was the first time in my life that I got booed. It was crazy.” – The popular Brit Liam Broady, after facing Kyrgios on John Cain Arena
“Giorgi Girl can crush the ball.” – ESPN on Camila Giorgi
“That’s quite the bingo board.” – Pam Shriver on the 16-court grid featured on one screen on ESPN+
“Conservatively, 14 different women can win the Open.” – ESPN
“Osaka is getting back to the player who won the Australian Open last year.” – AO radio
“The Australian Open was dying to start. All the players wanted to get to the court and they are giving us a good show.” – Pam Shriver
QUARTER OF DEATH: The second quarter of the Aussie Open draw includes Zverev, Nadal, Karatsev, Opelka, Shapovalov and Khachanov.
GO FIGURE: Federer is back in training and plans to play practice sets soon…If Medvedev wins the Australian Open, he’ll be the first male player in the open era to win his first two Slams in back-to-back majors…There were seven teens in this year’s AO, and 27 players were over 30…The three ATP players who did not get into the Aussie Open due to the vaccine mandates are Novak Djokovic, Tennys Sandgren and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
NOLE NOT A HERO DOWN UNDER: According to a column in the New York Times, 83% of Aussies were in favor of Djokovic being booted out of their country. The #DjokovicOut hashtag trended for days. He is often referred to as NovaxDjocovid and the two national broadcasters who were caught on a hot-mic using ten expletives as they harshed Novak became national heroes.
REVENGE, A DISH BEST “SERBED” COLD: Miomir Kecmanovic, 22, who would have been Nole’s first round opponent here, said he hoped to “avenge” his role model and fellow Serb with a good run in Melbourne. Kecmanovic, No. 77, beat Tommy Paul to reach the third round.
SO POSITIVE ABOUT NEGATIVITY: Despite his craggy voice, broadcaster Craig Gabriel assured his audience, “I’ve tested for the last 16 days and I’m positive I’m negative.”
JESSIE’S CHOICE: When Luke Jensen asked Jesse Pegula what she would rather have, an Australian Open title or her dad’s Buffalo Bills winning the Superbowl, she was stymied, and replied, “That’s awful – that’s like asking me which dog I like best.”
DISHARMONY FOR HARMONY: After pushing No. 15 seed Elina Svitolina to three sets, France’s Harmony Tan succumbed to a calf injury and was wheeled off court.
KICKING ASS IN MELBOURNE: Decades ago, players like Steffi Graff, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis would regularly make mincemeat of their first- and second-round foes, often dismissing them in well under an hour. This year, Ash Barty has dropped just three games in her first two matches.
HE’S GOT MY NUMBER: After winning a long three-setter, Reilly Opelka said of his German opponent, “He’s had my number for a long time now.”
