Each day during the 2011 U.S. Open, coach Nick Bollettieri will discuss three of the most intriguing matches on the schedule and offer his predictions.
Maria Sharapova [3] vs. Flavia Pennetta [26] (Arthur Ashe Stadium, second match)
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 won close to 60 percent of the points on her opponents’ serve. Nice win for Maria! Pennetta came into the tournament ranked No. 25 in the world and is looking to return to the fourth round of the Open after losing at this stage last year. She’s lost a total of eight games in two matches thus far, so she is clearly playing some excellent tennis.
Sharapova is 2-1 against Pennetta, but they haven’t met in over two years. Pennetta is solid from the baseline, can come in to the net, and 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 straights. 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 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.
Nick’s Pick: Sharapova in two sets
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David Ferrer [5] vs. James Blake (Grandstand, fourth match)
Blake hung on against Jesse Huta Galung in the first round, winning in four sets. No one gets more support from the fans than James, and I am sure he would love to have a big run here as his career is certainly winding down.
Blake is 2-0 against Ferrer, with their last match coming in 2010 at Indian Wells. I don’t think Blake can win this match from the baseline by just keeping the ball in play. He needs to come in and try to surprise Ferrer and keep the Spaniard off-balance. The crowd will definitely give him a boost, but I am not sure that is going to be enough right now. Ferrer may not have a huge weapon, but he does everything so incredibly well and he gets to about every ball which makes him very tough to beat. I think Blake can take a set and keep it interesting, but in the end, Ferrer just has too much firepower.
Nick’s Pick: Ferrer in four sets
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Stan Wawrinka [14] vs. Donald Young (Court 17, second match)
I have always been a big supporter of Donald ever since he turned pro back in 2004. He has all the natural gifts you need to be a contender, he just needs to remain focused on what is happening on the court and forget everything else. He had a nice run to the semis in Washington, D.C. and beat Lukas Lacko in straight sets in the opening round.
This is the first career meeting between these two, and with Young playing, you know there is going to be plenty of interest. He has no choice in this match: He has to gamble a bit and go for his shots. Young has great hands and touch, and he anticipates so well that he is able to compete with anyone. One area he needs to get more free points from is his serve, especially in this match. Wawrinka is so big and strong that he has the ability to push Young backwards and control the play. Wawrinka does have a tendency to lose focus at times, and he cannot do that against Young (especially in front of the U.S. fans). There is no doubt that Young is beginning to demonstrate some of the talents that we had hoped to see years earlier, but is that enough against someone like Wawrinka? Right now, I am not sure and I have to give the edge to Wawrinka.
Nick’s Pick: Wawrinka in four sets.
Nick Bollettieri of the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy has trained many collegiate and professional players, including 10 who reached the world No. 1 ranking.