Category Archives: Recaps

Olympics, Recaps, Ski Jumping, Sochi 2014

Sochi Ski Jumping Recap – US Women Provide Hope For Future

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The US men have not really been a factor in the ski jumping competitions in the Olympics in a long time (just once since 1992 has the US had a top 25 finisher in an event). So with the debut of women’s ski jumping this year it was a chance to see the potential for that new event, and for the US that might be where the success comes from in the future. Two US competitors were in the top 15 and the one who didn’t, Sarah Hendrickson, was the World Champion last year at 18 but suffered a knee injury that hurt her Olympic chances.

Men’s Normal Hill

Ski Jumping - Mens Normal Hill

The US did advance three of their four jumpers to the first round on the normal hill but none were able to place higher than 34th there, missing out on the top 30 who advance to the final round. Nick Alexander was the best for the US in the event with a first round score of 116.0. Alexander’s 34th place finish was an improvement on his result from 2010 and the best for the US since 2002.

Ski Jumping - Mens Normal Hill Yearly Best

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Olympics, Recaps, Skeleton, Sochi 2014

Sochi Skeleton Recap – Success Abounds as US Medals on Both Men’s and Women’s Side For First Time Since 2002

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Hard to not call the performance by the US skeleton team anything but a smashing success. The US had failed to medal in both men’s and women’s skeleton in Turin and Vancouver after winning both the men’s and women’s competitions when they debuted in Salt Lake City. They medaled in both events again this time around and were one unlucky problem on John Daly’s final run from having four top four finishers.

Men’s Skeleton

Mens Skeleton

It was a very strong men’s event for the US. They posted five top five times on individual runs and would have two top five finishers if John Daly’s sled hadn’t gotten caught in the ruts on the start of his final run. Matthew Antoine won bronze and the US would not have gotten a second medal even if Daly had topped Antoine. The medal was the first for the US since Salt Lake City and the fourth time the US has medaled in six Olympics with skeleton.

Mens Skeleton Yearly Best

Women’s Skeleton

Womens Skeleton

It was great to see Noelle Pikus-Pace take home a silver for the US but there was definite heartbreak in Katie Uhlaender coming up 0.04 seconds short of winning a medal of her own. The US double medaled on the women’s side in 2002 and nearly did it again in Sochi. It was the first medal for the US since Salt Lake City but you can see how experienced the team was this year with the top finisher for the US from both the Turin and Vancouver games competing again this year.

Womens Skeleton Yearly Best

Luge, Olympics, Recaps, Sochi 2014

Sochi Luge Recap – US Won First Singles Medal, but the Men Struggled

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The US had a strong women’s singles event with their best ever finish and first ever medal. It wasn’t so good on the men’s side as the best finish in the men’s singles category was their worst in 30 years and in men’s doubles was their worst in 26 years. There will be some heavy motivation over the next four years to try and improve and make a better showing at the next Olympics.

Men’s Singles

Mens Singles - 2014The US competitors were well off the pace in this year’s Olympics. The only top ten finishes in a single run came from Chris Mazdzer who had two runs (first and fourth) that were tenth best. Mazder’s 13th place finish was the first time in 22 years that the Americans didn’t have a top ten finisher. It was their worst finish since 1984. Certainly a low point they’ll look to rebound from in Peyongchang.

Mens Singles All Time Yearly Best

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Recaps, Rugby, Rugby Sevens

USA Women’s Sevens Rebounds on Second Day of Atlanta Sevens, Wins Plate

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After going 1-2 with no competitive matches on Saturday the US rebounded in a big way on Sunday by winning their final two matches over England and Spain to grab the plate in Atlanta.

The first match of the day for the US was the exact same matchup of their opening match on Saturday: Canada. Unlike the 31-0 loss in group play the US was much more competitive in this one with first half tries by Lauren Doyle and Jessica Javelet and a conversion from Amelia Villines giving the US a 12-7 lead late in the first half. Canada took a 14-12 lead at the end of the half and added two second half tries and a conversion to get the 26-12 win.

The US next faced England in the plate semifinal and raced out to a 14-0 lead on two Javelet tries and two Kelly Griffin conversions. England cut it to 14-5 at the half but they would get no closer as Javelet added a third try in the second half and the US won 19-5.

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Recaps, Tennis, WTA Tour

Venus Williams and Bethanie Mattek-Sands Lose Tough Three Setters, All Four Americans Out in Qatar

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A day after upsetting #15 Eugenie Bouchard in the first round Bethanie Mattek-Sands faced Monica Niculescu as the higher seeded player in the second round but couldn’t deliver another top performance. Mattek-Sands struggled to get her serve in with a 51% first serve %. Of those that did get in on the first serve she won less than half (47%) and overall won just 39% of points on her serve. So it was no surprise that she was broke 10 times in 13 service games including on all five of her service games in the third set. She fought back hard on Niculescu’s serve breaking her seven times in 12 service games. Niculescu was also underwater winning just 45% of points on her serve. In the end the woes on her own serve were too much to overcome and Mattek-Sands lost 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

The other American in action was Venus Williams who was making an upset bid against #3 Petra Kvitova. After dropping set one 6-2 Williams fought back with a great 6-2 win in set two. The 3rd set was back and forth with Williams up a break at 4-1 before Kvitova broke her twice in a row making it 5-4 and giving her a chance to serve for the match. Williams was able to break Kvitova with the pressure on and the set went to a tiebreaker. The extremely tight tiebreaker went 16 points before Kvitova pulled off the 9-7 win to avoid the Williams upset bid. Both players struggled with their serve with each being broken six times on 14 service games. Kvitova won six more points, 114 to 108 as this one was extremely close. While it’s a disappointment that Williams couldn’t get the win here it is a good sign that she played toe-to-toe with one of the ten best in the world again. Hopefully this is a sign of how the rest of the year will be playing out.

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Fed Cup, Recaps, Tennis

Inexperienced US Team Loses to Italy 3-1 in Fed Cup

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We knew that inexperience would be an issue for the US against Italy but the hope was that the higher ranked American players would at least be able to hold their own on home soil. Well the inexperience won out as the Americans struggled to a 3-1 home loss to World #1 Italy.

Italy’s Karin Knapp dispatched Christina McHale 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the first rubber on Saturday. That wasn’t a huge surprise as Knapp is the higher ranked player. What was a surprise was how soundly Madison Keys was beaten by Camila Giorgi: 6-2, 6-1. That resounding thumping meant the US had to win all three rubbers on Sunday. Keys has struggled at times in big moments, we saw it a few times at the Australian Open, and the 18-year old may have just been in over her head a bit in this one. Plenty of time for her to mature and become a major part of the US team.

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Recaps, Rugby, Rugby Sevens

USA Wins Shield and Salvages Second Day at New Zealand Sevens

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After going 0-2-1 on the first day of the New Zealand Sevens the USA was looking at a matchup with France in the bowl quarterfinals. It was one of those games where the US could take a big step forward, but instead it was another heartbreaker for the US.

Madison Hughes made another start for the US, his emergence this weekend was awesome to see, and the US had a good first half. Danny Barrett scored a try 4:12 in and Hughes got a conversion through for the US to make it 7-0. France did answer with a try and conversion but the US answered back, again with Danny Barrett. Barrett’s try after the clock had stopped for the US gave them a 12-7 halftime lead. The second half was a defensive struggle with all seven minute ticking off the clock without a single point. France had one last chance though and were able to get the try and conversion after time had expired to turn it around and beat the US 14-12. The loss sent the US into a shield semifinal against Portugal. France went on to lose to Kenya 24-7 in the bowl semifinal.

In the game directly preceding the shield semifinal against Portugal the US saw Spain beat Tonga to reach the shield final. That meant the US had to win the shield themselves or else they’d give up some of their six point lead over Spain for the final spot on next year’s tour. The US came out and played fantastic against Portugal (they have done really well against the bottom teams lately). Madison Hughes was involved in a major way for the US in the first half as he scored their first and third trys and had a conversion on the later. Ryne Haitsuka added a try in between and the US went to the half up 17-0. It would get worse for Portugal before it got better as Carlin Isles went all highlight reel to make it 24-0 after a Hughes conversion. Portugal did add 10 points the rest of the way with another Isles highlight/Hughes conversion splitting them up. The final, a 31-10 USA victory propelled the Eagles into the shield semifinal.

After two dominant wins against Spain in Las Vegas more of the same might have been expected in Wellington, but the first half told a different story. Spain scored first but the US did fight back behind a Zack Test try with Hughes conversion to tie it at 7-7 at the half. The second half was a different story as the US routed Spain 21-5 in the second half behind two Isles tries, a Haitsuka try, and conversions on all three from Hughes.

So the US ended Wellington on a positive note, expanded their lead over Spain for the last spot to seven (15-8) and grabbed the shield for the third time in five tournaments. Of course I’d rather not admit that is partially because the US has been in the shield semifinals in all but one of the first five tournaments. There are only four more tournaments left and with Spain never grabbing more than two points the US looks safer and safer each week. Still you’d like to see the US have a real strong tournament, days one AND two, one of these chances.

The most important thing might be the emergence of the Carlin Isles/Madison Hughes dynamic duo for the US. Isles had six tries in Wellington, third most of anyone, and Hughes added three of his own. Hughes also had conversions on nine trys this weekend to rank fifth with 33 points. If these two can keep up their good play maybe we can see the US do ever better than the shield in Japan on March 22-23.

Oh and check out all six of Isles’ tries from this weekend. Holy cow is that man fast. Nearly every time you think that there is a defender with an angle that will cut him off and he just races right past them. Hopefully we’ll see him with the US team still in Japan.

Davis Cup, Recaps, Tennis

USA Upset by Great Britain in First Round of Davis Cup World Group

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The US entered their first round matchup with Great Britain riding a winning streak of four ties against the Brits and not having lost to them since 1935. Additionally the British hadn’t won a World Group first round tie since 1986. We knew that Andy Murray was a heavy favorite to beat both Americans and with the Bryan brothers as big favorites on Saturday in the doubles rubber it seemed likely this would come down to James Ward’s play as the #2 singles player for the Brits. Could Ward steal a rubber and take the tie for Great Britain?

Well we were right… it did come down to Ward, and amazingly it came down to his first matchup. It wasn’t his Sunday rubber with the #2 US singles player where he made his mark, it was his Friday rubber against #1 US singles player Sam Querrey where Ward stole a match and basically gave Great Britain the tie. 

James Ward was the difference maker for Great Britain with his upset of Sam Querrey on Friday.
James Ward was the difference maker for Great Britain with his upset of Sam Querrey on Friday.

f1lou via Compfight cc

Querrey started off his match with Ward in great fashion taking set one quickly with a 6-1 win. Set two was much more competitive and came down to a tiebreak where Ward was able to even things with a 7-3 tiebreak win, the first sign of trouble for Querrey. Querrey came back to win set three 6-3 and even held a 4-2 lead in set four before the wheels came off. Ward went on to win 10 of the final 11 games, winning four straight to take set four 6-4 and then winning set five 6-1. It was a distasteful turn of events for Querrey and the US.

Sam Querrey's loss to James Ward on Friday ultimately doomed the US vs. Great Britain
Sam Querrey’s loss to James Ward on Friday ultimately doomed the US vs. Great Britain

karlnorling via Compfight cc

Querrey did give a strong effort on Sunday against Murray as he forced a tiebreaker in both of the first two sets. He lost the first 7-5 before winning the second 7-3 to even things at one set each. Murray then shut the door dominating the rest of the way en route to a 6-1 and 6-3 wins in the final two sets to clinch things for Great Britain.

What does this mean for the US?

It means that instead of trying to reach the final for the first time since 2007 the US now is focused on not falling out of the World Group. Its’ been 26 years since the US was not playing in the World Group and they don’t want to end that streak anytime soon. The US will play in one of the World Group playoffs in September against a country still to be determined. Potential opponents will be determined after the next round of play in early April. The US will be one of the eight seeded teams in the draw and so we know the US won’t face any of the top eight ranked teams that are involved with the playoffs. If the favorites win in April the eight teams in the un-seeded pool should be Austria, Croatia, Brazil, Ukraine, Israel, Uzbekistan, India and the Dominican Republic. The US could have to travel for the tie, and depending on the matchup it could be a bit tricky, but the US will likely be favored no matter what.

The US right now is not a great men’s tennis country and anytime they face off against an opponent with one of the best players in the world the margin is going to be thin. The US had some bad luck in drawing one of the few countries that aren’t among the top eight in the world and still have one of the very top players. The US also were without their best player in John Isner who might have had a better chance to upset Andy Murray. Hopefully Isner is healthy for the US come September and the US can keep their place in the World Group for 2015.