Madison Keys and Three Other American Women Advance at BNP Paribas Open. Three Men Advance From Qualifying.

Previous BNP Paribas Open Coverage

Women’s Singles

Womens Singles - 3-6-14

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Five top 100 American women took part in the first round on Wednesday with three of them advancing. Madison Keys had a tough matchup against Tsvetana Pironkova but handled her easily in a 6-2, 6-1 win. Varvara Lepchenko also impressed in a 6-2, 6-2 win over Alison Van Uytvanck. Alison Riske had the highest ranked first round opponent and was able to win the first set but ended up losing 6-3, 3-6, 3-6 to Bojana Jovanovski.

Five more American women will play in the first round on Thursday. Only two of them will face lower ranked opponents: Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who is taking on Caroline Garcia, and Victoria Duval, who is taking on Alisa Kleybanova.

Women’s Doubles

Womens Doubles - 3-6-14

 

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There are seven doubles teams entered into the women’s event in Indian Wells that have at least one American. Only two of them are composed of two Americans and one of those, Madison Keys and Alison Riske, get things started on Thursday. They’ll be taking on the #5 seed Cara Black/Sania Mirza while fellow American Liezel Huber along with Chan Hao-ching of Chinese Taipei will take on the #2 seed Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina

Men’s Singles

Mens Singles Qualifying - 3-6-14

Three American men were able to advance from qualifying into the main draw. #11 Alex Kuznetsov didn’t have to face a seeded player in either of the two rounds and won 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-2 over Taro Daniel on Wednesday. In a matchup of two Americans Robby Ginepri advanced over Austin Krajicek after a 6-1, 7-5 win. Finally the lowest ranked American to advance was Daniel Kosakowski who knocked off #3 David Goffin 6-3, 6-2.

Mens Singles - 3-6-14

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Nine American men begin the first round on Thursday including three matchups involving two Americans. Sam Querrey takes on Alex Kuznetsov, Michael Russell takes on Donald Young, and Tim Smyczek takes on Jack Sock. The Querrey-Kuznetsov matchup is the least competitive by rankings but should still be competitive. The Smyczek-Sock matchup is between two players ranked just three spots apart. Finally while Donald Young is ranked ahead of Michael Russell he’s only won one of five career meetings.

Broadcasting Information:

Tennis Channel will be broadcasting the tournament from 2 PM – 2 AM ET while ESPN3.com has streams of the play at three stadiums that will include 10 of the 11 singles matches involving the US on Thursday.

Schedule:

  • March 6th – Tennis Channel – 2 PM-2 AM ET
    • Men’s Singles First Round
      • Approx. 2 PM ET – Jack Sock vs. Tim Smyczek – Stadium 1 – ESPN3 – First ever meeting
      • Approx. 4 PM ET – Donald Young vs. Michael Russell – Stadium 2 – ESPN3 – Michael Russell leads 4-1 all-time
      • Approx. 8 PM ET – Rhyne Williams vs. Jeremy Chardy – Stadium 3 – ESPN3 – First ever meeting
      • Approx. 8 PM ET – Robby Ginepri vs. Paul-Henri Mathieu – Tied 2-2 all-time
      • Approx. 10 PM ET – Ryan Harrison vs. Andrey Golubev – Stadium 2 – ESPN3 – First ever meeting
      • Approx. 12 AM ET – Sam Querrey vs. Alex Kuznetsov – Stadium 1 – ESPN3 – First ever meeting
    • Women’s Singles First Round
      • Approx. 2 PM ET – Taylor Townsend vs. Karin Knapp – Stadium 3 – ESPN3 – First ever meeting
      • Approx. 4 PM ET – Victoria Duval vs. Alisa Kleybanova – Stadium 1 – ESPN3 – First ever meeting
      • Approx. 8 PM ET – Coco Vandeweghe vs. Alexandra Cadantu – Stadium 1 – ESPN3 – First ever meeting
      • Approx. 10 PM ET – Bethanie Mattek-Sands vs. Caroline Garcia – Stadium 1 – ESPN3 – First ever meeting
      • Approx. 12 AM ET – Vania King vs. Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova – Stadium 2 – ESPN3 – Zahlavova-Strycova leads 2-1 all-time
    • Women’s Doubles First Round
      • Approx. 6 PM ET – Madison Keys/Alison Riske vs. #5 Cara Black/Sania Mirza – First ever meeting
      • Approx. 6 PM ET – Liezel Huber/Chan Hao-ching (Chinese Taipei) vs. #2 Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina – First ever meeting

US Defense Exposed in 2-0 Loss to Ukraine

Previous US Men’s Soccer Coverage

Things did not go too well for the US Men’s Soccer team in their matchup with Ukraine in Cyprus on Wednesday. Defensive lapses in the first and second half led to Ukraine goals and few players impressed in one of their final chances to make the case for inclusion in the preliminary 30-man Brazil squad that will take camp in May.

Three men who really did not help their cases were defenders Edgar Castillo, Oguchi Onyewu, and John Brooks. All three struggled with Castillo’s man consisting beating him down the left and Brooks heading a ball straight to a Ukrainian player for a breakaway chance that resulted in their second goal. Onyewu certainly wasn’t responsible for giving the ball away on that goal but he did not hustle back and after an initial save from Tim Howard the lack of his presence in the box was part of the reason Ukraine so easily scored off the rebound.

The US didn’t look great going forward either but were slightly better in the second half with Alejandro Bedoya making some nice plays. The best chances came after Aron Johannsson was introduced and he had a volley cleared off the line that could have put the US on the board.

It wasn’t a great showing but since this was just part of the squad the US will take to Brazil (This was almost entirely European based players) too many conclusions probably can’t be drawn. In fact of the four starting defenders in this game three of them seem unlikely to make the trip to Brazil and if they do will not be expected to contribute heavily. Geoff Cameron seems extremely likely to make the Brazil roster but whether he appears at right back (like he did vs. Ukraine) or is a midfield substitute is unknown.

The next game for the US is a friendly against Mexico on April 2nd that will allow the MLS and Liga MX based players to make their final case to make the May 30-man squad for the training camp before Brazil.

USA U-23 Women Win Six Nations Tournament, Only Team to Go 3-0

Previous Six Nations Tournament Coverage

There’s no doubt we can proclaim who the winner of the Six Nations Tournament is as after the three games for all six teams wrapped up with the US beating Norway 2-1. That result, combined with Germany’s 2-2 draw with Sweden, left the US as the clear winner as the only team to win all three of their games.

In the matchup against Norway Maya Hayes started off the scoring for the US late in the first half with Katie Stengel making it 2-0 with 15 minutes left to go. Norway did pull one back a few minute later but never could equalize and the US held on to go to 3-0 while Norway lost their third straight game, all by a single goal and all against the top three teams in the tournament.

Six Nations Tournament 3-6-14

You’re unlikely to see anymore Women’s U-23 coverage for nearly a year. The team doesn’t play very many games so it’s likely they won’t be in another tournament until next year’s Six Nations Tournament. The main women’s national team is currently in action in the Algarve Cup while the U-18 team is headed to La Manga as they will take part in the 10 Nations Tournament beginning on Saturday. You’ll find coverage of both here on WeSupportTheUS.com

Schedule:

  • March 1st
    • USA 1-0 Japan
    • Germany 3-2 Norway
    • England 1-1 Sweden
  • March 3rd
    • Norway 1-2 Japan
    • Germany 4-2 England
    • USA 2-1 Sweden
  • March 5th
    • USA 2-1 Norway
    • England 0-4 Japan
    • Germany 2-2 Sweden

Late Japanese Goal Leaves US With Just a Draw In Algarve Cup Opener

Previous Algarve Cup Coverage

The US outshot Japan 20-8 on Wednesday but struggled to find the back of the net. The only time they were able to score was in the 59th minute on a deflected clearance after Sydney Leroux raced at the Japanese keeper as she was clearing the ball and was able to deflect it. For a while it looked like that would be enough to get the US a win but with seven minutes left Japan’s Aya Miyama was able to get a free kick pass Hope Solo and leave the game a draw at 1-1.

Highlights of the 1-1 draw

It’s certainly not the end of the world for the US in the Algarve Cup even though only the top team in the group has a chance to play for the championship. Sweden beat Denmark 2-0 but two wins for the US would mean that only Japan could top them (it would go to goal differential). The US and Sweden face off on Friday morning with a loss by the US eliminating the possibility of them winning the group.

Algarve Cup 3-6-14

WeSupportTheUS.com will have a recap on Friday of the next round of Algarve Cup action.

Group Stage Schedule:

  • March 5th
    • 7:45 AM ET – USA 1-1 Japan
    • 1 PM ET – Sweden 2-0 Denmark
  • March 7th
    • 8:30 AM ET – USA vs. Sweden
    • 9:10 AM ET – Japan vs. Denmark
  • March 10th
    • 9:40 AM ET – Japan vs. Sweden
    • 9:40 AM ET – USA vs. Denmark

Kikkan Randall Finishes 7th, Wins 2013-14 Sprint Title, at Drammen Cross-Country Skiing World Cup Sprint Event

Previous Drammen – FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Cup Coverage

Kikkan Randall wrapped up her third straight Cross-Country Skiing Sprint World Cup Title on Wednesday after a seventh place finish left her far enough ahead with one event left that she can’t be caught. It’s a huge accomplishment for the American who became the fourth woman ever to win three titles and third (all since 1998) to win it at least three times in a row.

Men’s Sprint

Drammen - Mens Sprint Qualification

On the men’s side only Andrew Newell was able to qualify for the finals after he placed 30th in the qualification round. Simeon Hamilton nearly made it in but finished 31st 0.23 seconds behind the final qualification spot. In the final Andrew Newell was quickly eliminated after finishing last in his quarterfinal heat, 25th overall.

Drammen - Mens Sprint Final

Women’s Sprint

Drammen - Womens Sprint Qualification

Kikkan Randall was the top American in qualifying with a 17th place finish and Sadie Bjornsen also qualified in 21st. Ida Sargent (35th) and Sophie Cadwell (37th) were both within 1.25 seconds of qualifying. Randall was eliminated in the semifinals after her time of 3:06.17 was third in her heat and not fast enough overall to grab a lucky loser spot, she finished seventh overall.

Drammen - Womens Sprint Final

Upcoming:

The next World Cup event is not far off, long mass-start events for the men (50km) and women (30km) will be held Saturday and Sunday in Oslo. Check back to WeSupportTheUS.com on Friday evening for a preview of the start list for the men’s event.

Gold Medalist Mikaela Shiffrin Headlines Group of Three Americans in Women’s Giant Slalom World Cup Event in Are, Sweden

Previous Women’s FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup Coverage

The women’s alpine skiing world cup will feature a giant slalom event on Thursday in Are, Sweden, the first since the Olympics. Getting underway in a World Cup race for the first time since winning a gold medal will be Mikaela Shiffrin. She’ll race in her stronger slalom event on Saturday but certainly is capable of winning the giant slalom races as well. Also in the field will be Megan McJames who finished 30th in Sochi and Julia Mancuso who took a DNF on Thursday. The event consists of two runs three hours apart tomorrow.

WeSupportTheUS.com will have coverage of the results tomorrow night. Another separate women’s giant slalom event will be held in Are tomorrow.

Schedule:

  • March 6th
    • 7:30 AM ET – Women’s Giant Slalom – Run 1
      • Mikaela Shiffrin
      • Julia Mancuso
      • Megan McJames
    • 10:30 AM ET – Women’s Giant Slalom – Run 2

Eight US Athletes to Compete in Pokljuka, First Biathlon World Cup Event Since Sochi

The Biathlon World Cup gets back underway on Thursday with the first of three events left on the schedule. The sprint competitions (10km for men and 7.5km for women) start things off and the eight Americans representing the US in Pokljuka are the same eight who competed for the US in most of the events in Sochi. On the men’s side Tim Burke (19th) and Lowell Bailey (35th) both finished in the top 40 in Sochi. They are joined in the field by Leif Nordgren and Russell Currier. On the women’s side Susan Dunklee finished 14th in Sochi while other three women (Annelies Cook, Hannah Dreissigacker, Sara Studebaker) all finished outside the top 40.

The sprint events are used to set the field for the pursuit events on Saturday so the event is of double importance. WeSupportTheUS.com will have coverage of the results of the sprint events on Thursday evening.

Schedule:

  • March 6th
    • 6:30 AM – Men’s 10km Sprint
      • Tim Burke
      • Lowell Bailey
      • Leif Nordgren
      • Russell Currier
    • 9:30 AM – Women’s 7.5km Sprint
      • Annelies Cook
      • Hannah Dreissigacker
      • Susan Dunklee
      • Sara Studebaker

Four US Men to Compete in FIS Ski Cross World Cup Event in Arosa, Switzerland

Previous FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup Coverage

A field of 61 men will start the ski cross event on Thursday with a qualification round. The round is very important as only 32 men will advance to the head-to-head races tomorrow, so having a good time is very important. John Teller is in the field after an Olympics where he got eliminated in the round of 32. Also in the field are Joe SwenssonTyler Wallasch, and Brant Crossan.

Tomorrow night WeSupportTheUS.com will have coverage of the qualification round results and a preview of the elimination rounds.

Schedule:

  • March 6th
    • 7:45 AM ET – Men’s Qualification Round
      • John Teller
      • Joe Swensson
      • Tyler Wallasch
      • Brant Crossan

Taylor Fletcher, Bill Demong, and Bryan Fletcher All Advance to Nordic Combined World Cup Event in Trondheim

Previous Trondheim – FIS Nordic Combined World Cup Coverage

It was a good day in Trondheim for the US nordic combined athletes as three of the four made it to the main competition tomorrow. Bill Demong had a great jump today scoring a nice 112.2 total and placing 15th. If he could have a jump like that tomorrow he might be close enough to make some noise in the cross-country half. Bryan Fletcher had a really nice jump as well in 24th while Taylor Fletcher qualified in 47th. Nick Hendrickson missed out on qualifying after finishing in 54th and falling 3.3 points short of 50th.

Trondheim - Provisional Competition Round

Tomorrow the 50 men who qualified with start with ski jumping and follow that up with a 10km cross-country portion. The US traditionally is stronger at the cross-country half so a strong jump could make things interesting. Visit WeSupportTheUS.com tomorrow night for a recap of the event and a preview of the start of the next event in Oslo which will kick off with a provisional competition round on Thursday.

 Schedule:

  • March 6th
    • 8 AM ET – Large Hill Ski Jumping
      • Taylor Fletcher
      • Bill Demong
      • Bryan Fletcher
    • 10:45 AM ET – 10km Cross Country

Sochi Short Track Speed Skating Recap: No Two Ways About It, A Very Disappointing Olympics for the US

There are few sports that were as disappointing for the US in Sochi as short track speed skating. This is a sport that Apollo Anton Ohno helped get Americans interested in but in Sochi each event brought new disappointment. The sport can be very fluky, the margins are razor thin and one bad break can cost a skater, but to see the US fail to grab even a single individual medal was shocking. They did grab one in the men’s 5000m relay to end the Olympics but that also helped show they have talented skaters and showed how odd it was that they didn’t medal in any other events.

Men’s 500m

Mens 500m

The men’s 500m event didn’t go great for the US in fact two of their three competitors finished last in the heats and near the very bottom of the entire field. J.R. Celski was the exception as he advanced all the way to the semifinals where he finished fourth and was placed in the B final. This is an event the US has struggled to medal in with only two finishes in the previous five Olympics higher than Celski’s sixth.

Mens 500m Yearly Best

Women’s 500m

Womens 500m

For the US women the 500m went slightly worse than for the men. Two of the three were eliminated in the first round just like on the men’s side but Emily Scott could only advance as far as the quarterfinals. She finished 12th which was the second worst all-time for the US just ahead of 1998. The US has not medaled in the women’s 500m since 1994.

Womens 500m Yearly Best

Men’s 1000m

Mens 1000m

The men’s 1000m was another event where the US failed to even get a semifinalist. Both Christopher Creveling and Eduardo Alvarez came up a spot short in the quarterfinal heats. It was the first time since 1992 the US didn’t have someone in the top nine and ended a streak of three straight Olympics with a medal (all by Apollo Anton Ohno).

Mens 1000m Yearly Best

Women’s 1000m

Womens 1000m

The closest the US women came to medaling was in the 1000m where Jessica Smith reached the final and finished just off of third. This is an event where the US has only medaled once (silver in Vancouver) so the fourth place finish doesn’t look bad at all historically.

Womens 1000m Yearly Best

Men’s 1500m

Mens 1500m

The closest the men came to grabbing a medal in the individual events was the 1500m where J.R. Celski finished fourth and missed out on the bronze. It’s worth noting that Celski’s disappointing Olympics did result in a fourth and a sixth in two individual events and a 13th in the other. The standards are high for the US due to past success and Celski’s talent, that’s why these results are disappointing. The fourth place finish in the 1500m makes it 50-50 so far on if the US medals in the men’s 1500m.

Mens 1500m Yearly Best

Women’s 1500m

Womens 1500m

Emily Scott took her turn nearly medaling for the US in the 1500m as she placed fifth. She wasn’t the only one who had success though as Jessica Smith reached the B final and this was the only event where the US had two finalists (including the B-finals). The US has never medaled in this event and this makes two straight top five finishes. It would seem that the women’s speed skating had a stronger Olympics than their male counterparts when compared to past results.

Womens 1500m Yearly Best

Men’s 5000m Relay

Mens 5000m Relay

The only medal success the US found in Sochi came in an event they nearly were knocked out of. Falling in the semifinals the US finished fourth and appeared to be eliminated from medal contention. Instead it was ruled they were impeded and they were advanced to the final. In the final an early fall took out everyone but the US and Russia and the two teams dueled for the lead until Russia pulled away at the end a bit to grab gold. This is a strong event for the US and they’ve now medaled three straight Olympics. They’ve never won gold but as long as they don’t get taken out they seem a good bet to medal at the Olympics now.

Mens 5000m Relay Yearly Best

Previous Olympic Recaps

Freestyle Skiing
Curling

Nordic Combined

Figure Skating
Ski Jumping
Skeleton
Luge

Covering America's Athletes