Tag: lobandsmash.com

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: Rafael Jodar is going to be a star. The Spaniard isn't simply a clay-court specialist; he has proven he can play well on hard courts too. His problem in the Citi Open final was that he was facing Taylor Fritz, who is better on hard courts than on any other surface. –>…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: The 2026 Citi Open was set up to be one that many tennis fans were going to make a point to watch. This is especially true of the women's final between Alex Eala and Jessica Pegula. Eala was trying to win her first-ever WTA Tour title, and even though the match was…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: The Washington, DC rain was going to try to upset the happiness of whoever won the 2026 Citi Open title between Alex Eala and Jessica Pegula. The final was pushed back three hours, and Eala's legion of fans had to keep waiting. Meanwhile, Pegula, who has won plenty of titles, including previously…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: Even great players need a helping hand from time to time. That is the case with Alexander Zverev, who has been a staple in the top 10 on the ATP Tour for years and is currently in a struggle for No. 2 with the injured Carlos Alcaraz. It is with a countryman…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: Alex Eala is rising, and not even former Grand Slam winners can stand in her way, it seems. In the semifinals of the 2026 Citi Open against Naomi Osaka, Eala showed mental toughness, elite shot-making, and a difficult-to-manage second serve that was a real issue for the Japanese player. –> Alex Eala…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: Jessica Pegula switched the narrative of her semifinal match at the 2026 Citi Open against Diana Shnaider in a flash. Down 1-4 and playing well under her normal form, the American began to not overhit, instead hitting to angles and forcing Shnaider to win points rather than Pegula giving them to her.…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: Alex Eala has been a rising star on the tennis scene for a couple of years, but she is still searching for her first career title. That hasn't stopped her from gaining a growing following of fans who seemingly turn out for every tournament that she is involved in. That fact has…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: The quarterfinals match of the 2026 Citi Open between Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Naomi Osaka was set up to be a clash of styles. Osaka has the ability to hit anyone off the court, and Cocciaretto relies on precision and balance to win matches. The match might have been destined to see which…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: Jessica Pegula doesn't mind playing from behind in matches, as her greatest skill is that she never gives up. Her stoicism has earned her many wins. But when she gets ahead, as she did against Anna Kalinskaya in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Citi Open, she is even more difficult to defeat.…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: The absence of Carlos Alcaraz has left the ATP Tour with a void that only Alcaraz can fill. While his absence has opened the doors for others to step in, step up, and win titles, such as Alexander Zverev's French Open win, no Alcaraz feels like what it would have felt like…