Tennis: All Purpose Tennis Thread XII

[kihei]

Denis seldom constructed a point purposefully, much less cunningly. He was fortunate today that he was competing against someone as young and even less experienced than he is.

 

[Tuggy]

Denis goes out in a 3rd set TB to Paire. I'm sure he'll be happy when the clay season is finished.

Felix up later today.

 

[kihei]

Fine first set from Felix; dismal second set, though. Going to a decider against Johnson who, despite his two Houston championships on clay, should be easy pickings for Felix, as the first set demonstrated.

 

[kihei]

Felix is back on track, 3-1.

 

[Tuggy]

Felix is back on track, 3-1.

He still fights consistency, but that's not unusual for an 18 year at this level.

In the drivers seat now.

 

[kihei]

Quickly to 4-1.

A hiccup serving for the match, 5-3.

5-4, gut check time now. Felix once again serves for the match.

Felix holds with real authority. This win puts him in the top 25, I think.

 

[Tuggy]

Broken serving for the match, but got it done on the second time of asking.

Basilashvili next.

 

[Tuggy]

Quickly to 4-1.

A hiccup serving for the match, 5-3.

5-4, gut check time now. Felix once again serves for the match.

Felix holds with real authority. This win puts him in the top 25, I think.

#24 in the live rankings and a win away from jumping over Denis.

 

[kihei]

If Felix were a hockey player who would he be? First thought: Patrice Bergeron with a chance of becoming Jean Beliveau. You all remember Jean Beliveau, right? Well, right? What?????

 

[discostu]

#24 in the live rankings and a win away from jumping over Denis.

He's not too far away from being Canada's top ranked men's player. Winning this tournament would put him close, and then just needs a good RG run.

 

[Loosie]

He's not too far away from being Canada's top ranked men's player. Winning this tournament would put him close, and then just needs a good RG run.

It helps that Raonic is injured right now too. Now he didn't play Roland Garos last year either so he's not losing any points there. If Felix wins Lyon he would still need to reach the semis to pass Raonic after the French Open. (A QF would leave him 18 points shy of Raonic)

However if Raonic isn't back by the grass season he falls to Canadian #3 after Wimbledon. He has 555 points in 3 grass tournaments last year. That is more than the current gap between Raonic and Auger-Aliassime.

 

[discostu]

It helps that Raonic is injured right now too. Now he didn't play Roland Garos last year either so he's not losing any points there. If Felix wins Lyon he would still need to reach the semis to pass Raonic after the French Open. (A QF would leave him 18 points shy of Raonic)

However if Raonic isn't back by the grass season he falls to Canadian #3 after Wimbledon. He has 555 points in 3 grass tournaments last year. That is more than the current gap between Raonic and Auger-Aliassime.

Thanks, I didn't do the math, but more a quick glance. Getting that deep in RG would be tough, especially as Felix has been a little inconsistent, and we'll need to see how he handles the pressure of being seeded in a major. Harder to sneak up on people now.

I wouldn't be surprised if the title of highest ranked Canadian mens player changes hand a few times over the next year. All three can get hot and cold and do better on different surfaces.

 

[kihei]

Death by drop shot. Fritz gets dominated by a coolly efficient Paire, 6-4, in the first set.

 

[kihei]

As has happened since time immemorial, European clay courters are schooling their young, hot shot North American counterparts. Paire clobbers Fritz and now Basilashvilli is dominating Felix, 6-2, in the first set.

 

[kihei]

At 4-all in the second, Felix goes down love-40 on serve, but then recovers for the hold. There was one breathtaking down-the-line forehand in there that you'd have to have ice water in your veins to even try.

 

[kihei]

Polar opposite set from the first as Felix learns fast, 7-6.

At 3-2 in the third, Felix has a medical timeout for an upper thigh problem of some sort. Doesn't seem super serious at present.

 

[kihei]

Felix gets the break for 4-3. And he's serving very well.

Felix digs a hole for himself twice with miss-hits and then coolly saves the subsequent break points with sharp tennis, 5-3.

 

[Tuggy]

Into the final!

 

[kihei]

Damn, what a way to win it--opening and closing aces that bookend a pair of groundstrokes that land near lines in opposite corners of the court.

HUGE WIN.

 

[kihei]

Into the final!

...with style.

 

[Tuggy]

Damn, what a way to win it--opening and closing aces that bookend a pair of groundstrokes that land near lines in opposite corners of the court.

HUGE WIN.

Jumps Denis in the live rankings. Up to #22.

#11 in the live race!

 

[kihei]

Zverev chokes away a hugely winnable tie breaker to unfortunately even his match with the one-dimensional Debonis. Sascha's body language is the pits and his confidence is in tatters. This has the making of another disastrous loss.

 

[kihei]

Delbonis basically self destructs in the third set making things easy for Sascha, 6-3 with two breaks.

 

[discostu]

Jumps Denis in the live rankings. Up to #22.

#11 in the live race!

Outside the top 100 to start 2019, knocking on the door of the top 20 by Roland Garros. Not too shabby.

It would be nice to get an ATP tourney win under his belt.

 

[discostu]

Does anyone know if tomorrow's match will be on Canadian TV? I know tennis broadcast rights are a bit of a mess in Canada right now. I'd hope that either tsn or Rogers has the ability to pick this up.