Tennis: All Purpose Tennis Thread XVI

[MXD]

In her first thirteen games tonight, Rybakina had 50 unforced errors. How is that even possible? Well, for one thing, Kasatkina, her opponent, had 35.

I was there for the whole game and was kinda wondering what the hell were we watching.
It started really well, mind you. Much more creativity and interest the total zombie bashing fest that was Samsonova/Bencic.

But it really went south around the midpoint of the second set. That was way, way, way too late.

 

[kihei]

Takeaways from Toronto.

It is not Fed-level, but Toronto really loves Gael Monfils.

The new "anybody can get to the weekend" reality suggests a parity that tennis hasn't had in a while, but the quality of weekend play is going to take a dip.

Nobody came out of Toronto as a strong favorite to win the US Open, not even Sinner.

All 1000-level tournaments should have at least one court with a roof.

Credit to a commentator, for once, for pointing out that Sinner doesn't extend the court by playing angles. Kind of a big flaw, no?

Nobody will ever be happy to draw ADF in the first round.

Tennis is very lucky that Alcaraz came along when he did.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

Sinner has some holes in his game (eg. He looks like he should have servebot skills, but just doesn't) but has time to improve them. He can be the main Alcarez rival guy when he's 24-25 not 22. I can't believe Alcarez is nearly 2 years younger than this guy what the hell.

 

[MsMeow]

Felix defeated Matteo! He dropped the first and took the next 2. Hope there is more to come

 

[kihei]

Felix wins one, and it's a good one over Berrettini. FAA started poorly but improved dramatically despite some wobbly groumdstrokes.

 

[Tuggy]

Nice to see him finally win one.

 

[kihei]

Nice to see him finally win one.

...but he might not make it two in a row. Felix loses the first set to Mannarino 6-4 behind 3 winners and 20 unforced errors. Even sitting down during change overs his body language looks awful, a combination of anger, frustration and despondency.

 

[17futurecap]

The courts are so slow. It also hasn’t been insanely hot in Cincy, like it usually is.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

Alcaraz looks off again after losing to Tommy Paul in Canadian Open. I like Djokovic for US open like Federer winning in 2008 after the Wimbledon loss.

 

[MsMeow]

Denis withdrew from the US Open due to the knee issue.

 

[Tuggy]

Denis withdrew from the US Open due to the knee issue.

Sucks for Denis. Hopefully he doesn't miss too much more time.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Alcaraz looks off again after losing to Tommy Paul in Canadian Open. I like Djokovic for US open like Federer winning in 2008 after the Wimbledon loss.

He lost to Paul and looked just as bad in Montreal last year too before winning the US Open, I wouldn't read much into last week or this week when it comes to odds of winning the US Open. Considering no one has defended it since Federer in '08 I would take the field (with Djokovic leading candidate) over Alcaraz but I still view Carlos as the overall favorite and would take him over Djokovic h2h at this point. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Medvedev, Sinner, some other random player win it though.

 

[Ben Grimm]

Will a man younger than Novak ever win 9 majors?

 

[TCTC]

I love how Medvedev's coach always wears a hat of a different NHL team at every tournament. Guy didn't just pick a team, he represents them all lol.
Saw him with a Bruins hat, Rangers hat, Canadiens hat, Leafs hat, and now a Blue Jackets hat.

 

[Ben Grimm]

Novak Djokovic Has ‘Zero Regret’ About Missing Last Two Years of U.S. Tournaments Over Vaccine Refusal

Novak Djokovic has 'zero regret' about skipping last year’s US Open as a result of his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID.

people.com

 

[TCTC]

Alcaraz/Paul is such a great matchup. They always deliver.

 

[MsMeow]

Carlos should be in the locker room right now. This is a crazy match!

 

[kihei]

This may be the bounciest court I have ever seen.

 

[kihei]

Nole has an easy win, 3 and 2, over Monfils who had been playing great tennis lately. While Nole adjusted to the fast, bouncy courts quickly Gael never found his rhythm, especially on his forehand off which he committed 27 unforced errors.

I wouldn't want a Challenger tournament decided on these things let alone a 1000- level.

 

[Filppula]

Nole has an easy win, 3 and 2, over Monfils who had been playing great tennis lately. While Nole adjusted to the fast, bouncy courts quickly Gael never found his rhythm, especially on his forehand off which he committed 27 unforced errors.

I wouldn't want a Challenger tournament decided on these things let alone a 1000- level.

They don’t look fast to me. Much better showing by Djokovic compared to R2.

 

[kihei]

They don’t look fast to me. Much better showing by Djokovic compared to R2.

Well, Taylor Fritz agrees with me.

 

[kihei]

Yesterday's Alcaraz/Iga matches sum up how weak today's ATP/WTA are. Both played horrendous tennis vs two fairly solid top 15 players and yet still won. No way in 2014 or 2008 or hell, even 1993 could the likes of Serena/Novak/Sharapova/Clijsters/Graf/Sampras played a match like that vs anyone else in the top 15 and gotten away with it. I definitely like the chance 1 or both lose today to Paul or Collins for sure. It seems like a week of upsets so far

I'm not saying you are wrong, and I agree with you about 2014, the outlier year for me because it is possibly the most stacked Top Twenty in tennis history. But I think the other years contain lots of players who made the Top 10-20 who wouldn't have beaten Nole or Pete even if they had a really off-day. A few examples from each year, all of whom I have seen play live except for Boetsch and Monaco:

1993

Cedric Pioline
Marc Rousset
Alexander Volkov
Amaud Boetsch
Wally Masur


2008

Mikael Youszny
Radek Stepanek
Paul-Henri Mathieu
Jarkko Nieminen
Juan Monaco

I do think it is impressive that Carlos on an off-day can beat Hurkacz--but then again Alcaraz can have an off-day and beat a lot of people. I think Hubie on an average day could beat any of the above mentioned-players. In short, I think the Top Twenty today is not at all weak, but dee[er than '08 and far superior to '93.

 

[17futurecap]

Purcell was a pretty fun watch. Feel like it’s been a pretty blah two weeks for Alcaraz, and that still might end with him winning a title on Sunday.

 

[Filppula]

Well, Taylor Fritz agrees with me.

Cinci has always been quite fast, it just doesn’t look as speedy as previous years. Certainly bouncy. Shanghai seems like the fastest outdoors MS event these days.

 

[kihei]

Yikes. Nole over Fritz in the first set 6-love in twenty minutes.

2nd set: So it logically follows, right, that Fritz would take a 2-love lead in the second set. Head shake time.

6-4 Nole. The match took an hour to complete. Djokovic looks really good.