Tennis: All Purpose Tennis Thread XVI

[kihei]

What a great showing for the Chinese. A gold in women's singles and a silver in mixed doubles. Could well be a harbinger of things to come.

 

[otown]

Shapo defaulted in Washington for cursing at a spectator. There was a mitigating circumstance--an obnoxious spectator--but Denis should have known better.

Picked Carlos to win against Nole at the start. No reason to switch horses now. I'm going to guess three sets.

1 step forward 10 steps back for Shapo. Coming off like an entitled immature sportsbrat!
As far as the Olympic finals is concerned it is the passing of the torch. Carlos is golden!

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Shapo defaulted in Washington for cursing at a spectator. There was a mitigating circumstance--an obnoxious spectator--but Denis should have known better.

Picked Carlos to win against Nole at the start. No reason to switch horses now. I'm going to guess three sets.

Can't see Novak lasting 3 on Carlos's best surface with how physical he's been in matches this Olympics but would love to see it obviously

 

[Tuggy]

Felix going the distance in the bronze medal match. He's played a lot of tennis this week.

 

[kihei]

Not to be, but Felix does go home with a medal from the mixed doubles. Quite a week really when there was nothing really expected of him at all. He's a different player, a better player when he is wearing that Maple Leaf.

 

[kihei]

Can't see Novak lasting 3 on Carlos's best surface with how physical he's been in matches this Olympics but would love to see it obviously

I'm more cautious partly because of how good and how fit Nole looked against Musetti and, of course, to some extent on Novak's iron will. But also Djokovic did beat Carlos at Roland Garros last year, though, granted, cramping paid a decisive role in that win. I like Carlos for the gold, but it is more like a 53-47 probability for me than something greater.

Not trying to be nitpicky--I just think it is interesting as hell--Carlos best surface is now officially grass where he is .889 lifetime (24-3), that's better than Nole at .857 and Roger at .869. One could say "small sample size" but neither of the demigods had that kind of a record on grass after their first 27 matches, not even close. Could probably still win a bet in a bar with this piece of information.

 

[CupofOil]

I'm more cautious partly because of how good and how fit Nole looked against Musetti and, of course, to some extent on Novak's iron will. But also Djokovic did beat Carlos at Roland Garros last year, though, granted, cramping paid a decisive role in that win. I like Carlos for the gold, but it is more like a 53-47 probability for me than something greater.

Not trying to be nitpicky--I just think it is interesting as hell--Carlos best surface is now officially grass where he is .889 lifetime (24-3), that's better than Nole at .857 and Roger at .869. One could say "small sample size" but neither of the demigods had that kind of a record on grass after their first 27 matches, not even close. Could probably still win a bet in a bar with this piece of information.

Yeah, I was gonna say.... I don't think Carlos's best surface is Clay anymore as is the case with most Spaniards because he doesn't play like a prototypical Spaniard. The beauty of his game is that it's so complete that it's hard to pick which surface is his best because he excels on all of them but he's been most dominant on grass thus far which absolutely nobody saw coming even as recently as early Summer 2023. A testament to his ability to adapt quickly and I don't think we've seen Peak Alcaraz yet, scary for the rest of the field.

As far as tomorrow is concerned, I think Djokovic is in better form than he was at Wimbledon but he hasn't beaten a top 10 player yet this season shockingly (I believe) so it's hard to envision him beating Alcaraz right now but never underestimate a hungry Djokovic and he REALLY wants that Gold probably as bad as he's ever wanted any title so can never count him out.

 

[Tuggy]

Match underway at 2-2 and the match looks completely on Alcaraz's racket.

Djokovic has to grind points. Can't see him being able to outlast Carlos.

 

[kihei]

Yes, the war of attrition is starting early for Nole. He needed to take care of that love-40 advantage on Carlos' serve and didn't.

 

[kihei]

Even if Nole gets out of this game, it will have cost him a lot of energy,

 

[Tuggy]

Massive hold from Djokovic. Wonder if he can grab a break here.

 

[kihei]

Amazing. Well, that's what I meant by will power.

 

[kihei]

Carlos looking a little hangdog right now. Holds for 4-3, though.

 

[kihei]

Carlos might want to break here. Another breaker against Nole would be very precarious.

 

[kihei]

I have no words. Well, a few. What a performance. After this, Novak may be the GOAT of all GOATS.

 

[John Price]

hard fought gold medal. 7-6 7-6

 

[CupofOil]

Incredible performance by Djokovic, that was the best he looked in years. Alcaraz didn't bring his A game but it's not about that, it's about the GOAT completing his career with Olympic Gold. Amazing

 

[Tuggy]

Really impressive from Djokovic. He really wanted that Gold.

 

[otown]

Glad I didn't bet on this one! Just goes to show that you can never count Djokovic out!

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Great match for a 2 setter, Alcaraz will win one of the next 2 olympics. Would've been insane if he did it in his first try.

Carlos might want to break here. Another breaker against Nole would be very precarious.

Yeah, I wonder if Novak's whole MO was to get a tiebreaker and hope for a mistake or two from Alcaraz both sets when it was getting late into those sets.

 

[Hadoop]

Watched the last 20-30 minutes or so of the men's final. I was yelling "Oh no!" at the TV as Carlos tightened up in the crucial moments, but wow watching Novak overcome with emotion I got a little emotional as well. And if this is last major title from the players of the GOAT generation, then what a fitting way for the GOAT of GOATs to finally get his gold.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

Just incredible. I had given up on any hopes of Gold when he didn't win in 2016. If you had told me then, that he would win 8 years from then, I'd say you were crazy.

This win makes the entire year worth it... don't care about how USO goes. Just need him to be healthy so I can see him at AO 2025, selfishly.

 

[kihei]

Montreal seems like the all-time anticlimax now.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Is Tabilo a "clown"?

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Just incredible. I had given up on any hopes of Gold when he didn't win in 2016. If you had told me then, that he would win 8 years from then, I'd say you were crazy.

This win makes the entire year worth it... don't care about how USO goes. Just need him to be healthy so I can see him at AO 2025, selfishly.

That's near me but I have no idea who I want to go see live at all, lol. This is the first year I fully invested into tennis, some of it due to betting ( ) , but I can watch tennis all day even without betting on it. I want to see Novak live once for sure, guys like Sinner/Alcaraz are up there too and then I wanna see Collins in her last year too at the USO. The Australian Open is a bucket list item for me too because you guys have summer when we deal with the worst part of our winters in North America at that time lol