Tennis: All Purpose Tennis Thread XVI

[Tuggy]

Biggest title so far for 19 year old Stakusic

https://www.wtatennis.com/news/4156...ic-wins-first-career-wta-125-title-in-tampico

 

[kihei]

What a monster. Mpetshi Perricard, he of the two first serves, won Basel, a 500 level tournament, with humongous serving (several in the low 240 km/h range), even injuring slightly Shelton's right wrist with one of them. For the match, Shelton only managed to put in play 23 of 62 serves. Mpetshi Perricard is the highest ranked server on tour (an astounding 9.5 out of 10). Even with exclusively first serving, he only had two double faults for the match. His approach to serving may represent a new evolution of the game. The rest of his game isn't great, but he seldom makes mistakes (35-9 w/ue ratio).

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

What a monster. Mpetshi Perricard, he of the two first serves, won Basel, a 500 level tournament, with humongous serving (several in the low 240 km/h range), even injuring slightly Shelton's right wrist with one of them. For the match, Shelton only managed to put in play 23 of 62 serves. Mpetshi Perricard is the highest ranked server on tour (an astounding 9.5 out of 10). Even with exclusively first serving, he only had two double faults for the match. His approach to serving may represent a new evolution of the game. The rest of his game isn't great, but he seldom makes mistakes (35-9 w/ue ratio).

If he legit develops any sort of ground game, he'll be tremendous. Your best hope of winning a set off the dude is tiebreak every time. His serve is nonsensical lol

 

[kihei]

Up to 6-4, 4-love against Khachanov, Draper looked like a top-5 player in waiting. Then nerves got to him, and he quickly blew his lead. However, he just managed to get over the finish line 7-5 to win his second and most important title in Vienna.

 

[kihei]

The final 1000-level tournament of the year, Paris Bercy is always end of year crazy as players mostly just want to go home after a long year (one day has been played and Paul eliminatied):

Sinner over Fritz
Fils over Cerundolo

Dimitrov over Popryn
Alcaraz over Ruud

Sinner over Fils
Alcaraz over Dimitrov

Sinner over Alcaraz

 

[kihei]

In front of a delighted French crowd, Humbert knocks off Carlos 7-5 in the third. Carlos looked tired, but full points to Humbert for gutting it out.

 

[kihei]

Interesting factoid that I never knew. Mats Wilanders' record against Jimmy Connors was 6-0.

 

[kihei]

Subtract the Alcaraz matches and Sinner is 65-3 for 2024.

 

[Tuggy]

Denis playing some good tennis this week. Into a final in Serbia.

 

[Tuggy]

Denis grabs the title in straight sets.

 

[MsMeow]

Gaby and Erin won the doubles title today!

 

[kihei]

Denis grabs the title in straight sets.

It was a very serve dominant match. Both Denis and Hamad had great weeks. It's the best I've seen Shapo hit groundstrokes all year, and his decision-making was a strength for a change. A very welcome surprise and a big boost in the rankings (#56) that will see Denis avoid qualifiers for awhile.

 

[Tuggy]

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Fritz owns Zverev lmao

 

[MsMeow]

Sinner is so freaking good. Can't see him losing to Fritz tomorrow.

 

[kihei]

That Fritz/Zverev match has to be among the very best three setters of the year. It was really the Perils of Pauline for Fritz in the final set, but he managed to escape half a dozen break points.

Sinner now appears to be in a class all by himself.

 

[kihei]

Just like every other match he played this week, Sinner was spectacular when necessary but mostly just his steady, efficient, flawless self beating Fritz in straight sets 4 and 4. He has the Davis Cup still to play in what must seem to him an endless 2024, but at the moment he is having probably one of the five or six greatest seasons in men's tennis history.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I can't really see Novak winning another major at this rate unless Carlos gets hurt during the Wimbledon or French stretch or Jannik gets suspended early next year for the AO with that decision probably coming soon as well.

Tremendous season for Sinner and Fritz can't really mad since no one can beat the dude on hard court lol. Can't wait to talk back here starting in January

 

[kihei]

Up and down year for predictions

Fearless predictions for 2024

Most improved player: Medjedovic (currently 113) (super wrong, but I still have hope for him)
Comeback player of the year: Nadal (672), Felix 29 (Ouch)
Most improved player: Andreeva (57) (good one, moved up to 16)
Comeback player of the year: Osaka (658) (might have been a year early)
GS winners: Djokovic 2, Alcaraz 1, Sinner 1 (half right)
GS winners: Swiatek 2, Gauff 2 (one right, not good)
End of year #1: Alcaraz (wrong)
End of year #1: Swiatek (wrong)
Top Ten Male Players in order: Alcaraz, Djokovic, Sinner, Medvedev, Rune, Zverev, Rublev, Ruud, Hurkacz, Tsitsipas (7 of 10 made it in some order)
Top Ten Female Players in order, Swiatek, Gauff, Sabalenka, Rybakina, Vondrousova, Pegula, Jabbeur, Zheng, Krejcikova, Muchova (7 of 10, also)
Long shot top ten player, men: Shelton (17) (Ben fell back a little (21))
Not that much of a long shot top ten player, women: Zheng (15) (good call, (5))
Most promising young player, men: Medjedovic (wrong)
Most promising young player, women: Andreeva (not bad, Gauff is the too obvious answer, though)
Felix (29) regains form but fails to crack top 15 (Felix stayed the same-29)
Fernandez (35) has a solid year and movies into the top 25. (decent year, moved up to 31)
Sakkari (9), Haddad Maia (11), and Keys (12) move down (they all did)
Tsitsipas (6), Mannarino (22) and Struff (25) move down (they all did, nice call on Tsitsipas)
Medjedocic (113), Fils (36) and Draper (61) move up (Medjedocic, often injured, dropped one spot; the other two moved up significantly)
Rafa does not win the French Open (yup)
Nole adds two titles to his GS collection to 26, surpassing Margaret Court in the process (dead wrong)
Andreescu and Shapovalov's fate remains uncertain, any positives welcome (Andreescu plummeted, Shapo moved up to #51)
Andy Murray retires at the end of the year (he didn't wait that long)
Fritz remains best US player but Shelton is hot on his heels (Fritz ended at #4 and deserved it; Ben mostly treaded water)
Korda finally stays healthy and moves well within the top twenty (dead wrong)
Italy again wins the Davis Cup (yup)

 

[kihei]

Fearless predictions for 2025

Most improved player: Mensik (currently 48)
Comeback player of the year: Berrettini (34)
Most improved player: Osaka (58)
Comeback player of the year: Osaka (58)
GS winners: Sinner 2, Alcaraz 2
GS winners: Sabalenka 2, Swiatek 2
End of year #1: Sinner
End of year #1: Swiatek
Top Ten Male Players in order: Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev, Medvedev, Fritz, Ruud, Rublev, De Minaur, Djokovic, Draper
Top Ten Female Players in order, Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff, Rybakina, Zheng, Paolini, Pegula, Navarro, Badosa, Andreeva
Potential top ten player, men: Rune (13)
Potential top ten player, women: Schnaider (13)
Most promising young player, men: Mensik
Most promising young player, women (not counting you know who): Andreeva
Felix (29) returns to the top 25, but not the top 20
Fernandez (31) has a solid year and movies into the top 25.
Zverev will continue to fail to win a GS
Sinner will be suspended but not for more than a month, though he probably won't miss a GS
Djokovic (7), Humbert (14), Dimitrov (10) move down
Medjedovic (114), Diallo (87) and Shang (50) move up
Collins (11), Haddad Maia (17), and Ostapenko (15) move down
Fernandez (31), Raducanu (57), Stakusic (42) move up
Shapovalov (56) remains outside the top 35
Sinner's winning percentage does not top 90% as it did this year
Djokovic will win at least one tournament to reach 100 for his career
Fritz remains best US player
Italy again wins the Davis Cup