Tennis: French Open 2024

[kihei]

Here's a stat that is absolutely mind-blowing. Since 2002 (before Carlos Alcaraz was born and before Rafa joined the ATP tour), Rafa has never lost two matches in a row on clay until Zverev beat Nadal at the French Open, giving him his first consecutive loss. How is that even human?

 

[kihei]

Now, that was more like it. Nole looked way better today, playing aggressively, going for winners, and finishing points at the net with real purpose. After a good opening set, Carballes-Baena was simply overwhelmed.

Felix wins in four sets over Squire, a not very impressive player who managed to take a set from FAA anyway. But, hey, the third round is the third round.

Shapo to serve for a four-set win over a struggling Tiafoe....and Denis is through to the third round. Tiafoe's handshake was lukewarm to say the least, befitting of someone who converted only one of twenty break points in the match.

 

[Ben Grimm]

Sacré bleu! The French Open banned alcohol in the stands after fans were called out for rowdiness

One player said a French Open spectator spat chewed gum toward him. Another, No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek, chastised the crowd at the main stadium for making too much noise during points. “They should let us drink,” said Ana Malevukovic, a 37-year-old plastic surgeon from Serbia, standing near a...

sports.yahoo.com

@kihei Is watching the rest of the tourney from his hotel room with booze.

 

[Tuggy]

All 4 Canadians winners again today.

 

[TCTC]

Sacré bleu! The French Open banned alcohol in the stands after fans were called out for rowdiness

One player said a French Open spectator spat chewed gum toward him. Another, No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek, chastised the crowd at the main stadium for making too much noise during points. “They should let us drink,” said Ana Malevukovic, a 37-year-old plastic surgeon from Serbia, standing near a...

sports.yahoo.com

@kihei Is watching the rest of the tourney from his hotel room with booze.

I'm glad they're finally called out. French Open crowd is the the worst.

 

[17futurecap]

That was one of the best Grand Slam Tennis days I can remember.

 

[kihei]

Ofner versus Moutet today, the tour's leading psychos playing one another. What could possibly go wrong.

 

[Incubajerks]

I'm glad they're finally called out. French Open crowd is the the worst.

Nothing can be worst than US Open.

 

[TCTC]

Nothing can be worst than US Open.

True, they're pretty bad as well. But I think US Open crowd is just noisy, French Open crowd is blatantly unsportsmanlike. They side with one player and then they behave like this is the World Cup final or something.

 

[Tuggy]

Rublev looking like he's on his way out.

 

[kihei]

Jabeur over Fernandez 4 and 6. Frustrating match. Leylah had chances to take the second set, including a set point, but Ons won most of the clutch points today. It's not a great match up for Leylah as Jabeur is stronger and has more variety and creativity. Leylah gets stuck in semi-permanent defensive mode, and that's a tough way to win a match.

Arnaldi knocks off Rublev in straight sets. Certainly a very tough opponent for Andrey, but he almost invariably wins these kind of early round encounters. Arnaldi is one of those guys that just keeps getting better and better in nice steady increments, so this upset falls well short of shocking.

Tsitsipas in easy straight sets over Zhang, 3, 3 and 1. I picked Tsitisipas to win the tournament--surely, the kiss of death--and he is looking great so far. He lost only 12 service points for the entire match. Even his backhand seems to be working well. That's the first time that I have seen Zhang, a good player, completely outclassed in a match.

 

[kihei]

If you provided Tsitsipas with deely boppers on his head and little wings on his shoulders, he would look like a yellowjacket in a grade-school play. Just sayin'

 

[kihei]

Papa and Mama Tsitsipas seemed stuck in higher bleachers than usual today, likely at their son's request. The better Stefanos played, the more Papa frowned. What a piece of business that guy is.

 

[kihei]

Carlos over Korda 4, 6 and 3. And not really that close. Carlos just cruised, never looked like he felt the least threatened. Hitting his forehand and serve a bit harder today, too, so looks like the arm is not a problem at the moment.

 

[Tuggy]

Felix gets past Shelton fairly easily to get into the R16.

Big match tomorrow against Alcaraz.

 

[kihei]

Felix clobbered Shelton 4, 2 and 1. Anybody see it? What happened? They're doubles partners and really good friends, by the way.

 

[kihei]

Machac is in with a small handful of guys that I wouldn't want a favourite player to draw in the early rounds. If his opponent isn't really dialed in from the first point, Tomas will grind him down into fine dust. Today, he's playing Medvedev, the prince of grinders, so it should be interesting,

 

[Tuggy]

Felix clobbered Shelton 4, 2 and 1. Anybody see it? What happened? They're doubles partners and really good friends, by the way.

Shelton carrying an injury. Didn't serve well at all.

 

[kihei]

Griekspoor has taken the fourth set to even his match against Zverev. I would adore an upset here, but Griekspoor is one of the worst chokers on tour in situations of opportunity like this. I'd say there is almost no chance he has the cojones to win the fifth set.

Oh, I hope, I hope I am wrong again on this one, please, please, please. Griekspoor up a double break at 4-1. I'm still nervous though; I'll believe this when I see that it is a done deal.

Griekspoor, the hamster, immediately gives up a choky break, 4-2.

Two double faults and assorted tight-ass shots later, we are back on serve, 4-all. I can't say I didn't expect this to happen, but what a basket case this barnacle is.

The termite manages to hold for 5-5 by hitting drop shots, the only shot his nerves will allow him.

6-5 and the chances of dingbat serving to get this set to a tie breaker are substantially lower than 50-50, I would guess....well, he manages that anyway.

Oh, boy, a breaker. I avert my eyes.....Tie breaker: Zverev 10, Griekspoor 3, Griekspoor, the lame, won only one of six points on serve, an unforced error by Zverev. This one will sting him for a long time. Nerve management coach, anyone?

 

[kihei]

Machac/Medvedev was indeed a grueling affair that Daniil won 7-6, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4. Medvedev more or less took the third set off to conserve energy and it paid off in the fourth set. Machac had an early service break in the last set, but by then his tank was beginning to run low on fuel, too, and he quickly lost his last advantage.

 

[kihei]

Andreescu loses 6-love in the third to Paolini. Bianca can't stay healthy enough to get any momentum going in her game. It always seems to be a case of same old, same old.

 

[kihei]

Cerundolo loses the first set to Paul, and it seems business as usual. But, for once, Cerundolo, something of an underachiever, fights back and takes the match in four sets. He faces Nole in the next round and Francisco has the clay court game to give him big trouble. Whether Cerundolo has the temperament, that's remains a question mark even despite his mammoth win today.

Nole makes a terrific comeback to take the fourth and fifth sets from Musetti. There were sections of this match when Musetti could absolutely do no wrong, but Djokovic hung in there and mustered the energy to take a grueling four and a half hour match that ended after 3:00 AM Paris time. The challenges will only mount now but after this match, he will feel pretty confident he can meet them.

 

[kihei]

This years tournament was billed as "wide open," but, as it turns out, only at the top. Incredibly 12 of the top 13 seeds have made it to the round of 16, Rublev being the odd man out. I'm not sure that has ever happened before in the open era or at any time for that matter.

Only two unseeded players on the men's side have made it to the round of 16: Moutet and Arnaldi.

 

[Hadoop]

The grueling 5-setter between Djokovic and Musetti finished at 3:07 am. Incredible how deep Novak had to dig into his reserves just to advance to the 4th round.

 

[kihei]

I woke up to find Alnaldi serving for a two set lead over Tsitsipas. Shades of yesterday, he choked badly and lost the subsequent breaker. A mitigating circumstance, though, was Stefanos was playing with real passion and skill. So a set apiece and a major crisis averted.

Easy sailing the rest of the way 2 and 2 for the win. Stefanos continues displaying excellent form.