Tennis: All Purpose Tennis Thread X

[Tuggy]

Looks like Nick has shot himself in the foot again. He walked off, seemingly in protest over the umpire, after losing a first set tie breaker to Steve Johnson. Brilliant timing as it was the same tournament where he got suspended last year for basically tanking. Almost certainly the end of a frustrating season as undoubtedly a suspension awaits him.

NK said if he lost the tiebreak he would retire from the match, so he did.

 

[Hadoop]

Shapovalov went out to Troicki, getting bageled in the 3rd...disappointing.

Still, he's the youngest player to crack the ATP top 50 since Nadal 13 years ago. Earlier this year (i.e back in March) folks like Loosie were marvelling about how quickly he moved from 250 to 150 in the rankings.

 

[Tuggy]

Still, he's the youngest player to crack the ATP top 50 since Nadal 13 years ago. Earlier this year (i.e back in March) folks like Loosie were marvelling about how quickly he moved from 250 to 150 in the rankings.

No doubt it's impressive what he's done at 18. I just like to see him win as much as possible Especially at a MS1000.

In other Canadian teenager news, FAA ended his little losing streak with a nice comeback win at a CH in Fairfield.

 

[Tuggy]

With his loss today, Thiem is now 0-3 on the Asian swing.

 

[kihei]

With his loss today, Thiem is now 0-3 on the Asian swing.

He looked overtennised in February then seemed to catch his breath, so I guess this latest relapse is not too surprising. I hope he takes a long break this year and avoids exhibitions.

 

[Tuggy]

He looked overtennised in February then seemed to catch his breath, so I guess this latest relapse is not too surprising. I hope he takes a long break this year and avoids exhibitions.

He played a lot of tournaments this year. He'll need to evaluate his schedule for the coming years.

Big win for Del Potro over Zverev today. He moves back into the top 20.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

Is this the strongest Rafa has looked in the fall in his career? Historically, he's always taken a nosedive in the post-US Open part of the season. Including his recent Beijing title a week ago, he only has 3 other fall titles: Beijing and Madrid (Madrid was still a fall tournament until 2009) and Tokyo in 2010.

 

[Hadoop]

Indeed. One reason could be his aggressiveness as he is coming to the net much more this (by baseliner standards) then during his younger days. And considering he's one of the best volleyers among the top guys it's not a bad move.

 

[kihei]

Roger and Rafa in another final. I have only been watching extended highlights packages this week, granted not a great barometer, but Rafa has looked incredible while Roger has blown hot and cold. If Rafa keeps movie forward the way he has all week, I think he wins in straight sets. His match against Dimitrov looked like it was a beauty as they both volleyed way more than Roger did in his match against Gasquet, who played very well. Another thing I noticed is how incredibly fit Rafa looks right now. He is very close to the top of his game on hard courts. Just a pleasure to watch.

 

[Fantomas]

These two geriatrics in the final again. Amazing just how much better they are than anyone else we will see likely for many years.

 

[Panteras]

this has been the greatest year in tennis in like forever. We as fans should just be grateful of what we've witness. Either Nadal or Roger fans it's just come down to the amazing feelgood tennis stories these guys have displayed for us this year. I don't even care who wins anymore between these guys it's just so awesome to have them together again in a final.

 

[Hadoop]

this has been the greatest year in tennis in like forever. We as fans should just be grateful of what we've witness. Either Nadal or Roger fans it's just come down to the amazing feelgood tennis stories these guys have displayed for us this year. I don't even care who wins anymore between these guys it's just so awesome to have them together again in a final.

Still want Roger to win but since it's not a slam and Nadal has never won here* Rafa winning would be ok with me as well.

* Looked up some history and was surprised to see that Nadal has never won in Shanghai whether it's the International Series tournament before 2005, the Tennis Masters Cup from 2005-08, or the Masters 1000 event from 2009 onwards. He has never won the Paris Masters either but that has always been a helluva fast indoor hardcourt.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

Damn, all of a sudden, Roger is Rafa's kryptonite.

 

[kihei]

Jesus, if the highlights package is any indication, Roger absolutely crushed him, 6-4, 6-3.. That backhand, wow. Roger broke serve in the first game of the first set and twice in the second set. And it looks like Rafa never even got to a break point against him. Shades of Miami. That's five wins in a row for Roger against Rafa.

PS: The full match is available on You|Tube if you don't mind watching a left-handed Federer defeat a right-handed Nadal. It's worth a giggle to take a look as it won't be up long, I suspect. I confess it took me two points to realize what was wrong.

 

[kihei]

Here is virtually every point in the match in just under 13 minutes. It's a mind blower. Rafa only once got as far as 30 on Roger's serve. Just total artful supremacy from beginning to end despite Nadal not playing badly (though tactically his game leaves much to be desired as he changed nothing that I could see even late in the second set). One of Roger's most dominant wins against a top player ever. And at 36, at that.

Later: Roger lost a total of nine service points in the entire match, an average of one per service game.

 

[Hadoop]

Here is virtually every point in the match in just under 13 minutes. It's a mind blower. Rafa only once got as far as 30 on Roger's serve. Just total artful supremacy from beginning to end despite Nadal not playing badly (though tactically his game leaves much to be desired as he changed nothing that I could see even late in the second set). One of Roger's most dominant wins against a top player ever. And at 36, at that.

Thanks for the link kihei. Looked like Roger really went for his shots in this one, even breaking to win the match. Rafa played well too though from the highlights, he was just second best on this day.

On a more general level, it's great to see both Rafa and Roger healthy and fit at this juncture in the season. The absence of many of the top guns during the second half of the season is obviously not good for the ATP, but I wonder if not having as many physically/mentally draining matches has given the two of them a boost as well.

 

[kihei]

If you had to pick one of them, who would be your pick for player of the year on the men's side? Both have six wins including two GS. Roger has dominated head to head 4-0 this year, but Rafa has returned to #1. To me #1 is a bigger factor than head-to-head, so I would give it to Rafa by the thinnest of margins. But it is a very difficult call.

 

[Hadoop]

If you had to pick one of them, who would be your pick for player of the year on the men's side? Both have six wins including two GS. Roger has dominated head to head 4-0 this year, but Rafa has returned to #1. To me #1 is a bigger factor than head-to-head, so I would give it to Rafa by the thinnest of margins. But it is a very difficult call.

Depends who wins the WTF. And yes I know that was a cop out answer

 

[kihei]

Kristina Mladenovic's mysterious death spiral continues. She lose her ninth straight opening match, this time to #100th ranked Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the Kremlin Cup. I wonder what is wrong.

 

[Tuggy]

Kristina Mladenovic's mysterious death spiral continues. She lose her ninth straight opening match, this time to #100th ranked Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the Kremlin Cup. I wonder what is wrong.

At least she won a set this time.

Raonic shut it down for the year, another tough year for injuries for him.

 

[Cruor]

If you had to pick one of them, who would be your pick for player of the year on the men's side? Both have six wins including two GS. Roger has dominated head to head 4-0 this year, but Rafa has returned to #1. To me #1 is a bigger factor than head-to-head, so I would give it to Rafa by the thinnest of margins. But it is a very difficult call.

Jon Wertheim made the argument that Rafa has to be the better of the two, based on him playing the clay season. I'm not sure I really buy that argument. Federer has now beaten Rafa in 4 matches this year, 3 of them in finals (1 slam, 2 masters). And pretty thoroughly at that, Rafa has looked lost when playing Federer (on hardcourt to be fair, but still slow to medium outdoors surfaces where he had a positive head to head). I'd give Roger the nod just based on that.

 

[kihei]

How can "Wrestling" have its own specific category while "Tennis" is lumped in with "General Sports"? It's like tennis is the equivalent of bowling or something. Or, worse, golf.

 

[Loosie]

Add Berdych and Kyrgios to the list of players who have shut it down for the season. With Berdych out and Monfils looking like he may miss the rest of the year (though he is still talking about potentially playing the DC Final) that could be 7 of last years YE top 10 to shut it down early.

 

[kihei]

Del Potro takes a tight first set from Dimitrov, 6-4, in the Stockholm Final. From what I have seen, both continued their fine fall play this week. Grigor is up to #8 in the world, which may be his high water mark once everybody gets healthy. He is much improved, not quite the wussy that he once was, but his game just lacks a certain oomph (technical term ) to get hm much higher in the rankings, I think.

2nd set: 6-2, but closer than the set score would suggest as Grigor faded at the end. Juan Martin made a habit all day of going down love-30 or 15-40 on serve and then come roaring back thanks to a first serve that topped out at 240 kph. His often wonky backhand held more than steady all day, winning him some key points along the way. Always nice to see Del Potro win.

 

[kihei]

How important is a punishing backhand? With the exception of a fading Gasquet, all the great backhands are in the Top Ten right now.