Tennis: All Purpose Tennis Thread XIV

[MsMeow]

I really hope Fed doesn't have a farewell tour. I'm not sure he would even want that, he's so emotional and it would be pretty taxing to say goodbye over and over again.

 

[kihei]

I really hope Fed doesn't have a farewell tour. I'm not sure he would even want that, he's so emotional and it would be pretty taxing to say goodbye over and over again.

I agree with this a lot, but I think there will be a great deal of fan pressure for something like a farewell tour, a chance to say goodbye to the player who has given them such pleasure and grace over the years, someone who has meant so much to the game and provided so many indelible memories while remaining certifiably a nice guy and a great role model. And I'm sure just about every city would like to participate in such a thank you. It might provide a sense of closure for many people

 

[MsMeow]

I agree with this a lot, but I think there will be a great deal of fan pressure for something like a farewell tour, a chance to say goodbye to the player who has given them such pleasure and grace over the years, someone who has meant so much to the game and provided so many indelible memories while remaining certifiably a nice guy and a great role model. And I'm sure just about every city would like to participate in such a thank you. It might provide a sense of closure for many people

Yeah, this is true and he will have to make a decision on how to handle it when the time comes.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

Not that I had much love for his on court game, but I have now lost all respect for John Isner. What a tool.

 

[Tuggy]

Qualifying starting tomorrow for the first two tournaments of the season. Some interesting draws for ATP 250's. Some of the ranking cutoffs LOTS of withdrawals. Raonic and Pospisil were originally scheduled to play Delray Beach but they aren't.

However, 19 year old Canadian Liam Draxl got a WC to qualifying. He's a sophomore at the University of Kentucky. He'll play his first round qualifying match tomorrow.

 

[Hadoop]

Looks like the start of 2021 will be just as chaotic as the last 9 months, both in the tennis world and the real world. No new predictions this year (yet) as I just want to see tennis get back to normal, though a lot of my predictions from last year (see below) could be simply shifted to 2021.

ATP
1. Nadal passes Federer in all-time GS titles
2. Djokovic wins gold in Tokyo
3. A member of the neXt gen (i.e. someone under 25) wins either the AO or the USO
4. The year-end top 5 will have (in no particular order), Rafa, Nole, Thiem, and two members of the neXt gen
5. Tsonga retires (likely after the USO)
6. Verdasco retires (likely after the USO)
7. Kevin Anderson retires (likely after the USO)
8. Patchy form will cause Federer to fall out of the top 5, but Djokovic and Nadal will keep him from retiring
9. Shapovalov enters the top 10
10. FAA will struggle early in the year, but after a coaching change mid-season will win his first title and finish the year in the top 15
11. Jannik Sinner will rise to the top 25

WTA
1. Serena wins Wimby
2. Both Osaka and Barty will win at least one slam
3. Osaka wins gold in Tokyo
4. The USO will have a first-time GS winner
5. Venus retires (likely after the USO)
6. Kuznetsova retires (likely after the USO)
7. Andreescu will have another injury-interrupted year, but if she is healthy at the beginning of the tournament she will win the French
8. Sofia Kenin will be the highest ranked American male or female at the end of the year
9. Coco Gauff will make the semi-finals of a major

Overall assuming the majors go ahead as planned it's likely that Nadal will pass Federer for most Grand Slams at some point this year. That said the biggest question marks are definitely how Covid will impact the calendar, whether the Tokyo Olympics will happen and whether Roger will retire.

 

[Tuggy]

WTA is in Abu Dhabi. Fernandez is in the main draw.

Carol Zhao is in qualifying. She's had a long layoff. I think she had elbow issues and is playing her first matches since Sept 2019.

She won her first round qualifying match!

 

[Tuggy]

Fernandez won her first round match. Nice start to 2021 for the 18 year old

Zhao lost her final qualifying match.

 

[Tuggy]

Leylah lost her second round match.

 

[kihei]

Time to review my predictions from last year:

Tennis Predictions for 2020
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grand Slam titles (men): two for Nole, one for Rafa. one for Thiem (most likely to upset the apple cart: Medvedev) (Pretty damn good)

Grand Slam titles (women): two for Osaka, one for Serena, one for Barty (most likely to upset the apple cart: Bianca) (Good call on Osaka, not the rest)

Biggest move up the charts: Jannick Sinner who will move up to the top 25 or higher (no, but trending)

Year end #1 will be: Novak Djokovic (yup)

Year end #1 will be Naomi Osaka (no, but close)

Most disappointing player will be: Fabio Fognini who will drop out of the top 25 (not yet)

Nick Kyrgios will continue to play below his potential and barely land in the top 25 (didn’t even do that)

Spain will again win the Davis Cup (wasn’t played)

Roger Federer will finally fall from the top three but not from the top ten (yup)

FAA will move up several notches but not yet make the top ten (pretty much stayed put)

Shapovalov will crack the top ten for the first time (good one)

Bianca will finish lower than her present #5 ranking (Yup)

Serena William will finish higher than her present #10. (Yup)

Berretinni, Bautista Agut and Monfils will say goodbye to the top ten (good call)

Medvedev will stay in the top ten but finish lower than his present ranking of #5 (yup)

Wawrinka and Isner will fall out of the top twenty.(Yes)

Andy Murray will return to the top twenty and make at least one GS semi (sadly, very wrong)

Leylah Fernandez, currently #211, will move up to the #120s or better (Yup)

Sascha will once again not make it to a GS final.(Yup)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not bad, I'd say.

 

[Tuggy]

Tennis back this week. Canada is in the ATP Cup (Raonic and Shapovalov).

Felix and Vasek playing other tournaments.

 

[Tuggy]

Andreescu is slated to make her return this week. Because of Covid rankings system, she is still ranked in the top 10. She hasn't played a match since Oct 2019.

Fernandez is playing the same tournament. She'll face Sloane Stephens in the first round.

And of course Bianca faces the winner of that match in the second round...

 

[kihei]

Andreescu is slated to make her return this week. Because of Covid rankings system, she is still ranked in the top 10. She hasn't played a match since Oct 2019.

Fernandez is playing the same tournament. She'll face Sloane Stephens in the first round.

And of course Bianca faces the winner of that match in the second round...

Kind of holding my breath. Hope she can stay healthy.

 

[Tuggy]

Raonic puts Canada up 1-0 in the ATP Cup against Serbia.

Djokovic-Shapovalov getting underway soon on TSN1.

 

[Filppula]

Great set of tennis that, and a typical Djokovic cross court BH to set up the set point. Strong reaction too; obviously didn’t like all the reactions from Shapovalov throughout the first.

 

[MsMeow]

Bianca withdrew to focus on the Aussie Open. Not sure that's the right move for her as a competitor or fair to the tourney itself.

 

[MsMeow]

I'm so sick of the come ons from Denis. Enough already. Save it for a big point here or there but it's used way too often.

 

[Tuggy]

Bianca withdrew to focus on the Aussie Open. Not sure that's the right move for her as a competitor or fair to the tourney itself.

It's kind of ridiculous to be honest.

Some matches before the AO would be a good thing I would think.

 

[MsMeow]

It's kind of ridiculous to be honest.

Some matches before the AO would be a good thing I would think.

Totally. It's been forever since she last competed.

 

[Tuggy]

Extremely close ties for Canada in the ATP Cup but they were on the losing end of both and are eliminated.

Felix won his first match at Melbourne 2.

 

[BMOK33]

These tourneys are all gonna get canned is what I’m hearing this morning (Australia time). Obviously about 8 hours ago they cancelled all play today over a hotel employee testing positive but the early feedback from players late last night and early this AM is a resounding no to playing two matches a day or playing Sunday before the AO in a final. If they do opt to continue expect a bunch of withdrawals

 

[Tuggy]

These tourneys are all gonna get canned is what I’m hearing this morning (Australia time). Obviously about 8 hours ago they cancelled all play today over a hotel employee testing positive but the early feedback from players late last night and early this AM is a resounding no to playing two matches a day or playing Sunday before the AO in a final. If they do opt to continue expect a bunch of withdrawals

Yeah, things are getting quite messy down under.

 

[Filppula]

Yeah, things are getting quite messy down under.

Novak and Zverev playing a gruelling singles match now a doubles match. Gotta question that logic, but they obviously know their bodies.

 

[Tuggy]

Felix into the SF at Melbourne 2.

He's got Moutet in his SF.

The other SF is Chardy/Evans.

Gotta think a great chance for that first title.

 

[Tuggy]

Felix cruises into the final. He'll face Daniel Evans.

Can Felix finally get that first title??