Tennis: All Purpose Tennis Thread XIV

[MsMeow]

I'm happy to post a reverse jinx!

 

[kihei]

Discouraging defeat to the guy at the bottom of the "A" prospects. An opportunity wasted.

 

[Tuggy]

Tough loss...should have won. So many wasted break points in the 3rd.

 

[Tuggy]

And Denis loses next.

 

[MsMeow]

Disappointing x 2

 

[MaxV]

106 ranked qualifier Samsonova surprisingly takes the Berlin title.

She beat some good competition on the way like Azarenka, Bencic, Keys and Kudermetova.

 

[kihei]

Great win for Humbert at Halle over Rublev. Not exactly expected but well deserved.

 

[kihei]

At Queen's Club Berrettini wins in three sets over Norrie. Matteo first served at the rate of 90% in all three sets. His poor backhand and ineffectual return of serve let Norrie make a match of it, though.

 

[kihei]

So I guess Berrettini is the Wimbledon dark horse. "The" rather than "a" as they are in short supply. Who else is there really?

Rublev: too much to ask
Humbert: closest thing to a second dark horse
Isner: too old
Opelka: too inexperienced
Cilic: bad nerves
Shapo or Felix: ha, ha, ha
Sinner: not yet comfortable on grass
Karatsev: grass is for cows to eat

Once you get beyond the top five players, there isn't much else out there that's very threatening. Speaking of which, here's there winning percentage on grass:

Nole: .841
Zverev: .625
Medvedev: .581
Tsitsipas: .533
Thiem: .500

Good year to bet the house on Nole.

 

[MsMeow]

Denis isn't going to the Olympics

 

[kihei]

Medvedev beats Moutet 4 and 2. By the first game of the second set--which he won--Moutet had thrown the towel in, getting more and more frustrated by Daniil's copious bag of tricks. Fun to watch, actually; I do not understand people who think Medvedev's game is dull.

 

[Tuggy]

Andresscu wins her first grass match of the season in 3 sets over McHale.

 

[kihei]

Nole is only playing doubles in Mallorca. His doubles partner is a curious choice as he could not be more obscure, Carlos Gomez-Herrera, a 14 year veteran who has never risen about 249 in doubles and 268 in singles. Most of his career he has been ranked much lower than that and he has only played one single match on the main ATP tour during all those years. Total career winnings, just over $159,000. How long can Nole expect to last with this guy?

Poor guy double faults on set point, 7-5. If he felt pressure playing with Nole before....but they win in three sets or whatever you call that tie breaker thing at the end.

 

[Tuggy]

Pospisil a winner in Eastbourne.

 

[kihei]

Up 5-2 in the first set against Mannarino in Mallorca, Thiem retires. Looks like he has a wrist problem serious enough to jeoprodize his appearing at Wimbledon.

 

[Tuggy]

Pospisil into the QF in Eastbourne.

 

[kihei]

De Minaur ousts Pospisil 4 and 4. Alex is playing some very impressive grass court tennis lately and Vasek, still not match fit, couldn't quite keep up.

 

[kihei]

Really fun first set in Medvedev's 5 and 1 win against Ruud. Some very imaginative tennis from both players. Ruud couldn't put enough pressure on in the second set and faded rather quickly.

 

[MaxV]

Medvedev beats Querrey 4 and 2 to take Mallorca Open.

He won't get much rest though.

 

[Say Hey Kid]

Pete Sampras: Where are they now? - Sports Illustrated

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I see Osaka is shilling for her new documentary on Netflix. She basically admits to being a fraud. Lol.

 

[kihei]

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

Congrats ND, I know Nole's win means a lot to you. Better update your postscript, though.

 

[MsMeow]

Bianca and Roger both withdrew from the Olympics, he said he injured his knee again. I don't think hers is injury related. I bet more will follow

 

[The Abusement Park]

Murray's legacy is fascinating.

You can make a case for him to be highly underrated simply because he was born at the wrong time.

100%. Health aside there's a very good chance he could be closer to ~7 Slams in another era. Fantastic player that just happened to come up against the 3 best players of all time and even then really pushed them quite a bit.

 

[kihei]

100%. Health aside there's a very good chance he could be closer to ~7 Slams in another era. Fantastic player that just happened to come up against the 3 best players of all time and even then really pushed them quite a bit.

Such a great point, guys. In a mind-boggling 17-year-stretch starting in 2004 and still continuing, the only time a player other than Roger, Rafa and Nole was a year-end #1, was 1917, when it was Murray. Had fate been kinder, he could have almost certainly won at least seven GSs rather than three.