Tennis: All Purpose Tennis Thread XIV

[Hadoop]

Felix parting way's with his coach. Well overdue, and I imagine that he's the type of player a lot of top coaches would love to work with.

Well, I mean I DID predict this would happen at the beginning of the year (Jan 2 to be exact), though I had expected it to happen a lot earlier.

Wowzers the season is just around the corner, and the record heat is gonna play a big role down under IMO. Here are my 20 predictions for 2020...

ATP

1. ...
...
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
...

 

[kihei]

Excellent call.

This is the second best news I've heard today.

 

[Tuggy]

Denis and Felix the top 2 seeds in Sofia next week.

Hopefully we get an all Canadian final

 

[kihei]

Raonic versus Medvedev in one semi and Nadal and Zverev in the other.

Milos toughed out a real nailbiter against Humbert; Medvedev looked very good dispatching Schwartzman in two one-sided sets; Carenna Busta put up a good fight before Rafa pulled away in three; and Zverev knocked out a strangely passive Wawrinka in straight sets.

 

[kihei]

Milos had everything working but his second serve, but Daniil still won in straight, entertaining sets, 4 and 8. Raonic was very successful at the net but he didn't go there enough.

 

[kihei]

Sascha, with one little choke that he recovered from late in the second set, dominated Rafa. Nadal couldn't even get Zverev's first serve in play most of the time. And Sascha ate up his overabbundance of slice backhands and successfully attacked his forehand in the crunch, dominating loner rallies. This was the Zverev that most of us thought he would become--let's see if this match represents a benchmark of some kind.

 

[Hadoop]

Yeah no.

I'll take Medvedev over Zverev, especially in the big moments.

 

[kihei]

2-all, and I will go with Zverev who has been a killer this tournament (this, of corse, guarantees Hadoop a win).

 

[kihei]

Now that's the Medvedev I remember from last year. Great first set from both players with Sascha slightly more dominant from the baseline and then Daniil just slowly took over. The second set was very close, too, but Zverev was getting worn out as Medvedev ran him all over the court. In the final set, Sascha had nothing left in the tank. Both players had great tournaments that suggest good things in the coming year. As so many of Medvedev's matches are, it was fun match to watch.

 

[Tuggy]

He attends NC State. He also got a WC to the CH in Cary this week.

Pospisil won this first round match in Sofia.

 

[kihei]

For the first time playing as a #1 seed, Shapo stinks the joint out in Sofia, 2 and 4. against Albot.

 

[Tuggy]

He attends NC State. He also got a WC to the CH in Cary this week.

Pospisil won this first round match in Sofia.

And Alexis won his first round match in Cary.

Vasek with a straight forward win over Struff.

Denis needs the offseason...

 

[kihei]

Felix loses the first set to a dead opera singer, 6-4. That's about the way it's been going lately.

2nd: set: The fat lady sings. Loudly. 4 and 4.

 

[kihei]

Another distressingly lax match from Felix, and a year of utter stagnation.

 

[Hadoop]

Well Felix isn't the only FAA that's had a rough year, travel advisories and all.

 

[kihei]

De Minaur and Sinner at a set apiece; anybody's ball game, but more likely Sinner's.

Question for the gang: outside of speed/quickness/court coverage, name one thing that Felix does better than Sinner.

 

[Incubajerks]

Jannik is something else. Good game.

 

[Incubajerks]

De Minaur and Sinner at a set apiece; anybody's ball game, but more likely Sinner's.

Question for the gang: outside of speed/quickness/court coverage, name one thing that Felix does better than Sinner.

I would say nothing as of today, i feel Jannik is a bad bad matchup for him on hard but we'll see. Hope Felix get his new coach and hope he will be' ready next year.

 

[kihei]

I don't know how Mannarino survives with that dainty-looking push forehand of his, but he is having a very good late season and is into the semis in Sofia.

 

[kihei]

Pospisil 3 and 2 over Millman. When Vasek looks good, man, he really looks good. Onto the semis in Sofia.

 

[Tuggy]

Vasek into the SF in Sofia.

He's playing really well to end the season.

 

[Tuggy]

I'll go:

Djokovic
Medvedev

Thiem
Rublev

 

[Incubajerks]

Vasek into the SF in Sofia.

He's playing really well to end the season.

And he has a great chance to advance into the final.

 

[kihei]

I'll go:

Djokovic
Medvedev

Thiem
Rublev

Me, too.

 

[kihei]

Pospisil/Gasquet is an interesting match up tomorrow. Think Vasek might have too much power for Gasquet, but it will be awfully close. Like Sinner in the other semi. Sinner/Pospisil final would be fun, if it somehow manages to get there.