Tennis: All Purpose Tennis Thread XVI

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thread 15: Tennis: - All Purpose Tennis Thread XV

Schedule -- Tournaments | ATP Tour | Tennis

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[kihei]

Medvedev floats idea of pushing back Poland's borders​

This headline freaked me out big time. Turns out it is a different Medvedev, named Dmitry, former president of Russia. Big relief.

 

[kihei]

A very solid Medvedev breaks his four match losing streak against Nole with a straight set win, 4 and 4, over an error-prone but still very dangerous Djokovic. He will meet Rublev in the final, the defending champion, who continued his excellent play all week with a clutch straight set win over Zverev.

 

[kihei]

Fritz and Paul put on a show in Acapulco. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't that good tennis, but for drama and sheer morbid fascination, it was hard to beat. From the middle of the third set, which would indeed go to a breaker, both players were utterly gassed. Paul had to deal with leg cramps and exhaustion and Fritz had to deal with nausea (at one point he threw up in a court-side bucket) and exhaustion. While it was evening and a seemingly perfect 24 degrees Celsius for playing tennis. the high altitude and punishing humidity took their toll. Paul won the deciding breaker. Kudos to both for hanging in there and not defaulting.

 

[Filppula]

Fritz and Paul put on a show in Acapulco. He was pretty and it wasn't that good tennis, but for drama and sheer morbid fascination, it was hard to beat. From the middle of the third set, which would indeed go to a breaker, both players were utterly gassed. Paul had to deal with leg cramps and exhaustion and Fritz had to deal with nausea (at one point he threw up in a court-side bucket) and exhaustion. While it was evening and a seemingly perfect 24 degrees Celsius for playing tennis. the high altitude and punishing humidity took their toll. Paul won the deciding breaker. Kudos to both for hanging in there and not defaulting.

I love the drama of the Acapulco tournament. ADM/Rune are in a third set and it’s 2:13am local time! Rune is cramping and just resorted to an underarm serve. I think he’s cooked.

 

[kihei]

I love the drama of the Acapulco tournament. ADM/Rune are in a third set and it’s 2:13am local time! Rune is cramping and just resorted to an underarm serve. I think he’s cooked.

Rune is cooked, but De Minaur took a long time putting him out of his misery, somehow transforming what should have been a 6-love final set to a 6-2 final set. Kudos to Rune. I thought he might quit, but he showed some real fortitude to gut it out though he and everybody else knew that it was a lost cause.

 

[kihei]

Medvedev easily defeats Rublev, 2 and 2. With this being his third straight title in about a month, Medvedev is in one of his hot streaks and is making his way back up the ranking ladder rather quickly.

 

[Filppula]

Impressive title for Alex de Minaur in Acapulco, his first ATP 500 win. Consistency the key, and fitness; Paul was pretty wrecked by the third set. ADM saved 5 break points in the opening game of the third set which proved pivotal. I like ADM’s BH, he served well, and used the drop shot extremely effectively as Paul’s fitness was deteriorating. I think this might be my favourite ATP 500 on tour. Love the stadium, the crowds, the late night matches.

 

[kihei]

Impressive title for Alex de Minaur in Acapulco, his first ATP 500 win. Consistency the key, and fitness; Paul was pretty wrecked by the third set. ADM saved 5 break points in the opening game of the third set which proved pivotal. I like ADM’s BH, he served well, and used the drop shot extremely effectively as Paul’s fitness was deteriorating. I think this might be my favourite ATP 500 on tour. Love the stadium, the crowds, the late night matches.

I'd credit fitness myself and his belief in the long, patient application of pressure. I thought that Alex actually struggled a bit in the wind to control the ball in the first half of the match, but then the wind died down and he just grinded Paul into a fine dust. He sure is one fit athlete, the only one of the four semifinalists on Friday not to be physically devastated by the altitude and humidity. The first set and a half was fun tonight, though, a real tactical contrast between two players who might at first glance appear more similar than they actually are.

 

[kihei]

Nicolas Jarry, who had never before this week won a match in his home town of Santiago, takes the Chile Open with a gutsy come-from-behind three set win over Etcheverry. Jarry's play in the last two sets was nothing short of superb.

 

[otown]

Watched Shapo play Humbert at Indian Wells and couldn't believe how bad he played. Something is up with Shapo and his team. He looked like he wasn't trying at times and just wanted to get off the court. Especially when he was up 4-1 in the second set and Humbert came back to tie and eventually win. Shapo should have beaten Humbert handily. With the exception of one big racquet smashing incident Shapo was pretty sedate, just going through the motions. Lots of unforced errors on both sides. Something is up in Shapo's camp!

 

[kihei]

Watched Shapo play Humbert at Indian Wells and couldn't believe how bad he played. Something is up with Shapo and his team. He looked like he wasn't trying at times and just wanted to get off the court. Especially when he was up 4-1 in the second set and Humbert came back to tie and eventually win. Shapo should have beaten Humbert handily. With the exception of one big racquet smashing incident Shapo was pretty sedate, just going through the motions. Lots of unforced errors on both sides. Something is up in Shapo's camp!

Was just coming here to report the same thing.. No bouncy bouncy, no energy, and no professionalism either.

Another guy with a troubled team, Tsitsipas, went out in three sets to the thoroughly unremarkable Jordan Thompson.

Then there is a troubled Thiem whose forehand looked non-existent against Mannarino.

 

[Say Hey Kid]

MSN

 

[MsMeow]

Felix was down a break right off the bat but bounced back for a straight sets win. Leylah won in straights and Bianca went three and also won.

I think Denis needs a real shake up. He is way too emotional and so reliant on his box. Win or lose, he has to look at them, pump his fist and yell with every shot. They're not going to be able to help him.

 

[MaxV]

Remember when we were gushing over Aslan Karatsev? When he was just winning everything (including beating Djoker in Serbia)?

Well he is down to #104, one spot below countryman Roman Safiullin. Also 2 spots below Thiem, which is its own fall story.

 

[MsMeow]

Felix won earlier today, Leylah lost to Garcia in 3. I only saw a tiny bit of each match. Bianca plays Iga at 9 eastern.

 

[kihei]

Against Paul, FAA has so far chalked up 11 unforced errors in three games, love-3.

 

[kihei]

Felix literally snatches victory from the jaws of defeat, saving six match points, recovering from love-40 in his final service game and from 3-6 in the ensuing breaker winning five points in a row for the win (all this after recovering from love-3 down in the final set). With 51 unforced errors, 28 of them on the forehand wing, the match looked like it was going to be yet another maddeningly brutal loss for FAA, but somehow he managed to magically escape almost certain disaster.

 

[kihei]

Interesting quarters coming up

Alcaraz/FAA
Sinner/Fritz

Medvedev/Davidovich Fokina
Tiafoe/Norrie

I think Sinner is going to win this thing.

 

[Filppula]

Interesting quarters coming up

Alcaraz/FAA
Sinner/Fritz

Medvedev/Davidovich Fokina
Tiafoe/Norrie

I think Sinner is going to win this thing.

He was my pre-tournament pick. Still is, but the hard part starts now for him.

 

[kihei]

Tiafoe defeats an off-form Norrie in straight sets.

Medvedev, on a surface he hates, knocks off Davidovich Fokina in tight, straight sets. Interesting match. Alejandro has a lot of impressive tools but no tool box.

 

[Filppula]

Tiafoe defeats an off-form Norrie in straight sets.

Medvedev, on a surface he hates, knocks off Davidovich Fokina in tight, straight sets. Interesting match. Alejandro has a lot of impressive tools but no tool box.

He’s one of my favourite players to watch. I was really impressed with his ability, and willingness, to mix things up. Realised he wasn’t getting the better of him early so he added a lot of variety. Slices, drop shots, S&V, angles, and it worked. Had plenty of chances in set 2, had break points in three service games including a 0-40 chance. But mentally…he’s not there. It’ll forever hold him back which is a shame because he really does have everything required.

 

[MsMeow]

 

[MsMeow]

He’s one of my favourite players to watch. I was really impressed with his ability, and willingness, to mix things up. Realised he wasn’t getting the better of him early so he added a lot of variety. Slices, drop shots, S&V, angles, and it worked. Had plenty of chances in set 2, had break points in three service games including a 0-40 chance. But mentally…he’s not there. It’ll forever hold him back which is a shame because he really does have everything required.

I agree with everything you said. I love watching him play but the mental thing is always an issue.

 

[kihei]

Felix is playing really well, but trails by a break after five games. Carlos has been phenomenal.

Yowza. Felix played some brilliant tennis in that first set, but all he could do was keep it close. How can you look so good yourself but still clearly appear to be overmatched?