Tennis: French Open/2020

[kihei]

3rd set: Up and down and up set for Novak, 6-3. It's like Carreno Busta is an observer. He is playing nice, steady tennis while Nole's game ebbes and flows around him.

 

[Elvis P]

I liked when Collins made her boyfriend move. The women's final will be favorite vs underdog. Tsitsipas looks great. Will he be in the final?

 

[kihei]

4th set: Pablo makes his work for it, but Nole takes it 6-4 showing no lingering problems with the left arm whatsoever.

 

[kihei]

Swiatek has been on form and making a statement this tournament on her best surface; I doubt she stops now.

 

[BMOK33]

Kvitova is in trouble if this wind doesn’t stop

 

[John Price]

Swiatek advanced to the final.

 

[kihei]

In her all white ball cap, sweater, skirt and pedal pushers, Swiatek looks like a throwback to the Suzanne Lenglen era. She clobbered the overmatched Podoroska 2 and 1.

 

[kihei]

How do you figure the potential headcase implications with Kvitova and Kenin? Kvitova can turn to jello under pressure and Kenin's intensity can quickly become self-defeating when things don't go her way. Kvitova is the better clay court player, but Kenin is very good on the surface, too. I could see an upset here. (Edit: Kenin is the higher ranked player actually, so I guess it wouldn't be much of an upset).

 

[kihei]

Interesting stat: Kenin has 91 backhand winners in five matches. That is impressive.

 

[kihei]

Well that didn't take long. Kenin plays a clever little drop shot off Petra's second serve to win the first point and quickly breaks, 2-1.

Quickly 4-1 as Kenin's so far controlled intensity seems to be freaking Petra out a little.

Kenin holds onto the set but just barely, 6-4. Fun stuff.

 

[kihei]

Kenin up a break at 3-2 as Kvitova puts herself in the position of having to fight another uphill battle.

At least, Kvitova who can't quite catch her makes Kenin serve it out.

...and Kvitova breaks, 5 all. Now if she can only consolidate, this could get interesting fast.

...but she can't and Kenin is serving for the set and the match again. Such a missed opportunity for Petra.

Petra wastes a break point and Kenin holds for the match.

 

[John Price]

Kenin on to the final!

 

[kihei]

Should be a dandy final.

 

[BMOK33]

Kenin is like a Hingis/Justine Henin hybrid. She’s on the smaller side amongst the women players today but it doesn’t really hurt her as far as being able to compete

 

[Maestro84]

The two women finalists are 22 and 19....Venus Williams is nearly as old as both of these women combined lol

 

[Elvis P]

Sloane Stephens at the 2017 US Open was the last unseeded woman to win a major. Can Swiatek join her?

 

[Filppula]

Sloane Stephens at the 2017 US Open was the last unseeded woman to win a major. Can Swiatek join her?

I hope so. I’ve fallen for her and her beautiful game. Aggressive, smart, confident. She’s got such a well rounded game. Huge future.

Kvitová was ordinary last night. Too loose at key moments. Story of the majority of her career.

 

[kihei]

All in on Rafa. Schwartzman beating Nadal in Rome is one thing, Schwartzman pulling off that trick at Roland Garros is another.

 

[MsMeow]

I think Diego is super confident right now and Rafa was looking a bit old. Hoping for Diego and Stefanos.

 

[kihei]

Yeah, Rafa looks older, heavier and slower. If he wants to tie Roger for GS titles, this may be the best chance he will have left.

...and right off the bat there is Diego's Achilles heel, his service game, 2-love Rafa.

 

[MsMeow]

Yeah, Rafa looks older, heavier and slower. If he wants to tie Roger for GS titles, this may be the best chance he will have left.

...and right off the bat there is Diego's Achilles heel, his service game, 2-love Rafa.

I agree, I think this is his last chance. Even though he's a lot younger than Roger, he has way more miles on him because of his style of play.

 

[BMOK33]

No guarantee it will carryover but Iga is playing some pretty awful tennis today in her doubles match. If she does this tomorrow Kenin will run her off the court

 

[kihei]

6-3 Rafa, but it took 64 minutes with an awful lot of energy expended.

 

[kihei]

I hope so. I’ve fallen for her and her beautiful game. Aggressive, smart, confident. She’s got such a well rounded game. Huge future.

Kvitová was ordinary last night. Too loose at key moments. Story of the majority of her career.

I first saw Swiatek at an evening session of the Roger's Cup, when the women were playing Toronto in 2019. She gave Osaka a hell of a run for it, 6-7, 4-6 and she was unfortunate not to win the first set which for the most part she owned. Great match, and I thought, wow, this kid is terrific and fun to watch. The crowd loved her. Be great if she could win it tomorrow.

 

[kihei]

Another early break for Nadal, 2-1. Not much Diego seems to be able to do about it.

Another 6-3 set for Nadal but easier. Where Rafa hits a line, Diego misses by an inch.