Tennis: French Open 2021

[kihei]

Nole will be furious with himself for blowing that set. He needs to start hitting second serves with more authority in the second set because they made life easy for Tsistsipas so far.

 

[kihei]

2nd set: Down 1-3, Nole looks hangdog at the moment...he'd better stop feeling sorry for himself quickly or this set will be gone, too, 4-2 Stefano....Drop shots this set seem to be Nole's way of saying I'm tired playing long points...now 5-2 as the set gets totally out of control for Novak as Stefanos' confidence grows.

 

[Tuggy]

Not looking good for Djokovic.

 

[kihei]

Nole does not look like a guy ready to win three straight sets. New narrative coming in, I'm thinkin': Beating Rafa just took too much out of him. That would be a disservice to Tsitsipas' play today.

 

[kihei]

3rd set: Glimmer of hope as Stefanos goes a little flat and Nole breaks on the fifth opportunity, 3-1....now 5-2 with Tsitsipas kind of taking his foot off the pedal, not forcing play at all...Nole takes it 6-3. Tsitsipas better hope the genie isn't out of the bottle.

 

[kanuck87]

Tsitsipas looks a bit tense right now and Djokovic looks like a guy who's just trying to conserve enough energy to win the next three sets.

 

[kihei]

4th set: Tsitsipas continues his loose play and gives up another early break to Nole, 1-love.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Nole looking really good since the start of set 3.

 

[jj cale]

Tsitsipas is in some deep shit now.

 

[kanuck87]

Watching Tsitsipas these last two sets is like watching Zverev/Thiem in the US Open finals last year. Neither one wanted it towards the end and both played like garbage. This is why the Big 3 have reigned for so long.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

Stefanos is conserving energy for Set #5. I expect him to step up big time. Still a 50-50 match, IMO.

 

[kihei]

5th set: Genie well and truly out of bottle now. Nole's to win, I'd say.

 

[kihei]

Watching Tsitsipas these last two sets is like watching Zverev/Thiem in the US Open finals last year. Neither one wanted it towards the end and both played like garbage. This is why the Big 3 have reigned for so long.

It looks that way, doesn't it? Just compare the level of intensity today to yesterday. Just world's apart.

 

[kanuck87]

Stefanos is conserving energy for Set #5. I expect him to step up big time. Still a 50-50 match, IMO.

Unfortunately, now he has to go up against Djokovic, who's gonna give it 100% now that he knows this is a one set, winner take all. Tsitsipas is in massive trouble right now. This could get really ugly for him in the 5th set.

 

[kihei]

Stefanos is conserving energy for Set #5. I expect him to step up big time. Still a 50-50 match, IMO.

Nah

 

[MsMeow]

Wow. I went to bed and just woke up to see the score. Judging by the first 2 points it looks like Djok will win

 

[NJDevs26]

LOL that long break point early in the third really flipped the match on its ear

 

[kanuck87]

Tsitsipas badly needed the hold there. Hopefully that calms him down.

 

[kanuck87]

Tsitsipas has no answers, and has resorted to playing drop shots. Not a good strategy against someone like Djokovic. Djokovic is going to grind him down here in the 5th.

 

[MsMeow]

Ugh. This is going to hell in a handbasket.

 

[kihei]

Tsitsipas has no answers, and has resorted to playing drop shots. Not a good strategy against someone like Djokovic. Djokovic is going to grind him down here in the 5th.

Don't think it will require much grounding.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

It's weird that Tsitsipas will lose in 5 but make me less confident than I was going in that he could take on the big 3

 

[kanuck87]

Don't think it will require much grounding.

Djokovic looks pretty content just pushing the ball back over and letting Tsitsipas make an error. Can't fault him for that strategy. Tsitsipas has nothing in his ground strokes right now.

 

[Tuggy]

Well that should do it.

Nice comeback for Nole.

Big title in the slam race.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

This is going to be a tricky, tricky game to serve out. Couldn't do it in 1st set, let's see if he can now.