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I've been watching the Tennis Channel since they started back last fall and where there used to be people who were going to be sure winners, it's a little more topsy turvy now.

Approaching The Championships, it's hard to know who'll play and who won't, and who'll start out strong.

I'm having a good time watching the tournaments happening now, and trying not to miss Thiem too much.

 

Anyone else following them?

I'm really liking Korda and Shapavolov, and am pretty interested in Kyrigios vs AugerAliassime. Well, actually, I'm interested in quite a few matches but find myself following the young North Americans. Oh, and Otte was pretty great. Picking players to write about is kind of silly because I like watching a lot of them. There are a number of women players I find interesting and am stunned by Gauff's demeanor and play.

Where are the other tennis followers around here?

So one week of Wimbledon is complete. Sorry to see Kyrigios out due to injury (I believe he needed more matches leading up to the tournament). There are a lot of good and great players, excited for Monday. Another one I'm missing is Tsitsipas, whom I thought might get to at least the semi-finals.

Racket must be happy that Medvedev moved ahead.

I'm interested in what others have to say.

Hi Judit!  Yes, we are excited for the round of 16 tomorrow!  Here are some random thoughts:

We followed the clay season pretty closely, and we're disappointed Tsitsipas bombed out in the 1st round of Wimbledon after his run at the French.  Still following Zverev, he's looking good.  And, we've enjoyed some of the younger players, especially Korda, and the 2 Italians, Sinner and Sonego.  Shapovalov looked amazing against Murray.  Always liked FAA, but we'll be pulling for Zverev, this could be his slam.  We appreciate Medvedev, but he plays the role of villain for us.  As for the old guard, I've always appreciated Federer (never liked Sampras and was glad when Federer beat him 20 years ago!) but while I pull for him to do well, he doesn't need it.  And while it would be fitting for Djokovic to get #20, I'd like to see one of the younger players take it.  Gotta favor Djokovic though, he's #1 until someone takes it from him. 

Anyway, enjoy the matches tomorrow (a few short hours from now).  

Dave (davesnothere)

PS - You can tell we don't follow women's as much.  Enjoyed Sakkari / Rogers in the 2nd round (even though we pulled for the Greek), very competitive despite being only 2 sets.  Jabeur / Muguruza was excellent, becoming Jabeur fans.  And really psyched for how solid Coco Gauff is playing, so amazing for her age.

Hi Judit!  Yes, we are excited for the round of 16 tomorrow!  Here are some random thoughts:

We followed the clay season pretty closely, and we're disappointed Tsitsipas bombed out in the 1st round of Wimbledon after his run at the French.  Still following Zverev, he's looking good.  And, we've enjoyed some of the younger players, especially Korda, and the 2 Italians, Sinner and Sonego.  Shapovalov looked amazing against Murray.  Always liked FAA, but we'll be pulling for Zverev, this could be his slam.  We appreciate Medvedev, but he plays the role of villain for us.  As for the old guard, I've always appreciated Federer (never liked Sampras and was glad when Federer beat him 20 years ago!) but while I pull for him to do well, he doesn't need it.  And while it would be fitting for Djokovic to get #20, I'd like to see one of the younger players take it.  Gotta favor Djokovic though, he's #1 until someone takes it from him. 

Anyway, enjoy the matches tomorrow (a few short hours from now).  

Dave (davesnothere)

PS - You can tell we don't follow women's as much.  Enjoyed Sakkari / Rogers in the 2nd round (even though we pulled for the Greek), very competitive despite being only 2 sets.  Jabeur / Muguruza was excellent, becoming Jabeur fans.  And really psyched for how solid Coco Gauff is playing, so amazing for her age.

I don't know how I forgot to mention him, but I really like Sinner, too. Where is he? Perhaps the North American circuit will include a lot of players we're not seeing at Wimbledon. I imagine that there will be some who reject whatever the "Bubble" structure is, we'll see who shows up.

I have no affinity for Djokovic, though I used to. He is #1, but others are coming up on him. The reason I don't like him anymore is the impatience he showed with the ball kids. They didn't take any longer to give him the balls, but no one else got impatient or nasty with them. That was especially at the U.S. Open a couple of years ago when he wasn't in a particularly good space so maybe he'll be nicer.

I like reading your thoughts, Dave, and am glad you showed up here. And I don't follow the women as much, either.

What a day at Wimbledon! Dave or anyone, are you "recording" and watching later? Wondering if we can talk about results or if that's a spoiler?

I'm tracking the ladies match now between Emma R from GB and T--- from Australia. 

I watched it, LLOLLO. There are some great players out there, going for their first quarter finals. Big match for those young women.

I'm thinking we need to choose a thread, either this one or the one in O.S. to be able to talk about play with results. Anyone have a suggestion of which thread? Also posing it in O.S.

Hi All.  Watched all of Korda / Silent K, and just finished watching FAA and Zverev.  What a day of tennis!  I've stayed off Viva to avoid spoilers, and now it's bed time. Nighty night!

Wasn't that a day! Intense.

I was in Paris during the French Open and London (though not S.W. 18) during Wimbledon in 1978. I didn't attend, but it was fun knowing it was going on.

So does anyone want to say which thread we should keep without results?

Spoilers/Results in this thread from now on.

I really like Berritini's style and use of power. Even more, I like anyone who can play Djokovic to the end, even without winning. It seems to me that having such a short grass season this year wasn't ideal and I hope that they can figure it out better for next year.

It seems to me that having such a short grass season this year wasn't ideal and I hope that they can figure it out better for next year. Injuries were too plentiful due to the slickness and the meager amount of practice on the grass - The transition from clay seems pretty tough with this timing. I'm looking forward to the hardcourt season. 
 

I'm excited to see how the Canadians, Italian, and US players do since they seem pretty excited right now. OK and a few others like Thiem, Zverev, and a few Russians. Will Thiem get his inspiration and play back? We'll see.

PS I'm waiting in the doctors office and using my phone - Not ideal for long thoughts.

So we've passed most of the clay and the lawn, and watching people get into hard court play is fun. Since the top players aren't playing yet we're seeing the next tier and it's work for them. Watching them is giving me insights into the rest of the year but I don't have new favorites.

Is anyone else watching?

Nadal vs Stevie Johnson in D.C. yesterday was a tight match to watch yesterday.

There are a few coming up today that should be interesting.

I'm happy that the Big 3 have withdrawn or stayed away from the Montreal 1000. I've really enjoyed watching the other players stretching themselves and playing some high quality tennis in recent tournaments. 

Who's going to win seems unpredictable and guys whose game is based on serving, not on play, are having to work harder. I don't know if you're watching, Davesnothere, LLOLLO or anyone else, so I don't want to spoil it, but at least some of these guys are playing like it matters. Shot placement!

Cincinnati: Zverev vs Tsitsipas - wow! Hard fought semi-final. The weirdest thing was after losing the first set Tsitsipas took a "bathroom break" that lasted almost 9 minutes and while he was off the court, Zverev accused him and his dad of coaching-by-texting while Tsitsipas was off the court. Dad was shown texting during the time Stef was off court. The interchange between the Umpire and Zverev got pretty testy.

Tsitsipas asked for another bathroom break after the second set and the Umpire said no, that if he was gone for more than 25 seconds he'd be penalized and there would be a penalty for each 25 seconds he was away. He didn't leave the court. It was very unusual and pretty weird.

Hi Judit,

Did you see Murray / Tsitsipas?  Pretty serious for a first round match, and more "bathroom break" drama.  Today, Ja es Blake said it's within the rules, he hates it, and listed a bunch of Americans who do the same (Isner, Tiafoe).

Also today Murray said "News if the day:  Tsitsipas' bathroom break twice as long as Bezos' flight to space."  Murray was always a whiner, but I always liked his style of play, he's a grinder.  Problem is, the real news is he lost after being up 2 sets to 1.

Hi Dave,

Thanks for coming over here, I've felt pretty alone.

I did see Murray/Tsitsipas, and if the rules aren't changed pretty soon (like to 4 minutes as one of the commentators suggested) there are going to be exploding tennis players, fans, officials. Murray's Tweet today was clever, for sure. I agree with you about Murray's demeanor and style of playing. I'm always surprised by his swearing and yelling on court but it must fit into sportsman-like conduct somehow. I do like James Blake and as a Tournament Director he's done well. I liked him as a player, too.

I've been a fan of Tsitsipas' tennis and spirit but I've been hearing that he isn't vaccinated and won't be unless it's required for tournaments he wants to play!?!?!?!?!. Unless he plans to travel by private transport and live in a perma bubble, how can I respect him? It's a problem.

I don't usually like Djokovic, but I did tonight when he was so nice to/about Rune, the Danish player. I usually think he's a shit to ballkids and some other people but this was a great example of people being kind.

It's going to be an interesting tournament, for sure.

There was also a comment sometime last night wondering what reactions will be when Tsitsipas walks out on court night... we'll see.

Hi Judit, some random thoughts:

Yes, I recently heard about Tsitsipas' stance on vaccinations.  Very disappointing.

Amazing evening over there in New York.  Ida shut down INDOOR tennis!  People are going to have a really hard time getting around, with the subway and LIRR and Newark airport all shut down, and cars stuck with all the street flooding.

The Tsitsipas match wasn't too interesting.  He got a few boos after he returned from his potty break.  He played a couple brilliant points to get his first break in the 4th, and the rest was a runaway.  We were worried about injuries (blisters?) to his feet after the Murray match, based on treatment he received yesterday on the practice court.  My wife has been watching practice sessions on usopen.org.

Rune taking that set from Djokovic was fun to watch, too bad he crumbled after.  I guess the 3 quali matches wiped him out.

Cressy beating PCB on one of the side court was really exciting, too.  Really fun tournament so far.

We've been following Tsitsipas and Zverev the last 4 years or so.  Fun to see Zverev beat Djokovic and take the gold at the Olympics.  Zverev is playing so well right now, he could be a favorite for the title.  You heard it here first!

Well, super wow! Tsitsipas vs Alcaraz! Young Alcaraz has a lot of new fans. Have you seen the match? Can we talk about it?

I missed the coaching and time violations (a friend called from Hawaii, I paused my TV but it only pauses for so long). I saw almost all of the play, I think. I was wowed.

Just finished watching. Wow, indeed!

I don't think Tsitsipas played that badly,  but Alcaraz was just amazing!  100+ mph ground strokes, and the presence of mind to make those drop shots.  I kept expecting him to crumble, either physically or mentally (we didn't really see the 4th set) but he was rock solid to the end.  Wonderful performance. 

So many 5 set matches! And so late into the night.

Thanks for mentioning that your wife watched practices on usopen.org. I'm able to watch the Sinner vs Monfils match (I really like these 2) while ESPN is showing Djokovich vs Nishikori. It's a bummer I'd have to sign up to watch Brooksby vs Karatsev. I'll wait.

Oh boy, I love these matches.

Great tournament thus far.  Big upsets!

I'm enjoying it so much. Big upsets, indeed!

 

We don't follow women's tennis as much, but that Kerber / Fernandez match was great!

Fernandez is fire.

I had to miss the match that Fernandez won today. I saw Fernandez/Osaka a few days ago, Fernandez was great.

I enjoyed Shelby Rogers vs Ash Barty, another one of those wonderfully played upsets. I don't follow the women players closely but there are some very entertaining matches.
I never thought of what tennis means to me as entertaining until some player or commentator said it, and it's true I am entertained.

Yesterday was a great day at the Open and Monday will be, too. Still happy that so many of the results aren't givens.

Just read a NYT story on Alcaraz, bummed I missed that match... hope to catch his next match, whenever that is...

Looking forward to Zverev/Sinner today, could be a good one.

The man from Sacramento!  Wow! (match in progress)

Zverev/Sinner wasn't very interesting, but the first couple sets of Djokovic/Brooksby, wow, fantastic!  Super entertaining.

If Fernandez gets thru sabalenka she wins it all.

and although I'd like to see Medvedev win I bet Novak wins.

I was for Svitolina, but since she didn't win I can support both Fernandez and Raducanu - if they end up in the final that would (will) be a hell of a match. Just a little ways to go, and either Pliskova or Sakkari could win on the way there, too.

About the men, I was very sorry to see Alcaraz retire - I'm loving the first timers and the young players getting a chance. And yes, I'm all for Berrittini beating Djokovic tonight. I'm having so much fun watching.

So does Djokovic use the first set as a warm up period? He's lost a couple only to go on to win the match.

Apparently Djokovic has won more matches this year after losing the 1st set than any player in the open era.  Amazing how he made Berrettini look so outmatched starting with set 2.

Interesting to note that Zverev was down a set and a break in Tokyo when he turned it around.  Not sure what happened there.  Very much looking forward to that semi!

We've been following Sakkari since she played with Tsitsipas for Greece at the Hopman Cup in Australia a ways back.  While I'm very happy for the teen girls' successes, I'll be pulling for Maria today.  Here's a good quote from her:

“I came in late on the tour. I was not a good junior. I was not a star when I was 18 or 19 years old. I had to work and sacrifice a lot from my life. But it’s now paying off.” —  Maria Sakkari, 26

A number of good current quotes here:

https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2021-09-09/2021_us_open_quote...

Women's semis in the books, hope everyone enjoyed them as much as we did.  I'll wait a bit to comment to avoid spoilers.

As for tomorrow, here's hoping FAA can give Medvedev a fight, and I especially hope Zverev can solve Djokovic for 3 out of 5.  I'd like to see Zverev take the whole thing.

I hate that I had to miss some of the play today, but what I saw was great! I think it's just you, me and Rackethead and he seems to know the results in real time, so please, I don't think you have to worry about spoilers. Is that right, Racket? I want to hear your comments.

Since I don't really care who wins, well, except not Djokovic, I'm happy with how it's going. I liked the quotes and link you posted. I was sorry Sakkari wasn't able to make more of a match, but Raducanu was so good, as was Fernandez against Sabalenka. These young women are playing with grace, power, smarts, and fearlessness, and I like it.
Really, I just like tennis. And I like your hopes for tomorrow.
FAA is getting better (thanks Uncle Toni) and Zverev could actually do it.

Sorry I forgot to mention you, LLOLLO, in my list of people reading this thread. You are not chopped liver.

Sabalenka started the first set blowing Fernandez off the court.  Looked a bit like a grown woman playing a girl.  But as powerful as Sabalenka was, she was equally erratic, too many unforced errors, and Fernandez hung tough, broke back, and won the tiebreak, mainly due to Sabalenka errors.  Sabalenka won the 2nd set, and I thought the tide may have turned.  Third set was crazy!  Fernandez had a love hold, broke Sabalenka, but was broken right back.  Sabalenka served to make it 4-4, and that was the last game she won.  Sabalenka has a powerful serve, a big weapon, but serving at 4-5 to stay in the match she produced one of the biggest "chokes" I have ever seen in following sports my whole life.  A shot into the net, 2 double faults(!!), and a shot long.  Took all of one minute.  As Sabalenka said after:  "She didn't do anything, I destroyed myself."  Not very sportsmanlike, but pretty much true.

I could say Sakkari "didn't show up" but I think it was really due to how well Raducanu played.  She has a strong all-around game, and she is FAST!  I have to give her the advantage over Fernandez, with the caveat that Fernandez is crafty.  As Chris Evert said, you don't need power to win, you can win with angles and consistency, and Fernandez has shown over and over that power and experience don't phase her.  Still, in my mind, advantage Emma.  Frankly, I'm really happy for either of them to take it, a great story either way, so good for the sport.

I have really, really enjoyed this tournament!  Men's semifinal day is always a big one, so here we go....

Ive followed Fernandez throughout the tourney.  Yesterday was the first time I've watched raducanu.  She plays well, but I still think Fernandez has the advantage with the mental game and her tennis maturity.

Sabalenka always chokes.  She's all power and that's it.

and I still take medvedev on the men's side.  Would love to see zeverev upset Novak today.  
 

judit don't worry about spoilers for me.  

Still hoping for Zverev, and trying to remember to exhale.

They keep mentioning that Coco Gauff was the teenage phenom (my word) - I hope she's not having trouble dealing with the psychological side of these two extraordinary teen (but older) players "bursting" through to the final. Coco is in the doubles final, so that's good for her (and McNally).

Dave, did you see the semi's? I have just a few comments but I'll wait. I appreciated the dedication and fight... and the play.

Thanks for allaying the concern, Racket.
Of course, following this weekend there won't be many matches I'm able to see. This week there's been a tournament in Karlsruhe, Germany. I'm going to be in Europe at some point for 2 or 3 months (Covid postponed trip) and Karlsruhe will be home base (best friend lives there). I've never been there but I have a sentimental affection for the city.

I've never seen a live real tennis match.

Ah, well, you just have to hand it to Djokovic!  I don't know how he does it.  And yesterday, he didn't win simply by outlasting his opponent.  I don't believe Zverev was tired, but for some reason he crumbled, and Djokovic stayed solid.  Pretty good match through the 4th....

We live in the Bay Area and have considered attending Indian Wells.  Probably not this year, though.  We have attended some local Challenger matches (Solano, Marin, Sacramento), and those are intimate and fun, with the opening rounds being free, and the later rounds a token charge.  You can see some up-and-coming players, sometimes top 100 and/or former higher-ranking players coming back from an injury, and these days with players coming out of the blue to play deep into majors you never know which new phenom you might see.  

Enjoy today's match!

I saw a Challenger match from Solano on TV. I think Stevie Johnson was in it, I don't remember other names from that one. There are small regional matches here, sometimes exhibitions, but I don't hear about them before they happen. I'll put myself on the mailing list of the place they usually happen.
The players seem to love Indian Wells so it seems like a good one to do someday. I had thought about the Laver Cup in Boston when it was scheduled for 2020, but... and then I looked at ticket prices, something I shouldn't do. I'm not able to project $300 worth of joy from a tennis match. Actually, there's not much that $300 would buy that would give me happiness. Limited funds sucks again.

I do just have to hand it to Djokovic. He did it, but Zverev couldn't.

I'm looking forward to today's match. I think it's going to be a powerful meeting of really focussed and motivated players showing grace in their attitudes and moves, and excitement in the stands. Have fun, folks.

In case there's any confusion about what I meant, grace does not mean gentle to me.

I hang out in the Karlsruhe area often.  Enjoy!

Well. Wow. Win. Lots of "W" words. That match was really enjoyable.

Was Fernandez saying she thought should have handled the abrasion/bleed differently? It did interrupt play. Rules... it was terrible timing.

I'm assuming Dave isn't looking in here til he's seen the match. Congratulations to Raducanu!

 

I thought Karlsruhe was a small town until I found out it isn't. That was a shock. I love where it is (like in relation to France) but don't know much about it. Our plan is to travel around in their 2019 Westfalia. We can go places we've been and to others we haven't. We also may fly some places, like Portugal, direct from Karlsruhe.

Fun match!  A lot less stressful when you don't care who wins.  I didn't see a lot of nerves, and thought for the most part it was high level and pretty even.  I was certainly pulling for Fernandez to break back, with the possibilities of a tiebreak and/or a 3rd set.  The medical timeout was so unfortunate, really let the air out of the room.  But as you say:  Rules.  I guess bleeding = medical timeout = a proscribed 5 minutes.  We were wondering why it was taking so long, but they showed a clock running down to zero, so I guess the length of the interruption wasn't discretionary.

I guess I'll be pulling for Djokovic tomorrow, as we've never really warmed to Medvedev.  Both great players.

Sounds like you have a wonderful trip planned, Judit!

 

Meltdown city.  Haha.

Medvedev has always reminded me of Randall from Monsters Inc (the disappearing lizard villain voiced by Steve Buscemi).  Something about his slinky movement and flourishing follow-throughs.  He sure played well today.  Wow, does he cover the court!  I started to pull for him to finish it as he choked on his service game at 5-2 in the 3rd.  Too bad for Novak, but that's why they play the games.

Shocking loss although I'm happy for Nadal and Federerereerer.    The men need some new blood like the women's side brought.   

Medvedev's slinky, indeed. And sort of octopus-like. I was surprised that Djokovic was as gracious as he was at the end, but when he swung and it looked like he almost hit the ball girl with the ball (or was it the racket) - that was the kind of thoughtless carelessness I don't like about him. I thought he should at least lose a point or more for that. I guess losing the whole deal took care of that.

I just listened on Youtube to their press conferences - both sort of endearing. I was happy to hear the origin of Medvedev's "fish flop" celebration. He's a humorous guy.

There are WTA events going on in Europe right now but I won't be following. An occasional glance will do.

Nice watching with you guys. And Racket, nice to see you here where it seems we have more in common than not much in O.S. - zoners are zoners.

Getting excited about the Laver Cup that starts Friday.

I enjoyed the Laver Cup though it was truncated by Team Europe winning and winning some more. Oh well. It was nice to see Federer and Andy Roddick sitting together for a while. I also liked that the tournament used recordings of Rod Laver's voice for the line and net calls.

Djokovic dropped out of Indian Wells, so we have the Big 4 out and everyone else gets to play. I love it.

Indian Wells. I'm not into it, though I've tried. I am looking forward to JT Brooksby who's playing today, maybe that'll jump start my interest.

Well, I'm finally kind of burnt out on watching tennis on TV. I enjoyed the randomness of the time without the Big 3 (or 4). There are some very good, very hardworking guys playing these days and they're fun to watch but I'm mostly taking a break.

I saw part of Nadal vs Murray play in Abu Dhabi today, first time back for Nadal. Both of them played well.

They both seemed strong, injury-free and smart. Good to see.

Djokovic. My opinion of him has not risen.

It's my understanding you can't get vaccinated within 4-6 months of having covid.  So if The joker was positive in mid December, how could he be vacccinated?

100% political bullshit.  

I'm reading that you should wait til the symptoms are gone, but no recommendations to wait longer than that unless you had monoclonal antibody treatment.

Nadal going for his 21st Grand Slam title vs. Medvedev.  Big assist to Djokovic for not getting vaccinated, and getting booted out of the country.  Nadal will have the crowd with him as he goes for the Men's Slams lead. 

I've been watching most of the men's matches, some of the women's. Some really great play. I really like watching Cressy come up, among others..

There is some more controversy about the information Djokovic gave Australia about testing... I agree, Dave, it's great for other players that he's not there. It's so open.

https://www.bbc.com/news/59999541

Glad you have had a chance to enjoy some of the matches, Judit.  The Women's drawl is interesting too with Ash Barty getting a chance to keep the championship trophy in Australia.  I hope she and Nadal both win.

The men's final is over. Won't divulge who won. Watch it if you have 5 1/2 hours to spare.Long match

Wow, just read about Nadal's epic comeback from 2-sets down after facing a break point at 3-3 in the third set.  Heady stuff.  First 2-set down men's Australian final comeback since 1965.  Nadal's first anywhere since 2006.

Ash Barty winning one for Australia is great too.

With Djoker's drama, a very memorable 2022 Australian Open

 

I watched for the first 2 1/2 hours, went to sleep and turned the TV on to see the end of the final set. Wow! Suspenseful match!

Thanks doolittle for not divulging. I think Davesnothere has probably heard or seen it by now, so YAY RAFA!!! He was who I hoped would win.

There was some really good play by a number of players throughout the tournament. Fun to watch.

Epic match, an instant classic. Rafa breaks the tie with his 21st major title. Vamos Rafa!

I'll add that I was slow to warm to Rafa.  In comparing him with Roger and Novak, all at 20 grand slams, I always had an asterisk in mind for Rafa, since 13 of his wins were at the French.  I will say that getting his 2nd Australian Open win (hard court) makes him "more legit" in my mind.  One of a very few men (6?) to win all 4 majors twice.

My appreciation of Rafa parallels my appreciation of clay court tennis.  I used to dislike it, largely because it was dominated by specialists (Rafa...) who couldn't win on other surfaces.  I think I now prefer clay court tennis, both because it is less server-based than hard or grass courts, with more rallies, and because the good upcoming players, like Thiem, Zverev, and Tsitsipas, are good on all surfaces, including clay.

I used to think Rafa was winning with brute force and wearing people down, primarily on clay.  That is really unfair.  He's an amazing shot-maker and tactician, and boy did he and Medvedev have clay-like rallies on the (not super fast) Australian hard court!  A 40-shot rally!  Lots of break points (servers not completely dominating).  An appropriate use of the word 'epic'.

I'm also enjoying Cressy's play. It's refreshing.

Cressy with the old school serve-volley really frustrated Medvedev.

Frustrated and "bored" him. Medvedev usually changes his play to mimic/mirror/slide into the same sort of play, then cut off the other person's roll, but Cressy got him.

Medvedev yelling at the Umpire! He needs a little help in the way he deals with it when things bug him.

Medvedev couldn't mimic Cressy because he's so uncomfortable at the net.  Nadal kept bringing Medvedev in with drops shots, which he was usually fast enough to get to (except when Nadal's drop shot was so awesome.)  But often he looked out of position in a net exchange and Nadal took full advantage.  I found myself thinking "Tsitsipas would've gotten that one."

I have really enjoyed the play at Indian Wells. So tough! I've seen so much good tennis and good sportsmanship. The semi's were really good, especially the one between Nadal and Alcaraz. I mean, man oh man. Alcaraz is going to be something! Well, he already is something.

The final should be interesting. Nadal may have gotten exhausted fighting the wind. (Dave, sorry if I spoiled it.)

Yeah, we didn't see the end until late yesterday, glad I didn't look here first! 

I got pretty good forwarding the DVR through Nadal's interminable service ritual.  What a match!

Like wow. That's all I'm going to say in case Dave isn't ready to know what happened.

Really enjoyed that!

A bunch of great match-ups at Miami today!

Ruud-Norrie, Medvedev-Brooksby, Kyrios-Sinner, Zverev-Kokkinakis, Tsitsipas-Alcaraz(!), Fritz-Kecmanovic

 

It looks like it's going to be a very exciting day in Miami. I may change my plans about leaving the house and just stay home and do things. Maybe when I'm older I'll get a DVR or something.

Hi Judit!  Did you catch Tsitsipas-Alcaraz?  Stefanos was looking good, up a break, then Alcaraz upped his game, shot making and power. Ran off 7 straight games and took over the match.  Amazing!

Just now we saw the Kyrios meltdown.  Too bad, he had been playing so well.

I did see Tsitsipas-Alcaraz. Alcaraz is changing the dynamics - I agree with Andy Roddick, he could take the whole thing.

Kyrgios escaped from himself - he could have held it together even though there were things he didn't like. His play has been so good, and his demeanor had seemed so calm and business-like. Not lifeless, but not so angrily miserable. He's still in the doubles with Kokkinakis, right? Kokkinakis had a hard time in singles today or yesterday, maybe injured?

It was a full day of tennis here. I love watching this level of play. As I've said before, I like it without the Big 3 (or 4, if you include Thiem) playing. Did you see his results from Marbella today? And Wawrinka was there, too. I like him.

Glad you guys got to see those guys today.

 

So many retirements and withdrawals! And due to those, unexpected winners. Not done yet. I hope there'll be no more injuries or illness's.

I'd like to see Alcaraz play Medvedev. 

Alcaraz seems to be the next Rafa. That boy is amazing. 

 

I wish Fritz would have won but Alcaraz would have shredded him.

Not wishing to be the spoiler, I'll just say, wow! What a quarter-final match between Alcaraz and Kecmanović!

Happy I was able to watch it.

 

Oh, my. No spoilers. Let us know when you've seen them, Dave.

 

I knew it would end this way!

And on to Monte Carlo.  We have a new favorite player:  Alexander Bublik.  This is based on a post-match interview we saw yesterday.  This kid (24 y.o.) has a great attitude, is comfortable in front of the camera, is opinionated, and is kind of a smart ass.

As for Miami, believe it or not we managed to not hear the results, and in the last couple days watched the Hurkacz/Alacraz semi, which was fantastic, and the final.  A star is born!

Monte Carlo is going to mess with my sleep.

Korda / Alcaraz!

I'm glad I didn't stay up last night to watch Korda and Alcaraz. I saw it today in the repeat. I was up til 4 in the morning the night before and I can't do that.

I missed Bublik, but heard about him.

These guys are amazing.

Yesterday, quarter finals, was a ton of great tennis!

Today, semis, the first was more of the same, tons of momentum swings and drama.  The second didn't rise to that level.  Looking forward to the final tomorrow. 

I'm glad you saw them. Yesterday was full and amazing. I missed the first semi match today, may be able to catch it, but I enjoyed the second. Almost nothing could beat yesterday. Wow.

I loved being on the Med (and in Monaco) years ago and I felt and smelled the sea while watching this tournament.

The Final should be really good tomorrow. I usually prefer Tsitsipas, but I'm going for both of them.

Allez!

Hard to root against Fokina, he started a pet adoption charity during Covid.  https://www.adoptas.org/en/about-us/

But, we've been pulling for Tsitsipas for years, so we'd like to see him repeat.  

We've really come to appreciate clay court tennis in recent years, now that there are so many good players (not just clay specialists).  And this tournament was a great example why.  So many long rallies, deuces, breaks, momentum swings, and drama.  Great tennis!

Jealous you've actually been there!

 I've been looking and can't find the answer, is Thomas Enqvist off the Tsitsipas team? It looks like he was hired for the U.S. "Sunshine Double" and possibly Monte Carlo, but I didn't see him in the stands. I liked his quiet, but now dad is back and getting coaching warnings. I enjoyed today's match (on replay) but it was no yesterday.

I've been a Tsitsipas fan for years, too, so I'm with you. I'm still warming to the clay, but I'm just about there. Yes, great tennis!

I was in Tuscany in 1986 when Chernobly blew and didn't feel like the Italians were taking it seriously so I went to Menton, on the Mediterranean just over the French border. I went for 3 days, stayed for a little over a week. There was a Youth Hostel with great food high on a hill overlooking the town and the Sea. My friend and I walked most of the way to Cannes on the trail along the Sea, catching the train if it showed up where we were, so not all walking. It was a beautiful and intimate way to feel and see the area. Lots of lovely old mansions and outdoor dining and gathering spots. Eucalyptus groves, soft colors, history, really lovely. Emerge from the path at a tiny town and catch a train to somewhere... perfect pace, perfect place.

We went to Monte Carlo twice, once to try to check out the Casino and the style around town. I wasn't allowed in the Casino because I was wearing sandals, so after my friend went in I went in wearing her shoes. The areas we were allowed into were sort of rundown looking... nothing glamorous. We walked around to see a couple of other areas- it was a sparklingly beautiful day.

The second day we were passing through on the train and got off when we saw lots of people and heard the high-pitched whines of the cars in the Monaco Grand Prix, which as you probably know runs through the streets of Monte Carlo. We were in the old town and the motors were so loud, so screaming, such a big deal, and quite a contrast to the old buildings and little streets outside the raceway. Invigorating. Marlboro was a sponsor giving things out to spectators; I still have a lighter, a note pad and a plastic carrying bag of theirs.

Sounds like a wonderful trip, Judit, thanks for reminiscing!

Don't know about Enqvist, but we were yelling at papa Tsitsipas to sit on his hands and shut his mouth.  Don't know if it was being used as a tactic, but the coaching warning during the final, while Fokina was serving, was an interruption that seemed to break Fokina's momentum.  To heck with the warning and point penalty, as a repeat offender Apostolos should be escorted out of the venue. 

I agree, Apostolos should be removed or at least put far away in the stands where he can't be seen or heard.

Watching Madrid, so much talent, perseverence, work! Exciting stuff.

Also watching Madrid, men's quarterfinals shaping up to be  be some great matchups!

No spoilers, but I do think Tsitsipas should get Thomas Enqvist back and get rid of his dad.

The final should be pretty interesting, maybe even exciting.

Caught up with the semis.  Glad Alcaraz 's ankle seems good.  His run has been amazing!  Hope tomorrow is a good one.  Enjoy!

Well, that was horrible...

I won't go that as far as to horrible, not even sure what you had in mind, but where was Zverev? I was overly generous when I thought it would be pretty interesting...

Alcaraz is on a confidence building track. It's working.

As much as I like the occasional drop-shot, and he's very good at them, I hope there'll be more volleying sometime soon.

I could go on.

We thought Alcaraz/Nadal and Alcaraz/Djokovic were fantastic, competitive, entertaining matches. The competitors brought the best out of each other.  The best that tennis has to offer.

Contrasted with Zverev/Tsitsipas and Zverev/Alcaraz, which were really never competitive. Flashes of brilliance, and Alcaraz will always be fun to watch,  but Zverev really let us down.  Oh well, on to Rome!

Yes to all of your above.

What is with Delbonis' serve? I forget until I see it again that it is one of the weirdest things I've seen. Here is a link to it in slow motion.

https://www.atptour.com/en/video/video-search-results/here-is-how-delbon...

That's a good one.  I also like Sofia Kenin who looks down during her toss, then looks up during her motion to find the ball.

https://youtu.be/QVl_mtK6bDs

Sofia Kenin's toss is amazing, I've marveled at it while watching her. It's a really fluid motion that doesn't look to me like it should work. What do I know?

Drop shots. I'm seeing more of them, interspersed with play to and from all over the courts. They sure work when they work.

Just finished watching the Tsitsipas/Sinner quarter.  Well, the first set anyway. Tennis channel shows a tense, top quality first set, then "If you want to see the rest, go to TC Plus..."  Bah!  Also, other coverage is split across "Bally Network" and "Regional Sports Networks."  Coverage is getting so fragmented. 

Anyway, that first set was excellent!  Looking forward to a great semi tomorrow.

Hey Judit, are you keeping up with the first rounds of the French?  Surprising that such high seeds as Zverev, Tsitsipas, and now Alcaraz, have all been pushed to 5 sets in such early rounds.  Just finished watching the Alcaraz 2nd round match against Ramos-Vinolas.  Wow.  Very competitive, and Alcaraz made some amazing gets near the end of the 5th, highlight reel stuff.  Compellng tennis!

Yes, Dave, I'm watching! And yes, those near-top seeds are having to play like they mean it. I'm loving it. I'm glad you're seeing it, too.

Alcaraz often comes through in the later sets after I've wondered if he can possibly pull it out. So good!

And it seems to me that since Alcaraz (and Brooksby during the spring tournaments) began playing so many drop shots others are adding a few more to their play - oh boy, I love watching really good tennis and we're getting to see some these days. I'm glad I'm retired so I can watch when I want to without staying up all night, but I almost, no, I sort of really do, resent having to go out to deal with stuff. I've got 3 medical appointments over the next 2 days and I know they're going to mess with my watching.

Still watching. (What I saw today, without spoiler, WOW!)

I wish I had seen the Alcaraz vs Khachanov match but it didn't seem to be on Tennis Channel. I just realized that maybe it was on ESPN or another network, but it's over.

 

On we go.

Ah, showing A vs K now.

Just finished Nadal / Djokovic, classic matchup of 2 champions, but gosh do they play SLOOOWWW!  Had to fast forward past Novak's ball bounces and Nadal's OCD incessant bounces, wiping, and scratching before every serve.  Thank goodness they have a serve clock!

Alcaraz / Zverev, now that was a dynamic match!

Djokovic just bugs me, so his ball bouncing bugs me. I don't think Nadal can help his OCD-self, and I like him, so it's easier for me to take his routine. And yes, the serve clock comes to the rescue.

The all Scandinavian match was heart-felt. So now, we're down to the semi's and we'll see how it goes. I know who I think will be in the final, but we'll see.

The women's final could be great, if Gauff and Świątek win their semi's. I remember that you don't follow the women's games; I pick and choose. 

Onward!

Great Gauff vs Trevisan match. Awesome back and forth.

I was glad I watched some of Gauff vs Trevisan, thanks for bringing it up, doolittle.

I hope tomorrow's women's final will be well-played and interesting.

 

No spoiler about today's men's semi's - there was some tight and heavy play.

I love tennis.

What a shame about Zverev!  That match had all the makings of a true epic.  He should have won the first set, but didn't sustain his early brilliance, and you have to hand it to Nadal, who came up with some stunning shots to steal the set.  I really thought the match could be tied after the 2nd set tiebreak, but we'll never know.

Ruud / Rune was a good one, that Rune kid has game, he was fantastic against Tsitsipas.  We'll be pulling for Ruud in the Final...

My friend texted with the winner's name before the Tennis Channel broadcast the Final so there was less tension than there would have been without that. In fact, I didn't watch the who thing, just in and out of the room.

I dislike that The Tennis Channel is a Sinclair entity, I wish I weren't so attached to it. I just try to make sure that I don't purchase things from their advertisers.

And now, on to the grass.

I enjoy the grass court season. Some fun matches, with players taking lots of small steps.

I'm really sorry that Wimbledon is restricting its player pool. Also too bad about the folks who are injured. It's tennis... there'll still be exciting play.

We were on the road during the Roland Garros final, and believe it or not, I managed to not learn the result until this morning, when we reviewed the recording.  Not much of a contest, I thought Ruud was playing well enough to offer more of a fight.

Grass court tennis has so many aces, easy service holds, short points, and tiebreaks, it's my least favorite surface, although Wimbledon has produced tons of drama over the years.  We watched Kyrgios and Tsitsipas last week, and some of Medvedev/Hurkacz.  I might actually enjoy women's matches on grass more, at least they have rallies.

Grass is a short season. Definitely not my favorite but I like all of the surfaces, probably hard court best. What I really like is when the players are playing excellent tennis and enjoying themselves.

I hope Serena has fun, is proud of her play and doesn't get injured. Nadal, too.

 

Well, Wimbledon is underway!  I'm looking ahead to Tsitsipas/Kyrgios in the 3rd round.  Too bad the Russians are out.  Too bad Zverev is out.  And now, Berrettini is out with COVID!

Also... I just started reading Andre Agassi's autobiography.  Really enjoying it so far.

Yes, I'm sad about Berrettini, I was looking forward to his beating Djokovic. And yes, missing the Russians and Zverev, too.

I'm really impressed with Tsitsipas and some others who can lose a set and pull it together.

Agassi was my favorite for a long time. I will catch up to his autobiography some day - right now I'm starting Jorma's. During his Quarantine series he often said while telling a story, "It's in the book", so I'll read the book.

Some exciting matches today!

I enjoy (auto)biographies, I will definitely seek out Jorma's.  Before Andre's I read Pete Townshend's.  Both were surprisingly literate, especially considering Andre dropped out of 9th grade.

Tsitsipas/Kyrgios is on for Saturday, could be a great one!

I'll be at my TV for the T/K match unless my grandkids are visiting, in that case I'll catch it later on replay. I really want to see it.

They both continue to improve this week and I think either could win. Kyrgios seems to be such a great player naturally, fluid and precise. Tsitsipas can be SO good.

Kyrgios is a super gifted athlete and just beat Tsitsipas a few weeks back in a close match.  Talk about under-achiever.  Nick isn't high-ranked, he doesn't play enough, but he makes a habit of beating top-ten opponents.  While Nick's athleticism and shot-making are a given, his mental state is not.  In the interview he gave after his 2nd round win he sounded really solid in his current mental/emotional state.  That's a scary proposition for Stefanos!

I agree with all of what you said.

Re spoilers: I don't know what you're interested in watching without knowing the outcomes, how long I should wait to comment. Are there matches you don't want to know the results of beside the Kyrgios/Tsisipas match tomorrow? Every once in a while there's a great match that I want to say something about, but I hold off.

I'm enjoying a lot of it.

That's the only one we're following closely, feel free!

Isner over Murray was a heck of a match. Isner's game was so high, and Murray wasn't slacking.

I almost never care where players come from but the large group of American men is impressive. Like Tommy Paul playing as well as he ever has, and many of them getting farther in a tournament that the have in the past. And they seem to be nice, even when they lose.

I like the ESPN commentators, except I really don't like Brad Gilbert's nicknames for people. I may have complained here about that in the past. Like why would he use them more than once ... as an example calling Alcaraz "Escape from Alcatraz". He still calls Sinner "Sin City" after maybe 3 years of doing so. I love his knowledge of the sport and its players from the past but, really.
Thank you for reading my rant.

 

Just to complete the rant, BG called him Sin City and someone nearby, maybe Darren Cahill (I think he's coaching Sinner these days) told BG that people/friends refer to Sinner as The Fox and BG said he's going to continue to call him Sin City.

End of third set, holy shit!

Well, that was quite a match!  I really thought Tsitsipas might take it, win the 4th and be favored in a 5th.  But, hand it to Kyrgios, he played well enough when he needed to.

As for the circus aspect, I think it will be interesting if Nick advances and plays Nadal.  The fastest player ever, against the slowest.  Nadal complained to Sonego about vocalizations after hitting the ball, Kyrgios chattering while Nadal serves?  Nadal stalling while Kyrgios serves?

Hearing the interviews after Tsitsipas/Kyrgios, Nick thought he did nothing wrong, Stefanos apologized for hitting the ball out of the court ("I'll never do that again.").  I hope they get a chance to play each other many times again.  They played at a very high level, at times.  Again, grass is really not my favorite, and Nick becomes another "serve-bot", but the drama was undeniable.

Saw some really good grass court tennis yesterday:  Sinner/Alcaraz and Goffin/Tiafoe especially. 

I hope Sinner can maintain his high level against Djokovic!

Me, too, Dave. Glad you caught them.

There is good tennis happening in SW19, just depends on who's feeling what while they're playing. I'm watching/listening to the Kyrgios/Nakashima match rerun and it's not like a morgue, but it's no circus.

Onwards. (Thanks for checking in, your posts are good for me.)

As Matteo Berrittini said on Facebook, Wow! Tsitsipas talks about aiming for Kyrgios.

https://firstsportz.com/tennis-news-i-was-aiming-for-his-body-stefanos-t...

Awesome match between Fritz and Nadal. Sad that Fritz blew it with a 2 set to nothing lead. 

Agree, Fritz played great.  Now that Nadal has withdrawn, I wish they'd have Fritz play Kyrgios, rather than giving Kyrgios a walkover to the final.  Like a lucky loser in qualifying. 

Oh well, a Kyrgios/Djokovic final could be interesting. 

Agree x2 about Fritz' play.

Fritz vs Kyrgios would be their first meeting and I will love to see it anytime, it would be great if it were happening in the semi. If only The Championships were listening to you, Dave.

 

They just keep playing. Del Bonis keeps serving his unique way.

There are always surprises and sometimes fun. No specifics, in case you're watching these days.

The Western and Southern is full of surprises. Lots of hard play, winners, losers, all that.

Great semis yesterday!

Good to see you here, Dave.

Great semis, indeed! I remain glad that Djokovic isn't playing here - everyone's getting a chance to stretch.

I always like when Tsitsipas raises his game when it's needed, and Coric is playing so well; today's final could be a great one. These guys are 3 dimensional (depth, strength, problem solving, et al. Happy watching.

Tennis is a weird sport.  The way Medvedev went away in  the 3rd set of the semi.  The brilliant start for Tsitsipas,  matched and exceeded by Coric to end the first ( great set!) then Tsitsipas went away.  Tsitsipas has played played plenty of 5 setters, we were disappointed. 

Great match so far with Serena! Would love to see her bow out with a a final epic championship game.

Sorry Dave, spoiler. But since you don't follow women's tennis we're probably safe.

 

 

Serena doesn't need 'jewels" on her clothes to sparkle, she's got it on the natch. It was an engaging match and I agree, it would be great if she could make it to the final. I loved the way she jumped and leapt at the end.

I try to catch the players' interaction at the net after any match.  Even with emotions running high you can often see a sincere interaction, and learn something about who they are as people. I thought Serena looked gracious after her first round match.  I know that's easier when you win, but still.

Can't believe Tsitsipas, after beating Medvedev in Cincy, came out and lost 11 straight games before getting on the board.  Took one set, then out...

So many highly seeded or ranked players have been eliminated! I've been shocked by a few but mostly it's been fun as an observer. A lot of them are just trying to get back in the game, and others are playing what they've planned as their last tournaments. Man, some of those people are so strong!

It's a long tournament.  Kyrgios has the most wins since June, but sometimes looks tired/hurt. Wonder if he can maintain his highest level (physically, mentally, emotionally) for 2 weeks.

Coric vs Brooksby is some epic playing back and forth right now.. Watch it. You won't be disappointed! 

Who the hell is Brooksby!?

I watched some of Coric vs Brooksby. I watch Brooksby when I can and admire his playing. They both got into it and you're right, I wasn't disappointed.

How the players comport themselves on the courts matters to me and I thought I'd posted this here recently: I know he's young, but Brooksby doesn't seem empathetic or show good sportsmanship (like, say, Alcaraz). I love his play, I'm trying to like him.

That Medvedev/Kyrgios match was a lot of fun.  Great shot-making!

I just keep watching. Some surprises but mostly they just keep playing.

I think Kyrgios just wants to be home with his mom. During yesterday's match with Khachanov, Kyrgios seemed erratic, uninspired, uninterested, distracted and sluggish. He's still amazing, and played with great skill when he did, but I'm glad he can go home.

Kyrgios wanted to win, guaranteed.  He was out played.

I agree that he was outplayed, but I think the rest was true, too. He had no spark, no juice.

I should have said, he lost his spark and juice.

 

And now, watching Alcaraz/Sinner, wow! Those guys are so good!

Alcaraz/Sinner 5+ hours! What a spectacular match!

No spoiler.

Dave, let us know when you've seen it.

Racket, he says he feels like shit for losing and letting so many people down. Sad for him.

>>Those guys are so good!

Just caught up with Alcaraz/Sinner this morning.  And, that's exactly what we were saying, they are SO good!  Hitting line after line, amazing angles. And the competitiveness, both guys saving break points and set points, and eventually match points, just great, clutch sporting competition.

We're fans of both players, and it was such a see-saw battle, I couldn't predict who would come out on top, a shame either had to lose.  I honestly counted Sinner out at one point, and they were talking about his knee being an issue and he'd called for the trainer.  But no!  And winning a set sure makes a sore knee feel better!  Then Alcaraz looked out of it, and Sinner served for the match, but no!  

I like how great they both are on defense, and not afraid to come to the net.  Lots of interesting points, not just back-and-forth from the baseline or "first strike" tennis.  I've got to give Alcaraz the edge in pure athleticism, I bet he'd be an excellent soccer player.  And the power of his forehand is shocking.  He hit winners when he wasn't even in an advantageous position, he just blasted it by Sinner.  What an amazing match, and "just" a quarterfinal.

I second everything you said, Dave.

It was tremendous to watch it as it happened. I'm a fan of both, too, and didn't prefer one to win. I also loved watching the coaches; this was a match like none they'd ever seen before even though they're both so experienced. I liked the commentators awe and that they seemed to comment without fault-finding or rancor; I mean, what fault could you find that would be worth mentioning in light of the play. Those shots hitting the lines took my breath away. So many instances of wonder and joy. And strength and power.

If any of the matches in the semi's or the final come even close in their excellence and excitement it'll be a miracle. I think I'm going to miss tomorrow's semi matches (prior commitment to dance while listening to friends play music) - I hope I can find them on YouTube or somewhere.

Not going out tonight, it's too hot and smokey to dance outdoors. I'm looking forward to the match.

Always love semi-finals day.  Some great matches today.

Yep, I'm a happy tennis watcher.

2022 US Open is in the books.  We enjoyed the Women's final.  It's hard to root against Iga (my wife is half Polish), but I've followed Jabeur for several years, so I was definitely pulling for her in that 2nd set.  Glad she made it competitive, and the second set was compelling, but the better player won.

Men's final was good, have always liked both players.  Pulled for Ruud as the underdog, and glad he took the 2nd.  Some very high quality play, these youngsters seemed amazingly composed to start, but showed some nerves at times, too.  Alcaraz is a really special talent.  They both played some great defense and made some amazing shots, but Carlos really had that extra mojo.  I've never seen a player hit winners from such un-advantageous positions, and/or on a dead run, just amazing and fun to watch.  Lots of strong, young players, I think it looks good for the sport.

Federer retires!

Laver Cup to be his last appearance. 

I was already looking forward to the Laver Cup (on Tennis Channel) but now even more so. I read his twitter announcement and again felt, what a great guy.
It's not a surprise to me that he's retiring now. I think it's great.

And about the Open, Carlos just has that thing.

I didn't have a favorite at the beginning of the match but it was hard to maintain when Carlos plays the way he does. Ruud is good and will continue to get even better and even more competitive. I love both of these guy's attitudes.

I was for Jabeur in the women's final but Swiatek does know how to win.

Nice sharing tennis with you, Dave.

Roger have a great 50 years or more of happiness. Good guy!! Not like some zoners!!!!

doolittle, I share your wishes of great happiness for Roger. I don't know if I'm one of the Zoners you're thinking of as not being a great guy, but if I've hurt your feelings, please let me know directly at [email protected].


Not going to spoil it, but I hope you all got to see the Laver Cup doubles match today. I loved it, such camaraderie and affection between the players. They love each other. And then there was the great tennis.

I wasn:t thinking of you Judit! I think you can figure it out on your own. heart

Roger and Rafa Laver.jpg
Tender times after the match

Great Fritz vs Norrie match

Yes, the Fritz/Norrie match was really good. 

And now Sock in his second doubles of the tournament. Berrettini and Djokovic are so good, but this could turn out to be real fun. 

Amazing playing going on at the Laver Cup. Some of the best tennis I've seen in a while. Awesome stuff.

Tsitsipas and Tiafoe is happening now. Another great battle.

I always look forward to the Laver Cup. I even briefly entertained the idea of going to Boston 2 years ago when it was canceled and then last year in Boston again, but it costs quite a bit for tickets and I didn't think I'd get that much joy from it. Sure glad they broadcast it on the Tennis Channel.

Tiafoe had a message he was giving to team Europe. He really played.

Swiatek v Krejcikova was an awesome match.

Well! I woke up for the tiebreak of Swiatek v Krejcikova's second set and then went back to sleep. I had watched almost all of Fritz v Tiafoe and then fell asleep, saw the rerun end of it today. I hope the Tennis Channel will show the other men's finals, I'm interested.

 

Nishioka has some anger issues. Broke 2 rackets in a row

I saw the second racket breaking as it happened and the first just after it happened. He was not doing well.

Fritz gets some interesting opponents.

Hi Judit!  Thought of you just now watching the Paris 1000 final, Djokovic vs Rune.  Excellent, tight match.  The semi with Novak and Tsitsipas was great, too.  3rd set tiebreak.  Both very competitive, high-level matches.  ATP final coming up.  Alcaraz is out with an abominal muscle tear...

Hi Dave! Yes!

I slept through much of the final but woke up for the last couple of games of the 3rd set and the tiebreak - wow and wow! It's all so exciting. I did watch the semi. Man, these matches are as you said, high-level. Amazing! The youth of today... and now Tsitsipas is not so young. I was watching when Alcaraz had to retire; I'm glad he knew if he couldn't stretch it he should end play.

I love tennis!!!

 

Some fantastic matches in Paris. Rune is on a hot roll and tearing it up like Alcaraz did earlier this year. 

What happened to Coco? She seems to have lost her spirit.

I think Coco played so many matches that she's a little tired. The mental and physical energy have ebbed a bit.

I hope she takes a good break and lets herself find her way.

Coco's playing in the Billie Jean King Cup 2022 Finals in Glasgow, so I guess no break. I hope she's having fun.

Plenty of tennis in Australia and New Zealand happening now. It'll take me a while to get used to the round robin format of the United Cup, but I do like men and women playing together as teams.

Do y'all know that Jessica Pegula's parents own the Buffalo Bills? They've had some heavy stuff, including the player lately who died on the field and was brought back to life and is said to be neurologically intact. Jess's had to play with some shitty stuff going on in Buffalo and in the background, and she's playing very well. The American team seems to be strong.

Berrettini>Murray

What a match!

Indeed, that was something!

We saw a good bit of Berrettini>Murray, great match!  A contrast of styles:  Berrettini, hitting match point into the net, big grin.  Murray, rarely looks like he has a good time, always seems in pain (which he probably is).  Can't root against either player, Murray is a little hard to root for, but I will always enjoy his amazing gutsy defense.  One of those matches where it'd be good if both players could advance.

Glad to see Zverev working his way back from his horrible injury at Roland Garros.  Sad to see Nadal hurting and out.  Djokovic has a wrapped thigh (sore hamstring?) so maybe a bit of an opening for a new grand slam champ.  Tsitsipas and Fritz are playing great, but Medvedev is always super dangerous, especially on a fast hard court (are they playing fast this year?).

Not following the women as closely.  I knew about Pegula's parents owning the Bills, but was surprised she's the 3rd(!) seed, kinda snuck up on me.  I think Coco is playing well, heard a commentator say she's taking a bit off of her shots, not going for winners so early in rallies.

Cursing ESPN for how screwed up they are covering tennis.  So many matches available on ESPN+ stream (meaning they have the feeds they could use), but so little broadcast, with mixed-up scheduling half the time.  And, it seems they allow Tennis Channel to broadcast very little as well.  Why did we see Nadal's first round match broadcast over and over again, when there is so much both channels could be showing?

Wow, the AO has had its share of twists and turns, upsets, barely upsets (Rublev vs Rune)... not so many injuries, but it hasn't been as predicted for many.

Interesting that there were so many Americans still playing as the tournament went on. Ben Shelton! I'm not going to name my faves but I'm happy the young guys are so good.

Dave, your comments about ESPN are milder than mine.

Enjoying the first men's semi now.  Pulling for Tsitsipas. 

I watched and was pulling for Tsitsipas, too. 
 

I'm not going to be able to watch much of Tommy Paul versus Djokovic but I think it would be the coolest thing if Tommy Paul won. I can catch it as a rerun tomorrow. And I know I would enjoy a Tsitsipas v Paul final. 

Despite Alcaraz and Kyrgios not playing, and Nadal, Medvedev, and Ruud out in the earlier rounds, the winner of the men's final will be world number one.  I think Tsitsipas is peaking at the right time.  He's serving well, moving well and playing great defense, and his forehand is great. Hoping he gets his first major!

Well, that was disappointing!  Gotta hand it to Novak, he was sharp.  Amazing competitor. 

Tsitsipas will rise again!

So what do you think about Wu? He's so smooth. I'm looking forward to seeing him and Alcaraz play whenever that happens.

Murray vs Zverev not too shabby,

^ Agree.

^ Agree.

Tsitsipas just pulled out of Acapulco, and Indian Wells is questionable.  Shoulder problem.  Look at Thiem getting one major, an injury, and a long struggle to come back.  Zverev made 2 major finals and was looking fantastic against Nadal, blew out his ankle, and is having a long comeback.  And now Tsitsipas, who was back from a bad elbow, now has the shoulder.  How in the heck did Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer rack up all those majors?!

3 out of 4 in the semi's cramping in Acapulco - that was hard to watch. They do have perseverance and fortitude.

I'll watch most of Paul vs de Minaur, I hope they're able to fly around the court.

Murray match was an adventure. Loved it! 

Guy's got stamina

Stamina, skills, drive, and more. Good match!

I'm excited for Fritz vs Shelton and, well, many of the men's... I wish they would show more of the men's matches since they're often more interesting to me, but they don't. Fritz vs Shelton, McDonald vs Rune, Alcaraz v Kokkanakis, this afternoon and evening alone. Stay tuned!

 

I love this:  Stefanos Tsitsipas says: Tennis is the perfect combination of violent action and polite applause.

Fritz/Shelton was a good one!  Shelton was amazing in the first set, but couldn't maintain that level.  Happy to see Fritz advancing in his title defense. 

Looking forward to Zverev/Medvedev.

>>> Looking forward to Zverev/Medvedev.

Me, too.

Also, Sinner/Wawrinka and Tommy Paul/Auger-Alliasime.

And I will watch all of the men's matches shown on TC.

Fritz/Sinner this afternoon!

I'm looking forward to Fritz/Sinner, for sure! I'm a big fan of both of them.

And also Alcaraz/Auger-Alliasime. This might be one of the best tennis days in a while.

I'm looking forward to years of Sinner vs Alcaraz. So good.

Fritz's comments after playing Alcaraz were informative.

That Sinner / Alacarz semi had sections where both were playing their best at the same time.  Too bad Alcaraz seemed to fade physically, but even so, a really great match.

Thiem played quite well yesterday; changing coaches might be the thing he needed to do to get going. There's some good tennis going on in Monte Carlo.

I loved Monte Carlo in 1986 and have good memories.

From my post in April 2022 in this thread: I was in Tuscany in 1986 when Chernobyl blew and didn't feel like the Italians were taking it seriously so I went to Menton, on the Mediterranean just over the French border. I went for 3 days, stayed for a little over a week. There was a Youth Hostel with great food high on a hill overlooking the town and the Sea. My friend and I walked most of the way to Cannes on the trail along the Sea, catching the train if it showed up where we were, so not all walking. It was a beautiful and intimate way to feel and see the area. Lots of lovely old mansions and outdoor dining and gathering spots. Eucalyptus groves, soft colors, history, really lovely. Emerge from the path at a tiny town and catch a train to somewhere... perfect pace, perfect place.

We went to Monte Carlo twice, once to try to check out the Casino and the style around town. I wasn't allowed in the Casino because I was wearing sandals, so after my friend went in I went in wearing her shoes. The areas we were allowed into were sort of rundown looking... nothing glamorous. We walked around to see a couple of other areas- it was a sparklingly beautiful day.

The second day we were passing through on the train and got off when we saw lots of people and heard the high-pitched whines of the cars in the Monaco Grand Prix, which as you probably know runs through the streets of Monte Carlo. We were in the old town and the motors were so loud, so screaming, such a big deal, and quite a contrast to the old buildings and little streets outside the raceway. Invigorating. Marlboro was a sponsor giving things out to spectators; I still have a lighter, a note pad and a plastic carrying bag of theirs.

Great story, Judit. 

Awfully quiet here lately.  Hope you're enjoying clay court season.  We are!

Yes, I'm watching and enjoying play on the clay court. It's fun. I don't know if you watch the Tennis Channel, I do. I love that Andrea Petkovic became a commentator and occasional desk person on TC - she's so smart and she knows stuff. I wish she were on more often.

I kind of got tired of feeling like I was the only person posting about tennis, glad to see you on occasion, Dave.

Yes, watching Tennis Channel recorded overnight for these European tournaments.  Happy to see Petko join them, we have enjoyed her ever since we first saw her victory dance:

https://youtu.be/qd3527XeKDw

Did you see yesterday's Alcaraz round 2 match?  Just saw it this morning.  Fun!  Lots of quality tennis in Rome, the Sinner 2nd round was top notch.  Hoping the weather cooperates.

Her very happy victory dance! Happy to see yo here.

 

I've seen most of Alcaraz's match against Fabian Marozsan, was that round 2? Sort of almost like he was playing against himself.

Yes, lots of great tennis in Rome, too bad about the rain. Tiafoe was so upset, as he should have been.

I don't have the equipment to record overnight so I'm at the mercy of what the Tennis Channel plays as reruns unless I want to be awake at night to watch. I've done that but it's a bad idea.

 

Play on!

The Rome Open says they'll be building a room on the main stadium - it'll be ready to go in 2026. Meanwhile, take your rubber boots.

I mostly enjoyed the tournament. Unfortunately it's not only about the play for me but also about temperament and sports(man)ship; I will be pleased if I never see Jelena Ostapenko again. There are a couple of men about whom I feel the same. Oh well.

Here we go with the French Open.  The coverage by Tennis Channel has been pretty rough.  Fifth set tie-break, 6-4, and the graphic says "Match Point", but at the French in the 5th it's first to 10 by 2.  Oops!  Then, while interviewing Korda, talking about his comeback from a wrist injury, the graphic displays a reference to his "elbow injury".  The Tennis Channel:  "It's All We Do!"

 

I saw that confusing reference to Korda's "elbow injury". I would appreciate if the Tennis Channel (TC hereafter) would do a much better job. I like some of the commentators, but not necessarily the formats, nor their match choices. Oh, if only I chose to afford TC+ ...

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying some of the European players who will only play in the early rounds but who'll appear at later tournaments.

How long would you like me to wait before I post about players, results, etc? I'm happy to wait til you've seen their matches; I want to hear your thoughts if you want to share them.

My concern about TC+ is my assumption it's all live, and I don't expect to watch matches in the middle of the night.  If I can watch the next day on demand, that would be different.

Don't worry about spoilers.  I've gotten burned a few times, so now I'm careful if I have a sporting event recorded that I'm waiting to watch. 

I guess I thought that one could DVR TC+  - I really have no idea if that's so. I have really hurt myself watching matches in the middle of the night so I don't let myself do it anymore.

I wonder what's going on with F A-A? Why is he losing? I'm not a big fan of Schwartzman but I'm glad he won today after his recent losing results.

I want to see Sinner play almost anyone. I'm almost glad that Alcaraz isn't just winning, but looking like he's working - I have no doubt that he'll move up to the late rounds or even the final but want it to look like he's having to work, problem solve, execute. In today's match against the Italian Coboli, Alcaraz got close to having to play a 4th set. 

Thanks, I won't worry about spoilers; I'll post with abandon.

Well, upsets, injuries, and some great tennis!

Monfils! That he managed to win (pull out) his match last night against Baez was against all odds. No not about betting, just that at 0-4 in the 5th it wasn't looking good, but he did it, cramping! And sadly, has now withdrawn from the tournament with a wrist injury. I didn't see it happen, but I guess it did. I'm glad Svitolena has done well so far.

The Brazilian Seybold Wild beating Medvedev, and on the women's side, Peyton Stearns taking out Ostapenko!!! That one pleased me.

There is some really excellent play going on.

And you? You seem much more objective and maybe analytical. I like your comments.

We've been fans of Monfis for years, one of the most entertaining players ever, and that was an amazing win.  The crowd was going nuts!  Really too bad he can't continue.  Glad is wife advanced.

Also enjoyed Wild / Medvedev.  I appreciate Medvedev more than I originally did (though I always admired his skill).  But we still usually root against him, both to support underdogs, and to clear the way for Zverev and Tsitsipas.  Tsitsipas looked sharp in the 2nd round.

And we saw a lot of Kokkinakis / Wawrinka, great match.

And another ding against TC:  Zverev's 2nd round match was their "Featured Match" and they hardly showed any of it.  Wasn't really competitive, so no great loss.  Looking forward to Tsitsipas tomorrow.

We also saw the end of the 4th set of Sinner's match late last night, multiple match points he couldn't convert, including one that tipped off the tape and over his racket.  Haven't seen it, but he ends up losing in the 5th?  That one's gotta hurt.

Fritz sucks!

I'm really getting tired of him losing and to much lower ranked people than him. It's almost to the point of not watching it anymore. And I feel the same about Coco!

Another TC gaffe: Altmeier and Dimitrov are still playing and Tiafoe vs Zverev haven't even started and TC has moved on to a repeat of Sinner vs Rune MONACO! Sheesh.

Yes, Sinner lost n the 5th. Too bad.

I don't share your feeling about either Fritz nor Gauff, doolittle. Perhpas you are frustrated by his loss today. Gauff is still in it, will be playing singles on Monday. She and Pegula are playing women's doubles as I type. They're very good.

There's lots of great play, great matches to come. Looking forward to Tsitsipas tomorrow, and Carlitos vs Musetti.

Finally saw the 5th set of Sinner / Altmaier this morning.  Wow, what a match!  That took a lot out of Altmaier, and he couldn't keep up with Dimitrov today.

Just now watched Zverev / Tiafoe on Peacock streaming, with John McEnroe covering.  Not as compelling as Sinner/Altmaier, but a good match.  TC didn't carry it, it was an NBC/Peacock "exclusive".  Tomorrow (Sunday) NBC has 3 hours of TV coverage starting at 9am Pacific.  No idea which match(es).  Can be confusing when they have TV coverage so split, across TC, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2, TC2 (don't get), and Bally Sports Networks (don't get), and makes me wonder when they say a match has "exclusive" coverage, does TC+ have it?  

TC played Zverev vs Tiafoe (all or a lot) this evening. I check back to see what they're showing. I didn't know that NBC, ESPN and ESPN2 are playing some. It's a little chaos.

Sinner is almost always a good show. He plays! And yes, Altmaier! He's been getting better all season. (And go, Svitolina!) As you know, I rarely watch the women, but a couple of them have struck my fancy. If I'm home and can be near the TV I'll check in on them.

Onwards into the morass of networks.

It seems when TV outlets other than TC have rights to parts of a tournament, like NBC (and Peacock streaming) for the French, or ESPN for another major (US Open?), then TC doesn't show the content live, only as "replays".  NBC will pick up their coverage of the French with the women's semis on Thursday, and on through the weekend.  I do enjoy John McEnroe and Mary Carillo.

Overall, I think the favored players won handily today, nothing too competitive.  But, there are some good matchups set for tomorrow!

TC is back to covering the French. I watched the last set of Rune vs Cerundulo. Good match, and Rune was more pleasant than sometimes. Those guys were so well matched! Ruud vs Rune should be a good one. Sometimes Rune reminds me of Brooksby - not the best sportsmanship, but this match felt a little different. Maybe because he wasn't at 100%?

I liked Musetti's play yesterday.

Yes, I love tennis.

We also saw the last set of Rune vs Cerundolo, very competitive!  We were pulling for Cerundolo, but Rune found a way to win, which he often does, like him or not.

Some great quarter final matches coming up.  We'd like to see Tsitsipas and Zverev make the finals, but the competition is getting tougher!

Just now saw Rune / Ruud, and the semis are set!  I like Ruud, but we're really hoping Zverev makes the finals.  And Alcaraz / Djokovic should be a good one.  Carlos looked fantastic against Tsitsipas, only the last 30 minutes or so were competitive.  I hope he can maintain his top level against Novak.  Enjoy!

Too bad Alcaraz cramped, the first 2 sets were fun!

Too bad Zverev played so badly,  I can't explain it...

I think I got kind of burnt out and walked away from Roland Garros.

I agreed with everything you posted, and now we're on to the grass. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks but with a little time away from it.

Yes, we've taken a bit of a break, too.  Grass is our least favorite surface, seems to favor servers, fewer breaks, fewer rallies.  At least it's short.  Following Zverev (beat Shapovalov) and Tsitsipas (lost to Jarry, who looked great).  Watching Korda/Tiafoe now.

Learned that Stephanos is dating Paula Badosa.  Believe it or not, they actually have a social media presence as "@tsitsidosa...."

Believe it or not, I went to their Instagram tsitsidosa - nothing I wanted to see here, moved along.

Between losing Philippoussis and gaining the distraction of a newish relationship, things aren't going so well on court for Stef. (Oversimplification)

 

These are all good warmups/lead ups to Wimbledon. Hoping for some of my faves to stay in The Championships.

Rublev-Bublik6.png

Two of the more entertaining personalities on tour!

Indeed. Rublev's hair is so similar to now, and Bublik... they both look like they look now, just younger and cuter.

This week in pro tennis is sort of dead - people dropping out of the lead-up tournaments. I'm watching some, but not as much as I will when they're playing hard courts.

Just finished watching Tsitsipas / Murray, great match!  All-court tennis, lots of net approaches, and very competitive.

That was a great match, indeed.

Hell of a Wimbledon final!

Lots of good matches along the way, and some good upsets, too. Strong play.

Yes, the final was great!  That 5th game of the 3rd set was one for the ages.  Amazing win for Alcaraz.  Although Sinner has greatly improved this year, Novak handled him easily.  Then, the final was super competitive, with lots of momentum swings.  The thing that surprises me is that a 20 year old could handle the pressure moments so well.  The mental/emotional side of the sport is a strength for him despite his youth and inexperience, not a liability.  Amazing.

The other highlight for us was Eubanks / Tsitsipas.  Very competitive, entertaining match, and another step in Eubanks' "Cinderella story".  Hoping he can back it up in the hard court season.

I'm thinking about some of the players who've not done well this year who are now getting farther into tournaments. They must feel really good about the work they've put in. I wonder how much of it is luck on any given day? I only saw the very end of the Tiafoe v Evans match and hoped Tiafoe would win but was happy for Evans.

I'm loving Tsitsipas finally playing well. Changing coaches from his dad to Mark Philippoussis, having an exciting off-court relationship with Badosa, maybe he's found the winning formula. I read that Apostolos will only be in the player box in grand slams... we'll see how it goes.

Eubanks has been fun, sorry his run in Washington ended. Lots of them have been fun.

Yes, I love tennis. I find it's perfect background noise even if I'm not in the room with the tv. And if it's on in the house when my grandkids are here, my grandson (8) likes to watch if we're not doing anything else. He says he likes it, especially when he sees that it's live. It may be that he just misses screen time being glued to his Nintendo Switch (can't bring it here), but he seems to like tennis. Neither of his parents are into sports so I'm glad the kids can see a little with me.

We've enjoyed Zverev and Tsitsipas getting recent titles, hoping for both to do well on the hard courts.  So far so good in Toronto for Zverev, but Tsitsipas really didn't have it against Monfils.  Happy to root for Gael going forward, always one of the most fun players to watch.

Wow, Zverev lost even more decisively to Davidovich-Fokina (recent doubles partner of Tsitsipas...).

Rune is out.  Sinner looked good (the bit we saw).  Nice to see Fritz advanced.

I enjoyed the final between Sinner and De Minaur. Sinner's first 1000 win will surely give him some confidence. It sounds like Sinner and Darren Cahill have a good partnership.

I liked see Fritz move on. Too bad that his run ended. I had hopes.

And here we are in rainy Cincinnati. It's a good field, I'll watch as I can.

Slower courts in Toronto, lots of good rallies, good final. I like both De Minaur and Sinner, lots of good defense, but Sinner was too strong.

I'm seeing a trend (if memory serves):  Zverev won Hamburg, lost in the first round of the next tournament.  Tsitsipas won Cabo, lost in the first round of the next tournament.  Sinner won Toronto, lost in the first round...

Looking forward to Zverev / Medvedev and Tsitsipas / Hurkacz tomorrow.  Oh, and Paul / Alcaraz rematch.

>>> Looking forward to Zverev / Medvedev and Tsitsipas / Hurkacz tomorrow.  Oh, and Paul / Alcaraz rematch. <<<

I was glad I saw all of those and also Monfils/Djokovic.

I hope everyone who lost their match is resting, practicing, but resting too. The north American hard court series is intense.

Go Go Coco

What a final between Alcaraz and Djokovic! Kind of had it all.

I was hoping Alcaraz would win, but that's the way it goes. When he gets on top of his cramping he's going to be unstoppable.

I did watch Gauff in many of her matches and was happy for her.

I'm looking forward to the US Open.

Believe it or not, we managed to not find out the Cincinnati men's result, and just now watched the final.  Wow!  What great competition.  I was pulling for Alcaraz as well, but Novak found a way.

We also watched and enjoyed Coco's wins.  I thought the semi was especially compelling.  I've always liked Swiatek (my wife is half Polish) and she's a great champion, but we were pulling for Coco and it was great to see her prevail.  Should give her a lot of confidence going into the Open.  Let the games begin!

There've been some great matches this week, some high caliber tennis, and there's a lot more to go.

Tonight's Djokovic v Djere was strange but compelling.

I like Swiatek, but what I like most about her is her stillness, especially her facial stillness just before she serves. Like that it looks like she goes into her mind and becomes one with it, or something like that. Hard to describe.

So many really good players. Wow.

When I said I like Swiatek, I didn't mean I especially like her, but I certainly like her more than Ostapenko. I still do not like her at all. Ever. I admire her power, but not ... I'm not getting started on that.

I'm glad for Ben Shelton, but sad that Tommy Paul's run at the Open is over.  I'm happily looking forward to Zverev v Sinner this evening.

Enjoy, Dave.

Zverev v Sinner - wow! (I started to write a few different things here but ... that was an exhausting match.) 4 pairs of shoes. 4 hours 45 minutes or so. They gave at the office.

I was hoping Sinner would win but by the end of the match I just wanted them both to recover.

Definitely wow!  We like Sinner a lot, but were pulling for Zverev. 130 mph serves at 1:30am!  Did you see the water squirting from the hole in his shoe?  Couldn't believe Sinner made it past set 3, felt bad for him.  Hoping Zverev has something left to face Alcaraz. 

Yes, I saw the water squirting out of his shoe! I usually leave the room for a while during matches, coming and going, but I could not leave after certain point last night. Again, wow!

I saw the water squirting out of his shoe! I usually leave the room for a while during matches, coming and going, but I could not leave after certain point last night. Again, wow!

I liked this mornings match between Coco and Ostapenko. I was glad that Coco said in her interview that she likes her off the court, it gave me something to think about. Maybe she's just not quite as icky as I think.

it's too hot and muggy in New York. If that's where you live, Dave, sounds horrible. I had to leave my house during the Fritz Djokovic match But I'm watching the scores on my phone. Oh well.

Looking forward to the guys this eveninh.

Bay Area for us, lovely weather this summer!

Just finished watching Tiafoe/Shelton.  Fun match!  Third set had a lot of twists and turns.

Look forward to Alcaraz/Zverev...

Also, Ostapenko looked so tough against Swiatek, I thought Coco would have her hands full.  Great win for Coco!

Rereading my 3:29 post, I should not post on my phone if I'm not going to proofread.

I'm going for Coco against Sabalenka.

I had a lot of fun watching the men's semi's yesterday, and was surprised that I was rooting for both Medvedev and Alcaraz. Shelton is coming along. I love his dad's way of coaching him, there's respect in their relationship. Djokovic did what he does. The final tomorrow should be fun for me, hard work for them. Unsurprisingly, I'll be hoping for Medvedev to take it. (Djokovic and Ostapenko could play off into the sunset together and I'd think they deserve each other.)

Happy watching!

Starting any minute now. Go Coco

Just talked to Catch. He is looking forward to watching the open.  

Congratulations Coco!!! Spend that $3,000,000 wisely. 

You go girl!

I don't often watch the Women's Final, but I watched this one. Well done!

I'll watch the men tomorrow.

Hey Mark, hi to you, and say hi for to Catch for me the next time you talk with him, please.

We enjoyed Coco's win.

We'll be pulling for Medvedev...

I'm rooting for Djokovic. Saw him on Letterman many years ago and he was cool and funny and seems very humble.

But really I don't care who wins.

I was rooting for Medvedev, but actually missed a lot of the last set, maybe more. I'll try to find it on YouTube, and also Medvedev's speech at the trophy presentation.

It's been nice watching with you.

See you for the Davis Cup, year end, etc., and on to Australia.

 

Laver Cup starts today. I've enjoyed it in the past, hope for the same this year. Nice that it's in Vancouver, in our time zone.

Fun event for sure.  Too bad so many top players from Team Europe dropped out.

Anyone watching the Paris 1000?  Some excellent tennis being played!

Hi Judit!

Hi Dave,

I'm watching! Such good play. As the tournament has gone on I've been so impressed by Dimitrov!

It's been great that Tsitsipas played as well as he has in Paris. As you said, some excellent tennis being played!
I love Sinner, too, and was sorry he took himself out of it. So many good players!

BUT, it's been amazing to watch the WTA finals in Cancun, simply because the weather has been so dramatic. Huge winds and the play doesn't stop. A pause before serving if the gusts are large, but play goes on. I've gotten the feeling that at least a few of the men, divas that they are, would have stopped playing. It's been a hell of a challenge. Have you seen any of it the last few days? There has also been rain that has caused safety concerns and delays. I still don't watch many of the women's matches but the wind!

 

No, we haven't watched any of Cancun, I guess we missed out!  Love the "divas" comment.

Always have liked Dmitrov and his super one-handed backhand.  I think he's inspired Tsitsipas to finally add more slices to his game.  Kind of surprising he hasn't had more success, and we enjoyed his win today against Tsitsipas, Grigor needs it more.  We'll be pulling for him to beat Novak.

We're glad both Tsitsipas and Zverev made the Finals.  Zverev especially, since he's coming back from such a tough injury.  Looking forward to it.

Go Grigor!

ATP Finals from Turin.  Top 8 players, so some top quality competition.  The Alcaraz / Zverev match had some amazing play.  Alcaraz is just fantastic.  Great rallies and shot making.

I missed the Alcaraz/Zverev match, looking forward to seeing his next one. I did see Sinner beat Djokovic. Some good play there, too.
I was sorry Tsitsipas had to withdraw.

This is some great tennis.

Sinner is looking great, he has really improved, glad to see him have enough to get by Novak.  Zverev didn't play as well against Medvedev as he did against Alcaraz, but still had his chances.  Disappointing, but he still has a chance to advance. 

Definitely looking tough for Tsitsipas, nagging injuries.  Hoping he and Badosa can take the long off-season and get fully healthy.

Nick Kygios as commentator is excellent! And the 3 players (Nick, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier) on Tennis Channel Live together are great. Fun for all.

I love that today's players can slide on the hardcourt and then stop on a dime. How do they do that? I saw it being talked about and I'm glad the commentators are struck by it as well.

Great tennis! (I'll miss Zverev, but he'll be back). Sinner!

Looking forward to tomorrow's final. As much as I don't like him, Djokovic is a hell of a player.

Go Sinner!

As the season has wound down I've realized that I don't like the round robin format nor some of the high entertainment "tournaments". As much as I've realized that pro tennis is entertainment while I've been thinking it is sport, I can't quite make the leap. 

I will say that the Maldives look good as a place to relax.

https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/checking-in-on-the-professional-ten...

First part of an interview with the president of the newish  Professional Tennis Players Association. I'll post links to the next 2 parts of this 3 part interview.

Hi Judit!  Did you see any of the United Cup?  I thought of you while watching the final couple days.  As Zverev fans we were drawn in.  I'd never cared about team competition like Davis Cup, but I can see it being fun for the players.  Many matches were VERY competitive, and the mixed doubles was the most compelling doubles I've ever seen.  Zverev was a warrior.  When he played against Hurcacz in the final round, he had been on court 7 hours(!) more than Hubi, including in the semifinal an excellent 3 set loss to De Minaur followed by mixed doubles ending in a 15-13 tiebreaker after 1am, with multiple match points saved on both sides.  After beating Hubi Zverev looked spent, but his experienced doubles partner Laura Siegemund took the strategic lead in the final match against Hurkacz/Swiatek, and they had enough to prevail.  Great competition.

Hi Dave, yes, I did watch a bunch of the United Cup. I was thrilled with some of the play and competition.

I'm so happy we're able to have Zverev again. So good and still is.

I missed most of the mixed doubles, but what I was was sooo good. I've been watching the 3 current tournaments, and am making myself turn it off around 2:00 a.m., my usual bedtime. It's had to do.

Sorry Rafa had to pull out of the AO, I hope he'll heal quickly. The young guys are doing well as they work their way up the rankings.

I love tennis!!!!! Thanks for stlcking with the thread. Should we start a 2024 thread? I've been wondering.