Monte Carlo, ATP 1000

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Sinner dominates the 1st set, particularly with his forehand, the biggest shot on the court.

[tenniscoach1]

Not so fast Snarky. But great call on your hunch...you should have bet a bunch! Again...it all comes down to performance and I question something very fundamental in the Tsitsipas camp now. I have been questioning it for a while. Maybe Daddy-O has to go. Just a hunch. I see Mr. Patrick (Coaching Whore) Mouratoglou in the Tsitsipas box again. This guy has never said anything beyond high school Tennis 101 that I have heard. A bunch of yada...yada...yada if you know what I mean. Father Tsitsipas does not have the experience to make meaningful input for developing the vast potential waiting to be mined from his son.

Daddy is a world class coach. Watched him carefully over three or four practice sessions - and he's one the best on the tour. Runs a very well organized practice and treats the hitting partners like gold. The son - walked past a group of young fans without signing autographs ... and, I did not really like a lot of his interaction with his team. Best to not say more. Other players always whine about his dad - but, it's a good tactic - complain against the old man, say he is doing this and that, pin the kid against dad, good narrative - etc ... it's a great tactic. Dad seems fine. I saw a old Ukrainian player that acted like this Tsitsipas - he acted this way at 45 ... some never learn and he pissed away a superb career. I called him out on it and told him it doesn't fly in pro sports ... he went away pouting like a 6 year old child - baby. Borje Salming the Swede who passed away is probably the gold standard for how to interact with kids, players, etc ... he was a great guy - sad he passed away - such a great player ...

read this ... great story ...

A lesson to all NHL stars who balk at signing autographs for a kid: you never know what that kid is going to be when he grows up.

As a 14-year-old in 1983, Brendan Shanahan approached Leafs star Rick Vaive for an autograph.

Vaive turned the kid down.

And the snub would stay tucked away in Shanahan's memory.

"When I was 14 years old I was skating in the summertime at a rink in Toronto," recalled the Mimico native. "Rick Vaive happened to be skating at an adjoining rink and we were actually in dressing rooms that were right next to each other. I went in when he was sort of settled and asked him for an autograph. I didn't get the best response from Rick Vaive at that time."

Retelling the story to the Newark Ledger and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's radio show, Shanahan never forgot the snub.

His career rocketed, with the Devils selecting him in the first round in 1987. He'd eventually meet up with Vaive four years later, the two lining up for a faceoff in Buffalo when Vaive was finishing out his career with the Sabres.

"Fast forward four years later and Rick Vaive is waiting for a meaningless faceoff in Buffalo," Shanahan said. "He's now playing for the Sabres. He's lined up next to some 18-year-old kid from New Jersey. When the puck dropped, I attacked Rick Vaive.
"It was a quiet, uneventful game. He couldn't believe the rage I had, not only in attacking him, but it took two (linesmen) to restrain me afterwards and throw me in the penalty box."

Vaive hardly knew what hit him. He approached former teammate Jim Korn – then with the Devils – to find out what was wrong with Shanahan.

"He said... `By the way, what's wrong with that kid and why was he coming after me?'" said Shanahan. "Jim Korn said, `Apparently he asked you for an autograph when he was a little kid and you weren't that friendly to him. So he's harboured those feelings since then.'"

Vaive approached Shanahan about three years ago in Toronto and introduced him to his 14-year-old son – with different results.

"I signed the autograph, took a picture and gave him a piggy-back," Shanahan said. "I didn't want karma to come back and get me."

[jimlosaltos]

Rune routines Med in 1st set, really pushing him around and hurting him with very good drop shots. It will be interesting to see Med's response.

Perhaps, but Medvedev had to play 3 tough sets against Zverev with their match & post match obligations likely running until 1 AM, then has an early match with Rune who had a walk-over. Hardly a good measure of either.

Points out continuing problems with scheduling of early matches at events with large draws, too few courts for those matches, and no roofs during rainy season.

[jimlosaltos]

I deleted the worthless stats. Such a waste of space. It's like an attention getting device. Bottom line...Zverev did serve for the match twice and failed both times. Why? Do the nerves rear their ugly head just when the pressure mounts and you need them most? Is a flaw in the motion somehow activated under pressure? Just when you need a first serve you cannot seem to buy one. This isn't always going to happen. Zverev is an elite athlete and his talent can make up for a lot of flaw or less than perfect motion.

https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/n...edium=facebook

Serving out a set or serving out a match can be an adventure if you are not secure with your motion. I was watching just a tad of this...Zverev was going to serve it out at 5-4. To tell you the truth I was too bored and just went to sleep...10ish PM here in Sweden. Need my beauty rests after my haircut yesterday. But this may just sort of prove a point that I have been making for many years on this forum. Roger was the best at serving out...and there were times he had issues. The first serve just deserts you when you need it most. Well...you gotta make due.

It's great you love your statistics and the rest do too. In the land of the blind the one eyed man is King. I have two.

You do understand the 800 MPH service is not real, don't you?

[don_budge]

You do understand the 800 MPH service is not real, don't you?

Perhaps you only use one of those two eyes?

Of course I understand...I'm a pretty good reader. I even had my glasses on. I even understand the conversion to kilometers...living in Europe. You do realize my issue with statistics don't you? I understand your fascination with statistics too...and it is fine by me. I don't believe that there is much in tennis that needs to be quantified...as I believe it is more of a qualitative process. Read my description in the Aryna thread...but it probably won't make any sense to you. There are no statistics...just description of motion.

[jimlosaltos]

A promo, but I still found this quite fun to watch. Just a couple of minutes.

Grigor and Andre play with vintage rackets. 10 pt TB. Grigor at first looks as if he's afraid he'll break his racket.
Andre' is a hoot: "Grigor is a beautiful player, his strokes are beautiful. Even his mistakes are beautiful mistakes.... There's a beautiful mistake!" <g>

https://twitter.com/TennisTV/status/1646895626981117952?s=20

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Fritz vs Rublev a pick 'em. I like Fritz. Sinner a slight favorite over Rune.

[don_budge]

Fritz vs Rublev a pick 'em. I like Fritz. Sinner a slight favorite over Rune.

It's hard not to like Taylor Fritz after the Stefanos Tsitsipas beat down yesterday. Somebody explain to me what the hell is going on in the coaches corner of Tsitsipas. First it is DaddyO...then it is Mouratoglou...then it is Phillipoussis...then it is Mouratoglou. Still...the hitch in the backswing persists. He rehearses the hitch in his preserve setup. It's a no-brainer.

Lorenzo Musseti proved me right...it was a one off against Djokovic. Sinner actually did the proof in a real beatdown. A couple of "Runetiners". Two matches...take your pick. Sinner with the more experience. Fritz with a several match winning streak over Rublev. With a win today Fritz moves upwards...up the food chain. More gifts for the exceptional eye candy in his corner. She's egging him on. Behind every great man is some really nice eye candy.

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Yes, Fritz has taken the girlfriend experience to a whole new level, which is saying something at the ATP girlfriend level. He has a better serve and a better backhand than Rublev. Forehand about equal. Fritz certainly has a better temperance out there in the heat of the battle. Not a good match up for Rublev. Sinner vs Rune could be a great one. Both look like true contenders at the FO. As far as Tsitsipas and his situation, I still think his main issue vs players at the top level is his backhand. Fritz had such a massive advantage off that side, just way too much to overcome.

[don_budge]

Yes, Fritz has taken the girlfriend experience to a whole new level, which is saying something at the ATP girlfriend level. He has a better serve and a better backhand than Rublev. Forehand about equal. Fritz certainly has a better temperance out there in the heat of the battle. Not a good match up for Rublev. Sinner vs Rune could be a great one. Both look like true contenders at the FO.

What's up stroke...don't you ever sleep. Ex-cop syndrome? Piece underneath the pillow and one eye open? Just teasing. I have to confess officer...I am connected. Not to the mob. Although I knew a couple of wise guys in Detroit. But connected to Taylor Fritz and his coach Michael Russel. Michael's father was George Russell from which I am barely removed from one half of a degree. I have been on the court with George as a very young man. He and one of my mentors, Ted Jax, were rather close in the Metro Detroit tennis scene back in the 1970's. George a trail blazer of a tennis business guy getting a club or two or three off the ground back then. The first indoor clubs.

Michael won the coaching battle with Apostolos Tsitsipas, the accidental tennis coach. Here is a video of Michael giving Taylor some food for thought. Michael hung around the tour for many years. Rather small in stature he was rather plucky in the competitive spirit. Could be that is what he brings to the Taylor camp. Stefanos needs to trade in DaddyO for an upgrade. Nothing against Dad but he now needs to be a parent. Stefanos definitely has outgrown his father's input. See the revolving tennis coaches. A sign of insecurity. What to do? He is knocking on the door of the upper echelon. The real elite. But he has stalled. Slice backhand and tactics. Service motion and tactics. Get to the net at the very first opportunity and put pressure on the opponent. Particularly with the serve. With his physique he should be the biggest server in the game, but that hitch in the motion is so annoying. I could almost wish it away. I need an hour with the young man. Then I am hired. Upwards and onwards we go.

Hard for me to see either Sinner or Rune for the title at Roland Garros. Maybe Sinner...semis? Anyways, that is way in the future. Best to keep your eye on the ball. Sinner put a real hurt dance on the Djokovic "conqueror". Italics due to Novak having other plans and not fully engaged. A terrible sign that Musetti has a great win and then comes out and gets his ass handed to him by a fellow countryman for no less. At this stage in the dance he has to make a show of it. Give him a run for the money. This is a problem with the Italian psyche...the tennis psyche. Lacking in something really basic. Berrettini has demonstrated some problems in this department as well. Give them a little success and then it is wine, women and song. Sinner doesn't seem to be cut from that cloth to his advantage. He is a little deceptive. He doesn't come off that imposting but when the bell rings he is ready to come out of his corner and trade with the opponent. I liked the service motion to the platform but I think the backswing needs a tweek or two to fully realize all of the potential he has in that frame of his. Tally ho and away we go...as the Brits like to say!!!

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Yes DB, Michael Russell seems a great fit for Taylor. Taylor has a quiet confidence in himself out there one really cannot teach. Russell, who I certainly remember as a player, doing a great job as his coach. Sinner as you pointed out not the typical Italian. And to me, he has that Fed /Fognini like easy power off that forehand. It is a brutal weapon. Musetti did not have any answer for it.

[jimlosaltos]

Taylor Fritz regresses to the mean -- hardcourt player gets his serve broken 8 times in only 14 games. When he didn't play behind his big first serve, he's exposed: Wins only 35% of points behind his second serve while Andrey Rublev, despite being a hyper-aggressive baseliner, wins 50%. I recall McEnroe ridiculing Borg vs Connors at Wimbledon as "Clay court tennis on grass", this was hard court tennis on clay, but with serves less effective Fritz at a disadvantage.

Jannik Sinner was making his match with Holger Rune look routine -- faced no break points, broke the Dane 3 times for 6-0 first set -- then the rain returned (in addition to the cold wind) and Rune promptly breaks him, play suspended Rune up 3-0 in second. Curious to see which young player can come out of the delay more focused.

If Sinner wins, he'll pass Rune in the ATP rankings to 7th or 6th if he wins the event.

Unless I missed him, Cahill took this one off. I'm told that's a Simone Vagnozzi in SInner's box. Hope Cahill is still with Sinner.

[jimlosaltos]

Of course I understand...I'm a pretty good reader. I even had my glasses on. I even understand the conversion to kilometers...living in Europe. You do realize my issue with statistics don't you? I understand your fascination with statistics too...and it is fine by me. I don't believe that there is much in tennis that needs to be quantified...as I believe it is more of a qualitative process. Read my description in the Aryna thread...but it probably won't make any sense to you. There are no statistics...just description of motion.

"It probably won't make any sense to you". Thank you.

I don't read social media posts that are longer than the Gettysburg Address TL;DR

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Taylor Fritz regresses to the mean -- hardcourt player gets his serve broken 8 times in only 14 games. When he didn't play behind his big first serve, he's exposed: Wins only 35% of points behind his second serve while Andrey Rublev, despite being a hyper-aggressive baseliner, wins 50%. I recall McEnroe ridiculing Borg vs Connors at Wimbledon as "Clay court tennis on grass", this was hard court tennis on clay, but with serves less effective Fritz at a disadvantage.

Jannik Sinner was making his match with Holger Rune look routine -- faced no break points, broke the Dane 3 times for 6-0 first set -- then the rain returned (in addition to the cold wind) and Rune promptly breaks him, play suspended Rune up 3-0 in second. Curious to see which young player can come out of the delay more focused.

If Sinner wins, he'll pass Rune in the ATP rankings to 7th or 6th if he wins the event.

Unless I missed him, Cahill took this one off. I'm told that's a Simone Vagnozzi in SInner's box. Hope Cahill is still with Sinner.

Yes, I am thinking Fritz will not win 20+ Grand Slams ha.

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I personally don't think we will ever see another big 2 or 3, but if I had to reach for it, if would be these 2, Rune and Sinner.