Monte Carlo, ATP 1000

[don_budge]

DB may have a point.

Nah...not possible.

[don_budge]

I think in retrospect it looks as if Novak Djokovic did himself a favor with his disappearing act against Mussetti. I don't think he had back to back matches with Sinner and Rune as something he may be up to at this point. Or he is just saving it for another day. Performance is the end. All else are means to an end. His focus is on the French Open. His performance there will be void of any questions of motivation. Between Sinner and Rune are a lot of horsepower in the legs. Novak's big consideration these days are in his legs. He has reached that point. This is why he was able to dominate Roger Federer once Federer hit the age of 32 or so. You begin to go over the hill and it all feels to be uphill from here on out.

A more favorable format for Novak this week. A good chance to get some much needed match play in the run up to the French Open which is his target at this point. The competition is not nearly as daunting. Rafael Nadal is measuring his steps as well. He pulled out of Barcelona. Nadal might be another story as he might be in decline. Perhaps he is somewhere on the sidelines juicing up to once again emerge from hibernation as some sort of superman. At any rate...it is all about preparation now for the Roland Garros target date. Preparation...preparation...preparation is the mantra of a tennis player. Coach Collins told me more than once that you play five tournaments in order to peak for the target. Both Novak and Nadal understand to the last infintismal detail what it takes to get there and get the job done. They can hit the ground running if they have too. Maybe not as good as Federer but they know how to measure each and every precious step leading up to the target.

[jimlosaltos]

I actually like Rune's serve. He keeps it very simple, kind of a narrow platform Roddick set up, pushing off of both feet somewhat equally. I think he does have a decent kick serve, not Hurcatz good, but good enough. He lost the match to Rublev serving at 5-5. First 2 points, he bosses the point and Rublev throws up defensive lobs on both points that were going to land around the service line or a bit deeper. Rune misses both overheads to go down love 30. He loses the next point, love 40 now. Then he double faults to get broken. Rublev then, boosted by what had just happened, served out the match. I was thinking when Nadal bossed points on clay and got a defensive lob, which happened a lot as he did a lot of bossing, I can only recall him missing one overhead ever.

Thanks for sharing. Yes, match could have gone either way to the end. Botched overhead "might" be a symptom of tired legs, but no, Nadal doesn't miss either even if it was at the end of a 5 hour match

On Rune's serve. Forgive me if I already mentioned this, but after the Australian Open I thought he didn't have a kicker at all. if he used it once in his 5 setter vs Rublev then, I missed it. Against Sinner he showed a very good one and used it yesterday vs Rublev. But Rune only won 38% of second serve points vs 52% for Rublev. I was surprised when I saw that. Watching the match, Rune was brutalizing, attacking Rublev second serves -- so how, with all the problems we have all seen with Rublev's second serve, did the Russian win so many points on his second and Rune so few? Rublev is a good returner but he's hardly Murray, Djokovic, Schwartzman good.

Like you, I was expecting Rune' backhand to help him control court position, push Rublev around a bit. But Rune lost the backhand battle somehow, negative 15 on the backhand (8 winners vs 23 UFE) while Rublev was negative 7 (5 winners 12 UFEs).

Also, Rune was only 8 of 20 at the net. I thought he looked pretty good at the net vs Sinner.

Perhaps just a bad day at the office. Reminding myself he's only 19 yo.