Libema Open

[stroke]

Raonic back on tour, with a win over Kecmanovic. He still has the best serve in tennis, other than Karlovic, Isner, and Opelka

[jimlosaltos]

Raonic back on tour, with a win over Kecmanovic. He still has the best serve in tennis, other than Karlovic, Isner, and Opelka

Indeed. Some would say best first serve ever - if one segments the two.

[stroke]

I have always preferred to think of the serve as a totality, 1st and 2nd together and where one stands. Raonic is just the best out there to me behind 3 giants. I even prefer his serve to Nick's.

[jimlosaltos]

I have always preferred to think of the serve as a totality, 1st and 2nd together and where one stands. Raonic is just the best out there to me behind 3 giants. I even prefer his serve to Nick's.

I watched Raonic repeatedly at the now defunct San Jose Open.
Raonic won every match he played there for 3 years, winning the title each time, until the event was cancelled by the representable VCs that bought it, then exported the event to Rio via Memphis.

One year a match had to be cancelled because of an injury walkover. So, the TD talked Raonic and Ivo Karlovic to have an ad hoc serving contest. It was fun.

[stroke]

I watched Raonic repeatedly at the now defunct San Jose Open.
Raonic won every match he played there for 3 years, winning the title each time, until the event was cancelled by the representable VCs that bought it, then exported the event to Rio via Memphis.

One year a match had to be cancelled because of an injury walkover. So, the TD talked Raonic and Ivo Karlovic to have an ad hoc serving contest. It was fun.

Raonic to me has the prettiest, most effortless, smooth looking motion I have ever seen.

[jimlosaltos]

Raonic to me has the prettiest, most effortless, smooth looking motion I have ever seen.

Up there for sure.

Raonic in TPN Tour Portraits of yore

https://www.tennisplayer.net/members/tourportraits/jim_fawcette/raonic_2016/

and

https://www.tennisplayer.net/members/tourportraits/jim_fawcette/raonic_serve_sequence/

[jimlosaltos]

If anyone is looking for candidates to stop Djokovic at Wimbledon, they're just shaking their head at these results.

The contenders are looking like pretenders. Jannik Sinner went in 5-0 vs Ruusuvouri and was taken out in straight sets.

Journeyman Mannarino took our Medvedev, who looked as if he still had stomach poisoning from the French Open (facetious). Pushing, not aggressive.

Meanwhile in Stuttgart (if we're OK with mixing match threads) Fucsovic takes out Fritz in straight sets, Gasquet upset Tsitispas in the first round.

Former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini seems to be having great difficulty recovering from wrist and other injuries, out 1 and 2 to Sonego.

Unseeded Yibing Wu takes out Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios, also in straight sets. Nick's recovering from a cut on his foot.

Fed's in Wimbledon doing a charity promotion. Maybe fans should plead with him to strap on his On's and give it a go?

[stroke]

If anyone is looking for candidates to stop Djokovic at Wimbledon, they're just shaking their head at these results.

The contenders are looking like pretenders. Jannik Sinner went in 5-0 vs Ruusuvouri and was taken out in straight sets.

Journeyman Mannarino took our Medvedev, who looked as if he still had stomach poisoning from the French Open (facetious). Pushing, not aggressive.

Meanwhile in Stuttgart (if we're OK with mixing match threads) Fucsovic takes out Fritz in straight sets, Gasquet upset Tsitispas in the first round.

Former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini seems to be having great difficulty recovering from wrist and other injuries, out 1 and 2 to Sonego.

Unseeded Yibing Wu takes out Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios, also in straight sets. Nick's recovering from a cut on his foot.

Fed's in Wimbledon doing a charity promotion. Maybe fans should plead with him to strap on his On's and give it a go?

Yes, things are going to look a lot different from what they have with the big 3. Oddsmakers right now have Novak as an overwhelming favorite to win Wimbledon, with an implied probability of winning the tournament at just over 57%, followed by Alcaraz at just over 16%.