China Open ATP 500

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https://open.substack.com/pub/hughclarke/p/beijing-500?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1t7zzc

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Jarry takes out Tsitsipas 1st round. Jarry had 28 winners, 12 unforced errors. Tsitsipas had 17 winners, 8 unforced errors. Jarry was simply the better player out there. Jarry has a great serve, 1st and 2nd, he volleyed very well, and really matched Tsitsipas groundstroke wise.

[jimlosaltos]

Jarry takes out Tsitsipas 1st round. Jarry had 28 winners, 12 unforced errors. Tsitsipas had 17 winners, 8 unforced errors. Jarry was simply the better player out there. Jarry has a great serve, 1st and 2nd, he volleyed very well, and really matched Tsitsipas groundstroke wise.

Since Tsitsipas replaced his father with Philippoussis, his game has been diving toward a crash landing. Stef did win Los Cabos (a 250 is it?) but other than that it's been one-and-done repeatedly.

I haven't seen him over that span. Anyone know if he's changed his tactics, whatever ... ? What's going on with his game?

This is a guy with 10 titles, including an ATP Finals, and "Youngest of 30 players to defeat Djokovic (2018 Toronto 3R), Federer (2019 Australian Open 4R) and Nadal (2019 Madrid SF), sweeping Big 3 before turning 21."

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Since Tsitsipas replaced his father with Philippoussis, his game has been diving toward a crash landing. Stef did win Los Cabos (a 250 is it?) but other than that it's been one-and-done repeatedly.

I haven't seen him over that span. Anyone know if he's changed his tactics, whatever ... ? What's going on with his game?

This is a guy with 10 titles, including an ATP Finals, and "Youngest of 30 players to defeat Djokovic (2018 Toronto 3R), Federer (2019 Australian Open 4R) and Nadal (2019 Madrid SF), sweeping Big 3 before turning 21."

Not much separates winning from losing in most of these matches like vs Jarry. He just did not get it done. I don't think its any tactics change.

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Rune definitely looked like the 2nd best player on the court vs Grigor. The Rune forehand is looking like a bit of a problem to me. It just looks mechanical, like he got locked in on the straight arm elbow extension thing, and is missing something in the ATP type 3 model.

[jimlosaltos]

Rune definitely looked like the 2nd best player on the court vs Grigor. The Rune forehand is looking like a bit of a problem to me. It just looks mechanical, like he got locked in on the straight arm elbow extension thing, and is missing something in the ATP type 3 model.

Perhaps rusty. In fairness, Rune has been laboring with a pinched nerve that's kept him from practicing / playing for months. I think since the French Open.

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Interesting 1st set. Alcaraz got broken 2nd game of 1st set and went down 3-0. Alcaraz fought back hard and ended up winning the set 6-4, with his brutal ball striking. The remaining quarteri s Dimitrov vs Sinner. Great tournament for Grigor thus far, but obviously not a good matchup for him vs Sinner.

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Semi's have Alcaraz vs Sinner and Medvedev vs Zverev. Grigor really played a good match vs Sinner but just could not get it done. Sinner just a bit better. Grigor a bit like Gasquet to me in that I wonder how his career could have been if not for the big 3. His record vs them very similar to Gasquet.

[jimlosaltos]

Semi's have Alcaraz vs Sinner and Medvedev vs Zverev. Grigor really played a good match vs Sinner but just could not get it done. Sinner just a bit better. Grigor a bit like Gasquet to me in that I wonder how his career could have been if not for the big 3. His record vs them very similar to Gasquet.

Another "Big 3 Victim". Interesting comparison, two very good players, both stylish in their own ways.

Grigor has two very big titles, though:ATP Finals, ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati {Beat Kyrgios ! who I think had beaten Rafa. )

Gasquet has a passel of good titles, but no biggies that I recall.

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Zverev goes down In 2 sets vs the Wall of Med. Zverev had more errors than winners. He needs to be at his absolute best and have more winners than errors to beat Medvedev. Alcaraz vs Sinner coming up.

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Sinner wins in 2 sets, 76, 61. It was the best match I have seen Sinner play. He sermed to break the spirit of Alcaraz. He outhit Alcaraz off both sides. His forehand was the biggest shot on the court. I have always felt that Sinner had the most effortless "injection of pace" pop on a forehand since Federer. Interestingly to me, Sinner does it with a what BG might call next generation technique, certainly not the model Type 3 of Federer(and Alcaraz).

[jimlosaltos]

Sinner wins in 2 sets, 76, 61. It was the best match I have seen Sinner play. He sermed to break the spirit of Alcaraz. He outhit Alcaraz off both sides. His forehand was the biggest shot on the court. I have always felt that Sinner had the most effortless "injection of pace" pop on a forehand since Federer. Interestingly to me, Sinner does it with a what BG might call next generation technique, certainly not the model Type 3 of Federer(and Alcaraz).

Wow! I'll have to track that one down. Thanks.

When I saw the two play at Indian Wells, despite Alcaraz winning, I could see that Sinner's deep forehands caused Alcaraz problems, rushed his complex forehand.

The only players I've see do that to the Spaniard are Sinner and Seb Korda (beating him in .... Miami, perhaps? ).

Alcaraz hasn't seemed sharp when I've seen him since winning Wimbledon, although that's a high standard to maintain.

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Medvedev the solid favorite with an implied probability of winning at about 60% vs Sinner. It is all on SInner's racquet. Can he produce a good enough winners to errors stats to get it done?

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/EWA1osqnVwZiLeFTA

Sinner defeats Med for first time after 6 losses to him. Sinner actually got Med to press out there and feel uncomfortable. Very very hard to do that.

[jimlosaltos]

Saw the final last night.. Sinner played awesome. Elsewhere I saw the comment that people aren't giving Sinner enough credit, Alcaraz having set the bar at Rafa/Borg levels for early success. That wag noted Sinner has won 79% of matches this year, last 22 year olds to do that were Sir Andy and Djokovic back Long Before Covid.

This wasn't peak Medy, tho IMHO. Medvedev didn't play nearly as well in the final as he did in his semi vs Zverev. Serve seemed just off and announcer said it had been all week -- except for the Zverev semi. In that semi Medvedev had 40% unreturned serves, but only 30% in the final -- to go with 4 double faults in only 12 games. And it wasn't like he was going for a lot. Speaking of which, he doesn't seem like the same player that would hit firsts-as-seconds on occasion and bombed 133 MPHs a few times a match. Serve isn't bad by any means it's just not Peak Medy aggressive recently.