Australian Open

[don_budge]

2024 Australian Open...Melbourne, Australia...ATP 2000

Match of the Day is awarded to a battle of two lefties. One crafty (Adrian Mannarino) and one hot dog (Ben Shelton). Shelton thought he had it in the bag and started with the hot dogging after he took a two sets to one lead. However Mannarino realizes that it isn't over untlil the fat lady sings. Mannarino serving for the set. But it isn't over yet...is it?

[don_budge]

2024 Australian Open...Melbourne, Australia...ATP 2000

Match of the Day is awarded to a battle of two lefties. One crafty (Adrian Mannarino) and one hot dog (Ben Shelton). Shelton thought he had it in the bag and started with the hot dogging after he took a two sets to one lead. However Mannarino realizes that it isn't over untlil the fat lady sings. Mannarino serving for the set. But it isn't over yet...is it?

Not yet. 3-5...Shelton serving to stay in the match.

[stroke]

2024 Australian Open...Melbourne, Australia...ATP 2000

Match of the Day is awarded to a battle of two lefties. One crafty (Adrian Mannarino) and one hot dog (Ben Shelton). Shelton thought he had it in the bag and started with the hot dogging after he took a two sets to one lead. However Mannarino realizes that it isn't over untlil the fat lady sings. Mannarino serving for the set. But it isn't over yet...is it?

I have always liked Mannarino's game, a thinking man's game. Such short compact strokes off both sides, he is impossible to rush. Does not waste any energy putting excessive spin on his groundies. Great hands and maybe the most wicked lefty slice I have ever seen.

[stroke]

I am going to go with Michelsen vs Zverev match of the day, with an upset alert. FAA vs Med is another good one. Med has dominanted this matchup, but he had to really work hard last round.

[jimlosaltos]

I have always liked Mannarino's game, a thinking man's game. Such short compact strokes off both sides, he is impossible to rush. Does not waste any energy putting excessive spin on his groundies. Great hands and maybe the most wicked lefty slice I have ever seen.

And crafty and old wins over young and strong in five sets.

I haven't yet seen this, so if anyone has insights please share.

Stat line is just a bit unusual. Shelton won more points, won 7 vs 6 break points, had 18 aces and won 86 first serve points vs 76, won more RECEIVING points -- and lost.

Plus/ minus story: Mandarino +9 (49 W minus 40 UFE) while Ben is minus 2 (73 winners minus 75 UFE). Typical for one player being on offense constantly.

So ... it looks as if Ben broke Mannarino enough for a big server to win but got broken 6 times himself and lost a tiebreak -- which is too much for such a big server.

I have seen in several matches that Ben, for all the fireworks and serving techntonics, ends up facing too many BPs.

True? Something else?

[jimlosaltos]

I am going to go with Michelsen vs Zverev match of the day, with an upset alert. FAA vs Med is another good one. Med has dominanted this matchup, but he had to really work hard last round.

Not to mention Meddy had to play until after 3 AM, which means 6 AM hotel arrival after requiring press, possible drug test, cool down.

[stotty]

I have always liked Mannarino's game, a thinking man's game. Such short compact strokes off both sides, he is impossible to rush. Does not waste any energy putting excessive spin on his groundies. Great hands and maybe the most wicked lefty slice I have ever seen.

He's highly unusual with his super compact strokes on both wings. He can absorb pace and redirect it with ease. I find him quite fascinating and a breath of fresh into today's game which is full of clones. He probably won't get past Novak but it might be intriguing to watch how he goes about playing in a match where he has nothing whatsoever to lose.

[arturohernandez]

And crafty and old wins over young and strong in five sets.

I haven't yet seen this, so if anyone has insights please share.

Stat line is just a bit unusual. Shelton won more points, won 7 vs 6 break points, had 18 aces and won 86 first serve points vs 76, won more RECEIVING points -- and lost.

Plus/ minus story: Mandarino +9 (49 W minus 40 UFE) while Ben is minus 2 (73 winners minus 75 UFE). Typical for one player being on offense constantly.

So ... it looks as if Ben broke Mannarino enough for a big server to win but got broken 6 times himself and lost a tiebreak -- which is too much for such a big server.

I have seen in several matches that Ben, for all the fireworks and serving techntonics, ends up facing too many BPs.

True? Something else?

Ben is IMHO a player who should play with a one handed backhand. He is plenty strong enough and the one hander just teaches offense better. Contact point way out in front, learns the slice and volley A LOT better. Being offensive with a two hander is possible but it adds the extra work of having to learn two different feels for the backhand.

The other problem is that Shelton does not seem to be great on defense or on defense to offense. Highly offensive players struggle under pressure. Just like basketball and American Football, defense wins championships. At the end of the match, players just have to hang in there. Offense is hard to generate all the time. The Big 3 were great at defense. Stan was very good at defense. Not great but good enough. He had a nice slice to neutralize and he could turn defense to offense.

That is the problem with all the firepower. Once they face someone who can neutralize it, then what do they do? I think it is what happened to Shapo. Great offense but they figured out that if you just neutralize him and force him to win, he will eventually miss.

Even Johnny Mac could play great defense. He preferred not to but he could do it. And he could definitely neutralize. Modern tennis is modern, until it is not.

[arturohernandez]

Are They Locusts?

A trio of 16 year olds are creating a buzz on the WTA side. It's the first time in 16 years that more than one 16 year old has won a first round match.

Tennis.com: "The kids did it the hard way: After both won three matches in qualifying (Alina) Korneeva even saved match points in the second round, they won three-setters. In her Grand Slam main-draw debut, Korneeva was a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 winner over Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo, while {Brenda} Fruhvirtova also came from a set down to beat Romania's Ana Bogdan, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, for her first win in her third main-draw appearance after two first-round losses last year." Fruhvirtova subsequently fell to defending champ Arnya Sabalenka.

And "Per the WTA, the last time at least two 16-year-olds reached the second round of the Australian Open was in 2005, when Nicole Vaidisova, Michaella Krajicek and Tatiana Golovin all did it." Meanwhile, the more highly touted 16 yo, Mirra Andreeva took out one of her idols, Ons Jabeur love and 2. So, rude, giving your idol a bagel in public! I admit that I did not see that one coming.

At least the rest of the WTA can assume it will be 16 years before the next batch of eggs hatch yielding the subsequent buzzing swarm of 16 year old tennis prodigies.

Parry was SO close. She is my hope for the next one handed player to get into the top 20. Her slice seems to not be as good as Barty's yet. But she really started slicing more in the last year or so. If she can keep improving, she has a shot.

If Andreeva wins it all, Parry might be the only one to give her fits.

I think Andreeva might just do it. Better serve than Swiatek despite the new windup. Definitely a fighter, and at 16 she has no fear. A better mover than the Sabalenka and Rybakina.

She reminds me of Seles. The only question is whether she will grow a bit more or fill out more. Seles got a bit bigger as she got older which made her less mobile. The same happened to Sharapova. But if she can stay mobile as she gets older, she will be VERY good for a while. I am still not sold on Swiatek. She is too jerky for my taste. Rybakina is much smoother but much less mobile. Sabalenka is the opposite of smooth. Like Shelton, she has no solution when someone else hits bigger than her.

But boy do I miss Barty. Someone who won the AO with two backhand winners in the whole tournament. I hope Parry can follow in her footsteps.

[stroke]

Portugal's Borges just got the biggest win of his career, in 4 sets over Grigor. There was not much between them, but probably the biggest factor for Grigor was his 1/12 in break point opportunities. It was a great atmosphere in the Kia Arena with huge crowd support for both players.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/XxpWWCMHd2wxwhrP7

[stroke]

More on Mannarino.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mannarino-australian-open-reaction-2024-friday

[stroke]

Michelsen down 2 sets to Zverev. Michelsen a fine player, but he is a little like Jenson Brooksby. His serve is just not elite enough for the upper echelons of the game it seems.

[stroke]

Great preview here of the round of 16.

https://open.substack.com/pub/hughclarke/p/australian-open-sweet-16?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1t7zzc

[jimlosaltos]

Parry was SO close. She is my hope for the next one handed player to get into the top 20. Her slice seems to not be as good as Barty's yet. But she really started slicing more in the last year or so. If she can keep improving, she has a shot.

If Andreeva wins it all, Parry might be the only one to give her fits.

I think Andreeva might just do it. Better serve than Swiatek despite the new windup. Definitely a fighter, and at 16 she has no fear. A better mover than the Sabalenka and Rybakina.

She reminds me of Seles. The only question is whether she will grow a bit more or fill out more. Seles got a bit bigger as she got older which made her less mobile. The same happened to Sharapova. But if she can stay mobile as she gets older, she will be VERY good for a while. I am still not sold on Swiatek. She is too jerky for my taste. Rybakina is much smoother but much less mobile. Sabalenka is the opposite of smooth. Like Shelton, she has no solution when someone else hits bigger than her.

But boy do I miss Barty. Someone who won the AO with two backhand winners in the whole tournament. I hope Parry can follow in her footsteps.

Agree on missing Barty.

High praise to liken Andreeva to Seles! One can hope she's that good.

A quote from Mirra Andreeva

"I feel like I'm a bit more mature."
You're only 16.
"Well, last year I was 15"

Interesting quote from Swiatek on 19 yo that upset her:

Iga on 19 yo Linda Noskova who upset her: “It was tough to read her serve. I would say she kind of serves Sabalenka's, Rybakina's style in terms of the placement and the speed,”

[jimlosaltos]

Ben is IMHO a player who should play with a one handed backhand. He is plenty strong enough and the one hander just teaches offense better. Contact point way out in front, learns the slice and volley A LOT better. Being offensive with a two hander is possible but it adds the extra work of having to learn two different feels for the backhand.

The other problem is that Shelton does not seem to be great on defense or on defense to offense. Highly offensive players struggle under pressure. Just like basketball and American Football, defense wins championships. At the end of the match, players just have to hang in there. Offense is hard to generate all the time. The Big 3 were great at defense. Stan was very good at defense. Not great but good enough. He had a nice slice to neutralize and he could turn defense to offense.

That is the problem with all the firepower. Once they face someone who can neutralize it, then what do they do? I think it is what happened to Shapo. Great offense but they figured out that if you just neutralize him and force him to win, he will eventually miss.

Even Johnny Mac could play great defense. He preferred not to but he could do it. And he could definitely neutralize. Modern tennis is modern, until it is not.

Just got to see the Shelton-Mannarino match. Mannarino completely dictated play, Shelton hit more slice backhands that he normally hits in a tournament. Seemingly every rally was played on Mannarino's terms. {and I wish autocorrect would stop turning his name into Mandarin <g> } Ben had no answer.

Biggest question for me is why Ben's serve that looks soooooo great isn't producing more results. Maybe Ben is mixing it up too much and should go Brad Gilbert style and just bomb away?