2016 Rogers Cup...ATP 1000...Toronto, Canada

[don_budge]

Here´s a new kid on the block. He just knocked off Nick Kyrgios 7-6, 3-6, 6-3. I like him much better than some of the other "Next Generation" nobodies. This kid has some flair...he's left-handed too. Kyrgios is what you might call a "soft competitor". He doesn't want to get his hands dirty. He's a lousy role-model. Denis Shapovalov...17 years old.

I wonder if John Yandell got any film on this kid...I wouldn't put it past him. Even though his objective may have been Kyrgios. Grigor Dimitrov next in the lefty Canuck's sights...the Bulgarian Playboy has been really struggling this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhoB4COtwSI

[klacr]

Toronto. Great city. Great food. Great people. They also love their tennis.

That Shapovalov-Kyrgios match was something. Kyrgios not at his best but The 17 year old Canadian lefty didn't care. His favorite shot, the one handed backhand. His idol, Roger Federer. Good stuff.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Watchability...Dogfightability

Toronto. Great city. Great food. Great people. They also love their tennis.

That Shapovalov-Kyrgios match was something. Kyrgios not at his best but The 17 year old Canadian lefty didn't care. His favorite shot, the one handed backhand. His idol, Roger Federer. Good stuff.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

There was a thread that was entitled "Likability" or something to that effect. But "watchability" is the criteria to discern by when it comes to tennis these days because basically none of the current players are...watchable. They are snooze inducers and should be taken liberally before going to bed. Boring.

The Kid...Shapovalov says the right things. Yesterday he backed it up against tennis's unparalleled "Bad Guy". Tennis needs a one handed lefty to give the game a jumpstart and one wonder's if this 17 year old has what it takes to climb the mountain. He certainly looked impressive and he has a flair that I haven't seen in any of the "Next Generation" stars of the future.

He plays at 2AM here in Europe against Grigor Sharapova. Shapovalov vs. Sharapova...hmphh! If I happen to wake up in the middle of the night I just might make a move to my office next door to see if this kid can live up to his billing. Dimitrov has been struggling mightily lately and an impertinent left handed upstart might not be what the doctor ordered in his case.

I would go so far as to say that this is the most "watchable" matchup in the draw in this round. Dimitrov has something to do with it too...Baby Fed as he used to be referred to. I would like to see a "dogfight" between these two players as I would like to see Dimitrov grow a pair and start to fight like a man instead of pussy footing around. Dimitrov must begin to find his inner warrior or he just might find his last name being that of his girlfriend's.

On the subject of "dogfightability"...Nikos Kyrgios once again failed to demonstrate his willingness to dig down deep. He played the third and deciding set very soft and it was evidenced at one point by a very lackadaisical attempt at a between the legs shot where he could easily have hustled into position. This guy is the antithesis of what old school Aussie Tennis was all about and he is a detriment to not only the Aussie program but professional tennis in general. It isn't enough to be supremely talented...you have got to be willing to get down and dirty. The only thing dirty about Nikos is his potty mouth.

[klacr]

It is a huge boost for Canadian tennis as well, Raonic with the Wimbledon run and now this youngster Shapovalov. Hope to see more from this kid. Of course, the old guard has no plans to relinquish their seats.

Look for a better summer from Berdych. He did't get the results he wanted first half of the year, but that Wimbledon semifinal run has him feeling good. Plus, he's on a quest for a new coach. Expect a 'super coach'. A big name former player. Tomas will leave no stone unturned in his quest to improve.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[klacr]

Quarterfinals today
Djokovic vs. Berdych
Wawrinka vs. Anderson
Raonic vs. Monfils
Dimitrov vs. Nishikori

Shame that #1 and #5 seed must play in quarters. But Kudos to Berdych who is only player left in tournament that is still alive in both singles and doubles.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

2016 Rogers Cup...ATP 1000...Toronto, Canada

Quarterfinals today
Djokovic vs. Berdych
Wawrinka vs. Anderson
Raonic vs. Monfils
Dimitrov vs. Nishikori

Shame that #1 and #5 seed must play in quarters. But Kudos to Berdych who is only player left in tournament that is still alive in both singles and doubles.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Hmmm...anything of interest here? Worth making the effort watching? Maybe a little Djokovic and Berdych but that comes on pretty late here. Better to get to bed early and get up early to walk the doggy. Without Federer in the tournament it sort of makes things simple...or rather simpler.

Raonic and Monfils might turn into an interesting match. The contrast of styles and personalities might just give it a bit more "watchability" factor. It might further depend upon which "Amazing Mr. Monfils" shows up. He has been showing more dogfight lately. He beat Coric, Querry, Zverev before gutting it out against big serving Ivo Karlovic.

Raonic is in front of an adoring throng of Canadians and with his final run at Wimbledon he should be oozing confidence at this point. It could be tie-break city. Monfils might be feeling a bit fatigued too. With his exhausting win last week and now this week he has defeated Sousa, Pospisil and a tough little nut in David Goffin...one wonders if mentally he can hold it together. A great test here for Mr. Amazing...I call him that because in terms of all around natural ability he is up near the top of the game.

I am curious as to how Grigor Dimitrov and Kia Nishikori will pan out. Both players are question marks at any given match these days. Nishikori is often injured and Dimitrov has been asking himself existential questions during the matches as they are in process. He seems to be questioning his own resolve.

Wawrinka and Anderson strikes me as a pretty dull affair and they might just be over with as I type. But I ask myself...do I care enough to check it out?*

This tournament could be Djokovic's for the taking. Is he healthy and is he hungry? He may suffer from a burnout at some point. He looked a bit frayed at Wimbledon.

*Wawrinka wins 6-1, 6-3 over Anderson.

[stotty]

Not a good tournament for me this one. Everything happens when I am in bed, fast asleep. It's 11:31pm here and Monfils and Djokovic haven't even stepped on court yet. Nothing worse than having to watch a match after its happened. I like live tennis...not replays.

[don_budge]

Priorites...Sleep Trumps Mediocre Tennis

Not a good tournament for me this one. Everything happens when I am in bed, fast asleep. It's 11:31pm here and Monfils and Djokovic haven't even stepped on court yet. Nothing worse than having to watch a match after its happened. I like live tennis...not replays.

There's only one player that I will alter my sleep pattern for and he wasn't in the draw and he won't be in the foreseeable future. But I have to admit that Gael "The Amazing Mr. Monfils" Monfils has exceeded my expectations as of late. Winning last week and putting together a stellar performance in this tournament is a real accomplishment for the historically inconsistent one. At the same time we can see that Novak Djokovic is getting his tennis legs under him again and look for a typical performance against Kia Nishikori.

Nishikori versus Wawrinka. I watched just a tad as they headed into the first set tie-break...but it was boring. Both of these players are sometimes suspect in their own respective patterns...Nishikori is frequently injured and Wawrinka sometimes cannot bothered to put up the fight. It looks like it was the latter last night.

The replays are better than nothing. For instance in the Monfils versus Raonic I was looking to see if Monfils has resorted to any sort of discernible pattern or fundamental tactic against the big Oaf but it didn't look as if he had. I am looking for players to play aggressively on Raonic's forehand in order to expose the backhand. Sort of like what Djokovic has been doing to Nadal for the last umpteen matches. Nadal is much more dangerous when he is hitting his forehand from the backhand side of the court and he really cheats over to that side figuring that players won't dare to go at his forehand in order to exploit his backhand. This was a big part of Federer's problem for years...he couldn't play his backhand aggressively enough down the line.

Tactics...tactics...tactics. You cannot start them too young it seems. Look at your opponent...which side is stronger? What is the best way to exploit it? Go right at it...or move him over to the other side to open up the weaker side?

Djokovic versus Nishikori...huge yawn. We've seen this one before and it always fails to shed any new light on the subject. The definition of boring. Watch for predominately backcourt play with very little advanced approach and volley and virtually zero serve and volley. Why am I the only one that seems to understand that the sport has been dumbed down and engineered to a stagnate mess? If you ask me the tennis world is really queer.

[stotty]

Always the bridesmaid....

Shame the Samurai kid always folds up at times when he really needs to step up. Novak knows it only too well. He just plays the consistency card knowing full well the Samurai kid will capitulate at some point or other.

You can't help feeling the Samurai kid pulls the trigger too early in some of those rallies when it might be prudent to wait a little longer. He's a beautiful ball striker. It's just a shame Chang hasn't been able to transmit some of his own attrition to his student.