2017 Coupe Rogers...ATP 1000...Montreal, Canada

[klacr]

Federer vs. Zverev in Montreal today. The NextGen star vs. the TimelessGen star. Zverev fought off a pesky Shapovalov last night. Shapovalov has the game, but more importantly the guile to succeed. His ability to make mid-match adjustments, willingness to come to the net, and his dogged competitiveness makes me hopeful for his future.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Roger hadn't really been firing all week...too many errors and misfiring on his forehand.

Zverez played great in the final. He was dominant throughout the match and closed out with some aplomb. He's a quick learner and wasn't even slightly fazed by the challenge despite the drubbing Roger gave him in Halle.

Zverez would seem in with a shout at the US Open.

[stroke]

Roger hadn't really been firing all week...too many errors and misfiring on his forehand.

Zverez played great in the final. He was dominant throughout the match and closed out with some aplomb. He's a quick learner and wasn't even slightly fazed by the challenge despite the drubbing Roger gave him in Halle.

Zverez is in with a shout at the US Open.

no doubt, to me a taller Djokovic with a bigger serve.1st and 2nd. His bh if anything better than his very good fh, which is in itself a very good start on greatness. Future #1, maybe soon and a real rock star in tennis. Still will never be as loved or as good as Roger.

[bottle]

no doubt, to me a taller Djokovic with a bigger serve.1st and 2nd. His bh if anything better than his very good fh, which is in itself a very good start on greatness. Future #1, maybe soon and a real rock star in tennis. Still will never be as loved or as good as Roger.

He's a good one, that Roger-- isn't he?

[arturohernandez]

But he is also a bit on the tall side. If he is healthy, he could be like Del Potro. If he reaches number 1, he will be dethroned quickly by someone who is closer to six foot tall and has more options available. Even with the increase in height, the best players are all between 6-6'3".

[gzhpcu]

Roger having lost does not mean that much. Look at his wins this year. Stupid I find are comments I have on the internet from hackers who play horrible tennis, seen saying he is an old man with little physical condition, which is why he lost!

Winning the Australian and Wimbledon is just incredible. May he keep playing for a couple of years. His game is fun to watch, grat variation, net attacks, beautiful style. Let the envious criticize, like jackals following a lion.

[don_budge]

Roger having lost does not mean that much. Look at his wins this year. Stupid I find are comments I have on the internet from hackers who play horrible tennis, seen saying he is an old man with little physical condition, which is why he lost!

Winning the Australian and Wimbledon is just incredible. May he keep playing for a couple of years. His game is fun to watch, grat variation, net attacks, beautiful style. Let the envious criticize, like jackals following a lion.

Roger played it soft all week long...save the first round. He looked lethargic and he didn't try for many balls that he would have been digging out of the dirt to stay in the point. He played it softest of all against Zverev in the final. Somehow he is letting this faux contender have his day in the sun. Adding to the hype. I have seen Federer play this way before in matches that are meaningless to him. If I had paid for the final in Montreal I would have been demanding my money back.

He didn't even bother to shave all week. His play reflected his sloppy attitude. Let's face it...for some reason he didn't care. He doesn't care about anything now except Grand Slam titles. He missed so many backhands it was as if he was trying to convince us that his aggressive backhand play in the beginning of the year was an illusion. Perhaps an early surprise loss in Cincinnati followed by another miraculous run at the U. S. Open. Look ahead...he knows that the Open draw is missing some top names and Nadal is waning. Zverev builds up a false sense of confidence with his victory here...the hype forments the rest of it. Federer is on his toes once more at the Open.

It's professional tennis. Once the money is in the game you can kiss it goodbye. Federer doesn't need the money and the game needs desperately a shot in the arm if there is going to be any interest in the future. It's only possibilities...permutations and combinations. But I believe my eyes...they don't lie. Federer didn't give a shit about this tournament. He could just be playing all of us.

He's a good one, that Roger-- isn't he?

bottle...you are truly pathetic.

no doubt, to me a taller Djokovic with a bigger serve.1st and 2nd. His bh if anything better than his very good fh, which is in itself a very good start on greatness. Future #1, maybe soon and a real rock star in tennis. Still will never be as loved or as good as Roger.

But he is also a bit on the tall side. If he is healthy, he could be like Del Potro. If he reaches number 1, he will be dethroned quickly by someone who is closer to six foot tall and has more options available. Even with the increase in height, the best players are all between 6-6'3".

stroke...maybe. Good comparison with Djokovic who is by definition strictly a defensive player. Same here...this guy needs a firecracker up his hiney to get him to move forwards. I do not believe that he is destined for any kind of greatness. The future is very, very mediocre in terms of talent coming down the pipe. Except for Denis "The Menace" Shapovalov. He is going to be a big obstacle in the future for any ambitions that Zverev might have for the #1 player in the world. He is dreadfully boring and not very bright. He believes his own hype and the depth of that is very shallow. Denis' buddy Felix Auger-Aliassime is going to be a handful for anybody as well.

[gzhpcu]

Seven-time champion Roger Federer has withdrawn from Cincinatti 2017 tournament due to a back injury. Explains why he was not happy at Rogers Cup. Good thing anyway, gets rest before US Open.

[klacr]

You knew that was coming. No way he would risk it for Cincinnati. Rest up, be well, bigger things on the horizon. Roger's seasons come down to 8 weeks. The 4 grand slams.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stroke]

But he is also a bit on the tall side. If he is healthy, he could be like Del Potro. If he reaches number 1, he will be dethroned quickly by someone who is closer to six foot tall and has more options available. Even with the increase in height, the best players are all between 6-6'3".

this is going to be interesting arturo. To me, you clearly know tennis, but I personally think Zverev will not be a Murray/Muster/Moya/Wilander /Roddick, etc. I think he has staying power. We will see. He may be a bit tall, but he is in that 6'4 to 6'6" range(he probably is closer to 6'5" than 6'6", no one under estimates their height), which is certainly no Isner.

[stotty]

this is going to be interesting arturo. To me, you clearly know tennis, but I personally think Zverev will not be a Murray/Muster/Moya/Wilander /Roddick, etc. I think he has staying power. We will see. He may be a bit tall, but he is in that 6'4 to 6'6" range(he probably is closer to 6'5" than 6'6", no one under estimates their height), which is certainly no Isner.

I think Zverev might turn out to an exception where tall players are concerned. Zverev moves really well for some one so tall. He's thin and agile and nothing like Del Potro who is slow and cumbersome.

Zverev is still young and his game will develop. He also has a great temperament which is seldom talked about. I'm convinced he will become world number one sooner rather than later.

[don_budge]

The Media Darling...Alexander Zverev

Give it some time. He is closing in on a top spot very quickly and basically because of attrition. It isn't that this kid is so darn good...it's just that the field is as weak as I have ever seen it in fifty years of watching tennis. The drop off after the top ten is a precipice. Is there even a "Big Four" anymore? Roger Federer is on the brink no matter what his latest results...although he is surely sound evidence of my contention of the weakest field in tennis ever. Federer should be over the hill at this point in his career but he is dominating the field. Dominating because not a single soul is talented enough or playing the right kind of tennis to stay with him. He won Wimbledon without dropping a set? You don't need any more proof than that. Marin Cilic had to be propped up to finish the match or he would have drowned in a pool of his own tears. Fafa Nadal is running on fumes as players with fresher legs begin to wear him down by numbers. Andy Murray did his stint as the weakest number one player ever and that seems to have satisfied him. Novak Djokovic???...nothing but question marks.

Hopefully there is something coming down the pipe than Alexander Zverev. He's right out of the cookie cutter mode. He's got a bunch of holes in his game...traditionally speaking . For instance on any ball coming forwards he looks like a fish out of water. Once he gets to the net the results are pretty sketchy. But he will be facing stiff challenges from Denis "The Menace" Shapovalov real soon and others like Felix Auger-Aliassime too. Nothing about Zverev impresses me at this point except he has no competition. Nick Kyrgios should dominate Zverev everytime that they step onto the same court but he just can't get his head around the idea to try and gut matches out. Nobody goes out and waltzes through tennis matches throughout the year. Waltzing Matilda...Nick Kyrgios.

This year's U. S. Open will give us a pretty good reading on Zvere...but remember it is a depleted draw. That being said even if everyone was present and accounted for and did show up to play...the field is weak. Most of the tennis public is mesmerized by the play that the big racquets, strings and suped up court surfaces showcase. It isn't that great...except for the exception of Federer. The courts and the play is soulless. Take a look at that 1980 U. S. Open final between Borg and McEnroe. That was tennis and there was a whole slew of talent right behind them. Whole parts of the game have been eliminated from the modern game to the point where you have a nice "feminist" game being played. It's pretty politically correct if you ask me. Don't go to the net and appear to be too ballsy...too macho. They have all been neutered.

I'm not going to diss anyone for thinking Zverev is the next top player in the world...but in my world he falls short by classic standards in a lot of areas. He is a tall guy and all of the running to and fro, back and forth across the baseline will wear down that slender physique. Milos Raonic comes to mind with all of his injury problems. Young Alexander would have been better off modeling himself off of Big Bro sans the two handed backhand. Even the service motion of Alexander leaves much to be desired. Serving smoothly, running forwards and ending things quickly at the net is a tactic that matches up to his physique. He sure plays a lot of defense. Good defense to be sure...ala Djokovic and the rest of them. As far as I am concerned the jury is still out and I am not will to concede a single thing to him...and I am certain Shapovalov will not either. Not too sure how Kyrgios feels about the subject.

This guy is a "Next Generation" star and his temperament is just fine as long as he is winning. He tends to get that whiney look on his face and he starts to smash racquets when it isn't going like he wants it. But he is just like the rest of the crybabies now...when things start to get a bit rough they start looking towards the box for emotional support. I find this rather annoying. I don't see Roger Federer doing this so much. The security box is where the rest of the team is sitting in great suspense. Mom and Dad and the whole crew.

Alexander Zverev could get to be number one in the world. Andy Murray did. Once you get there the trick is to stay there. Which is no easy feat. Once you are there you go to every tournament with a big bullseye on your back. It takes a real tough hombre to wear that mark and man up to the challenge and holding everyone at bay. Nadal did it. Federer did it. Djokovic did it. Murray failed miserably. How will Zverev react when and if he gets to wear the bullseye. I don't think he is that "tough". The jury is still out. Unless you are a propaganda shill for the ITF.

[stroke]

I think Zverev might turn out to an exception where tall players are concerned. Zverev moves really well for some one so tall. He's thin and agile and nothing like Del Potro who is slow and cumbersome.

Zverev is still young and his game will develop. He also has a great temperament which is seldom talked about. I'm convinced he will become world number one sooner rather than later.

I agree, he is a very good mover at his height. He would lose a 40 yard dash badly to Kyrgios or Monfils I think, but of the other tall guys, Cilic, Del Po, Berdych, Querrey, Khachanov, Kevin Anderson(who is a bit taller than these others), he is probably the fastest/best mover.

[don_budge]

I agree, he is a very good mover at his height. He would lose a 40 yard dash badly to Kyrgios or Monfils I think, but of the other tall guys, Cilic, Del Po, Berdych, Querrey, Khachanov, Kevin Anderson(who is a bit taller than these others), he is probably the fastest/best mover.

If the courts are faster as klacr has suggested this is going to work against young Alexander Zverev as well. It will challenge him on the "quickness" aspect of the game. But there might not be a player in his half of the draw that can exploit that aspect of the game. Faster courts. As far as I know the only player that seems to have an inkling is Roger Federer. Some possibles are Sam Querry, Mischa Zverev, Gilles Muller, Denis "The Menace" Shapovalov. Marin Cilic? This is going to be an excellent barometer for the younger Zverev. A good stiff challenge. The best of five aspect is going to be challenging as well.

Alexander opens tonight against Darian King of Barbados (ranked #168) on Arthur Ashe Stadium court at 2.30 AM...European time. 8.30 EST.