2019 Libema Open...ATP 250...Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

[don_budge]

Just for funsies...just for the halibut let's start a thread at a tournament where there is no Roger Federer and pretend it is a real ATP tournament. I guess Boris Becker is getting the idea now. About time I say...I saw the writing on the wall a few years ago. But here we have Stefanos Tsitsipas who does his best to make the 2019 Libema Open a real live event. The longer he stays in the tournament the longer the tournament stays viable. Does that sound familiar?

He should be able to stick around here just as long as he wants to. By that if he is fully engaged and ready for a head on with any of the others in the draw he could start to reaffirm that he belongs. He is the number one seed already at the tender young age of twenty. Now he has to act like he deserves it. Stefanos is already showing signs like he belongs too. That match with Stan Wawrinka at the French Open was really fabulous. It is one thing to be a rock star when your are winning but Stefanos looked every bit the part of a champion in a losing role. This is a key hallmark of a great champion also. He looked like a winner...losing.

This is an excellent tournament for Tsitsipas. A superb venue for a young up and comer looking to make an impression on the world of tennis. Borna Coric in the bottom half looking tough in his section of the draw.

https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/current/s-hertogenbosch/440/draws

[don_budge]

How about Nicolas Jarry starting from the probation?

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

Brian told me that Nicolas started with him about 13 years ago and just never got out of jail...I mean probation.

Nicolas Jarry is out of jail...off probation. He is unleashed and he took out number one seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. A couple of interesting takes from that match. First of all...very impressive serving from Jarry forced Tsitsipas into very defensive mode returning. The above quotes from Brian Gordon's video on the "Probation Serve". At the time Phil posted his serve he was actually serving out of "probation" as Brian put it. Now he has put a very nice rhythmic backswing to it...the backswing of Brian's choice as well. Yesterday it all came together for him...the rest of the game goes as the serve goes. Tsitsipas wasn't ready for this. He didn't have that "there are 31 losers and me here at this tourney". He dragged it out to three sets but that is about all. He didn't show much of an inclination to get to the net which is sort of surprising. Doesn't bode particularly well for Wimbledon and hopefully it isn't a sign that the attention is wearing on him. The French had to be surreal to him as he came to Paris like Caesar.

Not much else of interest except this interesting development in the Jarry serve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kC0eFm-yXQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxZiJ8-8a7E

It looks to be pretty recent.