2020 Open 13 Provence...ATP 250...Marseille, France

[don_budge]

Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the house even if Roger Federer is not. This ATP 250 level tourney seems to be rather loaded despite its lower echelon points awarded. Medvedev playing an up and comer on the tour named Jannik Sinner. Tsitsipas plays the young Ethiopian/Swede Mikael Ymer who defeated Richard Gasquet in the first round. Young Mikael plays another one handed backhand player in Tsitsipas.

https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/current/marseille/496/draws

Just keeping a finger on the pulse here. While waiting for Roger Federer to make his next appearance.

[stroke]

Sinner looks like the real deal

[don_budge]

Matches of the Day (Yesterday)...Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Mikeal Ymer and Benoit Paire vs. Alexander Bublik

Sinner looks like the real deal

A bit under the weather here in the forest and countryside of Sweden. I miss a workout today...or rather postpone it to tomorrow. I refuse to miss. No excuses. I did intend to post about the match of the day in this tournament which in my imagination I gave it a tie.

Tsitsipas managed to roll the young Swedish hopeful Mikeal Ymer. Alexander Bublik must have out slugged Benoit Paire...or did he? This young player certainly seems to have more imagination or is he just a little loose upstairs. He faces the winner of Marin Cilic and Denis "The Menace" Shapovalov next. The battle of loose canons.

Stefanos Tsitsipas plays Vasek Pospisil who shows signs of a rebirth of late. He beat Daniil Medvedev last week at Rotterdam. But was that a legitimate win or was Medvedev taking the week off with some lucrative appearance fee cash in the pocket. So Medvedev will get to face the "New Kid on the Block" Jannik Sinner. Always a new face...a new kid in town. Not sure what to make of Sinner. Certainly he is fast out of the blocks in his age group. But it takes more than that to sustain a career. So we wait and see...just like the wise man said. Patience...it will all come out in the wash.

Match of the day today...Daniil Medvedev vs. Jannik Sinner.

[arturohernandez]

Match of the day today...Daniil Medvedev vs. Jannik Sinner.

Took a set from the beast at the US Open in the first round last year. So maybe...

[don_budge]

Stefanos Tsitsipas cruises through just as one might hope he would at this point. Alexander Bublik over Denis "The Menace" Shapovalov. I wonder about Shapovalov. Is he "bright" enough to make it to the top echelon and stay there? He has made inroads. His ranking is climbing. But at the same time he just doesn't appear to be all that bright. The bounce of the ball between the legs is a cry for attention. To be different. That is moronic. The baseball cap on backwards is a cry for help. Help me...I'm an idiot. That is what it says to me. He looks unkept. He doesn't look to speak of organization. Tremendous physical talent that is for sure. But you know what I say about tennis...it is God's gift to man in terms of recreation. Because it tests one on every level of their humanness. Physical, psychological, mental, emotional and even spiritual. Denis is not checking all of the boxes.

Gilles Simon takes down last years Superman...Daniil Medvedev. Medvedev only seems to be physically present. Somehow he isn't all there. It could be that he is exhausted from a yeoman effort last year. That had to cost him in the end. Is he recharging? Six something to six love against Simon is just not a true indicator. Keep a finger on the pulse of Medvedev. He appears to be just about comatose...brain dead. A bit burned out. Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gilles should have an interesting match. On paper it is all Felix but Gilles brings a lot of experience to the mix. If he is physically able he might just make a game of this. But Felix brings an incredible physical presence and it might be too much for Simon to go back to back performances at this point.

Stefanos needs to have another to notch performance here. If he and Auger-Aliassime are to face off in the finals he is going to have to have the wind at his back as Felix is a gale when it comes to playing Tsitsipas. It isn't a great match up for Stefanos.

[stroke]

Simon got an early break and served for 1st set at 5-4. FAA dug in showing real maturity and broke back to 5 all. Then he ran out 1st set to 7-5. I really like FAA's forehand. A violent flip with a lot of action on the ball. And FAA's movement is obviously top shelf.

[stroke]

Tsitsipas and FAA both appear in fine form early in a very inticing matchup. Oddmakers have Tsitsipas as the favorite.

[don_budge]

Historically a tough matchup for Stefanos Tsitsipas. Has he matured? Has he learned? Interesting. Tsitsipas up a quick break in the first set...4-1. FA to serve.

[stroke]

Stef really looks good db and like you, I love his focus and attitude. I think no question he wants to get all he can out of his career. He seems to have the mental strength and focus(maybe a la the big 3) to do it. And his game is so easy on the eye.

[don_budge]

Stef really looks good db and like you, I love his focus and attitude. I think no question he wants to get all he can out of his career. He seems to have the mental strength and focus(maybe a la the big 3) to do it.

With FA serving at 1-4, Tsitsipas twice tried to drive balls on the return of serve on game points. One for him and one against. He flubbed both. Tsitsipas has an extreme infatuation with driving his backhand when it is the slice backhand that keeps you in points. You play subtle aggression with it.

Stefanos has a tremendous amount of undeveloped potential in his backhand and his serve. As good as he is I think he could be that much more. As you allude to in the company of that Big Three. The service motion of Felix is a pity I think. He starts the backswing...then he stops. Why? It makes no sense in terms of motion. I lay the responsibility on the coaches. Lack of good solid fundamentals.

Auger-Aliasimme is going to contend for a lot of tournaments. He is a splendid athlete and doesn't have that stupid look that Shapovalov has. Too bad he has a two handed backhand though. As talented as he is...to not play the all court game is a mistake.

[don_budge]

Now to serve out the set. Certainly a critical point of the tennis match. 15-30 down. Uh oh.

[don_budge]

Not the cleanest of service games but he manages to get the horse in the barn. A good set for Tsitsipas to win. It's a bit uphill for Auger-Aliasimme from here on out. But if I was Tsitsipas I would keep the pressure on him and not let him get back into it.

[stroke]

Great 1st set for Stefanos. I am not fond of FAA's grip structure on the serve, and to a lesser extent, Stefanos'. They both look to me to have their heel pad to far down on bevel 2, but they make it work and I guess if does tend to allow more flush contact on the ball. But I much prefer the Fed Nadal service grip, heel pad pretty much on bevel 1.

[don_budge]

Stefanos Tsitsipas up a break in the second at 3-5...Auger-Aliasimme serving. I hope that he forces Tsitsipas to serve it out. I would like to see a cleaner service game from Stefanos to serve out the championship in style.