Roland Garros, Paris 2020

[don_budge]

Sebastian Korda.

[don_budge]

Sebastian Korda.

You want it...you got it. Now you pay the price.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/korda-martinez-roland-garros-2020-day-6

Sebastian Korda has turned out to be one of the more interesting stories of the tournament. The son of former tennis world class player, Petr Korda, Sebastian named his cat after Rafa Nadal. I would name a worm after Rafa myself...maybe a snake. Maybe a skunk. But not a beloved pet. Seeing as I am somewhat delegated to nursing a rehabilitating dog named Saja I might just see some of this match. My intense dislike for Rafa Nadal and anything connected to this foul piece of work continues to grow unabated. While I wouldn't wish the corona virus on him...and if he did get it he would get all of my sympathy and sincere wishes for a full recovery...I am looking for an opponent who will stand up to this bully and pin his ears back. But you know what...Nadal is a human being just like the rest of us. Including me. He isn't perfect and perhaps I go to hard on him sometimes. But he just fits into my wheelhouse of annoyance at the world, the tennis world and the human species in general. Trust me...I go harder on myself than anyone or any thing. It isn't pretty sometimes. I confess.

But Rafa does not have the virus...for which I am glad. So he is fair game. Sebastian finds himself in an unlikely position in the round of 16 against a man who has won umpteen times at Roland Garros. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to this novel experience. Does he get "the deer in the headlights" syndrome or does he come out swinging like a man with nothing to lose and play a "Godlike" match? More than likely it will be more of the same as far as Rafa Nadal is concerned. He treats all comers just the same. From the beginning to the end. In this sense he is the ultimate tennis player. It is just that his game is ugly. Compared to his mannerisms and gestures though his game is a work of art. He's human after all. A complex piece of work. Well it figures doesn't it? We are all human. To err is human...to forgive is divine.

[don_budge]

Sebastian Korda.

Sebastian Korda falls considerably outside of the discussed range of perennial Grand Slam champions at 6' 5" tall but that shouldn't eliminate him before any match begins.

https://www.atptour.com/en/video/video-search-results/talking-tactics-with-kordas-coach-at-mexico-city-challenger

It is way more interesting to listen to a coach talk tactics then it is to discuss endless times about the ATP 3 forehand. Here is Korda's coach talking a bit about tactics and I like a couple of things...his idea about serving and the importance of getting the first serve in and being a bit fatalistic about swinging at the second. Great stuff and this is what the coach should be talking about after a certain point in a players development. At what point? At the point when the player has a perfect service motion and from the video this is the big takeaway...the actual motion. From the limited viewing angles...I didn't notice a nice rear view...It appears that young Sebastian has a really fine motion without any friction or noticeable hitches. At first glance. It will be interesting to see how he manages his service game against Nadal. One of the starting points in beating Nadal is to serve extremely well. This is rule number one...to take care of your serve. You see this with Roger Federer against Nadal in his last several matches where he has experienced a lot of success...he has supremely taken care of his service game by serving supremely well.

At 6' 5" this is a place where the Korda height can be a positive factor. Obviously the longer a point goes on with Nadal his winning percentages will go down. It will be interesting to see if he can press the action forwards to the net. In the video it appears that he practices just that.

We'll see. Speculation is only that. But this is what a good coach specialises in...sound percentage speculation. Develop the player with options and then employ those options to suit the opponent.

[don_budge]

To err is human...to forgive is divine.

But I must admit that I revel in watching him strut around chasing down his own towel. No more bullying the ball boys and girls...get your own towel you
jerk!

[stroke]

Nadal seems to maybe be even more intense after that Italian Open loss. It will be interesting to see if he can be physically extended. So far bulldozing his way through the first 3 rounds it looks like the same ol same ol. I think Sinner is going to upset Zverev. If one wanted to bet on Nadal or Novak to win their next round, the odds are 1/100.

[stroke]

Novak starts out with 2 breaks vs Galan, who is serving very well and hits his groundstrokes big. Novak's return of serve is just almost mesmerizingly routine.

[stroke]

Leif Shiras doing commentary said Novak looks like a video game so far. That seems about right.

[stotty]

Leif Shiras doing commentary said Novak looks like a video game so far. That seems about right.

He's being more efficient than usual...doesn't seem to want waste an ounce of unnecessary energy. He's a machine. He's playing so well at the moment it just isn't funny.

[stroke]

I think it is clear to all that if can maintain this level, no one can beat him. The level he has been playing at thus far is uncharted. That being said, there is no tougher task in sports that taking out Nadal at the FO. Oddsmakers have them pretty much at pick 'em co-favorites.

[stroke]

If someone else can somehow win this tournament other that those 2, it would be epic.

[stroke]

Nadal same ol straight sets it looks like. Sinner is up 2 sets on Alex. Alex is just not as consistent nor does he move nearly as well as Sinner. Sinner is looking like a Novak lite on clay, more so than Medvedev as Sinner plays win more spin control a la Novak. His backhand/forehand combo very Novak like. One thing Sinner does not seem to employ is the drop shot. He is working Alex over, and Alex is retreating so far behind the baseline that the dropper in begging.

[stotty]

Nadal same ol straight sets it looks like. Sinner is up 2 sets on Alex. Alex is just not as consistent nor does he move nearly as well as Sinner. Sinner is looking like a Novak lite on clay, more so than Medvedev as Sinner plays win more spin control a la Novak. His backhand/forehand combo very Novak like. One thing Sinner does not seem to employ is the drop shot. He is working Alex over, and Alex is retreating so far behind the baseline that the dropper in begging.

Shrewd analysis. Sinner 4-1 in the fourth. He his certainly using the dropper now. Sinner's temperament seems very sound. Zverev doesn't seem to know what to do despite it being obvious to an armchair critic such as myself. When Zverev hugs the baseline he's a different player.

Sinner is really bossing the show and finding a Novak-like length at times and happy to hit down the middle if nothing is on offer. I'm favourably impressed.

[postpre]

Sinner's backhand? ATP style? It's certainly flat and effective on clay, but it's more or less a straight take back (tip not up during take back). His forehand also has no loop. He can take it early and dictate on both sides due to the simplicity of his strokes.

[stroke]

Thiem all of a sudden looking like a very distant #3 favorite vs Gaston, a French player that is s bit reminiscent of the magician, Fabrice Santoro.

[stroke]

Gaston is killing Thiem with drop shots. Thiem likes to play so deep in the court, and even when he gets to these droppers, he is not looking like Dr. Feelgood. More like hands of stone.