2021 Qatar ExxonMobil Open...ATP 250...Doha, Qatar

[don_budge]

Do you think it has been long enough? I mean...when was the last time there was an actual real tennis tournament? A tournament that featured "The Living Proof" in the don_budge tennis coaching paradigm. It's been a long time. Too long. There is simply no plot to any of these tournaments without Roger Federer. Not to mention sub-plots. There is no drama. It is like one big "who cares"? Except we all know who cares, who really cares...stroke and stotty. S & S green stamps. Personally, I believe even they have to be struggling to get up the enthusiasm to watch these cookie cutter matches. But God bless 'em. Somebody has to care. Otherwise nobody gives a shit.

https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/cu...doha/451/draws

Roger Federer seeded #2 to Dominic Thiem's #1. Do you see what I mean? When Roger is in the tournament the first thing you do is look at the first round opponent. Hmmm...Roger hasn't played in a while. Can he work himself into the match and get in position to win? The answer is of course yes if you have waited as long as we have for a real tennis player to show up. You have to be optimistic that we will see some matches with Federer on the court swinging his 97 square at the little yellow ball. Roger has a bye in the first round and then he plays the winner of Jeremy Chardy (ranked #64) and Daniel Evans (ranked #28). Wouldn't it be nice to see Federer versus Evans? A couple of one hand backhands with a bit of old school flair. Is it just me? It's ok if it is.

It's hard not to get a bit carried away but one could almost project him into the finals. The bottom half of this ATP 250 event doesn't look overly impressive. Well...let's just be like Roger and take it one day at a time. One match at a time. One set at a time. One point at a time. One thing is for certain...if Roger is playing then there is at least his match that you can watch and without missing a point not be in danger of nodding off. Just because he's Roger. And you're not.

[klacr]

TGRB

Thank God Roger is Back!

The tennis world needs this. We all need this. His first opponent will either be the tricky Dan Evans who utilizes the slice so well or the blast away baseline bomber Jeremy Chardy.
Just glad to see Roger back. RF3.0
And I think he has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA, PTR
Delray Beach
SETS Consulting

[stotty]

Well, we will certainly all be watching with bated breadth. A year out of the game and 39 years old isn't a recipe that wins tournaments. Murray has a had year out and seems all but finished. Roger is six years older. It seems implausible that Roger can mount a serious tournament-winning comeback but we will all be watching because Roger is Roger and if one player is capable of the impossible it is surely Roger.

Anyway, we will soon find out. One thing is for sure, whatever the outcome, it will be pretty to watch.

[don_budge]

tgrb

thank god roger is back!

The tennis world needs this. We all need this. His first opponent will either be the tricky dan evans who utilizes the slice so well or the blast away baseline bomber jeremy chardy.
Just glad to see roger back. Rf3.0
and i think he has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Kyle lacroix uspta, ptr
delray beach
sets consulting

tgkb...

[stroke]

Fed first match will maybe be Chardy, who has been playing well. Next up maybe Coric, another tough one. Thiem #1 seed. Rubliv, Denis, Stan in the draw. Opelka and Fritz floating in there also. A tough field for a 250.

[don_budge]

Fed first match will maybe be Chardy, who has been playing well. Next up maybe Coric, another tough one. Thiem #1 seed. Rubliv, Denis, Stan in the draw. Opelka and Fritz floating in there also. A tough field for a 250.

stroke...this is an interesting comment. Take a look at Daniel Evans recent activity:

https://www.atptour.com/en/players/d...layer-activity

He actually won a tournament last month beating Chardy decisively in the semis. But Chardy has been playing some really good tennis this year as well as you note. See here:

https://www.atptour.com/en/players/j...layer-activity

This is interesting because it is all about the Roger Federer effect. Since the winner of this match gets the honour of playing "The Living Proof" it makes them that much more interesting. Then it makes the quarter above him more interesting as well as it comes down to speculating as you have Coric out to the quarters...but Coric seems to have disappeared. Another interesting "What If" could be John Millman in the quarters who becomes the odds on favourite in that section with the withdrawal of Coric. Don't you just love Roger? Everything gets that much more interesting when he is in the HOUSE!!!

[stroke]

Coric just pulled out. I consider that another missed pick by me. Dammit.

[klacr]

tgkb...

I never left. Been busy running a club, building businesses and making dreams come true. Oh, and the wife and puppy taking quite a bit of my time as well. But I'm still around. Just not contributing to forum as much as I'd like. Trying to change that.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA, PTR
Delray Beach
SETS Consulting

[johnyandell]

Hey what's the puppy??? Name and breed pls!

[don_budge]

Match of the Day...Jeremy Chardy versus Daniel Evans

Federer rules. Roger in the House this week for the first time in a long time. He isn't playing so anything closest to him in degrees of separation gets top billing. Naturally. There is another tournament rumoured to being played in Marseille this week but as far as I am concerned...it hardly exists. I haven't looked at the draw sheet even. Perhaps I will. Can't be too quick to judge now can we?

Chardy has been playing good ball as Mr. stroke points out...but so has Evans when he played. Looking for Evans to pull through here. The 34 year old legs of Chardy got a real test last week. Something they just might be used to. Roger looming. Praying that the knee is good and he has been taking his "vitamins". Gee...this is exciting. Isn't it?

[stroke]

This field is loaded for a 250. The cutoff for direct entry was in the low 40's, very low for a 250. Marselle had some good matches also. I am keeping an eye on it. Tsonga is playing for 1st time in a while. Gasquet had his 1st win this year yesterday in Doha. I like everyone else just love watching him hit backhands. As much as I love Stan's, Gasquet's my favorite. I think that built up butt of the grip he has actually helps him with that flick/external arm rotation on that shot.

[stotty]

What I don't understand is why Roger has a bye. Why isn't another lower ranked player allowed in the draw to make a 1st round opponent for Roger. We have had to wait a year for Roger's return and now we are waiting until Wednesday to get a glimpse. It's like waiting for the return of Jesus Christ.

I agree. I thought these tournaments had done away with 1st round byes but apparently not. And so true, only 32 man draw and they have byes in the draw. OH brother, and please wear a mask, I am begging you.

Oddsmakers have Rublev, Thiem, and Fed as equal cofavorites to win this tournament.

Yes, well, doesn't make sense to have a less than full draw, especially when Roger needs a bit of practice.

The bookies must know something we don't. Roger to be a favourite after a year out you'd think would be pushing it. He has kept his training extremely quite as far as my son can tell...who follows everything Roger does and seems to be able to track him down wherever he is.

[glacierguy]

Fed vs Evans coming up. Exciting.

[don_budge]

Match of the Day...Jeremy Chardy versus Daniel Evans

Federer rules. Roger in the House this week for the first time in a long time. He isn't playing so anything closest to him in degrees of separation gets top billing. Naturally. There is another tournament rumoured to being played in Marseille this week but as far as I am concerned...it hardly exists. I haven't looked at the draw sheet even. Perhaps I will. Can't be too quick to judge now can we?

Chardy has been playing good ball as Mr. stroke points out...but so has Evans when he played. Looking for Evans to pull through here. The 34 year old legs of Chardy got a real test last week. Something they just might be used to. Roger looming. Praying that the knee is good and he has been taking his "vitamins". Gee...this is exciting. Isn't it?

Yep...the legs wouldn't carry him over the finish line. Evans did a nice job of maintaining pressure on his opponent. A nice win for the Brit. I took a walk with the dogs in the first set when he got behind. Then I went out into the barn and did 1000 jumps with the rope. Twenty sets of fifty. Didn't think I had it in me after chain-sawing a slew of "Christmas Trees" down in the field. The farmer next door was behind the field, down by the ditch with his excavating machine, digging out the beaver dams. I said to him..."isn't that what men do? Man against the beaver all of our lives." He said something to the effect that it sounded like an American movie. Three loads with his machine and the field was free and clear of the trees which the EU mandated that I remove in order to get a payment from them at the end of the year. The chainsaw was a great workout...and a beautiful machine. It's a Husqvarna. Sawed through those trees like a hot knife through butter. Just a pleasure to use. The sixty-seven year old legs got a bit of a challenge. I still have to walk the wolf one more time.

That makes me wonder...Federer like a hot knife through Evans? Curious as to who comes through above this section of the draw. A possible John Millman bout.

[klacr]

Hey what's the puppy??? Name and breed pls!

Duke Ferdinand LaCroix
2nd generation Goldendoodle
He's a blue merle so very unique coat color.
Duke is extremely intelligent, at times, too smart for his own good.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA, PTR
Delray Beach
SETS Consulting