ATP 250's...San Diego, CA, USA and Sofia, Bulgaria

[don_budge]

https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/current/sofia/7434/draws

https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/current/san-diego/9569/draws

A little something, something for the brain trust here on the forum. Or have we all gone a bit brain dead? It's understandable. Is there much to really talk about? It isn't a Grand Slam and everybody is busy putting bread on the table. Trying to avoid the jab. Just doing whatever it takes to get by from day to day here in sunny 2021. Things seem to be getting a bit dicey. The dementia creature in the WH is actually a step down from the Vaudville show we all learned to love and hate at the same time. What gives?

I'll tell what gives...if a train hits you get your head up. For damn sure there is another one coming down the track in a matter of time. So anyways...how about it boys? If there is nothing to say, I of all posters will understand. I find it difficult to come up with anything witty, charming, disgusting or otherwise to write about now. Roger has left us high and dry. Se?or Skunk is either hiding or battling adverse effects from his vaccination. Likewise Djokovic and Jeremy Chardy. MIA. Anyone even remotely interesting.

What is left? Leftovers of course. But I remember when Musetti was the next darling of tennis. The next GOAT. He went down in flames yesterday to a guy ranked in the mid 200's. So much for consistency. So much for eating one's way up the food chain. He is all about fashion and fashion shoots. Talk about image is everything. He reached his goal. Cover boy for a fashion magazine. He would rather have a bit role in "The Bold and the Beautiful" than excel on the ATP tour. Go figure.

What else? Yawnnnnnn. Oh yeah...Denis Shapovalov in the house. Taylor Fritz up next. Does anybody really give a poop? It's a new cast of characters. A new age in tennis. If you can believe this...it is infinitely more boring than the cast before them. It is like watching a train wreck wind down. Waiting for Novak and Nadal to play in the next major. Only to see them crash and burn. It will end up being a three way tie at 20. I don't see the ways forwards. Maybe you do?

[stroke]

Nadal to me still the favorite for 2022 FO. Novak is the favorite for 2022 AO. It will be interesting.

[don_budge]

Waiting for Novak and Nadal to play in the next major. Only to see them crash and burn. It will end up being a three way tie at 20. I don't see the ways forwards. Maybe you do?

Djokovic withdraws from Indian Wells. I believe Nadal has already done so. Nice to have a job that you can semi-retire at 35 years old or so. The mega stars have it made. The rank and file not so much. The lower echelon really struggle to stay afloat. It is a tough, tough road to hoe. It is a Brave New World!

[stroke]

Denis disappoints again going down meekly to Cam Norrie. Ruud vs Grigor in the other pending semi, Grigor with a nice win over Karatsev. Norrie up vs Rublev, who will not be going down meekly.

In Sophia, it is Sinner vs Monfils in the final. Sinner obviously the favorite at this point in their careers.

[don_budge]

Denis disappoints again going down meekly to Cam Norrie. Ruud vs Grigor in the other pending semi, Grigor with a nice win over Karatsev. Norrie up vs Rublev, who will not be going down meekly.

In Sophia, it is Sinner vs Monfils in the final. Sinner obviously the favorite at this point in their careers.

Extremely disappointing loss for the aspiring Denis "The Menace" Shapovalov. More and more appropriately labeled "The Menace" as Denis is more of a menace to himself than to his fellow competitors. He simply cannot get out of his own way. Time to man up Denis...sooner rather than later. Like Alexander Zverev, he cannot be totally written off. Don't let my scathing criticisms of him prejudice you entirely...although I am sounding an alarm. His talent is so evident in his strokes that have been featured here on the forum recently. They reveal an immense athlete that just hasn't found himself. As the fourth seed in this 250 tourney, there is no way he should have settled for less than a match with Andrey Rublev in the semis. Living up to his seed. You cannot let your seed go to your head and I am afraid the early success and promise of Denis has given him a false sense of his status on the food chain. It is amazing to me that he is ranked #13 in the world which is further testimony to the lack of depth in the game. The depth is about to take a plunge in the next two years as some of the veterans disappear from the scene.

Case in point...Gael Monfils. "The Amazing Mr. Monfils" to you. This guy goes up against "The Boring Mr. Sinner" in the other final today. The contrast might just be enough to render this match somewhat watchable...compared to that Brit and Casper Ruud in the other final.

[don_budge]

I was watching just a bit of a replay between Sinner and Monfils and I could not get over how good Sinner's service motion looked. I wasn't that impressed with it before but I honestly couldn't remember what it was he was doing. The one thing that stood out to me was he was using a platform stance. I thought that it was a pin point before. I did a little research on the web and came up with this video that validated what I suspected about his stance...he had changed it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68ge53dBrls

There has been discussion about the Zverev serve and now what's his name...the American "phenom". Brooksby? Not impressed at all with that serve. But Sinner really ironed out some kinks by going to platform...keep in mind that both johnyandell and BrianGordon are also advocates of platform. As I am. I was impressed with Sinner's motion and trust me...this opens up the path going forwards. There is much to improve and now he has the solid foundation to work from.