Wimbledon/a la Laver Cup

[stroke]

ESPN: Looking ahead to Wimbledon - A way-too-early tournament preview.

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/34041431/wimbledon-2022-preview-men-women-grass-season

[jimlosaltos]

Will the winners get asterisks in the record books?

[stotty]

ESPN: Looking ahead to Wimbledon - A way-too-early tournament preview.
https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/...n-grass-season

Well Rublev won't be in the event as he's Russian?!

Meddy and Zverev will be missing. Roger won't be playing. Wimbledon will be a weaker event for all the shenanigans.

[jimlosaltos]

Let's see out of last year's quarterfinal men:

Djokovic - probably coming
Berrettini - intends to play but coming off wrist injury
Hurkacz - in
Shapovalov - in
Khachanov - OUT/ Russian
FAA - in
Fed - out/ 4th knee surgery
Fucsovics - ?

If Rafa does play, and we add in Alcaraz, one could argue the field is comparable or better?

[stotty]

Let's see out of last year's quarterfinal men:

Djokovic - probably coming
Berrettini - intends to play but coming off wrist injury
Hurkacz - in
Shapovalov - in
Khachanov - OUT/ Russian
FAA - in
Fed - out/ 4th knee surgery
Fucsovics - ?

If Rafa does play, and we add in Alcaraz, one could argue the field is comparable or better?

Meddy and Zverez are high-ranking losses. Roger is a terrible loss. Rublev and Kachanov are significant losses. Not sure Rafa and Alcaraz can make up for that. I imagine Alcaraz's experience on grass is limited.

Let's see. I have a free pass every day for the two weeks of Wimbledon. I will probably only use it for the first week but it will interesting if see anyone new is on the horizon playing on the outside courts. That's usually where one spots the up and coming.

[jimlosaltos]

Meddy and Zverez are high-ranking losses. Roger is a terrible loss. Rublev and Kachanov are significant losses. Not sure Rafa and Alcaraz can make up for that. I imagine Alcaraz's experience on grass is limited.

Let's see. I have a free pass every day for the two weeks of Wimbledon. I will probably only use it for the first week but it will interesting if see anyone new is on the horizon playing on the outside courts. That's usually where one spots the up and coming.

I envy you.

P.S. Not really disagreeing, Fed is a terrible loss regardless, BUT we didn't really have Fed last Wimbledon, just a limping facsimile with, presumably, no cartiledge.

Even then he made the quarters!

[stotty]

I envy you.

P.S. Not really disagreeing, Fed is a terrible loss regardless, BUT we didn't really have Fed last Wimbledon, just a limping facsimile with, presumably, no cartiledge.

Even then he made the quarters!

Sure, Roger is darn good. I just need to keep everyone grounded about Roger on the forum as he's reached mythical status and can do no wrong it seems. Roger's greatest achievements came between 2004 and 2010. He achievements, while still notable, after this period are patchy, despite being a better player in his thirties than his twenties. Rafa has also managed the same feat of greater improvement in his thirties. Novak has been more of a constant, i.e., the same level now as he was 7 years ago. I think the standard went up quite a bit after 2010.

[jimlosaltos]

Sure, Roger is darn good. I just need to keep everyone grounded about Roger on the forum as he's reached mythical status and can do no wrong it seems. Roger's greatest achievements came between 2004 and 2010. He achievements, while still notable, after this period are patchy, despite being a better player in his thirties than his twenties. Rafa has also managed the same feat of greater improvement in his thirties. Novak has been more of a constant, i.e., the same level now as he was 7 years ago. I think the standard went up quite a bit after 2010.

IMHO Peak Fed was 2004-2007/8 when he was a whirling dervish of serve + 1 offense when, in Andy Roddick's words "Fed was simultaneously the best offensive and the best defensive player", Peak Rafa came shortly thereafter and Novak had two peak years, 2011 & 2015. None of the three approached those levels after that. Rafa & Fed both acknowledge their movement isn't at the same level. The 37 yo Fed that battled Novak to match points in the fifth at Wimbledon after 3 knee surgeries wouldn't have beaten 26 yo Fed (using equivalent rackets, at least). But I'm not trying to anoint Fed as "GOAT".

I generally ignore the GOAT arguments since comparing players across decades with different rules, different equipment, different travel and training conditions seems baseless -- to me. Collecting the most hardware seems more like a "lifetime achievement award", something the Oscars give to those that didn't win Oscars but sustained a high level. Bjorn Borg is, to me, one of the all time greats. Is he less great because he didn't continue playing after his peak to run up numbers? Not to me. One highly subjective perspective.

[stroke]

Sure, Roger is darn good. I just need to keep everyone grounded about Roger on the forum as he's reached mythical status and can do no wrong it seems. Roger's greatest achievements came between 2004 and 2010. He achievements, while still notable, after this period are patchy, despite being a better player in his thirties than his twenties. Rafa has also managed the same feat of greater improvement in his thirties. Novak has been more of a constant, i.e., the same level now as he was 7 years ago. I think the standard went up quite a bit after 2010.

The numbers, Majors and Master 1000's titles, are what they are. All 3 are unbelievable to me, but if one has to rank them, the facts are facts. Side note, which I have said many times before, Nadal's FO achievements are the the single greatest achievement in all of sports, and I felt that way 3 or 4 FO Championships ago.

[stroke]

IMHO Peak Fed was 2004-2007/8 when he was a whirling dervish of serve + 1 offense when, in Andy Roddick's words "Fed was simultaneously the best offensive and the best defensive player", Peak Rafa came shortly thereafter and Novak had two peak years, 2011 & 2015. None of the three approached those levels after that. Rafa & Fed both acknowledge their movement isn't at the same level. The 37 yo Fed that battled Novak to match points in the fifth at Wimbledon after 3 knee surgeries wouldn't have beaten 26 yo Fed (using equivalent rackets, at least). But I'm not trying to anoint Fed as "GOAT".

I generally ignore the GOAT arguments since comparing players across decades with different rules, different equipment, different travel and training conditions seems baseless -- to me. Collecting the most hardware seems more like a "lifetime achievement award", something the Oscars give to those that didn't win Oscars but sustained a high level. Bjorn Borg is, to me, one of the all time greats. Is he less great because he didn't continue playing after his peak to run up numbers? Not to me. One highly subjective perspective.

I would actually put Sampras, Laver, and Lendl as 4, 5, and 6, after the 3.

[jimlosaltos]

Here is Rafa, today in Barcelona, on crutches. Degree of concern, yellow alert

https://twitter.com/97InThe5th/status/1534262573956321280

[jimlosaltos]

I would actually put Sampras, Laver, and Lendl as 4, 5, and 6, after the 3.

All very deserving.

[jimlosaltos]

Serena may play Wimbledon at 40 years old.

She hasn't played since withdrawing vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich last year.

Ironically, Sasnovich won't be allowed to play under the Ukrainian war ban.

Update New link:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/14/sports/tennis/serena-williams-wimbledon.html?smid=url-share

PARIS — Serena Williams, absent from competitive tennis for nearly a year, said on Tuesday that she intends to return for Wimbledon, which begins on June 27.

In preparation for Wimbledon, she intends to return to competition next week at the WTA event in Eastbourne, England, where she has received a wild card to play doubles with Ons Jabeur of Tunisia. The British Lawn Tennis Association said in a statement confirming the wild card that Williams and Jabeur were not expected to play their opening round match before June 21.

[jimlosaltos]

US Open just confirmed what we speculated about Wimbledon, which AELTC never acknowledged

"“Wimbledon, in their case, there was a government directive involved as well, and we came out and strongly supported their decision given their circumstances. Our circumstances are different, and in our case, we felt this was the right decision for us.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/14/sports/tennis/us-open-russian-ukraine.html?smid=url-share

USO did as expected, allowing Russian and Belarusian players to participate, so Medy can defend his crown.

[jimlosaltos]

Nadal, I believe, just announced he intends to play Wimbledon and the US Open.

I say "believe" because the live, streamed presser from Majorca was in Spanish and my Spanish is woefully inadequate