Tweet
Watching 1st round match, Medvedev, now number 11 in world vs Davidovich Fokina, Med loses 1st set and none to happy about it. It is a tough watch Medvedev with his ugly game trying to work his way to a win.
-
-
Great throwback match round 2, Stan vs Gasquet in a battle of beautiful 1 handed backhands. In the past, Gasquet has matched up real well vs Stan, but Stan was in full flight and pretty much routined Gasquet 3 and 3. -
Sinner edges the first set against Stef. He looks the less likely of the two to make errors and hitting his forehand smoothly and well...serving well too.StottyComment
-
Yes, Stef is going to really have to step up his game to have a chance to win this match. He is getting pushed around a bit.Comment
-
Sinner pretty much routined him 1 hour 23 minutes. Stefs backhand numbers just were a resl problem.Comment
-
Very decisive win by Sinner, who was only 1-5 vs Tsitsipas going in.
Sinner was firmly in control his own serve, not facing a single break point in two sets, while being in most of Tsitsipas' service games, converting 3 of 4 BPs.
His serve must be humming. Understand Jannik tweaked his serve again? Wider stance, deeper knee bend, flare racket head out.
At least this guy on reddit thinks so:
Anybody see this or disagree?
Meanwhile, Tsitsipas' "relative weakness" remains his return game IMHO.Comment
-
Wasn't really looking at the technical aspects, just the match. I just think Sinner is incrementally improving every time I watch him play. I like the like way he goes to work behind his serve and takes care of the business end of things - reminds me a little of Novak. I would be surprised if he doesn't win a slam sooner rather than later.Originally posted by jimlosaltos View PostVery decisive win by Sinner, who was only 1-5 vs Tsitsipas going in.
Sinner was firmly in control his own serve, not facing a single break point in two sets, while being in most of Tsitsipas' service games, converting 3 of 4 BPs.
His serve must be humming. Understand Jannik tweaked his serve again? Wider stance, deeper knee bend, flare racket head out.
At least this guy on reddit thinks so:
Anybody see this or disagree?
Meanwhile, Tsitsipas' "relative weakness" remains his return game IMHO.StottyComment
-
So fascinating that you posted those statistics. Did I ever mention that most statisical analysis of tennis matchs are vastly inferior to a qualitative analysis? I think I did. But what this statisical salad fails to say is that Stefanos Tsitsipas did not show up to fight for this match yesterday in any way shape of form. He was actually lackadaisical in his approach. I doubt there is a statistic that would approach that lack of effort and grit from the Greek. Stefanos has a funny attitude as it turns out. All of the attention and hype have sort of ruined him from what I thought he might evolve into when I first started watching him a few years back.Originally posted by stroke View Post
It actually appeared to me that Sinner was doing a far better job of "bullying" Tsitsipas with his serve than vice versa. This is the weakness of Tsitsipas and that is the vast amount of unrealized potential he has in his game. It all begins with the serve. He doesn't hit the corners and the lines nearly enough. He doesn't serve with enough varity of spin. I believe that he has left some speed off the table as well with his "hitchity" motion. You could sort of read his lack of energy in this match by some rather tepid approaches to the net. As if he wanted to get it over with. Not in a good way.
On the other hand...regarding the Sinner serve. He looked as if he had started on a project to reengineer his serve a while back. A wrote about it at length but got zero traction on this forum. But it appears that it is still somewhat on the drawing board. He took it a couple of steps and then sort of settled on his present motion. It is much improved over his old pinpoint...yet there is more there to be developed. A little friction here and a little friction there take little, little degrees of potential undeveloped and those are so vitally important in a game that is decided on the smallest of margins, as you like to put it, in a game that is decided in mere millimetres. Metrically system speaking.
I'm liking this matchup now with Wawrinka. Stan...being in the twilight of his career. Then there is Medvedev and Aliasimme...a potential snooze fest from the backcourt. Yet Mr. Pencil is sometimes just a little idiosyncratic enough to watch a bit of. Aliasimme...not so much. Dimitrov with a couple of good wins for one of the elder statesman in the tournament. de Minaur would be a real feather in his cap...being the Bulgarian playboy that he is. He was. Holger Rune? Yeah...another wonderkind turns up another question mark.Comment
-
Certainly the oddsmakers agree as Sinner is about an 80% probability of winning vs Stan. Med with a 61.5% of winning vs FAA. I am looking for FAA to upset. As far as the Tsitsipas serve, I still really do not like his very soft continental grip(nearly a forehand it looks to me) on his serve. I will say he serves unbelievably well for that grip. As far as the stats, there is simply no way around his backhand numbers on that loss vs Sinner. It is hard to fight through vackhand of 2 winners vs 11 errors vs a player like Sinner. I do agree Stef did not seem as engaged and motivated as he usually does. He almost seemd resigned to the loss. His backhand slice, which is not great, particularly for a 1 hander, was getting pummeled.Last edited by stroke; 02-17-2023, 05:10 AM.Comment
-
I think that modern day service motions are really, really lacking in a frictionless and effortless motion. Felix just missed a first serve on break point to Mr. Pencil and then he promptly dumps the second in the net to hand Medvedev the break. Dimitrov ditto. If it ain't perfect it can rear its ugly head when you need it most.Comment
-
Med looked like his old at his best self vs FAA routining him in 2 sets. He just went into lockdown mode and FAA had no answers. FAA certainly does not have the drop shot hands of an Alcaraz.Comment
-
Well, the 1st set Sinner vs Stan was not really competitive, won by Sinner. Side note, it is not often I think a commentator is outstanding, but retired ATP player Gilles Muller is now working at TennisTV in the box. He is very good. He was a very likeable and professional player when on tour with one of the best serves out there.Comment
-
Grigor vs Med today. I sure would like to see Grigor use his top shelf slice backhand very short in the court(center of the court, taking away his angles), force Med into the net, and hit it at him, rather than try to pass him, but we will probably see the same as usual. Grigor with his beautiful technique, losing the battle of attrition to Med. And I dont mean do this 2 or 3 times. I mean to it constantly and try to get to Med mentally. Med is one of the worst volleyes and has as hands of stone touch shots. That is his weakness. Coming to the net and attacking him, or staying back and outhitting him, he is good with that. Med is heavy favorite, with an implied winning percentage of 82%.Last edited by stroke; 02-18-2023, 06:30 AM.Comment
-
Tallon Griekspoor playing Sinner in the other semi right now. I have never seen Griekspoor play before this tournament, which he has obviously done very well thus far. Griekspoor is one of the very few players that can go toe to toe power wise off both sides with Sinner. These 2 going at it looks like Playstation tennis or something at times. No one backing down at all. Hard to believe 26 year old Griekspoor has not made an impact before now ATP wise.Comment
-
Med a slight favorite over Sinner. If anyone can hit through the wall of Med, it is Sinner to me. Karatsev and Bash have similar power off both sides, but they are not consistent obviously. Sinner has that such unusual package of power and consistency off both sides, but Griekspoor yesterday was right there with him the whole match. The smallest of margains won the match for Sinner. It will be interesting to see where Griekspoor goes from here.Comment
Comment