Indian Wells ATP 1000

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https://www.thestar.com/sports/sports-betting/2023/03/06/indian-wells-open-odds-betting-favourites-and-canadian-tennis-players-to-watch.html

[jimlosaltos]

Men's Singles Main Draw

• 1st Quarter, recent number one Carlos Alcaraz, sits atop the draw opposite Felix Auger-Aliassime if on seed. But is Carlitos healthy?
• 2nd Quarter: Red hot Daniil Medvedev, opposite Caspar Ruud, has his mojo & his serve back, comes off 3 straight hard court titles, the last steamrolling Novak Djokovic then countryman and childhood friend Andrey Rublev to win Dubai. Medy loves, loves, loves hard courts. He also "hates, hates, hates clay". Does his game translate to IW's courts that have more sand in them than Saudi Arabia's Ar Rub' al Khali desert. Does he really have an advantage over the clay loving Norwegian?
• 3rd Quarter: Taylor Fritz defending champ is seeded fourth and would meet teen Holger Rune. Italian stars Jannik Sinner ; Lorenzo Musetti could meet in the third round.Also has a collection of Golden Oldies: Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem, Fabio Fognini, & Adrian Mananrino. Trainers best pack extra Icy Hot rub.
• 4th Quarter: Tsitsipas is the second seed and on draw would meet Andrey Rublev. The no-flag beat the Greek in their last meeting leading Stef to "praise" him for doing so well "with such a limited game." Sparks & big forehands could fly.

[jimlosaltos]

Women's Singles Main Draw

• 1st Quarter has top seed, putative favorite and defending women's singles champ Iga Swiatek at the top, on seed will meet her US Open foe Caroline Garcia.
• 2nd Quarter has last year's finalist Maria Sakkari opposite Jessie Pegula.
• 3rd Quarter where Ons Jabeur sits opposite Daria Kasatkina, winner of what was possibly the last ever San Jose WTA title, in a section that also includes former IW champ Paula Badosa, (now down to 21?), Aussie finalist & Wimby champ Elena Rybakina, and local Vika Azarenka.
• 4th Quarter is packed with newly minted Aussie champ Aryna Sabalenka opposite Coco Gauff, plus Donna Vekic (who got her first title since knee surgery last week beating Garcia), Belinda Bencic, and Barbora Krejč?kov? -- who recently beat Iga for the second straight time.

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The top 32 seeds get a 1st round bye. Not a fan of that. Very slow start to the tournament, Fognini vs Sheldon, Thiem vs Mannarino, 2 interesting 1st round matches.

[jimlosaltos]

Weather could be a major factor, particularly in the first week of the main draw, which just started.

There's always been a large shift between day-time and night playing conditions. Rafa et al complained of being unable to control the heavy-ish Penn extra duty balls at night.

But this year, night time temperatures are projected into the low 50s, with match time temps going to around 63 deg. With wind etc courts could be in the 50s.

There could also be intermittent rain.

[jimlosaltos]

The top 32 seeds get a 1st round bye. Not a fan of that. Very slow start to the tournament, Fognini vs Sheldon, Thiem vs Mannarino, 2 interesting 1st round matches.

Not disagreeing (one of many ways top seeds are given advantages that make the playing field increasingly less equal) but one side-effect of the leisurely pace of IW is that more top players enter doubles here than anywhere I can think of.

I've seen Fed and Rafa face off in doubles, which is pretty kewl

Or Bryan Bros vs a singles pick-up team. {I think Xavier Malisse & Alexander Dolgopolov beat them. Not sure. Dog & X-Man beat Fed & Stan in doubles finals) Fun. Part of the personality of this event.

[don_budge]

It's all over but the crying...The Crying Game

Once upon a time...when tennis was a reasonable fascimile of tennis. When there was "The Living Proof". Wow...Roger is such an "asshole". Stan said this in his runnerup acceptance of his trophy. Such a comic moment. Such a beautiful moment between the two Swiss comrades. An aging Federer...you never would know it from watching. 2017...things were winding down. Fast forward to 2023. Evolution or Devolution? The illusion of the big racquet could only carry it on so far. Not that the vast majority won't still buy into it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdhDGpMHmxg

[don_budge]

It's all over but the crying...The Crying Game

Once upon a time...when tennis was a reasonable fascimile of tennis. When there was "The Living Proof". Wow...Roger is such an "asshole". Stan said this in his runnerup acceptance of his trophy. Such a comic moment. Such a beautiful moment between the two Swiss comrades. An aging Federer...you never would know it from watching. 2017...things were winding down. Fast forward to 2023. Evolution or Devolution? The illusion of the big racquet could only carry it on so far. Not that the vast majority won't still buy into it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdhDGpMHmxg

Notice in the climactic moments of the first set how Federer resorts to use of the slice on his backhand. At the deciding moment he changes his tactics to successfully break the Wawrinka serve to clinch the opener. It is almost poetic. Aesthetic. Tactically...sublime.

[don_budge]

2023 BNP Paribas Open...Match of the Day (Stan Wawrinka versus Anybody)

Stan Wawrinka pinch hitting for Roger Federer in the "Match of the Day" slot is playing none other than...who? I don't know. I could find out...but it doesn't matter to me. Stan gets the nod in deference to the video I posted of he and his Swiss buddy duking it out in 2017. Two great backhands...a couple of really good character on the tour. Roger long gone and soon to be forgotten. Forgotten in the sense that he had the sense to play the game in the way it was evolved to be played. It was just six years ago but I don't recall seeing anyone able to attack the net and seal the deal quite like he was doing in the 2017 final. Afterwards he made some silly remark or perhaps it was something he did, but Stan in his accepting the runner-up trophy famously said to Roger..."you are such an asshole" or a similar jab. Done in jest. In good taste no less. It was incredibly funny. Ahhh...I miss Roger. Never missed a point of any match he played if I could help it. So much fun to watch somebody actually playing tennis. Trained to approach and volley he never forgot and resurrected this aspect of his game once he traded in the midget racquet for something competitive to his peers graphite bazookas. In this same tournament he thrashed Fafa Nadal in straight sets. Nadal must have been fuming but it was futal to complain. Roger went on the beat the stuffing out of him the last seven of eight times they played. Something like that. Off the top of my head.

So take it away Stan and live to play another day. Stan struggles these days. He doesn't move like the younger fellows any more. It is a game of energy and balance. A game of maneuvoring into good position to execute the swing. The shot. Sort of like golf on the run. You can imagine the difficulties of doing exactly that with a bum knee...or two. Aleksandar Vukic is the opponent. Ranked number 186 in the world.

Where have you gone Roger Federer? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

Paul Simon, a Yankee superfan, told Fran Healy for MSG’s “The Game 365” that the line in the song came to him out of nowhere and that he never expected he would have to explain its meaning to DiMaggio himself.

“I happened to be in a restaurant and there he was,” recalls Simon. “I gathered up my nerve to go over and introduce myself and say, ‘Hi, I’m the guy that wrote “Mrs. Robinson,” ’ and he said ‘Yeah, sit down . . . why’d you say that? I’m here, everyone knows I’m here.’ I said, ‘I don’t mean it that way — I mean, where are these great heroes now?’ He was flattered once he understood that it was meant to be flattering.”

[jimlosaltos]

2023 BNP Paribas Open...Match of the Day (Stan Wawrinka versus Anybody)


So take it away Stan and live to play another day. Stan struggles these days. He doesn't move like the younger fellows any more. It is a game of energy and balance. A game of maneuvoring into good position to execute the swing. The shot. Sort of like golf on the run. You can imagine the difficulties of doing exactly that with a bum knee...or two. Aleksandar Vukic is the opponent. Ranked number 186 in the world.

Where have you gone Roger Federer? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

Paul Simon, a Yankee superfan, told Fran Healy for MSG’s “The Game 365” that the line in the song came to him out of nowhere and that he never expected he would have to explain its meaning to DiMaggio himself.

“I happened to be in a restaurant and there he was,” recalls Simon. “I gathered up my nerve to go over and introduce myself and say, ‘Hi, I’m the guy that wrote “Mrs. Robinson,” ’ and he said ‘Yeah, sit down . . . why’d you say that? I’m here, everyone knows I’m here.’ I said, ‘I don’t mean it that way — I mean, where are these great heroes now?’ He was flattered once he understood that it was meant to be flattering.”

I believe that both Stan and Fed had "regenerative" knee surgery. That's my guess because after 4 surgeries there isn't much meniscus or cartilage left to cut out. Fed won't say anything other than it was a great deal to go through and he doesn't want to think about it. I believe Stan made a comment that implied regenerative surgery.

If anyone has concrete info I'd love to hear it.

From what I've read about NFL players, their high-priced surgeons have moved on from micro-fracture surgery, which has ended many a pro player's career, to slicing off the top of the leg bone and putting a thin slice of donor bone -- that includes a small cartilage "seed" to regrow from -- in its place. Supposedly results are far more likely to return someone to competition. {Stem cell therapy is generally looked upon as dubious, showing negligible test results. But it draws a lot of deep-pocket US athletes to travel to Germany for injections.}

I believe Raheem Mostert, a running back then with the 49ers and now with the Miami Dolphins, had that surgery and is back running 22 mph peaks. But then he was in his 20s, not his 40s.

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I have personally had a total knee replacement. Knees are a bit of an issue for many.

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DB and I are on the same page somewhat about Federer, but I do not think he will ever be forgotten. He is kind of like watching replays of Julius Erving, to me, just inimitable, never to be forgotten. DB calls him the last to play the game as it was meant to be played, to me, he played the game like no one ever has, and probably never will. The Baryshnikov of tennis.

[jimlosaltos]

I have personally had a total knee replacement. Knees are a bit of an issue for many.

My significant other had a total knee also. Aside from some tennis, she was on the Santa Clara soccer team.

Favorite topic of soccer players at parties is knee surgeons i.e. "Who did your knee? "He did my second knee and was a lot better." <g>

[jimlosaltos]

Trivial: from journo Bastien Fachan

Carbo loading pays ! Story about Italian restaurant that is a fav with tennis players.

If you want to win Indian Wells, you have to go to 'Ristorante Mamma Gina' in Palm Desert
2018 champion Del Potro went every night
2019 champion Thiem went every night
2021 champion Norrie went every night
~~~~~~

Ivan Ljubicic just replied to Fachan

I went there every day year I won

FYI: Mamma Gina just took over the Stadium 1 suite slot from Spago's, so one can eat there overlooking a match (If you wait long enough and spend enough).

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Fognini vs Sheldon almost a microcosm of Fognini career. He gets off to an early lead, a combo of his own great play and Sheldon being a bit off, but Fabio is more interested In preening, being too cool for school, than winning. Sheldon eventually, working hard, wins the set. Who knows what will happen here.