Indian Wells ATP 1000

[don_budge]

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/holger-r...235019398.html

Rune vs Stan drama.

Much ado about nuttin. If there ever was.

https://www.tennisnow.com/Blogs/NET-POSTS/March-2023-(1)/Rune-Calls-Out-Wawrinka-You-Got-Nothing-to-Say-No.aspx

Wawrinka made a remark after their match in Paris. Rune continues the conversation. A rhetorical question..."you've got nothing to say now?". He actually said it with a smile. A lack of real animosity. Just asking the question of Wawrinka...as if to say: "See you next time!" It's all in the game. Chippy? Hardly. I think it was called for. Ask the question...but back it up on the court. You see...Wawrinka had nothing more to add. He just won the match and it was a good one. Kudos to Rune. Ask the question. Don't take no for an answer. See you next time...jerk. Those are fighting words. I like Rune just a bit more becasue of it. You got attitude? Make it work for you. Don't be a shrinking violet. There are plenty of those. Amazing how players go so meekly into defeat against the Big Three or Big Four. Nobody challenging them. Nobody challenging Nadal on his ridiculous preserve antics. All the rest of it.

More concerning to me is the Rune serving motion. More often than not the match comes down to this...who served better? But I can tell you this...as long as the French coach/pimp is working with him there will be zero development. Isn't that amazing? This fellow is given all kinds of airtime and he is a zero in the end. What did Tsitsipas gain? Answer...nothing.

Mere window dressing. Just a lot of hooey and somebody recognizes that the actual play is so boring night in and night out that little side dramas must garner some little attention. If Rune learns to serve lights out night in and night out...that will be a story. A good one. Maybe some biomechanics guru will make a infomercial out of it claiming to have fixed it. I'll tell you one thing...I wish that I could take a shot at it. Because I know how to fix it.

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I liked Rune's words to Stan also, and his delivery of it. I like Stan, but I did think he was piling on a bit when he told Rune to stop acting like a baby after their previous mstch.

[don_budge]

I liked Rune's words to Stan also, and his delivery of it. I like Stan, but I did think he was piling on a bit when he told Rune to stop acting like a baby after their previous mstch.

But I also liked the fact that Stan put the whipper snapper in his place a bit. So it just feeds on the other and makes for good rivalry. Too many hugs and nice stuff between players these days. Take the gloves off and have at it. A little hockey mentality perhaps. I never liked my opponents all that much.

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Lendl, Connors, and McEnroe were never accused of being too nice to each other, no doubt.

[don_budge]

What great wins today for Stan and Paul

Excellent win for Tommy Paul. Now he needs to consolidate his position with a win over Auger-Aliassime. He cannot rest on the laurel of defeating Hurkacz. He cannot feel satisfied. He must get a match with Senor Alcaraz...then he can be a bit satisfied either way. Although if he does get that shot he has to have a winner mentality. The next step for Paul is huge. He didn't take advantage of his position in Acapulco and this will certainly be some redemption. Another bite up the food chain. He's climbing and he cannot afford to lose momentum.

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But I also liked the fact that Stan put the whipper snapper in his place a bit. So it just feeds on the other and makes for good rivalry. Too many hugs and nice stuff between players these days. Take the gloves off and have at it. A little hockey mentality perhaps. I never liked my opponents all that much.

A resurgent Stan vs Sinner today in the match of the day. Oddsmakers have Sinner as heavy favorite, an implied probability of winning of about 82%.

[don_budge]

A resurgent Stan vs Sinner today in the match of the day. Oddsmakers have Sinner as heavy favorite, an implied probability of winning of about 82%.

Yep...the same thing that I said about Paul goes double for Stan. He needs to consolidate on his win over Rune...otherwise just chalk it up to some foreplay. Just fooling around. But a win over Sinner has him jockeying for pole position in the tournament.

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That win over Hurkacz had to be one of the best of Paul's career. He really played well. The oddsmakers have Paul vs FAA as a pretty much pick 'em.

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Zverev played very well, but could not get through the wall when it mattered most.

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Cam very impressive over the Goblin. Cam put his hard hat on, as he does, clocked in and went to work. It would be very difficult not to like Cam. Well done.

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I am picking Fritz to win this thing, not that it matters.

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Stan played great the first 3 games of the match. Sinner just overpowered him to break his serve and go up 3-1, then it was just too much game from Sinner. Sinner is a very slight favorite over Fritz in the best matchup of the quarters. The others are very interesting also, Med vs ADF, Norrie vs Tiafoe, Alcaraz vs FAA.

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Tiafoe wins 1st set 6-4 with one break, but Cam is not going anywhere.

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Very impressive by Frances. Cam did not have his best day, but Frances definitely did the job. Well done.

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https://tennisuptodate.com/atp/people-hope-i-will-lose-everything-and-never-win-a-grand-slam-rune-clarifies-social-media-comments-with-outburst-after-wawrinka-spat

More on the Rune /Stan exchange.