Tennis 2024

Djokovic starting to find his form in the crucial part of a grand slam as usual. 25 is on.
 
A shame ADM didn’t have anything left in the tank for the fifth set, that match deserved an epic decider. Actually thought Rublev looked more tired at the end of the fourth. He has now won two of the best matches of the tournament but will probably be powerless to avoid extending his GS quarter final record to 0-10.

Sinner looks like the likely winner at the moment.
 
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The top half of the women's draw is rather absurd now with Svitolina and Azarenka out. If Zheng loses to Dodin later, the best ranked quarter-finalist will either be Paolini at 31 or Noskova at 50. The semi-final between Gauff and Sabalenka will essentially be the final.
 
From a marketing perspective, Gauff vs. Qinwen Zheng would clearly be the 'dream final' on the women's side. Of course there's still a long way to go there. Zheng is bidding to reach her first ever grand slam semi-final here.

The men’s quarter-finals look interesting. I despise Zverev and hope he has very little left in the tank against Alcaraz. I’d root for anyone else to beat Zverev.
 
Tommorrow Novax will win easy as usual against Fritz. Fritz is actually a very consistent player, it's just a matter of not having enough weapons to win this war.
 
From a marketing perspective, Gauff vs. Qinwen Zheng would clearly be the 'dream final' on the women's side. Of course there's still a long way to go there. Zheng is bidding to reach her first ever grand slam semi-final here.

The men’s quarter-finals look interesting. I despise Zverev and hope he has very little left in the tank against Alcaraz. I’d root for anyone else to beat Zverev.
It's a weird one for Zheng that if she doesn't make the final, it will be billed as a huge disappointment for her. Prior to the tournaments, making back to back QFs would have been seen has a big achievement. Interested to see how she will cope having this pressure on her.

If she makes the final, I can't think of another time a player has made the final playing zero seeded players (men's or women's draws)
 
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A 15 minute opening service game for Fritz. Even if he holds, this is bad sign of things to come for him.
 
Gauff-Kostyuk was messy stuff, with more than 100 unforced errors between them and unsurprisingly breaks galore. Kostyuk led 5-1 in the 1st set and had 2 set points.

Gauff reminds me of Wozniacki, in terms of being in superb shape and being an excellent athlete, but not exactly having the best technique. Then again Venus Williams didn't exactly have the best technique on her serve with numerous hitches (in contrast to Serena's much better technique apparent from a very early stage) when she was dominant at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2000-2001.
 
Sinner just rescued the second set from 5-1 down in the tiebreak.

Tough for Rublev who could easily break down here, already into the self harm theatrics.

Hope Sinner takes the 3rd comfortably, seemed to have an ab issue early in the second.
 
Just watching some of Alcaraz's highlights. He reminds me of both the old Nadal and post 2017 Nadal combined. Super aggressive with topspin off his groundstrokes but also an incredible defensive game.

Just thinking. With the complete lack of anything remotely resembling competitive clay courters these days, it's absolutely possible that he could take Nadal's FO record pretty easily if he stays fit and consistent.

He may not reach the same standards of Nadal at Roland Garros, but there is a complete lack of anybody who excels on clay or shows any quality on it. Sinner may, but other than the two, not much else.

Roland Garros and Wimbledon have become similar in that regard. The quality of player on the surface has declined rapidly.
 
Super impressed with Sinner's last two results. I think Khachanov and Rublev have a ceiling but they are both players that are very reliable in performing to their expected level. To beat both of them pretty convincingly in straights sets is impressive. Assuming it's the first SF, I'll be waking up early to watch it.

I think losing to Djokovic is okay but he has to give him a real fight, to have demonstrated real progress. Really looking forward the SF and hoping we get Alcaraz vs Medvedev in the other SF.

The only final I don't want to see is Djokovic vs Medvedev.

I would like to see a Sinner vs Alcaraz final personally (with Sinner winning).
 
Djoker into a 48th Slam semi-final.. GOAT
 
Sinner's rise continues to be the biggest story in sports in Italy. We don't demand he slay the dragon now, but at least put a good scare in 'im
 
Ropey start by Alcaraz. Although I have the feeling that if he just stays alive in this match Zverev won’t be able to last physically given the tournament so far.
 
Alcaraz a set and a break down, but you sort of still expect him to win in the end

Certainly been second best so far though
 
Alcaraz has been awful tonight, is it nerves? Looks nothing like a player he is tonight.
 
Commentators just said Alcaraz has never won after being 2-0 down??

I guess I don't expect him to win after all
 
The new boy wonder getting destroyed by someone who has never threatened Fed/Nadal/Djoko trio. His changing of the guards moment vs Djokovic was just that... a moment. Been back to the usual since then with the old man losing just once between his wimbledon loss until the end of last season.. Sinner seems to be the one closest to threatening djokovic right now. Could Alcaraz just be one of the pack after Novak falls off from old age?
 
The new boy wonder getting destroyed by someone who has never threatened Fed/Nadal/Djoko trio. His changing of the guards moment vs Djokovic was just that... a moment. Been back to the usual since then with the old man losing just once between his wimbledon loss until the end of last season.. Sinner seems to be the one closest to threatening djokovic right now. Could Alcaraz just be one of the pack after Novak falls off from old age?
Nah, he is only 20 years old and has already beaten Djokovic in a GS final and has won 2 of the 4. Djokovic had 1 GS win in total (AO) when he entered his age 24 season.

Most of the "new guard" like Tsitsipas, Zverev, Ruud, ... are 25-26 years old and have never shown they can beat the old guys when it matters, it's also unlikely they'll get considerably better if you take into account their age. Inconsistency on the other hand is expected from a 20 year old (Alcaraz).
 
The new boy wonder getting destroyed by someone who has never threatened Fed/Nadal/Djoko trio. His changing of the guards moment vs Djokovic was just that... a moment. Been back to the usual since then with the old man losing just once between his wimbledon loss until the end of last season.. Sinner seems to be the one closest to threatening djokovic right now. Could Alcaraz just be one of the pack after Novak falls off from old age?
I think Alcaraz just has a bit of maturing to do.

On one part, I think he can be vulnerable against big hitters, a bit like how a young Nadal could get blown off the court.

The second point and bigger potential issue for me is that he could be more efficient in his game. I haven't watched today but I think he can be guilty of overdoing it at times with his shot selection. It made people laugh but in his own court interview this tournament, he admitted that he sometimes goes for shots to please the crowd. It's a good trait to have in some sense but it also means that you become more vulnerable.
 
"Alexander Zverev is up against this incredible force down the other end, the hurricane from Spain."

Mark Woodforde, bbc live updates. He is a little excited isn't he :lol:
 
The new boy wonder getting destroyed by someone who has never threatened Fed/Nadal/Djoko trio. His changing of the guards moment vs Djokovic was just that... a moment. Been back to the usual since then with the old man losing just once between his wimbledon loss until the end of last season.. Sinner seems to be the one closest to threatening djokovic right now. Could Alcaraz just be one of the pack after Novak falls off from old age?
Zverev was the one who stopped Djokovic from getting olympic gold so he's had his moments as well. With his talent he should win a couple slams before he is done. Alcaraz will come into his own during the clay and grass season.
 
Still a long way to go, but Alcaraz really stepped it up towards the end of the third set.
 
The fans aren't ready for Alcaraz to go home and in the last quarter of an hour Alcaraz has decided he isn't ready to go home either.

So what's that about? Reaching the "nothing to lose" moment and feeling the pressure come off or what?
 
Fecking hell this 4th set is mesmerizing stuff.
 
Don't really want Zverev to go through, because it feels like a given he'll mentally collapse if his his opponent is Novak in the final(I expect he would beat Medvedev), but eh.

Alcaraz's decision making is still very raw.
 
A shame we didn’t get a fifth set because that fourth one was spellbinding. But great job from Zverev to keep his morale and level up after losing the third. He played an unbelievable match today and deserved the win. Looks knackered though.
 
Meh would’ve liked a 5th set.

As always but now even more than ever, Novak’s to lose now.
 
Yet another disappointing tournament and result for Carlos. He's been really poor since Wimbledon by his standzrds
 
Sounds like Alcaraz just left it all a little too late. Perhaps similar to how he went 2 sets down at the US Open vs Medvedev, pulled a set back but lost out in four.
 
Carlos was never really going to beat Novak here, to be honest.
He'd be a better match up than Medvedev or Zverev tbh.

Zverev undergoes a mental collapse when it matters. Medvedev is well, Medvedev. Could show up, but likely won't.

Might be too soon for Sinner to challenge here as well, but he's the most likely.
 
I think Alcaraz just has a bit of maturing to do.

On one part, I think he can be vulnerable against big hitters, a bit like how a young Nadal could get blown off the court.

The second point and bigger potential issue for me is that he could be more efficient in his game. I haven't watched today but I think he can be guilty of overdoing it at times with his shot selection. It made people laugh but in his own court interview this tournament, he admitted that he sometimes goes for shots to please the crowd. It's a good trait to have in some sense but it also means that you become more vulnerable.
This is what really frustrates me about his game. I feel like he has very poor ability to build a point and just wants to smash his way to winners all the time. Even the final game at 30-30, he came back into the point and then unnecessarily hit a shot long by going for too much. The guy has all the tools, is huge mentally, but it feels like he needs to add more patience and maturity to his game than trying to hit winners every second point. I'm sure he'll get there even though his form since Wimbledon has been very worrying.

He'd be a better match up than Medvedev or Zverev tbh.

Zverev undergoes a mental collapse when it matters. Medvedev is well, Medvedev. Could show up, but likely won't.

Might be too soon for Sinner to challenge here as well, but he's the most likely.

Yeah there's no chance he manages the nerves of a Slam final and that too vs someone like Novak. Sinner is honestly the only who has any chance and who has seemed the least unfazed off late.