Monte Carlo, ATP 1000

[don_budge]

Can't resist sharing this screen cap. For those of you suspicious of ATP stats, here's some fodder:

Zverev's fastest serve was 869 MPH or 1,400 Km/h. But did he have good technique?
https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/cu...lo/410/results

I'd hate to get hit with that !

I deleted the worthless stats. Such a waste of space. It's like an attention getting device. Bottom line...Zverev did serve for the match twice and failed both times. Why? Do the nerves rear their ugly head just when the pressure mounts and you need them most? Is a flaw in the motion somehow activated under pressure? Just when you need a first serve you cannot seem to buy one. This isn't always going to happen. Zverev is an elite athlete and his talent can make up for a lot of flaw or less than perfect motion.

https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-daniil-medvedev-alexander-zverev-exchange-cold-handshake-monte-carlo-clash?key4=sktenfb&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Serving out a set or serving out a match can be an adventure if you are not secure with your motion. I was watching just a tad of this...Zverev was going to serve it out at 5-4. To tell you the truth I was too bored and just went to sleep...10ish PM here in Sweden. Need my beauty rests after my haircut yesterday. But this may just sort of prove a point that I have been making for many years on this forum. Roger was the best at serving out...and there were times he had issues. The first serve just deserts you when you need it most. Well...you gotta make due.

It's great you love your statistics and the rest do too. In the land of the blind the one eyed man is King. I have two.

[jimlosaltos]

Sinner pulled it out. Always tough to move from hard courts to clay, but he survived a good test.

From ATP: The seventh-seeded Italian trailed Hurkacz by a set and a break at 3-6, 1-2 but rallied to a 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-1 triumph at the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event. Even after recovering his early deficit in the second set, Sinner was on the brink of defeat when trailing 5/6 in the second-set tie-break. Yet he reeled off three points in a row to save the match point and clinch the second set before dominating the decider on Court Rainier III.

Can't resist sharing this screen cap. For those of you suspicious of ATP stats, here's some fodder:

Zverev's fastest serve was 869 MPH or 1,400 Km/h. But did he have good technique?
https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/cu...lo/410/results

I'd hate to get hit with that !

filedata/fetch?id=100454&d=1681426892&type=thumb

[jimlosaltos]

Alex is in the conservation for the FO.

Should be. He was right there with Rafa when he wrecked his ankle.

[stroke]

The Sasha Zverev of old was back, serving bombs, up to 149 mph, he served to win the match in two sets and -- hit his one double fault and got broken.

5-5 in the second. Can "Hard Court Specialist" Medvedev take it?

Alex is in the conservation for the FO.

[stroke]

Sinner pulled it out. Always tough to move from hard courts to clay, but he survived a good test.

From ATP: The seventh-seeded Italian trailed Hurkacz by a set and a break at 3-6, 1-2 but rallied to a 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-1 triumph at the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event. Even after recovering his early deficit in the second set, Sinner was on the brink of defeat when trailing 5/6 in the second-set tie-break. Yet he reeled off three points in a row to save the match point and clinch the second set before dominating the decider on Court Rainier III.

Great post. And so true. Very impressive by Jannik

[jimlosaltos]

The Sasha Zverev of old was back, serving bombs, up to 149 mph, he served to win the match in two sets and -- hit his one double fault and got broken.

5-5 in the second. Can "Hard Court Specialist" Medvedev take it?

[jimlosaltos]

Sinner pulled it out. Always tough to move from hard courts to clay, but he survived a good test.

From ATP: The seventh-seeded Italian trailed Hurkacz by a set and a break at 3-6, 1-2 but rallied to a 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-1 triumph at the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event. Even after recovering his early deficit in the second set, Sinner was on the brink of defeat when trailing 5/6 in the second-set tie-break. Yet he reeled off three points in a row to save the match point and clinch the second set before dominating the decider on Court Rainier III.

[jimlosaltos]

I watched the match. Novak was coming in way too much because he was feeling the pressure from his opponent. Musetti did ourserve Novak as you pointed out. Novak was basically hitting 2 second serves it seemed to me. Musetti does have a beautiful game, but he tends a la Gasquet to drop back too deep in rallies. I like the way Rune tries to stay on the baseline.

Thanks. Agree on Rune's holding the baseline, and Musetti drifting back. He's got the skill set to be more positionally aggressive but ... habits of growing up on clay are hard to break?

Seems like Djoko isn't winning long backhand crosscourt rallies like he used to, nor changing directions off that wing like he used to ?

[stroke]

I watched the match. Novak was coming in way too much because he was feeling the pressure from his opponent. Musetti did ourserve Novak as you pointed out. Novak was basically hitting 2 second serves it seemed to me. Musetti does have a beautiful game, but he tends a la Gasquet to drop back too deep in rallies. I like the way Rune tries to stay on the baseline.

[jimlosaltos]

Lorenzo Musetti the Novak Slayer !

Just looked at the score. Novak's historically had troubles in the wind, perhaps that was it.

I heard Musetti had really beefed up his serve and here: Max 136 MPH, ave 116. But, hey, serve velocity is meaningless, I read somewhere -- unless one is trying to return it.

Wait a minute> Djoko got thumped on second serve points? Musetti won 51% (23/45) on his second vs Djoko's 39% (12/31). Well since that "always" shows who has the better groundstrokes so clearly the 21 yo Italian's one hander must have dominated <g>. UFEs say so, too. Musetti won the plus-minus with 28 winners vs 6 UFEs, while Djoko had a dismal 23 and 23 for net zero.

Djokovic came to the net 42 times? What the hey? I may have to get out the popcorn and watch this later, rubbing hand in gleefully in my imagination as I type that.

[jimlosaltos]

Berrenttini withdraws with oblique tear.

Man, poor guy has been plagued for the last year: Hand surgery, abs, leg, now this ..

[stroke]

Novak not looking clinical. Toss up in 3rd set vs Musetti.

[stroke]

Quarters look great, Fritz vs Tsitsipas, Sinner vs Novak or Musetti, Rune vs Zverev or Med, and out of nowhere Struff vs Rublev. I like Fritz as an underdog vs Stef.

[don_budge]

Berrenttini withdraws with oblique tear.

A possible serve injury. Hmmm...

[stroke]

Berrenttini withdraws with oblique tear.