Wimbledon

[stotty]

Ruud levels at one set all. Terrible game. Worst game I've seen on centre court since Serena was sliced to death by some unknown player some years ago in the first round.

[stotty]

Ruud is struggling against Broady the Brit on centre court, having dropped the first set. Broady being a classic case of the pin-point serve gone wrong...just painful to look at.

[stroke]

I see Wawrinka just won in four sets to set up a date with the devil. There are a few other interesting matches coming up too. Murray v Stephanos will be one to see, for sure.

Novak vs Stan certainly looming as the 3rd round match of the day, and tournament, thus far. Murray actually the slight betting favorite vs Stef. Very surprising to me. If I were ever going to bet, this would be one.

[stotty]

I see Wawrinka just won in four sets to set up a date with the devil. There are a few other interesting matches coming up too. Murray v Stephanos will be one to see, for sure.

[stotty]

I will say with Rafa, there has never been a player that put more pressure on the returner not to give the server any semblance of a return that even begins to sit up to his forehand for the next shot. That is enormous implied pressure. That, along with the top tier swerve action on his serve, made him a very formidable server.

I think that one serve he has (the swinger to the righty's backhand) just works so well for him. He gets to use it in the ad court on all the big points and he does it just well enough to make it difficult for just about everyone on the tour. Even Roger and Novak can't do too much with it. I think his serve has gotten better over the years much like Novak's has.

[stroke]

I think being able to hit the spots, all the spots, in a tactical way, and in a way that keeps the returner guessing rather than just hitting to the weaker wing, has a dismantling effect on the returner over the course of a match. Matts Wilander said he experienced this effect when playing McEnroe

Some of the best contests between a sublime spot serve versus a sublime returner have been between Roger and Novak. Roger would be almost unbreakable much of the time while Novak just waited for the odd lapse...riveting stuff.

I don't rate Rafa as a great spot server....more a predictable server....repetitive.

I will say with Rafa, there has never been a player that put more pressure on the returner not to give the server any semblance of a return that even begins to sit up to his forehand for the next shot. That is enormous implied pressure. That, along with the top tier swerve action on his serve, made him a very formidable server.

[stotty]

Big 3 were all great spot servers. Fed tops.

ATP correlation of winning with big serves seems to have been decreasing, particularly since advantages of big rackets starting accruing more to returners after early swing to servers. IMHO.

I think being able to hit the spots, all the spots, in a tactical way, and in a way that keeps the returner guessing rather than just hitting to the weaker wing, has a dismantling effect on the returner over the course of a match. Matts Wilander said he experienced this effect when playing McEnroe

Some of the best contests between a sublime spot serve versus a sublime returner have been between Roger and Novak. Roger would be almost unbreakable much of the time while Novak just waited for the odd lapse...riveting stuff.

I don't rate Rafa as a great spot server....more a predictable server....repetitive.

[jimlosaltos]

John McEnroe on Novak's serve:

''Novak hits the spots. Hitting the spots is more important than pace in the long run. Novak serves incredibly well throughout a match and especially when it matters, and that is the mark of a good serve".

I make John right.

Big 3 were all great spot servers. Fed tops.

ATP correlation of winning with big serves seems to have been decreasing, particularly since advantages of big rackets starting accruing more to returners after early swing to servers. IMHO.

[stroke]

John McEnroe on Novak's serve:

''Novak hits the spots. Hitting the spots is more important than pace in the long run. Novak serves incredibly well throughout a match and when it matters, and that is the mark of a good serve".

I make John right.

Well, obviously Nadal, with his relentless fighting for every point, and Fed, were great great competitors, such tough outs, number 2 and 3 of all time. But Novak stands alone. When the tiebreakers start, it is always an absolute shock if he does not win it. The ultimate big point player. And he seems to be absolutely relishing being out there without Fed and Nadal, who the crowds always much preferred over him.

[stotty]

John McEnroe on Novak's serve:

''Novak hits the spots. Hitting the spots is more important than pace in the long run. Novak serves incredibly well throughout a match and especially when it matters, and that is the mark of a good serve".

I make John right.

[stroke]

Jiri Vesely is a decent player. I saw him play up close and personal last year on court 17. He's the only fat lump in the men's game yet seems to do pretty well. He looks extraordinarily unathletic and lumbering yet seems to manage just fine...he's certainly powerful and that's probably how he gets away with it.

Me, I have Murray down as the tournament's dark horse. He's playing well and knows his way around a grass court. His next match versus Tsitsipas will be intriguing.

So true on Vesely. He is the absolute polar opposite of the tall fit look, epitomized by Tsitsipas. Vesely is tall, but he is not going to win a modeling contract for sure.

[stotty]

Chris Eubanks continues to look like a real dark horse. Grass may be his best surface. Sinner is looking every bit the 3rd(tie with Med) favorite to win Wimbledon. Korda was the #5 favorite to win the tournament, and lost today in 4 sets to Vesely.

Jiri Vesely is a decent player. I saw him play up close and personal last year on court 17. He's the only fat lump in the men's game yet seems to do pretty well. He looks extraordinarily unathletic and lumbering yet seems to manage just fine...he's certainly powerful and that's probably how he gets away with it.

Me, I have Murray down as the tournament's dark horse. He's playing well and knows his way around a grass court. His next match versus Tsitsipas will be intriguing.

[jimlosaltos]

Wimby's potential Cinderella, 16 yo Mirra Andreeva snagged her first-ten Wimbledon main draw win over Xiyu Wang 6-4, 3-6, 7-5

[stroke]

Chris Eubanks continues to look like a real dark horse. Grass may be his best surface. Sinner is looking every bit the 3rd(tie with Med) favorite to win Wimbledon. Korda was the #5 favorite to win the tournament, and lost today in 4 sets to Vesely.

[jimlosaltos]

Stef Tsitsipas tops Domi Thiem in 5 sets. Would warm the hearts of some Wimbledon fans - combined for 127 net points , Stef 46 of 64, Domi 43 of 63.
A heartbreaker of me, match where one wants both to win. Stef's had a bad mini-grass season while Domi is still suffering through two years of injury comeback.

Big Ben Shelton just won what might be his first ever 5 set match? Comes after recently taking his first ever trip outside the US <g>. Over Toro Daniel. Watched a bit of Ben here. If any fault, he's being hyper-aggressive. Today 65 winners vs 45 UFEs, with 22 Big Lefty Aces.

Jannik Sinner's got that serve TPN is featuring cranking vs a very good returning in Diego Schwartzman. Took a bit to get going but lanky Italian is pulling way, up a set and break. Sinner 10 aces, 78% first serves won, 58% (14/24) on second serves. Curious, Jannik has covered 6076.7 ft in a set and a half.

Anett Kontaviet wins 4, 4 for a good start in what I believe is going to be her last tournament, retiring at only 27 yo. She's gotten as high as 2 in the world but then took several months to recover from a tough bout with covid and now has a lumbar disc degernation. At least she got near the very top first.