BNP Paribas Open aka Indian Wells

[jimlosaltos]

Ben wins 6-4 in 3rd. To me, he has the best lefty serve since Goran and Wayne Arthurs.

Quite lofty company! Great play in coming back. Plus, gosh darn, he's fun to watch. Enthusiasm, energy but in a positive joyful way, not the snarky stuff.

Hope Ben is still around for the quarters when I get there.

To resurrect this recent ATP/TDI graphic, I still think Ben's serve can get significantly more productive if he can get nearer the lines. Has most everything else - movement, velocity, lefty-ness, hits every corner. But he's wayyyy over to the left.

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[stroke]

Ben wins 6-4 in 3rd. To me, he has the best lefty serve since Goran and Wayne Arthurs.

[stroke]

Jakob Mensik up an early break vs Ben Shelton in a shoot out of 6 ft 4 in young guns.

IMHO Ben still doesn't win the points on serve one would expect given all he's got going - velocity, lefty spin, variety.

And here look at the crowd for a second round match with Andy Murray vs Andrey Rublev !

Update: Sir Andy out to Rublev. Possibly his last trip to Indian Wells?

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Great atmosphere in a packed Stadium 2 match, Sheldon and Mensik in the third set. Tennis seems to be doing fine on ATP.

[jimlosaltos]

Have to mention that the subject of this month's TPN Tour Portrait - Diana Shnaider - is through the first round 5-7 7-6(3) 6-3 over Ana Bogdan.

Portrait at this link.

[jimlosaltos]

Interesting switch to pinpoint by Stef. I wonder what triggered that? I am watching him play Pouille at the moment and can't see any discernible advantage in the switch so far.

At the risk of being redundant, I'd say his back.

In both his first round loss at the Aussie and his loss (Thompson, was it?) in Los Cabos, he switched back and forth during games from pinpoint to -- occasionally - platform.

Back then, he appeared to my eye to being having trouble hitting a routine kick serve that he can normally do with his eyes closed.

[jimlosaltos]

Jakob Mensik up an early break vs Ben Shelton in a shoot out of 6 ft 4 in young guns.

IMHO Ben still doesn't win the points on serve one would expect given all he's got going - velocity, lefty spin, variety.

And here look at the crowd for a second round match with Andy Murray vs Andrey Rublev !

Update: Sir Andy out to Rublev. Possibly his last trip to Indian Wells?

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[stroke]

Interesting switch to pinpoint by Stef. I wonder what triggered that? I am watching him play Pouille at the moment and can't see any discernible advantage in the switch so far.

My non quantitative take on this switch is Stef is more efficiently using both legs now with his serve motion.

[stotty]

Interesting switch to pinpoint by Stef. I wonder what triggered that? I am watching him play Pouille at the moment and can't see any discernible advantage in the switch so far.

[jimlosaltos]

Milos Raonic through the other day, now meets Holger Rune, a very good returner.

Just on the oddity side. Nardi came in as a lucky loser and, wait for it, gets a bye so the LL is into the second round with swinging a racket <g>

Good money in losing.

[jimlosaltos]

36 year old, returning mother Angie Kerber comes from behind to beat Ostapenko in 3.

And -- wait for it -- the mothers remain undefeated so far, all 7 of them. <g>

[jimlosaltos]

Sinner looks Federereske beating Kokkanakis in 2 sets, an hour and 20 minutes.

I logged in to post those very words!

Sinner won almost the same percentage behind his second serve as his first: 75.9% firsts, 72.2% on own second.

Wait. IF these stats are correct Sinner won an identical 13/18 returning TK4's second serve and playing his own second serve also 13/18.

Weird. Had to happen some time.

[stroke]

Sinner looks Federereske beating Kokkanakis in 2 sets, an hour and 20 minutes.

[jimlosaltos]

After a second rain delay last night, the BNP schedule is getting crowded.

Some matches today of note:

* Andy Murray Vs Andrey Rublev
* Iga vs Dan-Yell (on her retirement tour)
* Ben Shelton and that serve vs 18 yo Jakob Mensik and that forehand.
* 19 yo "Jerry" Shang, fresh from taking out Acapulco winner Thompson vs Alexander Bublik
* Angie Kerber vs Jelena Ostapenko.

In particular, the battle of two 6 ft 4 in bangers, Shelton-Mensik could give us a good barometer of how these two might match up for years. Shelton has a lot more tour experience (even at 21)

YTD records Ben 8-5 vs Jakub 7-3 (including several wins over high ranked players like Rublev).

[jimlosaltos]

I don't see how any women could return that thing. It is a vicious kick serve.

It's very nasty. In Woz's defense, hardly anyone could handle that serve the very first time they ever saw it.
She's likely rarely, if ever, hit against a lefty serve like that. Imagine seeing that for the first time.

Certainly, nobody on WTA can replicate it, and I can't imagine any male that could hit it would be working as a hitting partner. If they could hit it, they'd be on tour themselves.

[stroke]

Ben Nearly Gives Woz a Facial

Lefty kicker from Ben Shelton in the opening mixed doubles for charity surprises as it cuts in on Caroline Wozniacki, who has to duck, 9 second vid on UT.

I wondered when checking scores why so many players were getting 48% of their first serves in. Turns out strong wind and some rain ended up suspending play and sending the night matches from yesterday to today. Among those that got through early: Sir Andy, Angie Kerber, and Katie Volleynets topped Miira Andreeva in a "serve into the wind and see what happens" match.

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9 second vid:

I don't see how any women could return that thing. It is a vicious kick serve.