Madrid ATP 1000

[jimlosaltos]

Yo Yo Matches.

Rublev comes back vs Bublik with a bagel -- then loses in the third.
Andreeva/Shnaider bagels Siegemund/Maja, then loses the match in three.

Perhaps I'm just looking for them now, but I can't recall seeing so many matches where someone loses a set 6-0 and wins a match.

Tangentially, let update this. Can't recall where I posted the first part but ..

Jelena Ostapenko might be the first player ever to beat World No. 1and lose to an unranked player in *the same week* — and she did both in straight sets! Then, Anastasija Sevastova, who upset Penko, lost her next match in a double bagel to Diana Shnaider.

[jimlosaltos]

Jakub Mensik wins 6-1, 6-4 vs Ben Shelton, who might have been ill.

Regardless, Mensik seems to be rapidly improving an already good game behind a great first serve.

I believe part of the criticism of Mensik was a big drop off between his first and second serves. This week, his second serve has been better than most firsts.

Today: Mensik's average first serve was 132 MPH and his second was 127 MPH ( only 1 MPH less than Ben's first). Didn't face a break point.

Remember, Mensik is only 19 years old.

Time to check out the Mensik serve vid atop this forum?

[stroke]

Mensik does often have a big drop mph wise from 1st to 2nd serve, but the reason is he hits such a heavy kick 2nd a lot. I would love to know his rpm's on it. A big missing piece of the puzzle is his rpm's on his 2nd to me. I think JY one time published that Sampras often hit an 85 mph 2nd serve, with 5000 or so rpm's. Pat Rafter had what looked like a very similar very heavy kick serve, but I never saw his rpms reported on his.

[jimlosaltos]

Play Cancelled due to Massive Power Outage in Spain.

ATP: Play cancelled for the day in Madrid due to power outage :Large parts of Spain and Portugal have been hit by the power outage, which has shut off traffic lights. All rail traffic has come to a halt in Spain, and the metro in Lisbon and Porto, Portugal, is closed."

Reuters news story at this link: "Hospitals in Madrid and Cataluna in Spain suspended all routine medical work but were still attending to critical patients, using backup generators. Several Spanish oil refineries were shut down and retail businesses shut."

Stadium in shadows.

filedata/fetch?id=107037&d=1745857137&type=thumb

[neilchok]

Play Cancelled due to Massive Power Outage in Spain.

ATP: Play cancelled for the day in Madrid due to power outage :Large parts of Spain and Portugal have been hit by the power outage, which has shut off traffic lights. All rail traffic has come to a halt in Spain, and the metro in Lisbon and Porto, Portugal, is closed."

Reuters news story at this link: "Hospitals in Madrid and Cataluna in Spain suspended all routine medical work but were still attending to critical patients, using backup generators. Several Spanish oil refineries were shut down and retail businesses shut."

Stadium in shadows.

filedata/fetch?id=107037&d=1745857137&type=thumb

wow!!!! how scary!!!! I hope they get their power back soon

[jimlosaltos]

wow!!!! how scary!!!! I hope they get their power back soon

Power is largely back on in Madrid now, but it is nearly 11 PM there.

"Unprecedented outage" hit Spain, Portugal, and parts of France. Google Gemini says: "around 60 million people" were affected. But that's the combined population of Spain and Portugal so the AI might be guessing.

Per AP: "It was the second serious European power outage in less than six weeks after a March 20 fire shut down Heathrow Airport in the U.K., and it came as authorities across Europe gird against sabotage backed by Russia."

At least one match was completed AFTER the outage { Arnaldi beat Dzumhur) But the score isn't official until Mohamed Lahyani enters it -- which he can't do without power.

Otherwise Dimitrov won, Andreeva and Gauff.

[stotty]

My sister lives in Portugal. I was speaking with her on the phone at lunchtime them suddenly the phone went dead. Not been able to make contact since.

How weird. No one, as yet, seems to have a handle on what the true cause of it is.

[jimlosaltos]

Alex Bubic as he was losing to 19 year old Jakub Mensik, to chair Mohamed Lehyani:

“Mohamed, remember when tennis was easy? Like five years ago it was super easy to play tennis,” said the four-time ATP Tour champion Bublik. “A bunch of random people in the Top 50, barely moving. Now this guy is not even Top 5, not even Top 10. What is that?”

[jimlosaltos]

Now that the power is back on ...

Francisco Cerundolo remains undefeated vs Sasha Zverev 3-0. I have to watch one of their matches to see what this match-up thing is about.

19 yo Mensik through to the quarters vs Cerundolo -- two of the biggest forehands on tour will be abusing tennis balls.

Three one-handers in one ladder is unfair. Musetti beats Tsitsipas 5 and 6 ( Stef modifying his service is coming with growth pains), Now, Musetti meets de Minaur for a potential match with Dimitrov.

Ruud just broke to serve for the first set vs Fritz. I'd love to Ruud get through.

WTA Side: tomorrow has Keys vs Swiatek and Andreev vs Gauff. Those sound good.