Roland Garros aka The French Open

[stroke]

Shelton is making a decent account of himself, playing super aggressive and really taking to Alcaraz. He was unlucky not to win the first set but wasn’t disheartened and has started strongly in the second set.

Alcaraz plays that drop shot of his with devastating effect…stone dead. He can turn a set or even a match with it. Never seen a player do that quite like Alcaraz.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Zs53awZmr1UHDjGVA

No doubt, both playing great.

[jimlosaltos]

No doubt, both playing great.

Only 9 points separated Ben and Carlitos, with Alcaraz having a fourteen (14) point advantage across the net and drop shots.

filedata/fetch?id=107389&d=1748806532&type=thumb

[jimlosaltos]

On the other hand, If you're a "Glass is Half Full" type, Ben Shelton finally broke through.

Coming in, Ben was 0 for 10 on set points he held at Grand Slams against Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz. Four of the ten were on his own serve.

2023 US Open - 0/1 vs Djokovic
2024 Wimbledon - 0/4 vs Sinner
2025 Australian Open - 0/2 vs Sinner
2025 Roland-Garros - 0/3 vs Alcaraz

[stroke]

Musetti takes a tight 1st set vs Rune. Musetti looks just so comfortable out there as a match goes on. It is like he is in the left lane on cruise control. His game so easy on the eye.

[stotty]

A good second set from Rune. More aggressive and taking it to Musetti, which he needs to. Musetti can stroke the ball around all day long if he’s allowed to.

[stroke]

Musetti looking very comfortable on cruise control, so smooth. Up 2 sets to one. If I did bet, and had bet on the underdog Rune, I would be very uneasy.

[stroke]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NLvXaJMWJjv6wqLZ7

The other half round of 16 tomorrow. All 4 matches have strong favorites. Griekspoor vs Zverev, it appears to me most likely for an underdog coming through, if I had to bet on an underdog.

[jeffreycounts]

Musetti looking very comfortable on cruise control, so smooth. Up 2 sets to one. If I did bet, and had bet on the underdog Rune, I would be very uneasy.

Fun to see a young guy with a one handed backhaned. Hope it holds up more like Wawrinka than Tsitsipas.

[stroke]

Certainly the best match of Bublik's career. Oddsmakers had him at about 11% implied probability of winning vs Draper.

[jeffreycounts]

Certainly the best match of Bublik's career. Oddsmakers had him at about 11% implied probability of winning vs Draper.

Bublik was talking like he didn't have much of a chance. He was saying how Draper was like a UFC fighter. Guess that didn't matter.

[stroke]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mesgCjbrapknmDrB7

The Quarters, betting odds. Bublik down to a 4.7% implied probability of winning. I was a bit surprised Novak and Zverev is basically a pick 'em.

[jimlosaltos]

From Matt Futterman/ The Athletic. .... a "Walks into the bar" joke on American clay tennis.

PARIS, ROLAND GARROS — It sounds like the start of a bad joke.

Two American men walk onto a court at Roland Garros to play a tennis match on red clay. Now, choose your punch line:

Both lose?

At gunpoint?

The golf courses were all closed?

~~~

Yet the group had a good run at RG.

[jimlosaltos]

Musetti is getting his game together, going from "too many clubs in the bag" to "look at all the clubs he has in his bag".

Came in having lost his last 2 matches to Tiafoe and 2/3 to Rune and beat both of them.

Played the windy conditions well overall. Has, it appears, much better endurance than Rune.

The Rune was particularly interesting, because of the contrast in styles. Musetti was near Medvedevian, returning second serves from 18 feet back, while Holger tried ( with a lot of early success) coming 3 feet inside the baseline to intercept Musetti's kick second -- with a lot of early success. A, perhaps sublet example of Musetti's variety, he simply changed his second serves -- wide winner, hard flat jammer, slice winner.

The net difference in 2nd return position was 21 feet by my back of envelope math

RunevsMusetti Return.jpg

Seems to be catching. The key to Iga coming back from down a set and a break to Rybakina, hiking way back to return. Did it in the second set and a lot more in the third. Looks lonely back there.

x

[jeffreycounts]

She's practically in the stands there.

[jimlosaltos]

Great stat by journey BastienFachan

Lorenzo Musetti reaching the 2025 Roland-Garros semifinals ensures this incredible stat is still alive:

Someone with a one-handed backhand has reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam every single year since tennis began!

P.S. I have no idea if this is true. But if it's not, it should be