US Open

[don_budge]

I watched just a few games as Novak "Karen" Djokovic wobbled it home and got the horse in the barn. Once upon a time I wrote, Novak is relevant until he isn't. It's all about his legs. To his credit being the wily old Karen that he is, he managed to beat a much younger opponent who has an infinite amount of motivation to beat him. Most impressive. Impressive at the highest level of the game...even historically speaking. If only we could have seen this great "Modern" tennisplayer with a Dunlop Fort. Or a Slazenger. Something wood. At least so we could compare him with the past legends of the game.

Speaking of legs...Carlitos. He is skipping and dancing around the court. Novak might get overwhelmed. It might not be pretty. This may be his last hurrah. He looked pretty wobbly and he was horsing around a bit. Making fun of himself and his inability to be mobile. Getting old. The inevitable decline. At my age I am seeing a lot of it. The last year...I've lost so many. I wish him luck. It's a little sad. I never was a fan of Novak Djokovic much. He stood in the way of the Hero too often. The Hero was declining and Novak was up and coming. The same theme. Novak linked the game to the hero. One last thread. It's enough to root for him to the bitter end. It was over when the Hero exited the stadium and when Novak leaves the entire era dissipates. What are we left with? It isn't tennis...I'll tell you that. Not even a reasonable facsimile. Now that is sad. Really sad.

[don_budge]

Very shaky service games from both Karen Djokovic and Prince Fritz. Karen to serve out the set…again.

[jimlosaltos]

All Fritz has to do to become the first American player since Roddick to win US Open is beat Novak, then probably Alcaraz and Sinner.

Well ... that sounds easy{ sarcasm intended } UNTIL you add, beat Djokovic for the first time after 10 losses. If I'm reading this correctly, Taylor was won only 2 sets vs Djokovic in 10 matches ??? Can that be true?

I see only two sets won by Fritz, both at the Australian Open in different years. That tiny white type reversed is hard to read but ...

https://www.atptour.com/en/players/atp-head-2-head

[stroke]

All Fritz has to do to become the first American player since Roddick to win US Open is beat Novak, then probably Alcaraz and Sinner.

[jimlosaltos]

Sinner was in full flight, playing as only he can, vs Bublik. It was something to see, taking the ball on so early off both sides, not making many errors at all. He looks a bit like a full flight Fed when he is playing like that, or maybe Davydenko, with more pop off of everything.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CN2uZ7Vng/

It was something. Bublik beat him not long ago in Halle but this was completely different.

Hard for Bublik to get his disruptive game going when seemingly every time Bublik served Jannik's return was back at his feet before he recovered.

This is reportedly what Bublik said at the net:

"You're so good, this is insane. I'm not bad, like what the f***"

-- Bublik at the net to a broadly smiling Jannik Sinner after losing 6-1 6-1 6-1

Otherwise .... Yesterday was a bit strange. All but one of the eight (8) singles matches on Labor Day were over in straight sets. Only Muchova over Kostyuk required a deciding set. Bagels. Breadsticks. Bicyclettes abounded.

[stroke]

Sinner was in full flight, playing as only he can, vs Bublik. It was something to see, taking the ball on so early off both sides, not making many errors at all. He looks a bit like a full flight Fed when he is playing like that, or maybe Davydenko, with more pop off of everything.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CN2uZ7Vng/

[jimlosaltos]

I am a big fan of Taylor. I also really like Novak. What he has overcome vs Roger and Rafael stands alone. That being said, I am a bit tired of his what I consider "Karen" antics. I think this is finally Taylor's time to get it done.

Really! Bold call. Fritz is certainly playing the best I've ever seen from him. Match up is tough if his serve is neutralized.

What's the old line, was it Vitas Gueralitis, "Nobody beats Vitas Gueralitis 16 times in a row"?

[stotty]

I’m not watching the US Open this year as none of the channels I subscribe to are showing it. From what I’ve read in the press, though, it seems Carlos and Sinner are on a collision course for the final—and if they’re both playing as well as people say it’s hard to argue otherwise.

I expect Novak to get past Fritz, but at what price? It won’t be straightforward, and he’ll burn a lot of fuel—only to face Carlos in the next round.

The bigger question is: does Novak truly believe he can win this tournament without a little help from the draw? Deep down, maybe yes...but only with a little help. Novak would love that 25th title, but realistically he’d need Fritz to get injured after a set and then Lehecka to take out Carlos. Now that would be a helpful draw. Novak, in a recent presser, said he feels he’s still playing well but by the semis of a slam he has nothing left in the tank — not sure how he gets round that without the draw conveniently panning out his way.

It reminds me a bit of Roger at the end of his career. He perhaps wasn’t at his best but still playing so well — you sensed he was hanging around the slams waiting for Rafa, Novak, or one of the other top names to stumble. If they had, he’d have been in like a shot.

[stroke]

I am a big fan of Taylor. I also really like Novak. What he has overcome vs Roger and Rafael stands alone. That being said, I am a bit tired of his what I consider "Karen" antics. I think this is finally Taylor's time to get it done.

[jimlosaltos]

I have long been a proponent of no timeouts, not that it matters ha

Agreed.

Back to the MTO prop, gen Ai says they don't do that and why. But I imagine someone must.

~~~~


As of September 1, 2025, there are no published prop bet odds on Novak Djokovic taking a medical timeout during his upcoming US Open quarterfinal match against Taylor Fritz. This is typical for sports betting, as this specific type of prop bet is almost never offered by legal sportsbooks.
Why medical timeout prop bets aren't offered
Sportsbooks avoid this kind of bet for several key reasons:

• Difficulty setting a line: Odds are determined by probability and expected outcomes. Predicting a specific, non-statistical event like a medical timeout is almost impossible, making it challenging for bookmakers to set a fair and informed line.
• Concerns about integrity: Offering wagers on medical issues could raise ethical questions and invite potential match-fixing concerns. A player or those close to them could influence the outcome of the bet, compromising the integrity of the match.
• Varying rules and interpretations: The rules for when a player can and cannot take a medical timeout are strictly enforced, but subjective interpretations of a player's condition can occur. This gray area makes it an unreliable betting market.

How to place related bets
If you are interested in betting on a related market, you can explore other prop bets offered for Djokovic's match:

• Match Result: Betting on who will win the match.
• Set Score: Betting on the exact number of sets or the final score.
• Total Games: Betting on whether the total number of games played will be over or under a set line.
• Specific Game Spreads: Betting on a player to win by a certain number of games or sets.

You can find the latest available odds for these markets on major sportsbooks like FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM

[jimlosaltos]

Stepped out and by the time I got back Naomi Osaka overwhelmed Coco 3 and 1.

Naomi won 17 of 18 first serves and, unsurprisingly given that, never faced a break point,

Naomi won a significantly higher percentage behind her second serves than Coco did on her once great first.

filedata/fetch?id=108268&d=1756759259&type=thumb

#

[stroke]

A prop bet on an MTO? Of Course.

I hope you find that one

I have long been a proponent of no timeouts, not that it matters ha

[don_budge]

He did not.

He's going to coax everything he can imagine out of his 39 year old body to get it to go as far as he can in this tournament. Taylor Fritz next...who will be trying like hell to end a 11 match losing streak to the "Old Man". I watched "Carlito's Way" getting a thigh massage and thought that he might be enjoying it just a little too much. The outfit he is sporting looks to be "tres gay" to me. Pink. The shaved head. So much nonsense in this tournament. Drama. Social engineering. The game is a mirror for Western society. I think that the Russians are getting quite used to their flag being banned and wear it like a badge of courage now.

[jimlosaltos]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mZhj8391uFttuD6Z7

I will try to find the odds on Novak completing the match without a Medical Timeout.

A prop bet on an MTO? Of Course.

I hope you find that one

[stroke]

Did he break a rule?

He did not.