US Open

[jimlosaltos]

Before we read too much into today's results -- Jannik Sinner, who has been an extremely consistent server, and is currently ranked the best server on the tour only got 48% of his first serves in for the whole match, after being injured in the semifinal and serving, I think it was 51% there (lower after the first set).

Jannik averages about 61% first serves in for the year. Plus his peak speed didn't get in the 130s once, also unnatural.

So, he wouldn't say it but he was not 100%.

[jimlosaltos]

Sinner in post-match presser says he was "too predictable" and he is "willing to lose some matches" working on expanding and changing up his game.

My note: Sinner says that his prior matches didn't prepare him because he wasn't pressed and thus didn't try much outside his comfort zone. I remember Fed would often seemingly throw away points in matches he was losing by hitting what seemed like unnecessary shots. Sinner explains why that is NECESSAY.

“I was very predictable today on court. He did many things, he changed up the game. That's also his style of how he plays. Now it's going to be on me if I want to make changes or not,” Sinner said after his 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 defeat. “That's definitely [what] we are going to work on. I'm trying to be more prepared for the next match that I will play against him.

“It also depends on how you arrive to play against Carlos. One thing is when the scoreline [or] matches before are comfortable but you always do the same things, like I did, for example, during this tournament, I didn't make one serve-volley, didn't use a lot of drop shots, and then you arrive to a point where you play against Carlos where you have to go out of the comfort zone.

“So I'm going to aim to maybe even lose some matches from now on, but trying to do some changes, trying to be a bit more unpredictable as a player, because I think that's what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player. At the end of the day, that's my main goal.”

“He has improved. I felt like [he] was a bit cleaner today. The things I did well in London, he did better today,” Sinner said, comparing their battles at Wimbledon and the US Open. “That's [the] result. I felt like he was doing everything slightly better today, especially serving, both sides, both swings very clean.

“I think that's it, I give lots of credit to him, because he handled the situation better than I did. He raised his level when he had to. I'm still proud of myself, about the season I'm playing and making, but yeah, he played better than me today.”

[jimlosaltos]

Before we read too much into today's results -- Jannik Sinner, who has been an extremely consistent server, and is currently ranked the best server on the tour only got 48% of his first serves in for the whole match, after being injured in the semifinal and serving, I think it was 51% there (lower after the first set).

Jannik averages about 61% first serves in for the year. Plus his peak speed didn't get in the 130s once, also unnatural.

So, he wouldn't say it but he was not 100%.

I mentioned that Sinner must have still had his ab pull or whatever injury hit him vs FAA, because getting less than half his first serves in is so uncharacteristic.

Did some research and per Google Gemini and Tennis Abstract, NO ONE has ever won a championship match at a final while getting less than 50% of their first serves in.

NOBODY

https://www.tennisabstract.com/charting/20240609-M-Roland_Garros-F-Alexander_Zverev-Carlos_Alcaraz.html

[stotty]

Sinner in post-match presser says he was "too predictable" and he is "willing to lose some matches" working on expanding and changing up his game.

My note: Sinner says that his prior matches didn't prepare him because he wasn't pressed and thus didn't try much outside his comfort zone. I remember Fed would often seemingly throw away points in matches he was losing by hitting what seemed like unnecessary shots. Sinner explains why that is NECESSAY.

“I was very predictable today on court. He did many things, he changed up the game. That's also his style of how he plays. Now it's going to be on me if I want to make changes or not,” Sinner said after his 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 defeat. “That's definitely [what] we are going to work on. I'm trying to be more prepared for the next match that I will play against him.

“It also depends on how you arrive to play against Carlos. One thing is when the scoreline [or] matches before are comfortable but you always do the same things, like I did, for example, during this tournament, I didn't make one serve-volley, didn't use a lot of drop shots, and then you arrive to a point where you play against Carlos where you have to go out of the comfort zone.

“So I'm going to aim to maybe even lose some matches from now on, but trying to do some changes, trying to be a bit more unpredictable as a player, because I think that's what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player. At the end of the day, that's my main goal.”

“He has improved. I felt like [he] was a bit cleaner today. The things I did well in London, he did better today,” Sinner said, comparing their battles at Wimbledon and the US Open. “That's [the] result. I felt like he was doing everything slightly better today, especially serving, both sides, both swings very clean.

“I think that's it, I give lots of credit to him, because he handled the situation better than I did. He raised his level when he had to. I'm still proud of myself, about the season I'm playing and making, but yeah, he played better than me today.”

That’s a very grounded way of looking at things after a painful loss.

I thought Carlos played great. He came to the match with better planning. Carlos is not so off the cuff as he seems, it seems.

That said, Sinner was under par throughout much of the match. He served poorly by his standards and wasn’t hitting the ball as well as he usually does. You can’t beat Carlos getting only 50% first serves in. It’s not going to happen. The rest of his game suffered here and there as a result.

Carlos was supremely confident in that final game considering what was at stake. Remarkable self belief. It’s amazing how well he serves considering - from a technical standpoint - it isn’t as good as others on the tour. On another point, I have never seen another player turn up the heat for such long periods like Carlos can…at such a sustained stratospheric level. He’s out on his own in that department.

Great match by Carlos, but Sinner, I felt, underperformed by his lofty standards.

[don_budge]

I think both players look to be rather "juiced up" if you ask me. Consider that Sinner has served a suspension already for doping. Of course everyone cuts him a pass because of his "innocence act". Carlos is rather suspicious as well. His countryman and mentor, Fafa Nadal, was long rumored to be juicing. Using PED's. Performance Enhancing Drugs. Alcaraz and Sinner have faced off in the finals of the last eight Grand Slam tournaments. Novak has been right there with them in the semis. A thirty-eight year old. So where is the rest of the tour? Tennis has hit a all time low...although if you listen to the hype you would think it has never been better. Seriously though...don't you wonder what sets these two apart?

[jimlosaltos]

That’s a very grounded way of looking at things after a painful loss.

I thought Carlos played great. He came to the match with better planning. Carlos is not so off the cuff as he seems, it seems.

That said, Sinner was under par throughout much of the match. He served poorly by his standards and wasn’t hitting the ball as well as he usually does. You can’t beat Carlos getting only 50% first serves in. It’s not going to happen. The rest of his game suffered here and there as a result.

Carlos was supremely confident in that final game considering what was at stake. Remarkable self belief. It’s amazing how well he serves considering - from a technical standpoint - it isn’t as good as others on the tour. On another point, I have never seen another player turn up the heat for such long periods like Carlos can…at such a sustained stratospheric level. He’s out on his own in that department.

Great match by Carlos, but Sinner, I felt, underperformed by his lofty standards.

This on ATP: Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero reveals that after his Wimbledon loss, Alclaraz spent a 15-day training camp focused on Sinner.

Excerpts; Not a lot of specifics, but talks about striking first and using movement on serve.

“I think we prepared the match very good, watching some matches and seeing the specific details we had to play. Carlos did 100 per cent [of what he needed to]. It's easy to say and very difficult to do it,” Ferrero said. “The performance today was perfect. I think he compromised [with] himself to go for the match all the time, tried to put pressure on the rival sooner than Jannik. I think it's one of the keys.

“I think these guys hit the ball, both of them, very, very fast, and I think who hits first takes the advantage on points. Carlos has maybe more variety [in] his game, and he can do more, like slice, go to the net, and do more things than maybe Jannik. But I think it helps a lot to change a little bit the way of the game.”

Serve:

“I think in this moment it's maybe the moment that he has more improvement in his serve, and it's been very useful on the court, and in important moments he's using it a lot,” Ferrero said. “During all Cincinnati and also during all US Open, I think the serve is one of the keys to win the tournaments, for sure.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/ferrero-us-open-2025-final-reaction

[jimlosaltos]

Sinner in post-match presser says he was "too predictable" and he is "willing to lose some matches" working on expanding and changing up his game.

My note: Sinner says that his prior matches didn't prepare him because he wasn't pressed and thus didn't try much outside his comfort zone. I remember Fed would often seemingly throw away points in matches he was losing by hitting what seemed like unnecessary shots. Sinner explains why that is NECESSAY.

“I was very predictable today on court. He did many things, he changed up the game. That's also his style of how he plays. Now it's going to be on me if I want to make changes or not,” Sinner said after his 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 defeat. “That's definitely [what] we are going to work on. I'm trying to be more prepared for the next match that I will play against him.

On that note, this quote from Novak on Fed:

“Worst thing for a tennis player is unpredictability, not knowing what is coming next. That is what Federer possesses, the variety in his game. Will he do the SABR thing, come to the net, stay back or chip it? Keeps you guessing & that is why it’s so tough to play him” -Djokovic

[jimlosaltos]

Well expressed by Andy Roddick.

Andy Roddick on Sinner: “Sinner has had a hellish year, so many things happened on which everyone can have their opinion. But one thing on which there can be no doubt is the class he shows when he loses.

The Roland Garros final must have been a true chaos of emotions, yet he was extraordinary. At the US Open final he knew he wasn’t near his best level, and he acted accordingly. I have even more respect for both these guys!”

[stotty]

It seems Carlos is racking up slams at record breaking speed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/czew374r499o

[jimlosaltos]

It seems Carlos is racking up slams at record breaking speed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/a...s/czew374r499o

Great article! Love the all the numbers and the projection that at this pace Alcaraz will get 30 Titles by 30 Years Old.

Then again, Fed's curve was steeper than Carlos' - for a while

What's the aphorism? The faster the candle burns the sooner it burns out?

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