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2019 Fever-Tree Championships...ATP 500...London, Great Britain

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  • 2019 Fever-Tree Championships...ATP 500...London, Great Britain

    Another tournament...one without Roger Federer. But Stefanos Tsitsipas in the house. Tsitsipas in the making. At the beginning. He has climbed a couple of rungs but it is a long way to the top and fraught with mishaps along the way. Just ask Alexander Zverev...the poster boy of developmental dysfunction. No fault of his of course. Its in the genes. You either have it...or you are like the rest of us. Stefanos is in a very similar position compared to Zverev at this point in his young career and everything seemed to go south. Not everything mind you. But far from being a straight shot it has turned into a slippery slope. I remember when Novak Djokovic made his move to the top. I started a thread..."Meteoric" I called him.

    Stefanos makes his debut in a way here on the grass court circuit here in the city that was once London. London bridges falling down. It's not the only thing falling down in London lately. Actually the whole concept of grass court tennis has sort of nose dived in the last 18 or 19 years. Nobody serves and volleys like that used to. Devolution I call it. A sign of the times.

    Nick Kyrgios in the house as well. But which is which? The good Nick or the bad Nick. What do the oddsmakers make of him? Probably a bit suspicious to say the least. Wary. The guy is loaded to the gills with ability...loosely called talent in his case. But he refuses to capitalize. It's a shame. A crime no less. A waste of God given capital. The worst kind. It's hard to watch...like a slow motion train wreck.

    This is an ATP 500 venue in the lead up to Wimbledon. The Big Show. Players are likely satisfied to get a couple of matches in on the grass. But where is the passion? The win at all costs? It's lacking. That can change though. This maybe where Stefanos can assert himself among the rest of the also rans who happen to be anybody other than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

    Some great match ups in this one. First rounders...Tsitsipas and Edmund. Edmund was climbing pretty steadily there but he seems to have plateaued somewhat. Kyrgios against Mannerino...a tricky left hander who seemingly should be cat food for the enourmously talented JERK. Dimitrov versus Auger-Aliassime...one shooting up the ladder the other hanging on for dear life. Juan Martin and Denis "The Menace". There's more too...check it out below.

    Official singles, doubles and qualifying draw from the tournament archive in men's professional tennis on the ATP Tour.

    don_budge
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  • #2
    A truly pathetic performance by Nick Kyrgios. He completely dogged the third set. Felix looked a bit perplexed or maybe it was just plain disgust. Nick will regret one day that he passed on what could have been a nice career. Mental issues.
    don_budge
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    • #3
      Originally posted by don_budge View Post
      A truly pathetic performance by Nick Kyrgios. He completely dogged the third set. Felix looked a bit perplexed or maybe it was just plain disgust. Nick will regret one day that he passed on what could have been a nice career. Mental issues.
      I only saw the 1st set with Nick vs FAA, but I will take your word for it. Nick is nearly impossible to pull for, almost at a Serena like level. I did see his 1st match vs Carbelles Baena. Nick should have progressed through the code violation protocol in that match but the umpire just let him get away with his unacceptable behavior. He has Fed level talent and ability and as you say, probably at some point long after his career is over, he will see what he wasted.

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      • #4
        FAA takes out Stefanos comprehensively. At 18 years old, FAA appears on the verge of something very big. He is very quickly becoming a player that could break through at a Major anytime.

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        • #5
          Nick could learn attitude from Felix. Very mature for his age. Calm, composed, modest. Hope Felix goes deep in Wimbkedon.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by gzhpcu View Post
            Nick could learn attitude from Felix. Very mature for his age. Calm, composed, modest. Hope Felix goes deep in Wimbkedon.
            Felix comes across as very likeable out there on the court. Hard to believe so mature at 18. He is the best player at this age since Nadal. That pretty much puts it is perspective.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by gzhpcu View Post
              Nick could learn attitude from Felix. Very mature for his age. Calm, composed, modest. Hope Felix goes deep in Wimbkedon.
              Originally posted by stroke View Post
              Felix comes across as very likeable out there on the court. Hard to believe so mature at 18. He is the best player at this age since Nadal. That pretty much puts it is perspective.
              Felix Auger-Aliasimme is very mature for 18...that could be an understatement. The "Kid" has tree trunks under him for legs. He's coming on quick and always has had Tsitsipas' number. Even as juniors. I was talking to a fellow at this local tennis tournament the other day and he said that Auger-Aliasimme might just be the toast of Wimbledon. I'm not so sure about this year but who knows in the future. Tough to get him out of position...which is the name of the game. Superior speed and more importantly...quickness. Like a cat. A great "Felix the Cat". Feliciano Lopez next.

              Down below...in the bottom half Gilles Simon has emerged as a surprise semifinalist. But it's Daniil Medvedev next and the low balls on the grass just might be in this fellows wheel house. I could see a Auger-Aliasimme/Medvedev final. That would be an interesting Wimbledon preview.
              don_budge
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              • #8
                FAA has the oddsmakers attention as he is now the #7 favorite to win Wimbledon. He is probably the pick now to win Queens although as DB pointed out, Medvedev and his quirky fh seems tailor made for the grass.
                Last edited by stroke; 06-22-2019, 02:28 AM.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by don_budge View Post
                  I could see a Auger-Aliasimme/Medvedev final.
                  Instead of Felix Auger-Aliasimme versus Daniil Medvedev we got Gilles Simon versus Feliciano Lopez with Lopez prevailing in a tight three setter. I watched very little of it. But it was interesting. I watched the highlights of Lopez and Felix and I saw the same darned thing. Lopez was using almost exclusively slice on the backhand. This is a very, very clever ploy and particularly being left handed. Oddly enough in the other tournament Federer did the same virtual thing once the screws were tightening in his match and this happens all of the time with Roger. The slice backhand always figures into the equation heavily.

                  Even the announcer used the term "slice and dice" late in Federer's match against Goffin.
                  don_budge
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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by don_budge View Post

                    Instead of Felix Auger-Aliasimme versus Daniil Medvedev we got Gilles Simon versus Feliciano Lopez with Lopez prevailing in a tight three setter. I watched very little of it. But it was interesting. I watched the highlights of Lopez and Felix and I saw the same darned thing. Lopez was using almost exclusively slice on the backhand. This is a very, very clever ploy and particularly being left handed. Oddly enough in the other tournament Federer did the same virtual thing once the screws were tightening in his match and this happens all of the time with Roger. The slice backhand always figures into the equation heavily.

                    Even the announcer used the term "slice and dice" late in Federer's match against Goffin.
                    According to Lundgren, Federer only had a good slice as a junior. His topspin backhand was not very good. Hard to believe but maybe for an elite player it was not very good.

                    Slice works really well on grass and it seems that Ash Barty used the same ploy against Goerges.

                    Slice and dice, chip and charge. Just like it used to be on every surface before they slowed EVERY surface down to bring in the big bash era.

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                    • #11
                      Fed's slice to me is about as good as it gets. Absolutely perfect grip formation and technique. Tomic's is very good also but it is hard to appreciate his with his tendency to tank at any moment.

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