2023 Tennis Thread

[Izzle]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

Yup, Jannik is starting to play better. Still feels that he needs Novak to fall asleep or get bored though.

Imagine if Novak shifted to 3rd gear?

[dash_pinched]

Hearing that second serve return by Sinner clipped the line - Who knows if it would have made a difference, but it could have made it 15-30 on Novak's serve.

[dash_pinched]

Just not good enough, Sinner had two set points at 15-40 and couldn't cash in. Novak giving it to the crowd lol

[Nadal Fan]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

Just not good enough, Sinner had two set points at 15-50 and couldn't cash in. Novak giving it to the crowd lol

He's just not very sharp today, I wonder if not playing anyone ranked in the top 75 until today was a curse.

[dash_pinched]

Tie-break time - Can't remember the last time Djokovic lost one of these.

[dash_pinched]

That was pretty boring to be honest and a pretty poor effort from Sinner today. Djokovic with what I would say his 'C' game today and he still walks walk away with a straight sets win.

[Erick Estrada]

It feels like a lot of these young guys go into matches with Djokovic expecting to lose. I just don't see any confidence or will to win. I think Rublev never believed he was going to win his match even after winning the first set. I get that he's clinically good but these guys are rolling over for him.

[Nadal Fan]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

It feels like a lot of these young guys go into matches with Djokovic expecting to lose. I just don't see any confidence or will to win. I think Rublev never believed he was going to win his match even after winning the first set. I get that he's clinically good but these guys are rolling over for him.

Same thing happened with Federer, everyone went in with no confidence and expected to lose except Nadal. I'm hoping Alcaraz and/or Medvedev can step up against Djokovic and at least make tennis competitive again. Even if they don't win all the time against him, I'd like to see a contest

[Inglewood Jack]

Charlie yanking poor Octopus all over the court as expected

[Nadal Fan]

Medvedev playing like he wants to beat the traffic

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Nadal Fan

Same thing happened with Federer, everyone went in with no confidence and expected to lose except Nadal. I'm hoping Alcaraz and/or Medvedev can step up against Djokovic and at least make tennis competitive again. Even if they don't win all the time against him, I'd like to see a contest

I think Alcaraz has the talent and confidence to beat him and it's lining up to be a great final. He better make sure he's properly hydrated.

[Senator Clay Davis]

This Alcaraz-Djokovic final has a very similar feel to the Brady-Mahomes SB in 2021. You got the current GOAT trying to slow down the guy who might end up taking his place. And it really matters for the major record because adding one more for Novak and blocking Charlie from getting one could end up being big. Because with how dire the current state of the men's game is right now you could see Charlie getting 30 majors no problem. The LostGen losers aren't stopping him, and while guys like Rune and Sinner can't be lumped in with those chumps yet, they are also not even close to Charlie either. Novak might end up playing five more years just to offer an actual challenger to Charlie, and to protect the record.

But it's pretty sad looking at the state of the men's game. You go from the greatest generation in the history of the sport, maybe any sport, to a guy who might be running unopposed for the foreseeable future. And full credit to Charlie, he doesn't owe us jack#### when it comes to making things interesting, and it ain't his fault all of the other young guys are so weak. He's an insane talent, easily the most advanced and complete game I've ever seen from someone so young. And the other young guys are either ball bashers or backboards, none of them seem to know how to construct points or play with variety. And they are mentally weak. Just a perfect storm to create a potentially boring ass run of years.

[Erick Estrada]

I don't agree about about the chumps comment. The top 100 is the best it's ever been IMO in regards to overall talent top to bottom. I've seen a lot of extremely high level tennis played over the last calendar year by players that aren't even in the top 30.

Brady won two Super Bowls in his 40 and I don't think that means Mahomes, Burrows and the rest of the NFL QB's are chumps and more that Brady was just special. Same with Djokovic. He's doing historic things and it's not realistic to expect guys like him to pop up every decade. Alcaraz is knocking on the door though and others will come. It was the same thing when Sampras was getting close to the end and people didn't buy into Hewitt, Safin, etc but then Federer came on the scene and a couple of other guys followed him.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Outside of Alcaraz these guys all have Berdych-level ceilings from what they have shown. Which gives the illusion that things are more competitive than it's ever been, but really it's a bunch of mediocre players playing each other. And then they run into Charlie or Novak and get boat raced cause they are not even close. With Charlie we could be getting to see what it would look like if any of the big 3 got to run unopposed during their run. I think we all know any of the big 3 gets to 40 majors if they didn't have to go through each other. Unless someone steps up Charlie is leagues ahead of everyone else already, and of course the scary thing is he can, and likely will, get better.

You said it already with Novak, but these young guys go into the match against him having already lost. And Charlie will make them feel just the same, if he hasn't already.

[dash_pinched]

I think the most frustrating thing about watching Medvedev is that he had the weapons to play a much more aggressive brand of tennis, but it's not in his DNA. On the one hand, you can't argue with the success that he has had thus far in his career, but the only way it's going to be a winning strategy against Charlie is if Charlie has an off day.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Outside of Alcaraz these guys all have Berdych-level ceilings from what they have shown. Which gives the illusion that things are more competitive than it's ever been, but really it's a bunch of mediocre players playing each other. And then they run into Charlie or Novak and get boat raced cause they are not even close. With Charlie we could be getting to see what it would look like if any of the big 3 got to run unopposed during their run. I think we all know any of the big 3 gets to 40 majors if they didn't have to go through each other. Unless someone steps up Charlie is leagues ahead of everyone else already, and of course the scary thing is he can, and likely will, get better.

You said it already with Novak, but these young guys go into the match against him having already lost. And Charlie will make them feel just the same, if he hasn't already.

Berdych was a really good player in an era of three all time greats. Players like Felix, Ruud, Tsitsipas, Fritz all have weaknesses that keep them on the periphery of breaking through and I'm not sure if any of them will ever. I think Rune has the talent and confidence to win a Grand Slam and it's probably a matter of time with him. Sinner is a good talent but I think he's so gangly and lean that I feel he needs to get stronger and then he may be able to win a slam. I still enjoy watching these players and I don't think tennis is doomed or anything as it seems like this conversation always pops up at the end of a great generation. Other great players will come as they always do.

[Inglewood Jack]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

I think the most frustrating thing about watching Medvedev is that he had the weapons to play a much more aggressive brand of tennis, but it's not in his DNA. On the one hand, you can't argue with the success that he has had thus far in his career, but the only way it's going to be a winning strategy against Charlie is if Charlie has an off day.

Med might be able to make a few tweaks but at his age he's a finished product, so that H2H is going to remain tilted always. it's just a horrific style matchup in the vein of Fed v. Rafa pre-neo backhand.

also, I'd say odds are deeply against Carlos not encountering another special talent at some point in the next 15 years. it doesn't have to be someone we know about right now, the tennis development cycle isn't the same as watching the next McDavid/Bedard from like 5 years before they're even drafted. I still think Rune is gonna be that guy from the crop we know. he's behind Charlie in physical development (i.e. he's not a man freak in a barely out of teens body) and he still doesn't know exactly what type of player he is, which is why his tactics change sometimes even from game to game. But his forehand and backhand technique is actually more sound than Charlie's so his ceiling is way higher than say, the Canadian shank brothers.

[GirlySports]

Not sure where it's going to come from unless that player is currently 14. There are only 11 players under the age of 18 in the top 1000. Highest is a Czech player at 200, he turns 18 in November. There aren't any 17 year old Boris Beckers or Michael Changs out there.

[dash_pinched]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1679940809289011204

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Not sure where it's going to come from unless that player is currently 14. There are only 11 players under the age of 18 in the top 1000. Highest is a Czech player at 200, he turns 18 in November. There aren't any 17 year old Boris Beckers or Michael Changs out there.

I still think Sebastian Korda can be that player to challenge Charlie and Holger, but his biggest issue is staying healthy. Needs to improve his serve as well to earn more free points.