2021 In Between Grand Slam Thread

Zverev's serving did big damage again (82% first serves in) taking the final against Tiafoe but some fun points, like this one.

https://youtu.be/ebK6NzZoA00?t=300

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118104473#Comment_118104473

7 MP's - no excuses tbh

to some lucky loser guy who has almost as many double faults as aces in his career!

The Whitaker and Croft Amazon pearl-clutcher duo were massively bigging Murray up also pre-match, saying how inferior Koepfer was (even though he's ranked far higher)

Some gutless play on the MP's - didn't have the balls to try to win them - most were pusher shots down the middle that were eventually punished or terrible shot selection such as a poor drop shot attempt or wild wide backhand cross-court swipe.

It's coming up on 3 years since Murray had his hip surgery (Jan 2019) - must be the longest "comeback" ever?

I get that he might sell a few extra tickets at tournaments with all the wildcards that he got this year but how long can that go on?

You'd have to wonder how much toll Murray put on his body in Autumn 2016 when he played all those consecutive tournaments to get the ATP points to get to No.1 The following June, in 2017, the long-standing hip problems forced him out of tennis and he's still on the "comeback".

Alcaraz comes through a very entertaining match vs Herbert (who rose to the occasion with the home turf backing, he was superb at the net at times and very attacking and unconventional even if he did crack a bit with double faults at the end of the last game)

But yet again Alcaraz shows a lot of maturity and composure in terms of the mental stakes on the big points, especially for his age but impressively for any age really as many ATP players falter exactly there

Only his second indoor ATP Tournament - and he got to the semi-final in his first one weekend

Up against Sinner next - Sinner surely favourite but can hope for a good match

Alcaraz progressing nicely - needs to do some work on the serve (he had no chance vs Zverev with his own serve off) which will surely be an off-season focus but couldn't really hope for a better "coming out season" on the ATP and rising in the rankings steadily to set himself up for next year

Thiem only got vaccinated last Friday

https://www.krone.at/2545752

it's game on between Djokovic and Fucsovics

Back on serve in the final set 3-2

Solid robust player Fucsovics who has a game that can trouble Djokovic

But Djokovic comes through as the difference in class tells eventually.

Just watching Musetti there losing against the unheralded journeyman Duckworth

Have rarely seen such a half-hearted player on the ATP

I called it when Musetti just quit on the court against Djokovic at Roland Garros that he wouldn't go far, despite protestations here I recall

Since that he has done absolutely nothing, going out in the first or second round wherever he goes

It later turned out of course that he had in fact, quit for no reason other than he just felt like it

https://tennishead.net/musetti-retired-because-couldnt-win-a-point-musetti-admits-he-was-not-injured-against-djokovic/

Big job for a sports psychologist right there

Alcaraz beats Sinner (who had broken into the ATP Top 10 this week at a younger age than Federer).

Alcaraz got lucky in the first set tie-break with some net-cord help but he got there after coming back from a break down. Big composure on the big points in evidence again.

Such variety in his play also.

The movement of Alcaraz took Sinner's net game out of the equation effectively and forced him to force the baseline shots so he missed more.

Alcaraz is perturbing for opponents in terms of how quickly he can get around the court and disrupts their normal game plan.

When he gets around to developing a good serve he will be a beast.

Future of men's tennis is assured with Alcaraz around in any case.

He's the genuine article, no flash-in-the-pan.

Would love to see him come up against Djokovic when he has his serve in order, before Djokovic fades too much.

yerwanthere123

It's a bit disappointing that Alcaraz-Sinner weren't put on Centre Court. You'd think given the fears about men's tennis when the big 3 retire they'd have hyped this one up to the max.

I know it's easy to say this about any young up and coming player when they're breaking through and playing without fear, but he really does look like he'll be around for a long time to come. At this very early stage I think he'll have a better career than Sinner, just got bigger weapons with more variety too.

Zverev doing a Medvedev New York 2019 on the Bercy crowd.

Bring it on gestures etc

I know of someone who won't approve

His NOT No.1 fan.

She'd have a whale of a time if he lost.

Dimitrov blew 7 break points in the third set.

Truly a baby Fed in that regard.

Zverev converted his one.

https://i.imgur.com/aLHyALn.png

yerwanthere123

F*cking hell. We've gone from obsessing over the lineswoman who got struck in the throat last year, to Naomi Osaka and now Catherine Whitaker, complete with weight jibes. Such sad stuff, why isn't this thread moderated any more 😭

Anyway, interesting match between Korda and Medvedev there. Korda obviously a great prospect but not yet experienced enough to hang with players like Medvedev in longer rallies on slow courts. I hope he's a factor going forward though.

Alcaraz and Gaston coming up now, will be interesting to see how Alcaraz handles the crowd. Although he overcame Herbert in the first round so he does have some experience this week already.

Well she's not afraid to throw her opinions about on players so as an ever-increasing presence as a public figure she is not immune to comment herself!

That's the way it works for precisely any person in the media.

If Sharon Ní Bheoláin appeared on the news looking like someone who ate her sister it wouldn't escape comment.

Some great points in the Alcaraz - Gaston match

Tough crowd literally and Gaston is so fast

Not your typical tennis match

yerwanthere123

Um, so yeah. After being up 5-0 in the second set, Alcaraz loses it 5-7, including a streak of 17 consecutive lost points. Gaston wins 6-4 7-5. Hopefully a tough lesson that he'll be able to learn from and not something that'll linger in the mind.

Tough day at the office for Alcaraz

The entire crowd pretty much cheering your every missed serve, nevermind shot not easy for sure especially not having faced anything like that before

Even the New York crowd at their worst don't get that bad!

They got him

Gaston is an interesting player but Medved will tear him apart most likely in the next round

Medvedev is well-versed in handling home crowds

Probably will work out an experience that will stand to him for Alcaraz in the long run that Ferrer will debrief him on

Good response

He'll never lose to Gaston in his career ever again I will predict

Hope the octopus / giraffe Medvedev shuts up the frogs this evening

https://www.instagram.com/p/CV5DOw8qmsh/

yerwanthere123

The French crowd lustily cheering missed first serves 😬

Medved hitting 80% FS so not much net cheefing and Gaston couldn't put his foot on the piston to take his chances in the first set - had 2 set points and netted a couple of drop shots when it would have been better to play the percentage

Now a break up in set 2 it's hard to see Gaston getting back in

Medved showing how to deal with the crowd by setting his own pace of doing things

Big serve very useful on these occasions

Alcaraz will have to pose more of a threat in that area

Double break

She'd be safe to break into song in the Amazon studio

lostcat

that second set was good fun

That crowd are brutal

Far worse than RG at its worst because it's indoors

Don't know how Medvedev managed to get over the line there in that "atmosphere"

Glad he did it

yerwanthere123

Medvedev must be one of the most experienced now at getting through awful crowds, at least in recent times anyway. Bloody hell.

3 Top 4 Seeds and 4 Top 8 Seeds in the semis.

Love to see it.

"That's how many fooks I give"

Medvedev pictured last night just after beating the French crowd (and Gaston)

A new celebration never seen before from him

Speculation that it's some sort of Russian "screw you" involving an elephant joke with the pockets being the ears and the trunk well ... you know.

Said that it was an "in-joke" when asked but refused to elaborate!

Wow, a real nail-biter of a match between Djokovic and Hurkacz but Djokovic did it - amazing that he can still do it and by playing so few tournaments

Serious pressure in the tie-break and Hurkacz  was a beast at the net and serving big and pushed Djokovic all the way but you just can't bet against Djokovic coming through these high-level encounters when it's a close match

1 match point, job done

He now breaks the record that he shared with Sampras - will now have 7 years as year-end world number 1

That's why that match was so big

Sampras had it all his own way with 6 years in a row whereas Djokovic had to face much greater competition to do this

Could be a harder record to beat than 20 slams even

(also has most wins as ATP No.1 now too - another Fed record gone)

"Meddy" dispatches Zverev with aplomb

Will Djokovic be able to give him a match tomorrow?

Could go either way - Djokovic might just be relieved to get the year-end record and not be as up for it - hard to tell?

Mightn't be able to match "The Octopus" even if he is up for it.

He should have a lot more in the legs than in the US Open final in any case.

TomSweeney

And thats that .. well done Medvedev ..

Sad, playing just enough to get you by works via Fritz,Fucsovics, Hurcasz etc ... might have even worked v Zverev.

But not against this beast Medvedev.

There goes AO defense too ... that's assuming they even allow him enter the country ...

Great match so far - break and break back, it's on serve

Medvedev is such a unique player - he has a completely unorthodox style

He looks so awkward, his shots look so awkward but a great player - has a very similar style to Djokovic in terms of will wait patiently in a rally

Huge reach from anywhere

Big serve

Medvedev favourite here for sure as I said before the match

Hopefully the quality continues in it to the end.

Medved takes the set

Tough to see Djokovic winning now without something special and I'm sure he is the zone even to do it having got the 7 Year-End No.1 record - Medved is as good a consistent and effective defender as Djokovic and has a bigger serve and that reach

As the commentators said - Nadal hasn't won 1 set against Djokovic on a hard court in 19 sets, Medved has won 4 in a row against him

Djokovic breaks.

Can he follow it up.

Some quality really. From both players.

It's a bit sad that a quite a few people don't understand the quality of Djokovic's play.

His pure technique, movement, reading of the game, shot selection and defence ability to make the opponent play that "one more ball" when 99% of others would have already lost the rally is astounding.

WHAT A GAME to take that second set

Djokovic hit a couple of outs but the sheer quality and courage of those multiple volley winners from Djokovic in that game were as good as anything someone like Federer has ever done at the net.

Medvedev is able to Djokovic the Djokovic - still have Medved favourite here in the third but superb tennis.

Having the balls and ability to try to come up with a solution to him and take that second set though was amazing stuff.

No other player would have taken that set from Medved there.

Medved is the Russian but Djokovic is the one who played the master-class chess there to get the break in the third to go 3-2 on his serve.

Using the slice to jinx Medved's rhythm after hitting the winners earlier in the game

Way to go still.

But Djokovic has broken him again.

Medved has cracked.

But it was Djokovic who broke him.

It's looking like a done deal.

One of Djokovic's great performances really.

Problem-solved on the fly like a boss maestro

Was really under the cosh from Medvedev and somehow did it

The sheer quality of it - what a match point even

Huge amount of winners in the match from both sides

WTA doesn't bear comparison - not even the same sport

Brilliant brilliant match

Most masters titles - another record.

The legend just gets bigger and bigger and the GOAT argument more and more redundant

Privileged to have these 2 guys at the top with a great rivalry producing top top-level tennis like that