Open to correction, I never realised that most of the trophy replicas that the major tournament winners receive, also have all the names engraved on them.
I say most, because the AO replica doesn't seem to extend to the plinth, so doesn't have any names, unlike the Wimbledon replica which does include the plinth.
The ball is rolling back towards reality in the head and tone of a certain player it seems.
Quite the change indeed.
It was Covid's fault, can't remember exactly but "wonderings" are going on and Afghanistan events reality-check explicitly mentioned!
She's now grateful again to be a top female tennis player pulling in $50 million sponsorship per annum from Japan.
Maybe it was all a dream.
All of the big guns (except Berrettini (5) ) through to the men's quarters in Cincinnati.
A lot of points on offer to get closer to Djokovic at no.1 who won last year but not there to defend.
Medvedev and Tsitsipas leading the way.
Osaka out to the world number 76
Oh dear, Nadal out of the US Open and the rest of the season with the foot injury. Djokovic-Medvedev final then?
Aged 35 now, the beginning of the end for Nadal?
Looks like the end of an era, Nadal and Federer missing large chunks of the tour, Federer more or less gone already (might make a Wimbledon farewell next year) and Nadal is playing less and less outside the clay court season.
Djokovic still looks like he'll be around a few years yet, but, also at an age where injuries will be more difficult to comeback from and age will start to catch up with him, he's not going to improve at this stage of his career (doesn't need to), just try to maintain his level (which is still higher than his challengers) for as long as he can.
This year is beginning to feel like a wake. With Nadals withdrawal it has (finally) forcibly dawned on me that the big 3 really are almost finished (if Federer and Nadal actually come back at all.. )
I was really looking forward to one last hurrah with a Nadal/Djokovic US Open final for 'first to 21'...(maybe with Federer caught on camera in the crowd or something..🙄)
I don't especially care which of the three ends up on with the most slams and the GOATsh#t stuff. I was invested in them as a group, tethered together in a decade long, 60-act play of excellence, drama, bloodymindedness and supreme tennis. That's over, folks.
Djokovic / Nadal at the French is probably the last meaningful epic we will see for a long long time. Zverev/Tsisipas/Medvedev can't lay a glove on it....getting a bit depressed now 😐️
I've never been fans of any of the big three and was looking forward to whenever they'd be out of the game. I always assumed that the game would move on and someone else would be able to take over. Not be as good as them obviously, but good enough to prop up the sport in their absence. Doesn't look like it's gonna happen any time soon though unfortunately, it does look a bit ominous for when they retire.
Nadal's style is obviously very attritional on the body but he will be back.
He's too dogged not to come back.
But he has a lot of miles on the clock.
Medvedev looking in very good form on the hard courts.
Disposed of Carreño in very short order.
Djokovic taking a month out from playing until the US Open since the Olympics.
He will be hoping for a favourable early draw.
Gave up a lot of ATP points by skipping big tournaments that he won last year also but probably not too focused on the the ranking right now and assuming a deep run at the US Open he will gain there in any case as awarded 0 points last year.
Can't see Medvedev beating Djokovic at the USO, he was on a good winning streak going into the AO final and was soundly beaten, reckon the same would happen if they meet in USO, not sure Medvedev will ever win a slam. I think once Djokovic gets over the first few rounds he'll be very hard to beat, seems he's more vulnerable in the earlier rounds before he's fully up and running.
I think Zverev has the game to trouble Djokovic the most and should take confidence from his Olympic games win, but, he's so flaky even within matches, I wouldn't be all that confident he'll even get as far as Djokovic as he's always liable to a shock defeat. Tsitsipas has a poor record at the USO, so don't see him as a serious contender and hard to see where else a challenge can come from, possibly Berrettini, but, again wouldn't see him as a serious threat.
Would have been more interesting if a fit Nadal was there as he'd probably be the biggest obstacle to Djokovic's calendar slam and would have been great to see them go again at it (would still expect Djokovic to come out on top there).
Medvedev to never win a slam? Not sure I'd agree with that.
He's 25, and only made a couple of slam finals, he's not going to win a FO or Wimbledon, so only USO an AO are his likely chances to win and until Djokovic slps he's unlikely to beat him in a slam, also it hasn't been Djokovic or Nadal that's stopped him reaching slam finals, he's been losing to fairly ordinary players. Of course his chances will improve when Djokovic does drop his level, but, I still wouldn't be that confident of him winning a slam
Medvedev is second favourite for the US Open with the bookies and the bookies know their sports very well
He actually has a decent record against Djokovic on the hard courts outside that time they met in Australia
Rublev takes out Medved in Cincinnati
Zverev and Tsitsipas don't like each other lol
Tsits went off to the jacks after the first set with all his bags / stuff
Did the same thing at RG to Zverev after down 2 sets
Zverev gave out to umpire vocally who stamped down on Tsits at end of second set when he was going to do it again - was told he would be given code violations so didn't move!
Tsitsipas break ahead third now
wow - belter of a match
Tsits up 2 breaks in the third and had another break point to go to 5-1
Looked all over
Zverev looked ill, called a doctor and eventually barfed off court
Then somehow rallied back to level it at 5 apiece
He's served to go 6-5 ahead now
Zverev takes the breaker
Great comeback by him really
Very good match and contest
Gracious at the end with comments to Tsits who seems to rub up some players the wrong way (Medved and he have a long-running "feud")
Zverev defeats Stefanos and Apostolos, into the final to play Rublev.
Glad to see Tsitsipas lose after all the antics. Rooting for Rublev in the final though!
Can anyone tell me where to watch the final please?
I sent you a message
Tsitsipas can certainly be a bit annoying at the least but if the price of that is some decent rivalries with a bit of an on-court edge with other top players Zverev and Medvedev then I'm all for it as it makes the matches more interesting without doubt.
Not guaranteed that Zverev will be able to summon top form in the final after his exertions and barfing against Tsitsipas but one thing is for sure is that he's looking less like the flake that he used to be and has fight in him these days.
Very hard to get behind Tsitsipas. From the wannabe edgelord stuff on social media to his extended toilet breaks and now probable cheating against Zverev. And as for his vaccination comments this week...
Great game obviously, but the man's a clown.
Zverev two breaks up after 3 games
First set is gone surely
This is nothing like the cracker of the match last night unfortunately
Rublev has no answer to Zverev
Done and dusted with 2 breaks up in the second
Zverev, MEdvedev or Tsitsipas , one of these lads will win the USO ...
Has Djokovic pulled out?
:D , don't see him winning it ... I think finally the new lads will have enough to beat him ...
Jaysus I turn my back for a second and it all kicks off with Zverev and Tsitsipas. Can't wait for the US Open to start now.
Certainly makes it interesting - Djokovic taking a month off will it backfire? It's an unknown even though he has been able to take the first 3 slams playing very few tournaments.
Was a bit of a false narrative imo between Djokovic and Nadal for the US Open in any case even if he (Nadal) would have been there - it's been 8 years since Nadal has last beaten Djokovic on a non-clay surface
It was always going to be most likely one of Zverev, Medvedev or Tsitsitpas would be the biggest danger.
With a player like Shapo also being a threat.
Djokovic will be hoping for an "ease-in" early draw for sure.
Having somebody like the mercurial (but equally gobshitish) Kyrgios set to face him early would make for an interesting tournament but not what Djokoivic would want!
Nadal did win the USO in 2019, so if he had been fit I think he would have posed the biggest threat as mentally he wouldn't crumble as the others are liable to do. I'd still expect Djokovic to beat Nadal, just that he'd pose a bigger threat. Of those left in the tournament I think Zverev poses the biggest threat now, but, he's very unreliable as are the others tbf, in all likelihood for any of them to win the USO they'll have to beat Djokovic at some stage, until one of them actually does beat Djokovic at a slam I'd be inclined to go with Djokovic.
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