2022 In Between Grand Slam Thread

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118898491#Comment_118898491

He is rightfully third favourite for the French open. When Nadal and djoc do go it's hard to see who has the tools to consistently compete with him on clay. Possibly a year too soon for him though.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118898565#Comment_118898565

Still a little short on 5-set tennis

He should have beaten Berrettini at the AO but some shot selection over the 5 sets let him down

But he has improved again since then

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118898820#Comment_118898820

I agree with you. Its a big step up in terms of stamina going from the 3 sets to the 5 sets and it is not something that can be training can solve, it is more about building up the stamina over the 5 set matches. I always think the older players on the tour always have the advantage in 5 setters because of the amount they have played they have the experience and know how on how to get through those matches that they younger players don't have. We have seen it time and time again with the more experienced players beating the up and coming players in the 5 matches.

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118897694#Comment_118897694

I am surprised the amount of players that are with Mouratoglu. Surely professional players would want a coach working exclusively with them and not sharing the coach with a few other players. How many players is Mouratoglu involved with?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118899356#Comment_118899356

that has been true, especially with players like Zverev but I get the impression that Alcaraz will be a much quicker learner in this regard.

he has already gone to the 5th set a couple of times in his short career.

have never really seen him run out energy tbh - it was just some bad shot selection at times (not constructing the point to his advantage)

Djokovic and Alcaraz on a 1/4 final collision course

Hopefully that happens

https://i.imgur.com/31gfOg9.png

Slashermcguirk

Everyone talking about an Alcaraz vs Djokovic QF. I just dont see it happening. Alcaraz for me is the huge favourite to win the tournament, especially with Nadal not there. I can see Djokovic going out early before the QF. It doesnt matter how great a player you are, you cannot just expect to rock up playing one small tournament in 4-5 months and expect to beat the best players. I think it will take a run of tournaments to get Djokovic back to where he needs to be and he will probably have to experience a few early round defeats in the coming weeks. Hopefully for tennis, we have a really strong Djokovic back for the French open, I just think its so important to have the best players playing at their best at the grand slams. It doesnt matter whether you like a player or not, Djokovic is box office and an all time great and I think you really miss those top players not being there at the biggest tournaments. Obviously it was all his own fault with not getting vaccinated but not having him at the Oz open definitely took away from the tournament. It would be like Rafa not playing at the French or Federer back in the day not being at Wimbledon, you gotta have the best players there.

It will be interesting to see if Alcaraz can claim back to back masters series this week.

Who knows exactly what state Djokovic will be in mentally and tennis-wise until he plays

The bookies aren't exactly known for being morons though and him and Alcaraz are pretty much neck-and-neck with Djokovic actually a slight favourite for the title

https://www.oddschecker.com/tennis/atp-monte-carlo/winner

Djokovic only has to win 2 matches to get to the quarters so a pretty good chance of it happening

The winner of the Goffin / Agut match will provide the most resistance

Goffin showing some form winning a 250 there in Morocco having been in the tennis wilderness for a long time

yerwanthere123

Been a bit of a quiet week. Bencic seems to finally be over her post-Covid wobbles, nice title in Charleston after a SF run in Miami. Jabeur is now 1-4 in finals. Can't believe David Goffin is 31 now, but I suppose he has been around a long time. Approaching ten years since his breakout run to the RG 4th round as a lucky loser.

On to this week, Raducanu will be playing BJK Cup for Britain. Think it's her first time playing on clay in four years, good luck with that 😬 Meanwhile, I think the loaded Monte Carlo draw is where most people's attention will be this week. All eyes will be on how Djokovic will play, really hope we get to see the projected QF with Alcaraz. Wouldn't be surprised to see Djokovic lose early here, or even in Madrid and Rome, but I do expect by RG time he'll have played himself into form. Best of 5 in Paris will obviously help in this regard.

Girly Gal

I think Djokovic will be fine, probably will be ring rusty alright, but, will at least get as far as Alcaraz and will probably overcome him too in a bit of a battle. Nadal for example came back from a long layoff and was unbeaten until a few weeks ago, we've seen the top players in recent years come back from long layoffs and be competitive straightaway.

josip

Djokovic lost in straight sets in Dubai at the end of February to Vesely.

So nothing is guaranteed in Monte Carlo.

Djokovic really lacking his trademark consistency and some ill-advised shot selection in the first set against the physical Spaniard as he loses the first set.

Windy conditions and the lack of game time showing for sure.

Needs to up the level to get more out of this tournament where he needs the matches.

Slashermcguirk

By all accounts Djokovic is playing awful today and I knew this would happen. You cant just expect to rock up playing no competitive tennis for months. One tournament in over 4 months is just not going to cut it at this level. His only chance is to make a deep run closer to French open but I do think he could lose early in a few tournaments before then.

Really hope he comes back to form but I am starting to think more and more that choosing to not vaccinated could end up being the thing that costs him finishing with the most slams. He would almost certainly have won the Australian open had he chose to get vaccinated but I think its going to be tougher and tougher for him now. I really do hope he returns to form but its going to be a tough road back.

For the mean time I am sure the tournament sponsors are dreading this early exit for Novak with Nadal also gone.

Djokovic pulls a winner out of the bag in the tie-break to level it at 1-set all

Really windy on this stadium court - very much not the ideal first match back

DF is very speedy around the court too - cuts out a lot of the drop-shot options, especially when out of practice

Lots still miles off in the Djokovic game, particularly on his own serve, but showing some improvement over the match

Poor service game there to go a break down

... and he's out

Djokovic didn't really care by the last game at all

Tons of calibration work for Djokovic to do if he's to get back near the player he was.

A good run in Belgrade very much required.

josip

I understand the point being made about needing some match practice, but it's not as if he's been off for 12 months and getting his body cut open like Murray or Federer.

He's had a few weeks off, could have practiced with any number of top players to stay sharp during those weeks, but has bombed badly in both tournaments since the AO debacle. He's got bigger issues to sort out than just winning a few matches I think.

Time will tell

The whole Australian experience was very scarring - plenty of baggage there as you'd expect

Miles off his game in any case

So many errors

Bad shot selection

Return of serve had no depth

josip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917518#Comment_118917518

Yeah lots there for Vajda to work on. Oh, wait...

Girly Gal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118916970#Comment_118916970

Nadal came back from a similar amount of time out due to injury, won his first tournament back and then the AO, so it can be done. Djokovic will have benefited hugely from today and will be better next time out for it. If he avoids injury, I have no doubt by the time RG rolls around he'll be ready to defend his title, he and Nadal (if fit) will be the ones to beat there.

yerwanthere123

Happy but surprised to see Djokovic lose today, I thought he'd have made it to the QF's at least. As Girly Gal said above though he'll likely have played himself into form by the time RG rolls around.

cudsy1

Anyone know how many matches he has played since US open last September? Tour end in London, not much else right?

yerwanthere123

Alcaraz not playing particularly well against Korda, but has managed to to drag it to a final set.

yerwanthere123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118919586#Comment_118919586

17 matches, 13 in 2021 after the US Open and just 4 this year. 5 matches to win the Paris Masters, 4 matches to get to the SF's in Turin and 4 match wins at Davis Cup. And in 2022, 3 matches to lose in the Dubai QF's and of course just the one match in Monte Carlo.

Floppybits

There goes that 1/4 final of Djokovic vs Alcaraz. Alcaraz knocked out by Korda.

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118919082#Comment_118919082

First competitive game in a long while you would expect him not be as match sharp and even a little of pace fitness wise. A lot of tennis to be played between now and the french that I reckon he will be back to normal levels by the then. He will probably look to play Barcelona or Serbia next week after being knocked out early this week just to get in some more game time before the big ones of Madrid and Rome.

Royale with Cheese

I've fourth round tickets for Roland Garros and need Alcaraz to be seeded 9 or lower to have a chance of watching him play Nadal or Djokovic so delighted with that 😀

Surprising one Korda beating Alcaraz

Might look at some of it later

Will be interesting to see if Djokovic can up his consistency next week in Serbia

The last time that he was out of tennis for a period after surgery it took him a while to get back into it

sxt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118916970#Comment_118916970

Djkovic will probably canter into semi finals of French open. Who's going to step up and beat him in early rounds? Nadal and Alcaraz (next gen after next gen) only players that could physically compete with him in a semi or final there. Tsitipas could also compete with djok in French open but only if is was not in the final. So that's three players

As for Wimbledon, djkovic is usually a bigger favourite for wimby than he ever was for the Australian open . Even right now in his current form he an overwhelming favourite at 1/1.. Medvedev is 2nd favourite at 8/1. The only person that could beat him there would be Shouda injuree

sxt

poppy37

Didn’t see the match but good to see that Radacanu beat Martincova in the Fed cup today. Hopefully it’s the start of her season turning around. I’m not a fan of clay so will only be popping in and out of the thread for the foreseeable.