2022 In Between Grand Slam Thread

Girly Gal · 03-04-2022 5:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118874589#Comment_118874589

There's a difference between winning a slam at 33 and two players pretty much dominating still in their mid thirties, Nadal came back from a long layoff and even said he didn't think he could win AO, but, still went on to win it against the player some were talking up as dominating the next few years because he won a slam against an out of sorts Djokovic.The next gen guys have proven themselves to be sub- standard in terms of being elite players. No one has a divine right to win a slam, but, the evidence is pretty damning on the next gen guys that we are already looking past them to Alcaraz. He could well win a slam before the likes of Zverev or Tsitsipas who are in their mid twenties and only have 2 slam final appearances between them and on both occasions didn't have to face either Nadal or Djokovic on the path to final.

Even when Djokovic, Nadal and Federer were in their prime, you still had the likes of Murray, Wawrinka and Del Potro ( when fit) pushing them, keeping them honest, you don't really have those type of players in the top 10 now.

03-04-2022 6:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118875042#Comment_118875042

That's the difference between Agassi (an excellent player) and two of the greatest ever players, levels above Agassi with all due respect to him, coupled with all the advances that I mentioned.

It's not rocket science.

People also tend forget that tennis is a stop-start sport with recovery periods after every point - athletes can compete at the highest level well into their 30's.

There always are young players.

The absolute vast majority of them are not going to be be greats.

As the greatest can't always be at their very best other very good players will get slams - like Medvedev.

The Thiem - Zverev decider was a low point for sure. A limp win there in a terrible "less greatest loser wins" final.

Medvedev hasn't been able to stay consistent like the greatest do - that is their greatest attribute as Medvedev recently said himself.

Some world events probably not helping.

He obviously choked massively in Melbourne being 2 sets up and having 3 break points on Nadal's serve.

That's on him.

Lost his focus before finishing the job and Nadal did well to take advantage.

03-04-2022 6:58pm

Nice of JCF to make a surprise early return after his father passing away recently for Alcaraz's first big final.

Cagey enough final so far.

Girly Gal · 03-04-2022 7:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118875270#Comment_118875270

We'll see a lot more "less greatest loser wins" finals in the next couple of years. We'll agree to disagree as my opinion won't change that men's tennis is at a low ebb, you obviously think differently, that's fine, don't want to clog up this thread going around in circles about it.

whiterebel · 03-04-2022 7:02pm

Hard to believe a Spaniard has never won Miami in 8 attempts. Good matchup here - Ruud really unloading with that forehand.

whiterebel · 03-04-2022 7:13pm

Good comeback and hold from Alcaraz. 4-1 down to take the set 7-5.

03-04-2022 7:48pm

Some kick serve that Alcaraz has at his disposal now.

As the commentators said there if he wins this he moves over 50% on his win record vs Top 10 players.

Incredible stat for a still 18 year-old on this tour.

He's going to be Top 10 himself soon enough

03-04-2022 8:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118875042#Comment_118875042

Don't remember anyone saying that Medvedev would dominate

The older 2 left are not dominating - Medvedev blew the AO hard - threw it away for Nadal to have it - that's not dominating

2 new winners of the big masters events - not Nadal or Djokovic

The new standard bearer of the future (barring injury etc) is already here -> Alcaraz

It will be up to others to match up to him over the years to come

He will drive the standard and that's his most important role

And before Djokovic and Nadal finish out hopefully there will also be a few great matches against him

03-04-2022 8:07pm

Another record for Alcaraz - youngest ever winner of the Miami Open Masters 1000 over its 37 year history

Takes the record by the best part of a year from Djokovic

3rd youngest Masters 1000 winner ever - just pipped by Nadal there

Great for him to take down the first final of that nature that he got to

Alcaraz should be set up for the clay court season - has the all-around game for it

Also the big servers aren't as effective at all on clay which plays to his advantage

whiterebel · 03-04-2022 8:10pm

Great win. Such a nice young fella, comes across really well. too. Number 11 tomorrow.

yerwanthere123 · 03-04-2022 11:15pm

Great win for Alcaraz, I wonder just how many more masters titles are to come.

Meanwhile I'd already forgotten that Fritz won Indian Wells 😬

04-04-2022 12:04am

Alcaraz into 3rd favourite for RG

whiterebel · 05-04-2022 1:56pm

They should get a lot tougher, but probably won't:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/60991658

05-04-2022 4:32pm

'cos who doesn't love a forehand missile montage

https://youtu.be/4qTLxQnvy6o?t=39

yerwanthere123 · 06-04-2022 8:31pm

Tsonga retiring at the French Open. Hasn't been a force many years now but will be sad to see him go.

yerwanthere123 · 06-04-2022 8:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118883656#Comment_118883656

Will believe this when I see it. The only thing that will start to work for repeat offenders are bans. You can fine them all the money in the world, it will make very little difference. Neither Kyrgios nor Zverev should be allowed play professional tennis right now.

poppy37 · 06-04-2022 8:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118890930#Comment_118890930

Exciting player to watch when on his game but every time his name is mentioned all that comes to my mind is his “women tennis players are mentally unstable due to their hormones”comment. Ironically it’s the male players aka Kyrios, Zverev, Fognini that provide a lot of the drama now. There was a social media campaign whereby every time a male player acted up on court he was bombarded with “hormones” tweets. That comment must have been made ten years ago at this stage.

yerwanthere123 · 06-04-2022 9:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118891054#Comment_118891054

Ha I remember that. I'd like to think it was something perhaps lost in translation, but either way I'd give him a pass for one questionable comment made about a decade ago 🙂

poppy37 · 06-04-2022 9:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118891088#Comment_118891088

Yeah I know he probably didn’t mean it to come out as misogynistic and insulting as it did but it’s always the first thing that comes to mind when his name crops up. I genuinely wish him well in his retirement, another flair player gone.

07-04-2022 12:50pm

The French haven't had a male grand slam winner in what will be 40 years in 2023.

Tsonga is yet another one for the list even though he was the one or of all the French players since 1983 who probably should have done it.

07-04-2022 1:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118891054#Comment_118891054

Male aggression in tennis has always been there since the 1970's with McEnroe being the most celebrated exponent then but also Connors also. Two top players involved there. And continues today.

Certainly Zverev went too far, even though I'm sure playing until 5am on his previous match didn't help. Lack of sleep does tend to make people far more prone to fly off the handle quite quickly but he should be punished of course as that behaviour can't be condoned.

Kyrgios is just a moron full stop.

On the WTA you're more likely to see crying (e.g. Osaka) or catty / bitchy stuff like the Ostapenko - Tomljanovic exchanges or on-court breakdowns like Azarenka the other week.

But "drama" was not remotely the context of the Tsonga's comment at all - it's spectacularly nothing to do with it!

Q. Seems like very often in the last four or five years on the men's side it's been the top four seeds getting to the semifinals. Hasn't happened that much on the women's side.

JO WILFRIED TSONGA: In tennis, you know, you cannot lie. You cannot lie. If they are No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, it's because they deserve it and because they are the best players at the moment. That's it.

Q. Do you have any sense of why it's not that much on the women's side?

JO WILFRIED TSONGA: You know, the girls, they are more unstable emotionally than us. I'm sure everybody will say it's true, even the girls (laughter). No? No, you don't think?

But, I mean, it's just about hormones and all this stuff. We don't have all these bad things, so we are physically in a good shape every time, and you are not. That's it.

It was a bit of a silly comment on his part (it was apparently a light-hearted press conference). He was alluding to the hormonal variances of the female physiology one would presume as a reason for variance in performance.

Of the course the question about the absolute inconsistency and at times, meaninglessness of seedings on the WTA is even more relevant coming up on 10 years later.

In fact the only player who did show consistency at a high-level over that period on the WTA was Serena Williams (although unrelated to this context as said, some woman for the aggression also at times. Probably fair to say that her testosterone levels were higher than the average woman)

Augme · 07-04-2022 1:32pm

What odds would people offer for Alcarez to claim the record for grand slam titles?

07-04-2022 1:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118893780#Comment_118893780

I think that such speculation at this juncture is sort of pointless

He could get injured
Who is to say that his motivation / desire / hunger will keep going for 15 years plus?
Will he be able to change his style of play as he gets older (he is not going to have that dynamic athleticism forever and indeed the toll on the body of that play is more severe
Don't know what his competition is going to be like / Will other players be able to find a way to beat him?

It's more relevant imo as he goes along to see what he can achieve, particularly in terms of beating existing records by age

Floppybits · 07-04-2022 7:25pm

Interesting move from Halep.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/serena-williams-coach-patrick-mouratoglou-to-work-with-simona-halep-1286680.html

Girly Gal · 07-04-2022 8:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118893780#Comment_118893780

Let him win one first ( which I'm sure he will), but, once Djokovic & Nadal are finished the record could be up around 24, 25, that's a lot of tennis, anything could happen in that time, injuries, form, someone else better comes along, he could retire early like Borg (or Barty recently).

I do think someone will eventually break the slam record set by Nadal or Djokovic, all it needs is for a dominant player to come along where he has no direct rival like Djokovic, Nadal & Federer had, they all took slams off each other at various stages of their careers, even if one of those hadn't come along, the other 2 world have won the bulk of those slams, pushing their totals towards 30.

Augme · 08-04-2022 9:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118893959#Comment_118893959

The reason I asked for odds is for people to speculate and to factor in those issues.

yerwanthere123 · 08-04-2022 11:20am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118895468#Comment_118895468

Could do with seeing less of this clown tbh. You'd wonder does it mean Serena isn't coming back? Although she was hinting at a Wimbledon return yesterday on Instagram, so who knows.

08-04-2022 1:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118893780#Comment_118893780

Are you looking to put on a twenty year bet with the bookies for Alcaraz to break the slam record!?

Personally think it's pretty pointless right now as said.

Factoring in all those factors is pretty unknowable.

Augme · 08-04-2022 1:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118898322#Comment_118898322

The odds a traditional bookmmaker would offer would be terrible value. Not sure I'd get anything beyond 25/1. I might ask anyway purely out of curiosity.

08-04-2022 2:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118898387#Comment_118898387

and you'd have to wait so long for a payout if ever.

Either way will be interesting to see what he can do on a clay court this year starting next week

I'm thinking that with the big servers losing some advantage on clay then it should suit Alcaraz's game.

He is already among the best if not the best drop-shotter on tour

2022 In Between Grand Slam Thread

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