'22 RG Day 1 OoP & Discussion

[Deuce]

Muchova beat Monnet 3 and 3, but it was a very high quality match. Muchova needed a 10 minute service game and 4 match points before she closed it out.

This was actually only Monnet's second WTA main draw (and first in a Major). She's from France, and so took advantage of her main draw appearance in this home Major - she was signing autographs and posing for photos and talking with fans for at least 15 minutes after the match - long after Muchova had left the court.

She was still signing and posing and talking when Teichmann and Pera came to the court and were doing the coin toss for their match . It was quite funny - and wonderful to see...

And, yes - Felix is in very deep trouble, down 2 sets to love now (2 and 2).
He has got to be the most inconsistent male player on the tour. Every time it looks certain that he's 'turned the corner' and 'gotten over the hump', he throws in a complete dud or two...
Sigh...

[meganfernandez]

...

Mugu is up an early break and I’m falling for the trap that she might catch fire and win the tournament. She’s in the bottom half, so….

Do that at your own risk. It might affect your sanity, though
The scoreline looks promising...

Too late, I'm already set up to be disappointed if Mugu doesn't pull this out. If she does, I hope it gives her some confidence. She is playing pretty well. She had definitely had the edge in the match and needs to hold off Kanepi in the third. It will come down to nerves.

[Tolulops]

Just heard commentators say on Radio RG that Felix has never won a main draw match at Roland Garros... Can that possibly be true? If so... Ouch.

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[meganfernandez]

Muchova beat Monnet 3 and 3, but it was a very high quality match. Muchova needed a 10 minute service game and 4 match points before she closed it out.

Thank goodness because I took Muchova the SP and two of my other options had already won before I even woke up.

[jazzyg]

FAA is down 6-2, 6-2 to a player I've never heard of.

[meganfernandez]

Just heard commentators say on Radio RG that Felix has never won a main draw match at Roland Garros... Can that possibly be true? If so... Ouch.

Correct, but this is only his third year in the main draw. Lost in qualies in 2018, didn't play in 2019, lost to Nishioka in 2020 and Seppi in 2021. He did win one qualifying match in 2018.

[jazzyg]

As for Jabeur, once a loser, always a loser, even though I love her game, too, and had her going to the final.

She has been a choke artist throughout her career and reverted to form today.

Kinda harsh. If she had hit the overhead at 40-love just a little better, not right back to Linette, she probably wins the match. One match or one swing of the racket doesn't define her. I know it's frustrating when you are counting on a player for predictions, though.

You have it reversed. She hit the overhead into the ground because she is a loser. She did not lose because she hit the overhead into the ground.

I have seen her blow more matches than any other top player. There is a reason she took forever to win her 1st tourney. I hope her recent brilliant stretch was a sign of consistency, but today gives me pause. Maybe this was just a result of overplaying,

Her opponent today also struggles mightily to close out matches from winning positions.
,
I

[meganfernandez]

As for Jabeur, once a loser, always a loser, even though I love her game, too, and had her going to the final.

She has been a choke artist throughout her career and reverted to form today.

Kinda harsh. If she had hit the overhead at 40-love just a little better, not right back to Linette, she probably wins the match. One match or one swing of the racket doesn't define her. I know it's frustrating when you are counting on a player for predictions, though.

You have it reversed. She hit the overhead into the ground because she is a loser. She did not lose because she hit the overhead into the ground.

I have seen her blow more matches than any other top player. There is a reason she took forever to win her 1st tourney. I hope her recent brilliant stretch was a sign of consistency, but today gives me pause. Maybe this was just a result of overplaying,

Her opponent today also struggles mightily to close out matches from winning positions.
,
I

I'm talking about the first overhead in that game, not the one she dumped into the net. She hit it right back to Linette, same with the next high volley, and Linette passed her. I think that affected her on the next overhead, which she flubbed badly.

For me, this isn't a bad loss, just disappointing. It was super close and she got edged out. Could have won but that's tennis. She has won lots of close matches, too. It's all about one's personal perspective and relativity. The way I look at it, no one who gets to her level is a loser or a choker.

[Deuce]

Muguruza just snatched defeat from the jaws of victory...

[meganfernandez]

Muguruza just snatched defeat from the jaws of victory...

Ouch ouch ouch. She looked like a contender for a hour-plus. I was already dreaming... I'd say no shame in losing to Kanepi, but there's a tad bit of shame with the lead and form Mugu had until Kanepi raised her game. Oh well. I'm not in the mood to be hard on players these days. It's a brutal sport and there are a lot of great players out there.

[ponchi101]

Muguruza just snatched defeat from the jaws of victory...

Ouch ouch ouch. She looked like a contender for a hour-plus. I was already dreaming... I'd say no shame in losing to Kanepi, but there's a tad bit of shame with the lead and form Mugu had until Kanepi raised her game. Oh well. I'm not in the mood to be hard on players these days. It's a brutal sport and there are a lot of great players out there.

The problem for me is that there is a pattern. Mugu has been wining first sets handily, and then it is not that the wheels fall off; it is the wheels, the engine, the transmission, everything. She falls apart terribly.
And this was quick (meaning the way the match played out). I saw she was up, started doing a couple of things (and, of course, ESPN L. America will rather show a Div4 Peruvian soccer match than actually show women's tennis, so I can't watch the match), and then you guys posted that she had lost. In a blink.
I guess the sole thing she is good for is for YCWJ. She is becoming a solid wooden spoon contender.

[meganfernandez]

Muguruza just snatched defeat from the jaws of victory...

Ouch ouch ouch. She looked like a contender for a hour-plus. I was already dreaming... I'd say no shame in losing to Kanepi, but there's a tad bit of shame with the lead and form Mugu had until Kanepi raised her game. Oh well. I'm not in the mood to be hard on players these days. It's a brutal sport and there are a lot of great players out there.

The problem for me is that there is a pattern. Mugu has been wining first sets handily, and then it is not that the wheels fall off; it is the wheels, the engine, the transmission, everything. She falls apart terribly.
And this was quick (meaning the way the match played out). I saw she was up, started doing a couple of things (and, of course, ESPN L. America will rather show a Div4 Peruvian soccer match than actually show women's tennis, so I can't watch the match), and then you guys posted that she had lost. In a blink.
I guess the sole thing she is good for is for YCWJ. She is becoming a solid wooden spoon contender.

Yeah that pattern is problematic. Something in the way she is competing. Maybe belief, maybe losing focus. It’s nice to see that the game is still very much there. Would love to know from her, honestly, what she thinks the problem is, but she doesn’t explain too much, at least not in English pressers.


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[ponchi101]

Felix coming back. Up an early break in the 4th.
And Varillas is no longer hitting winners all over. Still a long way to go, but if Felix pushes this to 5, he will get it. I don't see this kid being able NOT to think "I just blew away a two sets lead"

[Deuce]

Yes... When Felix went up 4-1 in the 3rd, I said "He's got this match now" - because of his opponent's inexperience at this level, as well as when Felix gets on a roll, he's very good.

It's just too bad that he so often needs to fall into a deep hole before he wakes up. And he has discovered that not all opponents will allow him to wake up easily.

On another subject... I know it's only the first day, but in all the matches I've watched today, these ball kids are among the fastest and most efficient I've ever seen.
Let's see if they tire and slow down in the second week...

[Suliso]

I'm as surprised as all of you with Jabeur losing. In retrospect indeed one could cite her inability to close out matches in the past and also that her game is flashy, but could be overwhelmed by a more powerful player when not firing on all cylinders. It's easy to say that afterwards, though.

Muguruza losing doesn't surprise me. She has been playing at low level recently.