ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 5:57 pm
He gave Novak a good fight at the USO, which, I believe, was the reason Novak lost the final.
He beat Medvedev at the WTF, and could have beaten him twice with a little luck. So I really do not see, right now, too much difference between Zverev and Medvedev, in terms of possibilities. And he is getting his confidence back in his serve, which was his weakness in 2020.
I agree with you with the "due" concept. It has failed too many times. But he is playing well, so I don't mind giving him the same chance as Danill.
If Novak shows up, this will be one of those slams in which the draw will be very important. Wherever #3 lands will be huge for the finals.
Notice, too, how we are not even talking about Tsisipas, Berrettinni, Rublev or any other. It is telling, either of our myopia, or the separation between the top three and the rest.
I think it's the separation. Novak and Medvedev have better results. They have proven they can come through. I believe Sascha can realistically beat either of those guys on hard court in B5, but I think the chances of it actually happening are fairly low. Lower than 50/50.
Agree about Sascha's serve. Just not sure about his nerve.
I don't think Rublev, Berrettini, or Tsitsipas can realistically do it in B5. It would be a pretty big upset. Tsitsipas only because he's coming back from a surgery, but it appears to have been pretty minor, so maybe he's okay. I give Hurkacz as good a chance as those guys since he beat Federer at Wimbledon and has a big upset under his belt. I feel like Berrettini should be able to win those quarters and semis, too. I don't know what it is about the matchup with Novak that tips the scale for him so much. Maybe his return but I also think it's a lack of Matteo's belief. At both Wimbledon and the US Open, Berrettini won the first set against Novak then lost 4, 4, and 3 and 2, 2, and 3. At the French, Novak got him in four also, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5. If Berrettini can get through a draw without having to play Novak, I think he can win.