Talk About Tennis 2.0

just by the Youtube highlights - both Draper and Alcaraz hit too many drop shots against each other - and found out that, on a slow court, a good, high level player will reach anything.. both the dropper and the retriever won about the same percentage, that I could see. It made the points really entertaining, of course, and it was fun to watch. However, why do it? I suspect neither was able to hit through the other player's defense, and after 20 futile attempts, got frustrated and went for a destabilizing shot - the drop. Which is a double-edged sword, as they both found out.

It is time for the tours to speed up the courts (well, it has been time for me since around 2008). As you say, it gets to the point that you can't hit a winner. The players are hitting 25 shots, and 11 of them would have been clean winners in 1985. Nowadays, you have to keep playing until the point ends in an UE, which in the stats makes it look like the match was crap.
New stat that I would like to see: off ALL the strokes you hit, how many were errors. I would bet that both tours would scores in the mid 90%.

Plus, it would let S&V come back.

I watched extended highlights from that match. They did hit plenty of winners too just like it happens on clay too. Sure it often took 10+ shots to be in a position to do so.

After 2017 only Iga was winning Tier I (WTA 1000) events back-to-back.
She done it on 3 separate occasions (in one of those runs she won 3 such events in a row).
Neither Osaka, nor Barty or Sabalenka managed to do such a feat. Now Andreeva.
Last player before Iga who done this was Caroline Garcia in the fall of 2017 - she won Wuhan and Beijing. Prior to this the same year Svitolina won Rome and Toronto.

Now we pretty much expect her to win a Slam this year and reach min #3.

The Second Serve
‪@the2ndserve.bsky.social‬

Madison Keys in Melbourne:

R16 d. Rybakina
QF d. Svitolina
SF d. Swiatek
F d. Sabalenka

Mirra Andreeva in Indian Wells:

R16 d. Rybakina
QF d. Svitolina
SF d. Swiatek
F d. Sabalenka
March 16, 2025 at 4:32 PM

Oh, so they are just getting lucky draws then!

Draper wins Indian Wells with a dominant performance in the final - 6-2 6-2. This final was a coming out party for Draper, and also a demonstration as to why Rune has stalled the past year or so. Draper just bullied Rune around the court with his forehand, and Rune was never able to get into winning positions. Rune never had a break point.

The Tennis Letter
‪@thetennisletter.bsky.social‬
Mirra Andreeva becomes the 3rd woman to beat the world #1 and the world #2 in the same tournament before the age of 18.

Steffi Graf.

Serena Williams.

Mirra Andreeva.

Chills.

ti-amie wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 10:24 pm The Tennis Letter
‪@thetennisletter.bsky.social‬
Mirra Andreeva becomes the 3rd woman to beat the world #1 and the world #2 in the same tournament before the age of 18.

Steffi Graf.

Serena Williams.

Mirra Andreeva.

Chills.

Honest question... Do we distinguish between Graf beating Navratilova and Evert, Serena beating Hingis and Davenport, and Andreeva beating Sabalenka and Swiatek? Personally, I'd rank Graf's accomplishment #1, Serena's #2, and Andreeva's a rather distant #3. But I'm movable on this. (A little.)

I think #1 in the list is a shoo-in. #2 and #3 are certainly close!

Even I, who have been calling Andreeva a future champion for months, am astonished at how quickly she has got there. Reminds me a bit of Connors in 1974...or Secretariat (improving with every run)...she has everything, including s tennis brain capable of working things out mid-flight ...