Suliso wrote: ↑Sat May 10, 2025 1:36 pm
Swiatek has declined significantly since last year. Why I don't know...
I can't say either, but some things may be out of her control. The fear factor is gone. She no longer goes out (on clay) with one break in her pocket before the match starts.
The players that are beating her are hard hitters. I think it is JT here that says it best: she is a bully, and bullies do not like to be bullied. When she gets into two or three games that are even and she cannot impose her pace, she is the one shrinking.
Ashkor's assessment that her serve is not working seems to be on-the-money. The bunch of service return winners from Collins was high.
And, just maybe. As opposed to Rafa, Iga has too many players that do not like her. And that fuels the other player. Rafa went out there being respected; Iga goes out there being unliked. Maybe some of these players simply go out there and are able to focus better because they don't like her.
Anyway. It is not as if I am going to cry over her recent drop. And my assessment that she was good for 10 slams may have to be revisited. Too early for that, though.
I do not see Swiatek as a bully - what exactly in her behavior/demeanor gives you such vibes?
On the other hand - the list of players, who did not care for Rafa is/was rather long. And they had valid reason for their attitude - constant stalling, failing to follow servers pace, time abuse...
I didn't mean (and I don't think ponchi did either) a literal bully, just that she overwhelms players with her groundstrokes, but if anyone can neutralize them and fight back, she collapses.
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat May 10, 2025 2:49 pm
My wife, who is a good player but doesn't watch much, says Swiatek looks to have become very muscular..like Sakkari perhaps, or Chang..I wonder. What do people here think?
Her serve has certainly become too attackable, she should flatten it a bit, add pace..it is too spinny right now ..
I noticed the change in her physique too. I think Sakkari is too muscular and that it hinders her.
I also agree about her serve.
ETA: The other thing about Iga is that she needs to control the pace of the match. When she isn't allowed to do that she is easily frustrated and tries to regain control which leads to errors. I think the tour has finally realized that about her.
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
WTA - [1] Aryna Sabalenka vs [31] Sofia Kenin (USA)
Followed By
ATP - [8] Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) vs [28] Brandon Nakashima (USA)
ATP - [Q] Vilius Gaubas (LTU) vs [2] Alexander Zverev (GER)
Not Before 7 p.m.
WTA - [30] Linda Noskova (CZE) vs [7] Mirra Andreeva
Not Before 8:30 p.m.
ATP - Laslo Djere (SRB) vs [3] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)
Grand Stand Arena - start 11 a.m.
ATP - [13] Arthur Fils (FRA) vs [18] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)
Not Before 1 p.m.
WTA - [4] Coco Gauff (USA) vs [32] Magda Linette (POL)
WTA - [11] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) vs Bianca Andreescu (CAN)
ATP - [WC] Francesco Passaro (ITA) vs [23] Karen Khachanov
WTA - [26] Magdalena Frech (POL) vs [8] Qinwen Zheng (CHN)
SuperTennis Arena - start 11 a.m.
ATP - [24] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) vs [10] Daniil Medvedev
WTA - Emma Raducanu (GBR) vs Veronika Kudermetova
ATP - [5] Jack Draper (GBR) vs [Q] Vit Kopriva (CZE)
WTA - [10] Emma Navarro (USA) vs [22] Clara Tauson (DEN)
ATP - Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) / Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) vs [WC] Jacopo Berrettini (ITA) / Matteo Berrettini (ITA)
Pietrangeli - start 11 a.m.
WTA - [24] Leylah Fernandez (CAN) vs Marta Kostyuk (UKR)
ATP - Corentin Moutet (FRA) vs [9] Holger Rune (DEN)
Followed By
WTA - After suitable rest - [3] Sara Errani (ITA) / Jasmine Paolini (ITA) vs Leylah Fernandez (CAN) / Yulia Putintseva (KAZ)
ATP - [4] Marcel Granollers (ESP) / Horacio Zeballos (ARG) vs Yuki Bhambri (IND) / Robert Galloway (USA)
ATP - Matthew Ebden (AUS) / John Peers (AUS) vs Ariel Behar (URU) / Hugo Nys (MON)
Court 14 - start 11 a.m.
WTA - Storm Hunter (AUS) / Ellen Perez (AUS) vs Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) / Liudmila Samsonova
ATP - Reilly Opelka (USA) / Tommy Paul (USA) vs Sander Gille (BEL) / Jan Zielinski (POL)
WTA - Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR) / Eri Hozumi (JPN) vs Marta Kostyuk (UKR) / Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU)
Court 1 - start 11 a.m.
ATP - Sebastian Baez (ARG) / Alexandre Muller (FRA) vs [3] Kevin Krawietz (GER) / Tim Puetz (GER)
ATP - Flavio Cobolli (ITA) / Sebastian Korda (USA) vs [2] Harri Heliovaara (FIN) / Henry Patten (GBR)
ATP - Sadio Doumbia (FRA) / Fabien Reboul (FRA) vs Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) / Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG)
Not Before 2 p.m.
WTA - After suitable rest - Veronika Kudermetova / Elise Mertens (BEL) vs [4] Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) / Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
patrick wrote: ↑Sat May 10, 2025 9:11 pm
If Swiatek wins the French in a few weeks, I will bring this Rome thread back up saying she has declined
Even if she wins RG, her decline is quantifiable. She is losing not in finals but in 2R and SF's.
Is she still one of the top favorites at RG? Yes, she is. She has the pedigree and top players can turn it around at the top tournaments. But she is not going through clay tournaments like before.
Impressive as Peyton was, she doesn't seem all that comfortable at the net .. she is playing doubles, that will help, though doubles volleying is quite different ...
Was watching Sinner's highlights. Too early to tell, but he seems to be ok. Added some muscles probably, which was the only good thing about this break, because it allowed him to hit the gym extensively without compromising the game. We will see how he was affected mentally (if any) once he'll face some stiffer opposition.
She will always have that Wimby and that Aussie open final.
Yes, you are right. Another player that simply had her big moment and then, could not sustain it. Let's not forget Ons, once a verifiable threat on all surfaces.
But, they should look at Svitolina. Playing some of her best tennis at this "old" age. And they should talk to Connors, who went from 1978 to 1982 with no Slams, then captured 3. The game is cyclical, and they can come back.
Mayyyyyyybe.
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun May 11, 2025 2:45 pm
Does anybody know what that disagreement at the net between Tsitsipas and Fils was about?
Fils on what he and Tsitsipas said to each other at the net after their match in Rome “At the end you guys were talking, I’m sure there are no hard feelings.. Arthur: “I like him. He’s a great guy. A great champion. It was a bit tight in the middle of the 2nd set. He went for my body. It’s part of the game. There’s nothing wrong with it. I tried to find a way to fight. I found this kind of excuse to go and to fight. Ok, he told me at the end he wasn’t going for my body. I told him ‘I know it.’ It’s ok. It’s all good. I just needed to find a way to fight.”
Translation
