'22 RG Day 8 OoP & Discussion

[ponchi101]

Side thought (I did not see the Anisimova/Fernandez match, just reading your comments).
This is one side effect of what happens when you retire in the third set for not apparent reason at a big tournament. You have a bigger game, more power, are physically stronger, but the other player simply thinks that you cannot beat her because you pulled that retirement-stunt in a previous match. The other player says "I don't even have to be winning, I only have to keep it close, and she will hand it over to me".
Maybe time to start adding Fernandez to that list of players: Ferrer, Diego, Mardy Fish, Errani (without the obnoxiousness). You may be better than them. But you have to prove it.

[meganfernandez]

Who's a favorite now? Fernandez or Stephens or even Gauff?

To me it’s Sloane’s to lose if she plays well, and I think she will. But Fernández is a close second.

Also:




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[meganfernandez]

Anisimova is a good player, but not a great fighter. Maybe she can still improve..

I think she can but this match isn’t going to help.


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[ponchi101]

Anisimova is a good player, but not a great fighter. Maybe she can still improve..

I think she can but this match isn’t going to help.


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That is the hardest thing to improve. The great ones are born with it.
In a totally unfair situation, Lendl used to be labeled as a choker. Why? Because he lost his first four Slam finals. Nobody noticed that he lost to Borg and Wilander @ RG, and twice to Connors @ the USO. And then be started winning those finals and the label was removed. In reality, he was always a very strong player. He just lost a few tough matches in the beginning of his career, to equally tough players.
So now, Anisimova seems unable to get past one player in particular. It will take a lot of work and at least one major victory over Fernandez at a high stakes match for her to get over that hump.

[Suliso]

Is her problem really just Fernandez? I don't think so.

[ponchi101]

Is her problem really just Fernandez? I don't think so.

Agree. Plenty of players can and have beat her too. I used Fernandez as an example.

[Suliso]

Unsurprisingly Gauff is having an easy time with Mertens. Just too big a difference in ability.

[meganfernandez]

Unsurprisingly Gauff is having an easy time with Mertens. Just too big a difference in ability.

Whoa, I didn’t see it coming. Didn’t know Gauff was in this form. First time this year she has won 4 matches in a row. Now I want to see her play Fernández.

Out of the SP but happy Gauff is playing this well.

She is telling Bartoli that she is honored to be interviewed by her, and remembers one time when Bartoli took time to sign an autograph for everyone (including Coco) after a hard match or practice.

[Suliso]

Stephens could be a factor too. We'll be able to judge better after her match tonight. So far her draw has been very easy.

[meganfernandez]

Stephens could be a factor too. We'll be able to judge better after her match tonight. So far her draw has been very easy.

Yes after she lost the first set in R1, she has cruised for the most part. Did drop a set to Cirstea. Gauff hasnt lost a set yet.

[ponchi101]

Changing subjects. Does anyone know or knows of some data to tell how frequently are the pros using the drop shot? By that I mean, what percentage of points are played in which a drop shot is deployed?
Not for a winner, necessarily. Just used during the point.

[meganfernandez]

Changing subjects. Does anyone know or knows of some data to tell how frequently are the pros using the drop shot? By that I mean, what percentage of points are played in which a drop shot is deployed?
Not for a winner, necessarily. Just used during the point.

Best bet is Tennis Abstract. I’ll tweet him and ask.


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[ponchi101]

Rafa's BH is nowhere to be found today.

[JazzNU]

Trevisan is also a fighter and with less game than Fernandez. Really maximising what she does have, I feel.

A Cibulkova?

No. I like Trevisan, but she doesn't pack anywhere near the same punch as Dominika.

[JazzNU]

I love Rafa, I want him today and to win the tournament. But I've started to feel really bad for players not named Rafa, Novak, Andy, Roger, and to a lesser extent now Carlos. I can't think of a sport where the league openly wishes for basically every other player (like Felix today, another player that I love) to lose a match so that you can get to Rafa v. Novak or Novak vs. Andy in Madrid.

In other sports, there are commentators that will surely wish for a certain matchup, i.e. Golden State Warriors playing the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. But will you ever see the official NBA account, site, or NBA exec publicly promoting that before each series is complete? Never. And yet the ATP, Grand Slams and Masters tournaments in particular do this constantly. It must be rough on other players to see your league basically hope and wish you give them a good and entertaining match, like Felix today, but also, want you to lose it in the end.