Rare, quick post, ya’ll. Sorry if we’re a little rough around the edges.
I really don’t pay much attention to the tour at this point and for good reason. The day-in-and-day-out grind is of pretty piss poor quality, which we talked about for years.
Seeing Zverev there in the QF against Djokovic left a familiar and funky taste in my mouth. He’s hardly even the bride at this point, and you have to give him props for being pretty consistent in these final 8s and 4s of big time tennis tournaments, but he’s practically the only one standing from THAT generation, which has just become part and parcel of the multi-generational refuse of elite men’s professional tennis.
Where are Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Thiem (we know), Ruud, Rune, Khachanov, Hurkacz, Rublev, Felix A.A., Shapovalov, Coric, et al.? The Americans have some potency in their stable with Paul and Tiafoe making an appearance at ’25 Roland Garros, but they and their countryman Fritz, though they are all solid talents, are apparently missing the boat on this next run at tennis immortality.
Because it’s all about Alcaraz and Sinner. Haven’t you heard? And from what I am gathering during this brief half-assed viewership of RG, “they are gurrrrrrreat!” (please get the Tony the Tiger reference, dear reader ;).
I saw the headline suggesting that someone suggested recently that those two are playing tennis at a level never before seen.
Dear reader . . . the media is so full of shit. Sorry I am not around more to call out some of this nut job click bait butt cheese. This kind of claim sits nicely with all the other bullshit we hear, the kind that deifies wealth, normalizes a cult leader’s credibility for the American Presidency, plunges millions of people into alternative realities, mental health crises and worse. It’s all terrifyingly leveraged to support a power structure that is not working on your behalf. But I digress . . .
Carlos is magnificent. His versatility, competitive genius, and charm are easy to appreciate.
Unfortunately, Sinner is more of an evolved Rublev, a taller, more handsome (I guess) ginger who sits on the baseline and hits the ball as hard as he can from both wings. He’s smart, plays defense, but much of his success is an effect of that 6′ 3″ stature. The guy can leverage a shot, but this is not some kind of historical sense of class or style.
We are likely to get a Carlos vs. Jannik final and this will likely be the case for most majors for many years to come. The tour is still pretty much a flea market for two to three haves to have their pick of the prizes at which the have nots haven’t a chance.
We went from the Big 3 to the big 1.5.
Which brings me to Novak. You could be a Nadal fangirl or a Fed head and sit there and pray Novak loses and goes away.
But stop for a second. This is old school jazz or classical music of the highest order. When you watch Novak compete (you always get your money’s worth with the Serb on the court, by the way), what are you really watching? You are watching the tale end (“tale” is purposeful, dear reader) of that era. Where did Novak get those skills? In the battles involving some truly great players, such as Roger and Rafa. Appreciate the tennis beyond your little members only card you clutch with your fanatical and fearful euphoria. Take a breath. Enjoy a cold beverage and watch some great tennis. That’s what turns us on. Right?
And his game has certainly evolved. It’s had to. And this versatility and variety (along with his insane resiliency) will be critical to this match.
As for these semi-finals, you have to agree that Carlos and Jannik will probably meet in the final. The quick lean there is to Carlos in the final given the surface. Carlos will be more difficult to beat on the natural surfaces while Jannik will be a monster on the HC.
But there’s a reason they play the match.
Musetti is a tremendous competitor and by sporting the one-hander you know he’s one of our favorites here at Mcshow (if you are unaware of this connection, search “one hander” in our blog’s search).
Indeed, the first SF should have a lot of class, a dish of Italian and Spanish depth and delight. Looking forward to this tilt on the pillow of my early June gloom here in southern California.
As for the heavy-weight bout, sure Sinner is the favorite, especially with his PED advantage (j/k ha ha ha blah blah blah). He’s younger, stronger and likely more motivated. His coaches are just as jacked as he is. It’s an intense camp, tough to like, really, especially from my old and erudite approach.
Part of the unlikability (a kind of arrogance or elitism) comes from his treatment by the governing bodies during that infamous drug scandal. It’s one thing to test positive twice, but another thing altogether, according to history and other tennis players’ experiences in the same situation, to have the cases resolved that allowed him to return to competition so quickly. Some players have had to wait months or years, during which they were suspended. That’s what Kyrgios, Rublev and Shapovalov et al. had such a problem with.
It is the same drug that San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis, Jr. was found to have taken and subsequently suspended by MLB for 80 games.
Being allowed to stay in the sport and compete? He won two majors and other tournaments, only to finally reach a deal where he would be suspended between the AO and RG, almost a year after his positive tests.
Regardless of how you feel about Sinner (he was clean, man!), the way the case was handled was extraordinary and, for some, reeked of preferential treatment. Even Jessica Pegula criticized the way it was handled.
Be that as it may, we are on eve of what is hopefully a very entertaining match.
My take on this match? Djokovic is healthy. That’s first and foremost. The guy’s body has been coming apart at the seams the last few years. Last year, he suffered a torn meniscus during the French, withdrew, had surgery, returned to play WB, lost in the final, and then won Gold at the Olympics.
And he’s 38.
But he’s motivated for #25 and clay can work in his favor here against his bigger opponent’s bigger game.
I suspect he will make the Italian move around as much as he can. Sinner would prefer to remain at the BL, dropping deep on ROS to neutralize the serve and the point, only then turn it into a slug-fest (he really is Rublev-like, just a much bigger and more refined version).
That will likely be pretty much the crux of the match: who can control the pace and style of the point. The other positive for Novak is his route to the final. He didn’t get caught-up in any 4 or 5 hour matches, further stressing his worn and torn physique. Hopefully, this becomes as much of a chess match as it is a tennis match. Looking forward to it.
