Tennis

[MuggsyB]

Coco lost today. Extremely disappointing. 

[shoothoops]

Coco lost today. Extremely disappointing.

Gauff played at a win the tourney level for much of that match. It shows that you can do that and still lose in round 1. Credit to Kenin, played her best match in years. Extremely high level.

[Jockey]

Gauff played at a win the tourney level for much of that match. It shows that you can do that and still lose in round 1. Credit to Kenin, played her best match in years. Extremely high level.

Kenin - when fully healthy - is the better tennis player.

Coco needs to fix her forehand id she ever wants to a serious threat.

[shoothoops]

Kenin - when fully healthy - is the better tennis player.

Coco needs to fix her forehand id she ever wants to a serious threat.

Neither of those things are accurate. Let’s take a look.

Kenin is 6 years older than Gauff.

When both are playing well both are capable of playing at the game’s highest levels. It isn’t an either or. Both are good. Gauff has already shown herself to be a serious threat for multiple years. Kenin has had some physical injuries at times but often her play has been inconsistent when physically healthy.

Kenin has had a difficult relationship with her father who has also been her coach most of the time. She unfortunately has had better results with him vs without him, until she doesn’t and takes an extended break from him.

Kenin is 72 in the points race this season. (She is ranked 128 which is based off of 2 seasons.) She was ranked 228 last season. She has at times had some physical injuries as do many other players. But much of her struggles weren’t physical. She had a 3 year stretch of being a top 15 player, including 1 season as a top 10 player. Gauff is on pace to be a top 10 player for consecutive years.

Last week, Gauff defeated the World’s 4th best player and number 4 in the 2023 points race, while advancing to the semifinals of the 2nd largest grass event on tour. She’s doing fine.

Gauff is 8th in this year’s points race, and she has a world ranking of 7. She’s made the 2nd week of 4 of the last 6 slams including 2 quarterfinals and a slam final.  That’s (obviously) a threat.

Kenin has made the 2nd week of a slam 5 times in her career. Only twice was it better than the 4th round. Gauff has made the 2nd week of a slam 8 times. Again, there is a 6 year age difference too.

Both have been great players. Hopefully Kenin can keep it going. We’ll see.

[MuggsyB]

The WSJ had an article today about how grass doesn't play anything like it used to.  Essentially it's as slow or slower than a mid paced hardcourt according to the author.  I'm not sure exactly when this changed, maybe the technology made it Speedy Gonzalez fast, but back in the day the change from clay at the French to the grass at Wimbledon was drastic.  Players had to play a tune-up to get used to the speed difference.  It does make be think that we may need to analyze Borg's stretch of 6 French and 5 Wimbledon titles differently. 

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Coco is 19, she’ll be just fine.

[lawdog77]

Coco is 19, she’ll be just fine.

As long as she stays away from Jimmy Butler
-signed  withoutbias

[shoothoops]

The WSJ had an article today about how grass doesn't play anything like it used to.  Essentially it's as slow or slower than a mid paced hardcourt according to the author.  I'm not sure exactly when this changed, maybe the technology made it Speedy Gonzalez fast, but back in the day the change from clay at the French to the grass at Wimbledon was drastic.  Players had to play a tune-up to get used to the speed difference.  It does make be think that we may need to analyze Borg's stretch of 6 French and 5 Wimbledon titles differently.

This changed many years ago. It isn’t recent. There are also different types of grass, clay, hard courts, etc….hard tru, rebound ace, acrylic cushion, non cushion, plexicushion etc….on and on….the surface in Australia plays very different than Indian Wells which plays very different than New York, etc….for example.

You don’t need to re-analyze anything differently because any accomplishments are based vs one’s peers, in one’s era. Borg’s peers have not changed, and, neither has his era. They can be compared to his peers of his era because they played under the same circumstances.

Borg is a great example as to why it isn’t possible to compare a past era player who retired at 25 playing under very different circumstances with today’s best players. Both eras had great players, and therefore all time greats. That’s as far as it goes. I also noticed you only mentioned GS events with Borg. And that illustrates an example of differences in eras.

[shoothoops]

Vekic v Stephens, was a fnal worthy match.

Fernandez v Garcia, and Collins v Bencic, also great.

[shoothoops]

Last month, Chris Eubanks lost in the 2nd round of the Surbiton, England Challenger.

8 matches later. He is the Mallorca Grass Court Champion, and, he is in the Round of 16 at Wimbledon.

Free Giraffe.

[MuggsyB]

Last month, Chris Eubanks lost in the 2nd round of the Surbiton, England Challenger.

8 matches later. He is the Mallorca Grass Court Champion, and, he is in the Round of 16 at Wimbledon.

Free Giraffe.

His nickname is the Giraffe??

[MuggsyB]

Tiafoe in trouble.  The young man needs to wake up. 

[shoothoops]

His nickname is the Giraffe??

If you know, you know.

[MuggsyB]

High quality tennis right now between Bencic/Swiatek. 

[shoothoops]

High quality tennis right now between Bencic/Swiatek.

Belinds Bencic was 1 of 7 players to win 40 matches last year.

Another one was Jessie Pegula. And with her win today, Pegula becomes the 5th American player to advance to all 4 slam quarterfinals, in the past 25 years.

[MU82]

Thousands of dopes in the crowd booed Azarenka for not shaking hands … when it was Svitolina who said she wouldn’t shake hands with any players from Belarus. Dopes.

[MuggsyB]

Thousands of dopes in the crowd booed Azarenka for not shaking hands … when it was Svitolina who said she wouldn’t shake hands with any players from Belarus. Dopes.

How stupid. 

[MuggsyB]

Hurkacz is dangerous.  Djokovic does not look happy but is fortunate that he won the 1st two sets in tiebreakers. Hopefully this goes 5. 

[Jockey]

Hurkacz is dangerous.  Djokovic does not look happy but is fortunate that he won the 1st two sets in tiebreakers. Hopefully this goes 5.

Hurkasc is a one trick pony. He was only ‘in the match’ because of an ungodly 1st serve percentage.

[shoothoops]

Ranked 163 a year ago…27 year old Chris Eubanks will be seeded in the top 32 for the 2023 United States Open.

First American to make the Men’s Singles Wimbledon Quarterfinals in his Wimbledon debut, since Paul Annacone in 1984.

[MuggsyB]

Hurkasc is a one trick pony. He was only ‘in the match’ because of an ungodly 1st serve percentage.

Oh....well.  At least Eubanks won. 

[MuggsyB]

Sinner/Djokovic should be a good one.  I think SInner has the best chance to beat him among the remaining players. 

[MuggsyB]

Fun match right now with Jabeur/Rybakina.  Great contrast in styles.  Jabeur's variety of shot is cool to see.  Tremendous angles and spins. 

[MuggsyB]

Eubanks is cool as hell!  He absolutely throttles the ball! Too bad I have to go to work.  What a great story if he finds a way to punk Medvy. 

[MuggsyB]

Hey shoothoops,

Do you have any idea why Sabelenla is allowed to "grunt" so loudly?   Has this ever been discussed in depth on the WTA tour?  Ty.