Tennis

[shoothoops]

Novak Djokovic overcomes a willing Diego Schwartzman to win the Rome Title. It is his 36th Masters 1000 Title, and with it, he passes Rafa Nadal who has 35. Great run for Diego with wins over Nadal and Shapovalov, (really playing well, offensive tennis) his 9th and 10th Top ten wins. Schwartzman further solidifies his place as the best modern day 5’7 player. Attached is a photo of two top 40 ATP players. One is generously listed at 5’7. One is 6’11/7’0. (Reilly Opelka)

In the Women’s final Simona Halep won comfortably over Karolina Pliskova. Halep skipped New York and played and won Prague instead.

[shoothoops]

Yeah, doing their own thing is kind of a French thing to do.

However, I'm not sure what your point is regarding the location of Roland Garros...while it is in Paris city limits, it's no more in the 'hustle and bustle' than Wimbledon or the National Tennis Center. Heck, you can walk from a match at Billie Jean King stadium to a Mets game at Citi Field in about 5 minutes, all while getting a close up view of planes taking off and landing at Laguardia.

It’s about not having the space to expand previously. It’s somewhat Western outskirts but still Paris. I could have worded that better. It’s about not having a lot of room to expand in Paris previously on their footprint. It was a legal battle for years. The French has had a limited footprint, tight quarters. It finally received court approval to expand to the Greenhouse Garden next door. 

Yes you can walk to Citi Field from the U.S. Open, just as you can to the park museums and other things on the far opposite side of Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Have double dipped a few times via LIRR, the 7, or car. There are some good places to eat nearby as well. Inside the park the food options have improved a lot but I still prefer the neighborhoods nearby.
 

Speaking of tight space, little of course compares to the intimacy of Wimbledon in Southwest London. One ot the best set ups in professional tennis is the Australia Open in Melbourne Park. Good location, lots to see and do, well run, well maintained events, multipurpose facilities too.

One of these was taken from the practice courts behind Arthur Ashe Stadium. The other greets you upon train arrival. 👍

[shoothoops]

Beginning Saturday Paris is limiting public gatherings from 5,000 to 1,000.

There have been ongoing discussions as to what that will mean for the French Open. For example, there are expected to be 1,000 accredited people on site daily for the event alone, which doesn't even count spectators. Fans allowed is expected to be reduced again.

Qualifying tourneys finishing up this week on site, as are tune up events elsewhere in France, Germany, and q Challenger in Italy. Speaking of the Italy Challenger, Lorenzo Musetti has defeated Wawrinka, Nishikori, Gabashvili, and now Challenger top seed Tiafoe, making a case for a French Wildcard invite.

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Final players and teams arriving at the two Paris Bubble Hotels. Several players own flats/apartments around Paris but unlike the U.S. Open, all players must stay at the bubble hotels. The U.S.Open allowed player paid house renting for about 8 players within the bubble.

[shoothoops]

Nine day Paris forecast, 50's to highs around 60 to low 60's and rain, as Sloane Stephens arrive s in the bubble. And Serena gets in an early practice on her 39th birthday today.

[shoothoops]

Beginning Saturday Paris is limiting public gatherings from 5,000 to 1,000.

There have been ongoing discussions as to what that will mean for the French Open. For example, there are expected to be 1,000 accredited people on site daily for the event alone, which doesn't even count spectators. Fans allowed is expected to be reduced again.

Qualifying tourneys finishing up this week on site, as are tune up events elsewhere in France, Germany, and q Challenger in Italy. Speaking of the Italy Challenger, Lorenzo Musetti has defeated Wawrinka, Nishikori, Gabashvili, and now Challenger top seed Tiafoe, making a case for a French Wildcard invite.

Italian teen sensation Lorenzo Musetti won the Italy Challenger this morning. However, npt understanding timely entertainment the French Open didn't issue him a Wild Card when they could so he will not be playing there.

[shoothoops]

Enormous dub for 16 year old American teen Coco Gauff over 9th seed Jo Kanta 6-3, 6-3 under the cold breezy, drizzled lights in Paris. Kanta has had a strong re-start.

Korda,.Fritz, and Isner moving forward for American Men.

Vandy's Astra Sharma getting it done for College Tennis in 3 sets.

Warwrinka dominant over Andy Murray.

First ever under the lights play as well as Center Court Roof play. Ans there has already been debate in matches when to close it.

[shoothoops]

The obligatory annual, NBC is trash message.

The only NBC tennis event is the French Open and the long term deal goes through 2024.

No tennis on NBC, NBC Sports Network, nor any other NBC owned Network. Tennis Channel has their usual coverage. And limited Fox Sports Regional Coverage has been added this year which has been ok, but they cut coverage way too early, and, showing the same match on FS Regional and Plus has been bad. One needs a Tennis Channel Plus Subscription to watch all matches and pick and choose. (And that's fine for die hards, not so much others, and TC Plus needs to clean up some policy issues.

It's an insult to the sport. If NBC doesn't want it, that is perfectly fine, but let someone else take it off of their hands. What limited weekend coverage they do have ia often not even live. 5 years and counting until NBC is done.

[shoothoops]

Rafa Nadal improved to a staggering 94 wins 2 losses all time at the French Open. (12 French Open Titles)

Women:

Americans: Keys out, Muguruza wins a 3 set thriller, Serena Williams, Amanda Anisimova and Christina McHale advance.

Of note advancing Kvitova. Kerber is out.

Men:

American, Sandgren and Tiafoe win and lose 5 set thrillers respectively. Jack Sock with a big win over fellow American Reilly Opelka. Playing well.

Of note, Monfils and Medvedev are out. Daniil Medvedev has never won a French Open Match. Thiem rolls on.

[JWags85]

Men:

American, Sandgren and Tiafoe win and lose 5 set thrillers respectively. Jack Sock with a big win over fellow American Reilly Opelka. Playing well.

Of note, Monfils and Medvedev are out. Daniil Medvedev has never won a French Open Match. Thiem rolls on.

Tiafoe with a standard frustrating inconsistent performance. He looked super strong at times and spastic at others.  Sandgren seemed dead in the 4th set, super impressive resilient win.

Monfils continues to be an absolute enigma 15 years into his career. Just looks so disinterested, then turns it on when he’s already way down. Sometimes he storms back, sometimes he just doesn’t like today.

Medvedev, sheesh.  Just completely lost mentally and gave up in the 4th. Shocking after his performance in NYC

[shoothoops]

Tiafoe with a standard frustrating inconsistent performance. He looked super strong at times and spastic at others.  Sandgren seemed dead in the 4th set, super impressive resilient win.

Monfils continues to be an absolute enigma 15 years into his career. Just looks so disinterested, then turns it on when he’s already way down. Sometimes he storms back, sometimes he just doesn’t like today.

Medvedev, sheesh.  Just completely lost mentally and gave up in the 4th. Shocking after his performance in NYC

Gael has had an early and later career arc of being a top 15 player. At times he has appeared more interested in the entertainment aspect of the game than winning. When interested he can play with anyone. Getting and keeping that for long periods has been hus challenge. His girlfriend Elina Svitolina has had a different career of being very consistent and good in non-majors buy yet to be able to pit that together in big moment majors.

Medvedev hasn't looked comfort able on clay. Happens to many players. He is a different player on clay.

Frances is still young enough to put it together. He needs to learn how to win more of his big close matches. Wish he was working with perhaps a Paul Annacone type who has helped Taylor Fritz a lot.

The French is the last major to not have a final set tie break. There have been several long final set endings thus far, including 18-16 in the 5th.

Conditions are still heavy, slow, cool, and rhe new tennis balls are also playing slow. It's abit challenging for big hitters.

[shoothoops]

Women:

Kenin moving forward, Jen Brady loses 9-7 in 3rd to 17 year old big hitting Danish teen Clara Tauson.

There has been a Sloane Stephens sighting and she has a nice path deep in the tourney if she is "interested."

Vekic out. Danielle Collins getting it done for college tennis. (UVA)

Speaking of college tennis Mayar Sherif (Pepperdine) was the first Egyptian tennis player in Grand Slam Main Draw. And she has a big fan in Egyptian soccer star Mo Salah. Then she almost takes out 2 seed Karolina Pliskova 7-6, 2-6, 4-6.

Men:

American Sam Querrey led Andre Rublev 7-6,7-6,5-3 and loses, ouch. Rublev won in Hamburg and was U.S. Open Semifinalists.

Tsitipas and Shapovalov rally for long match wins.

Djokovic untested.

[shoothoops]

Serena Williams has withdrawn from the French Open with an achilles injury. She is expected be out 4-6 weeks and likely will return for Australia in January.

[shoothoops]

20 year old American Qualifier Sebastian "Sebi" Korda has advanced to the Round of 16. Playing great tennis. His reward will be the player he named his cat after, Rafa Nadal. Both of Korda's parents were professional tennis players and both of his are LPGA tour players. Sebi is the youngest player to reach the Round of 16 at The French Open since American Michael Chang in 1991.

Men: Thiem, Djokovic, Nadal, dominant.

Taylor Fritz and Stan Wawrinka out in Round 3. Shapo in round 2. Schwartzman, Zverev moving forward.

239th ranked Frenchman Hugo Gaston had never wom an ATP Tour level match before. After taking out Wawrinka, he is in the final 16.

Women:

Halep dominant. Svitolina, Mugu, Kvitova strong.

Cindarella, Martina Trevisan backs up Gauff win with win over Sakkari. Local Garcia, moving forward with rowdy 1k French fans on hand.

Pliskova and Stephens out.

Kenin, Ostapenko, Collins, Canadian teen sensation Fernandez still alive for now.

[shoothoops]

Only 4 of the top 32 seeds remain on the Women's side of the French Open.

Halep getting crushed by 19 year Swiatek was a stunner.

Italian Martina Trevisan had one career top 100 win before the French Open. She now sits in the Quarterfinals. (Her comeback win over Gauff looks bigger by the match)

Danielle Collins and Garbiñe Muguruza played a blinder and the American Collins survives and advances to her first ever round of 16 at The French.

American Sofia Kenin has regained her form and is in to the Round of 16.

Jabeur, Badosa also moving on.

3 Time Slam Champ Petra Kvitova over Canadian Teen Leylah Fernandez in two close sets.

Men:

Rublev, Tsitipas, Dimitrov Djokovic all looking strong into Round of 16. Berretini out.

Nadal into the Quarters ending Korda's dream run.

Doubles: Kenin/Mattek-Sands into the Quarters, and Ram/Salisbury on the men side. There will be one more American doubles team on the women's side into the Quarters today.

[MU82]

Rafa didn't just end Korda's dream run. He squashed it like a bug. Thiem survives.

Looking more and more like a Rafa-Novak final. Should be a classic. I'll be rooting for the King of Clay.

[shoothoops]

Rafa didn't just end Korda's dream run. He squashed it like a bug. Thiem survives.

Looking more and more like a Rafa-Novak final. Should be a classic. I'll be rooting for the King of Clay.

Rafa's lopsided win was expected. Incredible run by the recently turned 20 year old Sebi Korda. He made it through qualifying and all the way into the round of 16. He even had Rafa sign a shirt for him.

While Djokovic and Nadal are among the title favorites, there are some others too. Dominic Thiem is fresh off of winning the U.S. Open, and, he has defeated Nadal five times since 2016, including the 2010 Australian Open. And four of those wins have come on clay. Schwartzman just defeated Nadal in Rome. Sinner the Italian teen has had some big wins. Rublev, Tsitsipas capable too.

Men Quarters next:

Nadal v Sinner
Thiem v Schwartzman

The other four will be decided Monday.

Women Quarters:

Swiatek v Trevistan
Podoroska v Svitolina

The other four will be decided Monday.

[MU82]

Obviously, Rafa is not invincible.

But folks haven’t lost much money betting on him at Roland Garros.

[shoothoops]

Obviously, Rafa is not invincible.

But folks haven’t lost much money betting on him at Roland Garros.

Rafa would be 100 wins 2 losses all time there if he wins the tourney. And he is one of the favorites to do just that.

But there are some others who can win it too. And there are several other worthy story lines in the various draws. 

Below is the shirt Nadal signed for Korda.

[shoothoops]

French Open Quarterfinals, Men:

Nadal (97-2 at French, tie The Fed?)
Sinner (Not crying w/the Saints)

Thiem (Elite, emotionally spent?)
Schwartzman (won't be outworked)

Rublev (Eite inside fire)
Tsitsipas (Moroutoglou maturity?)

Djokovic (18?)
Carreno-Busta (strong season)

On paper, the middle two natches may take a while.

Quarterfinals Women:

Swiatek (next big teen)
Trevisan (if the slipper still fits)

Podoroska (if the slipper still fits)
Svitolina (Finally win a major?)

Kvitova (multi slam winner add clay?)
Siegemund (grizzled vet, likes clay)

Kenin (2 Slams at 21)
Jabeur or Collins (Tunisia v Wahoos)

Jabeur v Collins was moved back a day due to weather delays. It will be a good one. Few play with more variety (hands, feet) than Jabeur and few play w/more fire than Collins.

[shoothoops]

Big day for Argentina Men and Women.

7-6, 6-7, 5-7, 7-6, 6-2...5 hrs 7 mins.

In an epic showdown, Diego Schwartzman takes out U.S. Open Champ and hood friend, Dominic Thiem, in the French Quarters.

Rafa Nadal over Sinner 7-6, 6-4, 6-1

Schwartzman v Nadal in the semifinals. Schwartzman defeated Nadal in Rome last month 6-2, 7-5.

Women:

Danielle Collins outlasts Ons Jabeur 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 as entertaining as expected. She now faces fellow American Sofia Kenin in the Quarterfinals.

Argentine Nadia Podoroska lopsided over Elena Svitolina, and another Slam opportunity missed for Svitolina.

Polish Teen, Iga Swiatek over Martina Trevisan. It ends the Cindarella run for Trevisan.

Argentine Podoroska, a qualifier that had never won any Slam event match ever, is in the French Open.

Swiatek, former French Open Juniors champ.with American Caty McNally, and former Wimbledon Singles Junior Champ was dropped by Nike early this year and moved to Asics. That will turn out to be a big mistake. She has a soohisticated,.very multifaceted game.19 years old.

[MU82]

The King of Clay crushes the Sinner!

If I were a betting man, I'd put my life savings on Rafa over Schwartzman.

Joker will be another story. That's gonna be an epic final.

[JWags85]

Rafa-Joker will be a battle but I don’t know who beats Joker right now. Carreno Busta is a very solid top 15-20 player who is very experienced on clay and after the first set, Joker toyed with him and made him look like an amateur. The number of rallies that PCB was in “control” of that resulted in a Joker winner was ridiculous.  Truly remarkable player

[shoothoops]

Rafa-Joker will be a battle but I don’t know who beats Joker right now. Carreno Busta is a very solid top 15-20 player who is very experienced on clay and after the first set, Joker toyed with him and made him look like an amateur. The number of rallies that PCB was in “control” of that resulted in a Joker winner was ridiculous.  Truly remarkable player

One day at a time, one match at a time. Both have to get through the semis first. They are favored to do that but can't look ahead just yet.

Tsitsipas today played perhaps better than I have ever seen him play in his quarterfinal. Rublev was coming off of a clay court title and U.S. Open semifinal and Tsitipas won easily. A former Junior World #1 Tsitsipas is quickly turning the corner on tour, physically, strategically, emotionally. Two time slam semifinalist. Just 22. He will win one some time. He could have played with anyone today. Variety, easy power, depth.

Schwartzman defeated Nadal in Rome two weeks ago. 3 out of 5 at a slam is a bigger ask. He's playing great.

Djokovic and Nadal are expected, but let's play it out first.

Djokovic is in his 10th French Semifinal. He's had so many other close calls but he has just the one French Title for thus far. Nadal is now 98-2 all time at The French. 12 Titles.


Women:

Sofia Kenin w/the win over Danielle Collins in a quality All American
quarterfinal. This is why no one needed to overreact to her double bagel loss to Vika. 2020 Aussie Open Champ, Kenin is one win from the final.

Petra Kvitova has played as well as anyone in the tourney. Quietly. Seeking her 3rd slam.

Swiatek may be the sneaky favorite based on play thus far. Can she do it in the big moment. I think she can.

Podoroska is the first qualifier to make the semis at the French. livin' the dream.

[shoothoops]

Women's Semifinals:

19 year old Polish teen Iga Swiatek has become the first Polish Women's player in the Open era to advance the French Open Final. In winning her 6 matches thus far, she not lost more than 5 total games in any match. Dominant.

In the final Swiatek faces 21 year old American Sofia Kenin who defeated two time Grand Slam Champion Petra Kvitova 6-4, 7-5 in two tight sets. Kenin is the current Australian Open Grand Slam Champion and is seeking her 2nd overall Grand Slam Title, in Paris. Her overall match record in 2020 Grand Slams improves to 16-1.

It will be the youngest Women's French Open Final since 2008. (Ivanovich, Safina)