Roger Federer retires

They're just smaller tournaments. Nothing more really to say than hopefully he can keep it up. If he doesn't, Joker will end up having the most all time before the end of next year. lol

« Last edited by Warrior13 on May 15th 2021 »

To be fair, Madrid (where Rafa lost in the QF) and Rome (current) are big tournaments. I'd say at least 80% of all top 50 players play those type of events.

He looks in good shape to win yet another Masters title. Novak had to play 5 sets in 2 matches yesterday thanks to rain delays, whereas Rafa played 2 sets.

Then most of the slam contenders will rest up & play no tournaments until the French in 2 weeks time.

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French Open contenders:
Men:

1: Rafa - N/A
2: Novak - He is declining on clay, but so many players are mental midgets, and his far superior mentality gets him wins.
3: Tsitsipas - Almost beat Rafa (Rafa clipped the net on Championship point) and served for the match against Novak.
4: Zverev - Beat Rafa & Thiem in straight sets, & won Madrid
5: Roger - He is playing warm-up event next week, and he has the quality to possibly make the semis.

Top 10 players who will NOT win/contend:
- Medvedev (has never won a match at the French)
- Thiem (came back from injury recently, & has been average since the US Open)
- Berrettini (overranked)
- Schwartzman (overranked, poor form)

Women:

1: Ash Barty (World #1, has recently won Miami, Stuttgart, & made the final of Madrid & QF of Rome (retired))
2: I have absolutely no idea. The WTA is too unpredictable. Chances are Barty won't even make the QF...

Top 10 players who will NOT win/contend:
- Osaka (part time player who doesn't care about clay, & is too busy getting endorsements, receiving awards, & hosting some music awards night)
- Halep (tore her calf at Rome, unlikely to even play)
- Sabalenka (the Zverev of the WTA, as in does well at non-Slams but can't at Slams)
- Svitolina (mental midget at Slams)
- Kenin (horrible form)
- Andreescu (the Del Potro of the WTA, as in always gets injured)
- Pliskova (see Svitolina)
- Serena (zero mentality, has barely played, & isn't good on clay anymore)
- Muguruza (carrying an injury)

« Last edited by Matt77 on May 16th 2021 »

Per usual...

Mens: Rafa
Womens: Anyone but Osaka and Williams

XD

Osaka definitely will NOT win. And Serena will get a QF if she's lucky.

And I know you don't really follow WTA, but this is too funny/bizarre not to share:

The 2020 French Open winner Iga Swiatek just double bagelled Karolina Pliskova 6-0 6-0 in the Rome final
In the 3rd round she saved 2 match points, & her opponent served for the match

« Last edited by Matt77 on May 16th 2021 »

Ouch. lol

Rafa gets lucky and beats Novak 7-5 1-6 6-3 in close to 3 hours (Rafa spent 3 and a half hours on court vs Shapovalov too).

Novak had break point at 2-2 in the 3rd set, didn't convert, & Rafa broke immediately. That was the match basically.

Even though he won, it's concerning that he lost a set on clay 1-6 to a tired Djokovic.

All in all, a good few weeks of preparation for Rafa, even though he had to save match points in the 2 tournaments he won.

He's got to stay out of his own head. No way he should've lost a clay set 1-6.

Then again, maybe he didn't want to over exert after getting down. It was just a mid major.

Naomi Osaka has announced that she will be boycotting all press conferences at the French Open, due to them 'negatively impacting her mental health'

This is getting ridiculous now. I initially liked that she said stuff about BLM, but then it has become more and more. The boycott of her semi final at Cincinnati, then re-entering the tournament, winning the match, and withdrawing once again before the final, not playing the clay season in 2020, withdrawing from an Aus Open warmup tournament in the semi, refusing to play in the Middle East, not moving to hit a simple shot on match point, and now this.

Sadly she has been given a cakewalk draw and should make the 4th round, despite being poor on clay.

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Rafa has also been given a tough draw. He's on track to play people like Sonego (destroyed Novak last year and beat Thiem and Rublev last week), Sinner (lots of hype), Rublev (beat Rafa in Monte Carlo), and Djokovic (almost beat Rafa while being extremely tired).

Roger is also in Novak's quarter of the draw. However given his flop last week from 4-2 up in the 3rd set, I can't see him making it that far.

Osaka is out of her mind... Clearly even she is now noticing...

That stinks for Rafa, but winning it all would be that much sweeter!

On paper it is a hard draw. But in the ATP the young players love flopping in early rounds at Grand Slams. Chances are Rafa will face a qualifier in the semis xD

It starts today. These are my official picks, and dark horse picks:

Official:
Mens - Rafa Nadal (you can't not pick him)
Womens - Ash Barty (very difficult pick. Swiatek was a close 2nd, but the WTA is so random these days. I honestly don't think Barty will win it, but she is most likely)

Dark horse:
Mens - Stefanos Tsitsipas (should've beaten Rafa in Barcelona, & lead Novak by a set and a break in Rome)
Womens - Karolina Muchova (Aus Open semi finalist, doesn't choke, clay is her best surface, & WTA is so random)

I agree, gotta go Rafa. If not him, I hope Federer can somehow win one more. I do not follow women's closely, but anyone but the usual two. ;)

Wow... Thiem chokes and Dimitrov retires... I wonder how much one could've won by betting both to lose in Round 1 of the French?

« Last edited by Warrior13 on May 30th 2021 »

Dimitrov lead 2 sets to love and 5-1 40-0 (3 match points) in the 3rd set. He then choked, and then got injured at some point (same injury as in the Aus Open).

That's got to be one of the worst chokes of all time. Seriously.

Zverev once again played a 5-set match early in a GS, coming from 2 sets to love down to easily win the last 3.

Thiem is a mess. His 2021 has been a disaster. His ranking is going to drop very quickly at the end of the year. He has points to defend at the US Open (Champion), plus runners up points at the Year End Championships. And he's not even gonna qualify for them.

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The French Open have threatened to default Osaka if she misses her next press conference (it won't actually happen. It's just a warning shot). And her sister also came out and posted on Reddit, basically admitting that Osaka had compared mental health with struggles on clay (she chose to watch basketball in the US instead of practicing on clay).

She scraped past an out of form unseeded played 6-4 7-6 yesterday. Her next opponent is dangerous, and could dispatch her.

She was already fine 15k for not talking to the media. That is a couple of cents for her, but they clearly are not playing.

Osaka withdrew. Good. Head case, warped mind.

Says she has had depression for years. Not sure about any of that since she has continued to play and it appears she is only taking the French off. I think she has gotten way too invested in everything outside of Tennis.

« Last edited by Warrior13 on May 31st 2021 »

Yeah. I'd like to believe her, and will give her the benefit of the doubt due to her being generally shy, but it could easily be a PR stunt. Regardless, she is gone from the tournament and will likely not play Wimbledon (where she is also poor). She always said her focus was the Olympics & the US Open.

Rafa survived a scare, before winning 6-3 6-2 7-6. Popyrin (Australian) served for the 3rd set at 5-3 and held 2 set points (double faulted, & missed an easy smash). But Rafa kept his streak alive of 26 consecutive sets won at the French. He will destroy Gasquet next round. That's a perfect matchup for him.

Also good for Rafa, is that Rublev (possible QF opponent) lost in the 1st round.

There has already been upset city. Big names to fall/withdraw/be injured to far:

Mens:
Thiem (4)
Rublev (7)
Shapavalov (14) (withdrew before tournament)
Dimitrov (19) (retired injured)
Auger-Alliasime (20)

Womens:
Barty (1) (won, but is carrying an injury & scrapped the win)
Osaka (2) (withdrew after R1 win)
Halep (3) (withdrew before tournament)
Andreescu (7)
Kvitova (11) (got injured in a post-match interview. Maybe Osaka was right about press conferences being harmful xD)
Muguruza (13)
Kerber (24)

This tournament has been so crazy, and we?re only a round down. I would say it makes things interesting, but it just makes it more of a collision course for Rafa and Novak.

Yesterday's high-profile (ish) casualties:

Mens:
Bautista Agut (11)
Khachanov (23)

Womens:
Bencic (10)
Kudermetova (29)

Serena lost a set 5-7 before bouncing back. She's looking far better than in the clay warmup events. Given the draw collapsing like crazy, she can't be counted out. There was also a match where the 29th seed (and in-form player) lead 5-1 and match point in the 3rd, before losing 6 games in a row. Hilarious and embarrassing at the same time.

Medvedev also won his 2nd round match, giving him his 2nd ever win at the French Open. His side of the draw is also very open. He was quoted saying he thinks the courts are similar to hard courts this year (his specialty).

Who are the best players in the world currently, I haven't followed Tennis for quite a while and Wimbledon is just around the corner.

Last I knew it was Djokovic, Federer, Murray, and Nadal. Serena Williams dominated women's tennis. Is there any new stars I should keep an eye out for?

Matt: For the love of God, anyone but Serena.

Dennis: Mens has quickly become a two man race with Djokovic and Nadal, Murray has been out for a while and Federer is old and ailing.