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Quick Shot: US Young American Tennis Tracker
22 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Bios
ATP Challenger in Charlottesville Virginia this week – some notable results – Stefan Kozlov is back on US soil after a stint in Europe, he’s qualified for the main draw with three wins over Swiss Margaroli, Clay Thompson and lefty Willis of England in three sets, takes on Eric Quigley in first round and possibly Jared Donaldson in the second round – Ryan Harrison, ATP 107, is also in the draw and plays Tennys Sandgren first round, hoping to win a few more points to avoid Aussie Open qualies and gain automatic entry into main draw – Tommy Paul is in as an ALT and plays Chase Buchanan – Frances Tiafoe has a date with top seed Malek Jaziri in first round, also is in doubles draw with Kozlov as partner – Reilly Opelka lost in the second round of qualies to Michael Mmoh who plays Brit David Rice for a slot in the main draw – Noah Rubin registered straight sets wins vs American teen Henrik Weirsholm and Thai Son Kwiatkowski and is now playing Brit Joe Salisbury for the main draw – Other first round matches – Kevin King vs Bjorn Fratangelo – Ernesto Escobedo vs Liam Broady – Sekou Bangoura vs Ryan Shane — Taylor Fritz is not playing as he competed in the Mexico Challenger last week –
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Dan Markowitz · November 2, 2015 at 3:26 pm
Do you know, Scoop, I actually saw this Challenger was taking place yesterday and I just wanted to get away for a while and see some of these guys live that I’ve been hearing about: Tiafoe, Paul, Rubin, Mmoh (he took Opelka to the cleaners in the last round of Charlottsville qualis), but I couldn’t find a flight cheaper than $35 round trip and that was too much for just a few days down there, but I’m intrigued by how Harry does.
Scoop Malinowski · November 2, 2015 at 3:32 pm
The livestream shows the indoor facility that this event is held at Dan is really first class and nice to the eye – looks like a special event, if it was halfway closer I’d drive to see a day or two – Opelka defeated mmoh last Nov at the eddie herr final on har tru, so this match was revenge for mmoh – draw looks pretty good, plenty of name players – still no sign of the MIA Bradley Klahn and Dennis Kosakowski –
jg · November 2, 2015 at 6:01 pm
I saw a couple of minutes of Kozlov and it looks like he has gotten bigger and is hitting bigger, he’s playing doubles now with Tiafoe and they almost look the same height
Dan markowitz · November 2, 2015 at 7:08 pm
Yes, i saw The Koz playing mixed dubs at Open and he has definitely filled out. Maybe he’s 6, but I doubt it.
Scoop Malinowski · November 2, 2015 at 7:28 pm
That is the plan – build Kozlov into becoming a physical beast – by age 22 he will be a beast — remember how slight andy murray was in his early years – slight and frail – but he worked on it and his now possibly the most physically imposing player in the ATP – Kozlov has the similar game and feel skills of murray – he will be a different force in a few years –
jg · November 2, 2015 at 7:39 pm
He must be watching Agassi video as he is trying to hit his returns bigger and earlier
Andrew Miller · November 2, 2015 at 8:05 pm
Giron is one of few u.s. Players in Canberra. The field is a sea of Aussies.
Sheesh there are tons of challengers this week. That’s why if as a player you make it out of the challengers into the ATP tournaments, you really have an incentive to stay as long as possible.
Yeah no Kosakowski anywhere. Too bad. I think Scoop said he’s seen the Kosakowski backhand up close and that it more than passed inspection.
Andrew Miller · November 2, 2015 at 8:18 pm
Klahn had surgery and is preparing for a comeback. He wad on twitter and posted a tweet that said today I do things others won’t, so that tomorrow I can do things others can’t.
Gotta believe Klahn will aim high again.
Anyways, the Paris Masters is in motion. I think Djokovic will take the title “with ease”. In 2016 I predict he will do well except when he faces Wawrinka again.
How come only Swiss players interrupt Nadals rule at Roland Garros? Someone call up Chiudinelli and tell him to get serious so he can mount a French open challenge.
Scoop Malinowski · November 2, 2015 at 8:32 pm
Yep- good observation jg, Agassi is one of his models, he even sported a Nike Agassi tribute outfit in Belarus with pink biker shorts under his black shorts, a play off that old famous Agassi look – Agassi is definitely a model player for Kozlov –
Scoop Malinowski · November 2, 2015 at 8:36 pm
Lots of players scrambling and scratching for points in Nov. Andrew, lots of battling, five or six Challys all over the place – lots of players dissatisfied with the ranking number next to their name and trying to get that number higher up the ATP charts – Benjamin Becker in Germany trying to get back into Aus Open main draw range, he’s close – Estrella Burgos in Ecuador – Victor is still about 65, excellent follow up to his career year last year – Kosakowski looked really good at the Sarasota Challenger a couple of years ago but has turned into Claude Rains –
Bryan · November 2, 2015 at 11:16 pm
“Anyways, the Paris Masters is in motion. I think Djokovic will take the title Γ’β¬Εwith easeΓ’β¬Β. In 2016 I predict he will do well except when he faces Wawrinka again.”
Doesn’t look like Djokovic entered. I don’t see Federer, Nadal or Murray either. Guess the big names are sitting this one out to prep for London. Great opportunity for Sock or Tomic to vulture a deep run IMO.
BTW looks like Tennis Channel is broadcasting live starting at 5am this week. Watching today’s Paire-Monfils and Tomic-Fognini matches on the rebroadcast. They’re not putting last week’s matches on rinse/repeat per their usual.
Andrew Miller · November 2, 2015 at 11:27 pm
Tonic beat Fognini quickly.
Saw some clip of Johnson vs Nadal earlier this year. Johnson is a very good player. It may be ugly but he is a resourceful player who uses everything and throws everything possible at an opponent. Nadal was superhuman but Johnson played him tough.
In his match versus Bautista Agut Johnson had three match points in the theirs set tiebreak and choked. He is getting better and better and has a great serve, really well placed. Very good volley. Even his backhand looks better.
What’s not to like about Johnson. He plays smart tennis. Even against Nadal he raised his game, though Nadal , and I forget this about him, is probably the fastest player on tour next to Djokovic. After everything that is what makes him unreal, the sheer footspeed.
He really is as Agassi said a freak.
Rob · November 6, 2015 at 8:03 pm
Comments on Tiafoe’s lack of energy/attitude coming down the stretch ( or whatever sports cliche you would like)?
And I’m watching Paul v Kuzznetsov – love Paul’s control of emotions.
i am aware of age. 17 is still just a wee thing in sports.
Scoop Malinowski · November 7, 2015 at 7:59 am
Rob – I think Tiafoe was pretending to be so tired – to convey the message that only reason he lost to Kuznetsov is because of fatigue not because he was the inferior player on the day – the old ruse of ‘playing possum’ is a part of pro sports especially tennis and boxing – if you can bluff em you can beat em —
Rob · November 7, 2015 at 6:45 pm
Rope a dope? Not sure. Seems to be searching for a sort of motivation. More importantly – Paul in first challenger final.
Andrew Miller · November 11, 2015 at 8:13 pm
Even Wertheim at Sports Illustrated has posted on the up and coming u.s. contingent. Generally he stays out of the fray and takes a wait and see approach, but not this time. He thinks they are for real.
Scoop Malinowski · November 12, 2015 at 7:46 am
perhaps werthy reads tennis – prose π
Moskova Moskova · November 12, 2015 at 10:48 am
kozzy beats jaziri (current #1 muslim)…..kozzy will be in the final eight at the aussie next year…not LOL π
Scoop Malinowski · November 12, 2015 at 12:56 pm
Knoxville — Not only beat but Kozlov crushed Jaziri who is top hundred in the world – by far career best win for Kozlov — Paul lost a close one to Smee – Harrison got smoked by Kavcic – Donaldson vs Smee for their fifth meeting – Fritz lost in straights to JP Smith – Tiafoe vs Kavcic – looks like Kozlov has passed Fritz and Paul this week — gonna be a lot of lead changes in this horse race )
Andrew Miller · November 12, 2015 at 10:21 pm
Wertheim was high on Sock and Johnson as well.
I think one thing that gets lost in talking about college players and how they’re doing better on tour is that, for the most part, the college players succeeding are anything but normal.
Isner and Anderson aren’t normal players: they are around 6’8” each. And Johnson’s not normal either: he’s a FOUR TIME NCAA team champion, two time individual NCAA champion, the winner of his final 70 singles matches, and basically the most decorated NCAA mens player of all time.
You have three NCAA “freaks” in other words in the top 50. Not normal.
Scoop Malinowski · November 13, 2015 at 8:14 am
I believe every player in the top 50 is a freak π They don’t always look it on the external but they are π To be that good to get that high in tennis you have to be very very different than the pack π
Moskova Moskova · November 13, 2015 at 10:13 am
yes scoop, a fine line between genius and crazy….but the difference between the two is success..