Thursday US Open Qualies, Tommy Paul Stars

First time seeing Tommy Paul play live and I was very impressed. He comes out to court seventeen looking like a California surfer, parks his stuff and even applies the sunblock onto just his nose, like a surfer. But boy can he belt the ball, he has long arms and good athleticism and he plays, believe it or not, like Monfils, but with less showmanship, but the physicality is Monfils like. But Paul understates the showing of emotion, when he wins big points he mouths two or three come ons silently to himself and his box (which included Higueras and Berger), he makes quiet fistpumps and he smiles gently after a miss or a silly miss and he shows the correct swing to his box, like if he hits to flat to the net, he shows them a loop swing.

But the game is there and the ability to crank bigger shots in time of need. I also saw some hints of Gabashvili, Fish and Roddick in the play and demeanor of Paul who is the real deal, after the match I did a Biofile with Paul who said his favorite player straight up was Andy Roddick. Very very very impressed by Paul who is the last American still in the qualies.

Other notes and observations:

Nishikori hit early with Sock on grandstand, then later hit again with Frances Tiafoe.

Elias Ymer impressed me also, smaller physically but he plays with a fury and intensity that makes up for it, he moves quick like a cat, and he can whack the ball. He won a third set tiebreak vs Struff, with Andrei Pavel checking out some of the action. Talked with Darian King the 23 year old from Barbados ranked 190 now and he noted how hard Ymer hits the ball. King lost a third set tiebreak yesterday but is an interesting player, and a rarity to come out of Barbados. He’s beaten Kozlov four or five times already in the minor circuit and says he likes how Kozlov plays with variety he just needs to get more consistent from the baseline, sometimes he can go off with his shots, needs to tighten up on that, and his backhand is his best shot but suddenly he will start slicing – King says he thinks Kozlov will get to top hundred for sure but he knows himself how hard it is to get there. King will now work with Sloane as her hitting partner for the Open.

Remember Nico Almagro, the former top ten? How the mighty have fallen, the 30 year old lost yesterday 6-4 in the third to 24 year old Guilherme Clezar of Brazil, who has never won an ATP tour level match yet. He closed out the match today serving at love.

Donna Vekic lost a marathon to Sorana Cirstea 67 62 46.

Melanie Oudin was locked in a fierce battle and survived Yafan Wang 67 63 76 (5).

Karol Kucera was walking the grounds – he’s working with that new guy Gombos whose name keeps popping up, but Gombos lost yesterday.

Match of the day was probably Alexander Zverev vs Nils Langer of Germany, Zverev won the first, was down the second set tiebreaker, but then fought back to earn a match point, lost it and then lost the breaker, into the third it went and Zverev ended up winning 63, chasing down a very short ball and magically hitting a slice backhand re-drop cross court – an amazing shot for MP and then he raised his arms high like a champion boxer, what a show. Even Vania King came out to see this kid play, also a few minutes later I ran into Kiki Mladenovic leaving and going back to Ashe stadium, she was also there and I heard her say to her friend “6-3 and he was down 0-3, and the last match…” Kiki is clearly a big Zverev fan, remember she was front row in Washington DC watching him beat Dolgopolov, she sat with her mom and doubles partner Bencic in DC. Zverev is the real deal.

I saw Zverev before the match in the players lounge, while I was doing a Biofile with Paul, as we were doing interview, Zverev walked by and gave one of those walking handshakes to Paul for his win, from behind I thought it was Rublev because how skinny he looked and asked Paul, is that Rublev, he said, “Zverev.” Zverev and Paul both look like brothers actually, could easily see them as surfer brothers with two blondes and an old VW van.

Earlier in day I spotted Peter McNamara and we did an interview for Facing McEnroe, boy that was just classic, he told a story about his near fight with Mac after their US Open doubles semi, but Mac’s big bodyguard LeRoy helped settle the dispute in the locker room. You’ll have to read Facing McEnroe for the rest 🙂

Reilly Opelka lost on seventeen at night to Kimmer Coppejans of Belgium, KC won the French Open juniors a few years ago, after the match I was in food court and saw Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz walking back to Ashe, laughing and joking about something, they were supporting their buddy Opelka who lost 64 62.

The last player working overtime was Andy Murray, who was out on Armstrong well after dark under the lights playing with Gilles Muller – rarely see players practice on Armstrong after dark, but Murray has a tough first round draw – Kyrgios. By the way, Murray was wearing all black Under Armor and the new UA black shoes, not his usual adidas Barricades.

The Taste of the US Open press conference was fantastic today, so many great foods, I don’t even know what they were called, US Open has brought in great chefs for the restaurants, besides the excellent hot dogs and hamburgers in food court (burgers are now ten bucks), you can get some really fancy meals at the big Ashe stadium restaurants, lobster, filet mignon cheese steaks, grilled cheese, tar tar. The food was so good it was hard to stop eating, as they never stopped offering us plates —

..

No tags

4 comments

<< Tommy Paulmania at US Open Qualies Friday

Wednesday at US Open Qualies >>