Who is Andy accusing?

It’s not that Harry’s not good or not playing pretty well (Scoop, if he were playing very well he wouldn’t be losing in the first round of Challengers), it’s just that there are so many good players out there. I mean Frank Dancevic is only 31 and he’s ranked no. 327!.

I was just watching this Chilean 20 year old who’s ranked no. 467 playing in Savannah, Jarry, he’s 6-6 and hammers the ball. He was even serving and volleying on clay.

Scoop, not to knock what you’re saying, but how does losing barely to Stathovsky, who’s now in the low 120s, whose ranking briefly skimmed the top 50 (right at 50) for a few weeks last year, and whose last meaningful ranking within the top 50 was 5 years ago, make someone close to being a top 50 player?

Again, I think we’re making some players a heck of a lot better than they’ve proven themselves to be. Losing to Stathovsky right now means you’re losing to a top 122 player who a year ago got back to #50 for a few weeks and who was last truly in the the top 50 five years ago, but it still means you’re losing to a guy who’s now 122.

I have no doubt this guy hits a heck of a ball. But hitting a heck of a ball and being close to a top 50 player while still holding a top 500 ranking is an unbelievable stretch.

And the player hasn’t earned it. If they think they have they need a doctor check-up for delusion.

Then again, this opinion is from yours truly, a fan of Brad Klahn’s lefty-serve-forehand combo and the one-handed backhand of Dan Kosakowski. Caveat Emptor.

(Buyer Beware).

Jarry is going to be Yuge!

Since we are on next big thing and we are speaking of US kids how about Karen Khachanov . Galo Blanco s new charge.

ATP top 50 too old. These next gen players have luck on their side to enter the tour right now.

Totally agree with the oldies overachieving, but Scoop you can almost drop Ivo from the list. Saw today that he is 0-5 for the year. As for Karen kachanov, and while I’ve heard a lot about the zvervev backhand, this kid’s is a weapon. And I use that word deliberately. He’s the new news that boy. Got that safin languid power. A real presence.

Young guys have an opportunity. There are only 3 top 50 players under age 23. That’s less than five percent. With an avergage top 50 age approaching 29 years old, something’s gotta give.

Guido Andreozzi??? Yep, that’s a match he’ll be telling his grandchildren about.

Good lord, the hyperbole here gets deeper by the day.

Scoop, what you’re saying makes sense to me. To a fan (like me), maybe I could say, “Well, Donaldson beating some unknown in round 1 of a challenger doesn’t matter – what matters is winning the challenger”.

The reality for the player is winning the contest in front of them and doing it again. Or, if they lose, learning from it and winning the contest in front of them and doing it again.

So, look at Donaldson. He beats Andreozzi – who, though I’ve never heard of him, I’m sure he’s got game. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be in a challenger. I could say, well – why would a European player opt for a U.S. challenger? Why aren’t they off in Europe? But maybe Andreozzi just happens to be here state-side and planned to hit the U.S. challengers rather than the hunger-games-like challengers in Europe right now – maybe he played Savannah because it makes sense on a lot of levels. And it doesn’t hurt being a dirt-baller in the U.S. right now, there are opportunities for getting more challenger points. So for Andreozzi, it’s a good gamble.

Now, from Donaldson’s point of view – he’s got to beat the guy on the other side of the net. If he’s down to that player and about to be eliminated (and maybe that’s a pattern he finds himself in), then turns it around and wins it, that’s huge for him. Maybe he was facing the prospect of entering the French qualies in a few weeks following a few early challenger losses and low odds of success. Suddenly, he beats Andreozzi.

On to Ger Melzer, or Melzer the younger. From my understanding, a solid player who’s not just a pushover and is a credit to his brother. Melzer is not an inexperienced player on clay – grew up on the stuff. Donaldson beats him.

If Donaldson is gaining steam, match by match, confidence “gallon by gallon”, that’s a big deal for him. If he wins this he knows he did it the hard way – no easy fight. But with every match feeding the next match. Being a young guy, he can respond the next day and go out and DO IT AGAIN.

All of the sudden, Donaldson becomes the “points leader” for the challenger contest that guarantees a spot in the French Open draw – no small thing. Let’s say he gets that and wins a round and every other U.S. player loses.

Now, to some tennis journalists, they’ll go and say, “Donaldson, out of nowhere, is one of the last guys standing in Roland Garros.”

But because you followed him, know he almost lost in Savannah, you could say: “Nah, actually – it was because he beat Andreozzi.” That match, which seemed like a nothing match, was the REASON he is in the 2nd round of the French Open.

I think confidence for these guys is everything. I’ve seen Donaldson play on TV and I gotta say, he’s a solid player. I don’t think he makes great choices during his matches, but I think he has the fundamentals down pat – more so than every one of his U.S. next generation peers. His game is completely orthodox, and he reminds me of Soderling.

The ONLY thing he lacks is the match toughness, the coming up with the goods when he needs to. And if that’s what he’s doing now, whether he’s beating Andreozzi or some parks player in doubles, that’s good stuff.

Guess we could discuss Nadal-Nishikori for the Barcelona title, how Paire is back in the black and looks like a dangerous player for Roland Garros. Or how Verdasco and Luke Pouille are playing for an I. Tiriac title in Romania.

Or even Kerber’s triumph over Kvitova, which puts the French Open field on notice that Kerber might be a contender for the French. Which would be huge.

My take on that would be, that Barcelona match is a big deal. And that I like Luke Pouille as a player, he has a nice game. Or nice to see Ben Paire back up his big mouth for a change!

Where’s Serena? 🙁
Wrong thread for my (rhetorical) question – meant it for Siegemund piece which is v. interesting.

Can we slow down the hype machine( insert name of the week) of the next great star,until Sundays, where said future Anerican great actually closes out the Challenger final?

Nadal, two weeks, 2 titles. One at one of his favorite tourneys, the other in front of a “home crowd”.

Not yet “the favorite” for Roland Garros title, but you have to list him as “a favorite”. Like any player Nadal’s a confidence player. He’s picking up steam right on time to make a big run at Roland Garros – just like old times.

Good to see report that Nadal is suing for the comments made by French politician.
She has to provide proof now.
Of course some will think this is just a ploy – but for the record I believe Nadal is and has always been clean.

Djoko says whatever comes to mind. He isn’t the beat guy when it comes to media ready responses. I’m not so sure what he’s saying is so controversial either. Basically, if someone tests positive they took, if not, they didn’t based on the testing.
I worry about Djokovics defense of Troicki and wonder if he defended him publicly but in private told him to never do it again.
But he seems to say stuff that he either means or it comes out the wrong way. He also has no interest in being tested anywhere and everywhere so id say he’s probably saying listen testing people we are all doing the testing and I’ve been tested so many times in so many places that you’d know if in clean or not, you have a zillion samples! The top guys do get tested very frequently, anywhere at any time.