By Scoop Malinowski
Ok after several months of hammering out details and contentious negotiations myself and Dan have worked out a 325 page contract to make Tennis Prose Great Again, or MTPGA.
We will no longer let politics and religion or other hot trigger issues divert the main topic of discussing and analyzing and enjoying the greatest sport on earth.
We thought talking about tennis with no restriction would work but it does not. Too many people get annoyed. We don’t want to be about that anymore.
Everybody who with their fingers types into their keyboard www.tennis-prose.com at least once is obviously a devout, dedicated, passionate enthusiast of either watching or playing tennis both. We appreciate that.
We have had some amazing discussions at this site and also some very memorable, exciting meetings meeting readers who support this site consistently. It’s always a joy to run into people like Harold, Ryan Balon, BJK in DC, and many others I forget at this moment. We just can’t wreck what this site stands for, the unique place this site has been built into in almost a decade.
Tennis is greater than politics and religion and perhaps more important. A gentleman once told me a memorable anecdote about his experiences, how he and his group of tennis buddies all loved playing their morning sets with each other and one day decided to all get together for lunch at a local restaurant in downtown Bradenton. They did but in the first five minutes the conversation was steered to politics and religion and as you might guess, trouble erupted.
Dan and I have decided to never mention politics again, if anyone else does, we will either skate by it or delete the comment. You might not know it or believe it but Dan and I are actually very good friends despite some of our differences. I have known Dan for about a decade and a half, we met at the US Open, always enjoy Dan’s company, he’s a dear friend and a good soul.
So that’s gonna be that. Rome finals tomorrow. Roland Garros next week. The tennis season 2018 is heating up. Let’s all make tennis prose great again.
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Duke Carnoustie · May 19, 2018 at 7:48 pm
Well spoken gentlemen! A great decision of cooperation that our great leaders should be jealous of.
And on the eve of two heavyweight showdowns in Halep-Elina and Rafa-Zverev. Who will conquer Rome?
Duke Carnoustie · May 19, 2018 at 7:50 pm
Let me test out the new rules. Jesus Christ is our lord and savior!
Dan Markowitz · May 19, 2018 at 8:18 pm
I’m not even going to respond to that. Thank you, Scoop, for posting this declaration. I also can endorse Scoop as being a caring, kind individual who is one of the most fervent and knowledgeable tennis scribes out there.
How about this Rudolf Molleker, 17 yr old German who’s marched through the Challenger in Germany. Impressive. Looks like a young Becker.
Scoop Malinowski · May 19, 2018 at 8:19 pm
Duke, we here at tennis prose are setting the tone and example for world peace, fair compromise and even handed honest negotiations. 🙂 Zverev is looking very strong now, more muscular and solid physically, his face looks hardened and tougher too, he’s lost that coltish, boyish look and is becoming a beast. He has yet to solve the Rafa puzzle but now he could be ready to. Once Zverev can overcome Rafa I expect it will open the floodgates for his career and he will go on a rampage. He might even reach no. 1 this year. Rafa better be ready tomorrow. Halep vs Svitolina is a tough call, I give the slight edge to Halep. Why? Not sure.
catherine · May 20, 2018 at 3:03 am
Scoop – RG is week after this – there’s a couple of little events – I see Sloane Stephens is top seed at Nuremburg – getting in that clay practice I assume
I understand how you and Dan can be friends – I’ve a friend I’ve known since she used to contribute to Tennis mag in UK – we’re miles apart in politics and over the years we’ve more or less agreed to avoid the topic. And that works.
Boris Becker as head of men’s tennis at the DTB must be pleased the way things are looking. Not the same on the women’s side where the cupboard seems bare when it comes to young players.
You ran into BJK in DC ? She reads T-P ? I’m amazed.
Scoop Malinowski · May 20, 2018 at 7:52 am
Catherine, RG qualies is this week and main draw starts Sunday so technically speaking… 🙂 BJK was the name of a poster several years ago I met in DC at Legg Mason, now Citi Open. I did run into the real BJK a few times, once on the boat for the USTA press conference with McEnroe, boating around and to Statue of Liberty. Did a Biofile with her then.
Hartt · May 20, 2018 at 8:22 am
Great to hear about not discussing politics or religion. I will no longer have to avoid entire threads where those became the main subjects.
Duke Carnoustie · May 20, 2018 at 9:16 am
Well that was a debacle from Simona. 19 minutes in the first set? It may be good for her to get an effort like that out of the way. En guarde to Roland Garros!
I actually found the political discussion here to be quite civil and enjoyed Scoop’s insights. But people are so sensitive it is probably for the best.
Duke Carnoustie · May 20, 2018 at 6:03 pm
Donald Young is the 19th seed in RG qualifying. How the mighty have fallen. Kudla is the highest seed for the U.S. at No. 7 and Smyczek is at No. 11. Eubanks, Kozlov, Opelka, Escobedo, Kevin King, Klahn and Novikov (who beat Nishikori earlier this year) are the other Americans in action.
Sandgren is playing Haider-Maurer in Geneva while Tiafoe is taking on Harrison in a major Swiss showdown.
Scoop Malinowski · May 20, 2018 at 6:21 pm
Opelka just won the Challenger in Bordeaux and Robredo won the one in Lisbon. 17 yr old Rudolph Molleker won the Challenger, his first, in Heilbron Germany.
jg · May 20, 2018 at 6:58 pm
Molleker looks really impressive, he could be the German number 2 by next year. he beat Vesley not an easy task, Vesley is a main draw player.
Didn’t Tiafoe beat Harry last time they played?
Dan Markowitz · May 21, 2018 at 11:20 am
Donaldson got his first win on European clay today bageling Istomin in the third set. Listened to Noah Rubin podcast with Wertheim and Rubin said when he’s right he feels he can play with anyone in the world Nice thought, but tell that to the guy–I think it was Kamke–who easily beat him in first round of USO qualis last year.
Big tournament for Callum Markowitz this weekend, best 30 kids in the East for 12’s at Port Washington–Callum is seeded fifth. But tough week as he’s now in full-fledged baseball season as well. His team, White Plains Hit N Run, is the no. 1 seed in the New York–Connecticut 12U Travel Baseball Spring Season championships.
Cal just turned 12 last week and his pediatrician estimated he’s going to be between 6 feet and 6-2, making me very happy as I thought he might only be 5-10. Cal is the no. 1 pitcher on the White Plains team, only roughed up once in five starts this year, not giving a run up in any of the other games.
Chazz · May 21, 2018 at 2:28 pm
Huge win for Tiafoe over Harrison. Foe looked down and out in the 2nd set breaker, down 5-2, but came back and won that 7-5 and the 3rd set 6-4. Loved the way he dug deep for this one. It puts him in the top 60, right behind 3 other Americans:
54 Sandgren
55 Harrison
56 Donaldson
57 Tiafoe
Hartt · May 21, 2018 at 2:34 pm
Tiafoe just beat Harrison in 3 sets. Ryan had a MTO for his right foot late in the match, and his play did seem affected. When he started to lose, he turned the air as blue as his shirt with his language, according to my commie.
Hope Frances can go deep in this tourney.
Felix Auger-Aliassime won his first match in the RG qualies, over South African Lloyd Harris. Felix wasn’t great at the beginning, but improved as the match went on, in particular started to serve better. I hope he can get through the qualies. Would love to see him in the main draw.
Duke Carnoustie · May 21, 2018 at 3:10 pm
Get ready for another Isner vs. Radu Albot showdown, this time in Lyon. Budding rivalry.
Duke Carnoustie · May 21, 2018 at 3:44 pm
Rumor has it Tiafoe nearly hit a fan in the stands with the ball and Harrison got upset about it. Did anyone see that?
Duke Carnoustie · May 21, 2018 at 3:57 pm
Donald Young loses to some French guy named Alexandre Muller so his French Open is over. You can see him lose next on grass somewhere in the world.
Hard to believe he was playing Davis Cup singles not too long ago, now a boatload of Americans have passed him by.
Chazz · May 21, 2018 at 4:07 pm
Hartt is right, Harrison unleashed the f-bombs as it started to slip away. Duke, I think it was sometime in the 1st set that Tiafoe hit a ball into the stands. He usually clears one out of the stadium one time in a match if he is playing poorly. Probably didn’t get enough of that one. I didn’t notice Harrison being upset about that. I did see Tiafoe repeatedly apologize to the fans after it happened and after that game was finished. If you want to see a cold handshake, scroll near the end of this video to see what Harrison did https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKyUek1NB_I.
Dan Markowitz · May 21, 2018 at 5:00 pm
DY has to bypass a few meals. He’s getting a little heavy.
Deranged is how I’d describe Harry. He’s really improved his game even on clay, but the guy is nuts. I think Tiafoe was a bit scared of him at the end when he approached the net for the handshake.
jg · May 21, 2018 at 8:07 pm
I just saw the handshake, Tiafoe looked like he didn’t know what Harrison would do, I would be scared, at that close range he can go off on him with his racquet. If these 2 meet in any future events could be interesting, how about US Open? I don’t think there is bad blood, but Harry does not want to lose to a Tiafoe or Fritz, it must be killing him.
Scoop Malinowski · May 21, 2018 at 8:33 pm
It is the most humiliating thing in tennis for the aging struggling veteran to lose to the kid. On so many levels it’s painful – for all his experience and knowledge, to lose to a kid is devastating to the psyche. It’s a blow to the ego and to the confidence tank. How can I not beat a KID??!! It’s a push out the door. It’s a blunt message that you’re already on the way out. In Harrison’s mind he has to win this match. Hope he recovers.
Scoop Malinowski · May 21, 2018 at 8:37 pm
DY is a couple of trips to McDonalds from being called fat. He used to be a lithe cat on the court, I doubt the Young clan is practicing the plant based diet.
Dan Markowitz · May 21, 2018 at 8:38 pm
Weird score, Sandgren beat Haider-Maurer 1-6, 6-1, 6-0.
How about Rubin? He qualied in Geneva and the beat Bagman in SS.
Not a good American showing in RG Qualis. Only guy to win was Kudla, 7-5 in 3rd. Otherwise, DY, Smycek, Escobedo, Novikov, Eubanks and Evan King all bit the dust, and I think all in SS. No Escobedo went 3.
Tomic beats Darius King 6 and 0.
Chazz · May 21, 2018 at 8:51 pm
Escobedo has been a pretty big disappointment for me in the past year. I think he was in the top 100 at one point but has plunged to 174. His solid results in a few tournaments last year gave me a false sense of hope.
Scoop Malinowski · May 21, 2018 at 9:30 pm
Escobedo should have finished off Johnson 1R in Houston, had him beat but let him off the hook. Crushing loss for Escobedo. May need time to get over that one, up a set and break and mini break in second set tiebreaker. That win really boosted Johnson who went on to win title.
Duke Carnoustie · May 21, 2018 at 11:52 pm
That handshake was a scary one.
Just finished reading ESPN story on tiafoe losing to sounds in Portugal. For said sounds was a nice guy who helped him as a young player.
Judging from today, foe and Harry have no relationship. Harry is not well likes. Now that isn’t too important except that it gives opponents extra fuel to beat you. That’s what happened to Harry today. In contrast, foe was too happy to lose to sounds playing in his home event. Clearly foe wanted no part of a loss today.
Duke Carnoustie · May 21, 2018 at 11:53 pm
Sounds should be sousa. Stupid auto correct
catherine · May 22, 2018 at 2:26 am
Serena Williams will not be seeded at RG. The draw should be interesting.
Duke Carnoustie · May 22, 2018 at 2:42 am
Some sad news that Roberto Batista Agut’s mother passed away.
He will likely be a shell of himself at RG since it will be tough to play after that.
Duke Carnoustie · May 22, 2018 at 2:45 am
Let me try again on that Foe post. …
That handshake was a scary one.
Just finished reading ESPN story on Tiafoe losing to Sousa in Portugal. ‘Foe said Sousa was a nice guy who helped him as a young player.
Judging from today, ‘Foe and Harry have no relationship. Harry is not well liked. Now that isn’t too important except that it gives opponents extra fuel to beat you. That’s what happened to Harry today. In contrast, ‘Foe was too happy to lose to Sousa playing in his home event. Clearly ‘Foe wanted no part of a loss today.
Duke Carnoustie · May 22, 2018 at 2:50 am
Weird that Sloane is playing in Germany. Expect her to get bounced early next week. Would love for her to draw Serena for the drama.
Scoop Malinowski · May 22, 2018 at 8:06 am
Saw nothing wrong with that handshake, Harrison was irate but he kept it together and shook hands. Might have blasted a few babolats in the locker room though. Very bitter loss for Harrison to swallow. With coach Mike Russell and his own experience, for Harrison to lose to a new kid on the block like this is as bad a loss as a pro can endure. Harrison had beat Tiafoe 64 in the third in Memphis 2016.
catherine · May 22, 2018 at 8:39 am
Duke – don’t think it’s that weird Sloane playing in Nuremberg – it’s a small clay event – not a bad draw but no one’s watching so she probably figures she’ll get clay court practice and if she loses, no big deal.
Better than hanging around in Paris with lots of distractions – and Sloane may be one of those players who prefers competing to practising.
Chazz · May 22, 2018 at 8:48 am
Scoop, for that to be between two Americans, it was about the coldest handshake possible. If you compare it to Tiafoe and Sandgren from a few weeks ago, or if you watch Isner, Johnson or Querrey play younger Americans, they badly want to win but are friendly after the match. This was the complete opposite, there was some serious tension. I think it’s because Harrison is different than the other veterans. It doesn’t matter to me if they’re friendly or not, but it was really interesting to see that after the match.
Fritz took care of Ebden, setting up a match with Sock. Can’t wait for that one tomorrow. I’ll go with the guy who’s moving up over the guy that’s on the decline.
Hartt · May 22, 2018 at 11:28 am
Scoop, a while ago you posted what keys to use to copy and paste. I should have written it down, because now I forget. Could you post that info again? Thanks.
Scoop Malinowski · May 22, 2018 at 1:07 pm
As US Open queen, maybe SS got a big appearance fee to kick off the new event.
Scoop Malinowski · May 22, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Sock vs Fritz will be epic war. Three matches already, first two won by Sock in five setters at US Open and Australian Open and the most recent won by Fritz in three hard fought sets. If Fritz wins again it’s another sign the young Americans are already taking over. Desperately important match for Sock not to lose two in a row to Fritz. Might even call this the most important match of the year for Sock. If he loses he could unravel into a downward spiral.
Scoop Malinowski · May 22, 2018 at 1:16 pm
Chazz, DY plays with an edge vs the young Americans too. Playing the young players from your home country is a complex dynamic. Dalma Galfi’s coach told me Dalma walked by her Hungarian compatriot Timea Babos at Miami Open last year and Babos totally blanked her. Dalma was expecting some kind of warmth or hello or friendliness but she got nothing but Sharapova ice. It’s serious business on these tours. Johnson vs Escobedo was super tense too.
Scoop Malinowski · May 22, 2018 at 1:18 pm
Hartt, you hit control (CTRL) key first, hold it and then hit c key. CTRL key is usually on bottom left side of keyboard. You can find c 🙂
catherine · May 22, 2018 at 1:55 pm
Scoop – copy and paste ? If you have a mouse you just right click, copy, move to site, right click paste.
I’ve got a PC so maybe you have laptops or Macs ?
catherine · May 22, 2018 at 2:04 pm
Scoop – do you mean Nuremberg’s a new event ? It’s not – as Nurnberg, umlaut needed, it’s been going for a while, although maybe in abeyance for a few years, I don’t know. Was certainly held in 2014. I’m sure SS got a fat fee, she’s struggling through a 3rd said v Putinaskaya (?) as I speak.
Hartt · May 22, 2018 at 2:07 pm
Thanks, Scoop. It worked. 🙂
Catherine, I usually use the method you describe, but for some things it does not work, whereas Scoop’s does. I will never understand computers!
catherine · May 22, 2018 at 2:28 pm
Hartt – I just do the one that works for me and keep my fingers crossed 🙂 Luckily I know someone who’s good at that stuff or I’d be totally lost.
catherine · May 22, 2018 at 2:30 pm
Putintseva is playing SS. They are 3 all FS.
Scoop Malinowski · May 22, 2018 at 2:49 pm
Oh, I never heard of Nurmberg being a WTA tournament, somehow must have missed that. Some small tourneys slip by.
Dan Markowitz · May 23, 2018 at 2:07 pm
What is it with Kokkanaikis? The guy looks like a world-beater and yet he can’t even qualy at the French. Tomic through easy in Rd 2 over Jay Clarke of England.