By Scoop Malinowski
If you haven’t seen the highlights or the actual Tennys Sandgren vs Max Marterer match yet, go to the Australian Open site and see the highlights. What you are going to see is going to impress you. Or blow you out of the water.
Sandgren is a man possessed right now, he’s playing at a supernatural level. Marterer is an unknown quantity with little ATP experience but he was also playing superb and won the first set 75.
But then Sandgren raised it a notch and won the next three close sets. If you just read the scoreline you will think, Eh, no big deal. Sandgren survived but he will get smoked by Thiem in the round of 16.
But I’m mot so sure of that. Sandgren is playing that well. Defending like a Nadal, clouting winners like a Kyrgios, and lasering pinpoint passes like a Djokovic. Serving quite well too. Sandgren’s first serve percentage was 73% and he hit 46 winners. The running backhand pass is looking Djokovic prime level, one up the line even knocked the racquet out of the lunging Marterer’s hands. I never saw Djokovic do that.
Sometimes a tennis player just, out of nowhere, with no explanation, no proper reasons, just suddenly goes on a tear and plays the best tennis of his or her life, far beyond what he or she ever has before. That’s a beauty of tennis, the grinder journeyman/journeywoman can just suddenly wake up like a new player and suddenly zap out top five, top ten tennis in the world. We have seen this head scratching phenomenon happen over the years with Canas, Fognini, Rios, Puig, Muller, Russell, Janowicz, Dokic, Lucic, Shapovalov, Fritz, Harrison, Clement, Schuettler, Safin, etc.
It has happened many times and it’s happening right now with Tennys Sandgren.
Mark my words, it’s happening with Tennys Sandgren, the last American left in the 2018 Australian Open mens draw.
" Tennys Sandgren · AO · Australian Open
Andrew Miller · January 22, 2018 at 8:33 pm
Sandgren, only 2nd US men’s QF outside of Querrey since 2011 US open. It’s amazing.
Andrew Miller · January 22, 2018 at 8:36 pm
Querrey has made two slam QF and one slam SF in last two years, and he was the only us man to make it that far since the 2011 us open when Isner and Fish made the slam QF.
Sandgren is the only us man to make it to a slam QF beyond Querrey.
It’s truly amazing.
Scoop Malinowski · January 23, 2018 at 8:32 am
Sandgren is beyond amazing. It’s Sandgrenazing 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · January 23, 2018 at 8:35 am
Andrew, in one big swoop Sandgren has shown up the whole American armada for the last decade or so. Sandgren is showing then all how it’s done. I think we can all assume by now the win over Wawrinka was no fluke and I question how off Stan really was that match, if he was much at all. Stan won the first round ok but he ran into the Sandgren tornado and couldn’t handle it.
Andrew Miller · January 23, 2018 at 9:08 am
Sandgren “Ginepri”ed his USA compadres. Can guys like Sock honestly wake up this week and say, “I’ve got another level in me, if Sandgren can do it so can I?”
What’s Harrison think? Sock? DY? Sandgren just shattered the idea that a US men’s player without a supersonic serve can’t make a slam QF . I hope they reached out and congratulated Sandgren.
Scoop Malinowski · January 23, 2018 at 9:41 am
Andrew, Sandgren could be the savior of USA tennis. If his success does not spark everyone to get on the ball and work hard, then nothing will. We have witnessed a Challenger sub journeyman walk in Clint Eastwood style, with his tattered pancho and dusty hat, and just blow the saloon to smithereens. I have no doubt Sandgren’s heroic tennis will inspire other Americans to step up and be great this year. The question is which ones will STEP UP. And which ones are too complacent and lazy to step up. This year we will find out. Thanks to Tennys Sandgren who has done his best, more than anyone else, to rescue American tennis.
Scoop Malinowski · January 23, 2018 at 9:44 am
Also think Edmund deserves major respect now. He was a little bigger and stronger then Dimitrov and his forehand and backhand, when needed, broke down the Dimitrov backhand and made it look weak. I thought Dimitrov should have avoided the Edmund forehand more, never go that forehand only when it was wide open. Edmund’s backhand was stronger than Dimitrov’s – that was the tale of the match IMO. I just saw Dimitrov go to the KE forehand a few too many times when not necessary and KE exploited those opportunities to hurt Dimitrov. I think it’s time for Dimitrov to get a coach who was a top ten player who knows how to win majors. Valverdu is a good first week coach but in the second week of a major Dimitrov needs better coaching.