Atlanta Showdown: The Smyczek vs Young Rivarly

Bad loss for Big ‘Foe today.

Often wondered about all rivalries we don’t know. I follow Harrison vs Zverev the Elder, they were competing every tournament almost. It’s a unique thing about tennis, many players play the same tournaments, so if they don’t move up or down in the rankings they track each other and face off often. One reason Federer gets a little nervous when he’s up against someone he hasn’t ever played, because it’s a new experience and he doesn’t know what to expect.

Paul could use a good run. A few good runs! Harrison also needs a big summer. He’s playing wtt so that should boost him and keep him excited.

Wow, when you’re tiafoe and fritz and you lose to Millman and another forgettable player, you are dropping the ball big time. Tiafoe and Fritz have both been pretty big disappointments. Where is any kind of run in the slams? They need to have some wins in this American summer.

I agree, generation not quite next needs to beat the veterans like Millman, whose game is all around very good, to even stay at the ATP level (which they haven’t proven yet). Donaldson has shown the ability to advance at least a round at several slams, which is very good. I’m not worried, the next Gen Americans have scared the daylights out of Sock, Isner, Johnson, Harrison, Querrey, Donald Young, even Ram, and pushed them to at or close to career best results and rankings for the most part.
The next generation pressure has been the single most important force in USA men’s tennis. They have relatively good rankings (even very good like Tiafoe, Donaldson) but their biggest impact has been forcing the older veteran Americans to improve. They’ve improved more in the two years that the next Gen Americans have been around than the last seven, eight years!!!

Jury’s still out on how well they will all do. That’s up to them. I believe in some way Kid Kozlov and Fritz have been a bit like Krickstein and Chang, showing what was possible. They are seeming so far on the whole like Roddick’s generation of players, Roddick, Blake, Fish, Ginepri, Dent. Haven’t heard much from Mmoh, and very little from Dan’s player Noah Rubin. Rubin would do well to make the top 50, pull a Goldstein. I think he can do it.

Tiafoe made me really angry – I bet 2 dollars on him, he had a break at 5-5 in the final set and failed…

This generation is not parring up to be a Roddick, Fish, Ginepri, Blake, Dent generation. Donaldson’s the only one who’s shown signs of breaking through. Fritz has so far been a disappointment; Tiafoe is an “almost” he plays opponents close, but never seems to knock off a solid or fine ATP player. Kozlov is showing himself so far to be best on grass where he doesn’t really have to hit his so so forehand. Opelka hasn’t done much and Tommy Paul has been a big disappointment. Escobedo has shown flashes as has Rubin, but Rubin’s had wrist surgery I think so that’s why we haven’t seen him since Australia. He even pulled out of Binghamton this week.

There’s certainly no Roddick in this crew or a Blake yet or a Fish. This is looking more like a Spadea, Gambill generation.

True. Yes they’re all sub-29, except Escobedo, JD and Rubin who are 20, but you still want to see these guys improving and winning some matches and really besides JD and Esco earlier in the year, they’re not.

Dan, true, Donaldson and Tiafoe looking more like Gambil and Spadea generation; they are winning some ATP matches and in Donaldson’s case, grand slam matches. Donaldson’s steady and thorough approach, and Tiafoe’s proven ability to learn and improve (however unevenly) are good things for their careers and for their standing in USA tennis and on the ATP tour. Can’t say much more than has already been said. They seem to be stable personalities without enormous chips on their shoulders.
They may not be Kyrgios and Tomic in terms of talent, but they may have longer and more even careers.
Maybe they can equal Mal Washington, David Wheaton, Tim Mayotte.

Sorry to see Escobedo with a bad start to the summer circuit. He’s been quiet lately (as far as I know). He got some media attention and his results promptly dropped off.
Where’s Gus Sampras when you need him? I thought there was a story of how Sampras’ dad took his son after a loss to the press room and Sampras saw how everyone is excited about you after a win and then sports journalism is harsh after your loss. Basically the lesson was: Don’t let a win or a loss get in the way of your effort and performance. Stay humble.

Spadea was never top 15 and the problem with a guy like Spadea is he doesn’t want to travel and he wants to be an agent for models instead of a coach. So what are you going to do? You have to hire Vince to train you in LA and another coach to travel with you. Not so good setup.

Overheard (this is a joke only) – Pliskova answers to Simona. I’m wondering is Pliskova just prefers small potato events. She has good slam results here, but hasn’t delivered. She’s watched Ostapenko, Muguruza grab a slam and slam#2. What’s going on here?

Catherine, I was thinking about the big break a lot of the ATP players have between Wimbledon and Rogers Cup. Several are playing in Washington (and a few are in Atlanta who will be in Montreal), but many others are taking a break. Milos said he has to play the Citi Open to work in a 500 tourney, after missing tournaments because of injuries earlier in the season. It sounds like he would not be there otherwise. The youngsters tend to play everything in sight, but the more established players can take breaks.

Bouchard’s been crashing out of Canada Open every year. Maybe she doesn’t like the big stage that much.

Sevastova, Siniakova quietly putting together a nice year, from last year’s us open to now. For sure Pliskova, Halep, Wozniaki, etc having superior years, but for under the radar folks doing well.

Catherine, I do have some info on what Rafa is doing. On the “Aces” podcast the director for the Rogers Cup tourney said Rafa had requested some of the type of balls the tourney would be using so he could practice with them. It did not occur to me at the time, but later wondered, isn’t that an unfair advantage for Rafa? I doubt all the other players get that perk.

Hartt – yes I do think that’s unfair. What if every player in the draw requested the same type of balls ? I presume players practising on site get the tournament balls but really no one, however grand, should get anything outside the tournament which would give them an advantage.
I’m surprised no one has complained.

Scoop, great topic and I watched this match. You could tell the history had an effect on DY since he wasn’t hitting the ball early in the early going and it was on serve at 3-3. Dy played a great defensive game to break and serving at 5-4, got into a 0-40 hole before digging his way out. Second set was routine.

Smyczek has some ability but no real weapons so credit to him for battling as far as he has gotten. The best he could be is like ‘Iron’ Mike Russell but he’s not going to reach those heights.

I don’t think his elbow is a smokescreen at all. You don’t retire in a W’don semifinal because of a ‘smokescreen’.
His arm can’t tolerate the strain anymore and unless he takes a long break it’s probably finis for him.

Roger did the same.

I think Djoker is hurt and he needs the time off as well; it’s a combination of both.

Mark it down: He’ll win in Melbourne in 2018. I am sure the hunger and desire will be back by then.

Djokovic and Mr. Elbow. I’d gather he just wants the time off. This is a lot of time. Skips the tough summer hardcourt season, plus indoors, both favor his game. Couldn’t be a decision he took lightly, given he’s going to fall in the rankings, isn’t he? I don’t think he gets protected ranking, does he? But it’s mysterious anyways.

I heard somewhere that Djokovic will be around #14 by the beginning of next year.

Young and not shaking the ump’s hand, this also happened a month or two ago. Not sure why he resorts to that.