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Sep/19

21

Change The Laver Cup Format

By Scoop Malinowski

This Europe vs the World just doesn’t work. Who really cares about bragging rights for Europe vs World? There is no historic rivalry there, it’s just a convenient set up for a star exhibition.

A more intriguing format would be the OLD GEN legends vs. the NEXT GEN aspirants.

The big question in the sport now – and it has been for years – is when will the young guns finally figure out how to dethrone the dominant kings?

Any elite ATP player over the age of 30 would be the “Kings” while there’s a giant pool of candidates to compete in the role of the “Princes.”

The Laver Cup could then become a measuring stick each year to see how much closer (or further) the young guns can manage to upset the balance of power from the older generation to the new.

It could be a very successful event which gives the public a fascinating perspective of the most compelling and important rivalry in tennis today.

Maybe the WTA could also get into the act with a similar set up.

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178 comments

  • Hartt · September 21, 2019 at 7:17 pm

    We don’t need to see the Old Gen cream the Next Gen more often than they already do.

    If they did want to make a radical change I think they should make it a mixed event with say 5 ATP players and 5 WTA. There could be mixed doubles, along with singles and doubles. A bit like the Hopman Cup, but with top players.

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 21, 2019 at 7:58 pm

    Hartt, at some point the balance of power will shift to the young and it could happen in a Laver Cup if they do it. The younger players can study and collect information via the matches. THe pressure would be on the OLD GEN. The idea of adding in the women players is a good one, equality works and should always be hustled into an event if possible. But the trouble is appearance fee demands could get crazy.

  • Harold · September 21, 2019 at 8:23 pm

    This is Year 3 of the Laver Cup. Nobody learned anything the first 2 years, what makes you think a nut like Kyrgios hits between the legs shots in middle of a rally at 3-4 in the second set. Stupid, and disrespectful, not to Fed, to his teammates..

    The older guys are better in 3 out of 5 for sure. No new Gen is beating two of the 3 old guys in a Major, needs someone else to knock one off.

    Fed is getting closer to the end. It’s getting harder to close matches, sets, and even hold serve after breaking. That little let up at his age is huge. The Frame jobs start flailing, and he looks a step slower in some of those situations

  • jackson · September 21, 2019 at 8:47 pm

    The Laver Cup is fine the way it is. It’s fashioned after the Ryder Cup in golf which is USA against Europe. They couldn’t limit Laver Cup to just USA though as there aren’t enough competitive American tennis players.

    And please. No women. They already have integrated enough big tennis events with the WTA and it’s a drag waiting for them to finish so the men can get going. The WTA needs to arrange some better tv contracts so people who want to watch women play can find them scheduled somewhere else.

  • jackson · September 21, 2019 at 8:50 pm

    I checked tomorrow’s Order of Play for Laver Cup and yikes, Rafa is going to be exhausted.

    He played both matches of today’s night session, singles first and then doubles. Now tomorrow he supposed to play the first match, a doubles match with him and Federer against Isner and Sock and then the second match against Kyrgios. That’s 4 straight matches! He’ll be dead! Should be fun to see Rafa and Fed playing together again though.

  • George · September 21, 2019 at 9:36 pm

    Speaking of old guard diminishing, Bernard Tomic retired in first round of qualifying in the tournament he won a year ago:

    https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/current/chengdu/7581/draws?matchType=qualifierSingles

    He will lose a ton of ATP points. The former number 2 ranked junior never reached his full potential on the tour. His career is pretty much over at 26. Too bad, had a throwbback style to his game. Lot more interesting than watching guys bash the ball.

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 21, 2019 at 10:27 pm

    Tomic could be finished.

  • Jeff · September 22, 2019 at 12:48 am

    We are told Kyrgios is so great at Laver Cup. Well he is 1-3 in singles play, only beating Berdych, and he faces Nadal tomorrow.

    Kyrgios is 3-0 in doubles, partnering twice with Sock. Maybe both of them should stick to doubles.

    I just wanted to dispel the myth that Kyrgios is great at Laver Cup. He comes up small there just like in a Slam. He has the best PR in the tennis world with everyone apologizing for his continued failures.

  • Jeff · September 22, 2019 at 12:53 am

    Sandgren rematch with Andy Murray in China. Should be good.

  • catherine · September 22, 2019 at 1:46 am

    Jackson – I hope you aren’t serious but I’m afraid you are. Your neanderthal attitudes aren’t really what I want to read about on T-P or anywhere else. Plenty of blokes-only outlets for that.

    I don’t mind criticism of the women’s game, I do a fair bit of it myself. but the stuff you’re saying just isn’t funny. Not in 2019. Why don’t you just turn off the tv when women are on ? Quite easy just to avoid them altogether.

    I don’t care about the Laver Cup one way or another – it’s just another exho. Doesn’t need women who have the Fed Cup for now although I’m sure that situation won’t last long.

  • jackson · September 22, 2019 at 2:11 am

    Catharine, you sound like such a lovely person, calling other posters names because they expressed an opinion different than yours. You sound like you have some weird conviction that T-P is yours or something and you can control who posts and what they post as you’ve had go-arounds with other posters too, like Dan. Take a deep breath sweetie, go look for some other highlight videos you can watch, have a nap and dream about your obsession Kerber, relax. Just skip my posts if they upset you so much like I skip all of yours that rattle on about women’s tennis. I don’t post often so that shouldn’t be so onerous.

  • catherine · September 22, 2019 at 3:39 am

    Jackson – I’ve no idea what you’re on about. I haven’t called you names and I have no desire to control what other people here think or write. They say all sorts of things and certainly don’t agree with each other.We can all agree to disagree, I hope.
    I thought your views on women unpleasant and I don’t take that back. And I’m not the only person here who talks about womens’ tennis. I thought T-P was a site which covered all aspects of the game.

    I find your comments somewhat abusive, but I’m not going to worry about that or read anything else you write.

  • Douglas Day · September 22, 2019 at 7:28 am

    Jackson
    Get the ATP streaming app. I used to scream about WTA P.C. cram down everywhere else. While theres no majors, the $125 paid for itself the first month.

  • George · September 22, 2019 at 8:02 am

    In addition to the guaranteed participation fees which are based upon the players’ ATP rankings, each member of the winning team gets $250,000 in prize money.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laver_Cup

    Wonder how much the players are making for the Laver Cup. especially Federer and Nadal. The stadium is packed and it is on TV all weekend.

  • Hartt · September 22, 2019 at 8:15 am

    Rafa had to withdraw because of inflammation in his hand, and Sock/Isner just won a close match over Fed/Tsitsipas. Once again, it went to a match TB, and was a close, entertaining match.

    JMac announced that Nick won’t play Thiem, who is replacing Rafa, but did not say who the replacement will be.

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 22, 2019 at 8:54 am

    Inflammation of the hand, that’s a new one.

  • Hartt · September 22, 2019 at 8:56 am

    I am annoyed that I can see women’s matches on TV only during Slams and the Rogers Cup. There is going to be the crazy situation that, with all the interest in Canada about Bianca, we won’t be able to see her matches on TV.

  • Jeff · September 22, 2019 at 8:57 am

    So instead of Rafa playing Kyrgios, it is Thiem v. Taylor Fritz. But the question is why was Kyrgio replaced?

    My theory? Kyrgios only likes to play the Big 3 since he can lose and just say they are the greatest and of course the score will be close. He is too scared of guys like Thiem and Nishikori since he knows they are better players and doesn’t want to be compared to them, only to the Big 3.

    Him pulling out means he is not serious about winning the Laver Cup. He is all about protecting his image and has the greatest PR team in the world. If he really wanted to win the Laver Cup, he would play Thiem instead of Taylor Fritz.
    How the public continues to be fooled by this fraud I have no idea.

  • Hartt · September 22, 2019 at 9:23 am

    I am not a Kyrgios fan, but am prepared to believe he really does have shoulder problems.

  • catherine · September 22, 2019 at 9:32 am

    Hartt – why can’t you see women’s matches ? I thought you had subscribed to a TV channel which showed them, or maybe I misunderstood.

    I depend on streaming, which means not Slams (I’m not paying Amazon) and highlights, sometimes whole matches, but only after the event. WTA does those.

    I bet Bianca was watching Naomi bt Pavs and taking notes.

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 22, 2019 at 9:34 am

    Kyrgios is a major star and ticket seller and that’s how he sees himself. He’s above matches against blue collar grinders like Thiem or Sandgren or Coric. No surprise he opted out of playing Thiem. It will be forever his flaw if he does not change this attitude and generate the motivation to treat every opponent the same. Hewitt played the Japanese wildcard Gouichi Motomura (ranked 315) in Tokyo when Hewitt was no. 3 in the world in 2004 and he acted on the court as if HE was the underdog, yelling cmon and fist pumping early. A player was there and told about it for Facing Hewitt book. Hewitt won 60 36 61.

  • catherine · September 22, 2019 at 9:38 am

    Jeff – Nick has a tremendous sense of his own personal appeal – he knows how to calibrate it. This means that most of the time, whatever he does, his market value goes off the chart. Sometimes he makes a mistake and then gets all apologetic and attracts more fans. No one does ‘genuine’ like Nick.

  • Hartt · September 22, 2019 at 9:51 am

    Catherine, I did subscribe to a Quebec TV channel, but discovered their coverage was terrible. They only showed the last rounds, and often even those were shown after the match was over. So I unsubscribed. I even wrote to TSN about having them cover the WTA, and they said they don’t have the rights. I know that, how about getting the rights? No English Canadian TV channel has them.

  • Hartt · September 22, 2019 at 9:58 am

    Scoop, “inflammation” was my word. Swelling would have been a better choice.

  • Harold · September 22, 2019 at 10:06 am

    Mixed doubles at Laver Cup.. oh yeah. I for one can’t wait to see Isner or Kyrgios serve to Halep or Kerber..

    Let the women create their own event.

  • jg · September 22, 2019 at 10:08 am

    Why would team Europe not play Fognini in doubles, he’s a great doubles player.

  • Hartt · September 22, 2019 at 10:10 am

    Regarding Laver Cup, the Hopman Cup showed how much excitement there was when Fed and Serena played mixed doubles against each other. And I bet Bianca could more than give Isner a run for his money, with her good ROS and speed around the court.

  • Andrew Miller · September 22, 2019 at 10:11 am

    Keep it as is. And congrats Kenin, Osaka. Sheesh. Great year for Kenin, who keeps on going. And yeah whatever Francois is telling Osaka, or whatever Osaka is doing, keep going. As Carling Bassett Seguso once said, keep doing what’s working

    I think it’s a little dangerous to only do what’s working. But tennis players can be superstitious so…of it ain’t broke…

    Just do what Courier did. If you’re going to have a bad backhand win four slams with the bad backhand and then lose forever more. At least you got four slams!

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 22, 2019 at 10:17 am

    The Federer vs Serena clash in mixed doubles was an electric moment, tennis should try to repeat those moments by offering more mixed opportunities for it to happen again. That was a very special rare occurrence.

  • Andrew Miller · September 22, 2019 at 10:31 am

    Kyrgios was up for his US Open matches and then got beaten fair and square by Rublev.

    I’d like to see Rublev improve. I’d think that Medvedev’s US Open motivated him. Rublev had few answers in his loss to Berretini, who went out to Gerasimov in Moscow, and Medvedev beat Rublev in straights in Moscow.

    As Carling said, when things aren’t working you change them up.

  • Hartt · September 22, 2019 at 10:45 am

    Wow, Taylor Fritz, a sub for Kyrgios, just had a huge win over Dominic Thiem. Team World has a real chance at winning this! Isner vs Fed next.

  • catherine · September 22, 2019 at 11:04 am

    Over in Wuhan Sloane ‘whatever’ gets one on the board beating Zhang and poor Daria K goes out again 1st round, this time to Garcia who has had troubles of her own. Danielle Rose bt Venus.

  • Harold · September 22, 2019 at 11:28 am

    Cmon, the Fed/SW thing was a once in a career, two possible GOATS, on the same court.

    Kyrgios doesnt want to play people outside the top 3, hes gonna want to play mixed against Halep? You really think people need to see that.

    Will Laver Cup survive Fed and Nadal not being a part of it? They’ll probably have to play Roddick, and Sampras doubles as part of it, to keep it relevant..Fritz/ Thiem, Kyrgios/Tsitsipas,will not sell out arenas

  • Andrew Miller · September 22, 2019 at 11:31 am

    Laver Cup…keep as is.

  • Andrew Miller · September 22, 2019 at 11:32 am

    Worried: Nike executives. Their stars are aging…

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 22, 2019 at 11:36 am

    Fritz is heading to the top ten.

  • Andrew Miller · September 22, 2019 at 11:36 am

    Kerber analysis: those soft serves to Pavs didn’t help the Kerber game. She’ll need to hold serve better, and a player can’t do that when they serve balls that are easily returned or easily returned for winners. Kerber made Pavs look like a slam champ out there, when it was Kerbs that has the three slams in pocket.

    Credit to Pavs for bullying Kerber off those soft serves and predictable shot patterns. Kerber hit some world class winners out there, but fell very very short of playing champion tennis.

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 22, 2019 at 11:37 am

    Nike dropped Federer, wonder when contracts with Rafa and Serena end?

  • Jeff · September 22, 2019 at 11:39 am

    Scoop,

    You are right. Kyrgios thinks he is above players like Coric, Thiem, Nishikori. For me, this is a lack of respect since those players are better than him.

    Taylor Fritz is another who I expect to have a better career. I told you I believe he will reach a Slam final. Yes, he will reach the top 10 soon.

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 22, 2019 at 11:54 am

    Jeff, but Nick is more controversial and he sells more tickets and excites fans more than Coric, Thiem and Kei. Nick’s star power is greater.

  • Harold · September 22, 2019 at 12:02 pm

    Where is he selling tickets? You think tey put Kyrgios against anyone outside the top 3 in MSG next Feb., they are selling out? No freaking way

    There are no great rivalries in the next Gen, because they cant get through the big 3 to create rivalries. Their practice sets, and junior match results don’t count

  • Jeff · September 22, 2019 at 12:10 pm

    I think Scoop is right. I think Kyrgios and Sock playing doubles would draw more fans than Coric, Thiem or Nishikori.

  • Hartt · September 22, 2019 at 12:15 pm

    Nick is injured so often (and that will continue because he doesn’t train properly) he won’t even play all that often. And if he keeps going after umps, he will end up getting suspended, so there is even less time playing tourneys.

    The ATP needs to pin its hopes on youngsters like FAA, Shapo and Fritz continuing to develop and ultimately becoming stars. Because counting on Kyrgios to bring in fans is short-sighted.

  • Harold · September 22, 2019 at 12:22 pm

    Because Doubles is so big, they dont even play a 3rd set, because it got in the way of scheduled singles matches. Top players dont even play doubs in their home Country..Sock will make a nice living for the next 5 years or more playing doubs. Good for him, he might be the best player in doubs..no one is running to see him play

    Doubles is for die hard fans. No new fans are finding tennis because they see a doubles, or mixed match…

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 22, 2019 at 12:30 pm

    Harold, only Fed can sell out MSG. Without Fed the MSG annual exo died out. I think if Kyrgios wins a major, he could sell out MSG vs Sock or Stan 🙂 Nick is very close to becoming a cross over star. We saw how he took over the Citi Open and turned it into Kyrgiosmania.

  • Andrew Miller · September 22, 2019 at 12:31 pm

    Happiness 1, Success 0. Osaka wins a good tournament with her father Francois as coach. I’m amazed. I’m still wondering how this turns out. Apparently she doesn’t need any high profile or low profile coach. Just dad.

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 22, 2019 at 12:37 pm

    Jeff and Harold, a guy like Kyrgios with his charisma and appeal could singlehandedly make doubles cool again. Kyrgios and Sock could do it. But they don’t play together so much.

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 22, 2019 at 12:39 pm

    Hartt, I agree relying on Kyrgios is a risk. But he is a major value to the ATP, he stirs up controversy, he gives good theater and he plays a brand of tennis that can beat Fed, Rafa and Djokovic. He is an asset and he will be protected.

  • Andrew Miller · September 22, 2019 at 12:39 pm

    ATP Tennis will survive the end of the big three, much as the WTA survives the last throes of Serena’s tour, as she fails forward in a quest for Court’s record.

    The WTA has changed radically, with so many players from so many places with so much game. Yeah it’s impossible to keep track of them, but you’re guaranteed some good tennis. Osaka is a star, even if I thought and still believe she needs a coach a few levels up from her dad. Andreescu has some serious star power. The women’s game is in a good place.

    The ATP will be the same. Medvedev already proved there is life after Nadal with his thriller of a five set match in his loss to Nadal, and is backing it up. The US open had three non big four players in the semifinals, unheard of.

    We’re going to see a lot more of these young guys. They are making bigger names for themselves and even if they’re not as good and dominant as Djokovic there’s someone to root for. We will survive as fans.

  • catherine · September 22, 2019 at 12:43 pm

    Andrew – Angie has her playing patterns memorised. She goes through the motions when the right buttons are pressed. In Wuhan she plays Puig who beat her for Olympic gold in 2016. I would bet SS to Monica.

    About serving – any player who really improved their serve late in their career ? A good serve would improve Angie’s game 90%. But I don’t know – unless she sorts out the coaching side I can’t see anything changing. And her attitude ? That tweener she put in the net – what was she thinking ? Like before the USO – ‘never too serious’.

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