Coco vs Osaka AO Analysis

When I think of beast mode I think of young Serena stepping to the line and ending a game with 4 straight aces, or Larry Bird hitting a bunch of threes in a row and saying to everyone else “okay, who here is going to finish 2nd?”….because he knew he was going to finish 1st.

Gauff’s is more of a cub mode….like when your 4 year old nephew tries to fight and you can hold him at arm’s length with your hand on his head. How cute.

Call me Co Co can yell all she wants but has no scary weapons to truly intimidate anyone. Cristea started playing cautious, playing not to lose, and it cost her the match. It has happened in every sport since the beginning of sports….football teams in a prevent defense, basketball teams trying to run out the clock and instead losing a big lead.

Sorry, Gauff is a nice player, but nothing special, just one of 30-40 who can challenge for a match on their good days.

Kenin is a fighter, just not a yeller. Bellis is a stone cold analytical killer. Serena and Osaka can dismantle anyone when they are on…with actual weapons. Giorgi can hit people off the court in her beast mode. Halep can pick them apart in hers. And many others can enter the zone or mode or whatever in various ways.

In fact having to resort to yelling and staring seems more like trying to overcompensate for a small weapons package.

Bellis lived in a dorm for a few summers at Evert’s academy when USTA high performance was there. Our friend was the dorm mother. Little skinny 12 year old Ci Ci Bellis would tell anyone who would listen that she was going to be #1 in the world. Very confident kid even though everyone towered over her back then.

Hewitt was outstanding technically and prepared maniacally, and so too Nadal, possibly the most disciplined player in tennis history.

Scoop, ya prove my case. Thanks!

If I can’t critique the blatant taunting, unless it’s standard misunderstanding, then I’d really have to critique the kid for her crying after last year’s Osaka match. I won’t.

Nadal was crying when he lost the Wimbledon final in 2007 to Federer at age 21. Uncle Toni was there and said stop crying, there are many things to cry about but not losing the Wimbledon final. Nadal feared he’d never win one, but Uncle Toni was trying to make a point – that it wasn’t that important, that making the final was a huge deal. That he’d put himself in position to try again, and maybe do better.

So I’ll leave that there. I miss the Old School of Uncle Toni and Lansdorp etc. It’s given way to Twitter hating and lots of pouting.

And tennis isn’t war. It’s a sport. A pretty silly one, too. But fun.

I am a little surprised that outside of Scoop that Coco has turned into a villain on this site. I agree she hasn’t won the big ones yet but look at what she is doing at this age. It is an amazing story and worthy of all the attention and she has a bright future.

It is like watching Zion Williams make his debut last night, he made 4 3-pointers like it was nothing and coming off injury. Coco is of the same mold as a prodigy. We need to appreciate what we are seeing. Surely she will give Naomi a better match this time.

Wang and Serena Williams in a battle royale. Yikes! Jabeur sends Wozniaki into the sunset. Jabeur is also awesome to watch.

Fucsovics d(ismisses) Tommy Paul in three sets. What a tournament for Fucsovics, and sorry to see T. Paul exit the singles draw. He did well.

Wang won! That was quite the match, with a shocking result. I kept expecting Serena to prevail, despite how well Q played.

The point isn’t that Gauff is like Zion in terms of size but in terms of being a child prodigy. What she is doing at this age is amazing, that is all I am saying. I think it is a good comparison since both are future torch bearers for their sports.

I think Serena will get it done in Wimbledon. She has to get there eventually. As for this match, she was outplayed.

Paul definitely disappointed. He was not even there the first two sets, looked like he was out drinking or something. He played better in the third but it was too late.

I’m not betting Serena gets it done at Wimbledon. She hasn’t the past couple of years and W’don is probably the most stress.

As for Gauff, I’m not that bothered whether she’s the GOAT or a blow out but what I really puts me off is the stuff about savagery and bashing and snarling and beast etc etc because it’s unpleasant and somehow wrong for a 15 year old playing a game. She’s a talented teenager not a grotesque cage fighter.

Enough. I’ll repeat what I said earlier – if Naomi loses Fisette is the wrong coach for her.

Jeff – it’s not really Coco who’s the villian. It’s her handlers.

Yes, talented and precocious teenage tennis player. A mighty good one.

I have said it before and will say it again. There’s something messed up about today’s media age. I guess there’s just too much money on the line and every player is a brand. I’ll never get used to this.

Agreed. Handlers, agents, etc. Not sure why the Gauffs are up for that, but could be that there’s a lot riding on every match. Sponsor money maybe, that’s my guess. Maybe clauses in her contract kick on.

Riske bts Georges – 45 UEs from Julia. She hasn’t looked good for a while.

30 UE’s from Osaka and many other misjudgements. Even Cirstea took a set from Gauff. Did Naomi underestimate Coco ? Or did her coach and team become a little complacent I wonder ? A tough post-mortem is require. Not saying Coco might not have won but that was pretty bad from Naomi – too many distractions maybe. I bet Wim will have plenty of excuses.

Hartt – Very good from Milos. I know you’ve followed him through thick and thin and your loyalty has been rewarded. As you say, as long as he stays uninjured…..

Catherine, I nearly gave up on Milos a couple times over the last 2 years, so it was a pleasure watching him playing so well.

Dan, Scoop was right about the Gauff ability to compete. I hate the hype, but like the kid and hope she does well.

So mean culpa. My bad. Gauff indeed does have the will to compete and that makes up for whatever shortcomings in her game and is a good lesson for anyone.

Yeah I’m flat wrong. I thought the Gauff game could best Cirstea down the stretch but thought hey, good win. But it wasn’t about the Gauff game at all. It was about the Gauff playing the Gauff game. And I missed that.

Still dislike the hype. And now that will be times a million.

Thought Raonic would do this 🙂 Two Australian Opens in a row he takes out the ATP finals champ – last year Zverev, this year Tsitsipas. Underestimate Raonic competitiveness, it’s upper level. Just that he gets hurt and when he’s hurt he’s back in comeback mode again. So enjoy it!

And I’m wrong about Osaka, too. I don’t mind admitting it, the results speak for themselves. They show Gauff performs brilliantly on the biggest stages and ups her level, and that her opponents are not used to being challenged or to the crowd being against them.

Definitely something for Osaka to think about, and we shall see what Gauff has left in the tank! Probably quite a lot this tournament alone. I thought she’d be spent but she was revved up and ready to go. Bravo Gauff.

Andrew, you’ve said positive things about Milos, and you were right.

Among other things, Milos was good at the net today. From the ATP site: “He was untouchable on serve, firing 19 aces, winning 88 per cent of first-serve points, 58 per cent of second-serve points and never facing a break point. Raonic clubbed 55 winners to the Greek’s 23 and won 70 per cent of his 41 net approaches.”