Tennis is a serious business with a lot at stake but funny, light hearted moments with the best players in the world do happen…
Magnus Larsson recalled the folly of almost losing his first prize money. “My first tennis paycheck, $2500. I lost. On the way back home to Stockholm. With my wallet. I had no money. I was calling my dad on the phone to tell him what time I come home. When I make the call, I found another wallet. I turned it into the info desk. Lot of money in it. Then when I got on the plane, I realize I left my wallet at the info desk! I had to run to get it back in time. But there was a few sweaty moments.”
Elena Vesnina witnessed a player robbed by a thief – during a changeover. “I remember I was playing one time in India and next court to me, Vania King actually – she put the banana on the chair and the monkey came and took it. And ball kids were trying to run after it to get the banana. And Vania was like, No I don’t need it. Leave it, give it to the monkey.”
Vince Spadea showed tennis is a game of love as he somehow managed to set up a date…while playing in a Tour match. “One time I got a phone number during a match. I was rappin’, pretendin’ like I was talkin’ to the ballkid. Hey, how’s it going? Maybe we’ll have a drink sometime. So then later the ballkid slipped me the number. Her name was Sunshine.”
When asked about a funny tennis memory, Xavier Malisse immediately thought of a former player he used to practice with. “Mose Navarra of Italy, I’ve never known a guy as crazy as him. We used to go out a lot. And I know how he acts, every time we go out my stomach would hurt from laughing. His remarks around people, not bad, just funny.”
Thomas Muster went all the way back to his childhood days of playing in Austria. The always passionate and demonstrative Muster was never shy about expressing himself in tennis, not even as a young boy. “When I was younger, I was trying to ask anyone and everyone to play with me. Anyone who was waiting for a friend or who just finished, I ask everyone to play. I think people were afraid to come early to the club because I was there.”
Nicolas Lapentti recalled an uncanny memory of his amazingly accurate shotmaking. “I was playing a tournament in Lima, Peru in 1995. And my coach at the time – Pablo Guzman – was sitting up, up in the corner. And I hit a serve wide and it hit something in the wall – like a wire or something – and the ball went straight up and took off his baseball hat. The ball went completely up – it didn’t touch him – just took off his hat. A hat like yours. Took it off. It was too much.”
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Nicolas Kiefer remembered how he artfully dodged having to do tedious running drills in practice. “When I was younger, 9 or 10, in practice we used to run a lot because of fitness. Once I did not want to run and I closed myself in a locker room closet. And so I didn’t run. After, they come back and pick me up.”
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Andy Roddick honed his competitive spirit as he used to play fantasy matches in his garage. “When I was growing up, we had this rebound net in our garage that I played on. And I used to pretend I was playing McEnroe, Sampras, Lendl, three out of five sets. My mom would come out and ask me the score. And I’d be like, I’m winning. She’d be like, Oh, that’s impressive. So that was my big thing when I was little, playing with that rebound net, being in my own little world.”
Arnaud DiPasquale summoned up an odd experience in South America. Unfortunately a poor bird met a violent fate. “One time, a long time ago, in Satellite in Uruguay. Just after juniors. I was practicing. There were a few birds on the baseline while we were taking a drink on the changeover. I just hit the ball to scare them away. And I killed one. I felt so bad after that. I feel like a killer. I killed the bird.”
Jim Courier reminisced about times at The Bollettieri Academy. “The times I was at Bollettieri’s Tennis Camp where we would sneak out in the middle of the night. The boys and the girls, we’d all sneak out, take our racquets with tennis balls at 2 a.m. and have like these tennis ball wars where they were building stuff. So we were like firing tennis balls at each other from close range. Of course, we all got caught and had to wash cars and pick the weeds the next day.”
I interviewed the great Don Budge at the U.S. Open a few years before he passed away. He retained a memory of a ping pong match. “We have a ping pong table at home. I took a fellow – a neighbor of mine – up there to see our game room. He said, Oh, do you play ping pong? I said, Yes. He said, You know, I’m a pretty good player. So I played him. After he said, Gee, you’re pretty good Don! I said, Oh, I play much better right-handed! I played him left-handed and beat him easily. And he was quite chagrined [smiles]!”
Richard Krajicek culled a memory of when he was only second-best in the Krajicek household. “I was six or seven, I used to play tennis with my older sister Lenka. She used to always beat me. She was 13. Then one day she played left-handed to make it fair. And she still beat me!”
Poland’s Lukas Kubot had a bizarre moment when his serve hit his doubles partner not once but twice. “I played with Oliver Marach in doubles. And I hit him with my serve to the head. And the ball didn’t go left or right – it went 20 meters straight up. Fell down and the ball fell down and hit him again. And we were playing French guys in the Challenger. It was at the end of 2005, the Challenger in Doha. After was the ATP tournament in Doha. And the first question that I asked Oliver, Man, sorry, are you okay? And his answer was like, Man, I want to win [smiles]. So I had a second serve after and I couldn’t stop laughing. So I was laughing. I got a time violation from the referee. And I hit the second serve directly to the fans with my frame [smiles]. So that was probably the funniest. (Win?) We win the match. We won the tournament with a wildcard. And we played semifinal in Doha in the ATP tournament, which actually started the doubles career.”
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« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next »Andrew Miller · September 25, 2019 at 1:39 pm
Hantuchova’s “era” was rough: Serena, Pierce, Venus, Sharapova, Henin, Clijsters, Capriati…all in their prime.
I don’t think it was “deeper”, but they were a very formidable top ten of “assassins”, and they more or less traded slams among each other. Then you had Jankovic, Ivanovic, the Russians Kuznetsova, Myskina, Dementieva, all good.
There’s somewhat of a return to that now with some very very good young champions. But I don’t think Hantuchova is wrong – there’s a big difference between today’s happiness over success group, which is at the start of their careers, and what Hantuchova faced when she miraculously won Indian Wells in 2002. It was impossible in 2002, and now it’s “merely very very hard”. You have more of the any given day on the tour now, when anyone can catch anyone on the WTA. Versus when Hantuchova played your third round could be Kuznetsova, your fourth round could be Capriati…not a fun draw!!!
If that’s what Hantuchova is saying she’s right. But if it’s about early rounds I disagree with her, I think first round now is hard and the tournaments are unpredictable. But if it’s later rounds yeah you probably won’t face Henin then Capriati then Seles etc.
But from 20 to 50 or so I’d go with today’s group, players no longer can count on an easier first round no matter what seed you are. Your first round could be Giorgi today, which is a flip of the coin but you could get destroyed.
catherine · September 25, 2019 at 1:42 pm
That’s true as well – you get these older players saying how incredibly tough it is now, they can’t win a couple of rounds the way they used to etc etc but as Scoop points out, they’re older (or they wouldn’t remember would they ?)less fit and maybe struggling a bit and they have to say something. It’s a WTA directive. Like having stuff on Twitter/IG when you’ve done nothing but lose. You have to do PR for the game to keep sponsors interested. I don’t know how the more intelligent players, Petko eg, can stand it.
Andrew Miller · September 25, 2019 at 1:46 pm
Yastremska hits the (stuffing) out of the tennis ball. If Pliskova wasn’t ready for that she’d get knocked on her back heels.
It’s a little surprising because Pliskova puts a lot of emphasis on these tournaments, but remember she has already qualified for the WTA finals as the number two player in the world (not quite in her playing, but that’s always different!). Pliskova doesn’t have to make any stirring comeback in these tournaments.
From here on out she can coast until the WTA finals.
catherine · September 25, 2019 at 1:52 pm
Andrew – your comment came between mine and Scoop’s.
One thing I would point out – every era’s tough at the top and the eras aren’t discrete, they merge into each other. So it’s hard to make any decisive judgements one way or the other. And anyone can’t catch anyone.
Only certain thing I can say is that I’ve been hearing the same old claims since the 80s and they aren’t any truer now than they were then.
catherine · September 25, 2019 at 1:57 pm
Players who have qualified for the Finals don’t have to bother. So in Beijing we’ll see Bianca bothering.
Andrew Miller · September 25, 2019 at 2:01 pm
As for Hantuchova, she has a sweet gig as an announcer and her record is good, it’s not as if she’s Gimelstob here. And when we think wait a second who did Hantuchova face, were they that much better than today or even as good? I think it’s obvious…yes.
A few of her finals opponents in their prime or a tad after it.
– Hingis
– Clijsters
– Kuznetsova
– Sharapova
– Davenport
– Ivanovic
With the exception of Ivanovic, that’s quite a line up. She also played (!) 985 matches on tour. Compare that with Spadea’s 670 matches on tour. I think Hantuchova has a point here.
The issue that’s harder is that you can only play in the era where you are and comparing is a terrible exercise. A great example is JC Ferrero, who was pasting a lot of opponents left and right. He comes back from chicken pox after having been number one, finds himself on the Davis Cup lineup for doubles and sidelined in favor of seventeen year old Nadal for singles duty, and proceeds to drop down the rankings as he sees the game changing in front of his eyes.
Of course I attribute the whole thing to changing from Prince to Head racquets. But you know there’s a lot more to it than that!!!
Andrew Miller · September 25, 2019 at 2:14 pm
Yeah can’t compare eras. Sheesh I watched Nadal vs Acasuso clip from Nadal’s first ever ATP title. Some things from Nadal were similar or at least possible to recognize. The game was similar or the same (it’s tennis) but the way Nadal plays now is way more refined. A guy like Coria in 2004 could beat Nadal at his first final. But a guy like Coria would lose quickly to Nadal if his 2004 version player Nadal’s 2019 version. Not just because Nadal 2019 is better today – bit because the game itself has a lot of different things in it.
Scoop Malinowski · September 25, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Catherine you could be right, this narrative about it being tougher back in 2008 could be a WTA orchestration, to spark up a debate and maybe some Controversy. Happens in boxing frequently, someone pushing an agenda (promoter, manager) pays a well known figure in the sport or a former great champion, to say positive things about a protected pretender while taking cheap shots and running a subtle smear campaign against the best, usually a non USA fighter.
Scoop Malinowski · September 25, 2019 at 3:15 pm
Andrew, Nadal won his first ATP title in Poland in Sopot, so he was born as a champion in Poland, so that does make him part Polish 🙂 Where is that clip? You Tube? I never saw that and would like to see it.
Harold · September 25, 2019 at 5:57 pm
Hoping Hantuchova has taken to food better now that she retired. Saw her in Holiday Park at the Evert Center, the days when Harold Solomon was her coach. It was hot, humid, she was bundled up in sweats. Skinniest Major Athlete I ever saw.. scary skinny!
Andrew Miller · September 25, 2019 at 8:07 pm
Nadal 2004 Sopot clip highlights vs Acasuso, finals, here via YouTube courtesy of ATP tour, https://youtu.be/mkAxL7H0WJE
Andrew Miller · September 25, 2019 at 11:16 pm
The Polish Nadal of 2004 had a lot of the game he shows today. The 2004 Nadal was destined for at least a few slams with even the game he showed in his first tournament victory on the ATP. He was very consistent (not like today, but nonetheless surprisingly consistent – like Kenin!) got balls back like Hewitt (kept making it to balls), had a very refined anticipation (like a veteran), and had some combinations that he still uses today. Even then he showed a very good sense of strategy. It makes Acasuso look like Acasuso had no plan. Nadal also I think did something Agassi would do, slowly move the player out of position, hit to a similar spot on the court, then go to left or right of same place (closer to the sideline) but mph kmh harder so that it threw the opponent.
I watch that 2004 version of Nadal – it’s very clear Uncle Toni was working off a few models. I’m not sure who Toni studied, one was Sampras for sure but I think for his composure and mental toughness. Everything else could have a few sources, but I’m sure they are very specific. Toni told Scoop he loved how Rios played (I take that to mean that Toni studied Rios), but I think Toni was right when he said Rios isn’t a model for Nadal. I thought he was, but they are very different.
Like whoever said there are a few artists in the sport. One of them is McEnroe. One of them is Rios. I think Medvedev “might” be another.
Scoop Malinowski · September 26, 2019 at 12:05 am
I also asked Nadal if he emulated Rios at all or studied him and he said no, he’s be lying if he said he watched him. Imagine how Rafa would be even more dimensional if he had a tad of Rios?
Scoop Malinowski · September 26, 2019 at 12:06 am
Will watch tomorrow, thank you Andrew.
Scoop Malinowski · September 26, 2019 at 12:08 am
Hantuchova is just a thin girl with a model body. Never saw her look unhealthy. She was fit, never saw her body breakdown, default or run out of gas. Never saw her or photo of her look unhealthy skinny. Fake news bs.
Scoop Malinowski · September 26, 2019 at 12:09 am
Harold, Gilles Simon is thinner.
jackson · September 26, 2019 at 1:01 am
“A guy like Coria in 2004 could beat Nadal at his first final.”
???? Is this a hypothetical? Coria never beat Rafa in a final. Coria beat Rafa when he was 15 in the R16 at Monte Carlo but never beat him again. Rafa won the next four and it’s said that losing to the young Rafa drove Coria crazy and he quit tennis early.
Hartt · September 26, 2019 at 6:42 am
The ATP announced their decision on the Kyrgios investigation for his behaviour towards officials, etc., over the past 12 months. It is a 16 ATP week suspension and a further fine of $25,000. However, both will be waived if he successfully completes a 6 month probation period that begins on Monday. The conditions are strict.
“No further Code Violations during the probationary period that result in a fine for:
– Verbal or Physical Abuse of officials, spectators or any other persons while on-court or on-site, or
– Unsportsmanlike Conduct based upon an act, such as spitting, directed towards an official, spectator or other person during or upon conclusion of the match, or
– Visible Obscenity directed towards an official.
• Continued support from a mental coach while competing at ATP Tour events.
• Additional support to be sought during the off-season (Nov-Dec) from a professional specializing in behavioral management.” (ATP site)
catherine · September 26, 2019 at 7:23 am
Hartt – Kyrgios has (coincidentally) taken the rest of the season off with a collarbone injury. Not sure if he’ll play Davis Cup. I think he’s escaped lightly with a six month suspension of his sentence (and fine).
Did you watch Felix’s match ? This is the second time recently he’s lost unexpectedly. Is Denis overtaking ?
Hartt · September 26, 2019 at 7:56 am
Even though I got up in the middle of the night to watch Felix’s match, there wasn’t a stream for it. It sounds as though Sousa played well. This is unfortunate for FAA, though, because he had QF points to defend. I think both he and Shapo are like many young players, not very consistent yet.
I agree that Kyrgios got off lightly. But the strict terms of the six month probation mean that he will have to be on his best behaviour for the first 3 months of the new season. It will be interesting to see if he can control himself. He seems to be able to when he is playing someone like Fed, even when he is losing. Will he be able to do that all the time?
catherine · September 26, 2019 at 8:13 am
Sabalenka bt Rybakina in 3 in Wuhan – lost 2nd set 1-6 and then ran out 6-1. Seems she took a nap in the 2nd. Plays Berty next.
Aryna could use some junk in her game, bit of the unexpected – Barty will find her out there I think. Ash ploughed past Martic in 3. It’s all so tough at the top these days 🙂
Hartt · September 26, 2019 at 8:31 am
Kvitova just defeated Yastremska 6-2, 6-4. I hope Petra wins the tourney.
Scoop Malinowski · September 26, 2019 at 8:59 am
Nick is on the cliff edge now and with this hounding of his behavior now he will need to transform himself into a model of perfect behavior. Which he can do. He should go overboard being nice and acting perfect to everyone on the court. If he can play magic tennis vs Nadal Fed and Djokovic, he can turn into Cary Grant- Todd Martin over night. Will be interesting.
Scoop Malinowski · September 26, 2019 at 9:01 am
If Nick hurt his collarbone in Geneva, then I saw Big foot riding the Loch Ness Monster last night in the Bermuda Triangle.
Hartt · September 26, 2019 at 9:03 am
It will be very interesting to see if Nick is able to change his on-court behaviour. He tends to go after the umps when he is losing, so will he be able to deal with frustration?
Harold · September 26, 2019 at 9:12 am
She’s probably heavier here than she was in Ft Lauderdale that day. She took time off the tour to battle an eating disorder
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JUeF8tYbiVw/TTmE8c8nLXI/AAAAAAAACoA/NMU00Dp6Gss/s1600/0028-Daniela-Hantuchova.jpg&imgrefurl=http://facebook-insurance.blogspot.com/2013/09/daniela-hantuchova-hd-wallpapers.html&tbnid=v1WbLAIdFREydM&vet=1&docid=-W0m-Iyi6Fu6bM&w=600&h=852&q=daniela+hantuchova+facebook&hl=en&source=sh/x/im
Scoop Malinowski · September 26, 2019 at 9:16 am
Some difference in Nadal in that video but much the same. No smiles or humor during the battle, just all out war. Some different fist pump variations after big points. Made every overhead and stole that one volley at the end. Some different grunt variations, was doing the air breathe grunt which I don’t think he does anymore. But so smart and tough, he outsmarted and outwilled the wily veteran. Acasuso could not match Nadal’s intensity. Awesome to see that a 17 year old could have the self belief at that age that he could beat Federer. Which he did in Miami that same year.
Scoop Malinowski · September 26, 2019 at 9:18 am
Harold, that is her body type. She was playing three setters with that body. I think she just has the model body type, not a disorder. Never saw it documented she took time off for an eating disorder, that’s fake news.
Andrew Miller · September 26, 2019 at 9:19 am
Jackson, I appreciate that you are a look aid Nadalista, it’s always good to see the passion of a Nadalista fan. Yes, Coria 2004, French Open finalist and King of Clay before Nadal’s rise in late 2004, should have, steroids and all, beaten Nadal that year.
I’m glad you defend Nadal, who needs no defending. Roddick, himself a young guy, obliterated Nadal in the US Open 2004 before the rise of Nadal in Seville, where, routing JC Ferrero in practice, Nadal then smoked Roddick in their Davis Cup finals match. The Nadal legend, which was already in place, really took off and he became the player to watch for.
So yeah, I’d think Coria, steroids and all in 2004, if Coria were clean or tainted that year (sorry to throw Coria under a moving bus) would have beaten Nadal if they had played in 2004. The Nadal game was getting better and better, but the Coria game was grooved, he was firing on all cylinders, and I think he would have tagged Nadal.
Otherwise, as of course all Nadalistas know, one of the matches of 2005 was Nadal vs Coria in 2005 in Rome. They had been 1-1 at that moment, with young vet Coria losing to the Nadal who was in nearly championship mode as a seventeen year old.
If you can’t give credit to any opponent, then you also diminish Nadal’s accomplishments. He didn’t thrash a weak opponent in Coria, he took out another clay Master through courage alone. Coria from 2004 was seen as a guy that chokes away enormous matches, and Nadal proved why in Rome. But let’s not put Coria down any further and let the seventeen year old Nadal’s words speak for themselves.
May 8, 2005: “I played today one of the toughest match in my life.”
Andrew Miller · September 26, 2019 at 9:32 am
Doubt Nadal knows what Toni was looking for in molding the Nadal game. Yes, that was a great response Scoop that you had gotten – Nadal said he had no idea and was not familiar with Rios at all (I think he was completely honest, as usual), but Toni gave you a more weighty response – Toni Nadal marveled at Rios from your reporting, but he didn’t like Rios character. I thought some of the Nadal game HAD to come from Rios, especially the drop shot then lob tactic of drawing the opponent in and then placing a soft lob over their head in a completely different direction so that the guy he was playing had no idea how to get it.
Nadal doesn’t have that shot. Rios had a more delicate touch on some of his plays, possibly because he was a true lefty with some phenomenal motor control. He could hit that lob off a backhand volley.
I know saying this sounds like I am making a big deal of a random shot, but Rios did this so many times and I have not seen a player have that kind of touch and control, just toying with someone, on such a difficult shot.
The difference with Rios at his best I’d that he made opponents feel like they didn’t know how to play tennis. Or made them feel stupid. I think Michael Joyce in Scoop reporting said that. I know Thomas Johannson, who Scoop spoke with about Rios and who had beaten Rios as well, liked the Rios game!
Scoop Malinowski · September 26, 2019 at 9:37 am
Thomas Johansson was the first anecdote I got about Rios that inspired me to ask for more and do a magazine feature which then grew into the book. Still remember Johansson’s story, about how you could be playing great tennis and then you play Rios and he could on his best day, make you feel like a beginner and beat you 1 and 1. AO winner Thomas Johansson said that. Highest praise I ever heard from one great player to another. It’s too bad Uncle Toni did not use some Rios influence, Rafa would have been even greater with that extra Rios dimension.
Harold · September 26, 2019 at 9:38 am
Everything not in your “ Facing” books is fake, everything besides Rios, Hewitt, and Coco is fake..so fake off, and adios
Scoop Malinowski · September 26, 2019 at 9:42 am
That Rafa vs Coria match was called by I think it was Nastase or Vilas, gotta look it up, one of the best matches I ever saw. They had two epics that year, Rome and Monte Carlo and Rafa edged both. That was the beginning of the downfall of Coria, he was the unofficial king of clay then but the balance of power shifted because of those two Rafa wins vs Coria. They were tight.
Coria appeared in five finals after the 2004 French Open defeat and lost four of them, with 3 of them against the rising king of clay, Rafael Nadal. The most famous one is the Rome Masters final loss that lasted almost 5 hours and 20 minutes. It is agreed by many that it is one of the greatest matches played on clay, if not the greatest of all. Their head-to-head record was deadlocked at 1–1 prior to the match, with Nadal winning their most recent meeting at the Monte-Carlo Masters final weeks ago in 4 sets. Nadal took the first set 6–4 after being down a break and Coria went on to take the second 6–3. During the 3rd set Coria fought back from 1–5 to 3–5, where the game progressed to one of the most exciting deuces in tennis that lasted 15 minutes, featuring a variety of tactics and plays in long breathtaking rallies, although eventually Nadal pulled through and went on to take the 3rd set 6–3. Coria took the fourth set 6–4 and led 3–0 in the fifth set with two breaks of serve and had a game point in the fourth game, before Nadal broke back twice to lead 4–3 on serve in the fifth set. Eventually the match went into tiebreak at the 5-hour mark, soon after Coria had saved a championship point for Nadal in the 12th game of the fifth set. During the tiebreak, Coria fought back from a 1–5 deficit and saved another 2 Nadal championship points when 4–6 down in the tiebreak to level at 6–6. However, Nadal then won the next 2 points to win the fifth set tiebreak 8–6. As a result, Nadal won his second consecutive Masters final of the year against Coria.
catherine · September 26, 2019 at 10:16 am
Murray v De Minaur in Zhuhai – Andy takes first set.
In Wuhan Riske bts Svitolina in 2 – Elina is fast becoming an also-ran. I can’t see anything out of the ordinary in her game – she’s just comfortably nestled where she is, around top 10, reaching qfs, sfs, no titles on the horizon.
Could be wrong but I think not.
Riske lost to Gibbs a tournament ago – something must have clicked. She’ll be drawn v Kerber in Beijing.
Hartt · September 26, 2019 at 10:22 am
Riske, at age 29, is at a career high of No.32. Maybe she is entering her peak years.
catherine · September 26, 2019 at 10:27 am
Hartt – it’s the depth in women’s tennis – astounding 🙂
I hope she doesn’t drive Angie into retirement.
Andrew Miller · September 26, 2019 at 10:36 am
Murray teaching De Minaur a lesson! Will De Minaur learn?
Gotta point it out – De Minaur game relies on way too much being super scrappy. If he wants to scale the heights he’s going to need more combos that don’t make him look like the roadrunner.
He’s added a very well placed serve this year. That’s a start, he was unreadable to Fritz in their Atlanta final.
Andrew Miller · September 26, 2019 at 10:37 am
We can’t lose Harold. Harold!
Andrew Miller · September 26, 2019 at 10:42 am
The Riske game…is so riske-y. I do not heart it. But she has grit times a hundred, and she’s competitive as heck, and that makes the difference. She seems like she believes in her shots. I don’t! She reminds me of many players I have lost with home spun games that made no sense to me!!
Scoop Malinowski · September 26, 2019 at 12:54 pm
Hantuchova always looked healthy to me, with a model body. There is no way if she was skeletal skinny that she could play and win three set matches which she did. Look at her results, she was not dropping dead or fainting on court or even retiring. She was a battler. Her body is still the same as it always was, good metabolism, blessed. Sorry if that offends Harold who hopefully will not let this bother him for more than a few days or weeks 🙂
catherine · September 26, 2019 at 1:08 pm
I had a look at some of the photos, because I’d never seen Hantuchova play, and although she’s on the thin side she doesn’t look anorexic to me. Her weight does vary a bit. She blamed loss of weight on over training, which is possibly true.
catherine · September 26, 2019 at 1:31 pm
Andre – I had a look at Riske’s match and, apart from the strapping on Svitolina’s knee, I couldn’t honestly see how she won. Her volleys are really peculiar shots and her groundstrokes are kind of flat and slow. Both played very predictable games but maybe, as you say, Alison’s got grit and self-belief and the losers on the day haven’t.
Andrew Miller · September 26, 2019 at 2:09 pm
Matt Cronin reported on Hantuchova extensively. She was incredibly thin in 2003, and then recovered. Her weight stabilized and she was ok. I saw her play in 2002, and enjoued seeing it, Rubin and Hantuchova playing doubles. They were a Team! Her talent then was clear, nice game and I’d argue different from the other Czech games in substance with the exception of Kvitova, who has the K-instinct! Probably don’t talk enough about Kvitova. She’s so mind numbingly good, plays with a ferocity. And of course flat out loves Wimbeldon.
catherine · September 26, 2019 at 2:24 pm
I think Hantuchova’s parents separated in 2003 and that was probably a factor in weight loss for a while, with the emotional upset.
Petra’s game depends so much on her serve. She likes the W’don grass, though slower than it used to be, and I’d love her to get another title but I suspect the ship has sailed there…
Jeff · September 27, 2019 at 12:18 am
Kyrgios proved that he is bigger than the ATP Tour with this joke of a ruling. He even laughed about it on his IG account. I have to give him credit, he has made himself one of the most marketable tennis stars with one of the biggest fan bases despite not being a champion.
Maybe some lower ranked players should emulate these antics to get more notoriety.
catherine · September 27, 2019 at 6:48 am
From Wuhan – Sabalenka bt Barty 7-5 6-4. Didn’t catch the match but will check highlights – sounds a close contest but a decisive win. I favoured Barty but glad Aryna won because I think she’s a more interesting player.
Hartt · September 27, 2019 at 8:23 am
Shapo beat Gerasimov in 3 sets in Chengdu. He served well in general and had 9 aces. Denis is now No. 31 in the live rankings and if he wins the SF will move up a couple more spots.
Andrew Miller · September 27, 2019 at 8:57 am
Sabalenka has a good game. I hope she is making better decisions in her matches. She has some of the K-instinct. Barty has been playing well, has the Barty ship sailed?
Andrew Miller · September 27, 2019 at 9:05 am
Shapo should win Chegdu! His fellow semifinalists are Harris, Bublik, and either Garin or CarrenoB.
Sorry to see Dzumhur (l. to Mannarino) out in Zhuhai. BautistaA and De Minaur, if he gets by Coric (Coric shouldn’t go down without a set) look like they might win here.
There’s no question this Asian swing of the tour is garbage time for the ATP and WTA. Cirstea might even win Tashkent!
catherine · September 27, 2019 at 9:06 am
Andrew – no, the Barty ship is still afloat. The match was actually pretty close but Saba’s power won her important points. Her serving has improved.
Kvitova and Riske are toe to toe – Riske may win this one. Scoop’s going to be suspicious 🙂