It’s getting to the point where they might cancel two generations of new hopefuls-Those three straight-up canceled a new generation of players
Glad you did! I slept through it, at least I can read about it :-/Yes, I’m game threading by myself at 4 AM.
For one thing, that isn't the logical conclusion. Best-of-3-sets is generally thought to be the optimal length most tennis matches, whereas nobody wold say that about any of the other formats you've mentioned - unless you're a fan of the Tiebreak Tens format, which is not serious tennis. I do kinda like the Next Gen format of best-of-5 sets but first-to-4-games in each set, and I wonder if that might be a way forward in normal ATP Tour events at some point. (Although I'm not ready for no-ad scoring in singles, but that's neither here nor there.)Taken to the logical conclusion, we should just have a single set. To 4 games. Or just play a set tiebreak and be done with it. Actually let's just have the two players come out and flip a coin, since that gives the worse player an even better chance! I really don't understand why less play would ever be a good thing, unless injury risk or schedule considerations (see: test cricket) place practical limits on it.
Yes he is the first person on either tour to win two events in 2019. Just astoundingBy "repeat winner", you of course mean that Federer is the first person to win a second event this season on either tour, not that he's the first person to defend a title from last year. While Isner may have broken down in the second set, Federer made breaking Isner's serve look startlingly easy in the first set - I wonder how he's going to do on clay this year.
Good for Kenin. She took it to Serena all matchSerena loses to American Sofia Kenin
Wawrinka is fighting off every challenge, Tsitsipas is 0-7 on break points in the 5th so far, they are tied at 5-5. Federer faces the winner here and this match is up to 4:50 now, so good news for Fed fans.The Tsitsipas/Wawrinka match is a blast.
Tsitsipas is a bit of a maniac
Into the quarters now easily, 6-3, 6-0. She gets the defending champion Halep next, Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens make it three American quarterfinalists.I don't think Anisimova has done much in the regular WTA events, but this is the second consecutive major where she's made a relatively deep run (though I think both times it's come a the expense of Sabalenka).
Four more break points saved in this set and here we go with a tiebreak ... how much longer can he keep this up is the question.I'm going to enjoy watching Wawrinka beg Federer to make it quick and painless. That'll be an 8am ET start on Lenglen. Stephens-Konta starts that time on Chatrier.
Nadal can show more than a slight frown out there, so I can imagine he showed a bit more than that. He should be comforted by having a charmin soft draw to this point (including Nishikori), and even next match is likely to be a massacre in the semi's. He managed to avoid Zverev, and Thiem either of him would have been a MUCH tougher potential matchup than anyone in his half of the draw. . (obviously he could face one instead of Djoker, but that would be a huge shocker)Play called for incoming thunderstorm at 3-3 in the 4th. Federer won the 3rd set tiebreak so he's edging ahead, but he hasn't been able to convert his break points for love or money.
Meanwhile, Konta having beat Stephens to make the semis (which might be the best thing to happen in British tennis in several years), Nadal was over on Chatrier absolutely savaging Nishikori 6-1, 6-1, 4-2, when play was stopped. Nadal was apparently "apopletic", which adjusted for Tennis mores probably meant he had a slight frown on while talking quietly to the TD.
Yup, I'm amazed Fed could still make a semi final on clay.. Coming into this tournament he had played 13 sets on clay this year (and the last 3 years), and 24 sets on clay since he lost to Stan 4 years ago in Paris. And he had pulled out of Rome Injured...against each other. What a treat that we thought we'd never see again.
You know that shower-thought-esque line that's been going around recently, that "at some point in your childhood, there was a moment that was the last time you would play together with all of your friends, and none of you knew it at the time"? At some point, there will be a Nadal-Federer (or -Djokovic) match in a grand slam that will be the last time we see them wrestle for those stakes, and none of us will know it at the time. But given the constraints on Federer playing on clay these days, we might well assume this is the last time for them, at least at this tournament.
Thursday morning.
Yeah, the top half will play Thursday and Friday before the Sunday final, assuming there are no more rained out days (they are expecting bad weather again Friday), and Nadal/Federer played their previous matches Tuesday before their Friday semi. Djokovic has to go through Zverev and probably Thiem, two young top 5 players, before Nadal on Sunday, that is an even tougher road than it seemed coming into today.The rained out quarters are the players who will meet in the semis, so it may not be quite as large an advantage (it won't show up until the final).
And, just like that, it seems that Djokovic will roll Zverev in three sets.Yeah, the top half will play Thursday and Friday before the Sunday final, assuming there are no more rained out days (they are expecting bad weather again Friday), and Nadal/Federer played their previous matches Tuesday before their Friday semi. Djokovic has to go through Zverev and probably Thiem, two young top 5 players, before Nadal on Sunday, that is an even tougher road than it seemed coming into today.
Nice to see the French open honor him. He actually retired 4 weeks ago in Madrid, something he had announced a year ago (and there was a huge ceremony at the time) . Absolutely great player. In a different era he may have won 4 or 5 grand slams, certainly a few French Opens.They did a nice tribute for David Ferrer on Tuesday, as he announced his retirement.
Had a fantastic career, specializing in clay but seeing success all-around. Had a run of 10 grand slams in a row where he made the QFs, including of course the 2013 French where he had the honor of getting blown off the court by Nadal in the Final. Offed Andy Murray at the height of Murray's powers to prevent an all-Big-4 semifinal in RG 2012, and did likewise to (an injured) Nadal in the 2011 Aussie. For a while was ranked #5 in the world, and even ended 2013 ranked #3. A fantastically consistent and healthy player, Ferrer missed only one grand slam from 2003 through 2018. But his best was, like everyone else, simply not good enough when he went up against the living legends. But when not playing those legends, his consistency and defense gave him a great chance to win against anyone else. For example, he reached 7 Masters 1000 finals; of those, 6 were against the Big Four, and Ferrer went 0-6. In the 7th, the 2012 Paris Championships, he was against Jerzy Janowicz and won in straight sets. He also was part of a Spanish team that lifted 3 Davis Cups. So his career was not without glory, but there's a certain kind of sadness you might expect from someone who was so close to the mountaintop, for so long, and could see it there in front of him and knew what it took to get there... and simply could never break through.
Wishing him further health and consistency in his future endeavors.