Madrid ATP 1000

[jimlosaltos]

I am wondering whether Carlos is going to be unlucky with injuries like Rafa. Rafa missed around 11 slams in his peak years, the was rotten luck.

He's certainly had a lot of soft-tissue injuries, and they're spread out.

His statement /

Translated from Spanish
I felt pain after playing in Madrid, discomfort in my arm. Today I had some tests and I have muscle edema in the pronator teres, a consequence of my last injury. Unfortunately I won't be able to play in Rome. I need rest to recover and be able to play 100% pain-free

Image / link
https://www.getbodysmart.com/forearm...-teres-muscle/

[jimlosaltos]

Another match another retirement.

Nightmare men's week in Madrid continues. Lehecka, who made the semis after a retirement by Medvedev, has to retire 6 games into his semi with Auger-Aliassime. FAA, who got walkovers from Sinner and Mensik, is into the final after finishing just three matches.

[jimlosaltos]

Post on social media by "the FedExpress"

"If Rublev wins the final in Madrid, he will have more masters 1000 titles than Delpotro, Thiem, Ferrer, Berdych.. crazy Just goes to show how todays tennis players are so much luckier and have it alot easier than what those players did competing with the big 3 and Murray. Etc.

[stroke]

Post on social media by "the FedExpress"

"If Rublev wins the final in Madrid, he will have more masters 1000 titles than Delpotro, Thiem, Ferrer, Berdych.. crazy Just goes to show how todays tennis players are so much luckier and have it alot easier than what those players did competing with the big 3 and Murray. Etc.

No doubt at all about that. I think we all just got very used to those 3 guys pretty much winning all the 1000's and Majors for 15 plus years.

[jimlosaltos]

Queue the singles players vs doubles teams argument.

A pick-up team of Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson rolled through the top seeds earlier in Madrid and took the title today over Ariel Behar and Adam Pavlasek 6-3, 7-6(7)

Seb/Jordan got in courtesy of a draw spot reserved for singles players as part of a new doubles format, trying to get more of them to cross over, and to speed up play.

Let's see if I can dig up a summary of the format:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/515...ge%20of%20ends.


"A faster men's doubles format, with greater focus on matches between singles players and established doubles teams, is being trialled at the Madrid Open.

Teams are allowed just 15 - rather than the usual 25 - seconds between points after rallies up to three shots, and only 60 seconds to sit down at the change of ends. Five rounds will be played in five days.

Murray likes the shortened changeovers and the tournament being spread over such a short period, but is not a fan of the reduced time between some points, the BBC reported.

"I feel like it's very rushed," the seven-time Grand Slam champion said after the match.

"Fifteen seconds for doubles is very short. In singles you are playing a lot on instinct, but in doubles there's a lot more strategy to start the points, and to lose that communication with your partner I don't think is a good thing for the sport."

"For me, it's a shootout, which is kind of exciting. Once we get going - bang, this is on," said Matt Ebden, the current doubles world number one and president of the ATP Player Council.

"People like seeing the volleys, the return winners, the angles and all the reactions, but there is a bit too much dead time.

"We just looked at how we can keep the game flowing to make it a better product for the fans ultimately."

Those supporters will be able to move freely around the stadium during points.

The trial will continue at future tournaments, although not necessarily always in the second week in the space of just five days.

Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas were among seven top-20 singles players to enter the event.

[jimlosaltos]

Iga saves 3 match points to dethrone the defending champ Sabalenka in three, tough sets, ending in a tiebreak.
This reverses their final of last year.

Sabalenak's first serve percentage fell from the 60s in the first two sets to the 40s in the third. Sabalenka has an excuse, not that she is prone to those, since she had a much harder route here, including saving match points vs Rybakina in her semi.

It's the longest WTA match of the year at 3 hours and 11 minutes.

H2H goes to 7:2 Iga with the pair alternating their last 5 matches.

from: OptaAce: "At 22 years and 338 days old, Iga Swiatek has become the youngest player to secure eight WTA clay court titles since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario when she won Amelia Island in 1994 at 22 years and 114 days ?Felicidades!

[stotty]

Queue the singles players vs doubles teams argument.

A pick-up team of Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson rolled through the top seeds earlier in Madrid and took the title today over Ariel Behar and Adam Pavlasek 6-3, 7-6(7)

Seb/Jordan got in courtesy of a draw spot reserved for singles players as part of a new doubles format, trying to get more of them to cross over, and to speed up play.

Let's see if I can dig up a summary of the format:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/515...ge%20of%20ends.


"A faster men's doubles format, with greater focus on matches between singles players and established doubles teams, is being trialled at the Madrid Open.

Teams are allowed just 15 - rather than the usual 25 - seconds between points after rallies up to three shots, and only 60 seconds to sit down at the change of ends. Five rounds will be played in five days.

Murray likes the shortened changeovers and the tournament being spread over such a short period, but is not a fan of the reduced time between some points, the BBC reported.

"I feel like it's very rushed," the seven-time Grand Slam champion said after the match.

"Fifteen seconds for doubles is very short. In singles you are playing a lot on instinct, but in doubles there's a lot more strategy to start the points, and to lose that communication with your partner I don't think is a good thing for the sport."

"For me, it's a shootout, which is kind of exciting. Once we get going - bang, this is on," said Matt Ebden, the current doubles world number one and president of the ATP Player Council.

"People like seeing the volleys, the return winners, the angles and all the reactions, but there is a bit too much dead time.

"We just looked at how we can keep the game flowing to make it a better product for the fans ultimately."

Those supporters will be able to move freely around the stadium during points.

The trial will continue at future tournaments, although not necessarily always in the second week in the space of just five days.

Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas were among seven top-20 singles players to enter the event.

Interesting idea. Someone needs to tell Murray he needs to think and communicate quicker. Pretty much everyone you speak to is tired of excessive time taken between points. It's the number 1 complaint at the top of the let's-make-tennis-more-watchable agenda.

[jimlosaltos]

Think Andrey Rublev is nervous? Auger-Aliassime breaks Rublev's first service game at love after the no-flag hits two DFs, an I-O FH winner and a BH long (FE).

FAA up two games has won 10 of the first 11 points played. Guy with zero masters shields came prepared.

[stroke]

FAA has by the Shot Quality numbers, the best forehand in the tournament. Rublev has been the best at hugging the baseline/taking the ball on early.

[stotty]

Good third set from Rublev. Kept the pressure on FAA despite FAA wriggling out of numerous clutch moments on his serve. We are not used to seeing players outside of the Big 3 winning these events. Looks like the changing of the guard is finally happening. We'll probably get different winners every week from now on...

[stroke]

The stats at the end kind of told the story. FAA had 25 unforced errors and 2 winners off the backhand side. Those kind of numbers wear on you over the course of a match.

[jimlosaltos]

Think Andrey Rublev is nervous? Auger-Aliassime breaks Rublev's first service game at love after the no-flag hits two DFs, an I-O FH winner and a BH long (FE).

FAA up two games has won 10 of the first 11 points played. Guy with zero masters shields came prepared.

Turns out Rublev had GI problems and was relegated to eating baby food the last 9 days.

Perhaps he'll try that next Masters

[jimlosaltos]

“There’s only one person on the planet who has better returns than Iga Swiatek, and that’s Warren Buffet.”

-- Mark Petchey, BBC commentator and former Brit player

[stotty]

“Roger was like a swallow diving on that volley. He looks so relaxed on a tennis court. He strolls around like it’s his back garden.”

-- Richard Evans' Wimbledon commentary on Roger Federer

[jimlosaltos]

“Roger was like a swallow diving on that volley. He looks so relaxed on a tennis court. He strolls around like it’s his back garden.”

-- Richard Evans' Wimbledon commentary on Roger Federer

That's a good one. thx.