French Open

[stotty]

Moutet's coach (I think it's his coach) is equally annoying to look at.

[stotty]

Sinner staying right on top of Moutet...suffocating the poor chap.

[stroke]

Sinner staying right on top of Moutet...suffocating the poor chap.

He got what he deserved. Justice served.

[jimlosaltos]

Teenager Mirra Andreeva at only 17 years old is into the quarterfinals.
She'll be a huge underdog vs 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, but what a great showing.

[stroke]

Francisco Cerundolo up 4-1 in 3rd set after splitting first 2 sets vs Novak. Novak bringing the drama out there with a couple of issues. We will see. We have certainly seen this before. Cerundolo has many more forehand winners than Novak so far. Cerundolo is a very good clay courter obviously. I like Cerundolo. He uses a Head PT57A that has been around since the 90's, weighted up to more of an old school weight. Pretty cool.

[jimlosaltos]

Ruh roh .... Everything looked rosy for Novak Djokovic. He somehow got his mojo back against Musetti, then won handily in the first set today and ...

THEN, Francisco Cerdunolo won the second set and is up a break in the third.

Looks like the Argentine has been in Novak' service games all match -- he's converted 2 of 15 BPs -- Fifteen ! break point opportunities vs 2/3 for Novak.

They've only played 17 games combined. ... ah, here it is. Cerdunolo has gotten 15 BPs in 8 of 13 games by Djoko at 4-1 in the third.

In sets 2 & 3, Djokovic is only winning about 27% of receiving points vs 47% (averaging in my head)

[jimlosaltos]

Ruud Vs Fritz just starting at 10 AM PDT. Could be a good one.

Which Fritz will show up? "Claylor" or Taylor the hard court specialists

And Ruud promptly breaks in the big servers first service, a long game with a bunch of adds. Fritz missed a bunch of first serves. Oh, well.

[stroke]

Cerundolo up 2 sets to 1. I guess there is no limit to trainer visits.

[jimlosaltos]

Cerundolo up 2 sets to 1. I guess there is no limit to trainer visits.

I'm working and just checking scores in between, not watching.

But online I just read the Djokovic is "limping". Question is whether the limp caused the service breaks or the service breaks made him limp

[jimlosaltos]

And Cerundolo breaks Djokovic yet again. Wow.

Can the Argentine hold out to win the match from up 3-2?

What delay tactics will Djokovic unveil next?

Djokovic is, apparently, doing next to nothing on the Argentine's serve: only 2/3 BPs vs Cerundolo's 3/16 BPs.

[jimlosaltos]

Djokovic can't touch Cerdunolo's second serve. Argentine winning 61% behind his second on the match, 5/7 in the third set.

This is not Djokovian tennis.

Signs of life! Djokovic breaks back to tie the third set at 4-4. I guess the limp healed.

[jimlosaltos]

Djokovic finds a second life. Breaks to send match to a fifth set.

Djoko only got 44% of his first serves in, but won and somehow broke back, then broke again to save the set.

Looks like Novak is going for more on his serves.

Cerundolo hitting more winners, getting to the net more, but couldn't serve it out.

And, I have to leave

[stroke]

Novak has had a miraculous recovery and is totally engaged set 5.

[stroke]

Fritz has come up with some kind of leg injury, and I do not think he is bluffing a la Novak. Ruud up now 2 sets to 1. It is hard to imagine Fritz being able to get past dirt devil Ruud at this point.

[jimlosaltos]

Novak has had a miraculous recovery and is totally engaged set 5.

I go away for a lunch meeting, and Djokovic pulls off the comeback.

Astonishing! Simply astonishing.

I missed the ending, but stats confirm what I felt in the fourth, Djokovic amped up his service. At the end of a 5 set match, he was serving his average about 4 mph faster, and his max went up to 130 MPH.

So, in 3 days Djokovic comes from behind 1-2 twice to win two five set matches totaling ~9 hours and 6 minutes. I believe the likelihood of winning a 5 setter from 1-2 are about 15% overall. Crude guess. And about 90 % of players that win a 5 set match, lose the next match, assuming it's not for the title.

Kudos.

If one is a Djokovic fan, another amazing display of determination.

If one is less of a fan, yet agin - when his opponent was on a roll -- Djokovic looked as if he was on his last leg (literally this time) taking break after break -- then miraculously recovers! His magical Tao patch unleashes waves of red light to regenerate him.

Cerdundolo started out the aggressor with far more winners, but in the end Djoko won more of both the short points and the longest ones.

Djoko won 6/11 break points, Cerdundolo left a bunch on the table in the first four sets - 4/19.

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