French Open

[stroke]

Alcaraz was averaging just over 3600 RPMs on his forehand in his match with Korda. A handful were travelling over 100mph yet with clearance over the net, making the shot lethally quick yet safe. I find that remarkable. It's the ultimate BG forehand model, which can be injected with spin or flattened out on demand.

Interesting tweaks going on with his serve, too. Tweaking wouldn't be enough for me but at least his team have made a start.

I just love Alcaraz. He's the best thing since Roger.

There is absolutely no substitute for quantitative speed spin numbers.

[stotty]

Alcaraz was averaging just over 3600 RPMs on his forehand in his match with Korda. A handful were travelling over 100mph yet with clearance over the net, making the shot lethally quick yet safe. I find that remarkable. It's the ultimate BG forehand model, which can be injected with spin or flattened out on demand.

Interesting tweaks going on with his serve, too. Tweaking wouldn't be enough for me but at least his team have made a start.

I just love Alcaraz. He's the best thing since Roger.

[stroke]

Arnaldi next up vs an in form Tsitsipas. Definitely to me match of the tournament thus far.

[jimlosaltos]

Nothing new in the shot. I play it most weeks during clubnight with the members. Well, I have to amuse myself somehow when I (under contract) play with the tennis proletariat.

Speaking for the proletariat

[stroke]

Sinner wins the first set against Kotov. Kotov is no mug and has a great forehand when he gets hold of it. Is it me or are standards going up further down the food chain? Certainly seems that way to me. Virtually every player is becoming a threat.

No doubt about that. Rublev is down 2 sets to young Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who is really a dark horse here at RG that no one is talking about.

[stotty]

Sinner wins the first set against Kotov. Kotov is no mug and has a great forehand when he gets hold of it. Is it me or are standards going up further down the food chain? Certainly seems that way to me. Virtually every player is becoming a threat.

[stotty]

Thanks. I had to think twice, the shot overwrote the result in my memory. But I found it online. Navratilova recognized it on the fly

Points worth watching overall
https://x.com/TennisChannel/status/1795801865210188104

Nothing new in the shot. I play it most weeks during clubnight with the members. Well, I have to amuse myself somehow when I (under contract) play with the tennis proletariat.

[jimlosaltos]

Great work, Jim! I take it he won the point?

Thanks. I had to think twice, the shot overwrote the result in my memory. But I found it online. Navratilova recognized it on the fly

Points worth watching overall

https://x.com/TennisChannel/status/1795801865210188104

[stroke]

I missed the match but looking at the stats you posted those unforced errors from Cobolli proved decisive in the outcome? Am I right?

Hard to really say. Cobolli was up 5-0 in the 5th set 10 point tiebreaker. I felt it was more Rune just getting the job done and taking the match from there. They really had a huge amount of extended rallies, particularly the 5th set it seems.

[stotty]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7iQNANkdq7PWDzxG8

Match of the tournament so far.

I missed the match but looking at the stats you posted those unforced errors from Cobolli proved decisive in the outcome? Am I right?

[stotty]

Finally, a good reason for a severe Western forehand -- backward flip-droppers <g>

Jasper de Jong trick shot vs Alcaaz.

De Jong anticipated and dealt with Carlos' dropper in the most idiosyncratic way imaginable. Approaching with his body oriented to hit a conventional single-handed sliced or volleyed backhand, he ingeniously flipped his racket and hit the ball with the wrong side of the strings in an extreme forehand grip, creating a sort of inverted backhand. Asked why: “Because it’s funny, Three images extracted from aniGif. You're welcome.


Two images


filedata/fetch?id=104444&d=1717094162&type=thumb

filedata/fetch?id=104445&d=1717094162&type=thumb

#

Great work, Jim! I take it he won the point?

[stroke]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7iQNANkdq7PWDzxG8

Match of the tournament so far.

[jimlosaltos]

Finally, a good reason for a severe Western forehand -- backward flip-droppers <g>

Jasper de Jong trick shot vs Alcaaz.

De Jong anticipated and dealt with Carlos' dropper in the most idiosyncratic way imaginable. Approaching with his body oriented to hit a conventional single-handed sliced or volleyed backhand, he ingeniously flipped his racket and hit the ball with the wrong side of the strings in an extreme forehand grip, creating a sort of inverted backhand. Asked why: “Because it’s funny, Three images extracted from aniGif. You're welcome.


Two images


filedata/fetch?id=104444&d=1717094162&type=thumb

filedata/fetch?id=104445&d=1717094162&type=thumb

#

[jimlosaltos]

Play starts at 10 am with 55 matches to cram in.

Wait for the howling to begin ...

[stroke]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gx9ADezFcWgKrNac9

A great example of the new breed of power tennis, stats here on Stan's loss to world number 56, 25 year old Pavel. Ironically Stan an older version of this power tennis.