French Open

[jimlosaltos]

We'd be remiss not to note another multi-major winner in play Hsieh Su-Wei, at 38 years old is number one in women's doubles
Has won 3 of the last 4 women's doubles titles at the majors - with a different partner each time.

No sponsor, no coach, only two rackets. No problem.

NYT:

Doubles
Australian W 2024
French W 2014, 2023
Wimbledon !W (2013, 2019, 2021, 2023)
US Open SF (2012, 2023)

NYTs feature, in print today.
Wiki profile

[stotty]

So Sinner pretty much clobbers Gasquet. And Wawrinka is battling back from a 2 set deficit, but, as I write, is 3-4 down in the fourth.

Both Gasquet and Wawrinka looked decidedly middle-aged. I have always liked Stan but never been much of fan of Gasquet, who in my view has never been able to win a truly important game to save his life. Wawrinka looks a bit heavier and slower while Gasquet is at least moving around pretty well for an old codger.

I didn't see Carlos today but Sinner is looking pretty sharp.

[stroke]

So Sinner pretty much clobbers Gasquet. And Wawrinka is battling back from a 2 set deficit, but, as I write, is 3-4 down in the fourth.

Both Gasquet and Wawrinka looked decidedly middle-aged. I have always liked Stan but never been much of fan of Gasquet, who in my view has never been able to win a truly important game to save his life. Wawrinka looks a bit heavier and slower while Gasquet is at least moving around pretty well for an old codger.

I didn't see Carlos today but Sinner is looking pretty sharp.

I have always liked Gasquet. But like so many, his career was comprehensively altered by the big 3. To me, the game also has definitely changed. Sinner may be the best example of what is going on now, a guy that toes the baseline(not backing up) and pounding the ball off both sides. Just no where to go if he is not making many errors. Gasquet looked great for his age, as you say, looking way better physically than Murray and Stan. But the Sinner match up was a worst case situation to me for Gasquet. Gasquet has always given up way too much court on both wings, and nothing has ever changed.

[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.

[jimlosaltos]

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

Wait for the howling to begin ...

[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

#

[stroke]

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

Match of the tournament so far.

[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?

[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?

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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