Italian Open

[jimlosaltos]

That match vs Ruud was just mesmerizing play by Jannick. Robbie Koenig on the call(I think) pined that was the best Sinner has ever looked. I would agree, and that is saying something, as his 24 consecutive sets vs top 10 is not subtle.

Casper agrees!

Casper Ruud after his 6-0 6-1 loss to Jannik Sinner:

"It doesn't feel so bad. Honestly, I think it was more fun than anything, even though I lost 0&1. You just look at the guy and say: 'Wow, this is kind of next level shit.' [..] It was almost fun to witness at the same time."

[stroke]

Amazing scoreline against Ruud. Apparently he's been training furiously over the past 3 months...and it's showing. The lack of match practice doesn't seem to be an issue either.

That match vs Ruud was just mesmerizing play by Jannick. Robbie Koenig on the call(I think) pined that was the best Sinner has ever looked. I would agree, and that is saying something, as his 24 consecutive sets vs top 10 is not subtle.

[stotty]

Amazing scoreline against Ruud. Apparently he's been training furiously over the past 3 months...and it's showing. The lack of match practice doesn't seem to be an issue either.

[jimlosaltos]

It appears to have helped him. He looks 5 to 10 pounds bigger and stronger.

Buried in a photo caption on ATP site: Sinner extends his consecutive set streak vs Top 10 to 24.

Sinner's won 24 straight sets vs the Top 10 ? If true, that's remarkable consistency. 24 matches would be great, but sets?

[stroke]

Ouch! Ruud had been playing well on this clay swing, winning Madrid of course. Gets fed a bagel and a breadstick.

Is it too early to say that the mandatory vacation didn't set Sinners' game back at all?

It appears to have helped him. He looks 5 to 10 pounds bigger and stronger.

[jimlosaltos]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2GemcpsSUBvZa8Fs9

Ouch! Ruud had been playing well on this clay swing, winning Madrid of course. Gets fed a bagel and a breadstick.

Is it too early to say that the mandatory vacation didn't set Sinners' game back at all?

[stroke]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2GemcpsSUBvZa8Fs9

[stroke]

Sinner is all over Ruud. Sinner's forehand is on fire, the second best shot on the court behind the Sinner backhand. Sinner backhand Shot Quality at 9.4 for the match thus far.

[jimlosaltos]

For amusement, Zheng aces Saby by bouncing a serve OVER her. I mean literally, over her head, by maybe 10 feet?

YT Short

https://youtube.com/shorts/PZ5QWiaDsvk?si=DRmpdQcVxnGm0CIP

[jimlosaltos]

Zverev seems to have fallen into the Musetti trap. He lost the 1st set in a tiebreaker, as the match has turned into a more old school clay court type match with both players battling war of attrition behind the baseline. Zverev lack of drop shot hand skills a real negative vs Musetti.

Entertaining match. High intensity, both players showing extraordinary stress on their faces at the end. But once the ball was in play, it only showed in Zverev's game, not Musetti's
Musetti seems to be putting his game together this year. It seemed as if Musetti was almost never rushed, as if the game was slow for him even though he was playing one of the biggest, all around hitters in tennis.

His touch is remarkable. Won 15 of 20 points on drop shots. Completely neutralized Zverev's huge serve. And, against one of the best backhands in tennis, Musetti's one hander did just fine, thank you.

[stroke]

Zverev seems to have fallen into the Musetti trap. He lost the 1st set in a tiebreaker, as the match has turned into a more old school clay court type match with both players battling war of attrition behind the baseline. Zverev lack of drop shot hand skills a real negative vs Musetti.

[don_budge]

Sinner takes out Cerundolo in 2, and he had to work for it. Cerundolo is one of the top 4 clay courters in the world. Sinner has Fed like video game tennis, which is mesmerizing.

I watched five points in the first game then calmly hit the off switch. As boring as it gets. Mesmerizing? How about BORING? I had always said that Novak Djokovic was the most one dimensional (boring) number one player in the world of all time. MODNOPOAT. Sinner has him outgunned in this department by light years. This is the post-Roger Federer tennis world. As I predicted all along. Tennis outsmarted itself. The engineering has made the game unrecognisable. The human element completely and surgically removed. Tennis metaphoring life once again.

[stroke]

Some matches tomorrow that I really want to see:

Carlos Alcaraz will face Jack Draper { Remember Jack winning their semifinal in Indian Wells} and second seed Alexander Zverev will play eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti { Great clash of styles, although both like to play back }

Alcaraz and Draper are of course the favorites. Stroke does not bet, but i really like Musetti.

[jimlosaltos]

Some matches tomorrow that I really want to see:

Carlos Alcaraz will face Jack Draper { Remember Jack winning their semifinal in Indian Wells} and second seed Alexander Zverev will play eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti { Great clash of styles, although both like to play back }

[jimlosaltos]

Sinner takes out Cerundolo in 2, and he had to work for it. Cerundolo is one of the top 4 clay courters in the world. Sinner has Fed like video game tennis, which is mesmerizing.

Duel of two of the very best forehands on the ATP.