US Open

[jimlosaltos]

Carlos takes the first set…blistering.

Absolutely. Forehand on fire.

Set two, Sinner increases pace and focuses on Carlos' backhand. 5-2.

P.S. From a friend in the stands, despite a half hour delayed start, many are still stuck in security lines.
"Security lines are abysmal. But we made it into the stadium for the first point. Lots of seats still empty."

[stotty]

Carlos takes the first set…blistering.

[stroke]

https://www.instagram.com/p/DOPtCUvDAja/?igsh=MWowYTU4aGg1MWdnbg==

[don_budge]

The six year age difference between Novak and Roger was most definitely a factor between the two. Particularly so towards the end of Roger's career. Another thing that will not show up in the stats is Roger's choice of racquets. He changed much to late in his career to do himself justice in the long run. He actually handicapped himself. After he switched he dominated Nadal. He showed up to challenge Novak too. Novak the greatest of all time? No such thing. It is something for "fans" to debate.

[don_budge]

I am thinking there is one stat that defines Novak's "declining" game. He is 38. He is the best tennis player ever, the best 38 year old tennis player ever, and he is 38 years old.

Very true. All nonsense from the Braingame...per usual. More modern gibberish. The stat is..."declining legs". Novak is still the better tennis player of the three, but he mobility impaired. Ultimately the battle of the tennis court is to get your opponent out of position. Sinner and Alcarez have fresh legs. I wrote earlier...Novak looked wobbly against Fritz. Yet he won. Best ever? One of the best of the modern era. Very difficult to ascertain with any certainty who the best is. Too many factors beyond the head to head. Age for one thing...the most important thing. If you compare Novak to Roger head to head and factor in the age...there is some uncertainty.

Look at the ebb and flow through the years between Novak and Roger.

https://www.atptour.com/en/players/a...erer/d643/f324

[stroke]

I am thinking there is one stat that defines Novak's "declining" game. He is 38. He is the best tennis player ever, the best 38 year old tennis player ever, and he is 38 years old.

[jimlosaltos]

Craig at Braingame.com believes there are " Five Stats That Pinpoint Novak’s Decline"

Among them:

2) Declining baseline points won. "It was a warning sign that Novak slightly lost the baseline battle against Taylor Fritz by four shots (69 to 73). Alcaraz was able to extend his dominance from the back of the court to an 11-point gap, winning 54 points to Djokovic’s 43. Djokovic has been able to stretch opponents to all parts of the baseline for well over a decade. He is now a step slower. You can see it in his speed to get to a wide ball, and you can see it in his recovery."

3) Return points won Vs 1st Serves. "Novak was only able to win eight points against Alcaraz’s 56 first serves (16%) that he landed. That’s one-way traffic for the Spaniard. On the flip side, Alcaraz won 19 of 56 (34%) of his first serve returns against Djokovic. Alcaraz was more than twice as good in this all-important match metric. Winning points against first serves is all about fast-twitch reactions with the hands and feet.

4) Net Points Won. "Djokovic went to the net more than Alcaraz, but he was not able to do any real damage, barely winning half (54%) of his net points. Again, this part of the game is all about the speed of the hands and feet with reaction time. It wasn’t there"

Net Points Won

• Djokovic = 54% (17/31)
• Alcaraz = 68% (15/22)

https://braingametennis.com/five-sta...eid=56c87aa1fa

[jimlosaltos]

Some great photos of tennis players from their early days and off court, Agassi combing his mullet, Roddick 19 years old leaping into pool of house he bought, Serena with pet dog, young Fed.

All by Art Seitz, who died at 82 years old. Free link to NYT below.

Also, some colorful anecdotes on Seitz from Bill Simons below this link.

Gift link NYT:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/s...8.TRAN.Af6KKHO SzOC-&smid=url-share

This by Bill Simons, who is doing a lot of good coverage of this US Open online despite closing his print magazine.

https://www.insidetennis.com/2025/08/venus-in-the-twilight/

TENNIS WILL NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF ART SEITZ: I knew one thing. When I was hoping to get a great story – say an interview with a British royal or a breathless comment from a teen phenom – the singular tennis photographer Art Seitz would be there. He passed away in his sleep Friday in Florida at age 82. His images will never pass.

When it came to tennis photographers, there were so many greats. Russ Adams was a pioneer. Michael Baz had style and a keen eye. Cynthia Lum, Carol Newsom, Michael Cole, Tommy Hindley and the considerable husband and wife duo Susan and Fred Mullane are just some who come to mind. The pros at Getty Images astound.

But, noted Mary Carillo, “There’s a reason Art Seitz was a legend. He loved the sport. He understood storytelling. He got players to do things they’d never otherwise do. He captured the essence of the moment.

“There are a fistful of great photographers, but he’s up there at the top of the list. He was bold enough to use his elbows and not afraid to piss people off.”

Art did stir controversy. He once rented a helicopter to fly over Steffi Graf’s home to take shots of her sunbathing topless. Plus, he sued Martina Navratilova for $2 million for ripping the film from his camera under the Open’s old Grandstand court. He won the suit, but was only awarded $50.

As he sprinted to get a shot, his swinging cameras became weapons. Do stand clear. Then again Art’s picture of Yannick Noah hugging his dad after winning the 1983 French Open remains one of tennis’ better images And for many, Art Seitz will long remain one of tennis’ best photographers of all time.

A SHORT, UNVARNISHED HISTORY OF TENNIS PHOTOGRAPHY: Seitz’s passing and yesterday’s incident of a photographer coming on court brings to mind many zany moments in the history of tennis photography.

John McEnroe was poised to win the 1984 French Open against Ivan Lendl, but got distracted by an NBC photographer, threw a fit, and lost the match. If he’d prevailed, he would have claimed a career Grand Slam, and his standings in the tennis pantheon would have been far higher.

One of the greatest ad happenings ever that involved tennis was Canon’s “Image is Everything” campaign featuring Andre Agassi. Too bad that Andre’s girlfriend Brooke Shields was continually shown taking photographs with her Minolta camera.

When security asked Victoria Azarenka for her player’s badge at the Aussie Open, she pointed out her photo on the Wall of Champions.

John McEnroe’s kid told him, “Daddy, stop that man! He’s trying to take my picture!”

Players whose photos were featured in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue included Serena and Venus, Maria Sharapova, Steffi Graf, Ana Ivanovic, Maria Kirilenko, Anna Kournikova, Tatiana Golovin, Caroline Wozniacki and Daniela Hantuchova.

#

[jimlosaltos]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KF4e5RG82srk1anN7

Sinner favored that much AFTER the abb injury?
Before I would have agreed. Now, not sure, unless they have some inside info.

[stroke]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KF4e5RG82srk1anN7

[don_budge]

Watched two minutes of each semifinal. Yada...yada...yada. Yawn. Snooze fest. What else is there to be said? Let's see what the captain of the forum has to say. Now there is only the foregone conclusion to be played out...the final. The rest of it? Mere foreplay. Modern tennis at its best/worst.

[stroke]

Well, those damn oddsmakers were right again with their Alcaraz 79 % implied probability of winning. I thought those odds were a bit strong. But I did not bet.

[jimlosaltos]

I am absolutely shocked at the pace of ball between Amanda Anisimova and Osaka. That was an insane match! They both have amazing forehands and backhands. That was some of the highest level women's tennis match I have ever seen

It was quite good, Neil. Great drama, ebb and flow, tense comebacks. Both of them there to win it, not wait for it to be handed to them.

This was not Chris Evert vs Virginia Wade with wood rackets (nothing against them!)

Plus, their comeback stories. Awesome.

[neilchok]

I am absolutely shocked at the pace of ball between Amanda Anisimova and Osaka. That was an insane match! They both have amazing forehands and backhands. That was some of the highest level women's tennis match I have ever seen

[jimlosaltos]

Midway, not the best we've seen between these two.

At 6-4 4-4 Alcaraz up a set, he's still keeping Djokovic's hopes alive by making some poor choices on volleys ( taking handful of easy put aways & instead trying to push them behind Novak, and getting passed or successfully lobbed.}. And with several outright shanks on rally ball forehands, or netted blasts going for a low percentage shot ( But he makes those ! }

Novak broke Alcaraz in the second set, which is something.

And Alcaraz butchers a drop volley where anything would have won. McEnroe, "Novak could have lost all 3 points on his serve", instead Novak steps up to serve out what shouda' coulda' been a break.

Short rallies bode well for Djokovic lasting.

UPDATE: After a strange, somewhat ragged second set, Alcaraz amps up his serve in the tiebreak and seizes control of the match.
Yup, here comes the injury interruption by Novak -- but it's a net rub not the full MTO.