2016 Wimbledon Championships...ATP 2000...London, England

[klacr]

This calendar grand slam business is a bit odd, stupid. Why all in one season? What's the difference in holding all four slams at the same time across two seasons? None, none whatsoever in my view. It's just being pedantic.

And when a player such as Djokovic does not win the calendar year slam it just makes us appreciate this guy named Rod Laver a little bit more.

The calendar year slam is special because it must happen all in one season. Not carried over into a new year. But what Djokovic has done in holding all the titles at one time which he accomplished after his French Open success is downright incredible.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Calendar slam

This calendar grand slam business is a bit odd, stupid. Why all in one season? What's the difference in holding all four slams at the same time across two seasons? None, none whatsoever in my view. It's just being pedantic.

[stroke]

I am not a bettor and feel pretty certain the bookies would like me to have me as a customer to bet on matches, but I like Kyrgios at that number 4 spot, 12/1. He is certainly in no danger of entering into Federer Simpsons Paradox land, not with his psyco princess too cool for school attitude, but his game certainly makes him look like he is 12/1(4th favorite) with a bullet to me.

[stotty]

I sometimes think there is money to be made from betting on tennis matches if one has one's finger on the pulse of the game.

[klacr]

The odds have certainly changed now. The 5 favorites and their new odds(or there about)are now:
Murray, 1
Federer, 3
Raonic, 7
Kyrgios, 12
Del Potro, 22

It will more than likely come down to Fed and Murray. But Berdych not being part of discussion is BS. Berdych is 40:1 odds. The Rodney Dangerfield of Tennis. Gets No Respect!

Kyrgios and Zverev are even ahead of him. Absurd.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stroke]

The odds have certainly changed now. The 5 favorites and their new odds(or there about)are now:
Murray, 1
Federer, 3
Raonic, 7
Kyrgios, 12
Del Potro, 22

[stotty]

Even Djokovic can't win every match. If he was going to be beaten, it was going to be by a big wofter like Querry. We've had a lot of rain over here in England. The courts are more lush than usual at this point in the tournament and that doesn't suit Djokovic...or Nadal for that matter. I felt Djokovic was nervy. He's not as good as Nadal, Borg or Richard P from two sets down. He's good but not as good as those three.

I am not sure if Querry has made the tournament or ruined it. He's certainly opened things up for Roger. But has Roger played anyone in the top 60 yet? The two Brits he played were outside the top hundred. His form hasn't been tested yet that's for sure.

The funny thing was the bookies odds remained the same over here throughout the Djokovic/Querry match...even overnight from two sets down the bookies had Djokovic heavy favourite to win the tournament.

[bman]

Of course the one time Djokovic loses in a slam, Fed is in his worst form in years, having hardly played in 6 months.

Sadly I smell a Murray title here.

[klacr]

Querrey plays match of his life to beat Djokovic. The Calendar year grand slam is not so easy now is it?

Americans to beat Djokovic in a grand slam...
Paul Goldstein Round 1 of Aussie Open 2006
Andy Roddick Quarters of Australian Open 2009
Sam Querrey Round 3 of Wimbledon 2016.

There are now only 3 men left in the draw that have made the Wimbledon finals...Federer, Murray and Tomas Berdych!

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stroke]

With Thiem and Djokovic out, suddenly Roger's stock has gone up.... Feel sorry for Djokovic, no calendar grand slam this year...

I have always felt Roger has one more major in him. McEnroe was asked this very question(by Chris Fowler) during Roger's match he was covering yesterday and McEnroe said he does not think Roger will win another major. This will probably be his last best chance.

[stroke]

You're right, he is efficient. Another quality that goes unobserved with Tomic is the amount of time on the ball he has. No matter how fast that ball comes in he seems to have an age to play it. He reminds me a little of Mecir in that regard. He also reads the game better than most any player out there, which is useful because he is not the quickest at getting out to the far reaches go the court.

I would like him to have done better by now, maybe even should be inside the top ten. So far he's underachieved in my book. I hate to see wasted talent, absolutely hate it.

Agree. Tomic, like Kyrgios, has a very short, efficient, economical backhand. His slice is about as good as it gets for a guy who hits a 2 hander. His forehand, his backswing is about as short as it gets. These 2 together add up to what appears to be ages to play the ball it as you say.

[gzhpcu]

With Thiem and Djokovic out, suddenly Roger's stock has gone up.... Feel sorry for Djokovic, no calendar grand slam this year...

[stotty]

I like Tomic's game a lot also. One of the best matches I have ever seen in person was about 2 or 3 years ago at the Miami Open, a Grandstand match with Tomic vs Berdych. It went 3 sets, all very close, and Berdych did win it at the end. Berdych is so solid, but what I remember is how Tomic seemed to be having his way with Berdych for most of the match and it seemed to be with way less effort than almost any other player(except Fed). A seemingly very efficient playing style.

You're right, he is efficient. Another quality that goes unobserved with Tomic is the amount of time on the ball he has. No matter how fast that ball comes in he seems to have an age to play it. He reminds me a little of Mecir in that regard. He also reads the game better than most any player out there, which is useful because he is not the quickest at getting out to the far reaches go the court.

I would like him to have done better by now, maybe even should be inside the top ten. So far he's underachieved in my book. I hate to see wasted talent, absolutely hate it.

[stroke]

Roger has had nothing to do so far this Wimbledon. He has duffed up two Brits so far who would barely get in the main draw most years. It's tough to know how well he is playing off the back of what he has done so far.

If Djokovic were to go out and Roger was to keep progressing, as looks likely, it could be interesting to see if he could make the final.

The standard amongst the lower ranked players in the draw was poor this year from what I witnessed on Thursday. Qualifiers have been managing to progress through a round or two, which isn't the norm. The game is possibly in for a bit of a lull.

I watched Tomic versus Albot (a qualifier) on court 2 on Thursday. I like Tomic. I find him good to watch live...much better than on TV. He can change pace up and down and has an unusual style. He hasn't improved in three or four years but that's not the point. His problem is it's hard work for him to win match after match because he cannot hit weaker players off easily. He's vulnerable like that.

I doubt he listens and is probably uncoachable. He could be so much better.

I like Tomic's game a lot also. One of the best matches I have ever seen in person was about 2 or 3 years ago at the Miami Open, a Grandstand match with Tomic vs Berdych. It went 3 sets, all very close, and Berdych did win it at the end. Berdych is so solid, but what I remember is how Tomic seemed to be having his way with Berdych for most of the match and it seemed to be with way less effort than almost any other player(except Fed). A seemingly very efficient playing style.

[stroke]

I had a great day at Wimbledon. Jack Sock had a great first two sets in his match against Hasse. His forehand is one huge lump to contend with. He serve very well and was solid on his backhand too. I was surprised by just how well Jack could play. The amount of forehands of Jack's you think are going out yet dip in just before the baseline is amazing...a nightmare for the men calling the lines.

I watched Fognini come back from 0-3 in the fifth to reel off the next six games in a row against Delbonis. Fognini is the sweetest timer of a ball and completely fearless with it. As usual he had massive support from the Italian spectators who travel to see him. He's like the Errol Flynn of tennis.

I discovered Benoit Paire has the worst forehand on the tour yet the finest drop shot in the tournament. I love his languid style and effortless game. If only he knew what the word attrition meant. He fell away like a wet lettuce against Millman but never mind, when Benoit is good, he's really good and well worth seeing. He can volley well too.

Agree with you about all 3 of those players. I have also seen all 3 play up close and as we have talked about before, one gets a way different perspective of these players up close to the action in person. Jack's fh is something to see, just scary action on it. Nick's is close to the same, I have seen his in person up close also. What Nick has is a scary serve and and a much better backhand to go with it, even though Jack does have a very good serve. Fognini, what could have been if he had David Ferrer's attitude and mental toughness.