Roland Garros Update

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An acquaintance tweeted that "On 13 June 2022, Medvedev and Zverev, in whatever order, will form Top 2 in the ATP rankings. This will be the first time since 16 November 2003 that none of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are ranked Top 2.

Only did the math in my head, but looks like he is right. Novak drops a bunch of points. Rafa's at 5,525 so even if he wins he doesn't gain enough to pass either Medy or Sasha.

Semi-historic.

Sounds about right. If the 3 were 21 again, none of these guys would win any Majors or Master's 1000's.

[jimlosaltos]

An acquaintance tweeted that "On 13 June 2022, Medvedev and Zverev, in whatever order, will form Top 2 in the ATP rankings. This will be the first time since 16 November 2003 that none of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are ranked Top 2.

Only did the math in my head, but looks like he is right. Novak drops a bunch of points. Rafa's at 5,525 so even if he wins he doesn't gain enough to pass either Medy or Sasha.

Semi-historic.

[jimlosaltos]

I fear this match may have been successful enough that Roland Garros will make playing on clay at 1 AM in the morning standard

[jimlosaltos]

Rafa certainly raised his level of play toward the end.

But Novak's tactics perplexed. Through the second set the TC announcers agreed with what I'd been yelling at the screen -- while Novak was rock solid from the baseline, he wouldn't even try to put away a short, midcourt ball. And his drop shot, and slice backhand? Novak should have just put those clubs back in his bag and. Just. Not. Used. Either.

High quality returns by Novak, high quality groundstrokes by both. Tactics? Perhaps Novak thought Rafa couldn't last so he'd grind from the baseline until Rafa faded, foot in pain?

As for the complaints about Rafa stalling, strange as they may be coming from Novak, he was absolutely right. When Novak was screaming at the ump midway through, I couldn't make it out. But the local {Tennis Channel announcers} said Novak was complaining about the constant delays and the chair basically told him to stop complaining.

Did the Federation Francaise de Tennisjust suspend the rules for this match?

[stroke]

Novak certainly did not acknowledge the hideous French crowd as he left the court. I certainly cannot blame him. I do think he also may have lost his patience with Nadal's pre serve routine and the pretty much complete lack of rules enforcement by the umpires with regard to the time rules that are in place. That being said, it is very difficult at this point not to crown Nadal as the best player ever, even though Novak is certainly still in the conversation.

[stroke]

Nadal playing really well to break back to make it 4-5 in the fourth....looking like a real tour de force. Novak will have to serve immaculately to stay in this match in my view. Nadal is striking an incredibly length. Don't think I have ever seen him hit his forehand as well as this.

As I have said before, the best forehand ever.

[stotty]

Nadal playing really well to break back to make it 4-5 in the fourth....looking like a real tour de force. Novak will have to serve immaculately to stay in this match in my view. Nadal is striking an incredibly length. Don't think I have ever seen him hit his forehand as well as this.

[stotty]

Strange let down from Novak to gift Rafa that third set...didn't see that coming.

[stotty]

It's important Novak wins the third set because it will really, really tough to beat Rafa in five.

[stotty]

Novak has just lost his rhythm here in the third set. The danger for Nadal is that once/if he finds it again he can pull Rafa around and seize control of the rallies. Nadal has to stay ultra aggressive one feels...and dare I say it...be even more aggressive with his forehand.

[stroke]

Rope a dope baby

[stroke]

Novak really fighting back thank goodness in 2nd set.

Zverev showed that to me he has the most oppressive backhand in tennis. It is a brutal weapon. To me, the difference in the match. And his 2nd serve does seem to have improved. He has always had a top 10 1st serve to me.

[stotty]

Novak v Rafa

The match is off to its usual start. Rafa off to a flyer while Novak is slightly tentative and feeling his way in. Novak serving poorly so far, getting very few first serves in. Novak needs to extend this first set as long as possible to have the chance to play his way in.

Rafa leads 4-1...

[jimlosaltos]

So much for "Sasha Zverev can't close out matches". Could easily have folded after losing his mini break lead in the final tiebreak. DIdn't.

My take: Zverev's backhand beat Alcaraz's backhand. More winners and pushed the Spaniard back.

Alcaraz was in the match because of his drop shots. Hit 43 drop shots and had 12 outright winners.

But Zverev was hitting groundstrokes deeper and hard enough to push Alcaraz back. Announcer Petchy posted this:

"Mark Petchey/ Tactically why did Carlos go down the line with his BH just 27% of the time? Surely got to play Sascha as though he is a left hander? Got to find Sascha FH more often. Ended up hitting his BH 0.6 meters deeper today behind his baseline than rest of the tournament"

As for Zverev's oft unreliable second serve (& oft criticized here among other places), yes he had 6 double faults in four sets, yes he hit a couple of slow ones in the fourth set that Alcaraz just tee'd off on for winners, but Zverev won 58% behind his second serve vs 49% for Alcaraz -- and since he got more first serves in, he didn't have to hit as many seconds as Alcaraz.

When Alcaraz beat Zverev in a final only weeks ago, Zverev had to return from a late night match. Hadn't lost a step by the end.

[arturohernandez]

So close. Now we can start to whisper, Does Zverev have a shot at his first grand slam?