Roland Garros Update

[stroke]

Impressive win for Alcaraz against Khachanov. I don't think I have seen anyone move quite like Alcaraz. He's built like and acrobat and moves just like one. One almost expects him to do double somersaults in the run up to drop shots. The power in his legs is exceptional...explosive.

He's great fun. I'm rooting like mad for the kid.

He won vs Ramos V because of his unparalleled foot speed court coverage on a couple of gets late in the 5th set. Not hard to discern his oddsmakers betting line rank as a solid #3 favorite. Stef, I just don't know if his backhand is good enough to win the FO.

[glacierguy]

If watching the French on Discovery+ app, I've just found that if you click the speech bubble at bottom right, you can choose different commentary languages, BUT ALSO, "ambient sound", which is just the recording from the court without the inanity. It's great!

[stotty]

And yet the one shot I will remember if Rafa serving and volleying behind a second serve in the final set.

It's amazing how serve and volley is sneaking its way back in to modern tennis. It's almost always done to take the opponent unawares. Works well, as both FAA and Rafa demonstrated at times.

[stotty]

Impressive win for Alcaraz against Khachanov. I don't think I have seen anyone move quite like Alcaraz. He's built like and acrobat and moves just like one. One almost expects him to do double somersaults in the run up to drop shots. The power in his legs is exceptional...explosive.

He's great fun. I'm rooting like mad for the kid.

[jimlosaltos]

Rafa slots into invincible mode in the final set...right at his best. From 2-2 in the fifth the outcome never seemed in doubt. Once he's working inside the baseline, which he was a lot in that fifth set, rallies are as good as over. His forehand is beyond doubt the best ever. It's pummelling, raking, tactically terrific, and just about the hardest shot to deal with in tennis one would imagine.

Novak is looking immaculate so far this tournament and, for me, it's a shame the Rafa/Novak clash is coming so soon. It will be interesting but I honestly think Novak can do it again. That's one match I am not going to miss.

And yet the one shot I will remember if Rafa serving and volleying behind a second serve in the final set.

[stotty]

Rafa slots into invincible mode in the final set...right at his best. From 2-2 in the fifth the outcome never seemed in doubt. Once he's working inside the baseline, which he was a lot in that fifth set, rallies are as good as over. His forehand is beyond doubt the best ever. It's pummelling, raking, tactically terrific, and just about the hardest shot to deal with in tennis one would imagine.

Novak is looking immaculate so far this tournament and, for me, it's a shame the Rafa/Novak clash is coming so soon. It will be interesting but I honestly think Novak can do it again. That's one match I am not going to miss.

[jimlosaltos]

Meanwhile, what the heck is happening on Court Philippe-Chatrier ?

I can't see that match live where I am now. Amusingly (not really) the Roland Garros web sites' stats are a mess of errors, so I choose to believe the scoreline is also wrong <g>.

CORRECTION: Rafa has played and won 2 five set matches, just never in a final.

1. JOHN ISNER: This was the first round of French Open 2011. Nadal(#1) was the clear favorite coming into tournament, but had to dig so deep to quell the challenge of John Isner(#39) in the first round, winning 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6–2, 6-4
2. DJOKOVIC :This would be remembered as one of the most epic matches of the decade. Nadal was aiming for his 8th French open title. While Djokovic was looking to clinch all slams in a calender year. Djokovic entered the tournament as clear favorite since Nadal was out of form for last 7–8 months with a knee injury. Though that injury couldn't stop Nadal defeating the then world no. 1 Djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7, 9-7 to book a birth in the final eventually winning it.
3. FAA Today.

OK, now he is in a third, mark it down: ... 7:48 PM
Sunday, May 29, 2022 (GMT+2)
Time in Paris, France

FAA is soaring ! (I've got a million FAA puns).

UPDATE: If you can't see and want to listen live, Tennis Channel has created a "Space" on Twitter

https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1vOxwyqjaaPGB?s=20

https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1vOxwyqjaaPGB

Entering fifth set:
Live audio: Pam Shriver is questioning Rafa going to a soccer match last night "does you justice the night before a big match now in the fifth"

Pam notes it is cold, 61?F and humid, weather Rafa doesn't like. Might as well be a 'dreaded night match'.

TC announcer says Rafa is still the betting favorite. "Razor" another announcer says "FAA is serving bombs".

AHA I just got video through the dreaded Peacock www.peacocktv.com in US

Bye.

[jimlosaltos]

Meanwhile, some big surprises on the WTA side. "Clayleh" Fernandez & Coco into the quarterfinals.

Fernandez in 3 over Anisimova. She has a good change against Trevisan to make the semifinals ! Why not? She's been in a major final.

[stotty]

Can an Octopus slide on clay? Must be hard with the tentacles.

Don't tell anyone but on the "other side of the draw" Daniil Medvedev is quietly winning in straight sets, getting presumably every more comfortable.

Kecmanovic was supposed to be a test. Guess Medy passed 2,4,2.

https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/matches/2022/SM031

Yes, I thought Kecmanovic would be much more of a test. Meddy is performing well. He will never have a better chance to progress than the draw he has this year.

[stotty]

Agreed. It's possible this time but long odds.

Meanwhile, Dominic Thiem, long in line to be "the next French Open winner", hasn't won a single match this year. So much can happen.

Not sure it counts as much with someone so economical like Roger. But fair point. Seems Roger really does have everything.

[jimlosaltos]

When Roland Garros started there were twelve WTA players (Kontaveit, Badosa, Sakkari, Sabalenka, Pliskova, Collins, Raducanu, Pegula, Krejcikova, Bencic, Ostapenko, Kerber) who had a chance at ending the tournament with the #2 ranking. They are all gone except billion-heiress Jessie Pegula, as of Sat, May 28, I believe.

Badosa retired today with an injury

UPDATE/ Possible correction. I am told that Kontaveit will be number 2 in the world after RG despite losing in the first round IF Pegula does not win the women's title. I'm too lazy to double check the ranking points.

[jimlosaltos]

Can an Octopus slide on clay? Must be hard with the tentacles.

Don't tell anyone but on the "other side of the draw" Daniil Medvedev is quietly winning in straight sets, getting presumably every more comfortable.

Kecmanovic was supposed to be a test. Guess Medy passed 2,4,2.

https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/matches/2022/SM031

[jimlosaltos]

It's a major upset in women's tennis! Iga had her serve broken.

Still won in straight sets over Danka Kovinic 6-3, 7-5.

Someone posted a couple of days ago that Iga has broken in her first game returning in 12 of her last 13 matches. I have no easy way of confirming that, but I'll note that she broke in her first return game again today.

That's astonishing. Can you imagine what it's like to start almost every match ahead 2-0? I think even I could play loose

[jimlosaltos]

Winning slams is all about being efficient. The only guys who have been, in my memory, very extended and yet been fit enough to win a slam are Borg and Rafa. For most players it's just too costly to get extended too many times in the course of a slam.

So far Rafa and Novak have been very efficient and taxed themselves very little. They know how important it is to do that.

I agree with your point stotty, but as a Fedfan I MUST note how Fed won the 2017 Australian Open --

• Five sets in the final over Rafa in 3 hours 38 min
• Five sets in the semi over Stan
• Five sets in the fourth round over Kei

Did I mention it was his first tour event coming off knee surgery? That he was, what 34 yo? <g>.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Australian_Open_–_Men%27s_singles

[stotty]

Zverev? The good news he is, .... hmm, searching I get all sorts of results. One article has him 9-1 in five setters, the ATP site has him 16-10. The bad news is he always seems to go to five sets in early rounds against people he should be cruising against.

Winning slams is all about being efficient. The only guys who have been, in my memory, very extended and yet been fit enough to win a slam are Borg and Rafa. For most players it's just too costly to get extended too many times in the course of a slam.

So far Rafa and Novak have been very efficient and taxed themselves very little. They know how important it is to do that.