Talk About Tennis 2.0

I wonder if Opelka, Brooksby, and Cressy are suffering from the same injury

I think Haddad Maia is nicely set up for R1 or R2 defeat at Wimbledon.

Suliso wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 10:55 am I think Haddad Maia is nicely set up for R1 or R2 defeat at Wimbledon.

yes, that is what usually happens but let us hope not, I like her game..

Suliso wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 10:55 am I think Haddad Maia is nicely set up for R1 or R2 defeat at Wimbledon.

Berrettini, too? I'll take that bet.

Can't rule it out, but far less likely. Berrettini is an established top 15 player with a history of playing particularly well on grass.

Unless Berrettini has a recurrence of his hand injury, there is no way he will lose in the first or second round. He will be a contender to win Wimbledon every year he enters for the next five years at least. His game is perfectly made for grass, and he repeatedly comes through in the clutch.

But if you want to make that case, you could point out he got broken six times in winning Queen's Club this time after being broken only twice in his last four matches a year ago. I watched only a few games he played all week, but he has not been as dominant on serve as he was a year ago.

Plus, history is unkind to players who win two lead-up events in a row. I remember in 2001, there were only four ATP tournaments on grass before Wimbledon. Hewitt won two of them while Thomas Johansson won the other two. I picked both of them to reach the semifinals of Wimbledon in the Racquet Bracket that was the original internet contest. Johansson lost to a very young Roddick in the second round. Hewitt lost to Escude in the third or fourth round. Neither of them appeared fresh, but back then there were only two weeks between the end of the French Open and the start of Wimbledon. Berrettini gets a week off.

I agree history indicates Haddad Maia will lose early. She is overplaying, and nondescript players who get on a hot streak in the lead-ups invariably crash and burn in the slam. But she has shown impressive fortitude to win many of these matches. She might prove to be an exception to the nearly universal rule.

jazzyg wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:39 pm Berrettini gets a week off. I agree history indicates Haddad Maia will lose early. She is overplaying, and nondescript players who get on a hot streak in the lead-ups invariably crash and burn in the slam. But she has shown impressive fortitude to win many of these matches. She might prove to be an exception to the nearly universal rule.

Alternate theory: Every player is different and knows what s/he need, especially mid-career ones, and the vast majority have proven their good judgment by getting as far as they have by the time we know their names. BHM, a grown woman, is most likely making the best decision for herself. Chances are she will live up to her seeding, at least.

Suliso wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:26 pm Can't rule it out, but far less likely. Berrettini is an established top 15 player with a history of playing particularly well on grass.

I was being facetious. I might put him equal with Rafa based on his form. BHM is a legitimate dark horse, likely to live up to her seeding with her confidence on the surface.

Suliso wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 10:55 am I think Haddad Maia is nicely set up for R1 or R2 defeat at Wimbledon.

Maybe. But I am not picking her in either of those rounds for the SP because she has been solid. I would say she is good for a R4.
I looked at her two weeks streak. She has played 5 three-setters, and her highest ranked victory came against Sakkari (#5). After that, Halep (#20) and then a bunch of players around her level. So it has not been like Iga's streak, creaming everybody and playing just 1-hour matches. She has been on court for a bit.
So, I will stick to my plan. Not picking her.

as for me, I am not picking ANYONE in SP, not going to flatter that exho by playing SP.. the Invitational Event at SW19, not the All England championships for sure.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 4:44 pm

Suliso wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 10:55 am I think Haddad Maia is nicely set up for R1 or R2 defeat at Wimbledon.

Maybe. But I am not picking her in either of those rounds for the SP because she has been solid. I would say she is good for a R4.
I looked at her two weeks streak. She has played 5 three-setters, and her highest ranked victory came against Sakkari (#5). After that, Halep (#20) and then a bunch of players around her level. So it has not been like Iga's streak, creaming everybody and playing just 1-hour matches. She has been on court for a bit.
So, I will stick to my plan. Not picking her.

Fatalist.

I don't think Haddad Maia is a pretender..I have seen most of her games lately, and she has a very good game for grass..reminds me of Kvitova more than anyone else...

Wimbledon is not a glorified exhibition. Please stop saying that.

In most exhibitions, the players are paid the same whether they win or lose. At Wimbledon they will have to win matches to earn the big money just like at any other pro tourney. The only difference is the lack of ranking points, which I don't understand why any fan not related to a player would care about.

I think it was wrong and ridiculous to exclude the Russians, too, but there will be no asterisk placed on the winners this year, the ratings who be virtually unchanged from previous years and the effort level will be exactly the same.

jazzyg wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 3:49 am Wimbledon is not a glorified exhibition. Please stop saying that.

In most exhibitions, the players are paid the same whether they win or lose. At Wimbledin they will have to win matches to earn the big money just like at any other pro tourney. The only difference is the lack of ranking points, which I don't understand why any fan not related to a player would care about.

I think it was wrong and ridiculous to exclude the Russians, too, but there will be no asterisk placed on the winners this year, the ratings who be virtually unchanged from previous years and the effort level will be exactly the same.

How can you possibly say that "the effort level will be exactly the same" when so many good, established, quality players are excluded?!
Not to mention the other players who have withdrawn as a result of no points being awarded (and I think there will be more such withdrawals in the coming days).
With these good players excluded, and replaced by much, much lower ranked players, the effort level required overall to win matches will obviously be less than if the Russians and Belarusians were there.

And why do you say that there will be no asterisks? Do you have an official vote in the matter?
Personally, I think there definitely should be asterisks - large ones - to denote that the playing field - and therefore the competition - was certainly not as high or as tough as it would have been were there no discriminatory ban on certain players in effect.

Let's not have illusionary thoughts that this year's Wimbledon will be similar to the typical Wimbledons, as that is not at all the case.
This year, rather than strawberries and cream, it will be rotten strawberries and sour cream.

It will be fairly similar. Very few Russian/Belorussian players would have made an impact here. Years later everyone will have forgotten about this.