Talk About Tennis 2.0

Before we announce total parity let someone random win a Slam. Last year no one did.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 12:23 am

mick1303 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 22, 2025 11:26 pm Also Rune and Humbert added to the list of fallen seeds. And it might not be the end. I'm not particularly sure in Tiafoe and Rublev.

I invite you to read Nelslus post about parity.
No carnage. Just the ATP doing its best imitation of the years 2001-2002, when almighty Leyton Hewitt reigned supreme because everybody was not only playing at the same level, they were playing the same game.

Not so sure about parity per se. I think higher ranked players are under duress of the weight of expectations. You have to be quite extraordinary to perform well every week given this. Just being better on average does not guarantee a win in each match - the margins are small. That's why I'm waiting for Sinner to return. Also I don't agree that there was less diversity during 2001-2002: I.e top 4 in 2001 were Hewitt, Kuerten, Agassi, Kafelnikov - each with very distinct own style.

I'll grant you Kuerten; indeed, h3e was different. But Kafelnikov and Hewitt patterned their game after Agassi. Two handed BH, baseline game, but unable to hit winners as easily as Andre could.
And I think that you claim that "have to be quite extraordinary" sums it all well. Carlitos is; he is just going though a lull. Sinner seems to be. The rest are just simply very, very good players.
We were spoiled for too long. (R/R/N)

Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 6:49 am Before we announce total parity let someone random win a Slam. Last year no one did.

We can't measure everything just by slams. Here are the last 10 MS1000 winners:
2024
Indian Wells: Carlos Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev.
Miami: Jannik Sinner defeated Grigor Dimitrov.
Monte Carlo: Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Casper Ruud.
Madrid: Andrey Rublev defeated Félix Auger-Aliassime.
Rome: Alexander Zverev defeated Nicolás Jarry.
Montreal: Alexei Popyrin defeated Andrey Rublev.
Cincinnati: Jannik Sinner defeated Frances Tiafoe.
Shanghai: Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic.
Paris: Alexander Zverev defeated Ugo Humbert.
2025
Indian Wells: Jack Draper defeats Holger Rune.

Take away Sinner, who we agree right now is in a class by himself, and only two other players have even reached two finals: Zverev and Rublev.
That is very even.

Not everything, but last I checked Slams is still the ultimate measure of success in this sport

In your list of MS winners only two semi random names and for Draper we don't yet know for sure.

Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 1:06 pm Not everything, but last I checked Slams is still the ultimate measure of success in this sport

In your list of MS winners only two semi random names and for Draper we don't yet know for sure.

Agree. Slams are the measure.
But the trend seems to be for a more equal tour. It is the same reasoning why I always say that in the WTA, OTHER has a very good chance in the polls we open for slams. Maybe the ATP is still not there but I say there is a good chance of a new champion this year. GOOD chance, not overwhelming.
And also remember. Sinner did win his first slam last year. We are talking now about him as if he has been a slam champion for a long time.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 11:56 am I'll grant you Kuerten; indeed, h3e was different. But Kafelnikov and Hewitt patterned their game after Agassi. Two handed BH, baseline game, but unable to hit winners as easily as Andre could.
And I think that you claim that "have to be quite extraordinary" sums it all well. Carlitos is; he is just going though a lull. Sinner seems to be. The rest are just simply very, very good players.
We were spoiled for too long. (R/R/N)

Did Hewitt ever claim that he tried to emulate Agassi? To me they were quite different - Agassi never had a footspeed of Hewitt - not even close. Also Hewitt was significantly better net player. On the downside - the firepower was not comparable.
In general Hewitt was much more defensive-sound player. He was not defensive-minded, his offense was trying to take the ball as early as possible - this is where the similarity with Agassi may be drawn. But Agassi had almost unmatched hand-eye coordination and could pull-off his style. Hewitt, while very talented, still was not extraordinary in this department.
Their styles were different due to different strengths and weaknesses.
I think - stylistically the closest to Agassi was Nikolay Davydenko, but he came a bit later.

Seems like Eala is finally happening. Her results this week might seem random to some of you, but she had an outstanding junior career (2022 USO winner) and now finally approaching the top 100. Still only 19.

Also so much for Keys being a different player this year. As inconsistent as ever..

I was just scoreboard watching, but it looks like Keys took an injury timeout when it was 5-4 Eala in the first set, and then it seemed she was not the same after.

His girlfriend just took out Madison Keys after taking out Penko so who knows.





You're probably right...

Girlfriend? What am I missing here?

Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 8:13 pm Girlfriend? What am I missing here?

I posted this in the Off Court Shenanigans thread but I can post it here as well.

Oh, I see. Have to say I've not heard of him before this week.

Monday, March 24, 2025

STADIUM
Starts at 12:00 PM

[ATP] [1] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs Jordan Thompson (AUS)

Not Before 1:00PM
[WTA] [1] Aryna Sabalenka vs [14] Danielle Collins (USA)
[WTA] [3] Coco Gauff (USA) vs Magda Linette (POL)

Not Before 7:00PM
[ATP] [10] Alex De Minaur (AUS) vs Joao Fonseca (BRA)

Not Before 8:30PM
[WTA] [22] Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs [2] Iga Swiatek (POL)

GRANDSTAND
Starts at 11:00 AM

[WTA] Naomi Osaka (JPN) vs [6] Jasmine Paolini (ITA)
[ATP] [3] Taylor Fritz (USA) vs [27] Dennis Shapovalov (CAN)
[ATP] [17] Arthur Fils (FRA) vs [16] Frances Tiafoe (USA)
[ATP] [29] Matteo Berrettini (ITA) vs Zizou Bergs (BEL)

Not Before 7:00PM
[WTA] [WC] Alexandra Eala (PHI) vs [10] Paula Badosa (ESP)

BUTCH BUCHHOLZ
Starts at 11:00 AM

[ATP] Reilly Opelka (USA) vs [20] Tomas Machac (CZE)

Not Before 1:00PM
[WTA] [9] Qinwen Zheng (CHN) vs Ashlyn Krueger (USA)
[WTA] Emma Raducanu (GBR) OR McCartney Kessler (USA) vs [17] Amanda Anisimova (USA) OR [11] Mirra Andreeva
[WTA] [23] Marta Kostyuk (UKR) vs [32] Anna Kalinskaya OR [4] Jessica Pegula (USA)
[ATP] Joran Vliegen (BEL) / Jackson Withrow (USA) vs [2] Harri Heliovaara (FIN) / Henry Patten (GBR)

COURT 1
Starts at 11:00 AM

[ATP] [LL] Adam Walton (AUS) vs [WC] Coleman Wong (HKG)
[ATP] Roman Safiullin vs Jakub Mensik (CZE)
[ATP] [1] Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) / Mate Pavic (CRO) vs Matthew Ebden (AUS) / John Peers (AUS)
[ATP] [3] Simone Bolelli (ITA) / Andrea Vavassori (ITA) vs Christian Harrison (USA) / Evan King (USA)
[ATP] Yuki Bhambri (IND) / Nuno Borges (POR) vs Jamie Murray (GBR) / Adam Pavlasek (CZE)

COURT 7
Starts at 2:00 PM

[WTA] [1] Katerina Siniakova (CZE) / Taylor Townsend (USA) vs Anna Kalinskaya / Caty McNally (USA)

[WTA] Danielle Collins (USA) / Desirae Krawczyk (USA) vs Xinyu Wang (CHN) / Saisai Zheng (CHN)

[WTA] [WC] Yifan Xu (CHN) / Zhaoxuan Yang (CHN) vs Mirra Andreeva / Diana Shnaider

Eala is the first woman representing the Philippines to beat a top 10 player since the ranking system was introduced in 1975.