Week 33 - Cincinnati Masters (ATP 1000 Series) - R2: Andy vs Jérémy Chardy

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

RE: Week 33 - Cincinnati Masters (ATP 1000 Series) - R2: Andy vs Jérémy Chardy

indiana · Tennis legend

Well Andy got there. I wasn't watching but from what Mad says doesn't sound very good, i.e. more Andy playing badly than Chardy playing really well, although Andy should always be beating a Chardy even playing really well for him.

Serving stats not that good, but not awful by Andy's standards though notably dipped to 40% first serve in when broken 3 times in the 2nd set. Was it just Andy generally didn't seem on his game today Mad ?

Re the battle for the 4th ranking place next Monday ( & hence 4th seeding spot for the US Open ) Andy has made life rather more difficult for Sod who now has to reach at least the semis, i.e. just has to beat Hewitt, then Roddick or De Bakker and then Djpokovic or Nalbandian in turn, good luck

I'd kind of prefer one of them did the job on Sod rather than Andy ( or an Andy conquerer

) had to beat him in the semi.

Anyway, like Mad not sure I really want Andy going really too deep here, certainly not going really deep playing 3 setters !

I'm already slightly worried about hearing Andy reckons he can put a whole lot more work in before the US Open to get himself fitter. Hmm, just remember to taper off at some stage ! Don't leave it all behind in previous matches or the gym, as has been sometimes thought may have explained flat performances in the past.

Anyway, far too early getting worried about the US Open smile

angry1 · Lower Club Player

indiana wrote:

Well Andy got there. I wasn't watching but from what Mad says doesn't sound very good, i.e. more Andy playing badly than Chardy playing really well, although Andy should always be beating a Chardy even playing really well for him.

Serving stats not that good, but not awful by Andy's standards though notably dipped to 40% first serve in when broken 3 times in the 2nd set. Was it just Andy generally didn't seem on his game today Mad ?

Re the battle for the 4th ranking place next Monday ( & hence 4th seeding spot for the US Open ) Andy has made life rather more difficult for Sod who now has to reach at least the semis, i.e. just has to beat Hewitt, then Roddick or De Bakker and then Djpokovic or Nalbandian in turn, good luck I'd kind of prefer one of them did the job on Sod rather than Andy ( or an Andy conquerer ) had to beat him in the semi.

Anyway, like Mad not sure I really want Andy going really too deep here, certainly not going really deep playing 3 setters !

I'm already slightly worried about hearing Andy reckons he can put a whole lot more work in before the US Open to get himself fitter. Hmm, just remember to taper off at some stage ! Don't leave it all behind in previous matches or the gym, as has been sometimes thought may have explained flat performances in the past.

Anyway, far too early getting worried about the US Open

Andy looked like Hewitt had guaranteed a win tonight so he wasn't much bothered most of the time.He's played worse in early matches in tournaments he's won before though,maybe even here.

Never quite as bad as last week's bagel but no spell of good tennis as even that match had last week.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

I don't agree that he wasn't bothered. I'm normally one of the first to complain at his second set walkabouts, but he played pretty well the first set and a bit and then seemed to hit a wall - couldn't serve for toffee, couldn't run, couldn't hit the ball in court if it kindly came to him. I thought he just looked "fatigued" as they claim when they withdraw, like Delpo last year.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

OK, so I was guilty of wishful thinking and/or conceivably jinxing Andy's chances in the second round/his first round of the latest Masters Series tournament by calling it in two. Now you know why I venture into a betting shop only on Grand National day & flatly refuse to become involved in any of the "pick 'ems". At least he got there in the end - & here's hoping he's now got his dodgy match out of his system for the tournament with this one. smile

That said, the second set was a "comedy of errors" which neither player really deserved to win! hmm

The third set was a distinct improvement, but still not that convincing. Ideally, I'd like to see him at least defend the 360 points he acquired for losing to Fed in the semi-final last year.

RJA · Hall of fame

I could easily write an awful lot of negative stuff about this match. Andy was garbage, he only won the first set because Chardy was even worse (19 unforced errors) but frankly I am not bothered. Andy will always throw in the odd shocker against lesser opposition. He is a big time player and this travesty of a performance means absolute nothing.

angry1 · Lower Club Player

Madeline wrote:

I don't agree that he wasn't bothered. I'm normally one of the first to complain at his second set walkabouts, but he played pretty well the first set and a bit and then seemed to hit a wall - couldn't serve for toffee, couldn't run, couldn't hit the ball in court if it kindly came to him. I thought he just looked "fatigued" as they claim when they withdraw, like Delpo last year.

You're right not bothered was incorrect.He just seemed unfocussed and lacking in consistency of both tactics and striking to me.

He did look like he didn't much care I felt but having been a fan so long I should have realised that was a false impression.I did feel he never hit the heights he briefly did against Monfils.

Tiredness is probably the most likely explanation.

RJA · Hall of fame

angry1 wrote:

Madeline wrote:

I don't agree that he wasn't bothered. I'm normally one of the first to complain at his second set walkabouts, but he played pretty well the first set and a bit and then seemed to hit a wall - couldn't serve for toffee, couldn't run, couldn't hit the ball in court if it kindly came to him. I thought he just looked "fatigued" as they claim when they withdraw, like Delpo last year.

You're right not bothered was incorrect.He just seemed unfocussed and lacking in consistency of both tactics and striking to me.

He did look like he didn't much care I felt but having been a fan so long I should have realised that was a false impression.I did feel he never hit the heights he briefly did against Monfils.

Tiredness is probably the most likely explanation.

I don't think tiredness has anything to do with it. Andy always struggles to raise his game against lesser oposition. It really is no big deal.

-- Edited by RJA on Wednesday 18th of August 2010 11:44:57 PM

steven · Tennis legend

Glad I was out and didn't watch this, I think, butnever mind, 24 GEM bashes and counting ...

Here's the updated 'liste des perdants':

4 - Simon
2 - Mathieu, Gicquel, Gasquet (*), Tsonga, Monfils, Chardy
1 - Mahut, Eyserric, Grosjean, Santoro, Llodra, Clément, Benneteau, Serra

(*) both times from 2 sets down

I wonder when he'll get the chance to make it a quarter century - and if he'll do it?

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

There's a chance, if he gets past Gulbis, of meeting Gasquet again in the next round. But I wouldn't like to guarantee a win, their matches have all been close.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

He looked 'wooden' to me - definitely 'having a bad day at the office' - quite the opposite of the last two matches in Toronto - oh well - I don't see any of the top players being particularly consistent at the moment. It will be interesting to see him in today's match against Gulbis (who I really like incidentally) ( or should say 'really like, also' biggrin

)

Count Zero · Tennis legend

i didnt see the 1st set, only a bit of the 2nd and 3rd but are you guys being a little harsh here?

i think its easy to forget the difference at this level is so small, a tiny drop coinciding with a tiny rise by the opponent can lead to swings. yes Andy was dropping the ball short too often and missing too many 1st's but given the chance Chardy was also coming out with some huge FH's also seemed to be serving well, with some pretty big 2nd serves at times too.

RJA · Hall of fame

Count Zero wrote:
i didnt see the 1st set, only a bit of the 2nd and 3rd but are you guys being a little harsh here?

i think its easy to forget the difference at this level is so small, a tiny drop coinciding with a tiny rise by the opponent can lead to swings. yes Andy was dropping the ball short too often and missing too many 1st's but given the chance Chardy was also coming out with some huge FH's also seemed to be serving well, with some pretty big 2nd serves at times too.

I don't think it is being harsh to say that he was very, very poor but as I have said I am not remortely concerned about it. Andy playing badly against lesser opponents is nothing new.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Andy himself described his second set as "poor".

RJA · Hall of fame

Madeline wrote:

Andy himself described his second set as "poor".

I suspect that his real assessment of that set would be unprintable.