Weeks 22 & 23 - French Open (Roland-Garros) - Paris, France (clay) - SINGLES ONLY

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

RE: Weeks 22 & 23 - French Open (Roland-Garros) - Paris, France (clay) - SINGLES ONLY

Steve J · Lower Club Player

indiana wrote:
Yes, could be true history for Djokovic. All the worst to him.

I do not understand all the hate for Djokovic on this forum.

indiana · Tennis legend

Steve J wrote:
indiana wrote:
Yes, could be true history for Djokovic. All the worst to him.
I do not understand all the hate for Djokovic on this forum.

I'm sorry but personally I just find him a very dislikeable character for quite a number of reasons. Each to their own.

Neil Gee · Club Coach

Such quality, confidence and control from Alcaraz. Brilliant. Watching the way he comprehensively outgunned Lorenzo Musetti in 3 sets, at times A moves like a ballet dancer on clay, so much natural talent. You have to think that if anybody can thwart Novak's no 23 dream it's Carlos. I'm just not sure that the time has arrived yet. I hope it has but Novak has so much experience and no apparent weaknesses overall, I have to doubt if A has enough yet to stand in history's way.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Neil Gee wrote:
Such quality, confidence and control from Alcaraz. Brilliant. Watching the way he comprehensively outgunned Lorenzo Musetti in 3 sets, at times A moves like a ballet dancer on clay, so much natural talent. You have to think that if anybody can thwart Novak's no 23 dream it's Carlos. I'm just not sure that the time has arrived yet. I hope it has but Novak has so much experience and no apparent weaknesses overall, I have to doubt if A has enough yet to stand in history's way.

Im actually tipping tsitspas for the title - I feel hes had the most solid clay masters series season, just needs that big break

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
Neil Gee wrote:
Such quality, confidence and control from Alcaraz. Brilliant. Watching the way he comprehensively outgunned Lorenzo Musetti in 3 sets, at times A moves like a ballet dancer on clay, so much natural talent. You have to think that if anybody can thwart Novak's no 23 dream it's Carlos. I'm just not sure that the time has arrived yet. I hope it has but Novak has so much experience and no apparent weaknesses overall, I have to doubt if A has enough yet to stand in history's way.
Im actually tipping tsitspas for the title - I feel hes had the most solid clay masters series season, just needs that big break

Of course, he will lose to Ofner now!

Neil Gee · Club Coach

JonH comes home wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Neil Gee wrote:
Such quality, confidence and control from Alcaraz. Brilliant. Watching the way he comprehensively outgunned Lorenzo Musetti in 3 sets, at times A moves like a ballet dancer on clay, so much natural talent. You have to think that if anybody can thwart Novak's no 23 dream it's Carlos. I'm just not sure that the time has arrived yet. I hope it has but Novak has so much experience and no apparent weaknesses overall, I have to doubt if A has enough yet to stand in history's way.
Im actually tipping tsitspas for the title - I feel hes had the most solid clay masters series season, just needs that big break
Of course, he will lose to Ofner now!
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Just watching him now, don't think he's going to lose to Ofner but I don't think he's ready to stop Novak either.
But you know what, you have the bottle to make a forecast in this very most unpredictable of sports and I respect that.

-- Edited by Neil Gee on Sunday 4th of June 2023 06:37:45 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Neil Gee wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Neil Gee wrote:
Such quality, confidence and control from Alcaraz. Brilliant. Watching the way he comprehensively outgunned Lorenzo Musetti in 3 sets, at times A moves like a ballet dancer on clay, so much natural talent. You have to think that if anybody can thwart Novak's no 23 dream it's Carlos. I'm just not sure that the time has arrived yet. I hope it has but Novak has so much experience and no apparent weaknesses overall, I have to doubt if A has enough yet to stand in history's way.
Im actually tipping tsitspas for the title - I feel hes had the most solid clay masters series season, just needs that big break
Of course, he will lose to Ofner now!
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Just watching him now, don't think he's going to lose to Ofner but I don't think he's ready to stop Novak either.
But you know what, you have the bottle to make a forecast in this very most unpredictable of sports and I respect that.

-- Edited by Neil Gee on Sunday 4th of June 2023 06:37:45 PM

biggrin

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Wait til you see my Wimbledon tip in due course !

Neil Gee · Club Coach

JonH comes home wrote:
Wait til you see my Wimbledon tip in due course !

Can't wait lol.

Watching Casper Ruud beat Nicolas Jarry in another 4th round match earlier today. Okay he won in straight sets but I thought he made hard work of it while it lasted.

Now watching Zverev V Grigor Dimitrov. Zverev has been discarded as a hope for stopping Novak by many because he's coming back from injury but he won more comfortably than Ruud did.

-- Edited by Neil Gee on Monday 5th of June 2023 08:47:52 PM

-- Edited by Neil Gee on Monday 5th of June 2023 08:54:59 PM

-- Edited by Neil Gee on Monday 5th of June 2023 08:56:27 PM

-- Edited by Neil Gee on Monday 5th of June 2023 08:56:46 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Rune v Ruud will be a battle.

And now zverev v etcheverry completes the last 8.

With Alcaraz versus Tsitsipas and Djokovic versus khachanov , its a good last 8

Neil Gee · Club Coach

Good news! We actually had a Novak Djokovich match worth watching this time.

What cracking tennis Karen Khachanov played to take the first set; right up until the second set tie break KK was bang in this match, then suddenly as we've seen him do so many times when it really matters Djokovich finds another level, he speds into the distance 7-0. That's what great champions do, that's why he's won so many titles. It got easier for Novak after that, although Karen gave him a hard set through to 4-4 in the fourth before finally capitulating.

I may be clutching at straws here but this match played in 26 degree afternoon heat is bound to have taken something out of Novak, it'll be interesting to see how hard Alcaraz has to work to get through his (evening) quarter final.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Neil Gee wrote:
Good news! We actually had a Novak Djokovich match worth watching this time.

What cracking tennis Karen Khachanov played to take the first set; right up until the second set tie break KK was bang in this match, then suddenly as we've seen him do so many times when it really matters Djokovich finds another level, he speds into the distance 7-0. That's what great champions do, that's why he's won so many titles. It got easier for Novak after that, although Karen gave him a hard set through to 4-4 in the fourth before finally capitulating.

I may be clutching at straws here but this match played in 26 degree afternoon heat is bound to have taken something out of Novak, it'll be interesting to see how hard Alcaraz has to work to get through his (evening) quarter final.

Neil,Neil - youre forgetting I have tipped Tsitsipas to win it; dont assume Carlos will win that easily!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
Neil Gee wrote:
Good news! We actually had a Novak Djokovich match worth watching this time.

What cracking tennis Karen Khachanov played to take the first set; right up until the second set tie break KK was bang in this match, then suddenly as we've seen him do so many times when it really matters Djokovich finds another level, he speds into the distance 7-0. That's what great champions do, that's why he's won so many titles. It got easier for Novak after that, although Karen gave him a hard set through to 4-4 in the fourth before finally capitulating.

I may be clutching at straws here but this match played in 26 degree afternoon heat is bound to have taken something out of Novak, it'll be interesting to see how hard Alcaraz has to work to get through his (evening) quarter final.
Neil,Neil - youre forgetting I have tipped Tsitsipas to win it; dont assume Carlos will win that easily!

And I got that seriously wrong ! Haha.

Neil Gee · Club Coach

JonH comes home wrote:
Neil Gee wrote:
Good news! We actually had a Novak Djokovich match worth watching this time.

What cracking tennis Karen Khachanov played to take the first set; right up until the second set tie break KK was bang in this match, then suddenly as we've seen him do so many times when it really matters Djokovich finds another level, he speds into the distance 7-0. That's what great champions do, that's why he's won so many titles. It got easier for Novak after that, although Karen gave him a hard set through to 4-4 in the fourth before finally capitulating.

I may be clutching at straws here but this match played in 26 degree afternoon heat is bound to have taken something out of Novak, it'll be interesting to see how hard Alcaraz has to work to get through his (evening) quarter final.
Neil,Neil - youre forgetting I have tipped Tsitsipas to win it; dont assume Carlos will win that easily!

You're right Jon - I had forgotten. I just read this after watching Carlos play the most blistering set of tennis I've ever seen from him, wrapped up 6-2 in half an hour. The commentary agree this is the best they have ever seen Alcaraz play.

When you backed Tsitsipas you couldn't have been expecting Carlos to raise his level like this! Everything he tries is going right so far and to be fair Tsitsipas is looking a little intimidated. Alcaraz is 20 years old and he's playing like an inventive, inspired tennis genius combined with all that youthful ebullience and irrepressible energy, it makes for a phenomenal package.

You think that nobody can continue to play at this level for long but there goes the second set 6-1 in 31 minutes. It's do or die for Tsitsipas now, his back's to the wall he's just got to throw everything at Carlos in this third set. He does look bewildered, thwarted in most everything he tries, but the third is Tsitsipas best set even if it doesn't show on the scoreboard, he's loosened up a bit. does take it to 5-3 and makes Carlos serve out for the match. No, wait, Tsitsipas has just got his first two breaks points of the match! This would be the Mother of all comebacks if Tsitsipas can pull this off. He's done it! He's broken back, and Carlos level has finally slipped a little. Tsitsipas holds for 5 all. The crowd are loving this. It's getting more like a match now. Tie break. 7-5 Alcaraz. Tsitsipas didn't go down without a fight.

On the basis of the relative quarter final performances you might think that CA's time has come and that history is not going to made at this tournament, but we all know it's not that simple disbelief