Running tennis thread 2024

I mean, they didn’t make him qualify, right?

 

Well, he used a protected ranking for players coming back from long injury layoff. It's part of the tour policy, though, effective for the first nine tournaments (or nine months), and you have to apply early to get one. It pretty much guarantees you a spot in the draw and nothing else. Nadal has a "9" protected ranking for the French, but that doesn't make him seeded, however. It just means he was pretty much first in line for those seeking to use PRs. I believe there are four players in the French Open draw using protected rankings.

But once you are in the draw, there isn't much "help" available.

In Agassi's last tournament (2006 U.S. Open), he had to play No. 8 seed Baghdatis in the second round. Won that in a thriller, and then lost to Benjamin Becker (who went on to lose the following round to Andy Roddick).

 

To be clear, my post about qualifying was supposed to be a joke.

 

If Djoker’s plan was to play in that 250 in Geneva to gain some confidence going into Paris, it might not have accomplished that goal.

He lost in the semis to 44th-ranked Tomas Machac of Czechia, 6-4, 0-6, 6-1. Machac was down 1-4 in the first set but won the next five games to take the set, then got bageled in the second. After losing the first game of the final set, he won the last six to close it out.

Djokovic still hasn’t won a tournament this year. In fact, he hasn’t made it to a final yet. He’s about to lose his No. 1 ranking to Sinner.

I didn’t see the match — I’m currently in the air on my way to Virginia — but the ATP story says Djoker “struggled physically” and “looked breathless at times between points.”

 

Father Time will get you at some point. Now if only Alcatraz or Sinner can seize the opportunity and rise above everyone else…..that’s what tennis tour needs.

 

Sinner has done quite well this year — he’s 28-2 with three tournament titles, including a major.

 

Oh I know. Just want him to get a couple this year.

 

So what "policy" are they following in making the bracket? I guess I'm way off base thinking the No. 1 seed should get the player with the worst world ranking in the first round, the No. 2 seed gets the player with the second-worst world ranking, etc., etc. IMHO, this bracket is all over the place; Sinner, the 2 seed, opens with No. 43 Chris Eubanks. Two matches away from him, No. 75 in the world opens against No. 97. This is not supposed to be this difficult to do.

 

The 32 seeds are placed on the bracket, and then all matchups are pulled out of a hat. Completely random.

The No. 1 seed may get a No. 33-ranked player in the first round. He may get a 156th-ranked player who made it through qualifying.

 

Collins just made me look bad. Got destroyed 6-1, 6-2 by Madison Keys in the Strasbourg final.

 

J.J. Wolf got thrown to the Alcarazes, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1.

 

Nadal-Zverev on the court. One game in, Rafa’s already down a break.