One last bug up my ass I should dislodge. The Nadal win over Federer in the RG SF was pretty predictable, but poor on-top of that given the shitty conditions. I still liked Federer's court position and ability to get into Nadal's serve, etc., which may have been enhanced in more neutral conditions. We hadn't …
Category: Felix Auger-Aliassime
Auger Aliassime into Lyon Final
The Canadian prodigy advanced today over the hard-charging Georgian, Basilashvili, 26 76 64. I caught only the last set (as I was busy plotting my overthrow of Roland Garros and the ATP in general -- a virtual laughing stock of an outfit that fanaticism unfortunately has rendered as some kind of kitsch neorealism or dream …
Miami SF #1: The FAA Serve
Isner got a little help in that first SF. Tough break for the Canadian. Serving for both the first and second sets, his serve let him down. Credit to Isner for coming-up with some timely ball-striking along with his usual modus operandi, which entails his medieval march with his opponent to the TB dungeon where …
2019 Miami Semi-final
Very interesting: this change in complexion of the more recent business-end of big tournaments. The Canadians have crashed the party. Too far-fetched to think that the 2019 Miami Open Final could be a match between 18 year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime and 19 year-old Denis Shapovalov? 😀 😀 Or do we get that more familiar ghosty complexion …
Miami Update: A Few Thoughts
We're set today to see what the other Miami SF looks like with Tiafoe vs Shapovalov and then later we get Federer vs Anderson. Federer dismissing Medvedev like that proves both that the old man continues to grind and often has too much for most of these mere mortals, and that Medvedev seems to have …
Nadal: 2019 Indian Wells
Sorry for the delay in this little post-Indian Wells discourse. Obviously, the injury to Nadal was very bad news for the entire tennis community (anyone with a pulse). We were frothing for sure, but watching the QF between Rafa and Karen had us walking very gingerly around this idea that we'd get this much anticipated …
Tennis Fans are Not Very Smart
Which is fine. Not enough of you read this blog, unfortunately, which minimizes your insight on this splendiferous sport. But most of you are just fanboys and fangirls, anyways, so what do you care? I had Evans' scare of Wawrinka in my sights: the Swiss looked dubious early, but thankfully he's through. I had Felix's …
O Canada: Day 2 and Day 3
Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime were the biggest winners on Day 2 in Toronto. Sure Stan came back to beat Kyrgios after looking dead in the first set and to make me taste crow, but Kyrgios' injury and tanking history had probably as much to do with that win as anything. Is Stan finding form? We'll see. …
Hamburg, Gstaad and Atlanta
The German Tennis Championships are underway with some boys taking their final swings on clay. Here's hoping for a Thiem v Schwartzman final on the weekend, but the Monfils and Gasquets of the draw might have something to say about that; it's clay, so anything is possible even though Dominic and Diego know that we …
Tiafyrgios and Felix Auger-Aliassime!
Strike two, Mcshow. Tiafoe and Kyrgios are out. The first subject is vastly unproven, but I said let's see the young American consolidate Delray Beach. That was a tremendous run highlighted, for me, by his man-handle of Shapovalov. I didn't get to write-up more of that tournament win, but a few qualities emerged in watching …
