2018 NextGen Talk

[herios]

Don't know this Munar too. I only know D-Minor.

Munar is typical clay courter. He featured in the past spring. Ranked 76.

 

[Moxie]

Munar is typical clay courter. He featured in the past spring. Ranked 76.

He's another Mallorcan, I think. He's a decent player.

 

[herios]

He's another Mallorcan, I think. He's a decent player.

Pretty good prospects IMO, he may be the one to carry the armada flag once current crop retires.

 

[Moxie]

Pretty good prospects IMO, he may be the one to carry the armada flag once current crop retires.

Somebody has to. It's been rather surprising how few prospects Spain has in the younger age group, compared to the fairly steady 15-16 players they had in the top 50-100 just a few years back. Don't know what's up with PCB, either, but most of the rest are pretty long in the tooth, and a lot have dropped out of sight.

 

[herios]

Somebody has to. It's been rather surprising how few prospects Spain has in the younger age group, compared to the fairly steady 15-16 players they had in the top 50-100 just a few years back. Don't know what's up with PCB, either, but most of the rest are pretty long in the tooth, and a lot have dropped out of sight.

All those who dropped out of sight were aged out, or injured and slow recovery because of their advanced age again.
PCB had a worse year than 2017 and dropped out of top 20.
Only Baena and Munar are younger than PCB in the top 100 and Baena struggled 3 years or so in the range 100-130 before breaking into the top 100.
Munar is 4 years younger than Baena that is why my money is on him.

 

[Moxie]

All those who dropped out of sight were aged out, or injured and slow recovery because of their advanced age again.
PCB had a worse year than 2017 and dropped out of top 20.
Only Baena and Munar are younger than PCB in the top 100 and Baena struggled 3 years or so in the range 100-130 before breaking into the top 100.
Munar is 4 years younger than Baena that is why my money is on him.

Oh, yes, thanks for the reminder of Baena. But, yes, Munar is kinda the only one you could call the "future" of Spanish tennis. Hopefully, Rafa's academy starts to bear more fruit.

 

[herios]

Munar's coach is listed "Nadal Academy" ....

 

[mrzz]

Never saw Munar play but I saw Baena. He is very fun to watch. I would not say unorthodox style of play, but good hands and a lot of creativity to go for unorthodox plays here and there.

 

[mrzz]

A couple questions for y'all.

1. Of all the young guns, who do you feel has the highest upside?
.

Tsitsipas

A couple questions for y'all.


2. What do you think about Marin Cilic as a possible similar career path for Nick Kyrgios?

Maybe, by coincidence. Kyrgios, IMO, needs just one thing: to train like a dog to solve all the loopholes in his game. With his serve, he is always a threat. Apart from his attitude -- which is reflected on the trick shots here and there, his numbers are basically big server's numbers (just check the stats). So I would think he will have a career path similar to other big servers before him, maybe with a couple of years offset, given that he blossomed earlier. My take is that he will focus on doubles at some point and collect a few majors that way.

If he finds a way to seriously technically improve, his cold blood on big moments could give him a lot of big titles. He should go to Nadal's academy.

 

[herios]

Kyrgios has too many injuries. Reminiscent of Nishikori and Raonic.
These could prevent him to achieve as good results as would have expected.

Edit: For example, this year he played only 38 matches.

 

[britbox]

A couple questions for y'all.

1. Of all the young guns, who do you feel has the highest upside?

Tsipitas, then Zverev.

2. What do you think about Marin Cilic as a possible similar career path for Nick Kyrgios?

Maybe. I think Kyrgios will achieve something at some point in his career. He might mature a bit as he gets older. Bit of a positive that he has been getting some coaching. As much as he shoots himself in the foot, I like Kyrgios.

 

[britbox]

Big question mark on Felix with this heart complaint.

 

[El Dude]

Anyone know anything about this young Brit, Jack Draper? He is 16, turns 17 just before New Years, ranked in the 400s - still mostly on junior tour but won a futures. Seems like Britain’s great hope.

 

[britbox]

Anyone know anything about this young Brit, Jack Draper? He is 16, turns 17 just before New Years, ranked in the 400s - still mostly on junior tour but won a futures. Seems like Britain’s great hope.

@tonycharlestony1 follows the young Brits - he might be able to fill you in on Jack Draper.

 

[Federberg]

just listening to the tennis podcast post the tour final. Apparently Zverev and Tstisipas really really don't like each other. Does anyone know about this? How did that happen?

 

[The_Grand_Slam]

just listening to the tennis podcast post the tour final. Apparently Zverev and Tstisipas really really don't like each other. Does anyone know about this? How did that happen?

Q. What is your relationship with him like?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: The relationship is okay. There is not — I mean, it’s all right. It’s not too bad. It’s not too good. It’s balanced.

http://www.rogerscup.com/press-conference-stefanos-tsitsipas-d-alexander-zverev/

 

[Federberg]

Q. What is your relationship with him like?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: The relationship is okay. There is not — I mean, it’s all right. It’s not too bad. It’s not too good. It’s balanced.

http://www.rogerscup.com/press-conference-stefanos-tsitsipas-d-alexander-zverev/

that's interesting thanks. The podcast tends to provide a more behind the scenes gossip side to things. I'm sure we'll find out more over time

 

[DarthFed]

just listening to the tennis podcast post the tour final. Apparently Zverev and Tstisipas really really don't like each other. Does anyone know about this? How did that happen?

It might stem a bit from their match at Toronto this year. A pretty ugly loss from Zverev from a commanding position and Sascha was not too gracious after. But maybe something happened before.

 

[mrzz]

Zverev's case is a tricky one. He surely has put himself in a solid position, and probably has more big titles than the rest of the field (apart from big 3 +1) combined. It is impossible to ignore that. Being young, and supposedly on an upward curve, it is irrational to bet against him in the future. He does not have much supporters here, but one reason is that he is kind of old news on this board. He was in the conversation as early as 2015. When he got to top 10 some folks here were tired of him already...

Other thing is that he is becoming more and more pragmatic, which, results wise, works wonders. He was "flashier" when he was (even) younger, just check the highlights of his famous Nadal defeat at AO 2017. He is now a solid player, with a close to spectacular back hand (to change the ball direction like he does is extremely difficult) and with a very good serve. Being a good mover (extremely good for his size), volleying better by the day, he is bound to good results, if his head does not get in the way.

I won't go as far as predicting majors for him in 2019 -- his results so far speak too loud against him on that regard. I am not saying that there is necessarily something inherent there holding him down -- it is hard to tell, but at the very least there is some mental hurdle to overcome. Deep in a five setter, exhaustion grabbing you by the throat, this is hands down a factor. So my take is that he breaks new ground on majors in 2019, but will suffer a bad loss in a quarters or a semi before putting himself in a final.

Put this all together, he is a good candidate for YE #1 -- but without a major under his belt. In this case we will have to read countless times people saying he is not a "worthy" #1, something which I can tell before hand that in ANY case is a giant stupidity. My already large "ignore list" could grow even more if that happens.

While I do not root against him, I surely do not root for him anymore (as I did when he was around #50). I guess is those horrible necklaces.

 

[El Dude]

I almost put at as a prediction in the crystal ball thread - that he would finish YE1 in 2018, but without a Slam.

Anyhow, excellent post. In my mind he hired the perfect coach to get over that mental hurdle.

Oh yeah, his 4 big titles are equal to Wawrinka and twice everyone else (Dimitrov, Cilic, del Potro and Tsonga have 2 each, Ferrer, Sock, Isner, Berdych, Khachanov 1).


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