2019 Next 'Next Gen' Talk

[Moxie]

Since Mrzz brought up a young Spanish player on the General News thread, I didn't want to distract too much, and thought I'd bring it to the Next Gen thread. But we don't have one for 2019, and the other one seemed out of date, so I thought I'd start a new one for the youngsters who are not quite on the radar, and maybe the lesser lights who haven't yet jumped into the top 50, or whatever. Players like Ymer brothers, Munar, Christian Garin and this new Spanish kid, Carlos Alcaraz Garfia. Anyone else you're seeing in this category?

 

[El Dude]

This Feelicks Ojhay Alleeseemay kid seems pretty good.

Seriously, I've been meaning to start one and maybe provide a "players to watch" list or keep an updated ranking of NextGenners, but haven't gotten around to it. But here are a few guys that people haven't really been talking about that deserve mention:

Mikael Ymer is 20 years old until September and still ranked a measly #200, but he showed early promise and is considered the more talented of the Ymer brothers, and missed a lot of time. So maybe he'll be a late-ish bloomer and at least reach the top 50 or higher.

Miomir Kecmanovic probably deserves more attention than he's been getting, having a small breakout. He's now #89 and the third highest ranked teenager after Shapo (#20, turns 20 in four days) and FAA (#33, 18 until August 8th). Miomir turns 20 on August 31st.

Rudolf Molleker is someone I'm keeping my eye on. He's #170, born 10/26/00, so a couple months younger than FAA and the second highest ranked player born in 2000.

Jannik Sinner is a name that I don't think has been mentioned. At #316 he's the highest ranked player born in 2001, just a few months older than Jack Draper, the next great British hope (evidently).

Chun Hsin Tseng is #427 and noteworthy because he was born the same day as FAA and the Great One, but in 2001.

 

[Moxie]

FAA has his own thread now. No interest in some of the other ones I mentioned?

 

[El Dude]

I was just adding more names to consider. And I did mention one of the Ymers. The young Spaniard is interesting, but he is super young so hard to know what to think yet.

 

[mrzz]

Rudolf Molleker is someone I'm keeping my eye on. He's #170, born 10/26/00, so a couple months younger than FAA and the second highest ranked player born in 2000.

Jannik Sinner is a name that I don't think has been mentioned. At #316 he's the highest ranked player born in 2001, just a few months older than Jack Draper, the next great British hope (evidently).

Coincidentally the young Spaniard Alcaraz Garfia first point last week was precisely against Sinner, while his "run" this week was ended by Molleker.

 

[Moxie]

I was just adding more names to consider. And I did mention one of the Ymers. The young Spaniard is interesting, but he is super young so hard to know what to think yet.

Yes, but that's what we're here to discuss. I thought we were going to discuss all of the possible youngsters. If you feel the need for bolded:

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia:

B. 5 May 2003, so on the cusp of 16. Won Spanish Junior Champion in 2017. Masters under-14 in London. 3 months older than FAA when he won his first point on the ATP circuit.

Christian Garin:

He's clearly matured and grown up. He's much bigger, physically. Beat Laaksonen today 3 and 2 in Houston, in what most would have thought would be tighter. I think he could be ready to do some spoiling on the clay.

 

[El Dude]

NextGen final in Houston: Garin vs. Ruud. Garin is up to #61 in live rankings, Ruud #68 (after being stuck in the low 100s for over a year, if I remember correctly).

 

[Moxie]

Garin won. https://www.atptour.com/en/news/garin-ruud-houston-final-2019

 

[herios]

NextGen final in Houston: Garin vs. Ruud. Garin is up to #61 in live rankings, Ruud #68 (after being stuck in the low 100s for over a year, if I remember correctly).

Incorrect. Ruud got stuck in the 100-200 range for more than one year. He entered in the top 100 for the first time recently on March 4 this year.

 

[El Dude]

Incorrect. Ruud got stuck in the 100-200 range for more tgth one year. He entered in the top 100 for the first time recently on March 4 this year.

Huh? You are funny, herios. How was what I said "incorrect?" I said that Ruud "was stuck in the low 100s for over a year" and you said that was incorrect, that he was "stuck in the 100-200 range for more than one year." Don't these mean the same thing, essentially?

Now Ruud actually entered the 100-200 (or low 100s) range in February of 2017, so it is over two years. So if I'm incorrect, so are you, my nitpicky amigo!

 

[herios]

Huh? You are funny, herios. How was what I said "incorrect?" I said that Ruud "was stuck in the low 100s for over a year" and you said that was incorrect, that he was "stuck in the 100-200 range for more than one year." Don't these mean the same thing, essentially?

Now Ruud actually entered the 100-200 (or low 100s) range in February of 2017, so it is over two years. So if I'm incorrect, so are you, my nitpicky amigo!

Sorry man, I may have been sleepy LOL.
I read your "low 100s" as 100 without the "s". So, in other words, as he was at the low or bottom of 100.

 

[El Dude]

Sorry man, I may have been sleepy LOL.
I read your "low 100s" as 100 without the "s". So, in other words, as he was at the low or bottom of 100.

Haha, no problem. Anyhow, nice to see Casper finally jump into the top 100...and Garin seems to be having a legitimate breakthrough.

 

[Moxie]

Jannick Sinner has come up a bit lately. Italian, ranked 229. 17, 6'2", lanky. He's just qualified for Geneva, and he beat Steve Johnson in Rome and lost next round to Tsitsipas. Don't know anything about him, but I thought I'd put him on the radar.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Jannick Sinner has come up a bit lately. Italian, ranked 229. 17, 6'2", lanky. He's just qualified for Geneva, and he beat Steve Johnson in Rome and lost next round to Tsitsipas. Don't know anything about him, but I thought I'd put him on the radar.

Roger said in one of his pressers that he practiced with him in Rome.

 

[El Dude]

Jannick Sinner has come up a bit lately. Italian, ranked 229. 17, 6'2", lanky. He's just qualified for Geneva, and he beat Steve Johnson in Rome and lost next round to Tsitsipas. Don't know anything about him, but I thought I'd put him on the radar.

I mentioned him in the second post of this thread.

 

[Moxie]

I mentioned him in the second post of this thread.

Yawn...sorry. Just trying to contribute.

 

[don_fabio]

^ also made final of a challenger in Ostrava the week before Madrid started.

 

[don_fabio]

May I ask how come there is no american tennis player in the top of the rankings and fighting for grand slams? Querry and Isner had their moments in Wimbledon SF 17/18, but no one actually tought they can take it.

Historically US players had at least one top guy in each era, but since Roddick nobody seems to step up. I see a lot of young guys appear, but also disappear. I assume Tiafoe should become top 10 if he doesn't break his elbow with that weird FH. Can he go deep in slams I don't know yet. Can Fritz be a late bloomer?

 

[herios]

May I ask how come there is no american tennis player in the top of the rankings and fighting for grand slams? Querry and Isner had their moments in Wimbledon SF 17/18, but no one actually tought they can take it.

Historically US players had at least one top guy in each era, but since Roddick nobody seems to step up. I see a lot of young guys appear, but also disappear. I assume Tiafoe should become top 10 if he doesn't break his elbow with that weird FH. Can he go deep in slams I don't know yet. Can Fritz be a late bloomer?

You are talking like Fritz is 25 or something. He is only 21.

 

[don_fabio]

You are talking like Fritz is 25 or something. He is only 21.

I used the wrong phrase. What I meant is, does he have a potential for a breakthrough to let's say top20 or top10, because I don't know much about him even he has been around for a few years already.