2024 Men's Wimbledon Championships

[Moxie]

Novak's run to the SF:
1R: qualifier Vit Kopriva, career high #111
2R: wildcard Jacob Fearnley, career high #271
3R: Alexei Popyrin, career high #38
4R: Holger Rune, career high #4, current #15
QF: walkover

Popyrin is a decent player and for a bit there it looked like he had a chance at the top 20. Rune is Rune, but has stuff to work on.

Anyhow, it is quite an easy path to reach a Slam SF. He lost a set to both Fearnley (!) and Popyrin, so I'd suggest that it is hard to assess what his actual level is. I wouldn't be surprised if he's either blown away by Alcaraz or loses in a war of attrition to Medvedev. He probably needs a strong opposition from Fritz/Musetti to really test where he's at.

I tend to think that luck evens out in sports, for the most part, but Novak certainly got lucky this Wimbledon, and just when he needed it. The first really good thing that happened to him was that Alcaraz was drawn on Sinner's side. The 2nd was that overall, the bottom half was by far the easier half. Then, as I think Margaret pointed out, 2 potential rough spots projected in his draw, Hubie and Zverev, went out before he faced them, one due to injury, and one almost certainly due to injury. Today, he gets a walkover. Not that de Minaur was likely for the upset, but he would have run Novak around. And, with the way things are going this Wimbledon, every time you step on court, there's an injury risk. Especially with a dodgy knee. Instead, he avoids all the perils, AND gets to rest his 37-year-old body. And next, instead of facing Zverev, who had, I believe, the 4th best odds to win Wimbledon, he gets Musetti.

Hard to think he doesn't make the final. (Which would be his first final this year, btw.) Not to write off Musetti who played beautifully today. But still. Can he take the winner of Alcaraz/Medvedev? Well, he can, because he has. Anyway, more to come.

 

[kskate2]

Order of Play for Wimbledon, Day 11 SF Round, July 11, 2024

 

[Moxie]

So D-Minor and Dimi both will miss the OG. This tourney is causing more damage than just taking folks off the grass.

This is why I, for one, was saying that if Novak was hoping to protect this OG hopes, that Wimbledon was a bad idea. In theory, I'm proven right. Just that, in practice, Novak is impervious to the dangers while younger players, men and women, have been dropping like flies.

 

[Moxie]

Speaking of luck: Medvedev has had a bit of luck, too. He wasn't looking especially convincing, early on. He had Struff, whom @Front242, at least, likes to tell us is dangerous, and he lost a set to him. He was facing Dimitrov, who got hurt after 8 games and retired. Now, I rarely hold out a lot of hope for Dimitrov, but he has been resurgent of late, and lots of people like to think he might yet come good on grass, and gave him some odds as a dark horse. I think it's the attachment to his Federer-lite game. But, still. That should have been a tough match, and could have gone either way. As to the match v. Sinner...does anyone really think he'd have won that, if Sinner had been healthy? It's the best and smartest match I've seen Meddy play on grass, but still it went 5, and Sinner could barely stand for part of it. Obviously, Medvedev is playing the hand he is dealt. And he DID make the SFs last year, so I'm not saying it's a fluke.

I'm just saying that, if we're going to look at Novak's luck, we may as well look at Medvedev's. But for injury/illness, he could have been out a round or two ago.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Speaking of luck: Medvedev has had a bit of luck, too. He wasn't looking especially convincing, early on. He had Struff, whom @Front242, at least, likes to tell us is dangerous, and he lost a set to him. He was facing Dimitrov, who got hurt after 8 games and retired. Now, I rarely hold out a lot of hope for Dimitrov, but he has been resurgent of late, and lots of people like to think he might yet come good on grass, and gave him some odds as a dark horse. I think it's the attachment to his Federer-lite game. But, still. That should have been a tough match, and could have gone either way. As to the match v. Sinner...does anyone really think he'd have won that, if Sinner had been healthy? It's the best and smartest match I've seen Meddy play on grass, but still it went 5, and Sinner could barely stand for part of it. Obviously, Medvedev is playing the hand he is dealt. And he DID make the SFs last year, so I'm not saying it's a fluke.

I'm just saying that, if we're going to look at Novak's luck, we may as well look at Medvedev's. But for injury/illness, he could have been out a round or two ago.

I am not taking anything away from Meddys win over Sinner, from what I read in Sinners presser after the match, he woke up feeling sick on the morning of the match, then things get worse when he was feeling dizzy later in the match, and was taken off court for a MTO, there has been a bad virus going around at Wimbledon this year, I feel the cold rainy weather could be a factor

 

[the AntiPusher]

The Italians are on fire,and maybe Musetti felt left out and he said why not join in the party.He is very talented and his game has lots of variety.He exposed Fritz as a one dimensional ball asher.

I would guess Paul Anaconne is thinking I had Pete and Roger now I'm coaching a guy with who doesn't have one fourth of their tennis IQ and feel for the game .. Well give Taylor credit he gets the maximum out of his talent and he does compete..I think again he has plateau his talent level..

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I would guess Paul Anaconne is thinking I had Pete and Roger now I'm coaching a guy with who doesn't have one fourth of their tennis IQ and feel for the game .. Well give Taylor credit he gets the maximum out of his talent and he does compete..I think again he has plateau his talent level..

Fritz is now 0-4 GS QFs, today was his best chance he's had so far in his career to get over the line? this one is gong to sting!

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

Musetti may just be a case of you've got to lose some before you win. Those close losses at the slams, especially to Djokovic in the 2021 and 2024 French Opens, may be starting to pay dividends. Ever since that French Open match, Musetti has been finding ways to win these close matches. I feel like Friday could be the day Musetti gets over the hump and finally topples Djokovic. Even if he doesn't, it's pretty clear that Musetti turned a corner at the French Open.

 

[Jelenafan]

I tend to think that luck evens out in sports, for the most part, but Novak certainly got lucky this Wimbledon, and just when he needed it. The first really good thing that happened to him was that Alcaraz was drawn on Sinner's side. The 2nd was that overall, the bottom half was by far the easier half. Then, as I think Margaret pointed out, 2 potential rough spots projected in his draw, Hubie and Zverev, went out before he faced them, one due to injury, and one almost certainly due to injury. Today, he gets a walkover. Not that de Minaur was likely for the upset, but he would have run Novak around. And, with the way things are going this Wimbledon, every time you step on court, there's an injury risk. Especially with a dodgy knee. Instead, he avoids all the perils, AND gets to rest his 37-year-old body. And next, instead of facing Zverev, who had, I believe, the 4th best odds to win Wimbledon, he gets Musetti.

Hard to think he doesn't make the final. (Which would be his first final this year, btw.) Not to write off Musetti who played beautifully today. But still. Can he take the winner of Alcaraz/Medvedev? Well, he can, because he has. Anyway, more to come.

Can’t disagree with you, but there *is* something to be said about avoiding injuries that plague far younger players on the tour, and in this specific Wimbledon.

Just had surgery so perhaps Novak’s conditioning program and fitness team should be given some credit, along with of course good body type genes.

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

Can’t disagree with you, but there *is* something to be said about avoiding injuries that plague far younger players on the tour, and in this specific Wimbledon.

Just had surgery so perhaps Novak’s conditioning program and fitness team should be given some credit, along with of course good body type genes.

I've been saying this on the women's page, but I think both tours could benefit from a mid-season break following the French Open. Restart the season in mid-July, with the grass season running concurrently with the summer clay season, and have Wimbledon in early August. Then follow with the North American swing, and the US Open in October. Immediately follow with the WTA/ATP Finals. That would decrease the chance of burnout and injuries, which would help improve the quality of play during grass court/Wimbledon as well as the 2nd half of the season.

 

[tossip]

Just seen Itsinthebag and Malisse playing doubles with the annoying twins.

 

[atttomole]

Rune is overhyped!! We have heard for years that he is an up and coming player and he has a good future. The future is now and he hasn’t made much progress.

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

Rune is overhyped!! We have heard for years that he is an up and coming player and he has a good future. The future is now and he hasn’t made much progress.

Yeah, Rune needs to start showing progress in the next year or two, or he will be in danger of going on a FAA trajectory.

 

[Moxie]

Can’t disagree with you, but there *is* something to be said about avoiding injuries that plague far younger players on the tour, and in this specific Wimbledon.

Just had surgery so perhaps Novak’s conditioning program and fitness team should be given some credit, along with of course good body type genes.

I have said many times in this regard that players should adopt some of Novak's stretching regime, if nothing else. Keeping the muscles limber, not tight, helps protect from injury. That's something you can do to help yourself. Not the genes, and not bad luck in terms of a bad fall.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I have said many times in this regard that players should adopt some of Novak's stretching regime, if nothing else. Keeping the muscles limber, not tight, helps protect from injury. That's something you can do to help yourself. Not the genes, and not bad luck in terms of a bad fall.

Moxie,

I think you and I had a conversation before regarding stretching, when Carlos was having trouble with his hams string, agree players need to do that more, does protect from injury,

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

I have said many times in this regard that players should adopt some of Novak's stretching regime, if nothing else. Keeping the muscles limber, not tight, helps protect from injury. That's something you can do to help yourself. Not the genes, and not bad luck in terms of a bad fall.

I'm not going to excuse these young players, as there are more nutrition and conditioning techniques available now than in the 20th century, but I feel that most players are burnt out by the grind of the tennis season by the time we get to Wimbledon. It also doesn't help that there is a surface change and so little time between the French Open and Wimbledon. I believe the players could benefit from a midseason break in June and July, just like high schoolers here in the US get a summer break from school. I feel like a small break could rejuvenate the players, which would greatly improve the level of play at Wimbledon, the US Open, and other tournaments during the 2nd half of the season.

 

[Moxie]

I'm not going to excuse these young players, as there are more nutrition and conditioning techniques available now than in the 20th century, but I feel that most players are burnt out by the grind of the tennis season by the time we get to Wimbledon. It also doesn't help that there is a surface change and so little time between the French Open and Wimbledon. I believe the players could benefit from a midseason break in June and July, just like high schoolers here in the US get a summer break from school. I feel like a small break could rejuvenate the players, which would greatly improve the level of play at Wimbledon, the US Open, and other tournaments during the 2nd half of the season.

You definitely have some outside of the box calendar ideas. I don't think a June-July break is the answer. If for no other reason, it's summer in the northern hemisphere, where much of tennis is played. Anyway, there are breaks in the calendar, and players are responsible for scheduling wisely. If players are burnt out by June, that's on them. IMO. The short turnaround between the French and Wimbledon is a time-honored crucible. And even still, they added a week a few years ago.

 

[El Dude]

You definitely have some outside of the box calendar ideas. I don't think a June-July break is the answer. If for no other reason, it's summer in the northern hemisphere, where much of tennis is played. Anyway, there are breaks in the calendar, and players are responsible for scheduling wisely. If players are burnt out by June, that's on them. IMO. The short turnaround between the French and Wimbledon is a time-honored crucible. And even still, they added a week a few years ago.

 

[El Dude]

Predictions for tomorrow? Mine:

Alcaraz defeats Medvedev in 5 sets.

Novak defeats Musetti in 4 sets.

Final: Alcaraz defeats Novak in 4 sets.

 

[nehmeth]

Predictions:
Carlos defeats Daniil in four sets
Novak defeats Lorenzo in four sets.