Are You a Paire or a Chardy Fan?

[markowitz]

I thought watching Jeremy Chardy today how I often have a hard time telling Chardy and Benoit Paire apart. I mean they’re both French, without looking at their rankings; I think they have about the same ranking; they both are tall skinny guys and even carry themselves with similar postures. I know Paire has a beard and Chardy does not: Chardy has a big forehand and Paire a beautiful backhand, but they still seem very similar to me, along with all the other tall skinny white Frenchman out there like Mahut, Bennetau, Herbert and maybe even Paul Henri Mathieu.

Now that I look them up on the ATP web site I see Paire is comfortably ahead of Chardy in the rankings (49 to 80) and a little younger (28 to 30). But they both have one title to their names, although Chardy has by far been the better player in slams with a quarters showing and four Rd of 16’s while Paire has only reached one Rd of 16 in his career.

Still, their similarities are startling. They’re both coached by former French players, Paire (Thierry Champion) and Chardy (Escude) even though one lives in Switzerland, Paire, and the other in Belgium, Chardy. I think you have to be a fan of one more than the other and I really like Chardy. I find him one of those players who’s so talented, but somehow has never really broken through, despite beating Delpo, Izzie and Goffin in slams.

What are you, a Chardy or Paire fan, and why? Of course, my favorite French player is Mannarino, but he’s not skinny, particularly tall and besides he’s a lefty.

(Paire photo by Henk Abbink)

 

[scoop]

We saw Chardy give Fognini a good battle in Miami this year. Very good player with weapons. I like Paire as he is very talented and aesthetic to watch and he is capable of creating drama and controversy but he's also capable of totally crashing in a match and basically tanking. I saw Paire have a war with Karlovic in DC three years ago and Paire was insulting Ivo in French to his box not knowing that Ivo spoke French and understood. They had words after and nearly came to blows. So Paire is fun to watch when he's at his best. He's the kind of player that has the potential to win a pretty big title but for some reason you can just kind of assume he never will get over his demons and do it.

 

[mrzz]

Strange, I like Chardy and dislike (a lot) Paire. As I commented in another thread, Paire is surely a good player, but if you buy him for what he is worth, and sell him by what he thinks he is worth, you become millionaire. Chardy has almost the opposite attitude, so maybe that's why he is more likeable to me..

 

[scoop]

Not a shock that Haas beat his good friend and singing partner Federer. Rusty Fed vs a guy who is desperate to extend his career. Could it have been a friend throwing a friend a bone? I would say a little of everything because I've seen Haas play several matches live this year and he's always been right there in all of them but he would just come up short because of lack of match play. I really think Haas could get a good roll going if he stays healthy he can win matches and gain confidence. I said all year Haas has been playing well and this win today verifies it.

 

[scoop]

Is this Haas's final tournament?

 

[scoop]

Thanks Thomas, Djokovic has had a number of those sedated performances with no passion or ruthlessness or his eye bulging super intensity. And they have happened throughout his career. Like Mike Tyson said, as he got older he lost desire. That fraction loss of desire could be the difference.

 

[El Dude]

Not sure if you realize this, scoop, but your replies from the blog show up, but not what you are replying to. Seems like a glitch in the interface. @britbox?

 

[markowitz]

Thanks Ryan, Newport is drawing near and really looking forward to it. Benny has been a big surprise Frenchman as early in his career, I don't think he was supposed to be a big-time player. What's truly amazing about the French players I think is how long they play and how good they stay even into their mid-30's. It's interesting how with the exception of Agassi, Ginepri, Spadea and Michael Russell in recent years, very few Americans stay viable even into their early-30's. This longevity for the French players must be chalked up to their love of the game, but also maybe the tennis culture and how top junior players are groomed in France.

 

[scoop]

The Balon Bomber is back, the thing about the French players is they just can't seem to win anything big. The plight of Benneteau of losing all of his finals is kind of a metaphor. I think Pouille is the best hope and he's only half French. Mahut is a big favorite of everyone for his history and also he's a class player who plays the game like it should be played, he's a throwback to the olden days.

 

[scoop]

JTG; That Djokovic effort level looked different than some of his others in GS finals or the US Open SF vs Nishikori.

 

[scoop]

Dan you would be a pusher too if you could

 

[scoop]

If they both win it will be an unbreakable record just as unbreakable as Rafa's ten RGs and Querrey's ten aces in a row vs Blake.

 

[scoop]

Pioline was a great player but only in spurts. Still recall his magical run in Monte Carlo where he actually won and played some of the best clay tennis of the 90s decade. Nobody ever remembers Pioline winning Monte Carlo and if they do they just think it was a fluke or soft draw but it actually was Pioline playing arguably the greatest tennis he ever played.

 

[scoop]

Ruud has crashed since he had that run in the ATP tourney earlier this year and had the mp on that veteran then totally crumbled after blowing it. Not a very good sign but then again there is no rush to get to the top hundred. Enjoy the journey I guess. Sometimes getting there too fast is a mistake.

 

[scoop]

Lopez is the kind of grass court player who if he gets hot he can roll deep into the draw and he can play super tennis as he showed in winning the Davis Cup final showdown vs Argentina Del Potro when Spain won the Cup in Argentina - Have to consider F Lo as a dark horse contender -

 

[scoop]

I like Pouille's intensity and fight spirit a lot. He is unlike the other French players in a strange way that I can actually see Pouille possibly winning something big but I can't see any of the other French players doing it.

 

[Carol]

Paire got mad......

 

[markowitz]

Dan Markowitz writes:

Here's Youtube clip: