Early Grass Talk - 2019

[atttomole]

I think FAA can reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

 

[herios]

Now after the defeats Sasha suffered to Brown and Goffin, is he still considered 4 favorite by some bookies?

 

[Moxie]

Now after the defeats Sasha suffered to Brown and Goffin, is he still considered 4 favorite by some bookies?

Do you really still care what the bookies have to say? Obviously, we don't think so, and we clearly know better.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Now after the defeats Sasha suffered to Brown and Goffin, is he still considered 4 favorite by some bookies?

Well, Perseus also fell. So, there is a chance that Sasha might still be considered #4.

FAA was not even given a puncher's chance before. While I am sure he will get in the list now, I don't think they will put him all the way up to #4 from no-where.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Actually, there were eight pretenders in the bookies list. Seven of them lost (Sasha, Perseus, Milos, Cilic, Bad boy, Kandy, JMDP) before they were supposed to. Only one managed not to lose before he is supposed to. It is for a good reason, it is Thiem.

 

[Moxie]

Actually, there were eight pretenders in the bookies list. Seven of them lost (Sasha, Perseus, Milos, Cilic, Bad boy, Kandy, JMDP) before they were supposed to. Only one managed not to lose before he is supposed to. It is for a good reason, it is Thiem.

What do you say we screw the bookies' ideas and game it ourselves? I'd be far more interested in what this crowd has to say.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

BTW, I don't consider Thiem and Stan as even pretenders on grass. They need a lot of time to line up their strokes and they won't have such time on grass. I would not even consider them as pretenders in Wimbledon, despite high ranking of Thiem and despite Stan having won multiple slams.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

AELTC announced four of the eight wild cards. Marcos Baghdatis, Jay Clarke, Paul Jubb and James Ward received them. Paul Jubb is NCAA Champion, but he is from GBR. Normally NCAA champions get automatic wild card into USO. But, he won't get as he is not American. Hence, AELTC gave him one into Wimby. Except for Marcos, all of them are from GBR.

Wimbledon does not engage in reciprocal wildcards business (as they don't have good players) and so they will award all the four remaining wildcards themselves. We all know that they will save one of the WCs until the last minute hoping the one who cleared the ghost of Fred Perry might change his mind and decide to play in singles.

Hewitt and Thompson got a wild card into doubles.

Nicolas Mahut got a WC into the quals.

Wimbledon today announced that they will give a wild card to Deliciano Lopez. This is certainly a well deserved wild-card. Deliciano is the only Spanish Grass aficionado. Also, Wimbledon has declared that they will not use two wild-cards and instead award them to the next two players in line (who happen to be Dennis Istomin and Paulo Lorenzi). Assuming JMDP withdraws, his slot will go to an unknown Argentine player by name. Guido. One more withdrawal and then Mischa gets in directly.

Incidentally, Wimbledon is still keeping one wild-card, just in case it is needed. You know for what they are waiting with that one.
I believe that they will give that one also to next player in line, if it is not needed.

If Sir Andy decides to only play doubles, then Mischa will get in even without any other withdrawals apart from JMDP.

 

[Carol]

According to the last news Delpo's surgery has been very successful . The procedure has been done by the Dr. Jaume Vilaro and Angel Ruiz Cotorro and he will be off for 6 months

 

[GameSetAndMath]

According to the last news Delpo's surgery has been very successful . The procedure has been done by the Dr. Jaume Vilaro and Angel Ruiz Cotorro and he will be off for 6 months

Six months is long time. That means, basically his rest of 2019 is washed out. Very sad.

Hope he can come back for AO at least.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

1. Novak
2. Rafa
3. Roger
4. Anderson
5. Thiem
6. Sasha
7. Nishikori
8. Perseus

As I mentioned earlier, Rafa and Roger will interchange their spots provided Roger reaches SF at Halle. The top 8 seeds are unlikely to change as a set (as #9's formula points are quite behind that of #8). However, the seeding points of Anderson through Perseus is so close that they can change the ordering amongst themselves in myriad ways.

Here is the link to live grass seedings .

They maintain rankings based on many different aspects. So, in case you think the list that you see is not correct, make sure you click the "Wimbly Race" button in it.

Rather unusual year. Normally the seeds scenario will keep changing during the warm-up tourneys. But, this year the top 8 grass seeds remained exactly the same from the end of the clay season till today. The only change that is possible now is the interchange of seeds #2 and #3. Hope, it happens tomorrow.

Anderson is the biggest beneficiary of the formula.

 

[Moxie]

Deliciano is the only Spanish Grass aficionado.

Ahem, except for the other Spaniard that has won Wimbledon twice. Oh, and Queens.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Ahem, except for the other Spaniard that has won Wimbledon twice. Oh, and Queens.

I did no mean any offense to Ralph by that remark. When I want to offend, I do it directly.

Ralph might have won Wimby twice and Deliciano never; but, I still think it is more appropriate to use the term "Grass Aficionado" to Feli than to Ralph. If you objectively think about it, perhaps even you might agree with it.

 

[Moxie]

I did no mean any offense to Ralph by that remark. When I want to offend, I do it directly.

Ralph might have won Wimby twice and Deliciano never; but, I still think it is more appropriate to use the term "Grass Aficionado" to Feli than to Ralph. If you objectively think about it, perhaps even you might agree with it.

Of course I know what you mean, as Feli does shine on grass, and of all the Spaniards, his skill set is best suited to grass. Rafa has done well because he's miles above everyone else. I just had to call out the point.

 

[Moxie]

Rather unusual year. Normally the seeds scenario will keep changing during the warm-up tourneys. But, this year the top 8 grass seeds remained exactly the same from the end of the clay season till today. The only change that is possible now is the interchange of seeds #2 and #3. Hope, it happens tomorrow.

Anderson is the biggest beneficiary of the formula.

So the top four seeds will be 1. Novak, 2. Roger, 3. Rafa, 4. Anderson?

 

[Carol]

I did no mean any offense to Ralph by that remark. When I want to offend, I do it directly.

Ralph might have won Wimby twice and Deliciano never; but, I still think it is more appropriate to use the term "Grass Aficionado" to Feli than to Ralph. If you objectively think about it, perhaps even you might agree with it.

I suppose you meant to say "Grass especialista", isn't? maybe but not enough to win Wimbledon

 

[GameSetAndMath]

So the top four seeds will be 1. Novak, 2. Roger, 3. Rafa, 4. Anderson?

1 and 4 are confirmed as are the seeds 5 through 8. If Roger wins tomorrow, he is #2 and Ralph is #3. Otherwise Ralph is #2 and Roger is #3.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

The primary meaning of "aficionado" is someone who is enthusiastic about a particular activity. Deliciano is certainly very enthusiastic about playing in grass and he loves it. I am not sure same thing can be said about Ralph.

Don't give me the list of grass court achievements of Ralph and Deliciano and compare them. I already know the data. But, it is not so much about achievement and more to do with liking.

 

[Moxie]

The primary meaning of "aficionado" is someone who is enthusiastic about a particular activity. Deliciano is certainly very enthusiastic about playing in grass and he loves it. I am not sure same thing can be said about Ralph.

Don't give me the list of grass court achievements of Ralph and Deliciano and compare them. I already know the data. But, it is not so much about achievement and more to do with liking.

I think Carol's right in her distinction, and you're completely wrong if you think that Nadal doesn't love Wimbledon or grass play. He has always said so. Whether it suits his game or his knees is a different question. But Feliciano has a much higher win percentage on grass than on other surfaces, and that's not something you can say for a lot of players, so that qualifies him as something of a "specialist." Not to be word-nerdy, but "aficionado" is more of a term for fans than for players, I think. It leans towards the observational appreciation more than the participatory.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I think Carol's right in her distinction, and you're completely wrong if you think that Nadal doesn't love Wimbledon or grass play. He has always said so. Whether it suits his game or his knees is a different question. But Feliciano has a much higher win percentage on grass than on other surfaces, and that's not something you can say for a lot of players, so that qualifies him as something of a "specialist." Not to be word-nerdy, but "aficionado" is more of a term for fans than for players, I think. It leans towards the observational appreciation more than the participatory.

You will keep endlessly debating. However, most people intuit that what I am saying is true. I don't want to waste my time.