Miami Open, Florida, USA, ATP Masters 2017

[isabelle]

Grigor Dimitrov must be the biggest waste of talent since David Nalbandian. Maybe we can include Ernests Gulbis in there somewhere.

Nalby won Masters at the age of 23, he reached semi of all GS, he played 3 CD's finals, he won 2 MS....don't know if Grigor can do the same, too soon to tell but if he could do like Nalby, it'ld be great
Gulbis is a big waste of talent for sure, he's so enjoyable to watch when he's in

 

[Moxie]

Rhetorical flourish. But, obviously you didn't watch the match.

 

[isabelle]

awful performance from Cilic, don't know why he plays so bad

 

[DarthFed]

Let's just face it: Dimitrov is overrated, and not least of which by himself. He's got a lot of tools, but none of them are especially powerful, and he doesn't know how to use them. He keeps thinking random flash will get him wins. Pella was very strong and clever, on the other hand. Well-deserved win.

I think at this point he is overrated by only a few. A few years ago he was expected to be the next big thing, a future #1 who would most likely win multiple slams, etc. I think since there has been a lost generation people are perhaps overanxious to say "player X is going to be amazing in a few years". We see that now with Zverev (who I do think has a ton of potential) and even Thiem (who I don't think has huge potential). People are desperate for the next best thing to emerge.

 

[Federberg]

I think at this point he is overrated by only a few. A few years ago he was expected to be the next big thing, a future #1 who would most likely win multiple slams, etc. I think since there has been a lost generation people are perhaps overanxious to say "player X is going to be amazing in a few years". We see that now with Zverev (who I do think has a ton of potential) and even Thiem (who I don't think has huge potential). People are desperate for the next best thing to emerge.

I'm not ready to give up on Dimi yet. If Cilic can win a slam he can. I think at this point it's more in his head than anything. I think that we can say categorically that he'll never have the consistency of the top 4, but that's about all we can say

 

[Moxie]

I think at this point he is overrated by only a few. A few years ago he was expected to be the next big thing, a future #1 who would most likely win multiple slams, etc. I think since there has been a lost generation people are perhaps overanxious to say "player X is going to be amazing in a few years". We see that now with Zverev (who I do think has a ton of potential) and even Thiem (who I don't think has huge potential). People are desperate for the next best thing to emerge.

I hear everything you say, but a lot of us still keep getting fooled when he occasionally acts like he's really ready to fulfill his potential. He started this year strong, and there was a lot of talk that this was the move up. Even I thought maybe so, and there is nothing about his game that I especially love. I don't get all swoony over the one-hander like some people do.

 

[Federberg]

I hear everything you say, but a lot of us still keep getting fooled when he occasionally acts like he's really ready to fulfill his potential. He started this year strong, and there was a lot of talk that this was the move up. Even I thought maybe so, and there is nothing about his game that I especially love. I don't get all swoony over the one-hander like some people do.

Join the one handed backhand guys, you know you want to

 

[the AntiPusher]

Kyrgios is better than all of them and hopefully Pouille will improve. 2 slam 1/4 finals so far is better than all but Kyrgios.

You still displayed your :basiate for Pouille probably since he beat Rafa at the US Open..However, DYJr has man handled LP since but you say nothing. I think you only fancy the so called Grand slam Rafa killers. I and maybe Carol wasn't so impressed with Pouille who has done absolutely nothing since Rafa laid that turd against him last Aug.

 

[mrzz]

I watched the Dimitrov match. To begin with, Pella is a decent player who is ranked way lower than he should, due to injury. Miami is pretty slow so I wouldn ´t expect Dimitrov to do particularly well there.

Having said that, I obviously expected more from him in the IW/Miami combo. But his year is still way above what most people would expect, say, back in last October. People judge the guy by the standards themselves put on him, which is quite illogical.

There was an over hype about Dimitrov, tagging him as future number 1, but as far as I see, everyone who has been tagged as a future #1 is being over hyped. Nobody, and I stress again, nobody has shown actual results to back that up.

Dimitrov has most of the tools, and that is a plus. There is something still lacking? Sure it does. But for some periods it seems to be close, and this is better this than nothing, which is basically what pretty much of the field has.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Tell me who played well yesterday under that horrible wind and some rain.

Yeah, that too. We will see how he plays against Milos in the quarters. If both reach that stage, that is.

PM, I think on Sunday we will get the idea how Rafa is playing. One friend of mine was in the Stadium yesterday and he told me that he saw the Rafa's match but later he didn't stay too much longer because the conditions were pretty bad with the fine rain and the strong wind. The players winning or losing couldn't do much better, tough day to play well. Today the weather seems to be better and from Sunday much better

I sure hope it was the weather because his effort yesterday as I stated earlier wasn't very impresseive.

 

[herios]

One of the younger Americans, Donaldson scored a second upset this week, beating Misha Zverev.
He continues his move up through the rankings.

 

[Fiero425]

One of the younger Americans, Donaldson scored a second upset this week, beating Misha Zverev.
He continues his move up through the rankings.

We were saying the same about Misha! What in the world happened? These early Rd losses only make Murray look worse after going down to him at the AO 2 months ago! :nono - http://fiero4251.blogspot.com/2016/08/fan-page-novak-nole-djokovic.html

 

[the AntiPusher]

One of the younger Americans, Donaldson scored a second upset this week, beating Misha Zverev.
He continues his move up through the rankings.

By far, Andy Murray's worst player he lost to in a while, Misha..imo

 

[Front242]

Kyrgios is better than all of them and hopefully Pouille will improve. 2 slam 1/4 finals so far is better than all but Kyrgios.

You still displayed your :basiate for Pouille probably since he beat Rafa at the US Open..However, DYJr has man handled LP since but you say nothing. I think you only fancy the so called Grand slam Rafa killers. I and maybe Carol wasn't so impressed with Pouille who has done absolutely nothing since Rafa laid that turd against him last Aug.

It has more to do with 2 x 1/4 finals at slams than beating Nadal. Not many young players besides Kyrgios have managed that. Regarding Young beating him, the conditions in Miami not only suck due to the weather, the courts at Indian Wells and Miami also play 100% to Young's strength due to his loopy Nadal-esque shots. Plus home crowd advantage helps. Young has won way less outside the US. I'd back Pouille hands down against Young on a fast court and he's got a much brighter future than Young.

 

[Front242]

Live ranking also is 15 for Pouille and 48 for Young. That says it all really.

 

[herios]

Kyrgios is better than all of them and hopefully Pouille will improve. 2 slam 1/4 finals so far is better than all but Kyrgios.

You still displayed your :basiate for Pouille probably since he beat Rafa at the US Open..However, DYJr has man handled LP since but you say nothing. I think you only fancy the so called Grand slam Rafa killers. I and maybe Carol wasn't so impressed with Pouille who has done absolutely nothing since Rafa laid that turd against him last Aug.

It has more to do with 2 x 1/4 finals at slams than beating Nadal. Not many young players besides Kyrgios have managed that. Regarding Young beating him, the conditions in Miami not only suck due to the weather, the courts at Indian Wells and Miami also play 100% to Young's strength due to his loopy Nadal-esque shots. Plus home crowd advantage helps. Young has won way less outside the US. I'd back Pouille hands down against Young on a fast court and he's got a much brighter future than Young.

DY is just a journey man. Floating in the 40-90 ranking range for years.

 

[Front242]

Yup. Young plays a handful of good matches on home turf each year and that's it. BTW, Pouille was voted most improved player of 2016.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/pouille-honoured-as-most-improved-player-of-the-year-atp-awards-2016

 

[the AntiPusher]

You still displayed your :basiate for Pouille probably since he beat Rafa at the US Open..However, DYJr has man handled LP since but you say nothing. I think you only fancy the so called Grand slam Rafa killers. I and maybe Carol wasn't so impressed with Pouille who has done absolutely nothing since Rafa laid that turd against him last Aug.

It has more to do with 2 x 1/4 finals at slams than beating Nadal. Not many young players besides Kyrgios have managed that. Regarding Young beating him, the conditions in Miami not only suck due to the weather, the courts at Indian Wells and Miami also play 100% to Young's strength due to his loopy Nadal-esque shots. Plus home crowd advantage helps. Young has won way less outside the US. I'd back Pouille hands down against Young on a fast court and he's got a much brighter future than Young.

DY is just a journey man. Floating in the 40-90 ranking range for years.

Yeah..this is true..Donald is my homeboy from the Chi, I will continue to show some luv cause he is trying to improve..as for Pouille getting his ranking that high, good for him..he is a hard worker and his results are deserving..

 

[El Dude]

Grigor Dimitrov must be the biggest waste of talent since David Nalbandian. Maybe we can include Ernests Gulbis in there somewhere.

Disgusting. It's the reason why I keep my heart with the big 4 or 5 whatever. These guys have entertained us for so long, so well unlike these youngsters who are struggling to reach week 2 in their heydays. 19 year olds are yet to win something. The older big guns are yet to win anything big and are disgustingly inconsistent.

Among the following guys who can become a future great ?

1. Frances Tiafoe
2. Taylor Fritz
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Nishioka

All seem to be struggling big time but they have time. The only thing they have on their side is time. Talent-wise, I don't see much. None of them is even close to even Murray.

First of all, clearly some of these guys will win Slams simply by virtue of the fact that the Big Five (including Stan) can't play forever and will inevitably fade to a point where even a lesser generation of talent will surpass them. But I've said before that I don't see any probable all-time greats (6+ Slam winners) among the NextGen, just a bunch of guys that will win a Slam or three, although you never know. But I think we'll see a bunch of guys born 1993 to 1999 or so who win a Slam or two, and maybe one or two who win three or four, but probably none in that range that win five or more.

Right now I think the players born 1993 or later with the best chances of winning Slams are Thiem, Kyrgios, and Zverev, with a few players right behind them: Tiafoe, Fritz, and then maybe guys like Ruud, Rublev, Shapovalov, de Minaur, etc. I see Nishioka in the next group of players who probably won't win Slams but will be regulars in the top 20-30: Pouille, Edmund, Coric, Medvedev, Khachanov, Kozlov, Lee, Escobedo, etc.

There are a few players who I am watching closely, for signs of potential breakthroughs. Andrey Rublev is the same age as Fritz but has not yet broke into the top 100, and just lost to Berdych in the 2nd round. But I think he has a lot more to his game and could be in the same category as Tiafoe and Fritz.

Another is Mikael Ymer, who lost a lot of last year to injury but I think has a lot of potential.

Finally, Felix Auger Aliassime. If I had to pick one player on the horizon who could be the next great, it might be him. But he's very young (16) and with a heart issue, so it is too soon to say.

So in other words, I see the next five or so years being the twilight years of the Big Five, with the NextGen gradually taking big titles away from them. But we probably won't see a true all-time great emerge for another few years, maybe not until 2022 or later.

 

[Front242]

Legit heart issue or is he terminally ill and in desperate need of heart medication like Sharadopa?