Paris BNP Paribas Masters - Oct. 28-Nov. 3

[Front242]

Feel bad for him. Probably eat a bagel this set which after the great first set is a big disappointment. Hope he gets better and develops into a better player as his serve is very nice. At least if he does munch a bagel the French make lovely bread.

 

[Denis]

Total implosion and looking for a late night snack.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Dime a dozen.

 

[Denis]

Héhé, trying to get the crowd involved. I like him.

 

[Moxie]

BTW, the Russian Kid, Karen Khachanov, is set to be the youngest Russian ever to play for their Davis Cup team.

Herbert gets a game in the 2nd, and even Novak's girlfriend applauds.

 

[Denis]

And he breaks, lol, not hungry apparently.

 

[Moxie]

Kid gets the break! Like you, Deni...I just hope he ends on a reasonably high note. This might be it.

 

[Moxie]

Dime a dozen.

Oh, what the heck does THAT mean, spoil-sport?

 

[Moxie]

Nice control of the net on that point.

 

[Moxie]

Good showing by the young player, in the end. I like his attitude.

 

[Denis]

Good showing by the young player, in the end. I like his attitude.

Yes, I agree. Great attitude, but he needs to improve a lot. The serve is basically all he's got.

 

[kskate2]

I'd rather start w/ a great first serve and have to build a ground game than the other way around.

 

[Moxie]

Good showing by the young player, in the end. I like his attitude.

Yes, I agree. Great attitude, but he needs to improve a lot. The serve is basically all he's got.

Well, he's not just one of those serving machines, but it's hard to identify a specific weapon. And sometimes he seemed to trip over his own feet a bit, but he was playing Djokovic, who is a movement-king. We'll keep our eyes on him, anyway. He's got to jump up in the rankings after this.

 

[Moxie]

I'd rather start w/ a great first serve and have to build a ground game than the other way around.

However, the other way around worked for Nadal. But the guy has panache and guts, and I'd rather do either than have to find that where it doesn't exist.

 

[kskate2]

I'd rather start w/ a great first serve and have to build a ground game than the other way around.

However, the other way around worked for Nadal. But the guy has panache and guts, and I'd rather do either than have to find that where it doesn't exist.

Point taken. But Nadal's serve wasn't a liability in the early days.

 

[Moxie]

I'd rather start w/ a great first serve and have to build a ground game than the other way around.

However, the other way around worked for Nadal. But the guy has panache and guts, and I'd rather do either than have to find that where it doesn't exist.

Point taken. But Nadal's serve wasn't a liability in the early days.

Mostly because his ground game was so strong, and because he had so little confidence in his serve that he kind of rather spun it in. He didn't DF often, because he didn't have enough faith in it to go for it. So it wasn't a liability, but it wasn't a weapon. He DFs more often now, I'm pretty sure, now that it is.

Anyway, a serve is a great tool, but we've seen the ones who seem only to have that. I don't think Herbert has only that. He moves OK. I think he needs to improve on his foot-work, and he needs a money-shot.

 

[kskate2]

I'd rather start w/ a great first serve and have to build a ground game than the other way around.

However, the other way around worked for Nadal. But the guy has panache and guts, and I'd rather do either than have to find that where it doesn't exist.

Point taken. But Nadal's serve wasn't a liability in the early days.

Mostly because his ground game was so strong, and because he had so little confidence in his serve that he kind of rather spun it in. He didn't DF often, because he didn't have enough faith in it to go for it. So it wasn't a liability, but it wasn't a weapon. He DFs more often now, I'm pretty sure, now that it is.

Anyway, a serve is a great tool, but we've seen the ones who seem only to have that. I don't think Herbert has only that. He moves OK. I think he needs to improve on his foot-work, and he needs a money-shot.

Herbie seems to have an aggressive game even though he doesn't possess alot of ground weapons. I missed the 1st set, but what I saw in the 2nd set was impressive w/ his willingness to come to net and his volley execution.

 

[Moxie]

I'd rather start w/ a great first serve and have to build a ground game than the other way around.

However, the other way around worked for Nadal. But the guy has panache and guts, and I'd rather do either than have to find that where it doesn't exist.

Point taken. But Nadal's serve wasn't a liability in the early days.

Mostly because his ground game was so strong, and because he had so little confidence in his serve that he kind of rather spun it in. He didn't DF often, because he didn't have enough faith in it to go for it. So it wasn't a liability, but it wasn't a weapon. He DFs more often now, I'm pretty sure, now that it is.

Anyway, a serve is a great tool, but we've seen the ones who seem only to have that. I don't think Herbert has only that. He moves OK. I think he needs to improve on his foot-work, and he needs a money-shot.

Herbie seems to have an aggressive game even though he doesn't possess alot of ground weapons. I missed the 1st set, but what I saw in the 2nd set was impressive w/ his willingness to come to net and his volley execution.

Agreed. As I said, he's not a one-trick-pony.

 

[herios]

About the Tsonga upset, I am not as much surprised as many others:
1 He was 1-2 H2H with Kei before the match;
2. He is up and down since he came back this summer;
3. I think overall he is on a slow slippage since early last year:

Ranked 5 at his peak in spring 2012, then overtaken by Ferrer last year, then Berdych, then Delpo, and now in fall by Wawrinka and on the finish line by Gasquet. Roger also gave it a shot to be passed by Tsonga, but Jo made is easy for Roger and slipped even more than Fed.
Now he will finish this year at 10 in the world, unless Raonic makes a SF which will mean he will be out of the top 10.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

What happened to the rumors of Llodora retiring (at least from singles).
He lost his very first match in Paris. I assume we would have heard it now officially it
it is true.