The effect of year off on older vs. younger generation

[Nadalfan2013]

Nadalwas headed in 2020 for another year like 2010. Losing at the AO in the quarterfinals but then sweeping the rest of the slams. How unlucky can one be?

Anyways I guess the US open and the French Open are still possible so hopefully he will quickly find his form and have the chance to defend them.

 

[El Dude]

@mrzz , what's your beef with Tsitsipas? Just curious.

For some reason I think Thiem is going to come back a beast.

 

[Moxie]

@mrzz , what's your beef with Tsitsipas? Just curious.

For some reason I think Thiem is going to come back a beast.

You guys are funny. I'd have asked him what's his beef with Nadal, Fognini and Paire. He's never made a secret of not liking Tsitsipas. Of all the people he suggests might not come back on the up-side? Nadal. And you had the same question. You guys are funny.

 

[El Dude]

You guys are funny. I'd have asked him what's his beef with Nadal, Fognini and Paire. He's never made a secret of not liking Tsitsipas. Of all the people he suggests might not come back on the up-side? Nadal. And you had the same question. You guys are funny.

I know he's been predicting Nadal's downfall for awhile, but at this point I suspect he's being tongue-in-cheek and/or wishful thinking. I don't agree with his assessment and think Nadal will come back strong. I asked him about Tsitsipas because I'm curious about his opinion.

Fognini and Paire make sense, as my sense is that neither has the focus to do the work needed to balance aging with fine-tuned training regimes. Just a hunch, though.

 

[Moxie]

I know he's been predicting Nadal's downfall for awhile, but at this point I suspect he's being tongue-in-cheek and/or wishful thinking. I don't agree with his assessment and think Nadal will come back strong. I asked him about Tsitsipas because I'm curious about his opinion.

Fognini and Paire make sense, as my sense is that neither has the focus to do the work needed to balance aging with fine-tuned training regimes. Just a hunch, though.

Mrzz is pretty tongue in cheek much of the time, but the prejudices do leak through. Seriously...look at that list. He threw Murray a bone because it doesn't hurt anyone. Pure Macguffin. He's been predicting the end of Nadal, but also of Djokovic and Federer, and yet he's got Novak same and Federer above level. Nadal below, and almost no one else on his list is "below level." Fairly transparent. And you're telling us we should worry how Rafa comes in to the possible RG with no tune-up. I'm sorry, but you guys are both wishful thinking. It's not that hard to spot.

As to Tsitsipas, he may have a new case to make, but he's never made any pretense of not liking the guy. I actually do think he meant that list as a joke. At least it reads like one. (Nadal comes back below level and Kyrgios comes back one and a half steps above? Seriously?? No, that's a joke.)

 

[mrzz]

@mrzz , what's your beef with Tsitsipas? Just curious.

Good question. Sometimes we start disliking someone, forget the initial reason, but the fact we forget this reason does not stop us to keep disliking him!

In Tsitsipas case I am first exaggerating a bit, just for the fun of it, to begin with, but thinking back what triggered me was that he seems to be too much in love with himself for my taste. That famous exchange with Medvedev started it. But this is completely on the "personal" side -- as a player the guy is good, most likely one of the few future #1's out there.

Answering to @Moxie, no beef at all with Nadal. People were discussing above that historically he comes back a bit slow, I agree. It is just that.

As for Paire and Fognini, I personally don't like both, true, while admitting their talents. I exaggerated the number I put there (obviously), but they do give the impression of guys that won't train as hard, because they think they are so special... (zero actual evidence on that).

Yep, just noticed that most my "predictions" were positive. As I just put down the names that came to my mind, maybe my natural reaction was to think of those that I thought would come back stronger. As I believe that the break is actually good for those with means to keep training (that is, top 20 players and former top 5's, who have the resources), that is at least coherent.

Put it all together I don't think there is nothing completely outrageous on my list.

 

[El Dude]

I'm sorry, but you guys are both wishful thinking. It's not that hard to spot.

Here we go again.

I'll pass.

 

[the AntiPusher]

El Dude . If you expand this to include the WTA..I would say Serena's game is gonna benefit the most.A fully healed and fully rejuvenated Serena beginning to start with the same amount of competitive matches as her much younger peers on the WTA. She may go on a crazy 9 to 14 months run of gobbling up GS titles.

 

[Moxie]

Here we go again.

I'll pass.

Spoil sport.

 

[Moxie]

Another one I'd kind of forgotten about was Kevin Anderson. He had a knee surgery and so can probably benefit with the tour stopping for a while.

 

[El Dude]

Good question. Sometimes we start disliking someone, forget the initial reason, but the fact we forget this reason does not stop us to keep disliking him!

In Tsitsipas case I am first exaggerating a bit, just for the fun of it, to begin with, but thinking back what triggered me was that he seems to be too much in love with himself for my taste. That famous exchange with Medvedev started it. But this is completely on the "personal" side -- as a player the guy is good, most likely one of the few future #1's out there.

I get it re: Tsitsipas. With both him and Zverev, I wanted to like them because they were the new, hot young things, but I found myself "disliking" them (too strong of a word, but just not liking them that much, with tinges of irritation). But yeah, Stefanos is a great player and a good bet to be one of the best in few years. I still think FAA has a higher ceiling, but Tsitsipas has a higher floor -- if only because he's already really good.

In a converse way, we have our shared kinda favorite, Andrey Rublev. I didn't want to like him too much because I think his game has a cap to it that will prevent him from ever being one of the very best, but I just enjoy his grumpy demeanor and massive forehands.

 

[Moxie]

I get it re: Tsitsipas. With both him and Zverev, I wanted to like them because they were the new, hot young things, but I found myself "disliking" them (too strong of a word, but just not liking them that much, with tinges of irritation). But yeah, Stefanos is a great player and a good bet to be one of the best in few years. I still think FAA has a higher ceiling, but Tsitsipas has a higher floor -- if only because he's already really good.

In a converse way, we have our shared kinda favorite, Andrey Rublev. I didn't want to like him too much because I think his game has a cap to it that will prevent him from ever being one of the very best, but I just enjoy his grumpy demeanor and massive forehands.

So funny how tastes run. I feel that both Zverev and Tsitsipas get more antipathy than empathy around here, for most without clear reason. That's fine, but I still like both, for my own reasons, and have hopes for them. Rublev, I'm the converse. Can't really wrap my arms around him. Reminds me too much of Davydenko...easy to admire, hard to embrace. Such is the nature of fandom, I guess.

 

[Jelenafan]

It would be refreshing if we got somebody young and completely unheralded who bolts out of the gate once tennis opens up again.
Somebody who for a split nano second of tennis fandom has zero baggage.

 

[roberto]

It would be refreshing if we got somebody young and completely unheralded who bolts out of the gate once tennis opens up again.
Somebody who for a split nano second of tennis fandom has zero baggage.

Great idea! You could start a thread to name the most likely unknown dark horse!

 

[Moxie]

Great idea! You could start a thread to name the most likely unknown dark horse!

You know who might have his eye on somebody is @JesuslookslikeBorg. He has been a great scout of young talent. Also @El Dude.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

Unless Nadal and Djokovic win the next slams up until 2022, whoever else wins one will have an Asterix next to their name. It will be because of COVID-19.

 

[El Dude]

You know who might have his eye on somebody is @JesuslookslikeBorg. He has been a great scout of young talent. Also @El Dude.

Hmm...I think the cut-off would have to be Jannik Sinner, as he's already known and in the top 100. But he's obviously a good bet to charge up the rankings. I also expect FAA to take a another step forward and join Zverev and Tsitsipas as one of the top young guys.

But of players younger than Sinner, a few are worth mentioning. Lorenzo Musetti has some Italians hopeful. He was the #1 Junior and won the 2019 boys AO. I don't know much about his game, but he looks smooth. Carlos Alcaraz Garfia has been mentioned already, I think. He came to attention when he defeated Albert Ramos Vinolas in his first pro match at the age of 16. Isn't he a Nadal school prodigy? Britain's Jack Draper has also been mentioned, and might be primed to start rising up. Both he and Musetti are 18, and Garfia 17.

But it depends upon what we're looking for. Are we talking about the next teenager to "do a Sinner" and jump into the top 100? Those three are worth watching. Or are we talking some lesser known player to make a surprise charge into the top 20? That's anyone's guess. Of "Next Gen," one guy who has quietly made a lot of progress is Caspar Ruud. He seemed to be stagnating just outside of the top 100, and now is up to #36. I don't see him as a future elite, though. I'd put Miomir Kecmanovic in a similar category: a "stealth riser."

I'd also like to mention again Mikael Ymer, who I was very interested in a few years ago but he kind of disappeared for awhile. I think he had injury issues, but am not sure. He's 21 and snuck up to #68. I think he could surprise a lot of folks and become a legit top 20 player. He took Karen Khachanov to a five set tiebreak at the AO this year.

 

[mrzz]

Hmm...I think the cut-off would have to be Jannik Sinner, as he's already known and in the top 100. But he's obviously a good bet to charge up the rankings. I also expect FAA to take a another step forward and join Zverev and Tsitsipas as one of the top young guys.

But of players younger than Sinner, a few are worth mentioning. Lorenzo Musetti has some Italians hopeful. He was the #1 Junior and won the 2019 boys AO. I don't know much about his game, but he looks smooth. Carlos Alcaraz Garfia has been mentioned already, I think. He came to attention when he defeated Albert Ramos Vinolas in his first pro match at the age of 16. Isn't he a Nadal school prodigy? Britain's Jack Draper has also been mentioned, and might be primed to start rising up. Both he and Musetti are 18, and Garfia 17.

But it depends upon what we're looking for. Are we talking about the next teenager to "do a Sinner" and jump into the top 100? Those three are worth watching. Or are we talking some lesser known player to make a surprise charge into the top 20? That's anyone's guess. Of "Next Gen," one guy who has quietly made a lot of progress is Caspar Ruud. He seemed to be stagnating just outside of the top 100, and now is up to #36. I don't see him as a future elite, though. I'd put Miomir Kecmanovic in a similar category: a "stealth riser."

I'd also like to mention again Mikael Ymer, who I was very interested in a few years ago but he kind of disappeared for awhile. I think he had injury issues, but am not sure. He's 21 and snuck up to #68. I think he could surprise a lot of folks and become a legit top 20 player. He took Karen Khachanov to a five set tiebreak at the AO this year.

You did not mention the current teenage ATP champion, Brazilian Thiago Wild. You never include Kuerten on the goat list. Moderators! We have a Brazilian hater here!

---->>> El Dude, Brazilian hater <<<<-------

See? I let it as easy as possible for you guys! We should never allow racism and national/regional hatred on our board! Now ban that fucking Hawaiian once and for all!!!

 

[Jelenafan]

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia has been mentioned already, I think. He came to attention when he defeated Albert Ramos Vinolas in his first pro match at the age of 16. Isn't he a Nadal school prodigy?

I know last year JC Ferrero was his coach. The kid is 6'-1" which is still a good height and he reminds me a bit of Djokovic.

 

[El Dude]

You did not mention the current teenage ATP champion, Brazilian Thiago Wild. You never include Kuerten on the goat list. Moderators! We have a Brazilian hater here!

---->>> El Dude, Brazilian hater <<<<-------

See? I let it as easy as possible for you guys! We should never allow racism and national/regional hatred on our board! Now ban that fucking Hawaiian once and for all!!!

I got ripped off by a Brazillian on ebay. Plus, Bolsonaro. So, yeah, therefore all Brazilians suck.