Tracking the Emerging Stars of Tennis

[Mastoor]

Who are your favourite juniors? I'd split youngsters in two groups one from Coric's to say Tomic's or Thiem's age, therefore still young players with some good professional experience and another one, true juniors, younger than Coric. Who are your favourites in each group?

 

 

 

[Billie]

So far I like Zverev the most. And I want to see a little bit of Hyeon Chung but I can't seem to get to it.

 

[Denis]

Chung. Saw him play against wawrinka at the us open. Very promising player.

 

[Mastoor]

I like Yoshihito Nishioka, though he is really short, so i don't know what will be his chances with all those tall guys.

I too wish I had opportunity to watch Chung.

 

[britbox]

I haven't seen Chung either.  The ones I've seen who look like they have the most potential are Kyrgios and Coric.  I do like Tomic's game when he buckles down and plays.  Will keep an eye out for Chung.

 

[Mastoor]

Coric completely skipped my mind, because I thought he might be older, but I now checked and he's still 18. He's huge talent, Kyrgios too, Tomic seems to be more serious about his tennis these days.

 

[Moxie]

I really think Coric has huge upside, but I thought he was almost out of this category.  He's seriously in the mix.  Of the other newbies, Zverev also seems to be crossing over.  At the USO this year, I got to see Chung and Rublev play, and both impressed me.  Especially Rublev, as he was playing Anderson.  And I'm hoping that Frances Tiafoe is the next-best-thing for US men's tennis, as he comes from my local DC suburb.

 

[Mastoor]

I watched that match between Rublev and Anderson, but I wasn't that impressed. He's a kind of a player that Serbian tennis fans call "Service, forehand - North American style", very much like Isner or Querrey gamewise, but looks remind of Safin, so i imagine "girls" will be crazy about him. ;-)

I also watched Francois Truffaut against Troicki and I've found his game very interesting, I liked him a lot.

 

[Moxie]

I watched that match between Rublev and Anderson, but I wasn’t that impressed. He’s a kind of a player that Serbian tennis fans call “Service, forehand – North American style”, very much like Isner or Querrey gamewise, but looks remind of Safin, so i imagine “girls” will be crazy about him.

I also watched Francois Truffaut against Troicki and I’ve found his game very interesting, I liked him a lot.

I think you have Rublev mixed up with someone else. I saw him play Anderson live at the USO. His game is not at all like Querrey's, or any big server's. It's much trickier, more nuanced. And while he is tall, he looks kind of small, and like he's 12, and like a pale alien. In short, he looks nothing like Safin, which is especially why I think you're mixing him up with another player. I think you're confusing him with Alexander Zverev, who is also tall, and actually rather handsome, if you're thinking Safin, (though, still...please,) and lost a tight 5-setter on that same day to Kohlschreiber. That match was packed to the rafters, and I was only able to peak at the finish, so I didn't get a bead on Zverev's game. I also watched all of the Tiafoe match v. Troicki from the stands. I'm glad you like "Francois Truffaut." I think he has a lot of up-side. (And if he fails as a tennis player, he might make a great French film director. LOL.)

 

[Mastoor]

Moxie, we definitely watched the same match though I watched it on the stream and I wasn't patient enough to watch whole match.  I can't mix him up with anyone because many years ago i watched Tarkovski's film with the same name Andrei Rublev. Especially I can't mix him with Zverev whose father I remember playing for  CCCP and older brother recently for Germany. I also watched the 5th set of the Zverev's match you mentioned. Zverev was already gassed in the 5th so there was nothing much he did that would make me think he's an amazing talent.

I don't think neither that Rublev's face is similar to Safin's, I was thinking of demeanor that somehow reminded me of Safin. As for his game,  I was under impression that if he doesn't win the point with either unreturned service or with a forehand winner, he should only hope that the other guy will fault. That's very much Querrey though, isn't it?

Francois's game is so much different than anyone else and I don't see how anyone may not like watching him. Pity he's not more successful so we have opportunity to watch him more often.

 

 

[Moxie]

Nice Tarkovsky reference, Mastoor!  Still, your bead on Rublev's game is not what I saw in live action.  I didn't think of Safin watching him, but I'll look for it next time.  I see you didn't mix him up with Zverev.  As to his match, Kohlscreiber is a wily veteran, and Zverev was a newbie to 5-set tennis.  At least the crowd watching it found it compelling, as I couldn't get in to watch it.  He's had some good results, so I'll keep an eye on him.

Another thing I'll say about Tiafoe is that I was surprised and how tall and muscular he is, as he's still a few months shy of 18.  Also, that he had big crowd support, and not just because he was a US player.  Nearly everyone knew who he was, and I think a lot of people came up from his club to support him.

 

[Moxie]

I haven’t seen Chung either. The ones I’ve seen who look like they have the most potential are Kyrgios and Coric. I do like Tomic’s game when he buckles down and plays. Will keep an eye out for Chung.

I'd sort of put Kyrios and Tomic out of this group, but Tomic is trying to be steadier and sturdier, I think, and I hope Kyrgios is. I like Coric a lot, and I think Thiem is, like him, moving out of the "promising youngsters" category. I saw the very end of Chung's match when he beat Duckworth. He's reasonably tall, (185m/6'1") and plays with great confidence. Wawrinka beat him in the 2nd round, but took Stan to a TB in all 3. Not bad.

 

[herios]

I am officially jumping on a bandwagon and I want to get in early to get a first class seat

I am truly a believer that Taylor Harry Fritz from the USA will be a really good player. He turned 18 in October and he is the junior boys champion at the USO.

He joined the main challenger tour only in September after he won the USO boys title, while ranked 685, then he won 2 challengers in October before turning 18, played a few more and finished the year ranked 177.

He started the season by winning another event in Happy Valley (AUS), defeating top seed Dudi Sela in the finals (ranked 98) and just qualified for the main draw today, so basically he is undefeated this year (8-0).

The most impressive about him is his mental toughness, sign of the champions, he showed today in his match against Misha Zverev. Taylor won the first set 6-3, then lost the second in a TB  (7-5). He lost the next few games going down to 0-4, however he regrouped and won the next 6 games dfeating the much more experienced Zverev.

He is now set to play R1 against Jack Sock, and that is a bummer to have two young american hopefuls to face each other right away.

 

 

[britbox]

Thanks herios, will keep an eye on him. Sock has been playing well recently, so it may be a good measuring stick of where he is at, although I think Jack may also be less than 100%.

 

[herios]

Thanks herios, will keep an eye on him. Sock has been playing well recently, so it may be a good measuring stick of where he is at, although I think Jack may also be less than 100%.

You are welcome. There are more things I like about him, he is a modest young man with good head on his shoulders and he mentioned he wants to stay away the hype, because there was a lot of that in the USA and it did not turned out well in the recent past...

The central point of the hyping machine right now is Tiafoe, but Taylor Fritz zoomed past Frances Tiafoe and I am sure they will be redirecting the spotlight on Taylor. I am curious what they will say about him next week.

 

[mrzz]

Pouille

 

[Moxie]

britbox wrote:
Thanks herios, will keep an eye on him. Sock has been playing well recently, so it may be a good measuring stick of where he is at, although I think Jack may also be less than 100%.

You are welcome. There are more things I like about him, he is a modest young man with good head on his shoulders and he mentioned he wants to stay away the hype, because there was a lot of that in the USA and it did not turned out well in the recent past… The central point of the hyping machine right now is Tiafoe, but Taylor Fritz zoomed past Frances Tiafoe and I am sure they will be redirecting the spotlight on Taylor. I am curious what they will say about him next week.

In defense of Tiafoe, (whom I like, and he's a native son to my hometown area,) he's only about 20 ranking points below, and he also just turned 17. But I'll be looking out for Taylor Fritz. Thanks for the heads-up, herios.

 

[herios]

herios wrote:
<blockquote>
britbox wrote:
Thanks herios, will keep an eye on him. Sock has been playing well recently, so it may be a good measuring stick of where he is at, although I think Jack may also be less than 100%.

You are welcome. There are more things I like about him, he is a modest young man with good head on his shoulders and he mentioned he wants to stay away the hype, because there was a lot of that in the USA and it did not turned out well in the recent past… The central point of the hyping machine right now is Tiafoe, but Taylor Fritz zoomed past Frances Tiafoe and I am sure they will be redirecting the spotlight on Taylor. I am curious what they will say about him next week.</blockquote>
In defense of Tiafoe, (whom I like, and he’s a native son to my hometown area,) he’s only about 20 ranking points below, and he also just turned 17. But I’ll be looking out for Taylor Fritz. Thanks for the heads-up, herios.

Actually Tiafoe turns 18 next week. Also, I am watching them since October, Tiafoe played the same events as Fritz did and Taylor won 3 of them, Frances none. That is the indicator for me, Fritz is a player who knows how to win.

Also, Tiafoe was in the qualifying draw as well, got defeated in the second round So, right now, Fritz plays clearly better. The small gap in ranking is explainable, because Tiafoe was ranked way ahead of Fritz until September.

 

[Moxie]

Moxie wrote:
<blockquote>
herios wrote:
<blockquote>
britbox wrote:
Thanks herios, will keep an eye on him. Sock has been playing well recently, so it may be a good measuring stick of where he is at, although I think Jack may also be less than 100%.

You are welcome. There are more things I like about him, he is a modest young man with good head on his shoulders and he mentioned he wants to stay away the hype, because there was a lot of that in the USA and it did not turned out well in the recent past… The central point of the hyping machine right now is Tiafoe, but Taylor Fritz zoomed past Frances Tiafoe and I am sure they will be redirecting the spotlight on Taylor. I am curious what they will say about him next week.</blockquote>
In defense of Tiafoe, (whom I like, and he’s a native son to my hometown area,) he’s only about 20 ranking points below, and he also just turned 17. But I’ll be looking out for Taylor Fritz. Thanks for the heads-up, herios.</blockquote>
Actually Tiafoe turns 18 next week. Also, I am watching them since October, Tiafoe played the same events as Fritz did and Taylor won 3 of them, Frances none. That is the indicator for me, Fritz is a player who knows how to win. Also, Tiafoe was inn the qualifying draw as well, got defeated in the second round So, right now, Fritz plays clearly better. The small gap in ranking is explainable, because Tiafoe was ranked way ahead of Fritz until September.

You are right...I thought the 20th of January had passed. I'm not trying to set up a competition, believe me. I'm just hoping that Tiafoe comes good. Everything you've told us about Fritz is very impressive.

 

[herios]

herios wrote:
<blockquote>
Moxie wrote:
<blockquote>
herios wrote:
<blockquote>
britbox wrote:
Thanks herios, will keep an eye on him. Sock has been playing well recently, so it may be a good measuring stick of where he is at, although I think Jack may also be less than 100%.

You are welcome. There are more things I like about him, he is a modest young man with good head on his shoulders and he mentioned he wants to stay away the hype, because there was a lot of that in the USA and it did not turned out well in the recent past… The central point of the hyping machine right now is Tiafoe, but Taylor Fritz zoomed past Frances Tiafoe and I am sure they will be redirecting the spotlight on Taylor. I am curious what they will say about him next week.</blockquote>
In defense of Tiafoe, (whom I like, and he’s a native son to my hometown area,) he’s only about 20 ranking points below, and he also just turned 17. But I’ll be looking out for Taylor Fritz. Thanks for the heads-up, herios.</blockquote>
Actually Tiafoe turns 18 next week. Also, I am watching them since October, Tiafoe played the same events as Fritz did and Taylor won 3 of them, Frances none. That is the indicator for me, Fritz is a player who knows how to win. Also, Tiafoe was inn the qualifying draw as well, got defeated in the second round So, right now, Fritz plays clearly better. The small gap in ranking is explainable, because Tiafoe was ranked way ahead of Fritz until September.</blockquote>
You are right…I thought the 20th of January had passed. I’m not trying to set up a competition, believe me. I’m just hoping that Tiafoe comes good. Everything you’ve told us about Fritz is very impressive.

At this age, both of them are evolving as players. The learning curve will be a long journey and is early to say where they could end up. Both of them are a few months younger than Alex. Zverev, the currently highest ranked 18 year old.

It will be interesting to see how they will measure up with him.