Tennis 2019

[SusanDoris]

Oh good, - I'm pleased to hear that Andy Murray will be playing his brother. The last I heard on Five Live was that they had lost the first set 6-2.

[Nearly Sane]

Oh good, - I'm pleased to hear that Andy Murray will be playing his brother. The last I heard on Five Live was that they had lost the first set 6-2.

Won the second 6-3 and then the 'champion's tiebreak' 10-7. He's now up to 89th ranked Doubles player which is pretty good in less than a 3rd of the season but as per earlier not I doubt he'll play again for foreseeable future. Were he to win the tournament He would be ranked around 47 in the world.

[Nearly Sane]

So Serena Williams vs Sharapova in the first round of the US Open - that should be interesting - you have to suspect a fairly easy win for Williams.

[Nearly Sane]

And it was an easy win for Serena Williams. Slight surprise that Federer dropped a set against qualifier - perhaps in playing Nagal he thought he was playing someone more famous.


Meanwhile in the Nadal Challenger Andy Murray won his first singles match since his return from surgery against Imran Sibille who must have been a bit overwhelmed to play a Slam champion in one of his first matches.

[Nearly Sane]

Thiem and Tsitsipas knocked out - both seem to be having a drop off in form - though at this stage both in line for the Year End tournament, and barring injury likely to make it along with Djokovic, Nadal, Federer - all already qualified, and Medvedev.

Looking at some of those who are knocked out where you wonder if it is their last Slam - Karlovic and Berdych stand out. Haven't heard any official announcements and the lure of the Olympics is likely to keep some people going. I suspect that there may be a number of high profile retirings next year.


Intriguing possible match up between Osaka and Gauff in the 3rd round. Only a year after her major breakthrough, Osaka sees a much younger star on the horizon.

[SusanDoris]

Following the up-to-date R&E tennis correspondent as usual - is there any further news of Andy Murray after his singles win somewhere?

[Nearly Sane]

Following the up-to-date R&E tennis correspondent as usual - is there any further news of Andy Murray after his singles win somewhere?

Yep, he won his next match against Norbert Gombos - who was the number 3 seed for the event. He's now up to provisional no 534 in the world. Next match is Thursday.

[SusanDoris]

Yep, he won his next match against Norbert Gombos - who was the number 3 seed for the event. He's now up to provisional no 534 in the world. Next match is Thursday.

Thank you - that is good and so much better news than the complete and utter mess Gov is in.

[Nearly Sane]

Be interesting to see what happens with Djokovic - while he won his match, the medical timeouts looked to be pretty serious. At the moment Nadal looks like the most likely winner.


I presume that given the lack of fuss, Venus Wiliams is definitely intending to play next year. I wonder whether there is a possibility that both Williams sisters will retire next year - possibly at the US Open.

[Nearly Sane]

Big shock with Halep being knocked out by Townsend.


And Murray beaten and struggled with fitness in Mallorca.

[Nearly Sane]

In terms of the tennis, the Gauff Osaka match didn't live up to the billing but it was still hugely dramatic. Osaka looked very good but even if she retains the title she's not guaranteed to be number 1 ranked.

[Nearly Sane]

With Barty and Pliskova being knocked out, Osaka will be No 1 if she retains title now. Konta's win over Pliskova is a good one, but Svitolina wil not be easy in the quarters. Will the final be a repeat of last year's with Williams v Osaka?


Djokovic's loss/retiral through injury probably not that much of a surprise after the earlier match and brings about the match of the Swiss players in the quarter final. It means that there is a good possibility of a Nadal v Federer final which, if it happens, will amazingly be their first ever match at the US Open

[Nearly Sane]

Osaka knocked out so will drop to at least 3 in the rankings. Those in the top 6 positions in the WTA race this year have all been knocked out - those in the positions 7 - 11 are all still playing. Looks as if qualification for the year end tournament will be very tight. Barty has already qualified and Halep and Pliskova look highly likely to make it, but after that we will have to wait and see.


I note that I got the draw wrong yesterday and Federer and Wawrinka won't meet in the quarters. Rather Federer plays Dimitrov who is returning to form, and Wawrinka plays Medvedev who, after Nadal, has been the form player of the North American hard court season.

[Nearly Sane]

And Federer knocked out by Dimitrov. It's beginning to look a lot like Nadal given that the in form player Medvedev had injury problems in his win over Wawrinka, and was blown away when he played Nadal in the Rogers Cup. Those others left in the draw - Monfils, Berretini, and Schwartzmann seem unlikely to stop Nadal in his current form.

And Serena Williams and Svitolina through - Williams looks as if she will walk this but then that has been though before in Slams since she returned after giving birth.

[Nearly Sane]

Earlier I wondered about the likelihood of players retiring next year who might be waiting to play in the Olympics, or have other reasons for staying on till then. This post looks at those who I think might be going.


Federer is the most obvious one - he'll be 39, even with a lighter schedule it's going to be tough to avoid injuries such as the one that may have affected him against Dimitrov. I don't see him just retiring at the end of this season because I think he will feel he would owe the crowds a chance to say goodbye AND I think he hankers for the Gold Medal in the singles at the Olympics to put him alongside Nadal, and Agassi as having achieved a Golden Slam in the mens. He's also close to passing Connors's record for the most tour wins in the Open era for men, but he won't achieve that this year. I think he'd like to get more Slams to avoid being caught or passed by Nadal or Djokovic but that's looking less and less likely.

Nadal - it's such a a physical game for him that I can't see him lasting as long as Federer and yet good chance that he will win his second slam this year. That would put him on 19 to Federer's 20. Obviously if fit he will be favourite for the French, and if he could get to 21 maybe he will see that as enough. I do wonder how much he would like to win the Year End tournament as it's the one major blemish on his record. What Nadal needs though to get to the records he might want is such a successful season that it would be odd to retire - so more likely a bad season, or one featuring injury would lead to him retiring.


Djokovic - in comparison to Federer isn't old but in comparison to what was the norm 10 years ago, pretty ancient. He's had a great season but the retiral due to injury makes one wonder if he can and will want to continue if anything similar happens next year. Again he would be in line for a Golden Slam so likely to stay for that.


Murray - depends a lot on how the next few tournaments go. I suspect he will be thinking of at least playing the Slams even if he decides that he is going to retire and he has the possibility of winning 3 successive Olympic titles - which would be a record that I suspect would last for some time.


TBC

[Nearly Sane]

Continuing the possible retiring next year thread

Nishikori - not as old as the others but will be 31, an age when retiring used to be normal. As with many I suspect it will need a bad year  or an injury to make him retire as he is very fit which is demonstrated by his having the best record in final sets in both 3 and 5 set matches all time on the ATP tour.


Anderson - would be 34., and has had a bad season this year with injuries. After having his best year last year, another would tempt him to stay - given the serving it can make it easier to compete even if not fully fit.


Wawrinka - who never quite made it the big 5 despite the 3 Slams because his overall record elsewhere isn't quite up to that. He'll be 35, had comeback from injury but doesn't quite seem as potent despite the victory over Djokovic in the US Open. Strongly suspect that next year will be a farewell


Isner - the winner of the longest match of all time and given the new rules at Wimbledon, likely to remain that for all time. Another who will be 35. Again his serving is so powerful that he will continue to win matches but this season has as with Anderson not been his best. 


Cilic - another of the giants in term of size, with Isner and Anderson and Karlovic. One of the few players in this era dominated by 3 players who managed to win a Slam. But this year has been his worst in a long time. Will only be 32 by end of next season but his game is wider than just a big serve so would need to be fit to continue.


Raonic - oh look another big server, and one who wouldn't even be 30 but has always been a bit fragile. Another injury and I doubt he will try to return.

TBC

[Nearly Sane]

Williams vs Andreescu final - Williams having won her first US Open title before Andreescu was born. I suspect those who don't follow tennis will have missed how good Andreescu's season has been. If it hadn't been for injury, then good chance she would have been in the battle for the number 1 ranking.

To continue sideways my thoughts on who might retire next year, I think both Serena and Venus will go. Serena is definitely focussed on equalling and surpassing Margaret Court's 24 Slams  , and both will be wondering about more Olympic gold. Serena has been a class above in the tournament but she was at Wimbledon too, if not to such an extent.

[Nearly Sane]

Nadal's win means that there is a good chance to regain the No 1 Ranking for the end of the year, as he doesn't have many points to defend. If Djokovic's injury is significant then it would become likely.

[Nearly Sane]

Other possible retirees in the male ranks would be Verdasco - who will be 36, Gasquet, 34 and recently back from injury, Gilles Simon, Lopez - who would be 39, and Karlovic who would be 41!

[Nearly Sane]

Looking at the schedule - Nadal could go back to No1 ranking after Shanghai in three weeks time - he has no points to defend while Djokovis defends 1000 points. Djokovic currently scheduled to play Tokyo which he didn't last year so he could get 500 points for winning that but would still once last year's Shanghai points are removed be below Nadal making their performance in Shanghai determining the No 1 ranking.

[Nearly Sane]

Meanwhile if Plíšková matches or betters Barty's result in Wuhan, she will return to No1 Ranking for women. With Konta not playing the Asia tournaments, she won't make the elite year end tournament, though likely to make the second tier one if fit.

[Nearly Sane]

And Andy Murray wins his first top tier in singles since his return beating Sandgren who beat him in August.

[Nearly Sane]

Murray knocked out by De Minaur in next round.

Barty stays at women's No 1 having done better than Pliskova in Wuhan. Sabalenka into the final of the tournament that she won to properly emerge last year. Riske continues to reach new career high rankings at 29 years old.

[Nearly Sane]

Returning to the subject of those who might well retire after 2020 in the women's game, then in addition to the Williams sisters, I could see Kerber, Kvitova, Kuznetsova, Azarenka, Zvonareva and Sharapova all going.

I also suspect that the Bryan twins will play their last men's doubles match

[Nearly Sane]

I realised that on a quick check I had missed one that OI had intended to mention earlier. Del Potro who at his best could well have won many more slams has stuggled throughout his career with injuries. There is a lot to tempt him back to play, but it is a matter of if not when. I can't see any return going beyond 2020.