Great post as always!! Stef is one of the few who almost never slices. I really think he could mix a little more just to give himself time. I also think he was looking fatigued and fought to just get to the final. I really hope he takes a break at some point or loses early before RG. He has a shot of winning it this year. The problem is that he will have to be playing at the top of his game to do so.
Among the 4 semi-finalists in Barca, Carlos has a 13-0 record against them. He's never played Etcheverry. 9-0 against Ruud/Tsitsipas. Very different tournament if he's in it.
Incredibly clutch backhands from Ruud at the end of the first set! I’m always a fan of Ruud, but I’m more impressed by his willingness to change/adapt after the loss in MC.
Here's to hoping MC Tsitipas and BCL Ruud (they almost sound like musicians!) will meet in the RG finals. Both have made it to the finals before... Maybe this is their year. Probably not, but they both played so well in both tournaments that it gives me false hope. 🙏
They are giving themselves a good chance! In form, and will have good draws if they keep their top-8 positions. Might be a thrilling RG if we got all the top players in form and fit.
I'm just wondering, how do you find out the number of ralleys where Tsitsipas had to hit 2 or 3 backhands? That stat is just so specific....
Moreover, I think Ruud has changed his serve motion slightly. The ways his legs/knees are positioned before he tosses the ball is more Sinner-esque than before. Can you take a look at it as well?
Usually, I watch the match first and take some notes of what I thought was important/played a big role. I might write two or three things downs. Then I watch the match again and start tallying those aspects of interest to me (sometimes a new one comes on the second viewing). I literally count each rally and tally it with a note in excel (things like: how many first and second serve returns did tsitsipas miss on the backhand? How many times did Tsitsipas hit 2 backhands in a rally, or 3 backhands in a row, and how many of those points did he win and lose? How many times did Stef chip the backhand short, and how many of those did he win? etc.,). I don't have access to any special data. That's why these match reports can take so long (I finished this at midnight having started at midday!).
I did not know those quantitative stats on the 3 shots to the Tsitsipas backhand. I did know obviously that certainly is not the shot pattern that behooves Tsitsipas. These 2 are certainly a couple of the favorites for the FO. It will be very interesting to see what happens in Madrid and Rome. I sure wish the rpm's on Tsitsipas and Ruud's forehand had been given. They are certainly both among the forehand highest rpm's on the Tour.
Do you think Tsitsipas's backhand is worse than his RG final making days? Or opponents now just know that the BH will break down eventually despite it making the odd great looking winner?
No better or worse. Perhaps the tour has more players who can expose that now. His RG run in 2021 featured opponents who were flat hitters and weren't great at getting the ball high and heavy into the backhand:
r1 - Chardy
r2 - Martinez
r3 - Isner
r4 - PCB
QF - Medvedev
SF - Zverev (five sets)
F - Djokovic (five sets)
None of those guys are particularly 'heavy' spin-oriented hitters like an Alcaraz/Ruud/Sinner
Great post as always!! Stef is one of the few who almost never slices. I really think he could mix a little more just to give himself time. I also think he was looking fatigued and fought to just get to the final. I really hope he takes a break at some point or loses early before RG. He has a shot of winning it this year. The problem is that he will have to be playing at the top of his game to do so.
If he could develop a world class slice I think he would win a slam. Not sure that's possible with his current game.
Among the 4 semi-finalists in Barca, Carlos has a 13-0 record against them. He's never played Etcheverry. 9-0 against Ruud/Tsitsipas. Very different tournament if he's in it.
Incredibly clutch backhands from Ruud at the end of the first set! I’m always a fan of Ruud, but I’m more impressed by his willingness to change/adapt after the loss in MC.
Here's to hoping MC Tsitipas and BCL Ruud (they almost sound like musicians!) will meet in the RG finals. Both have made it to the finals before... Maybe this is their year. Probably not, but they both played so well in both tournaments that it gives me false hope. 🙏
They are giving themselves a good chance! In form, and will have good draws if they keep their top-8 positions. Might be a thrilling RG if we got all the top players in form and fit.
Hi Hugh, great as always.
I'm just wondering, how do you find out the number of ralleys where Tsitsipas had to hit 2 or 3 backhands? That stat is just so specific....
Moreover, I think Ruud has changed his serve motion slightly. The ways his legs/knees are positioned before he tosses the ball is more Sinner-esque than before. Can you take a look at it as well?
Usually, I watch the match first and take some notes of what I thought was important/played a big role. I might write two or three things downs. Then I watch the match again and start tallying those aspects of interest to me (sometimes a new one comes on the second viewing). I literally count each rally and tally it with a note in excel (things like: how many first and second serve returns did tsitsipas miss on the backhand? How many times did Tsitsipas hit 2 backhands in a rally, or 3 backhands in a row, and how many of those points did he win and lose? How many times did Stef chip the backhand short, and how many of those did he win? etc.,). I don't have access to any special data. That's why these match reports can take so long (I finished this at midnight having started at midday!).
I did not know those quantitative stats on the 3 shots to the Tsitsipas backhand. I did know obviously that certainly is not the shot pattern that behooves Tsitsipas. These 2 are certainly a couple of the favorites for the FO. It will be very interesting to see what happens in Madrid and Rome. I sure wish the rpm's on Tsitsipas and Ruud's forehand had been given. They are certainly both among the forehand highest rpm's on the Tour.
You might be interested in this also regarding the Tsitsipas backhand:
https://twitter.com/ThreadOrder/status/1782902071630405914
Yeah, Ruud was pummelling the forehand yesterday. Stats would have been impressive I think.
Do you think Tsitsipas's backhand is worse than his RG final making days? Or opponents now just know that the BH will break down eventually despite it making the odd great looking winner?
No better or worse. Perhaps the tour has more players who can expose that now. His RG run in 2021 featured opponents who were flat hitters and weren't great at getting the ball high and heavy into the backhand:
r1 - Chardy
r2 - Martinez
r3 - Isner
r4 - PCB
QF - Medvedev
SF - Zverev (five sets)
F - Djokovic (five sets)
None of those guys are particularly 'heavy' spin-oriented hitters like an Alcaraz/Ruud/Sinner