Shadowlight
Master
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 3,882
Since they sadly abandoned the women's New Haven Open, which would have started this week, there are no more significant tennis tournaments before the US Open so I figured I would get the ball rolling.
On the men's side some intrigue is brewing. We all know about the big three of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer. There is also what I would term the little three of Stefanos Tsitsipas (ST), Daniil Medvedev and Denis Shapovalov(DS). Although to be fair I am only including DS on potential since after his break out last year he has stalled this year. But he is the youngest of the three and ST is only 21.
The tall lanky and lithe Russian Medvedev is 23 but he has been on a role lately. He is ranked in the top ten now and even though he was destroyed by Nadal in a Masters tournament last week I believe yesterday was his third straight finals appearance. He handily took care of 28 year old David Goffin in straight sets in the most prestigious tournament in the Midwest, The Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Goffin is a very quick but slight player who doesn't seem to have that knock out punch necessary to win a major. Medvedev is tall but doesn't play like the other tall players on tour. Most all of the tall players are noted for their powerful serves and crushing groundstrokes and lack of movement.
Medvedev is the opposite. He lacks a power serve and relies on precise flat ground strokes to keep opponents off balance. He is also the best mover of all the big men, gliding effortlessly around the court.
Medvedev is one of the newer names to look out for in the US Open which starts next week. The Greek ST though is still the most gifted and talented of the three young players I mentioned above. They are all very athletic but do they have the stamina, core strength and mental capacity and toughness to overhaul the big three? That has been a lingering question that they have not accomplished for over a year now. Medvedev did just beat Djokovic in Cincinnati and ST has beaten the big three at various events. But none of those events were majors either. The buck stops there.
That story line where the youngsters butt up against the big three will be a key story line heading into New York next week.
On the women's side Simona Halep will be front and center after her sublime and sterling Wimbledon victory. But a big word of caution. The last time a white female tennis player won Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year was Steffi Graf in 1996. Graff pulled that daily double in 1995-1996,88-89 and 1993.
Martina Navratilova pulled it off in 1983-84 and again from 86-87.
Chris Evert accomplished it in 1976.
Billie Jean King hit the daily double in 1967 and 1972.
Venus Williams did it back to back years in 2000 and 2001.
Serena Williams has done it in 2002 and 2012.
Apart from possibly Venus, this list contains the all time best women's tennis players of the modern era.
Point being it will be a daunting task for Halep to bag the 2019 US Open. But just imagine if she does somehow manage to pull it off and win it?
On the men's side some intrigue is brewing. We all know about the big three of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer. There is also what I would term the little three of Stefanos Tsitsipas (ST), Daniil Medvedev and Denis Shapovalov(DS). Although to be fair I am only including DS on potential since after his break out last year he has stalled this year. But he is the youngest of the three and ST is only 21.
The tall lanky and lithe Russian Medvedev is 23 but he has been on a role lately. He is ranked in the top ten now and even though he was destroyed by Nadal in a Masters tournament last week I believe yesterday was his third straight finals appearance. He handily took care of 28 year old David Goffin in straight sets in the most prestigious tournament in the Midwest, The Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Goffin is a very quick but slight player who doesn't seem to have that knock out punch necessary to win a major. Medvedev is tall but doesn't play like the other tall players on tour. Most all of the tall players are noted for their powerful serves and crushing groundstrokes and lack of movement.
Medvedev is the opposite. He lacks a power serve and relies on precise flat ground strokes to keep opponents off balance. He is also the best mover of all the big men, gliding effortlessly around the court.
Medvedev is one of the newer names to look out for in the US Open which starts next week. The Greek ST though is still the most gifted and talented of the three young players I mentioned above. They are all very athletic but do they have the stamina, core strength and mental capacity and toughness to overhaul the big three? That has been a lingering question that they have not accomplished for over a year now. Medvedev did just beat Djokovic in Cincinnati and ST has beaten the big three at various events. But none of those events were majors either. The buck stops there.
That story line where the youngsters butt up against the big three will be a key story line heading into New York next week.
On the women's side Simona Halep will be front and center after her sublime and sterling Wimbledon victory. But a big word of caution. The last time a white female tennis player won Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year was Steffi Graf in 1996. Graff pulled that daily double in 1995-1996,88-89 and 1993.
Martina Navratilova pulled it off in 1983-84 and again from 86-87.
Chris Evert accomplished it in 1976.
Billie Jean King hit the daily double in 1967 and 1972.
Venus Williams did it back to back years in 2000 and 2001.
Serena Williams has done it in 2002 and 2012.
Apart from possibly Venus, this list contains the all time best women's tennis players of the modern era.
Point being it will be a daunting task for Halep to bag the 2019 US Open. But just imagine if she does somehow manage to pull it off and win it?
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