feather_ghyll (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
feather_ghyll) wrote2023-05-22 05:47 pm
feather_ghyll) wrote2023-05-22 05:47 pm
TENNIS: The rest of the Italian Open
Of course, hearing about the serious and deadly floods in other parts of Italy put the continual comments about the weather and conditions in Rome into context.
I watched the Alexander Zverev vs David Goffin second-round match (strangely, after watching a third-round women’s match), as I thought it might be entertaining. There was no commentary, which I found discombobulating. I learned that Goffin had fallen to outside the top 100, while Zverev was outside the top 20 but seeded 19 here. I imagine he wants to do as well as he can and not get injured.
I expected Zverev would win and that Goffin would pull off some impressive shots. The first set did not quite go like that. Zverev took a lead after finding his serve, then lost a game and let Goffin fight back while he hit too many errors. Zverev got fired up and started playing better in the last two sets, which I didn’t watch as attentively, to get through.
On Tuesday night, I watched snatches of the Medvedev v. Zverev match, which gave a better indication of where the latter was at, learned that a player nobody knew much about had beaten Alcaraz, and watched the end of the second set and start of the third between Haddid Maia and Kalinina.
The next night, I wanted to watch the Swiatek vs Rybakina match, but the start time kept being pushed back, because it was the second night-time match. Fortunately, Ruud won the second set too, and wiould be facing Holger Rune in the semi, as he’d...beat Djokovic.
Swiatek, world no 1, was clearly determined not to lose for the third time this year to Rybakina, and a cold, damp clay court looked like it would suit her more. She started off with intent, going up a double break, and although Rybakina started winning games on her serve, Swiatek won the first set and got a break in the second. Rybakina’s first serves weren’t going in, and Swiatek was all over th second serve with ferocious returns. It was fun tennis to watch, because both were capable of walloping the ball and pulling off impressive shots.
Rybakina stayed calm, and improved her serve, certainly, and broke Swiatek back. She pushed her to a tiebreak, where she pulled ahead, but then, after running in vain to return a ball, Swiatek had clearly done herself some harm. Rybakina won the next few points and the set regardless, I think, but there was a medical timeout, and when Swiatek returned with her thigh strapped, one wondered, because movement is such a big part of her game, and Rybakina was playing better, but the Pole looked all right, until – to the commentaing Anne Keothovng‘s surprise – she retired injured, probably with the French Open in mind. It was a shame, because it was competitive, with Rybakina having proved she was one of 2023’s big three and competitive on her weakest surface.
Apparently, it is only with her run here that Rybakina has broken into the top 5, but of course she didn’t get any ranking points for Wimbledon. Every time the commentators referred to her as the Wimbledon champion, I felt llike reflexively saying Swiatek is the reigning French Open AND US Open champion.
The next night, I saw the end of Tsitipas’s quarter final against Coric, and it wa mostly Tsitsipas outclassing his opponent, until he wobbled, Coric broke back and suddenly everyone was talking about how maybe Coric’s strong record against Tsitsipas was going to do its ‘hoodoo’. In fairness, Tsitsipas reset, Coric‘s level wavered, and the Greek’s seeding came true. Given that the top 2 male players are out, that’s the about the best semi-final line-up they could have hoped for (well, they might have wanted some Italian interest.)
Nadal announced he won’t be able to make the French, and may not make many tournaments this year, depending on his body, and (this is sad, but entirely understandable) 2024 will be his goodbye year.
I decided I’d watch the Rybakina vs Ostapenko semi final, but it turned out to be a most frustrating experience because the rain delayed the start. Once they got going, it was entertaining tennis. Ostapenko makes me laugh, really, at her expressive personality.
But Rybakina was very good, and hearing about how she used the Wimbledon money to set up a team around her, which she’d never really had before, and how she backed up that slam this year in particular, I could understand why Sam Smith was saying tipping her as a potential world no. 1. Right now, Swiatek and Sabalenka are part of the process of honing her. Anyway, she won the first set convincingly, although there were signs that Ostapenko was getting ever closer to getting more balls in at the end of it.
The commentators said Ostapenko should stick to her game, and probably would because that’s her only style of play. At the start of the second set, it started coming good, she was up 3-0. Rybakina’s coach told her to take her time, which she did, having got sucked into playing at Ostapenko’s tempo perhaps, and her play steadied. But then the rain got heavier, and at Rybaina’s request, they stopped playing and eventually went off the court.
They came back, just soon enough that they didn’t have to warm up again, and Ostapenko did not restart well. I think they could have finished the game, but as she was losing, she didn’t want to, and the covers came on, It was getting so late in Rome that they would soon have to give it up to allow the players enough time to get ready for an early start the next morning.
Cue talk of roofs as it had rained all tournament and questions about the scheduling – like the Madrid Open, this has been an expended Masters tournament, which brings its own problems, but they had chosen to have the singles semis the day before the finals, and they had scheduled with an eye to night matches. The combination of weather and scheduling had led to this – I was feeling let down as a viewer, and I didn’t wait to see if the players did resume the match that night.
They must have, because Rybakina was through to the final. I could have watched Ruud vs Rune more intently. Ruud won the first set, and looked to be cruising, until Rune got some massage on a tired shoulder, sped up his forehand and Ruud played some week points. The younger player, Rune is 20 to Ruud’s 24, made it through.
Next came Medvedev vs Tsitipas with a lot of talk about ‘spice’ between the players (as there had been in the previous match), and although everyone agreed Tsitsipas had the better clay court pedigree, Medvedev had clearly worked out how to play on the surface in this tournament.
The bearded Russian started out hotter, but his Greek opponent had just reeled him in when heavy rain stopped play, and they started playing replays. I dipped out but it was salt to the wound to see how sunny last year’s finals were. By the time I checked in again, Medvedev had beaten Tsitsipas,the women’s doubles final had been played on another court with no cameras, and the women’s singles final was about to start just before 11 local time!
That was 10 o’clock BST, so I watched the first eight games live. Kalinina started off stronger, but Rybakina worked her way back in. I went to bed and watched the rest of it on replay the next morning. Rybakina kept on building and outmatched her opponent at the crucial point. But it wasn’t
long into the second set when Kalinina called for the trainer, was clearly upset, saying that there were problems with her left leg – she had played a lot of long matches in the tournament. She retired, making Rybakina the default champion. Congratulations to her, but I doubt that’s the way she would have wanted to win it – she had two opponents retire on her.
Anyway, if the conditions are cold and heavy at the French, she’s shown her strength and her increasing comfort on the clay. But also at the French, they have a roof, so the schedule will be less maddening!
I watched (half-watched, really) the men’s finals, and it was obvious both Medvedev and Rune respected each other. Medvedev was stronger in the first set, but after the obligatory toilet break, Rune started off the second set by changing his style, which was incredibly promising, but he needed to keep it up, and fatigue clearly crept in. He faltered by the end of the second set, and Medvedev was able to take advantage of it. Well done him, too.
It’s become clear that Nadal’s withdrawal from the French opens up all sorts of possibilities for AN Other – and Medvedev ‘s win in Rome meant that he’d now be the word no. 2, meaning Djokovic and Alcaraz will face each other, if seedings run true, which didn’t happen in Rome…
I watched the Alexander Zverev vs David Goffin second-round match (strangely, after watching a third-round women’s match), as I thought it might be entertaining. There was no commentary, which I found discombobulating. I learned that Goffin had fallen to outside the top 100, while Zverev was outside the top 20 but seeded 19 here. I imagine he wants to do as well as he can and not get injured.
I expected Zverev would win and that Goffin would pull off some impressive shots. The first set did not quite go like that. Zverev took a lead after finding his serve, then lost a game and let Goffin fight back while he hit too many errors. Zverev got fired up and started playing better in the last two sets, which I didn’t watch as attentively, to get through.
On Tuesday night, I watched snatches of the Medvedev v. Zverev match, which gave a better indication of where the latter was at, learned that a player nobody knew much about had beaten Alcaraz, and watched the end of the second set and start of the third between Haddid Maia and Kalinina.
The next night, I wanted to watch the Swiatek vs Rybakina match, but the start time kept being pushed back, because it was the second night-time match. Fortunately, Ruud won the second set too, and wiould be facing Holger Rune in the semi, as he’d...beat Djokovic.
Swiatek, world no 1, was clearly determined not to lose for the third time this year to Rybakina, and a cold, damp clay court looked like it would suit her more. She started off with intent, going up a double break, and although Rybakina started winning games on her serve, Swiatek won the first set and got a break in the second. Rybakina’s first serves weren’t going in, and Swiatek was all over th second serve with ferocious returns. It was fun tennis to watch, because both were capable of walloping the ball and pulling off impressive shots.
Rybakina stayed calm, and improved her serve, certainly, and broke Swiatek back. She pushed her to a tiebreak, where she pulled ahead, but then, after running in vain to return a ball, Swiatek had clearly done herself some harm. Rybakina won the next few points and the set regardless, I think, but there was a medical timeout, and when Swiatek returned with her thigh strapped, one wondered, because movement is such a big part of her game, and Rybakina was playing better, but the Pole looked all right, until – to the commentaing Anne Keothovng‘s surprise – she retired injured, probably with the French Open in mind. It was a shame, because it was competitive, with Rybakina having proved she was one of 2023’s big three and competitive on her weakest surface.
Apparently, it is only with her run here that Rybakina has broken into the top 5, but of course she didn’t get any ranking points for Wimbledon. Every time the commentators referred to her as the Wimbledon champion, I felt llike reflexively saying Swiatek is the reigning French Open AND US Open champion.
The next night, I saw the end of Tsitipas’s quarter final against Coric, and it wa mostly Tsitsipas outclassing his opponent, until he wobbled, Coric broke back and suddenly everyone was talking about how maybe Coric’s strong record against Tsitsipas was going to do its ‘hoodoo’. In fairness, Tsitsipas reset, Coric‘s level wavered, and the Greek’s seeding came true. Given that the top 2 male players are out, that’s the about the best semi-final line-up they could have hoped for (well, they might have wanted some Italian interest.)
Nadal announced he won’t be able to make the French, and may not make many tournaments this year, depending on his body, and (this is sad, but entirely understandable) 2024 will be his goodbye year.
I decided I’d watch the Rybakina vs Ostapenko semi final, but it turned out to be a most frustrating experience because the rain delayed the start. Once they got going, it was entertaining tennis. Ostapenko makes me laugh, really, at her expressive personality.
But Rybakina was very good, and hearing about how she used the Wimbledon money to set up a team around her, which she’d never really had before, and how she backed up that slam this year in particular, I could understand why Sam Smith was saying tipping her as a potential world no. 1. Right now, Swiatek and Sabalenka are part of the process of honing her. Anyway, she won the first set convincingly, although there were signs that Ostapenko was getting ever closer to getting more balls in at the end of it.
The commentators said Ostapenko should stick to her game, and probably would because that’s her only style of play. At the start of the second set, it started coming good, she was up 3-0. Rybakina’s coach told her to take her time, which she did, having got sucked into playing at Ostapenko’s tempo perhaps, and her play steadied. But then the rain got heavier, and at Rybaina’s request, they stopped playing and eventually went off the court.
They came back, just soon enough that they didn’t have to warm up again, and Ostapenko did not restart well. I think they could have finished the game, but as she was losing, she didn’t want to, and the covers came on, It was getting so late in Rome that they would soon have to give it up to allow the players enough time to get ready for an early start the next morning.
Cue talk of roofs as it had rained all tournament and questions about the scheduling – like the Madrid Open, this has been an expended Masters tournament, which brings its own problems, but they had chosen to have the singles semis the day before the finals, and they had scheduled with an eye to night matches. The combination of weather and scheduling had led to this – I was feeling let down as a viewer, and I didn’t wait to see if the players did resume the match that night.
They must have, because Rybakina was through to the final. I could have watched Ruud vs Rune more intently. Ruud won the first set, and looked to be cruising, until Rune got some massage on a tired shoulder, sped up his forehand and Ruud played some week points. The younger player, Rune is 20 to Ruud’s 24, made it through.
Next came Medvedev vs Tsitipas with a lot of talk about ‘spice’ between the players (as there had been in the previous match), and although everyone agreed Tsitsipas had the better clay court pedigree, Medvedev had clearly worked out how to play on the surface in this tournament.
The bearded Russian started out hotter, but his Greek opponent had just reeled him in when heavy rain stopped play, and they started playing replays. I dipped out but it was salt to the wound to see how sunny last year’s finals were. By the time I checked in again, Medvedev had beaten Tsitsipas,the women’s doubles final had been played on another court with no cameras, and the women’s singles final was about to start just before 11 local time!
That was 10 o’clock BST, so I watched the first eight games live. Kalinina started off stronger, but Rybakina worked her way back in. I went to bed and watched the rest of it on replay the next morning. Rybakina kept on building and outmatched her opponent at the crucial point. But it wasn’t
long into the second set when Kalinina called for the trainer, was clearly upset, saying that there were problems with her left leg – she had played a lot of long matches in the tournament. She retired, making Rybakina the default champion. Congratulations to her, but I doubt that’s the way she would have wanted to win it – she had two opponents retire on her.
Anyway, if the conditions are cold and heavy at the French, she’s shown her strength and her increasing comfort on the clay. But also at the French, they have a roof, so the schedule will be less maddening!
I watched (half-watched, really) the men’s finals, and it was obvious both Medvedev and Rune respected each other. Medvedev was stronger in the first set, but after the obligatory toilet break, Rune started off the second set by changing his style, which was incredibly promising, but he needed to keep it up, and fatigue clearly crept in. He faltered by the end of the second set, and Medvedev was able to take advantage of it. Well done him, too.
It’s become clear that Nadal’s withdrawal from the French opens up all sorts of possibilities for AN Other – and Medvedev ‘s win in Rome meant that he’d now be the word no. 2, meaning Djokovic and Alcaraz will face each other, if seedings run true, which didn’t happen in Rome…