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feather_ghyllOn the first day of the quarter finals, the higher seeded players won. That is to say, Sabalenka and Swiatek set up a semi-final encounter, with Sabalenka having more consistency (and dealing better with the windy conditions) than Zheng, and Swiatek having more than Svitolina.
On the men’s side, perhaps they scheduled the wrong match in the night slot. Musetti had too much clay-court nous for Tiafoe in four sets, while Alcaraz was brilliantly clinical against Paul, who everyone knew had played five setters and had an ab injury.
The second day of quarter finals was more complex. Both the women’s matches were played with the roof closed. Apparently both Gauff and Keys were nervy and not playing their best for the first two sets, shared between them, but Gauff got her act together enough to win the third set. Next, Andreeva wasn’t just playing Boisson, but the French crowd too, and everyone was reminded she’s just 18 (and as a Russian, hasn’t had BJK Cup experience, either.) But Boisson has never experienced anything like this as a player in her tennis life, and is in the semis of her home slam!?
As for the men, Sinner bossed Bublik in the first set, Bublik played better in the second, until Sinner broke towards the end, and then won in three. His form here has been remarkable. When I switched the radio on, Djokovic and Zverev were tied early in the third set, but apparently Djokovic undid his opponent, and broke some more records to get through to the semis. So, the three Olympic medallists at Roland Garros last year and the world no. 1 would be in said semis.
The women’s semi finals were played under the roof. First up, the two best female players since Barty’s day. Sabalenka raced ahead, until Swiatek started coping with her power better and equalised the scoreboard. They traded games until the tiebreak, which Sabalenka dominated. But Swiatek was the better player in the second set, and won that. And then in the third, Sabalenka took control, winning through to her first French Open final (and second Grand Slam final of the year). Don’t know what Swiatek will make of the loss, (so near, yet so far, and in keeping with the past few months?) I don’t think grass is where she’ll regain her confidence/mojo.
In the second match, Gauff, fully aware she’d be playing the crowd too, started well and played intelligently throughout, winning the first set with ease. Boisson was better in the second, but apart from one breakback game, couldn’t maintain enough pressure, and seemed to have run out of steam, which is not surprising when you consider how little experience she’s had on the tour, let alone at this level. Whereas Gauff, who is younger than her, is back in the French Open final, meaning that it will be between the top two seeds. (Surely, if healthy, Boisson will get a wildcard to Wimbledon.)
The first men’s semi was under the roof for no good reason, but it was a strange one. Musetti was playing very well and serving first, Alcaraz wasn’t quite himself, and got broken at exactly the wrong time. First set Musetti. They were commenting on Alcaraz’s subdued demeanour on the radio, his drop shot wasn’t working (!) and when he broke, Musetti broke back (twice) and the second set went to a tiebreak, where Alcaraz strung some points together, with a mix of solid shots and the occasional big shot. That seemed to free Alcaraz up, because he was suddenly hitting those booming forehands, pulling off dropshots, and, more importantly, winning point after point. Towards the end of the third set, Musetti called on the trainer, who didn’t seem to do much. Alcaraz had bagelled him in about twenty minutes, and after winning two more games at the start of the fourth just as easily, Musetti retired. Hmm.
I paid less attention to the Sinner v Djokovic night-time match, but understand that Sinner won in three long sets, perhaps emphasising that a corner has been turned at the top of men’s tennis. Olympics aside, Alcaraz and Sinner, who will be facing off in a grand slam final for the first time, have divvied up the last five Slams, setting themselves apart from all the other twentysomethings. The commentators were murmuring that Djokovic’s best chance was at Wimbledon, (where Alcaraz has twice beaten him. We haven’t seen Sinner at his best on the grass yet, but he’s bound to improve…and Draper is a prospect and big servers have got to believe…) but yes, of course, Djokovic will have to be mentioned as a serious contender, he’s still hungry and aware that time and his body are against him.
I joined the women’s finals (on radio, where they kept cutting to update us about sporting events I didn’t care about) quite late in the lengthy first set, to learn that Sabalenka had raced to a lead, got pegged back. She had set points, but had to go to a tiebreaker to win the first set. It was extremely windy. Gauff responded better after a toilet break, while Sabalenka made errors, did not adjust for the wind and expended a lot of energy. Gauff won the second set quite easily, and was ahead at the start of the third. When Sabalenka stopped her from getting a double break, it seemed as though the match was swinging again, but she couldn’t quite come up to parity. She made Gauff serve it out, and there was high drama (as there was throughout, it won’t go down as a match of great play) on the first match point, and some on the second, but the player who would win her first French Open was Coco Gauff, who coped with the conditions and her nerves better, the great defender against the great attacker.
Heartbreaking for Sabalenka, to lose her second grand slam final this year, and Gauff has now won both her slams against Sabalenka. The still no. 1 will be desperate to win at Wimbledon, but Gauff has crowned her consistently good clay-court season with one of the big ones, which will only burnish her reputation.
Better conditions for the men’s final, the first time Sinner and Alcaraz would meet at a grand slam final, and as both had won every final they’d been in, a new experience for one of them. I listened to the first set and a half on the radio (less cutting away to sports I didn't care about than on a Saturday.) They both started off brilliantly, Alcaraz getting more break points on his opponent’s serve, but after breaking, his level went down a bit, while Sinner remained consistent, broke back and won the first set. He was ahead at the start of the second, when I reluctantly left it there.
I rejoined to find that Alcaraz was serving for 3-1 in the fifth set in what may have already been the longest French Open final. (I’d assumed it would be done and dusted, so I hadn’t checked before.) So, I only know what happened in outline – that Sinner had three championship points on Alcaraz’s serve in the fourth set, but could not convert. I don’t know if he wasn’t allowed to or if he messed up, or what, although I think the crowd helped Alcaraz believe. [It sounds like Alcaraz won it.] Sinner didn’t get championship points in his next service game, Alcaraz won the fourth set and had broken early in the fifth.
Sinner was in a worse physical shape, but fended off another break, and when Alcaraz was serving, four points away from winning, he was the one who played solid tennis, and levelled the match at 5-5, staved off a break point (or two) as the level increased again for the last two games. 6-6, and it was the first 10-point tiebreak to decide a French Open final. And Alcaraz went for it, winner after winner. 6-0 up is not quite what it is in a normal tiebreak. [Two of which had been played already in this match.] Sinner won a couple of points, but Alcaraz was brave and brilliant. After five hours and twenty-nine minutes, the defending champion won, leaving the radio commentators gibbering that this was the best tennis match ever. [The general consensus seems to be that it was one of the best tennis matches ever.] The top two have birthed a new rivalry, with both of them pushing each other, able to cope with pace and shots that most of the rest of the field could not, both wanting to win so badly, [Alcaraz was down two sets! Sinner could have won in three, and would have against any other player!] and somehow, after all that time, all that pressure, Alcaraz found a blaze of glory. Wow.
It's going to hurt Sinner, and he’s going to come back hungrier. (Wimbledon!?) Much will be written, much will be said about this final, though, and, if they stay healthy, about this rivalry, with enough difference to their style of play and personalities to make it appealing, not to mention the stratospheric level of play to gawp at.
I'm posting this now - I may come back and edit - because the grass season has begun, and it on TV that I can watch, starting with women playing at Queen's for the first time in decades.
On the men’s side, perhaps they scheduled the wrong match in the night slot. Musetti had too much clay-court nous for Tiafoe in four sets, while Alcaraz was brilliantly clinical against Paul, who everyone knew had played five setters and had an ab injury.
The second day of quarter finals was more complex. Both the women’s matches were played with the roof closed. Apparently both Gauff and Keys were nervy and not playing their best for the first two sets, shared between them, but Gauff got her act together enough to win the third set. Next, Andreeva wasn’t just playing Boisson, but the French crowd too, and everyone was reminded she’s just 18 (and as a Russian, hasn’t had BJK Cup experience, either.) But Boisson has never experienced anything like this as a player in her tennis life, and is in the semis of her home slam!?
As for the men, Sinner bossed Bublik in the first set, Bublik played better in the second, until Sinner broke towards the end, and then won in three. His form here has been remarkable. When I switched the radio on, Djokovic and Zverev were tied early in the third set, but apparently Djokovic undid his opponent, and broke some more records to get through to the semis. So, the three Olympic medallists at Roland Garros last year and the world no. 1 would be in said semis.
The women’s semi finals were played under the roof. First up, the two best female players since Barty’s day. Sabalenka raced ahead, until Swiatek started coping with her power better and equalised the scoreboard. They traded games until the tiebreak, which Sabalenka dominated. But Swiatek was the better player in the second set, and won that. And then in the third, Sabalenka took control, winning through to her first French Open final (and second Grand Slam final of the year). Don’t know what Swiatek will make of the loss, (so near, yet so far, and in keeping with the past few months?) I don’t think grass is where she’ll regain her confidence/mojo.
In the second match, Gauff, fully aware she’d be playing the crowd too, started well and played intelligently throughout, winning the first set with ease. Boisson was better in the second, but apart from one breakback game, couldn’t maintain enough pressure, and seemed to have run out of steam, which is not surprising when you consider how little experience she’s had on the tour, let alone at this level. Whereas Gauff, who is younger than her, is back in the French Open final, meaning that it will be between the top two seeds. (Surely, if healthy, Boisson will get a wildcard to Wimbledon.)
The first men’s semi was under the roof for no good reason, but it was a strange one. Musetti was playing very well and serving first, Alcaraz wasn’t quite himself, and got broken at exactly the wrong time. First set Musetti. They were commenting on Alcaraz’s subdued demeanour on the radio, his drop shot wasn’t working (!) and when he broke, Musetti broke back (twice) and the second set went to a tiebreak, where Alcaraz strung some points together, with a mix of solid shots and the occasional big shot. That seemed to free Alcaraz up, because he was suddenly hitting those booming forehands, pulling off dropshots, and, more importantly, winning point after point. Towards the end of the third set, Musetti called on the trainer, who didn’t seem to do much. Alcaraz had bagelled him in about twenty minutes, and after winning two more games at the start of the fourth just as easily, Musetti retired. Hmm.
I paid less attention to the Sinner v Djokovic night-time match, but understand that Sinner won in three long sets, perhaps emphasising that a corner has been turned at the top of men’s tennis. Olympics aside, Alcaraz and Sinner, who will be facing off in a grand slam final for the first time, have divvied up the last five Slams, setting themselves apart from all the other twentysomethings. The commentators were murmuring that Djokovic’s best chance was at Wimbledon, (where Alcaraz has twice beaten him. We haven’t seen Sinner at his best on the grass yet, but he’s bound to improve…and Draper is a prospect and big servers have got to believe…) but yes, of course, Djokovic will have to be mentioned as a serious contender, he’s still hungry and aware that time and his body are against him.
I joined the women’s finals (on radio, where they kept cutting to update us about sporting events I didn’t care about) quite late in the lengthy first set, to learn that Sabalenka had raced to a lead, got pegged back. She had set points, but had to go to a tiebreaker to win the first set. It was extremely windy. Gauff responded better after a toilet break, while Sabalenka made errors, did not adjust for the wind and expended a lot of energy. Gauff won the second set quite easily, and was ahead at the start of the third. When Sabalenka stopped her from getting a double break, it seemed as though the match was swinging again, but she couldn’t quite come up to parity. She made Gauff serve it out, and there was high drama (as there was throughout, it won’t go down as a match of great play) on the first match point, and some on the second, but the player who would win her first French Open was Coco Gauff, who coped with the conditions and her nerves better, the great defender against the great attacker.
Heartbreaking for Sabalenka, to lose her second grand slam final this year, and Gauff has now won both her slams against Sabalenka. The still no. 1 will be desperate to win at Wimbledon, but Gauff has crowned her consistently good clay-court season with one of the big ones, which will only burnish her reputation.
Better conditions for the men’s final, the first time Sinner and Alcaraz would meet at a grand slam final, and as both had won every final they’d been in, a new experience for one of them. I listened to the first set and a half on the radio (less cutting away to sports I didn't care about than on a Saturday.) They both started off brilliantly, Alcaraz getting more break points on his opponent’s serve, but after breaking, his level went down a bit, while Sinner remained consistent, broke back and won the first set. He was ahead at the start of the second, when I reluctantly left it there.
I rejoined to find that Alcaraz was serving for 3-1 in the fifth set in what may have already been the longest French Open final. (I’d assumed it would be done and dusted, so I hadn’t checked before.) So, I only know what happened in outline – that Sinner had three championship points on Alcaraz’s serve in the fourth set, but could not convert. I don’t know if he wasn’t allowed to or if he messed up, or what, although I think the crowd helped Alcaraz believe. [It sounds like Alcaraz won it.] Sinner didn’t get championship points in his next service game, Alcaraz won the fourth set and had broken early in the fifth.
Sinner was in a worse physical shape, but fended off another break, and when Alcaraz was serving, four points away from winning, he was the one who played solid tennis, and levelled the match at 5-5, staved off a break point (or two) as the level increased again for the last two games. 6-6, and it was the first 10-point tiebreak to decide a French Open final. And Alcaraz went for it, winner after winner. 6-0 up is not quite what it is in a normal tiebreak. [Two of which had been played already in this match.] Sinner won a couple of points, but Alcaraz was brave and brilliant. After five hours and twenty-nine minutes, the defending champion won, leaving the radio commentators gibbering that this was the best tennis match ever. [The general consensus seems to be that it was one of the best tennis matches ever.] The top two have birthed a new rivalry, with both of them pushing each other, able to cope with pace and shots that most of the rest of the field could not, both wanting to win so badly, [Alcaraz was down two sets! Sinner could have won in three, and would have against any other player!] and somehow, after all that time, all that pressure, Alcaraz found a blaze of glory. Wow.
It's going to hurt Sinner, and he’s going to come back hungrier. (Wimbledon!?) Much will be written, much will be said about this final, though, and, if they stay healthy, about this rivalry, with enough difference to their style of play and personalities to make it appealing, not to mention the stratospheric level of play to gawp at.
I'm posting this now - I may come back and edit - because the grass season has begun, and it on TV that I can watch, starting with women playing at Queen's for the first time in decades.
