2019 Citi Open (Washington DC) - ATP 500 Thread

Who gets the title?

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  • Poll closed .
OMG, how Medvedev manages to manipulate that backhand like that, he's insane on the stretch. To find an angle like that in a difficult court position lol. Gets the break.
 
Medvedev with aces #4 and #5, quickly up 40-0. Ace #6 to consolidate for 4-2. Serving around 70% 1st serves in, career average is 58%, a bit lower than I'd thought it be tbh...
 
Apart from that one miserable service game, Cilic has played rather well. Keeping points pretty short and is finishing off points cleanly at the net or with serve/forehand combos.
 
The Green Mile said:
OMG, how Medvedev manages to manipulate that backhand like that, he's insane on the stretch. To find an angle like that in a difficult court position lol. Gets the break.
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Cilic has been in free fall in 2019 despite showing some glimmers of life here. He freaked FAA out and got him to choke on serve (call it the Isner effect where FAA intimidated by big servers).

When it comes to servebots Meddy is just a far superior model, Break it down:

Serve: Medvedev more pace, spin, and variety

Forehand: Medvedev more finesse

Backhand: Medvedev can hit 3 or more backhands in a row

Volleys: Medvedev more punch, touch, and feel

Overall, not a very flattering situation for a peak servebot against fresh-poking servebotster
 
Marin gets half a chance on return, proceeds to then miss badly on makeable shots. Rinse, repeat. Still on serve in the 2nd though, 3-3.
 
Cilic is hitting through Medvedev at the moment with some impressive depth control, but again, at 30-30 on return he completely shanks the forehand wide. Medvedev snuffs out the game with an ace to hold for 5-5.
 
Medvedev with 19 aces, anyhow besides serving a good match overall. Just one stupid error by Cilic proved to be costly.
 
The Green Mile said:
Medvedev wins 6/4 7/6. Fantastic match.
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You can't write Marin off for US Open Series with that 2nd set. He was punishing the balls and doing everything right against Meddy's calculating pushery. I think you've got to go to his US Open win and Cincy Masters to see betterer (and frankly in the 2nd set don't think you would have from the ground.)

Medvedev calm and calculating the whole time and it was amazing that their were no mini-breaks in TB until final point for 9-7. That was all quality serving and finally we have some top players brandishing some form for the US Open Series (Kyrgios in rare form his first set with Nishioki last night if one wants to fantasize about him showing up on a regular basis, but for Citi Open Kyrgios could be amazing if his serving clicks into full gear.)

Med's 19 aces to Cilic's 4 probably shows his serve game is finally heating up. Medvedev with 84% 2nd serve points won was comfortable going for aces in the 2nd set and 11 of his 16 first serves in play were aces, but just 47% first serves in play. Medvedev at 40.7% return points won on hard courts for the year so you add in some Roddick like serving and he's a pretty brutal player. Medvedev faced no break points today. Perfect hot conditions today for serving and this tournament finally heating up.:p
 
Last edited:
sortof said:
Medvedev with 19 aces, anyhow besides serving a good match overall. Just one stupid error by Cilic proved to be costly.
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Marin's lucky he held serve so deep in the breaker against Medvedev especially after having to work a bit on serve in the 2nd set despite excellent play from the ground. Medvedev was out there just pulling the wings off a fly and would have been happy to continue to a third and see if Marin could keep goating. Despite being outclassed (and Medvedev on track to greatly exceed Cilic's career exploits), hats off to Marin for finding his top form from the ground in the 2nd set after what has been a horrible 2019 where a healthy Cilic unbelievably is resting at 56 in the ATP race up 10 spots this week.:unsure: Marin is defending a lot of US Open Series points from here on out and currently in the 13-16 seed range. He's very likely to drop out of top 16 if he doesn't get some good draws even with the promising form.
 
LOL, Paire asking the Umpire "are you sure?" about the Stefanos serve, Umpire thought he said challenge. Paire burns one.

Doesn't matter in the end, Stefanos with a terrible service game and is broken to 15.
 
Big DF, 15-30. Shank forehand long, 2 BPs. Lazy footwork and he nets the inside in backhand attempt. Back on serve, 2-2. Contemplates smashing his racquet.
 
Paire serving at 3-4, making things very difficult for himself. 50% 1st serves, it's either unreturnables or DFs/errors off the ground :-D

He does hold on for 4-4.
 
If only Stefanos had a more consistent return as a standalone shot, he could be applying so much pressure on his opponent. Paire holds easily for 5-5.
 
Stefanos reading that little frontal tweener cross-court pass from Paire, covering it nicely. Strong hold for 1-0. Let out quite the outburst after saving BP to his box, pretty funny watching his body and facial language, immediately goes back to a more stoic look after losing it.
 
Paire leaking errors off the backhand side, pretty much out of options when that starts to happen, jesus.

Another terrible game full of inconsistencies, Stefanos breaks for 2-0.
 
More problems with the shoe laces, though this time it's on his serve at deuce. Paire not happy, "every match it's the same". Thinks it should always be on changeover.
 
I’m totally okay with this tantrum Paire is throwing. How is it that tsitsipas always has shoe problems when he is in a tough service game?
 
Paire the LostGen pigeon loser hits a new all-time low. Wonder what the fine will be for this?
 
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