2022 National Bank Open M1000 - Montreal (ATP)

[fundrazer]

Not sure how I feel about Draper PCB match so far. Points dragging on way too long.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

How does a big guy like Draper not have a big forehand? Yikes, every time he hits it down the line, PCB just casually goes over there and returns it.

 

[USMC-615]

Not sure how I feel about Draper PCB match so far. Points dragging on way too long.

That’s what folks pay good money for and wanna see. At this rate one will crash and burn by the third set if it makes it that far.

 

[BGod]

Evans makes 2nd Masters Semi, first on hard and could face a fellow Brit Qualifier to boot. 30 min for just the first 4 games so far.

 

[Baseline_Bungle]

Not sure how I feel about Draper PCB match so far. Points dragging on way too long.

How does a big guy like Draper not have a big forehand? Yikes, every time he hits it down the line, PCB just casually goes over there and returns it.

Nothing wrong with Draper's forehand. This court is weird and it gets slower at night. Plus, well... Busta.

 

[fundrazer]

That’s what folks pay good money for and wanna see. At this rate one will crash and burn by the third set if it makes it that far.

Long rallies where both guys are making more errors than winners.

The good tennis as Nadal would call it I guess.

 

[USMC-615]

Long rallies where both guys are making more errors than winners.

The good tennis as Nadal would call it I guess.

Sometimes it be’s that way.

 

[Kralingen]

Pathetic Choke Boy strikes again with a UE and DF from 30-30. I’m barely watching this but it seems like Draper is going to be a top 25 player very very soon.

 

[Larry Duff]

Back on serve

 

[Tshooter]

29 poll votes. 1 correct vote.

3.5%. That seems about right for TTW. You’d do better throwing darts than relying on TTW collective wisdom.

 

[BGod]

I made a thread, first set warrants it.

Pathetic Choke Boy strikes again with a UE and DF from 30-30. I’m barely watching this but it seems like Draper is going to be a top 25 player very very soon.

I really missed Draper being an up and coming 20 year old (real young for today's Top 100).

If British tennis really gets behind him it would be interesting moving forward. Could be Top 10.

 

[BGod]

29 polls votes. 1 correct vote.

3.5%. That seems about right for TTW. You’d do better throwing darts than relying on TTW collective wisdom.

Well I didn't vote because I genuinely didn't think any of the stated players would win and voting Other isn't much fun. But I probably would have picked Kyrgios if he was an option.

 

[USMC-615]

29 polls votes. 1 correct vote.

3.5%. That seems about right for TTW. You’d do better throwing darts than relying on TTW collective wisdom.

Lmao

 

[Nostradamus]

So this is the most Useless semifinals boring TV watch ever or what ??

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

What a boring match. The fact that the match earlier was so much fun makes this match seem even more boring.

 

[BGod]

So this is the most Useless semifinals boring TV watch ever or what ??

Hurkacz & Busta routine to a Titan Final?

 

[guanzishou]

Busta is so tough....

Draper running out of gas...

 

[guanzishou]

Busta busted Jack.....

BLNT Jack

Well done Pablo!!

 

[BGod]

Incoming Busta vs. Hurkacz Final.

Closest I'd come to more recent Canada finals would be Farreira vs. Woodbridge in 96.......swell.

 

[NastyWinners]

It's not lazy. The kid works very hard, the problem is he is not working the right way, in my opinion.

Ah I meant I was being lazy and not looking up Rafas backhand to see if Toni is telling Felix to be more compact with his swing.

 

[Tshooter]

A tournament directors dream semis:

PCB v Evans

Her Cats v Rude

Let’s go PCB!

 

[Baseline_Bungle]

A tournament directors dream semis:

PCB v Evans

Her Cats v Rude

Let’s go PCB!

You should be pleased, the covidiot country par excellence gets what it deserves.

 

[Lauren_Girl']

A tournament directors dream semis:

PCB v Evans

Her Cats v Rude

Let’s go PCB!

The way PCB is playing right now, even Djokovic, Nadal or Zverev would've been in troubles if they'd played this tournament. This is the 2nd tournament in his life he shows this level of tennis (the 1st one was the Tokyo OG). Draper didn't even play a bad match today, but he was dismantled.

I have never been a fan of this player but if he wins the whole thing he will deserve it 100%. Fair is fair. And tbh I hope he wins it.

 

[Tshooter]

The way PCB is playing right now, even Djokovic, Nadal or Zverev would've been in troubles if they'd played this tournament. This is the 2nd tournament in his life he shows this level of tennis (the 1st one was the Tokyo OG). Draper didn't even play a bad match today, but he was dismantled.

I have never been a fan of this player but if he wins the whole thing he will deserve it 100%. Fair is fair. And tbh I hope he wins it.

TBH, so do I.

 

[Baseline_Bungle]

The way PCB is playing right now, even Djokovic, Nadal or Zverev would've been in troubles if they'd played this tournament. This is the 2nd tournament in his life he shows this level of tennis (the 1st one was the Tokyo OG). Draper didn't even play a bad match today, but he was dismantled.

I have never been a fan of this player but if he wins the whole thing he will deserve it 100%. Fair is fair. And tbh I hope he wins it.

Incredibile level, no doubt. But you just know he'll choke it up at some point.

Ruud's got this.

 

[BGod]

Hurkacz a 2 time Masters champ.

When Kafelnikov never won one and guys like Thiem, Delpo, Ferrer won 1. It's weird I tell you hwat.

 

[mike danny]

Berd didn't need speed. He simply planted himself and opened the court up with his powerful blows.

And that's why Nadal and Djokovic owned him.

 

[Tennfan123]

Busta schooled Draper I see.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

Despite all Big 3 being absent, who reaches the semis?

Busta and Evans, two veterans over the age of 30.

The semis should be dominated with young guys, but yet again they fail.

Just one of hundreds of proofs that NextGen don't struggle just because of Big 3, but because they're just plain bad.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

Fully agree. Same with Shapovalov, Hurkacz, Berrettini, Rune, Dimitrov, Rublev, Khachanov....all of them super talented, they'll linger around the Top 50/30 for like....forever. But you just know they are never going to win a major.

Shapovalov ------ 100% no slam ----- the guy won one small title and he's 23 or st already, mindless bomber and a whiner, classic underachiever
Hurkacz --------- he might actually do it, because he is more clutch than the others, Wimbledon for example
Berrettini -------- he keeps showing very good consistency but he doesn't have that slam vibe, seems like someone who'd lose a close final
Rune ------------ I can't predict this kid, he is a nutcase, probably will win a slam just because his generation is so bad
Dimitrov -------- of course not, I never considered him a potential slam winner, he was the same case as FAA, too scared of winning, improved but not enough
Rublev ---------- one-dimensional basher, just like Ferrer he has a certain ceiling and that ceiling is below slams, plus he's non-clutch at slams
Khachanov ------ powerful but not brilliant, never struck me as slam material

 

[Jokervich]

Shapovalov ------ 100% no slam ----- the guy won one small title and he's 23 or st already, mindless bomber and a whiner, classic underachiever
Hurkacz --------- he might actually do it, because he is more clutch than the others, Wimbledon for example
Berrettini -------- he keeps showing very good consistency but he doesn't have that slam vibe, seems like someone who'd lose a close final
Rune ------------ I can't predict this kid, he is a nutcase, probably will win a slam just because his generation is so bad
Dimitrov -------- of course not, I never considered him a potential slam winner, he was the same case as FAA, too scared of winning, improved but not enough
Rublev ---------- one-dimensional basher, just like Ferrer he has a certain ceiling and that ceiling is below slams, plus he's non-clutch at slams
Khachanov ------ powerful but not brilliant, never struck me as slam material

The problem is, most people take "never win a slam" dead literally and that means if you have a cupcake draw like Medvedev did last year (with a completely gassed Djokovic in the final, which was a virtual non-contest), one of them could fluke a slam win. That's what I always worry will happen when we say X player will "never win a slam".

 

[UnderratedSlam]

There's "slam aura" and then there's just "I think he has the skills to possibly take advantage of the right draw and nab a Slam." I thought FAA might be the latter - never destined to win, no concrete aura, but possible. Especially after his decent run at Slams from Wimbledon 2021 to AO 2022. Now I'm less sure.

There are numerous players who went far often in slams yet never won one.

Henman, Pioline, Leconte, Philippoussis, Corretja, Haas, Davydenko, Tsonga, Berdych, Robredo, Ferrer, Youzhny, and many others.

Going far in slams is certainly indication of quality but far from a guarantee of eventual slam success.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

Yes...but also no.

Where is the evidence of the "no"?

 

[PSNELKE]

The problem is, most people take "never win a slam" dead literally and that means if you have a cupcake draw like Medvedev did last year (with a completely gassed Djokovic in the final, which was a virtual non-contest), one of them could fluke a slam win. That's what I always worry will happen when we say X player will "never win a slam".

Nobody can call Medvedev's USO win last year a fluke. The man made the semis the year prior, losing to the eventual champion Thiem and the year before that he lost a super close 5 set final to Nadal. He followed up his US victory with another final at the AO. Apart from that, since 2019 he is on a 48-7 run on North American HCs.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

The problem is, most people take "never win a slam" dead literally and that means if you have a cupcake draw like Medvedev did last year (with a completely gassed Djokovic in the final, which was a virtual non-contest), one of them could fluke a slam win. That's what I always worry will happen when we say X player will "never win a slam".

You argument has an extreme flaw: Medvedev already had two runs into slam finals - and followed his slam triumph with another run at AO.

Nobody "accidentally and luckily" reaches 4 slam finals in a short space of time. Why didn't some other NextGenner do that? Most of them weren't even close to ONE final.

Besides, Medvedev crushing Djokovic is one year old, time for Novak's fans to stop shedding the tears and making pathetic excuses... He wasn't injured, he wasn't attacked by a shark in the 1st set, he lost because he was outplayed and because he crumbled under the pressure like a scared bunny lost in a large forest.

 

[BGod]

Shapovalov ------ 100% no slam ----- the guy won one small title and he's 23 or st already, mindless bomber and a whiner, classic underachiever
Hurkacz --------- he might actually do it, because he is more clutch than the others, Wimbledon for example
Berrettini -------- he keeps showing very good consistency but he doesn't have that slam vibe, seems like someone who'd lose a close final
Rune ------------ I can't predict this kid, he is a nutcase, probably will win a slam just because his generation is so bad
Dimitrov -------- of course not, I never considered him a potential slam winner, he was the same case as FAA, too scared of winning, improved but not enough
Rublev ---------- one-dimensional basher, just like Ferrer he has a certain ceiling and that ceiling is below slams, plus he's non-clutch at slams
Khachanov ------ powerful but not brilliant, never struck me as slam material

Dimitrov might be a case of age but broken draws are going to be commonplace so considering Isner, Anderson, Agut, Querrey, Berdych making Slam Semis in their 30s I'd say Dimitrov can absolutely luck out. On the other side with Shapovalov, he's still got his prime years left with a higher ceiling. Of course it's about winning 7 matches in a row but in both Shap & Grigor's case the Covid seasons did them no favors.

I remain hopefully especially of Shap but let's see.

As some have said, somebody has to win these Slams from 2025-2030 even if they're not legends of years passed.

 

[mike danny]

Dimitrov might be a case of age but broken draws are going to be commonplace so considering Isner, Anderson, Agut, Querrey, Berdych making Slam Semis in their 30s I'd say Dimitrov can absolutely luck out. On the other side with Shapovalov, he's still got his prime years left with a higher ceiling. Of course it's about winning 7 matches in a row but in both Shap & Grigor's case the Covid seasons did them no favors.

I remain hopefully especially of Shap but let's see.

As some have said, somebody has to win these Slams from 2025-2030 even if they're not legends of years passed.

Shapo can lose 7 straight matches better than winning them.

 

[Rattie]

Five aces in Hubi’s opening service game

 

[The Guru]

Beautiful slice pass

 

[The Guru]

wow clutch serving from hubie

 

[The Guru]

That was about as good a return game as you'll see from Ruud. Great stuff to start this match from both guys.

 

[The Guru]

Hubie should S&V more. He's been dead if the rally gets to neutral. Needs to up the aggression.

 

[Arak]

Ruud is looking like the better player so far.

 

[Legend of Borg]

Ruud is dominating with that forehand.

 

[The Guru]

Monster stuff from Ruud in that game. Was that 4 winners to break?

 

[flyingboris]

Impressive inside in FH by Ruud to snatch that break.

 

[Arak]

Hurkacz should seriously consider changing the brand of his overgrips. His racket keeps on slipping from his hand recently.

 

[The Guru]

Rarely see Ruud use the slice so well in a match either. Not been a huge factor or anything but he's gone to it in smart ways to construct good points.

 

[DSH]

Hurkacz's forehand is a big problem... for himself.

 

[The Guru]

More impressed with Ruud today than yesterday and that's saying a lot. It's a total mismatch from the baseline right now.