2024 Shanghai Open ATP Master's 1000 QF - [3] Carlos Alcaraz Garfia (SPN) v/s [30] Tomáš Macháč (CZE)

who wins?

  • Macháč in 2 sets

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Macháč in 3 sets

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    10
  • Poll closed .

FeroBango

Legend
Hahahaha

Sorry for the laughter, but after hearing Alcaraz fanboys for days leveraging h2h with Sinner to demonstrate his superiority in the season, this is yet another demonstration of how wrong the assessment is. It's too easy to show up for the appointment when you're on top of your game, only to miss it in many other circumstances where Sinner could have easily gotten rid of him. Federer-Nadal 2006 remember.

Sinner is the real number 1 in name and in fact.
Hahaha your boy is still 0-3 and has only as many slams as Alcaraz ... that's just this year alone.

Plus it helps that Sinner has both consistency and roids in his system.
 
Primarily because he doesn't change his gameplan or tactics in such situations. What he should've done was to change the pattern of play by engaging in sharp angled rallies instead of mostly mid-court ones. It was evident that Machac was prone to spraying if stretched wide on either side, but Alcaraz kept trying to outpunch him & got punished.

Another option was to throw moonballs on to the baseline and wait for Machac to implode, but he instead kept giving him comfortable height balls to crush.
This is a good point. Alcaraz has all the talent in world but his tennis IQ does need work. If he gets into trouble in a match or the pattern of play goes against him he doesn’t change it up or adapt. It is something he has to work on to show he has a plan B or C if he’s usual plan isn’t working on the day. I agree with your analysis.
 

Rafa4LifeEver

G.O.A.T.
True but Alcaraz didn't help himself with some dubious errors. He essentially handed over the break again at the end of the match, and by tightening up at BP chances.
Again, look at some of the losses that he's had this year against players who were bigger hitters than him, the pattern of play on Alcaraz's side is the same & has proven to be disastrous

Zverev at AO
Jarry at Argentina
Draper at Queens
Machac at Shanghai

Alcaraz kept trying to outhit a redlining, bigger hitting opponent and it didn't work.
 

Rafa4LifeEver

G.O.A.T.
This is a good point. Alcaraz has all the talent in world but his tennis IQ does need work. If he gets into trouble in a match or the pattern of play goes against him he doesn’t change it up or adapt. It is something he has to work on to show he has a plan B or C if he’s usual plan isn’t working on the day. I agree with your analysis.
So far, there are only 2 matches in which I've seen him using his brain, changing tactics & gameplan after getting outplayed initially.
Against Djokovic in 2023 Wimbledon F
Against Sinner in 2024 Indian Wells SF
 

sortof

Professional
Very nice result, the rats inconsistency is something to rely on. Now I hope that the juicy carrot boy wins his 3rd hardcourt masters title in 2024.
 

Succession

Semi-Pro
Low-key?

Over-powering the most aggressive on tour? Not backing off when he started doubting himself a little?

Super impressive to keep the foot on the gas like that and stick to a working game plan. Respect.
Raz's perfomance, not Mahac's. But as said, I haven't seen much
 

Succession

Semi-Pro
Primarily because he doesn't change his gameplan or tactics in such situations. What he should've done was to change the pattern of play by engaging in sharp angled rallies instead of mostly mid-court ones. It was evident that Machac was prone to spraying if stretched wide on either side, but Alcaraz kept trying to outpunch him & got punished.

Another option was to throw moonballs on to the baseline and wait for Machac to implode, but he instead kept giving him comfortable height balls to crush.
That what was my feeling - Raz tactically not on top. With more variation and new gameplans I guess the result would have been different
 

Bastion

Semi-Pro
Once again, we learn that no one, but no one, whether goats of the past present or future, is unbeatable.

All top tennis players are great men, but always mere men, mortals, no gods. Even Superman died...

Only Father Time is unbeatable. :censored:
 

FeroBango

Legend
Cmon. He doesn’t really care that much and he likely already knew anyways. Stop turning ATP into WTA drama
Nah he didn't know, he was hoping he wouldn't retire soon just a few days ago.

If you say he doesn't care much, others can say he does indeed care quite a bit. You can't counter a subjective take with another subjective take that masquerades as a fact.
 
25 winners to 19 UE from Alcaraz. Yet loses to the one with 30 winners and 32 UE.

Shows you that being the better player in a match means nothing if you forget the cojones part of your tattoo on BP.

First of all, I thought Machac Played extremely well, but this is very typical of losses that Alcaraz has. He won 12 more return points, but didn’t win the breakpoints, something that has been a common theme in his losses. He has had bundles of breakpoint chances early on especially in most of these matches and doesn’t convert them and winds up losing.
 

albatros_forehand

Professional
Nah he didn't know, he was hoping he wouldn't retire soon just a few days ago.

If you say he doesn't care much, others can say he does indeed care quite a bit. You can't counter a subjective take with another subjective take that masquerades as a fact.
There is not a single reason why a 21 year old star still at the start of his career should feel in any way emotionally impacted by Nadal retiring. He was absent from tour for the most part in the last years and it’s not like he is dying. So any form of friendship they developed can still survive. They played doubles at Olympics and played together at Davis so all good. If he was the same age then I’d understand it would turn into a “Laver cup” cry fest as he would be projecting his own retirement but nah cmon.
 

FeroBango

Legend
First of all, I thought Machac Played extremely well, but this is very typical of losses that Alcaraz has. He won 12 more return points, but didn’t win the breakpoints, something that has been a common theme in his losses. He has had bundles of breakpoint chances early on especially, and most of these matches and doesn’t convert them and winds up losing.
Machac was incredible. Replicated the level he showed during set 1 of their Davis Cup encounter. Credits to him.

As for Raz, this unsettling habit of wasting BP will one day bite his back during a slam final and perhaps then his team will see this problem that's yet to be fixed.

He's a better Tennis player today imo, and is definitely a force to be reckoned with on all courts but his BP mentality cancels it all out.
 
Machac was incredible. Replicated the level he showed during set 1 of their Davis Cup encounter. Credits to him.

As for Raz, this unsettling habit of wasting BP will one day bite his back during a slam final and perhaps then his team will see this problem that's yet to be fixed.

He's a better Tennis player today imo, and is definitely a force to be reckoned with on all courts but his BP mentality cancels it all out.
Great analysis and I agree.
 

FeroBango

Legend
There is not a single reason why a 21 year old star still at the start of his career should feel in any way emotionally impacted by Nadal retiring. He was absent from tour for the most part in the last years and it’s not like he is dying. So any form of friendship they developed can still survive. They played doubles at Olympics and played together at Davis so all good. If he was the same age then I’d understand it would turn into a “Laver cup” cry fest as he would be projecting his own retirement but nah cmon.
Anyway this is not something where any of us can confidently say we are right. They did develop a bond though, and have known each other for years. We can speculate all we want but Machac played better and that's the story of the match.
 

Winner Sinner

Semi-Pro
Hahaha your boy is still 0-3 and has only as many slams as Alcaraz ... that's just this year alone.

Plus it helps that Sinner has both consistency and roids in his system.
A true number 1 of the season does not lose to Jarry, Dimitrov, Draper, Monfils, VdZ, Machac.
 

FailBetter

Semi-Pro
Fair play to Machac. Great win for him. Alcaraz is so hard to work out. One week he’s unplayable and can beat sinner and Djokovic and has the highest level possible. Then other weeks he’s off it and loses to lesser players.

The alcaraz vs sinner rivalry and records race is interesting because alcaraz has proven to be the better big match player in meetings and finals but sinner is a lot more consistent and doesn’t lose to lesser players like Carlos does.

I didn’t expect this after alcaraz fine form in Beijing and starting this event but you just never know in sport.
sinner has this conistency only since the end of last year. just give carlos some time he isnt so long on the tour like jannik
 

Winner Sinner

Semi-Pro
A pinch of Clostebol would help Raz tbh. Agreed. He isn't the true no.1
Ok, I'm pleased that now that the discussion on who is the real number 1 in the world is definitively over (it really shouldn't have been asked), the topic has completely changed to allude to Clostebol. After all, it is the only thing we can hold on to at the moment given that for the results obtained in 2024 Sinner>Alcaraz is the definitive answer. Indeed we must hope that Sinner is disqualified, otherwise for future events "Houston we have a problem". Sinner's consistency will always prevail over Alcaraz's peaks in the economy of a season. I accept bets that the Italian will end his career with many more seasons at number 1 than the Spaniard.
 

Genie Of the Bank

Hall of Fame
Acaraz is just too young to learn how to pace himself for indoors season. He needs to practice with Novak, to learn a thing or two from the old master .

194cc354ef9bbba4caee4e04053e2667
 

FeroBango

Legend
Ok, I'm pleased that now that the discussion on who is the real number 1 in the world is definitively over (it really shouldn't have been asked), the topic has completely changed to allude to Clostebol. After all, it is the only thing we can hold on to at the moment given that for the results obtained in 2024 Sinner>Alcaraz is the definitive answer. Indeed we must hope that Sinner is disqualified, otherwise for future events "Houston we have a problem". Sinner's consistency will always prevail over Alcaraz's peaks in the economy of a season. I accept bets that the Italian will end his career with many more seasons at number 1 than the Spaniard.
There was no discussion about Sinner here (negatively that is, for I had hailed Sinner's game in a comment earlier) until you shoved him here in a way that's condescending, typical of an Italian Sinner fan.

The younger, still more accomplished Alcaraz with more upside to his game, who is 3-0 against Sinner and the reigning Channel Slam champion, likely will have the better career but unlike Sinner fans, I can't say anything for sure.

There's no allusion here. Alcaraz could do with some clostebol and become the beast that's Sinner 2.0.
 

Winner Sinner

Semi-Pro
There was no discussion about Sinner here (negatively that is, for I had hailed Sinner's game in a comment earlier) until you shoved him here in a way that's condescending, typical of an Italian Sinner fan.

The younger, still more accomplished Alcaraz with more upside to his game, who is 3-0 against Sinner and the reigning Channel Slam champion, likely will have the better career but unlike Sinner fans, I can't say anything for sure.

There's no allusion here. Alcaraz could do with some clostebol and become the beast that's Sinner 2.0.
I repeat, the excuse for my sarcasm is dictated exclusively by those who, taking advantage of the seasonal direct clashes between the two, alluded that Alcaraz was the real number 1 of the season when, due to the gap in the ranking, consistency of results, tournaments won, and overall performance in the majors, the question shouldn't even have arisen. Today we had yet another confirmation of this, while Sinner demolishes Medvedev, Alcaraz loses you in two sets against Machac.

It's too easy to rely on direct clashes (among other things, all very balanced) when on all the other occasions in which Sinner could have beaten him the other was eliminated by opponents that Sinner has (Dimitrov in Miami) or would have demolished.


Just as it is too easy to insinuate Clostebol by implying that Sinner used steroids to improve performance. But who says that?
The independent tribunal and Wada itself with its appeal have averted this thesis from climbing on mirrors. If he is convicted it will certainly not be for that reason but possibly for negligence.

And I would like to specify that the comparison is aimed exclusively at this 2024 where Sinner>Alcaraz, no one doubts the evidence that if we base ourselves on the entire career of both so far it is Alcaraz>Sinner. These are all objective facts. Objectivity evidently unknown to many.
 
Machac was incredible. Replicated the level he showed during set 1 of their Davis Cup encounter. Credits to him.

As for Raz, this unsettling habit of wasting BP will one day bite his back during a slam final and perhaps then his team will see this problem that's yet to be fixed.

He's a better Tennis player today imo, and is definitely a force to be reckoned with on all courts but his BP mentality cancels it all out.

Especially those first four games as they really have nothing to do with anything other than pure tennis level, i.e., not about fitness, not much about mentality and pressure, etc. He almost always has breakpoint chances in those first few games and if he doesn’t get them, you know that something is going to be going on in that match.
 
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Pheasant

Legend
What a major bummer that Alcaraz lost. I guess that happens. I wish that he'd perhaps pull a Medvedev against certain players and stand near the fence to return serves from certain players. He needs to change something regarding his return of serve against certain players. He needs to mix up his play in general.

Regarding Machac serves, he was broken 6 times in his first 3 matches of this tourney. But Alcaraz only managed to break him once.

Hopefully, Alcaraz can use this as a learning experience. I think that when he gets this sorted out, he'll be a stone-cold killer on hard courts as well. He's still very dangerous as it is. But I think that he'll get much more consistent as he matures. After all, this juggernaut is only 21.
 

FeroBango

Legend
What a major bummer that Alcaraz lost. I guess that happens. I wish that he'd perhaps pull a Medvedev against certain players and stand near the fence to return serves from certain players. He needs to change something regarding his return of serve against certain players. He needs to mix up his play in general.

Regarding Machac serves, he was broken 6 times in his first 3 matches of this tourney. But Alcaraz only managed to break him once.

Hopefully, Alcaraz can use this as a learning experience. I think that when he gets this sorted out, he'll be a stone-cold killer on hard courts as well. He's still very dangerous as it is. But I think that he'll get much more consistent as he matures. After all, this juggernaut is only 21.
The thing is he didn't do what he did against Monfils at Cinci -- which is play horrendously. He played well enough to beat Machac and was in the latter's service games all the time except for the fact that he lost his brains every single time a BP appeared.

In fact Carlos was cruising in his service games and suffocating the opponent in the return games yet ended up being soundly beaten. He needs to get over his BP jitters.
 

Succession

Semi-Pro
There was no discussion about Sinner here (negatively that is, for I had hailed Sinner's game in a comment earlier) until you shoved him here in a way that's condescending, typical of an Italian Sinner fan.

The younger, still more accomplished Alcaraz with more upside to his game, who is 3-0 against Sinner and the reigning Channel Slam champion, likely will have the better career but unlike Sinner fans, I can't say anything for sure.

There's no allusion here. Alcaraz could do with some clostebol and become the beast that's Sinner 2.0.
Always on point!
 

top10

Semi-Pro
As I keep saying: Carlos is very vulnerable on hard courts and needs to seriously work on strategy and point construction
 
Great match by Machac. Alcaraz was reacting throughout the match after the third or fourth game. Well deserved win by Machac.
Yah man. Disappointed for Carlitos that he could not get through but what a couple of matches by Tomas! Yesterday against Tommy and today against Carlitos. I've been keeping an eye on TM since the Davis Cup match with Carlitos, when he also played superbly in the 1st set.
The thing is he didn't do what he did against Monfils at Cinci -- which is play horrendously. He played well enough to beat Machac and was in the latter's service games all the time except for the fact that he lost his brains every single time a BP appeared.

In fact Carlos was cruising in his service games and suffocating the opponent in the return games yet ended up being soundly beaten. He needs to get over his BP jitters.
Word. Kid continues on that learning curve. Good to see him to continue to pay well, but the required improvements will, I hope, be addressed.

Male Czech tennis is in good hands with Machac and Mensik.
True, man. Been interested in Mensik's game for a while and hoping he'll keep improving. Recently, Machac too. Lehecka plays well too.
 
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Again, look at some of the losses that he's had this year against players who were bigger hitters than him, the pattern of play on Alcaraz's side is the same & has proven to be disastrous

Zverev at AO
Jarry at Argentina
Draper at Queens
Machac at Shanghai

Alcaraz kept trying to outhit a redlining, bigger hitting opponent and it didn't work.
You do realize that Alacaraz just beat Sinner mostly by out hitting him right?

His forehand is probably the best on tour when clicking. For some reason today he just wasn't hitting it as hard as he was just a few matches ago.

He has it in him to outhit all those players you just listed.

He just had an off day and his opponent red lined and could have maybe beaten anyone today.
 

robyrolfo

Hall of Fame
sinner has this conistency only since the end of last year. just give carlos some time he isnt so long on the tour like jannik
Yeah, no... you can't compare them like that. People keep saying Carlos is younger, but he matured a lot earlier than Sinner.

Sinner has only been this way since the end of last year because he was still growing, maturing and improving. And there is almost certainly more to come if you listen to some of the things Darren Cahill says about the way he works and his approach to the game.

There's no allusion here. Alcaraz could do with some clostebol and become the beast that's Sinner 2.0.
You must seriously be kidding with your need to constantly bring this up. Nobody that is serious about the sport thinks that Sinner's performance level has been enhanced in any way whatsoever. So just give it a rest.
 

Winner Sinner

Semi-Pro
Here are the players who beat Alcaraz this season (I don't consider Monteiro);

Zverev
Jarry
Dimitrov
Rublev
Draper
Djokovic
Monfils
VdZ
Machac
And here is Sinner record this season against the same players;

Zverev 1-0
Jarry 1-0
Dimitrov 2-0
Rublev 2-1
Draper 1-0
Djokovic 1-0
Monfils 1-0
VdZ 2-0
Machac 1-0

Total 12-1
 
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