2024 US Open Men’s Singles

Choose your Champion


  • Total voters
    77
  • Poll closed .

Olli Jokinen

Hall of Fame
I think his return has always been terrible, but am I imagining things, or did he not used to have a pretty good serve? What the hell happened to it?
His serve is just bad today. It's been pretty good the last month (and in general). His return game has also been somewhat ok recently, but today it's all gone. In general, his return game is his biggest weakness, though.
 

dxc

Rookie
To think he was seeded #4 at the USO last year, LOL
Have to say that he looked much better last year. Just struggling too much to hold his serve. He used to serve well, but not lately. But Rune is still capable of turning it around, but his record against Nakashima is horrible, so unless he suddenly finds his serve it looks impossible.
 

Aabye5

G.O.A.T.
Looks like Rune is going to be smashed by Nakashima again.
Don't know what is happening with Rune but main problem is that his serve is just so bad. Too few 1st serves so under pressure in his service games all the time. Also get too few returns in..Just awful in these 2 departments. Rallying OK, but that is not enough

I think Nakashima is his kryptonite. Brandon is fairly solid on serve and doesn't give away a lot of points. He isn't a flashy player, but Rune loves to be the flashiest player on court, so why not let him dig his own grave?
 

bw114

Rookie
As a big Holger fan, I don’t agree with all your guys’ diagnoses. While he needs to improve in both the serve and return departments, it’s really not what holds him back.

His biggest issue is lack of depth on his groundstrokes which results in matches like this one vs. Nakashima today. Rune gets into these neutral rallies, and because the quality of Rune’s ball is just not up to par (shorter and less width than average) Nakashima or whoever is able to attack, and top-50 players are not going to struggle to win points when you give them the same balls they’ve been drilling since they were six years old.

Rune is an excellent scrambler and extremely athletic, which is why he seems good in rallies. But the reason he can’t construct points or impose his will is just because of the quality of his rally ball.
 

Vincent-C

Legend
As a big Holger fan, I don’t agree with all your guys’ diagnoses. While he needs to improve in both the serve and return departments, it’s really not what holds him back.

His biggest issue is lack of depth on his groundstrokes which results in matches like this one vs. Nakashima today. Rune gets into these neutral rallies, and because the quality of Rune’s ball is just not up to par (shorter and less width than average) Nakashima or whoever is able to attack, and top-50 players are not going to struggle winning points when you give them the same balls they’ve been drilling since they were six years old.

Rune is an excellent scrambler and extremely athletic, which is why he seems good in rallies. But the reason he can’t construct points or impose is will is just because of the quality of his rally ball.
There is something to that last sentence, I think.
 

dxc

Rookie
His serve is just bad today. It's been pretty good the last month (and in general). His return game has also been somewhat ok recently, but today it's all gone. In general, his return game is his biggest weakness, though.
Yeah don't know what happened to his return game. Just get it in play
 

bw114

Rookie
There is something to that last sentence, I think.
That 15-30 point is pretty much Rune in a nutshell. Giving Nakashima short and middle balls the whole rally, Nakashima doing a good job of hitting wide and deep. Rune uses his elite athleticism and coverage to keep the point going and manages to hold on until Nakashima puts one long. But you are not going to win matches at a Grand Slam doing that every single point
 

dxc

Rookie
As a big Holger fan, I don’t agree with all your guys’ diagnoses. While he needs to improve in both the serve and return departments, it’s really not what holds him back.

His biggest issue is lack of depth on his groundstrokes which results in matches like this one vs. Nakashima today. Rune gets into these neutral rallies, and because the quality of Rune’s ball is just not up to par (shorter and less width than average) Nakashima or whoever is able to attack, and top-50 players are not going to struggle to win points when you give them the same balls they’ve been drilling since they were six years old.

Rune is an excellent scrambler and extremely athletic, which is why he seems good in rallies. But the reason he can’t construct points or impose his will is just because of the quality of his rally ball.
That is also an issue. He struggles between being too passive and hitting it short and being over aggressive and making too many errors hitting it long(probably also hitting it too flat)
 

fedfan24

Hall of Fame
how did a guy like rune make it to top 10? Whenever I’ve watched him this year he’s a complete mug, getting outplayed by anyone with a bit of consistency.
 

bw114

Rookie
how did a guy like rune make it to top 10? Whenever I’ve watched him this year he’s a complete mug, getting outplayed by anyone with a bit of consistency.
Obviously a part of it was that this year the competition on tour has been better than it was 2022 and 2023, but he really was a better player 1/1.5 years ago. I don’t know what happened to his BH, it used to be a fringe top-5 BH on tour. His forehand has always been middling (very hot and cold). Basically everything else is marginally worse now than it was then, but not drastically.
 

Olli Jokinen

Hall of Fame
Holger has no length on his shots today, and he's not hitting any winners, takes no initiative in rallies. Backhand is worse than ever. He looked good in Cincy, but today he's just a pusher with a lot of UE's. His team are probably going going to come up with some lame excuse after he's lost tha match.

"Holger had something in his ear and couldn't balance".
 

fedfan24

Hall of Fame
Time to switch off! Absolute garbage level. Probably less than 50% first serve, frequent BH UFE. Embarrassing mug!

Well done to nakashima for at least playing a good level for the crowd.
 

dxc

Rookie
Holger has no length on his shots today, and he's not hitting any winners, takes no initiative in rallies. Backhand is worse than ever. He looked good in Cincy, but today he's just a pusher with a lot of UE's. His team are probably going going to come up with some lame excuse after he's lost tha match.

"Holger had something in his ear and couldn't balance".
Before each tournament they are always super optimistic and positive. Like before this tournament, that his wrist is completely healed and he is able to hit his backhand 100%. Then when he loses, something was wrong before or during the match...
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
Looks like Rune is going to be smashed by Nakashima again.
Don't know what is happening with Rune but main problem is that his serve is just so bad. Too few 1st serves so under pressure in his service games all the time. Also get too few returns in..Just awful in these 2 departments. Rallying OK, but that is not enough

He fell off a cliff after the Halep positive test and has never recovered
 

Olli Jokinen

Hall of Fame
Before each tournament they are always super optimistic and positive. Like before this tournament, that his wrist is completely healed and he is able to hit his backhand 100%. Then when he loses, something was wrong before or during the match...
Still strange. He should have won against Tiafoe in Cincinnatti, had bad luck. Looked sharp again, but it's all gone now. It's only been a week.
 

bw114

Rookie
Zero for six on break points is telling for Rune
Eh, four of those were unreturned (good) first serves and another one was a pretty easy serve plus one IIRC. Bigger story is just that Nakashima has destroyed Rune from the baseline
 

dxc

Rookie
I think Rune thinks a bit too highly of his own game....Like he is somehow destined to win most matches against anyone...
 

bw114

Rookie
What’s Nakashima’s ceiling in terms of ranking? For as poorly as Rune has played Nakashima has not exactly given him many openings. I watch Brandon in Cincy and Canada and he seems to destroy the ball but I’m not really sure I’d say he’s a future top 10 player
 

NoleFam

Bionic Poster
What’s Nakashima’s ceiling in terms of ranking? For as poorly as Rune has played Nakashima has not exactly given him many openings. I watch Brandon in Cincy and Canada and he seems to destroy the ball but I’m not really sure I’d say he’s a future top 10 player
Tbh, I haven't watched a ton of his matches but he beat Paul and Fritz this hardcourt season. He has to be playing pretty darn well. This is a tough 1st round opponent and Rune wasn't expecting this kind of level I think.
 

fedfan24

Hall of Fame
6 first serves missed in a row, a DF, and he keeps running around his FH to hit BHs even though his BH is garbage. Does this guy have 2 brain cells?
 

fedfan24

Hall of Fame
Nets another basic 2nd serve, this time on FH side. Hope this guy has a career ending injury. Disgrace to the sport.
 

Aabye5

G.O.A.T.
6 first serves missed in a row, a DF, and he keeps running around his FH to hit BHs even though his BH is garbage. Does this guy have 2 brain cells?

It's probably a disservice to allow players to receive coaching during the match. They never will be able to figure it out on their own.
 
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