nolefam_2024
Bionic Poster
All american semis of a slam
2024 US Open Mens Quarterfinals: [9] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) vs [20] Frances Tiafoe (USA)
- Thread starter chjtennis
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dropshotlikeitshot
Professional
Avoided the bagel, that’s all he prolonged the match for
MasturB
Legend
Not sure. I started watching right as the third set started. Seems about when he started slowing down.
NYTennisfan
Hall of Fame
The guy is in real pain, no point in delaying the inevitable or hurting himself worse somehow.
basilcilantro
Rookie
Any lip readers out there? Curious what they said to each other at the net.
onyxrose81
Hall of Fame
No he couldn’t. He was grimacing badly just walking in the hallway. Playing more could have done even worse damage. He should have retired earlier.
Shame for Grigor but congrats to Foe.
That's not star power -- it's entertainment value for the people already there. Star power is what gets people to the match when they have no idea what's going to happen, who's going to win, what the level of play will be, what antics they will witness, etc. It's possible to be both charismatic in person and relatively obscure in the public eye.
MasturB
Legend
Sure.
We're also in one of the most bizarre uncertain transitional periods in tennis in quite some time.
Novak is still a threat to win a slam but not a sure thing to win anymore because age may finally be playing a factor in his career.
Carlitos is mostly consistent but had a weird hiccup this tourney.
Sinner has that weird cloud over him.
Felix disappointing. Tsitsipas, Zverev, might have had their best chances to win a slam already and they're still young.
This might be the new norm now. We just were so used to the Big 3 + Murray consistently getting through the second week of slams and claiming spots in the finals and semis for almost two full decades.
Oh and Ruud is essentially useless off clay.
MasterSlice74
Rookie
Couldn't understand what they said exactly, but from the few words I could read and their gestures it seemed like tiafoe was asking dimitrov what happened, and dimitrov was explaining, etc.
NYTennisfan
Hall of Fame
Tiafoe is the most popular American player at the most popular American event, he's a USO star even though he's never won the event, just listen to how electric the crowds are for a Tiafoe match it's just "different" when he's on center court at night. He might not have the star power of The Big 3 or Alcaraz but he's definitely a major draw at American events. Tonight is a weird night, the first day back to work after a Holiday weekend and back to school for most kids so that's probably why the seats weren't entirely full.
nolefam_2024
Bionic Poster
Sinner has no weird cloud over him. You are just trying to find negative in everything
He is your number 1 and damn consistent 90% territory player. You want consistency go towards the light that is sinner
He was very fortunate against a poor Rublev, his chances of beating an in form Tiafoe and Fritz we're very slim to begin with.
Dude, he is already 33. Remember what happened to Fed after AO2020.
basilcilantro
Rookie
MasturB
Legend
Probably had hope if he played Medvedev since nobody is as good at self destructing as Medvedev.
Sinner I agree it would have been a complete route.
MasturB
Legend
He's going to have to be consistent for the next two-three years winning a few slams for a lot of people to forget the bizarreness of the failed drug tests.
Rafa and Novak were accused of doping for years but never failed a drug test.
Sinner hasn't even hit his peak yet and already failed two?
I like watching him, but it definitely was NOT good press or the game of tennis that they had to explain why he had to give up prize money etc but not get the hammer for the drug tests.
My definition is not based on what motivates or pleases you. It's based on what motivates or pleases huge mass audiences.
I wasn't the one who observed that empty seats were visible. I'm merely offering an explanation. Tiafoe and Dimitrov both have their fans. But this is no marquee matchup.
bluetrain4
G.O.A.T.
Man, that sucks. I was rooting for Tiafoe, but would not have minded a Grigor win, since I like him. It's just a terrible way to end. You want to see a great match, no matter who wins.
What happened? His injury just seemed to come out of nowhere. But, cramps and stiffness/tightness can do that. Just suddenly it comes and it's your hip, hamstring, butt. Looked like he just tightened up. Or more serious? Why didn't he take an MTO?
What happened? His injury just seemed to come out of nowhere. But, cramps and stiffness/tightness can do that. Just suddenly it comes and it's your hip, hamstring, butt. Looked like he just tightened up. Or more serious? Why didn't he take an MTO?
MasturB
Legend
Fred was 38 or 39 at that point with tons tons more matches played and mileage on his body than Dimi is right now.
Although with how much Dimitrov grinds every match and has the same way for the last 10 years, he probably has run the same total distance on court playing a few matches per tournament than Roger had playing to the semis and finals almost every tourney.
Dimi also never had the serve Roger had. The cheap points from aces and unreturned serves after Rog switched to the 97 racquet cannot be understated on how much that extended his career. Rafaalso never developed his serve enough to get aces and cheap points. Novak to his credit has improved his serve as he's gotten older which has helped his body survive the type of game he is known for.
Yeah, since 2015 he has fundamentally been a grinder.
His serve is just criminal given his height and frame.
Jack the Hack
Hall of Fame
Grigor did take a MTO after the 3rd set ended. He was off the court with a trainer for about 10 minutes before the 4th set started.
They didn't announce what happened and Grigor didn't say anything audible other than when he told his coaches that he couldn't take more than two steps in a row towards a shot. It looked like a hamstring or lower back strain.
bluetrain4
G.O.A.T.
I didn't realize that. I thought he just went for a bathroom break and it was far to the locker room.
robyrolfo
Hall of Fame
Did you see his quarter final against Alcaraz in Miami? He wiped the floor with Carlos, and Alcaraz was in decent form (having just won IW). Then then played great again to beat Zverev.
Gregor can bring it.
Ok, but that's only because Tiafoe hasn't actually won anything really big, like a slam. If he won a slam, he would be getting close, and if he won multiple slams he would definitely be a huge star in the USA. He has a good personality, a fun game to watch, and he ticks all the right boxes that people seem to need ticked these days.
RF-18
Talk Tennis Guru
He did take an off court MTO after set 3 was done.
Yea it's weird. He is definitely fragile once he progresses through lots of matches. Against Medvedev at Wimbledon he also injured himself out of nowhere and the match had barely started after steamrolling the draw up to that match. Must be devastating to experience that. One moment you are fine the next you can barely run anymore.
MeatTornado
Talk Tennis Guru
That wasn't me overhyping Dimitrov based on his rank. Because all those things are true for Tiafoe and Fritz too, and they're still below him. It was more of a negative for them.
MasturB
Legend
If Tiafoe or Fritz win a slam God help us.
It would be better than seeing Ruud winning the French after Novak, Sinner, Alcaraz, Tsitispas all get upset in week 1 and Ruud would beat Nishioka in the Final.
bluetrain4
G.O.A.T.
They can do nothing but try. I don't see why it's so terrible. It's not their fault the draw got busted. If Sinner or Med can't stop them (which I fully expect they can), that's on them.
Busted draws happen, flukey winners happen. Not often (and certainly not in a while), but it's not unprecedented. It won't ruin tennis. The top players will still go on to win the vast majority of Slams and everything will be in order in the tennis world.
mightyjeditribble
Legend
What a shame! Would have loved Dimitrov to make it to a slam final.
I hope Tiafoe makes the final now, I think he's more exciting than Fritz. Unlikely that either of them will win the whole thing - but you never know.
I hope Tiafoe makes the final now, I think he's more exciting than Fritz. Unlikely that either of them will win the whole thing - but you never know.
Djokovic_is_the_best#1
Bionic Poster
Sad way for the match to end. Hope dimi is okay. Huge congrats to Tiafoe though. What a tournament for him and Fritz. We guaranteed an American in the final. This is huge for American tennis and this tournament this week.
speedysteve
Legend
Dimi was on fire earlier on.
Sad to end like that but 'that's life' as the song goes.
Sad to end like that but 'that's life' as the song goes.
When you see the way the second set ended, you can see why neither player has gotten the gold. I don't mean to take anything away from either -that second set was the most entertaining, most fun set I have seen this tourney. And the final three DFs were icing on the insane cake.
But imagine any of the big four on the other side of the net - their consistency through the pressure. I thought maybe this time it would be different, that having Foe or Grigor on the other side would have calmed their nerves, but the nerves seem to exist no matter what. It's the occasion, not the opponent.
But imagine any of the big four on the other side of the net - their consistency through the pressure. I thought maybe this time it would be different, that having Foe or Grigor on the other side would have calmed their nerves, but the nerves seem to exist no matter what. It's the occasion, not the opponent.
Bill Lobsalot
Hall of Fame
Best of five tourneys are survival of the fittest, not necessarily who's the best.
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