ATP500 Barcelona Open 2024

[Rattie]

Clearly not a big Norrie fan here, but also don't get why he is so underrated. He won Indian Wells and got to the Semifinal of Wimbledon... could've even won it without Djokovic. Won many other titles including a 500 on clay. Beat Alcaraz twice in their last 3 matches. Beat Nadal and Rublev last year. Beat Ruud this year at the Australian Open and then took Zverev to 5.

He is always an underdog in these kind of tournaments. No one beats him comfortably if you look at his results. Nothing shocking to see him win against Mayot or Bautista.

He won IW without playing a single top 10 player, his highest ranked opponent being Schwartzman.
He got to a WB semi having only played one seeded opponent - the No 30. He’s played 21 slams and basically never got very far other than on that occasion, besides one 4th round at the USO.
He beat an injured Alcaraz in Rio this year and has a losing H2H against Carlos.
He also has a losing H2H against Rafa 1-5, his only win being a rusty Rafa trying to come back from injury.
Nothing about his results this year is particularly stand out.
So yeah, he’s not underrated imo. He’s a middle man, nothing impressive compared to the elite players.

 

[Move]

Dropperrrrrrrr

 

[nolefam_2024]

He won IW without playing a single top 10 player, his highest ranked opponent being Schwartzman.
He got to a WB semi having only played one seeded opponent - the No 30. He’s played 21 slams and basically never got very far other than on that occasion, besides one 4th round at the USO.
He beat an injured Alcaraz in Rio this year and has a losing H2H against Carlos.
He also has a losing H2H against Rafa 1-5, his only win being a rusty Rafa trying to come back from injury.
Nothing about his results this year is particularly stand out.
So yeah, he’s not underrated imo. He’s a middle man, nothing impressive compared to the elite players.

That is the context everyone needs. Right place right time.

 

[Hitman]

DA with the mini break 4-2

 

[nolefam_2024]

Tsitsipas FH is leaking errors faster than ever.

 

[Rattie]

That is the context everyone needs. Right place right time.

Sorry, I was catching up

 

[Move]

FDA will reach highest ranking ?

 

[Hitman]

Oh no!!!!

 

[nolefam_2024]

Game over? 2 mini break down

 

[Rattie]

How the hell did he miss that?

 

[The Guru]

Wow Stefanos has really given this away

 

[Hitman]

Wow!

Double break given back. Both feel it now.

 

[nolefam_2024]

5-5

 

[Kralingen]

Insane TB so far. Very chokey.

 

[Hitman]

5-5

 

[Rattie]

Wow Stefanos has really given this away

Not quite

 

[The Guru]

Lol what a ****ty TB

 

[nolefam_2024]

Not quite

Thankfully.

 

[Hitman]

MP Tsitsipas, come on, finish it.

 

[Rattie]

Come on Stef!

 

[mightyjeditribble]

Tsitsipas is looking tired. All the tennis he has played recently may be catching up with him.

Still, he has match point here after being a double break down and two points from defeat. Can he convert on Diaz Acosta's serve?

 

[Kralingen]

Stefanos misses a match winning BH by maybe 5 millimeters and we go to 6-6. Wow.

 

[Hitman]

This tie break is on the knife edge. 6-6

 

[Move]

Nice TB lots of suspension

 

[Hitman]

DA with MP now...

 

[The Guru]

Wow amazing defense to get back in it then send the BH wide 6-6

 

[Hitman]

Massive serve to save it. We keep going.

 

[nolefam_2024]

Down the wire.

 

[Rattie]

This tie break is on the knife edge. 6-6

The drama!

 

[mightyjeditribble]

MP saved. Another must-hold serve for Tsitsipas ...

 

[Hitman]

Look at that shot from Tsitsipas!

 

[nolefam_2024]

Look at that shot from Tsitsipas!

He is a shotmaker. One of my favorites despite the handicap.

 

[Rattie]

MP Tsitsipas

 

[Move]

This gets better and better !!

 

[Hitman]

OMG!!! What a point! 8-8

 

[Rattie]

DA refusing to go away

 

[Rattie]

Choke

 

[Hitman]

And then a DF!!!

MP Tsitsi

 

[mightyjeditribble]

Hm, you could sort of see this DF coming, DA looked very nervous when he went for the second serve. Shame though.

 

[nolefam_2024]

2 DF in tiebreak, wow

 

[Hitman]

Finally, he wins!!! Man that was a tiring watch. Brutal match.

 

[Kralingen]

Two MPs saved by Fecundo now but he DFs due to the pressure! Stefanos wins and immediately falls to the clay. Damn, that was a crazy final set

 

[Rattie]

And he’s done it. Well done Stef

 

[mightyjeditribble]

I thought Tsitsipas might double-fault right back there, that first serve looked so tight. But he doesn't and somehow wins the match. He looks as though he's running on fumes a bit, though.

 

[Hitman]

One of the best matches this year IMO. That was something else.

 

[Rattie]

Finally, he wins!!! Man that was a tiring watch. Brutal match.

Good for his confidence. To be fair, what with MC and this, he deserves this positivity considering his decline over the last 12 months.

 

[Move]

Crazy match, also statistics wise

 

[The Guru]

A little bit much on the celly for winning a 500 QF but huge for Stef that he came through there

 

[-snake-]

...

 

[nolefam_2024]

Tsitsipas is 2 spots ahead at 6th in the race now. Will get to top 5 if he wins Barcelona open.