Dallas Open 250: Wolf vs Tiafoe plus other collegians...

[jcgatennismom]

10 former collegians out of 28 in 250 MD->1/3: Isner, Emilio Gomez, Giron, MacDonald, Steve Johnson, Eubanks, Rybakov, Holt, Diallo, Wolf. Wolf beat Holt in 1st rd. Former collegians in QFs: Wolf, Giron, Gomez, Isner-50%, not bad for a 250. Top seed Fritz plays Giron while #2 seed Tiafoe takes on Wolf at noon Central today (Friday). Big upset of tourney: Canadian Shapovalov lost to rising Chinese star Yibing Wu. Do you think Diallo will overtake Shap in 2-3 years? Shap used to be fun to watch but now he is the consummate choker. Wolf beat Shap at City open in DC

 

[Sureshot]

10 former collegians out of 28 in 250 MD->1/3: Isner, Emilio Gomez, Giron, MacDonald, Steve Johnson, Eubanks, Rybakov, Holt, Diallo, Wolf. Wolf beat Holt in 1st rd. Former collegians in QFs: Wolf, Giron, Gomez, Isner-50%, not bad for a 250. Top seed Fritz plays Giron while #2 seed Tiafoe takes on Wolf at noon Central today (Friday). Big upset of tourney: Canadian Shapovalov lost to rising Chinese star Yibing Wu. Do you think Diallo will overtake Shap in 2-3 years? Shap used to be fun to watch but now he is the consummate choker. Wolf beat Shap at City open in DC

Shapovalov’s game looks very good but he’s not posting Ws. Somewhere there’s something missing. Shap’s stock is declining while Diallo’s is rising. So at some point, yes.

Also noted the lack of mid major representation in the Pro singles ranks although plenty of folks in Pro doubles.

 

[Lazuras_Long]

Shapovalov’s game looks very good but he’s not posting Ws. Somewhere there’s something missing. Shap’s stock is declining while Diallo’s is rising. So at some point, yes.

Also noted the lack of mid major representation in the Pro singles ranks although plenty of folks in Pro doubles.

As a somewhat random aside, given how absolutely terrible the prize money is for doubles, how do former college players guys like Blumberg afford to chase tennis dreams?

i mean in Cleveland, Blumberg lost in the first round and had to a check of 545 with his partner while those who lost in first round of singles for 746.

I know that sponsorships help a lot but I’m totally baffled at how “doubles specialists” survive on tour. I mean if it’s basically impossible to survive solely on prize money for most challenger and below singles players, it’s got to be worse on the doubles side.

Do Dubs specialists have side jobs as hitting partners for singles players? Get guest instructors gigs while on location? Have big trust funds? Work for an International Gigolo Agency?

 

[Sureshot]

As a somewhat random aside, given how absolutely terrible the prize money is for doubles, how do former college players guys like Blumberg afford to chase tennis dreams?

i mean in Cleveland, Blumberg lost in the first round and had to a check of 545 with his partner while those who lost in first round of singles for 746.

I know that sponsorships help a lot but I’m totally baffled at how “doubles specialists” survive on tour. I mean if it’s basically impossible to survive solely on prize money for most challenger and below singles players, it’s got to be worse on the doubles side.

Do Dubs specialists have side jobs as hitting partners for singles players? Get guest instructors gigs while on location? Have big trust funds? Work for an International Gigolo Agency?

Lol to the last question (punchline?) I think they give themselves 2-3 years to make the ATP tour where they can get by on the prize money and can actually make an okay living if they play the slams. It’s a tough road and many bail because they can’t make the leap

 

[andfor]

Lol to the last question (punchline?) I think they give themselves 2-3 years to make the ATP tour where they can get by on the prize money and can actually make an okay living if they play the slams. It’s a tough road and many bail because they can’t make the leap

For dubs players if they can get in the top 50 and regularly make even just ATP 250 draws, usually the hotel is paid for until they loose, sometimes food is comped, so they get by.

I do see a number of guys who have been out there singles and doubles into their 30's with lower rankings and even lower lifetime earnings, so yeah, gotta wonder how they are funded.

 

[Sureshot]

JJ over Tiafoe in the quarters in Dallas. Great win. Changing of the guard?

 

[Lazuras_Long]

JJ over Tiafoe in the quarters in Dallas. Great win. Changing of the guard?

naw.

Firstly, JJs less than a year younger than Foe.

while Foe skipped college, so he seems “older”, they’re still functionally the same “generation”.


Secondly, JJ’s definitely on an upswing, and possesses a solid all round game. however he’s also new and no one’s really got a “book” on him yet.

while I don’t think he’s peaked yet, I don’t think JJ has the top 10 potential like Foe. Could be wrong.


Finally, as much as I love watching Foe, he’s basically one style of play. If you can stop him, you beat him as he doesn’t seem to have a plan B.
Maybe Foe underestimated Wolf, or maybe Wolf was able to prepare better against the more well known opponent.

I do look forward to their rematch

 

[andfor]

JJ over Tiafoe in the quarters in Dallas. Great win. Changing of the guard?

I look at it as adding to the guard.

 

[mikej]

I look at it as adding to the guard.

agreed

10 Americans in the top 46
12 in the top 56

awesome stuff

the top 4 (fritz, tiafoe, paul, korda) of those 12 skipped college, all the rest have at least a brief connection to college tennis (brooksby obviously being the weakest of those connections, the others put in a real season or more for their teams)