Madrid 2022 QF: (8) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs (2) Alexander Zverev

Who wins this QF match in Madrid?

  • Total voters
    3
  • Poll closed .
Aabye5

Aabye5

G.O.A.T.
This will be the 7th meeting between Zed and FAA.

- Alexander leads the h2h 4-2, and won their only previous match on the clay.
- Felix seems to enjoy the fast conditions in Madrid, and won their last match


Does Zverev continue his quest to repeat in Madrid or does FAA foil his plans?
 
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Alexander-Zverev-in-action-on-clay.jpg
 
I think Zverev will prevail. This is a very favorite tournament for him. I think if he does he will also defeat Tsistsipas and make it to the final. Time will tell!
 
"Here's a chance for Zverev. Auger-Aliassime's second serve is highly predictable." *FAA double faults to make it 15-40 double BP* "...and vulnerable."
 
Zverev gets an early break in the second set, 2-0.

So few posts in this thread! Hmmm... you would think all the FAA fans would be rooting him on!

If I had a chance to vote in the poll I would have voted Zverev in 2 sets... the poll closed before the match began.
 
Zverev might be a dark horse for RG. All the attention is on Djokodal, Alcaraz, and even Sissypas to a lesser extent.
 
Platopas to feast on DFraffe in the SF; if DFraffe takes a day off then we could have two really interesting SFs.
 
Few players are as frustrating to watch as FAA. Game wise, it’s all there. It’s not like Shapo, who’s always trying to make every shot as big as possible which makes him vulnerable to over hitting etc. When Felix is on, he’s got everything he needs and more. But most of the time, it just ends up like it did today. It’s painful to even look at him at times because you can really see the weight on his shoulders.
 
middleballs said:
Few players are as frustrating to watch as FAA. Game wise, it’s all there. It’s not like Shapo, who’s always trying to make every shot as big as possible which makes him vulnerable to over hitting etc. When Felix is on, he’s got everything he needs and more. But most of the time, it just ends up like it did today. It’s painful to even look at him at times because you can really see the weight on his shoulders.
Click to expand...
FAA has two big problems:

1. his mature sense of composure makes him quite often timid on the court. It’s as if he plays with a voice in his head telling him to not over-do it. He so rarely plays free.

2. His serve is a sneaky liability: it’s basically flat and/or slice and if he doesn’t blast it past the returner the ball just sits there in the slot. Add to this that he almost has zero kick serve on the AD side and you’ve got a guy who is super predictable on serve. The lack of kick from someone as athletic as he is takes the AD serve and volley play off the table. It’s a shame.
 
jdx2112 said:
FAA has two big problems:

1. his mature sense of composure makes him quite often timid on the court. It’s as if he plays with a voice in his head telling him to not over-do it. He so rarely plays free.

2. His serve is a sneaky liability: it’s basically flat and/or slice and if he doesn’t blast it past the returner the ball just sits there in the slot. Add to this that he almost has zero kick serve on the AD side and you’ve got a guy who is super predictable on serve. The lack of kick from someone as athletic as he is takes the AD serve and volley play off the table. It’s a shame.
Click to expand...

Point two is spot on. I've been complaining about his serve since Rotterdam. It was passable on the hard courts, but on clay his mistakes become a problem.


Still, it is not his maturity that holds him back, imo. He seems to be 100% dedicated to the game plan he sets out before a match, particularly since he started working with Toni.

For example, his ATP Cup against Med: first set, he serves and volleys (not a bad strategy against Med). He loses it 6-4. In the second set, Med adjusts his game. Felix does not and receives a bagel. However, he must have learned something because he played a much closer match at the AO.


In Madrid, I was very excited to hear that he was making a decision to be more aggressive in a pre-tournament interview. He needs to commit to that strategy because that's what helped him reach the quarters. That should be his baseline, but he has to mix it up a lot more. Throw in more volleys and dropshots, stand on the baseline, get a kick serve (which you point out above), and fix the backhand.
 
Aabye5 said:
Point two is spot on. I've been complaining about his serve since Rotterdam. It was passable on the hard courts, but on clay his mistakes become a problem.


Still, it is not his maturity that holds him back, imo. He seems to be 100% dedicated to the game plan he sets out before a match, particularly since he started working with Toni.

For example, his ATP Cup against Med: first set, he serves and volleys (not a bad strategy against Med). He loses it 6-4. In the second set, Med adjusts his game. Felix does not and receives a bagel. However, he must have learned something because he played a much closer match at the AO.


In Madrid, I was very excited to hear that he was making a decision to be more aggressive in a pre-tournament interview. He needs to commit to that strategy because that's what helped him reach the quarters. That should be his baseline, but he has to mix it up a lot more. Throw in more volleys and dropshots, stand on the baseline, get a kick serve (which you point out above), and fix the backhand.
Click to expand...
The composure/timidness idea is just that, an idea. But what was truly appalling was watching him open the court with a slice serve and then hit the +1 in the middle of the court where Zverev was able to reset. Then FAA accepts the rally tempo and Zverev eventually steps into a bh and takes the top off.

It was such poor decision making on FAA's part.
 
The match was a sad example of FAA building his points in rallies that he ought to have killed instead. Felix's unwillingness to play more agressive and/or hit his points to hurt is the reason why he's unable to measure up to Alcaraz.
 
jdx2112 said:
The composure/timidness idea is just that, an idea. But what was truly appalling was watching him open the court with a slice serve and then hit the +1 in the middle of the court where Zverev was able to reset. Then FAA accepts the rally tempo and Zverev eventually steps into a bh and takes the top off.

It was such poor decision making on FAA's part.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not knocking your idea, just had been mulling over a slightly different take on it, and your post reminded me of it.

Agree on the decision making.
 
Zverev vs Tsitsipas sf is happening 3rd straight time in a big clay event, Rg 21, Mc 22 and now Madrid. Both guys certainly play upto expectations on clay
 
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