The Ruud Awakening!

Chanwan

Chanwan

G.O.A.T.
Sysyphus said:
Oh yeah, a Ruud–Ymer rivalry could prove seriously enticing. IMO Ymer looked even more promising but he got sidelined for more than half a year with injury, which must suck pretty bad when you're only 17. Great that he's back on the grind now as well tho.
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I saw Ymer live a year ago, very promising player indeed
Locotus said:
Obviously loads of potential. Forehand is already a weapon, especially on clay. Improved serve and a more reliable BH compared to last year. As Tom mentioned he tends to be pushed around in the return games and I'd say his overall physics won him the Sevilla challenger. It was played in 40+ degrees where the likes of Zeballos retired from heat exhaustion. I do like that he's not afraid to end points at the net despite not having a convincing net game.

He's clearly vulnerable to pressure in the backhand corner and RoS has to be worked on. So far he's getting away with it vs. top 200 guys on clay, but if he gets to Brown or JJ I'm afraid those weaknesses will be well exposed.

Ruud is now on a 18 game winning streak, counting the norwegian championships in mid august. Following the win in Sevilla he had to rethink his schedule. He's still entering Chengdu on a WC, but I'll guess he's planning to rack up as many points as possible on clay to try to get into AO qualies.

Ruud used to lose thight matches vs. the younger Ymer who is now finally back in play. It will be interesting to see if he now has turned the tables in what will hopefully be a great scandinavic rivalry. BTW Ruuds next opponent beat Ymer 6-3/7-6 in Como two weeks ago.
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Cheers, thanks for the great breakdown!
 
Sysyphus

Sysyphus

Talk Tennis Guru
For sure getting pushed too deep on return in my opinion as well. You need to get excellent depth and heaviness on the returns to make that work, or you'll get run around like a rag doll.

I mean, Cecchinato is standing super wide on the ad serve to kick it on every serve. Why would you not want to try and cut that serve off instead of let him pull you way off the court?

edit: breaks (gifted a double on BP) and takes the first set 7-5
 
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stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Sysyphus said:
For sure getting pushed too deep on return in my opinion as well. You need to get excellent depth and heaviness on the returns to make that work, or you'll get run around like a rag doll.

I mean, Cecchinato is standing super wide on the ad serve to kick it on every serve. Why would you not want to try and cut that serve off instead of let him pull you way off the court?

edit: breaks (gifted a double on BP) and takes the first set 7-5
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And Cecchinato is foot faulting on many of his serves from the deuce court with his back foot crossing the center hash mark. Chair ump needs a rule book.
 
Sysyphus

Sysyphus

Talk Tennis Guru
Oh well, one can only hope it was a learning experience as the Guru would say. Could maybe need some rest too I imagine. What's next, Chengdu?
 
Joseph_K

Joseph_K

Hall of Fame
This morning, in the second round of the Challenger tournament in Mohammedia, Morocco, Casper Ruud was beaten, 6-1 , 6-0 , by the number two seed, 26-year-old Gerald Melzer, whose highest world ranking to date is world no. 84.

At no point was the young Norwegian in the match, although he had three break points in the first set, none of which he converted. He moved and hit the ball well, but his Austrian opponent did everything better and hit the ball with real authority as well as using his left-handed slice cleverly.

Ruud was out-manoeuvred, out-thought and, basically, outplayed in all areas of the game. He looked like a very inexperienced junior player. Judging by this match, that might well be his present level.

J.
 
Sysyphus

Sysyphus

Talk Tennis Guru
Joseph_K said:
This morning, in the second round of the Challenger tournament in Mohammedia, Morocco, Casper Ruud was beaten, 6-1 , 6-0 , by the number two seed, 26-year-old Gerald Melzer, whose highest world ranking to date is world no. 84.

At no point was the young Norwegian in the match, although he had three break points in the first set, none of which he converted. He moved and hit the ball well, but his Austrian opponent did everything better and hit the ball with real authority as well as using his left-handed slice cleverly.

Ruud was out-manoeuvred, out-thought and, basically, outplayed in all areas of the game. He looked like a very inexperienced junior player. That might well be his present level.

J.
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now now. he has already shown good level, as recently as yesterday too. expectedly not played enough on this level to consistently bring it against top 100 opposition, is all.
 
Sysyphus

Sysyphus

Talk Tennis Guru
Red Rick said:
I'm a weed smoking man in wooden shoes who's riding his orange bicycle on his way to visit some prostitutes to help me forget about lost world cup finals
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10 LOLs



Don't mention Finland in the same breath as Scandinavia, though. That's blasphemy.

Skandinavism.jpg
 
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Joseph_K

Joseph_K

Hall of Fame
Ruud did well earlier today to beat the 24-year-old Russian Alexey Vatutin in the quarter-finals of the Budapest Challenger. In the third set the Norwegian dropped serve to fall 2-3 behind, but recovered to lead 5-4. However, Vatutin broke him for a second time at 5-5 before Ruud returned the favour again. He then went on to win a close tiebreak, 7-5.

J.
 
stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Red Rick said:
I'm a weed smoking man in wooden shoes who's riding his orange bicycle on his way to visit some prostitutes to help me forget about lost world cup finals
Click to expand...

I'll need a few more clues to narrow it down:

Do you have splinters in your fingers from shoring up leaky dikes?

Are tulips the national flower?

Is it fun to have a fondle in a park named Vondel?

Can we get together to discuss answers to these clues? If so, will you be so kind to split the bill and go Dutch???
 
Red Rick

Red Rick

Bionic Poster
stringertom said:
I'll need a few more clues to narrow it down:

Do you have splinters in your fingers from shoring up leaky dikes?

Are tulips the national flower?

Is it fun to have a fondle in a park named Vondel?

Can we get together to discuss answers to these clues? If so, will you be so kind to split the bill and go Dutch???
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Never do that, I'm tall so my head's always above sea level. I let the midgets worry about that

Yeah

Pretty fun, until the restraining orders start rolling in

Sure, I'm pretty sure you have a decent idea where to find me. It's only tens of thousands square miles
 
Joseph_K

Joseph_K

Hall of Fame
Here’s a link to an article on yesterday's Ruud-Fucsovics match at the Budapest Challenger in Budapest (translation from the Norwegian below):

http://www.tennis-norge.com/2017/02/11/casper-ruud-knust-i-challenger-semifinale/

Sick Casper Ruud crushed in Challenger semi-final

Ruud didn’t win a single game against Marton Fucsovics

– Casper felt very unwell and was very dizzy. He had a medical [timeout] after the first set, but refused to give up. He wanted to try his best. It was a bad day on which to be sick. He felt well until the first game, said Ruud’s manager, Venke Aure, after the match.

The Hungarian is ranked no. 163 in the world and was the big favourite before the match. And he fulfilled those expectations to the full against a weakened Ruud. The Norwegian asked for the physio for treatment after the first set. The Hungarian broke Ruud’s serve as early as the first game and thereafter gave him short shrift. Fucsovics took the first set 6-0 in only 22 minutes.

The second set was just as bad from a Norwegian point of view. Our top tennis player also lost it 6-0, in just 24 minutes. For reaching the semi-finals Ruud will be paid 3,250 euro and will receive 29 ATP points. Fucsovics meets Jürgen Melzer in the final of the Budapest Challenger in the hunt for 9,200 euro and 80 ATP points. The final will be played tomorrow at 2pm.

J.
 
S

Silence

Professional
stringertom said:
Qualifier RCB next up for a spot in the QFs. Both won easily, with RCB taking out seeded Sousa 3&1, so they should be fresh for a very important match.

I'm happy to seed Ruud's illness in Budapest was not serious.
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Agreed! Great way to strike back for CR!

I never saw RCB play, can't be bad taking out Sousa like that though.. (assuming Sousa wasn't injured or anything).
 
stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Silence said:
Agreed! Great way to strike back for CR!

I never saw RCB play, can't be bad taking out Sousa like that though.. (assuming Sousa wasn't injured or anything).
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RCB is PCB Lite...clay grinder who hasn't adapted to HCs as well as Busta.

RCB must have suddenly found the zone...his two qualie wins were three-setters, one of them vs a promising but lowly ranked Brazilian teen nephew of former Tour veteran Fernando Meligeni. Sousa did OK in BA (QF loss to Ninjakori), beating the two Argentine lefties Zeballos and Delbonis in straight sets. Unless illness set in (it is Rio???), the result is surprising.
 
Nick Lynch

Nick Lynch

Rookie
Yeah the competition hasn't really been top notch though. I'd like to see him go against Thiem. Now that would be an upset!
 
Meles

Meles

Bionic Poster
Nick Lynch said:
Yeah the competition hasn't really been top notch though. I'd like to see him go against Thiem. Now that would be an upset!
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Its a true clay court event with a bunch of specialists. Ruud will have a feisty 22 year old Montiero who did beat Bellucci. I've enjoyed this tournament and the one "top notch" player Nishikori got bounced.:D Should all be quality QFs except maybe ARV vs Kicker?:confused: Ruud could go all the way to the final and Thiem's physical situation is not proven give his last 7 months of play.:confused: It may not even be Thiem.:(
 
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