Pre-Gaming Roland Garros

[MargaretMcAleer]

Anyway hopefully there will be news later today if Sinner and his team think he will play RG, Sinner was practicing in Turin today when I saw him at practice via video.

 

[don_fabio]

Oh, and I forgot to remind people that you can change your picks in the poll. It means little, of course. But I just took Sinner off of my top 3 picks, because, either he withdraws, or, as @rafanoy1992 suggests above, he may want to test the hip, but it doesn't seem like he'll go all the way.

I just ditched Tsitsipas and put Zverev. Hard to choose between those Clown Princes. Actually I would like them to meet in RG and have a battle on terre battue. Hope my wishes come through.

I didn't mention Nadal, but obviously it will be very important for him to have a managable draw. His level after return just wasn't there where we expected to see him, but given that this might be his last RG he can't be counted out either. If he finds that "something" and starts to feel good on the court then anything is possible. I remember watching Tsonga in his last match in RG, it was very emotional, but at times Tsonga was playing as good as ever, he was giving everything he had on the court and even more. So if Rafa comes and plays with that kind of mindset, it makes me think that all is possible. For a start, he just need to serve without holding back anything and up the speed so it becomes a weapon again.

 

[El Dude]

Regardless of the outcome of today's match, I don't feel any more clear about Roland Garros than I did when this thread was started, before Rome. If anything, Rome just affirmed that Roland Garros is wide open, with a significant number of players with a real chance of winning it.

I suppose I'd group them as follows:

Favorite(s): None.

...At least unless Alcaraz is 100% healthy, which he's not, or Rafa shows up faster and close to full form; or Novak blows away Geneva and finds at least his B game. But until we see how they play in the first round or two, they belong in the next group...

Contenders: Alcaraz, Nadal, Djokovic, Zverev, Tsitsipas, Sinner - in no particular order.

You'd think the eventual winner would be in this group, but all have big question marks. I mean, based on current form, somehow Zverev and Tsitsipas have become the lead contenders. But...really? They should be the favorites, but are both head-cases. Still, this could be either's moment - they may not get a better opportunity, and if either wins RG, it makes them a serious Slam contender for the next few years (though Tsitsipas's backhand is a huge liability off-clay). I think Sinner is possibly making a catastrophic mistake by playing, and I'm guessing he withdraws sometime in the first week, but on the off chance that his doctors are being over-cautious, he's got a chance. Rafa...I'll never count him out, but I don't think we'll really have a sense of things until we see if he can ramp up his game during the first week.

Pretenders/Darkhorses: Ruud, Rublev, Hurkacz, Medvedev, De Minaur, Dimitrov, Rune, maybe one or two others.

Now it sounds like Medvedev is ailing, so given his lower level on clay, he's in this group. Ruud, Rublev, Hurkacz, etc...I mean, maybe. Even De Minaur gets thrown is a darkhorse. I like Grigor as a true darkhorse - is nice little late career form--and the fact that no one expects him to win it--might actually make him relevant. I don't think Rune is ready to win a Slam, but the talent is there and the breakthrough moment has to come sometime. But these guys and everyone else not mentioned above are varying shades of darkhorse, but given the uncertainty of everybody above, you just never know.

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

To me, until Rune and Tsitsipas show improvements in their games, they should be considered pretenders. They don't work hard on their weaknesses, and it shows on the court. They will continue to get exposed in the Best of 5 format, and sometimes even by lesser talented players.

Ruud not even being in the contenders category is disrespectful. He is a healthy, in-form player that has made the last 2 French Open finals. Unless you are overly concerned about the early exit at Rome (I'm not), he should be in the short list of favorites.

I picked Ruud, Zverev, and Nadal at the beginning, and I'm not changing my picks. Ruud and Zverev on form, and Nadal at the chance he pulls off another 2022 French Open. This wide open tournament may be the opportunity a player like Ruud or Zverev needs.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

To me, until Rune and Tsitsipas show improvements in their games, they should be considered pretenders. They don't work hard on their weaknesses, and it shows on the court. They will continue to get exposed in the Best of 5 format, and sometimes even by lesser talented players.

Ruud not even being in the contenders category is disrespectful. He is a healthy, in-form player that has made the last 2 French Open finals. Unless you are overly concerned about the early exit at Rome (I'm not), he should be in the short list of favorites.

I picked Ruud, Zverev, and Nadal at the beginning, and I'm not changing my picks. Ruud and Zverev on form, and Nadal at the chance he pulls off another 2022 French Open. This wide open tournament may be the opportunity a player like Ruud or Zverev needs.

Speaking of weaknesses Ruud and his Bhand? come on, players expose it with ease! also he hasnt got the 'killer instinct;' to me on court.Go back and watch what happened to Ruud in the finals he had appeared at RG.

 

[El Dude]

I just don't think Ruud has the weapons to win a Slam. He is good enough to help someone lose, but he's going to need someone to blow it - unless he's faced with some other darkhorse, like De Minaur. All of the contenders I listed are more talented, and most of the darkhorses as well. This is no knock on Ruud - he's a very good player, but his A game seems like the B game of the most talented players on tour.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Zverev will probably go into RG with added confidence now he has won his 2nd Rome title, his first since title 2021, he will be seeded No 4 and have his own quarter, though to put this win into context his opponent Jarry has never won a ATP title higher than a 250., I know you can only play an opponent regardless of their ranking, on how a draw pans out?. This tournament in Rome has been 'quite unpredictable' to say the least.

 

[El Dude]

To shorten my post above, here's my post-Rome Roland Garros rankings:

1. Alcaraz
2. Zverev
3. Djokovic
4. Tsitsipas
5. Nadal
6. Sinner
7. Ruud
8. Rublev
9. Medvedev
10. Dimitrov
11. Hurkacz
12. Rune
13. De Minaur

Other than fiddling, I'll re-adjust after I see how Novak plays in Geneva (If Novak doesn't improve, he probably goes down below Rafa; if he does, he'll go up 1 or 2 slots, depending)

 

[rafanoy1992]

Regardless of the outcome of today's match, I don't feel any more clear about Roland Garros than I did when this thread was started, before Rome. If anything, Rome just affirmed that Roland Garros is wide open, with a significant number of players with a real chance of winning it.

I suppose I'd group them as follows:

Favorite(s): None.

...At least unless Alcaraz is 100% healthy, which he's not, or Rafa shows up faster and close to full form; or Novak blows away Geneva and finds at least his B game. But until we see how they play in the first round or two, they belong in the next group...

Contenders: Alcaraz, Nadal, Djokovic, Zverev, Tsitsipas, Sinner - in no particular order.

You'd think the eventual winner would be in this group, but all have big question marks. I mean, based on current form, somehow Zverev and Tsitsipas have become the lead contenders. But...really? They should be the favorites, but are both head-cases. Still, this could be either's moment - they may not get a better opportunity, and if either wins RG, it makes them a serious Slam contender for the next few years (though Tsitsipas's backhand is a huge liability off-clay). I think Sinner is possibly making a catastrophic mistake by playing, and I'm guessing he withdraws sometime in the first week, but on the off chance that his doctors are being over-cautious, he's got a chance. Rafa...I'll never count him out, but I don't think we'll really have a sense of things until we see if he can ramp up his game during the first week.

Pretenders/Darkhorses: Ruud, Rublev, Hurkacz, Medvedev, De Minaur, Dimitrov, Rune, maybe one or two others.

Now it sounds like Medvedev is ailing, so given his lower level on clay, he's in this group. Ruud, Rublev, Hurkacz, etc...I mean, maybe. Even De Minaur gets thrown is a darkhorse. I like Grigor as a true darkhorse - is nice little late career form--and the fact that no one expects him to win it--might actually make him relevant. I don't think Rune is ready to win a Slam, but the talent is there and the breakthrough moment has to come sometime. But these guys and everyone else not mentioned above are varying shades of darkhorse, but given the uncertainty of everybody above, you just never know.

I have to defend Sinner regarding his decision to potentially playing RG. He is not playing RG to win the title (in my opinion), he is playing RG to test his hip. And if he feels something about his hip, then he will withdraw from the tournament, that’s just simple.

Also, I doubt that he will be practicing right now if he feels the hip is in a very bad place.

If he skips RG, then no big deal either. Me personally, just him being confident enough to at least play RG will be a relief knowing that at least his injury is not super serious in which he can derail his season or career.