Miami Open, ATP Masters 1000, 2019

El Dude

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A nice display of young talent in FAA-Hurkacz.
 

El Dude

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I like Hurkacz more now that I know his name is pronounced "Hurkash." That sounds like some kind of Moroccan hybrid of hashish and coffee.
 

Moxie

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You think it's insulting to always be up and never down point after point? That's a compliment that many youngsters could learn from. I don't understand your need to nitpick everything.
My post was pointed at folks like Darth and Front who mean it as anything but a compliment. I thought you were aware of that, which was why I said "sorry" to you. I should have been more clear that I didn't mean you.
 

Moxie

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I like Hurkacz more now that I know his name is pronounced "Hurkash." That sounds like some kind of Moroccan hybrid of hashish and coffee.
Otherwise known as a "hippie speedball." :lulz2:
 
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Moxie

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Del Bonis is crushing the ball.
 

El Dude

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FAA is going to be really, really good. In fact, he's the first young player that I've felt confident about predicting greatness for. Zverev, Tsitsipas, and Shapovalov could be great, but I think more likely they are either very good or borderline greats at best. But I think FAA will both be #1 and win a bunch of Slams...if he's healthy.

It is a combination of two things. He consistently makes amazing shots. Not just good ones, but impressive shot after impressive shot. Two, I see no weaknesses that experience won't iron out. Not just no weaknesses, but almost every aspect of his game looks like a strength.

The key is health, which given his heart condition is a big question mark. But if he's healthy, I think he's going to be the most dominant player of the 2020s.

And yes, that is over-enthusiastic hyperbole...but why not? I'm not afraid of being wrong.
 

JesuslookslikeBorg

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fake n bake no look underarm serve ...:lulz1: epic.

now nick is arguing with a fan. this match is fuuuun,:dance2:
 
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Moxie

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fake n; bake no look underarm serve ...:lulz1: epic.#

now nick is arguing with a fan. this match is fuuuun,:dance2:
I don't know if Nick is trying to keep himself interested, or self-emmolating. He is a madman. And I mean that in the best way.
 

Moxie

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That 40-0 hold to win the set was a bit like an insult, let's be honest. Sort of like, "I've been toying with you, but if I wanted to, I could crush you like a bug, and so I did."
 

JesuslookslikeBorg

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i didnt see that last game of set..so i dunno. that bloke nick was arguing with was chucked out.
 

Fiero425

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I didn't see that last game of set.. So I dunno. That bloke Nick was arguing with was chucked out.

There's always one that has to prove something to himself! You expect Nick to lose it, but why a patron! Tennis fans are supposed to be more enlightened! What a goober; with a tale to brag about with other knuckle-heads no doubt! :whistle: :nono: :facepalm: :cuckoo: :eek: :rolleyes:
 

Moxie

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i didnt see that last game of set..so i dunno. that bloke nick was arguing with was chucked out.
I don't mind that Kyrgios is a maverick in tennis, and plays the game his own way. I even thought Nadal went a bit far to call him out for disrespecting the game and his opponent, but in the last game of that set, I think he did. He created a circus atmosphere, which has to be distracting, and then he just pounded Lajovic off the court in the last game of the set. He treated everything like a joke. For all the talk about gamesmanship around here, isn't this a form of it? No player is used to the kind of circus that Nick can create, and it's not what you expect, going on court. I do think it's unfair distraction.
 

mrzz

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I don't mind that Kyrgios is a maverick in tennis, and plays the game his own way. I even thought Nadal went a bit far to call him out for disrespecting the game and his opponent, but in the last game of that set, I think he did. He created a circus atmosphere, which has to be distracting, and then he just pounded Lajovic off the court in the last game of the set. He treated everything like a joke. For all the talk about gamesmanship around here, isn't this a form of it? No player is used to the kind of circus that Nick can create, and it's not what you expect, going on court. I do think it's unfair distraction.

I've been telling that Kyrgios is way smarter than the average and that was the main point today. I know Lajovic's game, and the guy simply did not play 20% of his usual level. If he had kept his head cool and his ground strokes on the court, it would have been a match. I am not saying that he would have won, but Kyrgios would never be able to pound a guy like Lajovic of the court if he was playing decently (that is, with a cool head). Never. The guy has an extremely good backhand but today he could barely land one on the court.

But honestly, I am not so sure if I agree that the "circus" is an unfair distraction. If the player is stupid enough to fell for it, he deserves what he gets. As long as the umpire enforces the rules, everything is ok.
 
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Carol

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Kyrgios one more time has worked well against his opponent, too much distractions arguing to the crowd between the points, he has learned well how to do it one way or another :cuckoo::facepalm:
 

Moxie

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I've been telling that Kyrgios is way smarter than the average and that was the main point today. I know Lajovic's game, and the guy simply did not play 20% of his usual level. If he had kept his head cool and his ground strokes on the court, it would have been a match. I am not saying that he would have won, but Kyrgios would never be able to pound a guy like Lajovic of the court if he was playing decently (that is, with a cool head). Never. The guy has an extremely good backhand but today he could barely land one on the court.

But honestly, I am not so sure if I agree that the "circus" is an unfair distraction. If the player is stupid enough to fell for it, he deserves what he gets. As long as the umpire enforces the rules, everything is ok.
I don't think I have explained myself very well, in part because I am conflicted, myself. Part of me feels that if you're within the rules, fine. Another part of me is steeped in tennis tradition, which is that you treat the game and the opponent with a certain respect. Nick was taking it to the level that it was like WWE today, in terms of engaging the crowd. Sure, Lajovic should not have fallen for it and kept his composure, but, on the other hand, it was so unexpected and outrageous that I don't know how an opponent would be prepared for it. I like Nick, and I like a lot about his game. I thought he went too far today, and it's not the first time.
 

mrzz

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I don't think I have explained myself very well, in part because I am conflicted, myself. Part of me feels that if you're within the rules, fine. Another part of me is steeped in tennis tradition, which is that you treat the game and the opponent with a certain respect. Nick was taking it to the level that it was like WWE today, in terms of engaging the crowd. Sure, Lajovic should not have fallen for it and kept his composure, but, on the other hand, it was so unexpected and outrageous that I don't know how an opponent would be prepared for it. I like Nick, and I like a lot about his game. I thought he went too far today, and it's not the first time.

I agree a lot with you on this point, actually, at least on the way I see it. We may differ on how to deal with that. What I mean is that I also do not think that tennis is supposed to be like that, but a the same time I don't believe that composure, respect and all those things I can even name properly should be enforced artificially. There is no distinction in being a "gentleman" if you are forced/supposed to be one. But, in a strange and maybe impossible to understand way, I like (that aspect of) Kyrgios too.

I was fuming with Lajovic watching the match. It is not just the crowd thing, is the whole approach to the match, the trick shots, the on and off attitude. Kyrgios is extremely smart -- that is his rhythm, he can play like that, and the pour soul on the other side of the net does not see that, when he enters in this game, he is fighting in enemy territory. Right at the beginning of the match Kyrgios fired an extremely lazy drop shot from the back court. Lajovic ran for it, but instead of playing it like a regular ball that he could put away for a winner, he tried to pay back the favor with another drop shot. Kyrgios was right there and easily won the point. From there on I guess it took four or five games for Lajovic to be able to play two decent points in a row, all he did was complain to himself, shake his head and do some idiotic thing. As I told you, the guy is a player I like to watch and it was an horror show. All credit to Kyrgios for, in a way, not allowing his adversary to play.
 

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ORDER OF PLAY - MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2019

STADIUM start 12:00 noon
WTA - [3] P. Kvitova (CZE) vs [19] C. Garcia (FRA)
Not Before 1:00 pm
ATP - F. Krajinovic (SRB) vs [4] R. Federer (SUI)
Not Before 4:00 pm
WTA - V. Williams (USA) vs [2] S. Halep (ROU)
Not Before 7:30 pm
ATP - [28] F. Tiafoe (USA) vs [WC] D. Ferrer (ESP)
Not Before 9:00 pm
WTA - [5] Ka. Pliskova (CZE) vs Y. Putintseva (KAZ)

GRANDSTAND start 12:00 noon
ATP - [6] K. Anderson (RSA) vs J. Sousa (POR)
Not Before 2:00 pm
WTA - [27] S. Hsieh (TPE) vs [13] C. Wozniacki (DEN)
ATP - [20] D. Shapovalov (CAN) vs [Q] A. Rublev (RUS)
ATP - [8] S. Tsitsipas (GRE) vs L. Mayer (ARG)
Not Before 7:00 pm
WTA - M. Vondrousova (CZE) vs T. Maria (GER)

COURT 1 start 11:00 am
ATP - [24] G. Dimitrov (BUL) vs J. Thompson (AUS)
WTA - [21] A. Kontaveit (EST) vs B. Andreescu (CAN)
ATP - [13] D. Medvedev (RUS) vs [Q] R. Opelka (USA)
ATP - [14] M. Cecchinato (ITA) vs [18] D. Goffin (BEL)
WTA - Y. Wang (CHN) vs [18] Q. Wang (CHN)

BUTCH BUCHHOLZ COURT start 11:00 am
WTA - [12] A. Barty (AUS) vs [7] K. Bertens (NED)
ATP - M. Middelkoop (NED) / D. Schwartzman (ARG) vs I. Dodig (CRO) / E. Roger-Vasselin (FRA)
ATP - R. Albot (MDA) / N. Basilashvili (GEO) vs [5] O. Marach (AUT) / M. Pavic (CRO)
After Suitable Rest - [1] L. Kubot (POL) / M. Melo (BRA) vs G. Pella (ARG) / J. Sousa (POR)
ATP - [3] B. Bryan (USA) / M. Bryan (USA) vs N. Jarry (CHI) / F. Skugor (CRO)

COURT 6 start 12:00 noon
WTA - [8] H. Chan (TPE) / L. Chan (TPE) vs V. Kudermetova (RUS) / D. Schuurs (NED)
WTA - S. Aoyama (JPN) / L. Marozava (BLR) vs B. Bencic (SUI) / D. Kasatkina (RUS)
WTA - TBA - [3] S. Hsieh (TPE) / B. Strycova (CZE) vs E. Mertens (BEL) / A. Sabalenka (BLR)