Young Guns Watch: 2017

[El Dude]

He is yet another guy I had winning on my bracket and ended up losing in the fifth. I am not pleased. I hope he loses his next 347 matches and becomes a ping-pong instructor in Siberia.

Haha. Yeah, I had him beating Raonic to lose to Sascha in the 4R. Kyrgios and Lopez really screwed me as I had them going reaching the semis.

Donaldson is coming through pretty well, though. I have him upsetting Thiem, so we'll see (but then losing to Gasquet...screw that guy).

 

[herios]

Haha. Yeah, I had him beating Raonic to lose to Sascha in the 4R. Kyrgios and Lopez really screwed me as I had them going reaching the semis.

Donaldson is coming through pretty well, though. I have him upsetting Thiem, so we'll see (but then losing to Gasquet...screw that guy).

Gasquet is on a descending curve in his career. You have also too much faith in Rublev. Beating Raonic on grass... you must be kidding mel

 

[isabelle]

Gasquet is on a descending curve in his career. You have also too much faith in Rublev. Beating Raonic on grass... you must be kidding mel

will Milos lose in next round ???

 

[britbox]

Zverev's march to the top of the game...

 

[mrzz]

For the ones who like to follow the young players (I am not exactly included in the group), just read in the Brazilian press someone calling attention to the fact that Rudolf Molleker, 923 in the world, survived the qualifiers and will be the first player born in the 2000´s to play an ATP match (how could you miss it, @El Dude ? Or is this wrong?). He beat Casper Ruud and Leonardo Mayer on his matches. I am not buying Ruud just yet (saw his matches at Rio) but he is top 200 anyway, but Mayer I know and it is a decent clay courter. Bad news for the kid is the date with Kachanov on round 1.

 

[El Dude]

Thanks for pointing this kid out, @mrzz - never heard of the kid. I follow the young guys, but only to a point. He joins Felix Auger Aliassime and Nicola Kuhn as players to watch that were born in 2000.

 

[herios]

For the ones who like to follow the young players (I am not exactly included in the group), just read in the Brazilian press someone calling attention to the fact that Rudolf Molleker, 923 in the world, survived the qualifiers and will be the first player born in the 2000´s to play an ATP match (how could you miss it, @El Dude ? Or is this wrong?). He beat Casper Ruud and Leonardo Mayer on his matches. I am not buying Ruud just yet (saw his matches at Rio) but he is top 200 anyway, but Mayer I know and it is a decent clay courter. Bad news for the kid is the date with Kachanov on round 1.

I will have a chance ro see him today, our network features Hamburg

 

[mrzz]

Wow, this thread was down to page 5...

So, bumping up for a reason. If everyone can make picks for future number 1's, so can I. Instead of saying, as usual, "calm down" after one big win, I say the opposite: No Zverev, no Kyrgios, the guy is Shapovalov. I started to root for him right after the controversial match at Davis Cup. It was an unfortunate incident, he payed his price (and handled the situation decently). Probably a blessing in disguise as it surely thought him an early and always needed lesson.

 

[herios]

I am extremely pleased with Denis. I can gladly now recognize that I did not have enough thrust in him a few months back. I thought he will make the top 100 next year. Little did I know. His game is very well founded, and he seems to have the weaponry to take him onto the top 30 very soon. I hope they can adjust his calendar for the rest of he season, so he plays the main tour instead of challengers.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

I am extremely pleased with Denis. I can gladly now recognize that I did not have enough thrust in him a few months back. I thought he will make the top 100 next year. Little did I know. His game is very well founded, and he seems to have the weaponry to take him onto the top 30 very soon. I hope they can adjust his calendar for the rest of he season, so he plays the main tour instead of challengers.

I am with you...when I first saw him, I thought his game was too shaky but it really isn't. One thing that really amazed me is that when he is stuck in a rally that is not going his way, he has the ability to neutralize it and turn it around. I saw a couple of times yesterday when he was stuck with hitting a deep , high backhand and despite the single hander, he was able to send something deep down the line to Tsonga's backhand to get back on the rally. That is something seasoned pros have a difficulty with.
I hope the kid keeps working hard. He is ten minutes away from where I am. I will keep track

 

[El Dude]

The only young players I have some confidence will reach number one are Zverev and Shapo. Others could, but those are the best bets right now.

Shapo always looked promising, I think the surprise is how quickly he seems to be progressing. He could be top 20 before he turns 19 next April.

 

[Carol]

What about Tiafoe? I think he is something too

 

[El Dude]

What about Tiafoe? I think he is something too

Absolutely, as is Rublev and several others - all potential top 10 players. But I'd like to see more from them before I anoint them as future number ones. To me Zverev and Shapo are the only ones that I feel confident about.


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[herios]

What about Tiafoe? I think he is something too

Yeah, Roger made him look good.

 

[Carol]

Absolutely, as is Rublev and several others - all potential top 10 players. But I'd like to see more from them before I anoint them as future number ones. To me Zverev and Shapo are the only ones that I feel confident about.


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Well, I count with Coric too. Yesterday played a great match with a good mentality and confidence. I like him since the first time I saw him but later he gave a step back because the injuries.Let's go to see how he is improving and I think he will

 

[Carol]

Yeah, Roger made him look good.

Well, then we also could say that Rafa and Tsonga made Shapo to look better too

 

[El Dude]

Well, I count with Coric too. Yesterday played a great match with a good mentality and confidence. I like him since the first time I saw him but later he gave a step back because the injuries.Let's go to see how he is improving and I think he will

Coric has stagnated in the #40-60 range for a couple years now, and I don't think injuries have been a huge factor for that entire time. I think he will improve, but I don't see him as a true elite - not enough (or any, really) weapons. Best-case scenario is that he's second tier (#6ish-15ish), but right now he looks more like a future third tier (#15ish-30ish) player to me.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

What about Tiafoe? I think he is something too

I think Tiafoe's game is a high risk one and so I expect his results to be up and down and his progress will not be in a straight line.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Well, I count with Coric too. Yesterday played a great match with a good mentality and confidence. I like him since the first time I saw him but later he gave a step back because the injuries.Let's go to see how he is improving and I think he will

Despite his win over Sasha, I don't really consider his prospects to be bright. The main problem is that he does not have WMD. He just grinded Sasha out with steady tennis, that's all.

 

[mrzz]

Despite his win over Sasha, I don't really consider his prospects to be bright. The main problem is that he does not have WMD. He just grinded Sasha out with steady tennis, that's all.

Did you watch this particular match, GSM? His forehand is getting better. He fired some winners that he would not even be able to dream about a year ago. Not WMD yet, but if he keeps improving at this pace he could become a serious threat.