Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Wk.38- Teenager Snaps Stan’s Streak


Hey, all. Galileo here.

For eleven finals in a row, Wawrinka went undefeated. He beat Fedalovic, Berdych, Baghdatis and Cilic to name but a few. Each of the grand slams was won in four sets, but the rest he won in straights, for the most part. It has been an incredible run and one which no doubt seals his Hall of Fame place. But it was snapped by a little boy.



Alexander Zverev, the ATP’s first teenage titlist since Cilic in 2008, won at the third attempt. He had lost twice this year in three-setters to Thiem and Mayer. It is a maiden title for the German with the sparkling backhand. Along with Kyrgios and Fritz, this youngster is building the future of tennis. No player in the next generation has Kyrgios’ weapons, but then again none of them possess his flaws, either.

What we have seen this year is the emergence of the next generation, in a way that hasn’t been seen since Roddick and Ferrero began to rise fourteen years ago. That was the last ‘new generation.’ So smothered has been the talents of Gonzalez, Nalbandian, Ferrer and Roddick, too, that we have had precious few emergences.

Federer won Wimbledon in 2003 and then exploded in 2004. And then Rafa came followed by Novak and Andy. But now those four are looking beatable, looking frailer than they have in a great while. In fact, this BACKSPINNER doubts we’ll have another year where the slam finals are all contested by that quartet. No, the veneer is beginning to crack, to break.

Nishikori still has time, but that window, too, is shutting. Berdych is 31. Del Potro is playing the role of wild card, but that seems to be about it. Goffin is hanging around and so is Thiem. The Austrian has had another fantastic year. This is starting to feel like that period between 2007 and 2009 when the Williams had less power than they do now. There is going to be chaos on the ATP and it should be quite refreshing

But on with the show. There aren’t many weeks left of the ATP in 2016.

=RANKINGS WATCH=
Top 32 - Klizan falling two places sees Ramos-Vinolos and Troicki both rise a place. Between 28th ranked Querrey and 32nd placed Troicki there are just 105 points.
Top 10 – Little change. Thiem, in particular, but also Cilic are edging closer to Berdych at 9.
Top 8 – Little change. With Federer likely due to fall, Monfils can move from eight to seven. His highest ranking is beckoning. Raonic and Nishikori are not just holding firm, they are inching toward Rafa.
Top 4 – The gap between Murray and Djokovic has widened while Wawrinka sits by himself, a little Swiss island. 3000 behind Murray but 1500 ahead of a declining Nadal.

*WEEK 38 CHAMPIONS*
ST.PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (Hard)
S: Alexander Zverev def. Stan Wawrinka 6-2/3-6/7-5
D: Inglot/Kontinen d. Begemann/Paes
METZ, FRANCE (Hard)
S: Lucas Pouille def. Dominic Thiem 7-6(5)/6-2
D: Peralta/Zeballos d. Pavic/Venus


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: ALEXANDER ZVEREV
...This is it. This title will kick-start the German revolution on tour. With Haas all but done, that German guy who took two sets off Rafa at Wimbledon and Kohlschreiber fading, this guy is the future of a tennis nation that badly needs one. Kiefer and Haas could not quite carry on the good work done by Becker and Stich. Schuettler proved to be too mercurial a talent. And Germany’s wait went on. But now with the established order crumbling and Kerber providing inspiration could Zverev drag Germany back into relevance? He is the next in a line of talented Germans with fearsome backhands. He can hit that shot so fluidly, so smoothly as to make it look almost as it water flows from his hands. It works well down the line, of course, but cross court it has a lethal bite to it. Otherwise steady, he is nobody’s idea of a power hitter. Comparisons to Nalbandian may be more apt. He has the weapons and he has a decent tennis IQ. In a world of monotone baseline hitters his variety should give him an advantage. Wild-carded Khachanov, Russia's great hope, hung tight, but Zverev eventually saw him off 7-6[3], 6-4. Zverev then knocked out another Russian, Medvedev, but this one was a qualifier. The German won 6-3, 7-5. Going up against his third Russian, Youzhny, who had upset the second seed, he turned it on and blew away the vet 6-2, 6-2. Berdych was another one put to the sword as he lost 6-4, 6-4. It took Wawrinka to take a set off the German and he still won the whole thing. This boy is special, this boy is one to keep watching.
=============================
RISER: DOMINIC THIEM
...He stuffed his schedule full. He did not need to do that. Most probably he crammed thinking he would not win so many matches. But he should be thinking about the bigger picture, not just smaller tournaments. There will be another slam semi-final next year or the year after. There is going to be a slam even. So why rush it? He has refused to adjust his schedule even though he should have. He saw off tricky German Gojowczyk and Muller in straight sets, though both matches were tight. And he edged Simon though the Frenchman should have seen off the Austrian in two sets. It didn’t matter that he lost the final in the end. This final run should reaffirm people's faith in him. And he should now go rearrange his schedule.
=============================


FRESH FACE: LUCAS POUILLE
...All year the Frenchie has been a nice change of pace. The physical strength and unpredictability are just further evidence of his Frenchness. He has made two slam quarters and looked the part of a contender, albeit a contender to make a semi, not win it all, while making players like Kyrgios look a bit useless. His victory over Nadal was one that should be long remembered. He was more than an underdog in that one, he was expected to lay down and let Rafa have his procession. But instead he took the fight to the Spaniard and won it, too. He escaped Herbert and Bennyman in three sets in the first two rounds in Moselle. But in the last two rounds he overwhelmed Goffin 7-6[6], 6-1 and dismissed Thiem 7-6[5], 6-2. It’s another great week from the young Frenchman.
=============================
VETERAN: TOMAS BERDYCH
...This guy turned 31 this month. And he is still in the top ten. It has been some six years of top-tennery from the powerful Czech. He has fit into a niche, in a way not dissimilar to the way Dementieva did. He has slotted into that top ten role as a player who could never trouble the big guys but who himself was always around, always contending. And another semi-final appearance here. This year he has gone 1-2 in slam quarterfinal appearances, a fairly solid mark. He just keeps putting himself in the right places, keeps himself in that top ten. This week he edged Kuznetsov 6-3, 2-6, 7-6[4]. He dismissed Lorenzi 6-4, 6-3. And the 6-4, 6-4 loss to Zverev may not have been his best but it was still a decent loss. It could have been worse. Can the Czech improve upon his very Berdych-like 12-17 mark in semi-finals?
=============================
SURPRISE: PERALTA/ZEBALLOS
...The seedings held firm in the singles this week, so how about some doubles? The South American pair saw off the 4th and 2nd seeds back to back in three sets before knocking out the third seeds in straights. The other match they should have played ended in a retirement. Still, knocking out 75 per cent of the seeds in any tournament is fantastic.


=============================
DOWN: MILOS RAONIC
...It doesn’t matter that Youzhny is the player who has won the most in St. Petersburg. Up 5-2 in a breaker with that serve, you stamp on your opponent's throat. If I were the Canuck, with the loss of form and the injuries to contend with, I would withdraw from all tournaments except the Masters and one 500 level. That should be enough to see the Canuck into London. And at the WTF he can show his best off. But here he was disappointing especially considering his high seeding and the low field. Next year he will be back to his best from we can only hope. The ATP has to change the length of its season.
=============================
UPSET: VINCENT MILLOT
...Sure Paire has a tendency to explode. But to lose to a qualifier in straight sets? Millot beat Martin 6-4, 6-2. He beat Berrer 6-4, 6-2. And then he beat Paire 6-4, 6-3. Just for a change he lost that extra game. Sure, he went down in three in the next round, but his defeat of Paire was impressive. Though the complete inability of his compatriot to avoid the upset contributed.
=============================

Notes from the week...
1 – Happy 35th birthday to Serena Williams.
2 – The race for London heats up. At eighth in the race, can Nadal hold off Berdman? Will there be a shock entry?
3 – In the doubles, Kontinen/Peers are still clinging onto the eighth seed. Rojer/Tecau in 9th are just 30 points behind.
4 – Next week we have two 500 hundreds and then the second to last Masters. Our season is drawing to a close.
5 – Further on London - only our three slam winners this year have been guaranteed a place in London so far.


1. St.Petersburg Final - Zverev d. Wawrinka 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
...Up 3-0 in the third, Wawrinka should have had this one. And the Swiss had slowly been turning it on, playing points like this:


But sometimes the brashness of youth comes out in mysterious ways. Zverev held his ground and when he broke at 5-5 in the third he calmly served out to see off the three time grand slam champ.
=============================
2. Moselle SF - Thiem d. Simon 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
...Exciting flare took on steady defence. Nothing like a clash of styles, and in this affair it would be Thiem who came out the winner. Check out this point:


Simon served for it at 5-4 in the second. But he faltered and the match gradually fell away for the Frenchman.
=============================
3. St Petersburg R2 - Youzhny d. Raonic 2-6, 7-6[6], 6-4
...Down 5-2 in the breaker, the aging Russian somehow came back to take out one of the bigger upsets we’ve had this year.


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4. Moselle Final - Pouille d. Thiem 7-6[5], 6-2
...When you open with this you must be thinking to yourself, "this is going to be a great match."


And indeed it would prove to be for a set. But Pouille showed he is here to stay and is the future of French tennis with a tight victory in the final.
=============================


*CHENGDU*
=SF=
Thiem [1] d. [3] Dimitrov
Kyrgios [2] d. [7] Sousa
=FINAL=
Kyrgios [2] d. [1] Thiem

...It’s a new event and Thiem must be feeling tired. Not the strongest field, the talent is still deep. But look for the explosiveness of Kyrgios to prove the difference. Lopez is also here, but the Aussie should be able to capitalise in a weaker field.


*SHENZHEN*
=SF=
Berdych [1] d. [5] Zverev
Goffin [2] d. [3] Gasquet
=FINAL=
Goffin [2] d. [1] Berdych

...Zverev will continue his form but find Berdych too much. Gasquet just winning a match would be achievement enough. Goffin will see off two rusty opponents on his way to the title. Berdych’s age and health are starting to come into question. Expect the hard-working Belgian to take it out.


Mladenovic was seeded fourth but lost to Sorribes-Tormo of Spain 1-6, 6-2, 6-4. She is in Wuhan in both disciplines. She opens against Vandeweghe, with the winner earning a shot at the current world number one. She is top seeded in the doubles with Garcia. Due to the bye their opponents are yet to be determined. Chan and Chan are the second seeds, with Mirza/Strycova and Hingis/CoCo taking 3 and 4.


Thanks all and visit WTA BACKSPIN please.

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posted by Todd.Spiker @ 12:34 AM 

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