French Open Day 3: SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST

Hi All. Galileo here.

n the early 1950s, possibly 1951 if we’re being exact, Disney released the film “Alice in Wonderland.” It’s a cult classic and a fun watch. It is one of those films everybody has seen. What it wasn’t was accurate to the book, at least not totally. Alice in Wonderland, the 2010 adaptation with an all-star cast, was a lot more true to the novel. On a purely personal note, this BACKSPINNER likes the book best. And in the 2010 film and in the book there is phrase oft repeated. Here it is:



Through the course of today’s wanderings this BACKSPINNER is going to note six impossible things. It is worth mention that Lewis Carroll was whacked out on opioids and all kinds of drugs at the time, which this BACKSPINNER is not.

The lack of a roof at Roland Garros, and the smaller size of the venue, have been a problem for what feels like an era. It has helped at Wimbledon and at Melbourne, though for different weather related reasons, of course. The torrential rain and storms have caused floods in the UK and difficulties in Paris too. But some tennis players are grateful for the change. Look no further than Tomas Berdych. He is down 7-6[5], 7-6[8] 1-1. But Berdych is 5-0 all time against the Frenchman and the last three matches have all had tiebreakers. It sounds impossible but this BACKSPINNER believes Berdman can make the comeback happen- I believe in it because I’ve seen it.

Before we begin let’s just take a moment to appreciate Serena Williams. Almost 37. Just had an apparently difficult pregnancy. What she is doing is impossible but I believe in it because I’ve seen it.

One of our three former champions is gone. Let’s see what happened.

*SUICIDE POOL PICS*
MS 1st Rd: Djokovic [20] d. [q] Dutra Silva {W}
MS 2nd Rd: Gasquet [27] d. Jaziri
==
WS 1st Rd: Bertens [18] d. Sabalenka WS {W}
2nd Rd: Keys [13] d. [Q] Dolehide {W}

CHATRIER: CILIC D. DUCKWORTH
…James Duckworth is a very handy player, and he will make a career at his current level. He’ll pick up a title or two and make a few third rounds at slam level. There could even be a quarterfinal somewhere for him. Duckworth is going to make a nice living and should retire as a millionaire with a great body and global experience. It’s days like this, however, where you see his limitations. The recipe to beat Cilic is simple- take away the rhythm. It works doubly as well on clay. Cilic hits beautiful, big, flat shots and uses his height well. It only took him eight years to realize how to do it. He also has a surprisingly nifty little dropper, as well.The Aussie got progressively stronger throughout the match but went down 6-3, 7-5, 7-6[4]. Cilic hit 47 winners, broke thrice and looked pretty good from start to finish. The Polish qualifier Hubert Hurkacz, who is 21 and hit his career high last month, is up next and that won’t be so easy. He is an unknown quantity. He was a fairly handy junior player. He is 6’5 and looks 11. The good news for Cilic is he won’t face a seed until round four.

CHATRIER: NADAL D. BOLELLI
...Nadal is going to win his 11th title here in about ten days but did you know he has only been the top seed four times. And one of those times he didn’t even make the second week. So it turns out the greatest clay courter of all time [bar perhaps Chrissie Evert] is rubbish at Roland Garros. Now the first half of his match with Simone Bolelli went just fine. He was up 6-4, 6-3. He was looking good. But then the Italian began to really get at him, began to hit out. Then the rain came. He was 3-0 down and delayed. This is Nadal and so, as we all knew he would, he came back and won the third set 7-6[8]. At 8-8 he hit one of the best passing shots of the tournament. The Italian shouldn’t have come in against the forehand but it was still a mindblowing passing shot. Mathematically, and from a physics point of view, it was impossible but I believe in it because I’ve seen it. Nada hit 30 winners and broke four times. He could cut down on the 25 errors and his first serve percentage should be higher than 57. Aside from those two little niggles it was a perfect match. Up next is Guido Pella, who has been to two clay court finals and is at home on the dirt. He has also been in the top 40 and is now a top 100 mainstay. He beat Joao Sousa in the first round for the loss of just nine games. He will give Nadal a contest for at least a set and a half. Nadal is still going to win, don’t worry. It just might be a little tighter than usual in the first set.

LENGLEN: SHAPOVALOV D. MILLMAN
...Credit the tournament director for putting entertainment before seedings. Denis Shapovalov was born in Tel Aviv in April 1999. He plays for Canada and he is the nicest guy to ever hit a tennis ball in an umpire’s face. He also looks a little like Jana Novotna. Especially if he puts a headband on. He faced a tight match against John Millman and he edged it 7-5, 6-4, 6-2. The Aussie, who is quite a handy player, served for the first set at 5-3 and went up an early break in the second but the Canadian was just too strong. His backhand technique is impossible but I believe in it because I’ve seen it. He doesn’t really use slice and instead opts for huge topspin most of the time. It’s a remarkable style to behold. He still went 32-41 on the winners to errors count, but he did win 58 per cent of his second serves. Anything around the 60 mark is great. In that famous Novak Djokovic versus Nadal semi-final, the one that went to 9-7 in the 5th that was one of the differences. Nole won 48 per cent of his second serve points, while Nadal won 63. So for every four second serves Nadal would win about three, while Nole would only win two. That makes an enormous difference over the course of a match. Shapovalov now plays Maximilian Marterer. The German hit a career high of 67 this month. He will not face a seed until the fourth round. Unfortunately that will probably be Nadal.

LENGLEN: DEL POTRO D. MAHUT
...Juan Martin Del Potro has 80 slam wins and that’s quite impressive. Lleyton Hewitt retired with 148. Cilic has 102. 80 is good but he could probably be double that by now if Delpo had been fit and healthy all these years. The man has had four wrist surgeries, including three on his left wrist. It is impossible that he could be back, seeded fifth here, and looking so good. But I believe it because I’ve seen it. The Argentine saw off Nico Mahut 1-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. Mahut plays a tricky style and he has a lot of finesse but you can outlast him from the baseline. The match turned early in the second set. Delpo held in a lengthy first service game and from there he cruised. Mahut actually went 34-33 on the winners front, but Delpo’s masterful 38-23 mark combined with Mahut failing to break in any of the last three sets soon saw the Argentinian cruise to the win. It’s a perfect opening match actually. You want a little bit of a challenge but nothing too testing. The injury doesn’t look too bad either. Delpo gets either compatriot Leo Mayer or Julien Benneteau next. Neither of them will be an easy match.

COURT SEVEN: FOGNINI D. ANDUJAR
...Fabio Fognini has just beaten Pablo Andujar 6-4, 6-2, 6-1. In the two hours long contest he blasted 38 winners and broke eight times. Andujar is a former world number 32 with eight clay court finals under his belt [he went 4-4] and his latest title came this spring. The rest of the draw should be very worried about the Italian finding form. Fognini plays Elias Ymer next. The Swedish qualifier is one of those guys casually referred to as the next big thing. That will be a very entertaining, swashbuckling match. Fognini should get through that. The Italian is impossible but I believe in him because I’ve seen it. The temperament, the shots he hits, the way he players. It’s a beautiful mess.



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