ATP Masters 1000: Paris

Finally, cool to see old Mica presenting trophy and looking good in his retirement.
I have a nice photo with Mahut and him taken in Wimbledon last summer.

He knew a few words and jokes in Serbian from the days when he played doubles with Zimonjic.

It's an insanely weak time for tennis.  No one is stepping up to the plate and the good players have aged.  It will change in the next 2 years, but for the next year, Djokovic has no one to really challenge.  Still, that aura he has will fall apart from a few losses - and I expect that to happen next year.  Murray has more than enough to challenge djokovic but the belief has gone for now.

Strong and harsh words there, LK.

Slow conditions have made everyone play better tennis.
But also awarded fitness.

Now it's time for those conditions to get a little faster, like in Cinci, and we could all have some fantastic, less predictable times.

I really don't believe it's harsh at all - it's blatantly accurate. A slow surface does not change the fact that no-one from the lower ranks are yet challenging the same 2 players (Djokovic and Granddad).  With Wawrinka causing some trouble and at least stopping Djokovic in a Slam.  But he's 30 now too.

Well, that's how it is at this stage of tennis evolution.

We are seeing more skill on display, but conditions are rewarding defensive tennis.
Another problem is that too many players are content with taking the ball late and banking on the spin, taking advantage of modern strings in a safe & lazy way (Gasquet, Dimi, Monfils).
They prefer to increase fitness than take the ball by the scruff of its neck.

Look at Thiem and Sock for example...they waste so much energy muscling the ball and playing sweaty attacking tennis from behind the base-line.

Same with Nishi. OK, his height disadvantages him with serve, but I feel he is not making the most of his exceptional talent..

Really, only Fed dares enter deep into the court.
Stan is super gutsy, but keeps mainly to the base-line.
It's hard to play like that. You need talent, nerves of steel, super fitness on top.

There is nothing stopping Cilic from rushing the net even in these conditions.

I hope Paire continues to work hard. He has very good potential.

Djoko is depressingly consistent. I did not see the match but I guess Murray was below par too.

Though I knew Murray did not have the game to trouble an average Djoko.

Murray is very good against top5 and below....but he is not the real number 2. A tired Stan can trouble the top players with more ease than Murrray. Murray is simply more consistent but he is the real top 4 imo...not top 2.

Tenez wrote:Djoko is depressingly consistent. I did not see the match but I guess Murray was below par too.

Though I knew Murray did not have the game to trouble an average Djoko.

Murray is very good against top5 and below....but he is not the real number 2. A tired Stan can trouble the top players with more ease than Murrray. Murray is simply more consistent but he is the real top 4 imo...not top 2.

Even if Murray was at his peak best, he can't beat the current Djokovic. He is moving too well, hitting as he wants, flat-spin you name it. At the moment he is multiple level above anyone else on tour. The last time anyone was this ahead of the rest was Fed in 2005.

Murray would have been beaten by Fed. Fed/Stan are then real #2/#3 . Murray simply reaches deeper into more tournaments and has no points to defend from 2014.