Weekend Tennis Diary

There's more tennis going on these days than when there isn't a pandemic, but here's what I came across the past week. Dominic Thiem defeated Matteo Berrettini 6-7 (4) 6-4, 10-8 in the men's final of a Bets 1 grass-court exhibition tournament on Wednesday. (Watching the Hammer pop a cork was almost more than I could handle.)

Elina Svitolina won the women's final -- which had to be moved indoors due to weather -- 3-6, 6-1, 10-5 in just under an hour and a half against Petra Kvitova.

Later in the week Thiem beat 18-year-old rising star Jannik Sinner, 6-4, 6-2, in the Bett1 Aces final played in an airplane hangar in Berlin. In the women's final, Latvian Anastasija Sevastova claimed victory over Kvitova, 3-6, 6-3, 10-5.

Local hero Tommy Haas was on hand, looking awfully fit against Sinner on grass. (I missed his match against Thiem indoors.)

Apparently he got injured at some point, which led to Mischa Zrerev  -- studlier than ever -- substituting for him. Alex's older brother even won the third-place playoff against Roberto Bautista Agut.

The women's events were brightened by the omnipresence of Andrew Bettles, Svitolina's long-suffering coach.

If these exhibitions are any indication, Thiem is either going into the real season in very fine form ... or having played too much.

Over at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, I've been enjoying some World Team Tennis here and there. Got to see Ryan Harrison rally to defeat Tommy Paul one night ...

And Kim Clijsters -- mom bod and all -- on fire against Danielle Collins. The four-time major champ has has gone five for five in singles, also scoring wins over Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin along the way.

Liam Broady looking fit at the U.K. Pro Series

Dreamy Quentin Halys won a little event in Cannes, beating Hugo Grenier, 7-6(9) 7-6(5).

The match between sexy Carlos Taberner and even sexier Pedro Martinez ended up deciding the outcome of the UTR Pro Liga Mapfre. Taberner led Team Blanco to the title, with a intense duel between Valencians that was resolved in a tiebreaker (6-4, 1-6 and 13-11).

Team Blanco

Pedro's got my vote

Around the Net:

Good to read that Grigor Dimitrov has purged the coronavirus from his body and is back to doing what he does best: being a spokes model

Tommy and Max Wimmer put the man in manspreading

Matteo and friends found some time to go to the beach.

God bless J.J. Wolf, who doesn't have a friend under 200 pounds.

I'm still obsessed with Venezuelan Lorenzo Claverie, although I might have just found out he's 17

Cameron puts on a show

Loving the addition of Jan-Michael Gambill to the Tennis Channel

Marton pumps iron

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Patrick Mouratoglou with a graduate from the latter's academy

Dennis Novak has a hot trainer

Andy Seppi puts the "daddy" in daddy duty

James McGee's bootcamp is serious business

Anyone recognize Borna’s ❤️?

Danish teen Holger Vitus Nødskov Rune is still basking in his Ultimate Tennis Showdown experience

Johnny Millman gives the fans what they want

Tsetse fly channels his inner Onassis 

Tommy Fabbiano and friends

Where were these precautions when the Lock granny was turning 100?

Laslo Djere assumes the position.

Robert Farah is still ridiculously hot

I think Karen's Bozo hair is hurting his game (he looked off in Berlin)

Tommy Robredo still wants us to think he's straight. (Is he?)

This is what I remember most about the Eastern European Open.

OK, this guy with Damir Dzumhur is his hot brother. 

But how do you explain the rest of them?