kenneth in the (212): Weekend Tennis Roundup

Monday, October 26, 2020

Weekend Tennis Roundup

Being a tennis fan is never easy, as demonstrated this weekend when all three finals went the way I didn't want them to. First, Alexander Zverev crushed Diego Schwartzman 6-2, 6-1 for the bett1HULKS Championship crown, his second title in as many weeks in Cologne. (Family photo selected because of very big brother Mischa.)

Ugo Humbert captured his second ATP Tour title on Sunday with a 6-1, 7-6(4) victory against heavily favored Alex de Minaur in the European Open final in Antwerp.

And then in the all Belarussian final in "Czechia," Aryna Sabalenka -- whom I like but I have given up on rooting for because she always loses big matches, a la Madison Keys and Lindsay Davenport -- blasted Victoria Azarenka off the court, 6-2, 6-2 to win the J&T Banka Ostrava Open, her second title of 2020. (Sabalenka might actually win a major one day assuming she can find seven opponents in a row suffering from migraines, as Vika apparently was.)

Sabalenka also took home the doubles title, teaming with Elise Mertens to defeat Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-3.

In men's doubles ...

John Peers and Michael Venus added a third trophy to their 2020 collection on Sunday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop at the European Open in Antwerp.

Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan won the bett1HULKS Championship on their team debut, defeating two-time Roland Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies 6-2, 6-4 on Sunday for the trophy.

In Challenger Land ...

Lloyd Glasspool and Alex Lawson lost to Andre Begemann and David Pel 5-7 7-6(2) (10-4) in the doubles final of the event in Ismaning, Germany.

(This tournament isn't really newsworthy, but any excuse to post photos of Lloyd.)

And elsewhere around the Net:

Tommy Paul discusses his buzz cut and what the odds are of his starting an Onlyfans HERE.

Vienna is shaping up to be a huge event, with Novak Djokovic and local hero Dominic Thiem leading the field

Jan-Lennard Struff and Denis Shapovalov

Dominic and Dennis Novak

The Austrian boys are teaming up for doubles, too

Stan and Dom

Is Stefanos's brother giving us a hint of how hot he could be with a good haircut?

Tommy Fabbiano and Felix Auger Aliassime deliver some mixed-height hotness

I might have known Damir Dzumhur would know where the boys are!

More woofy bedmates for Germany's Oscar Otte

Oscar and Daniel Masur hit the practice court to prepare for the Challenger event this week in Hamburg.

Stan plays it cool

Filip Krajinovic announced the end of his coaching relationship with Janko Tipsarevic. The sexy Serb plays Novak Djokovic today in Vienna (good luck!).