Monday, October 30, 2023

Weekend Tennis Roundup


Titles for Haddad Maia, Sinner and Auger Aliassime. Plus a photo tribute to tennis superfan Matthew Perry and all the ATP beef that's fit to post BELOW.


 

Jannik Sinner took out Daniil Medvedev for the second time this month on Sunday, beating the lanky Russian 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-3 to clinch the title in Vienna.


But as he is wont to be, Medvedev couldn't have been more fun about it.


Despite entering the week with a 17-18 win-loss record this season, Felix Auger-Aliassime rose to the occasion when he needed it, successfully defending his Swiss Indoors Basel title with a 7-6(3), 7-6(5) win over Hubert Hurkacz on Sunday in the ATP 500 final.


Hurkacz, always gracious in defeat 


Beatriz Haddad Maia claimed her third career tour title by defeating seventh-seeded Zheng Qinwen 7-6(11), 7-6(4) to win the WTA Elite Trophy on Sunday. She then returned to court and partnered Veronika Kudermetova to win the doubles.


Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin moved closer to an ATP Finals berth on Sunday when they won the title in Basel. The third seeds rallied past Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski 6-7(8), 7-6(3), 10-1 to triumph at the ATP 500 event. I think what happens this week in Paris will decide if they quality for the yearend championship.



And Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury clinched their third tour-level title of the season on Sunday in Vienna, where they clawed past Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow 6-4, 5-7, 12-10 at the ATP 500 event.

Elsewhere around the net:


Another Challenger crown for James Duckworth -- but no see-through shorts


Nico Jarry shows off the goods


I'm sure Cesar Ramirez and Christian Harrison will think of something to do 



Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic hit the practice court in Paris


Carlos and Carper Ruud


Tea time


My other Hispanic hubby: Pedro Martinez 




Nico & Friends


This sums up Vasek Pospisil's year -- or should I say career -- to a T!


Grigor Dimitrov on the Seine


German engineering: Daniel Masur and Peter Gojowczyk


Sign me up!




Tommy Haas and Miles Bugby: Anne White gets all the cute guys to play at her club! 





John Millman: Woof!


Can't say I mind watching Ben Shelton grow up before my eyes



Juan Betancourt at your service 




I always imagined Jan-Michael Gambill's bosom would be a nice place to rest



T&A specialist Cristian Garin enjoys some R&R




It's mine too when Ben's around 


And I can take Hendrik Jebens


Karen Khachanov in Paris






Janko Tipsarevic is living the good life in Los Angeles, right down to bringing his own member of "The Real Housewives of Belgrade." Yikes. 


The women are in Cancun for the year-end championship


What do we make of this? It seems the WTA really screwed itself over when it pulled the yearend championship out of China -- and for what? Nothing came of the Peng Shuai protests -- how could something in a country like that? -- and now the tour seems like it's in dire financial straits. Here's hoping there's some truth to the rumor that the WTA and ATP are in talks to finally merge.


Sending my best to Bridgette Wilson, wife of Pete Sampras, as she battles ovarian cancer.





And last but not least: Was watching a "One Day at a Time" rerun where Barbara gets held up at the sporting-goods store where she works and couldn't help but marvel at the giant Donnay Allwood racket on the wall, which Bjorn Borg used before the advent of the Borg Pro. I've said this a hundred times before, but tennis really was ubiquitous back in the day! My brother Bill had the sister racket, the Fiberwood, which I wrote about HERE.

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