Unluck of the Draw

 

As much as I've enjoyed some of the unpredictability at this year's Roland Garros, the problem with so many upsets is that you often wind up with lopsided endings -- and 2026 is no exception. A Mensik-Zverev final and a Kostyuk-Andreeva final would be just fine. But instead Arnaldi or Cobolli will be in the men's final and Shnaider or Chwalinska(!) will be in the women's -- and either of them could end up beating their more challenged opponent. While it's foolish to say anyone who wins a major didn't really deserve to do so, sometimes the luck of the draw is more egregious than others.

Thoughts?

Youthquake Hits Paris

 

Loving every minute of today's French Open coverage -- did you catch the whole gang teasing Caroline Wozniacki about the time she cramped? -- especially this match between Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca, which was quite an eyeful before it even began.

"Old Man" Matteo Arnaldi is 25

The Sunday Post

Damian and I are heading to Paris later in the week for what will likely be Nadal’s -- and at the rate he’s going possibly Djokovic’s -- last French Open. With neither of them in form and Alcaraz and Sinner both nursing injuries, this might be the most wide-open major in decades. I haven’t been to Roland Garros since 1987(!) -- the year Nole was born -- so am eager to see how things have changed.

Tell me your picks in the comments below.

The Paris Match(es)

So I couldn't be happier with the outcome of the Tsitsipas-Zverev semifinal -- and what a match it was. After falling love-40 in his opening service game in the fifth, I was sure Stefanos was going to go away -- only he became a machine from that game forward. Such a thrill to see him reach his first Slam final.

Now I'm hearing the second one was pretty good, too. (I turned it off when Djokovic fell 5-0 in the first set.) Alas, I once again find myself in a quandry: I keep saying I would like to see the NextGen NowGen step up and take the reins. (I really never expected or even wanted Fed or Djokovic to have this many Slams, much less Nadal.) But ideally one of the younger guys would dethrone Rafa in Paris (and Novak Down Under) -- except they're incapable of it -- so do I think Novak deserves to lose a second French Open final where he beat Nadal on the way there? 

I suppose I can now just be happy with either outcome -- only knowing me I will suddenly become deeply invested in one of them winning and wind up miserable all over again. (Why do I subject myself to this sport?!)

I am a Novak fan and my hubby is a Rafa fan. Please keep us in your thoughts at this difficult time.🙏https://t.co/zTlTNrdgI4 @cher

— Kenneth M. Walsh (@kenneth212) June 12, 2021

Weekend Tennis Diary

Another Grand Slam season has come to an end, and the world of tennis has yet to find the middle ground between boringly predictable and embarrassingly fluky. On Saturday, Iga Swiatek barely broke a sweat in her 6-4, 6-1 defeat of the No. 4 seed and (inexplicable) Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in their French Open singles final. And then Rafael Nadal steamrolled Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 on Sunday, to tie Roger Federer's record of 20 major titles. (I woke up at 6-0 and a break and immediately went back to sleep.) 

Don't get me wrong. I feel lucky being alive to see what makes the Big Three so special, with prime Federer at Wimbledon and Djokovic in Melbourne nearly as sure a thing as Nadal in Paris. (Well, about half as sure.) And not since Mary Pierce when she was "on" have I seen someone play more convincingly than Swiatek, who didn't drop a set to become the lowest-ranked women's titlist in history. (Her hitchy forehand is so masterful it ought to be illegal.) But it took a fluke accident to get a new men's champ in 2020. And if history is any indication, I could just as easily see Swiatek never win another title as win 20 more. Neither of these scenarios makes for the most compelling storyline -- unless, of course, your favorite man or newcomer woman of choice wins. (But even then a little drama would be nice, however predictable the outcome.)

Roger reacts

Meanwhile, hunky duo Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies retained their French Open doubles crown as they beat Croatian Mate Pavic and Brazilian Bruno Soares 6-3 7-5 on Saturday. (Who knew Germans could be so demonstrative?) 

And No.2 seeds Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic -- who was ejected from the U.S. Open because of coronavirus contact -- also defended their French Open title with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over No.14 seeds Alexa Guarachi and Desirae Krawczyk in Paris on Sunday.

So this is what our new champion looks like?! 

Lucky kid. (Pospisil plays Rublev in the first round in St. Petersburg.)

Damir wasn't allowed to play in Paris because of what turned out to be a false-positive test in his circle, but made the most of the situation by reaching the final of the Challenger event yesterday in Barcelona (see down below).

Luca Pouille turned to what he's best at -- modeling -- while still recovering from surgery

When you've got men who look like Christian Harrison and Michael Venus, which one's which?

After skipping Paris, Kyle Edmund looks to refresh himself in Cologne

Guido "Fiaca" Andreozzi

After a great run in Paris, Marton Fucsovics takes on Gilles Simon today in Cologne

J.J. Wolf enjoyed some time with the boys back in Columbus ...

Before flying to St. Petersburg and qualifying for the main draw. 

Poor guy got to practice with Sam Querrey then drew Milos Raonic in the first round

After crapping out in the first round in Paris, Borna Coric went home and set up a TikTok account. Today he'll play Feliciano Lopez in St. Petersburg

Lloyd Glasspool can't stop being beautiful

Who were those masked ATP men?

Carlos Alcaraz battled back to defeat Damir Dzumhur for his second ATP Challenger Tour title on Sunday. The 17-year-old Spaniard needed one hour and 48 minutes to prevail 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 under sunny skies in Barcelona.

Tristan-Samuel Weissborn and Szymon Walkow looked good winning the Barcelona doubles crown

Ditto for Parma doubles winners Tomislav Brkic and Marcelo Areevalo Gonzalez. 

Update: Frances Tiafoe beat Salvatore Caruso 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to secure his fifth Challenger Tour title in the rescheduled Parma final on Monday.

And last and mostly bitchily, friends and family helped Nicolas Massu celebrate his 41st birthday over the weekend. I always wondered why the Chilean was such a misanthrope -- but after seeing what his little brother Stefano looks like, it all makes sense!

And Then There Were Four

 

Pretty sanguine about the semifinal match-ups in Paris. I'm a Thiem fan but also love Diego, so was happy for the pint-size Argentine. Schwartzman did just beat Nadal in Rome but I don't see that happening again in a best-of-five situation. Tsitsipas and Djokovic have split their three previous meetings, but none of them were best of five. Stefanos had a disappointing U.S. Open -- and hasn't reached a major semi since the 2019 Aussie Open when he beat Federer along the way -- so now's his chance to prove he's ready to take it to the next level. 

As for the women: With Kvitova playing Kenin we're guaranteed one former Slam champ in the final. And either Swiatek or Podoroska is a fitting finalist given their extraordinary runs to get to where they are. (Anyone else physically afraid of Swiatek?)

Weekend Tennis Diary

 

Don't even know where to begin with this year's off-season French Open. The women's draw is even more wide open than usual, with Simona Halep being blown off the court by 19-year-old Iga Swiatek --anyone else just figure out Mary-Lou Piatek was Polish because of that name? -- Garbine Muguruza crapping out to Danielle Collins and Karolina Pliskova losing in straight sets to Jelena Ostapenko. (Notice I don't even expect Madison Keys or Sloane Stephens to show up anymore.) The only way this won't end up being a complete farce is if Elina Svitolina and Petra Kvitova end up reaching the final, which is about as likely as my winning the men's singles. 

Per usual, the men's draw is holding up much better. And in addition to Djokovic, Nadal and Thiem still in contention, it's been great to see KIT212 fave Marton Fucksalot reaching his first French round of 16. (He'll play Andrey Rublev later today.) 

Meanwhile ...

Andreas Mies and Kevin Krawietz are through to the quarterfinals ...

where they will take on Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski, who weren't nearly as cool as Grigor Dimitrov and friend

Marcos Giron ran out of gas against Brazilian Thiago Monteiro

Tommy Paul, who nearly upset Casper Ruud in singles, teamed up with Nick Monroe to advance to the fourth round in doubles, defeating Pablo Cuevas and Fernando Verdasco in a third-set tiebreak. (I had never heard of the 38-year-old Monroe until a few weeks ago when he joined Tennis Channel Live so it was fun to see him in action.) It looks like Tommy had quite a present waiting for him back at the room, although I prefer the Taco Bell home kit!

J.J. Wolf, who lost in the qualies in Paris, still won't hang out with men who don't have square jaws 

Holger Rune is a cryolab rat

Guido Andreozzi in the driver's seat

Neal Skupski looking like a million bucks a friend's wedding

Tommy Haas's wife is still nowhere to be found ...

Corentin Moutet lost 18-16 in the fifth to an unknown Italian, but it was his workout partner who really got my attention

I think Thomas Fabbiano is just a spokesmodel now, which suits him well

Did he get that mask from the same store that sold Mom and Dad Djokovic those Novak T-shirts?

A modest Liam Broady will get no pushback from me

Tommy Paul knows a "sex tornado" when he sees one

Early loser Borna Coric reunited with "daddy" ex-coach Kristijan Schneider -- who is now working with Croatian-born American player Bernarda Pera -- as well as his pup

Following eight title wins on the ITF World Tennis Tour, Francisco Cerundolo has clinched his first trophy on the ATP Challenger Tour by winning the inaugural Split Open. The 22-year-old from Argentina fought past top seed Pedro Sousa from Portugal by the score of 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) in Sunday’s singles final at the Tennis Club Friule.

Treat Huey and Nathaniel Lammons won the doubles title in Split, knocking out the top-seeded pair of Andre Goransson and Hunter Reese, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). And Harri Heliovaara and Szymon Walkow beat Lloyd Glasspool and Alex Lawson 7-5, 6-3 in the doubles final in Biella, Italy. 

The singles final was postponed because of rain with Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia leading Facundo Bagnis of Argentina, 7-6, 4-3.) On Monday Bagnis won the second set and Kavcic retired with a hamstring injury/

Barbora Krejcikova dedicates her win to Jana Novotna. Said the fact the match was on her birthday made things much more difficult.

"It was very emotional for me, very special that I could win this match today."#RG20 pic.twitter.com/fLXY02Txch

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) October 2, 2020

Fans might remember Ben Rothenberg's 2018 article that detailed how Krejcikova --  who ended up reaching the round of 16 in Paris before losing Nadia Podoroska of Argentina -- and her parents literally showed up outside Novota's house years ago to ask for her help.