2018 French Open

[bksballer89]

Starts on Sunday and the draw came out yesterday I believe.

 

[bksballer89]

From ESPN:

The French Open draw plays a particularly cruel trick on American men, who have actually been improving on clay. Four of the US's best prospects meet in round 1. Noah Rubin will play No. 9 seed John Isner while Frances Tiafoe meets No. 12 Sam Querrey. Jack Sock, seeded 14, got lucky. He will play a qualifier. But the way luck is running for the American men that could be Denis Kudla, the lone American left in the qualifying event, who won his second-round match today.

 

[nuraman00]

I can't find an official statement, but it looks like Murray is out.

So the article from last week, doesn't seem to be true anymore.

Murray is going to play the French Open!

Yes!

Serena Williams and Andy Murray named on French Open entry list

 

[nuraman00]

I think this quote by Nadal says that Federer and Djokovic are his friends. But I'm not sure.

Rafael Nadal lifts the lid on Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic relationship

 

[nuraman00]

Men's Draw:

Nadal's Quarter:

Youzhny vs. Gasquet 2nd round: Both players are unpredictable. I'll go with Youzhny in 3, even though he's old.

Sock vs. Shapalov 3rd round: Not sure, but I'll take Sock because I want him to win. Sock in 4.

Sock vs. Nadal 4th round: Nadal in 3.

Kevin Anderson vs. Mischa Zverev 3rd round: I will go with Mischa in 5!

Mischa Zverev vs. Nadal QF: Nadal in 3.

Cilic's Quarter:

Isner vs. Del Potro 4th round: Del Potro in 4, but if it's a long match, Isner will win.

Cilic vs. Del Potro QF: They've had some great matches in the past. The surface favors Del Potro, so Del Potro in 3.

Dmitrov's Quarter:

Dmitrov vs. Djokovic 4th round: Djokovic hasn't shown enough for me to believe in him. Dmitrov in 4.

Dmitrov wins his QF.

Alexander Zverev's Quarter:

Nishikori vs. Thiem 4th round: Nishikori with the upset 4 set win.

Zverev vs. Wawrinka 4th round: I know Wawrinka is coming off injury. But I want to root for Wawrinka. He has to keep this match short though. Wawrinka in 3.

Wawrinka also lost to Garcia-Lopez in the 1st round in 2014. This is who he faces in the first round again. Hopefully he wins this time.

Nishikori vs. Wawrinka QF: Both guys coming off injuries. When Wawrinka is off, he looks awful. Nishikori in 3.

Nadal vs. Del Potro SF: This is Del Potro's best chance at beating Nadal at a major again. He has a chance. Nadal in 4.

Dmitrov vs. Nishikori SF: Can Nishikori keep pulling off big wins? History says no to both of these guys.

I'll root for Nishikori though. Nishikori in 5.


Nadal vs. Nishikori Finals: If Nishikori were healthy, he would have a better chance. Nadal rarely even drops a set in Finals.

Nadal in 3.


Women's Draw:

Halep's Quarter:

Halep vs. Kerber QF: I don't want either player to lose. Halep has been to 2 Finals though, and will keep knocking on that door. Halep in 3.

Muguruza's Quarter:

Serena vs. Krystina Pliskova: I've never seen Krystina play. Should be fun.

Serena in 2.

Serena vs Karolina Pliskova 4th round: I don't want either player to lose. I think Karolina wins this in 3.

Karolina Pliskova vs. Muguruza QF: Muguruza is probably favored, but I think Pliskova wins this in 2.

Svitolina's Quarter:

Venus vs. Ostapenko 4th round: Ostapenko in 2. Venus hasn't gotten farther than this in a while.

I guess Ostapenko will also win her QF.

Wozniacki's Quarter:

Wozniacki vs. Kvitova QF: Wozniacki in 3.

Halep vs. Pliskova SF: Halep in 2. Better on this surface.

Ostapenko vs. Wozniacki SF: Wozniacki hasn't won a tournament since the AO, but she still deserves the edge given to a recent champion.

Wozniacki in 2.

Halep vs. Wozniacki Finals: When was the last time we had the same finalists for the first two majors on the Womens Side? I don't even think that's happened when the Williams sisters were making consecutive Finals.

I don't want either player to lose. But I think Halep breaks through this time?

Halep in 3.

 

[nuraman00]

Venus lost in the first round to Wang, but I thought she played a good match.

She was down a break in both sets, but fought back to level those sets.

She was playing the points pretty well. Not too many errors.

Frances Tiafoe and Brett Haber were in the studio, wearing Washington Capitols jackets. Tiafoe said that the game 1 will be on at 2am, so he'll have to watch the highlights.

He also said that he and the other USA players are still friends. He said maybe that will change when they're fighting for trophies.

He said he likes seeing USA players do well, and that they push each other.

He also said his mentors are probably James Blake and Jim Courier.

He said Querrey is kind of a goofy guy.

They also showed highlights of him practicing with Nadal, in 2015, when Tiafoe was a junior. He said he learned how prepared Nadal is every day. And that Nadal might joke around the day before, but the day of a match, Nadal doesn't talk to anyone and is serious.

Tiafoe will play Querrey tomorrow morning.

Tiafoe said the biggest difference between now, and 12-24 months ago, is the experience in big moments. He embraces it now, rather than shying away from them.

 

[bksballer89]

Ostapenko gone

 

[Hs0022]

Hope Rafa is out soon! Him winning French open after French open only makes him look bad and one dimensional.

 

[Old Lion]

Ostapenko gone

She is very streaky and needs to withstand her errorfests. She was lucky last year that she survived them in multiple matches when she won her French.

 

[bksballer89]

Wawrinka & Azarenka out

 

[Cyder]

Wawrinka & Azarenka out

Wow.....so it begins

 

[bksballer89]

Rafa is such a bitch.

He wanted to play through the rain until he went down 3-0 in the 3rd set?

Fuck this guy

 

[nuraman00]

Wawrinka & Azarenka out

He lost to his nemesis Garcia Lopez again!

This is like Kohlschreiber vs. Isner.

I was hoping Wawrinka would win the 5th set.

I didn't notice Azarenka losing. I didn't see it on the broadcast.

 

[nuraman00]

Tiafoe, how could you suck like that?

 

[nuraman00]

Tiafoe bests Donaldson in NBA argument

 

[nuraman00]

Isner is wearing a Where's Waldo striped shirt.

 

[nuraman00]

Johnson gets married with slew of fellow Americans on hand

The USC marching band came out and played the fight song at Johnson's wedding.

Isner played the cymbals.

The USC coach asked Isner what he was doing, since he's a Georgia alum.

Isner: "Today, I'm a Trojan".

What a great friend Isner is.

 

[nuraman00]

I'm all for cool friendship moments like this.

I know that when they get on the court, they still want to beat each other.

 

[nuraman00]

Isner wins the 2nd set tiebreak on a double fault.

He had to save a set point.

 

[nuraman00]

There's 4 Aussie men playing tomorrow, and none of them are Krygios or Tomic.

There's also 4 Aussie women playing tomorrow.