***2023 Tennis Thread***
- Thread starter BigJCy
- Start date
Sure but again it’s not like he hasn’t won a slam before. Different if it’s your first slam final or you have made it before and are still trying to capture that first one. He’s the underdog too so what do you have to lose?
He's pressing so badly and he doesn't need to. He's doing fine when rallies have been extended
Wow did not see that coming and I will eat my words. Not sure how Carlos pulled that off but oddly it was Novak who cracked on two straight backhands.
Djokovic wasn't in that tournament. Djokovic at Wimbledon probably makes you feel you need to do more. It worked though that wasn't typical tiebreak novak.
He’s 20 and clearly the future, this isn’t going to be his first rodeo here. He’s already reached number 1 and won a slam, which is the main goal for any player. He’s playing against the GOAT at a place he has owned lately. Yes he has nothing to lose. And if you are going to lose do it going out your way. The tentativeness and overthinking is not going to get it done so let it all out there.
Again it doesn’t matter whether Novak was there or not. You aren’t expected to win this thing today and you already have a slam so the pressure to capture the elusive first one is gone. Most thought you would be Novak in Paris because clay is Alcaraz’s game. It went terribly wrong.
I agree but I don't think he's been tentative at all if anything I think he needs to take a breath. Djokovic isn't playing that great but carlos is letting him off hook at times with a bizarre go for broke type shot
He actually is being tentative because red line forehands are what he does best but you can see when he wants to crank one he doesn’t follow the same mechanics and play free. It’s a little sloppy. And now you see the difference when he decides to just play and enjoy himself a bit. Novak’s level came down a bit here but Carlos is also loosened up now.
Not saying Carlos wins because Novak is still the best and he won the first set, which he’s been nearly unbeatable in doing so. But you see what happens when he just plays his game.
There's a time and a place to redline though. Too often early on he was trying to rip 2nd ball of rally wide off the court with no angle or some absurd dropshot. What he's doing now is waiting for the right ball and that's what Patrick's talking about. It's also a huge help that currently Djokovic is breaking down mechanically which is rare. He's reaching at a lot and his serve has been as bad as its been all tournament
Djokovic is playing as bad as I can remember in a big match. Still 1 break and Djokovic is trying to find something to be angry about and use it. These next few minutes are huge
There are two forms of redlining. Out of control and tight and controlled and free redline. Alcaraz’s game is is the latter. Today until the end of the 2nd Set, he was the first.
Agreed he is being more patient, which has helped him get into points but when he has a chance to really end a point he needs to go for it. And he has lately.
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