Tag: lobandsmash.com

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: The final major of the tennis season, the US Open, will have a main draw that begins on August 30 and ends with the men's final on September 13. Leading up to those dates will be Fan Week, and that is where part of the high-end entertainment happens. –> The final major…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: Alex Eala has a real problem that needs to be fixed. The 21-year-old rising star hasn't developed scary power on her serve, and her opponents know it. While the Filipina has excellent groundstrokes, her serve isn't likely to get her across the threshold of winning her first WTA tournament. Not yet. –>…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: Tommy Paul has had an interesting 2026. For the most part, he has either made deep runs at tournaments and made the finals, or he has been bounced out rather quickly. In his opening match at the Citi Open against No. 72-ranked Kamil Majchrzak, Paul was seemingly set on following the pattern…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: Jack Draper cannot catch a break. One might logically wonder if the 24-year-old Brit might watch much of his career pass by without ever playing a great part in it. He's struggled with various injuries, and his latest, an arm issue, will keep him out of the Citi Open. The problem is…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: Taylor Fritz is the most consistently successful American men's player since Andy Roddick, and while he might not reach the level Roddick did by reaching No. 1, Fritz does have a weapon that could keep him in contention for winning a major: When his serve is working well, he is nearly unstoppable.…

<!–qv q:id=61 q:key=vcaa: Lorenzo Musetti committed the best kind of Italian-on-Italian crime at the 2026 Citi Open because what he did to Matteo Arnaldi happened on a tennis court. The result was ugly and ended too early. Arnaldi retired due to an injury. –> Lorenzo Musetti committed the best kind of Italian-on-Italian crime at the…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: 18-year-old Lilli Tagger did something on Sunday that 21-year-old Alex Eala has yet to do. That is, win a WTA event that is higher than 125 or a Challenger. That isn't a judgement, mind you, but merely a fact. Tagger won the Prague Open 250 against Daria Snigur. –> 18-year-old Lilli Tagger…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: The future of tennis is in excellent hands. Many players in their teens on both the WTA and ATP sides are beginning to make an impact on the sport, and Lilli Tagger just cemented her status as a name to keep an eye on. One only has to ask Daria Snigur, whom…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: Quentin Halys is 29 years old, but has toiled on the ATP Tour for 14 years. Entering the final of the Generali Open against Alexander Bublik, Halys had only reached one tour-level final. He lost in Gstaad in 2024, though. –> Quentin Halys is 29 years old, but has toiled on the…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: Everyone can improve at what they do professionally or as a hobby. It is when one believes they can't that the growth stops. For WTA No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, she wanted to find a way to get better at returning serves, so she asked Novak Djokovic how to do that. –> Everyone…