Tag: lobandsmash.com

<!–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…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: The Canadian Open, it is somewhat easy to forget, is not an unimportant event. It is one of the tournaments just slightly below a Grand Slam, as it is a Masters event that gives 1,000 points to the winner on both the ATP and WTA sides. One might not know this based…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: Andrey Rublev was striving to win his second straight tournament after having an inconsistent start to 2026. He is best on clay, though, and he was the top seed at the Estoril Open in Portugal. Rublev was also a solid favorite in his quarterfinal match against 22-year-old Frenchman Luca van Assche. –>…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: In the opening set of the Hamburg Open quarterfinal match between Paula Badosa and Mayar Sherif, neither player appeared capable of taking control for long. When one player would get a break, the other would break back, and each game lasted a seeming eternity. –> In the opening set of the Hamburg…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: Novak Djokovic is a miracle. He is 39 years old, ancient for a professional tennis player, but still consistently makes deep runs in Grand Slam events. He even reached the final of the Australian Open in 2026 before losing to Carlos Alcaraz. –> Novak Djokovic is a miracle. He is 39 years…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: In the last couple of years, it might have been easy for the rest of the WTA field to somewhat dismiss Paula Badosa. She was suffering from a long-term back issue, and her form had dipped. She no longer made much inroads at events, if she could actually play in them. –>…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: Jaime Faria might just now be finding his footing on the ATP tour. He's worked through qualifying at majors and grinded through Challenger events and only had a record of 7-6 entering this week's Estoril Open. Still, he's trending up. –> Jaime Faria might just now be finding his footing on the…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: Alexander Bublik is capable of tennis greatness, but sometimes he appears to play with his food a bit much. He wants to win, sure, but he also wants to entertain. When he is serious and focused, his opponent has a difficult time defeating him. –> Alexander Bublik is capable of tennis greatness,…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: Paula Badosa remains a fan favorite in tennis because she has all the traits of a real human being. In other words, she isn't just a world-class athlete who can be elite at her sport. Instead, she suffers the pain from injuries, the happiness of victories, and the bitterness of disappointment. –>…

<!–qv q:id=5y q:key=vcaa: The tennis season is a weird one. The four most important events of the year are scheduled strangely, and that forces players to make health-related decisions that might not be made if the majors were spread out a bit more. The true injured parties tend to be good but less important tournaments…