Tag: lobandsmash.com

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: Corentin Moutet, a grinder if there ever was one on the ATP tour, has an odd playing style that sometimes ruffles the feathers of his opponents. The Frenchman is clearly aware of that, and many times leans into the situation. –> Corentin Moutet, a grinder if there ever was one on the…

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: Elina Svitolina has been playing some of the best tennis of her career over the last year, and is a threat to win any tournament she enters. But in the quarterfinals of the Berlin Open on Friday, Svitolina could have been seeing the future of tennis in the person of 21-year-old Alexandra…

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: Aryna Sabalenka likely didn't see such a challenge coming in the quarterfinals of the Berlin Open against Nikola Bartunkova. Maybe the Belarusian should have, though. The 20-year-old Czech is one in a long line of players from her country who know how to win on grass. –> Aryna Sabalenka likely didn’t see…

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: Alexander Zverev has 25 career titles in singles events on the ATP tour, but none of those have come at a grass-court tournament. For whatever reason, Zverev's huge serve and ability to move around the court well don't translate to events like Wimbledon. Maybe 2026 will be different. –> Alexander Zverev has…

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: There are few players who have enjoyed the level of success that Novak Djokovic has, especially over the last two decades. The 39-year-old Serbian is still playing tennis after turning pro in 2003, and although on the back end of his career, he is still playing pretty close to elite-level tennis. –>…

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: When Elena Rybakina is healthy, she is arguably the best player on the WTA tour on any surface that isn't clay. This is especially true of grass, where the Kazakhstani has already won Wimbledon (2022). 21-year-old Alexandra Eala, though, has the power to reach a high-level on grass courts too, though. –>…

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: Alexander Zverev and Yannick Hanfmann have certainly had different careers. One German finally took his first title at a Grand Slam recently when Zverev won the French Open. The other, Hanfmann, is 34 years old and has never won an ATP-sanctioned event in singles. –> Alexander Zverev and Yannick Hanfmann have certainly…

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: Wimbledon 2026, just like this year's French Open, will feel somewhat diminished without Carlos Alcaraz. Not that the major won't be great, because it's guaranteed to be, but a final that could once again feature the Spaniard against Jannik Sinner is what every tournament secretly wants. –> Wimbledon 2026, just like this…

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: Aryna Sabalenka was busy doing Sabalenka things against Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round of the Berlin Open. In a tight first set that could have gone either way, and each player battling to hold serve, the WTA No. 1 did what she often does. –> Aryna Sabalenka was busy doing Sabalenka…

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: Coco Gauff is obviously one of the best players on the WTA tour, and her powerful serve and groundstrokes would imply she should be a high-end winner on grass courts. So far in her career, however, that has not been the case. –> Coco Gauff is obviously one of the best players…