Tag: lobandsmash.com

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: The next Masters event, of which there is seemingly an endless number in the spring lead-up to the French Open, begins this week. The Madrid Open will start in full on Wednesday. Several big names will not be involved, however. –> The next Masters event, of which there is seemingly an endless…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: Andrey Rublev can be a divisive figure on the court, as he is quick to show negative reactions and get overly angry at himself. That he appears to be such a well-liked and good person away from the court still makes people pull for him despite his on-court antics. This is brought…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: Ben Shelton faced Alex Molcan in the semifinals of the BMW Open with hopes of taking one more step toward winning a clay-court title in Europe for the first time in his career. He made the final in Munich last year but lost to Alexander Zverev. For someone with the American's skill…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: The 2026 Madrid Masters begins on April 22 and is one further step toward the French Open. The Madrid event is held on clay, and most of the high-end players will be at the tournament, which is a great warm-up for Paris. Two key players, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, won't appear…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: Ben Shelton is still trying to become the long-term alpha of American tennis, and part of him achieving that will need to be consistent high-end results on a surface that has often dogged American players: Clay. He does have a clay-court title, but that came in Houston in 2024. Winning one in…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: In the quarterfinal match of the BMW Open between top-seed Alexander Zverev and fifth-seed Francisco Cerundolo, the German appeared to be well on his way to an easy victory. He was the defending champion after all, playing in his country, and he certainly wouldn't stop until he won in Munich for the…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: Coco Gauff's only fatal flaw is her serve. Specifically, her trend of double faults. She can keep her opponent in matches simply because of those errors. But when Gauff is serving well, she might be the best player on the WTA tour. –> Coco Gauff’s only fatal flaw is her serve. Specifically,…

<!–qv q:id=6n q:key=vcaa: Diana Shnaider is just short of being great, but good enough to push for deep runs in tournaments. The 22-year-old might still be finding her footing in singles, but has already reached a good level of success. She isn't anywhere close to Elena Rybakina, though, and it showed in the second round…

<!–qv q:id=6n q:key=vcaa: Alexander Zverev is trying to break a record. Should he win the BMW Open in 2026, it would mark his fourth title at the event. He would have earned more trophies from the Munich event than any other player. What was clear in the second round this year was that Gabriel Diallo…

<!–qv q:id=6n q:key=vcaa: Carlos Alcaraz didn't learn from last year. After winning the Monte-Carlo Open, he played the following week in Barcelona and was injured. He made the final but lost to Holger Rune, and likely due to his new injury. He then withdrew from the Madrid Masters because of the ailment. –> Carlos Alcaraz…