TCU Men's Tennis - 2020-2021
- Thread starter Jared7
- Start date
Purp
Active Member
Honestly, I felt the bigger weakness was his return. He certainly could have been better with the first serve (he got down quite a bit in quite a few of his service games having to battle back just to hold), but you can't beat an elite player if you can't break him and you can't break him if you return fewer than half his serves. He started to turn the corner in the 3rd and 4th, but still struggled at times returning Fed.
Jared7
Active Member
I just watched the replay. The slow start and the double faults and the easy breaks in the first two sets were very disappointing and it looked like Federer was just going to roll, but then that 3rd set! That was the best I've seen Norrie ever play and the crowd really got behind him! Some really key clutch play and some very impressive shot-making really knocked Roger off his game for awhile. Very entertaining! To me, it looked like Team Federer had really scouted Cam well. Cam's 2nd serve into the ad court is just a soft spin and it really sits up and at key moments, Roger switched his position to enable him to run around the backhand and just whale on a forehand which really put Cam at a disadvantage. And, especially, in those first two sets, Cam really never even threatened to come to net, which enabled Roger to really take his time at the baseline. Cam's whole game is to make the other player uncomfortable; except in the third set, he didn't really do that today. Simply put, Cam needs a better 2nd serve and he needs to come to net on grass. Fewer double faults would really help too.
But he got a set off Federer! That's the positive - plus the huge crowd response. I think those Londoners might just take Cam to heart the way FrogNation has. Good to see. He got some major kudos from the commentators and from Federer himself afterwards. Third round in a Slam seems to be his thang this year. Hopefully, he can improve by the time the U.S. Open comes
He and Alastair Gray (w/ different partners) are still in the doubles. So we're not done with Wimbledon yet.
But he got a set off Federer! That's the positive - plus the huge crowd response. I think those Londoners might just take Cam to heart the way FrogNation has. Good to see. He got some major kudos from the commentators and from Federer himself afterwards. Third round in a Slam seems to be his thang this year. Hopefully, he can improve by the time the U.S. Open comes
He and Alastair Gray (w/ different partners) are still in the doubles. So we're not done with Wimbledon yet.
Longfrog
Active Member
I wasn't able to watch the whole thing, but I thought Norrie's return game let him down. In the parts I saw there were lots of errors on 2nd serves and he just generally seemed to struggle with that part of his game. Granted I missed the 4th set when he got one of his two breaks. If you'd told me he'd only get broken four times through four sets, I'd have guessed he'd win at least two of those.
Still a cool experience and not a bad showing.
edit: I see Purp beat me to it. Great minds and all...
Still a cool experience and not a bad showing.
edit: I see Purp beat me to it. Great minds and all...
Jared7
Active Member
After he lost to Federer, Cam and Munar played their 2nd round doubles match against Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek and they won 7-6 (12-10), 1-6, 7-5 to advance to the 3rd round. Alastair Gray and Aidan McHugh also played but they lost to Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara 6-4, 3-6, 6-8. Norrie/Munar are scheduled to play Andre Goransson and Casper Ruud Monday at 8:15 a.m. (CDT) in the Round of 16.
jake102
Active Member
Yeah totally. Completely blanked on mentioning his return game… typically a strength but totally let him down. His second serve returning was especially bad.
jake102
Active Member
Interesting names there. Lloyd Glasspool played for UT back in the Norrie days, he was a top 10 college player and won the National title in doubles. Believe Norrie whipped him pretty good in single in college… may have been Rybo
and then Goransson is a really interesting name. He was Cal’s #1 player the year where TCU should have won the title but our match with Cal got moved indoors. Believe Norrie whipped him. Once again, may have been Rybo. And like Glasspool, he may have won a doubles national title in college. Can’t quite remember perfectly for him, but he was a really good doubles player
Jared7
Active Member
Good memory, but not exact. I looked it up in the gofrogs archives (surprisingly good). Norrie whipped the Cal #1 Florian Lakat 4 and 1 in the 2016 Round of 16 match which TCU lost 3-4 after the move indoors; Rybo lost to Goransson (their #2) 4-6, 6-3, 5-7. In doubles, Goransson/Wikberg beat Trevor Johnson and Guillermo Nunez at #2; Rybo/Norrie won easily at #3.
Glasspool, now a British doubles specialist, graduated from UT in 2015 with the NCAA doubles championship. That year, in the TCU-Texas match, Glasspool (then ranked #23) went unfinished at the #2 spot against Guillermo Nunez in singles while Norrie walloped Adrien Berkowitz at #3 4 and love. In doubles, Glasspool and Soren Hess-Olesen beat our #1 doubles team of Chappell/Will Stein while Norrie and Trevor Johnson easily won 6-1 at the #2 slot. TCU won 4-1. Rybo wasn't on the team as yet.
Jared7
Active Member
Norrie and Munar started to play their Round of 16 doubles match at Wimbledon and they were down 3-4 in the 1st but then conceded and gave Gorannson/Ruud a walkover. Not sure why - hopefully, not an injury to Cam. So that's it for Wimbledon (and the grass season) for Frogs. Federer beat Sonego easily in straight sets today.
Elsewhere this week, Tomas Jirousek is in Poprad (Slovakia) and his first round main draw match will be against Fermin Tenti. Nick Chappell has traveled all the way to Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan) and his first rounder will be against Sanjar Fayzicw. There's a Challenger there in 2 weeks - maybe Nick will stay there and try to get into that one. The Winnetka Challenger near where I live and where I've seen Rybo play a couple of times was cancelled for this year. The next U.S. Futures tourneys will be in Edwardsville and Champaign (again) later this month. The next Challenger will be at Cary (N.C.).
Elsewhere this week, Tomas Jirousek is in Poprad (Slovakia) and his first round main draw match will be against Fermin Tenti. Nick Chappell has traveled all the way to Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan) and his first rounder will be against Sanjar Fayzicw. There's a Challenger there in 2 weeks - maybe Nick will stay there and try to get into that one. The Winnetka Challenger near where I live and where I've seen Rybo play a couple of times was cancelled for this year. The next U.S. Futures tourneys will be in Edwardsville and Champaign (again) later this month. The next Challenger will be at Cary (N.C.).
Jared7
Active Member
Federer just lost in straight sets to Hubert Hurkacz, so in the what might have been category, if Cam had just been able to beat him, he could have beaten Sonego and Hurkacz and made the semis. Which is about as far as I think he could have gone.
Jirousek won his first round at Poprad and will now face Illya Beloborodko. Chappell lost 4 and 4 at the first round in Kazahkstan.
Jirousek won his first round at Poprad and will now face Illya Beloborodko. Chappell lost 4 and 4 at the first round in Kazahkstan.
SuperTFrog
Active Member
Jared7, I feel like you are just making these names up. Has anybody fact checked him to ensure these are real names?
Hurkacz, Sonego, Poprad, Beloborodko???
Jared7
Active Member
Jirousek blew through Beloborodko 4 and love at Poprad this morning and will now face Ignacio Monzon in the quarters. (Poprad is, of course, a picturesque town in Northern Slovakia known for its unique architecture in the city center.) Luckily, Tomas has been able to avoid Lancel Lannister, Oberyn Martell and Rickon Stark in this tourney.
JogginFrog
Active Member
Not a Game of Thrones fan, but I understand that Lannisters should be avoided if at all possible.
Jared7
Active Member
Shapo and Hurkacz have got the firepower to stay with him, but to win, they'd have to maintain their highest level for multiple sets. Berrettini's serve could really give Djoker trouble and it might come down to tie-breaks. But, no, Djoker is the clear favorite to tie Fed/Rafa at Wimbledon and surpass them both at Flushing Meadows (unless Norrie can improve enough by that time).
jake102
Active Member
Sounds like this Jirousek guy may end up giving Djoker a run at US Open
Jared7
Active Member
Maybe in 2026.
But he did beat Monzon 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 and is now into the semis at Poprad against Roman Andres Burrachaga. This is as good or better than Rybo's been doing in the Futures. (Luckily, he's not going to have to play Joffrey Barratheon).
Purp
Active Member
Seems like he'd be Italian at this point. Odd to call him a Roman given the last millennium and a half.
Jared7
Active Member
His name is Roman Burruchaga and he's from Argentina! And he's not only in the semis against Tomas, he's also into the doubles final with Fermin Tenti. I am not making these names up!
Jared7
Active Member
This Jirousek guy remains on a hot streak as he just beat Roman Burruchaga 4 and 1 to advance to the finals at Poprad! He'll play Damien Wenger (Switzerland) who just barely got by the local Slovakian wild card Milos Karol in 3 sets. Tomas now has a chance at his very first singles title in the pros tomorrow.
