TCU Men's Tennis - 2020-2021
- Thread starter Jared7
- Start date
Longfrog
Active Member
Maxted is an interesting player. He moves really well, has an awesome backhand, good hands at the net, and gets decent power out of a very slight frame. But I have seen him get overpowered by bigger opponents, and he misses a lot when he goes for something extra. Basically, I think he needs to spend some time in the weight room. I'm not as convinced as I was earlier in the year that he will be a shoe-in for our top 6 right away, but I still think he's got a pretty good shot at it.
The weirdest thing I found on him all year was a favorable grade from the London Book Review...
https://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2021/july/on-centre-court
Jared7
Active Member
Well, when you first mentioned him, we didn't have Ruehl and Aguilar. But if the London Book review is high on him, who are we to argue?
Reese Stalder will be playing Stefan Dostanic tonight in the Decatur qualies. (uh, this is Illinois, not the Eighter from Decatur, County Seat of Wise of gambling fame).
Jared7
Active Member
Cam Norrie will open up at D.C. against Marcus Giron (ATP#64) later this afternoon. Giron is just back from the Olympics. In doubles, Cam and Luke Saville won last night 4 and 4.
Reese Stalder lost last night to Dostanic 5-7, 1-6 at Decatur. In doubles, he's not teaming with Rybo (Gijl Brouwer instead) so maybe Rybakov isn't there (as anticipated).
Reese Stalder lost last night to Dostanic 5-7, 1-6 at Decatur. In doubles, he's not teaming with Rybo (Gijl Brouwer instead) so maybe Rybakov isn't there (as anticipated).
Jared7
Active Member
Norrie will next take on the winner between Bublik and Nishikori in D.C. After that, if form holds, it'd probably be Nadal in the quarters and Dimitrov in the semis. Uh wait, if it's Nadal in the quarters, he probably won't make the semis (a very impressive #9 in the UTR notwithstanding).
(oh, and I just saw Raonic play in Atlanta - if he's #8 in the world as out-of-shape as he looked, TCU will be getting that Pac-12 invitation imminently).
(oh, and I just saw Raonic play in Atlanta - if he's #8 in the world as out-of-shape as he looked, TCU will be getting that Pac-12 invitation imminently).
jake102
Active Member
I'm honestly getting so frustrated by ATP at the moment. They put way too little thought into the COVID ranking system and you just have totally bizarre seeding. Dimitrov has no business being a seed and wouldn't be a seed based on the past 18 months of play. Fortunately the rankings will start to re-set to normal beginning in two weeks, but it will take until January 2022 for it to completely re-set.
Jared7
Active Member
What I'm frustrated by is how ESPN and UT have conspiratorily used Aresco to arrange for Cam to have to play Nadal, Nadal, Nadal, Federer and Nadal in the span of about 7 months. There are some really good players that go their whole careers without having to play GOAT candidates that much and Norrie gets them once every month or so in less than a year.
Don't look now, but Norrie is verging on becoming the British #1. He's 29th now and Dan Evans (also at D.C.) is 27th. That would be a big deal across the pond.
jake102
Active Member
Hah yeah. Outside of avoiding Djokovic, his draws have been brutal in big events. It's really interesting he's yet to play Tsitsipas, Zverev, Medvedev or Rublev in the past 18 months but has gotten Nadal and Fed a bunch.
That being said - Nishikori could be really tricky, same with Bublik depending on the day.
And in regards to British #1, it would be interesting. While I'm not going to go as far to say they haven't adopted him, it's been a lukewarm relationship to this point.
Jared7
Active Member
Well, he did lose to Tsitsipas in the finals at Lyon, but none of the other top non-GOAT guys, like you say.
I read the British press often - they are trying hard to make him appealing. And I think it's worked - the fans do like him albeit clearly not at Murray/Henman levels as yet. But they also like Fed and playing him at Wimbledon was not helpful in creating a pro-Norrie groundswell. Nor was Cam's decision to forego the Olympics. One of the problems, of course, is that he's not all that British - he didn't grow up there and didn't go to school there. Instead, he kind of parachuted in and became an Instant Brit when it suited him.
I read the British press often - they are trying hard to make him appealing. And I think it's worked - the fans do like him albeit clearly not at Murray/Henman levels as yet. But they also like Fed and playing him at Wimbledon was not helpful in creating a pro-Norrie groundswell. Nor was Cam's decision to forego the Olympics. One of the problems, of course, is that he's not all that British - he didn't grow up there and didn't go to school there. Instead, he kind of parachuted in and became an Instant Brit when it suited him.
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jake102
Active Member
Forgot about Lyon. Yeah exactly - he basically "shopped" his allegiance and came up with British. I bet NZ is feeling a little silly... could of had their own tennis star.
Jared7
Active Member
Kei Nishikori beat (9th seeded) Bublik 6-2, 7-5, setting up a Round of 16 match against Norrie. Nishikori is ATP#67 and he's coming off the Olympics where he beat Giron (more easily than Cam just did) and lost badly to Djokovic. The match is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. (CDT). He's got a doubles match that will follow the singles.
Jared7
Active Member
Norrie v. Nishikori has started (not on the Tennis Channel; which is instead showing former Frog recruit Jenson Brooksby wallop #2 seed Auger-Aliassime so far). The winner will (probably) face Nadal next. It's 1-1 early.
Nishikori is possibly more consistent than Cam and gets an early break. 1-2. This could be a difficult match for Norrie to win.
2-all. Cam breaks right back. The Giron match was also a little topsy turvy with several breaks.
4-2! Cam gets another break and takes control of the 1st! Nadal has a foot injury.
5-2. Cam survives multiple break points. (Brooksby is really playing well).
Cam takes the first set 6-3! Brooksby is just blowing FAA away.
Nishikori is possibly more consistent than Cam and gets an early break. 1-2. This could be a difficult match for Norrie to win.
2-all. Cam breaks right back. The Giron match was also a little topsy turvy with several breaks.
4-2! Cam gets another break and takes control of the 1st! Nadal has a foot injury.
5-2. Cam survives multiple break points. (Brooksby is really playing well).
Cam takes the first set 6-3! Brooksby is just blowing FAA away.
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Jared7
Active Member
2-all in the 2nd set for the Camster. Man, if things had gone a little differently, we could have had Brooksby playing for TCU tennis. He just beat FAA 3 and 4 and it wasn't close and it's his first ever Top 50 W. Nadal v. Sock last night was the talk of this tourney; now it's Brooksby taking out the #2 seed
3-all.
3-4. Now live on the Tennis Channel
3-5. Nishikori gets the key late 2nd set break.
Nishikori, a former champion of this event, takes the 2nd set 6-3. On to the deciding set!
3-all.
3-4. Now live on the Tennis Channel
3-5. Nishikori gets the key late 2nd set break.
Nishikori, a former champion of this event, takes the 2nd set 6-3. On to the deciding set!
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Jared7
Active Member
Nishikori taking control - up a break and looking WAY better than Cam at this stage of the 3rd.
Once again, Norrie breaks right back for 2-all, but that wasn't Norrie winning, it was Nishikori losing.
Norrie needed medical attention for a blister or something and Nishikori has now completely taken control - up 2 breaks. Well, he won't have to face Nadal again at least..
Cam falls 6-3, 3-6, 3-6. Disappointing...
Once again, Norrie breaks right back for 2-all, but that wasn't Norrie winning, it was Nishikori losing.
Norrie needed medical attention for a blister or something and Nishikori has now completely taken control - up 2 breaks. Well, he won't have to face Nadal again at least..
Cam falls 6-3, 3-6, 3-6. Disappointing...
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Jared7
Active Member
You are such a Bozo! You projected Norrie v. Nadal and jinxed Cam! Neither of them won and instead it's Nishikori v. Harris instead!
