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Post by nuraman00 on Sept 21, 2019 11:22:56 GMT -8
World vs. USA.
World won 3-1 on Friday.
Matches are worth 2 points today, and 3 points on Sunday. Matches were 1 point on Friday, hence a 3-1 score after 4 matches.
The World team had 3 match points in a match yesterday but lost, and were 1/16 in break chances in another match.
Watching on the DVR today. It's Isner vs. Zverev in the first match on Saturday. This was the Indian Wells Finals in 2018. They use a special coin for this event, one side has Rod Laver, the other side a tennis ball. Zverev picked Rod Laver and lost the coin toss. Isner missed 2 out of his first 3 first serves, but managed to win the hold game to start the match. |
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Post by nuraman00 on Sept 22, 2019 11:04:30 GMT -8
Yesterday, Team World and Europe went 2-2, putting Europe ahead 7-5 at the end of the day.
Krygios and Sock won doubles for the 3rd year in a row.
Federer was down a set to Krygios but won in the tiebreak set.
Isner won his match against Zverev, going 10-1 in the tiebreak set, including a 7-0 lead. I've never seen a tiebreak set like that before.
Today in Day 3, Nadal had to pull out so no doubles with Federer. It was Federer and Tsitsipas, who lost a tiebreak set to Sock and Isner.
Then for the 2nd match, Krygios pulled out. Because Nadal had pulled out earlier, Team World is asking why they can't adjust their lineup if Nadal pulled out.
They are taking the issue up with the committee.
I like Tsitsipas' game, but watching him more closely, he struggles with some balls earlier in points than some of the players better than him.
He was also only making 17% of his returns, in his doubles match, for the 2nd set. That seems really bad, even if Sock and Isner are good doubles servers.
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Post by nuraman00 on Sept 22, 2019 11:21:15 GMT -8
So here's the issue that Team World is arguing.
They're supposed to have the final say on the lineup today. Team Europe submits their players, and Team World then sets the matchups how they want.
However, once Nadal withdrew, Team Europe replaced him with Thiem.
According to the rules, Team World can't adjust their lineup to pick a better matchup against Thiem, even though they're supposed to have the final say today.
Krygios then withdraws.
Shapovalov already played Thiem on Friday.
The rules say that because Team World already had Isner and Raonic slated in the 3rd and 4th singles matches, they can't use them in match # 2. Team World is saying that since Nadal withdrew first, they want to use one of those players in match # 2 instead. Especially since they're supposed to have final say today.
Because of those restrictions, that leaves Taylor Fritz or Jack Sock as the only possibilities against Thiem. Krygios (injury), Shapovalov (played on Friday), Isner (slated later), and Raonic (slated later) are unavailable, according to the current rules.
I agree with Team World. If Nadal withdraws, then Team World should be able to change their lineup to match up with Nadal's replacement, Thiem. That's what having "final say" should mean.
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Post by nuraman00 on Sept 22, 2019 12:27:05 GMT -8
Fritz won the first set against Thiem 7-5.
He lost the 2nd set in a tiebreak.
He won the 3rd set tiebreak set 10-5!
He was the steadier player overall, and I liked his strategy on how he was playing the points and angles.
Team World is up 11-7.
They have a closeout chance now with Isner vs. Federer.
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Post by nuraman00 on Sept 22, 2019 23:27:41 GMT -8
Team Europe won the last two matches to win the title.
Federer vs. Isner: It went to a 2nd set tiebreak, but Isner never really had a chance to win.
Zverev vs. Raonic: It went to a 3rd set match tiebreak, but Raonic was never in the match tiebreak.
I'd say the highlight of the weekend was Fritz win, because it was unexpected.
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