ATP 1000 Cincinnati

Seeds

1    Carlos  Alcaraz

2    Novak Djokovic

3    Danill Medvedev

4     Stefanos Tsitsipas

5     Casper Ruud

6     Holgrr Rune

7    Andrey Rublev

8    Jannik Sinner

9    Taylor Fritz

10    Frabnces  Tiafoe

11    Karen Khachanov

12    Felix Auger-Alliassime

13    Cameron Norrie

14    Tommy Paul

15     Borna Coric 

16     Alexander Zverev

From the Draw the organizers seem to be uncertain whether Holger Rune and Andrey Rublev will in fact turn up to play - they are not indicated as going through to Round 2 automatically which is the case in all ATP 1000 tournaments.

After Round 1 there was still 15 seeds left to paly in Round 2   8 of the 15 seeds lost their Round 2 matches inclusive of the winner of the Toronto Open last week - Sinner.   The net number of seeds going through to the Quarterfinals will be 5   - that is if some of the other seeds do not lose their matches in playing unseeded players.    From what we have seen in Round 2 the latter will be quite possible,

The worst preforming  seeded player is Coric. He used to be ranked as the number 16 player in the ankings - he is now number 28  in the world.  Another player on the skids is Auger-Aliassime whom at the start of 2023 wasa ranked 7 - he is now ranked 15.   The sharpest rise in seeding is Davidovich Fokina - who a month ago was ouside o the number 32 rankings and is now ranked the number 21 player in the world,Be it as it may - Alcaraaz had a poor Toronto tournament and his Round 2 match in Cincinnati did not look good enough and if he loses in the next two rounds Djokovic may take over his number 1 ranking in the world.   

ROUND 2

Top Half of the Draw

1     Carlos  Alcaraz                                   vs       Jeremy Thompson

14    Tommy Paul                                      vs       Ugo Humbert

10     Frances Tiafoe                                 vs       Stan Wawrinka

5      Casper Ruud                                     vs       Max Purcell     

4     Stefanos Tsitsipas                              vs        Ben Shelton

15    Borna Coric                                      vs        Hubert Hurkacz 

  Nicolas Jarry                                          vs       Alexei Popyrin      

7     Andrey Rublev                                  vs        Emil Ruusuvuori 

Bottom Half of the Draw        

6    Holger Rune                                     vs        Mackenzie McDonald

12   Felix-Auger-Aliassime                    vs        Adrian Mannarino

16   Alexander Zverev                            vs       Yoshihito/Nishioka

3    Danill Medvedev                              vs       Lorenzo Musetti

8    Jannik Sinner                                    vs       Dusan Lajovic  

9    Taylor Fritz                                       vs        Lorenzo Sonego/   

Gael Monfils                                           vs        Alex de Minaur

2     Novak Djokovic                              vs        Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Interesting match-ups.   F or matches in Round 1 was already played - which will be followed by 10 Round 1 matches today and anther 10 tomorrow.  We should know the final match-ups in Round 2 by Wednesday  morning 

Global warming is ruining the tournament and i is unlikely that any matches will be played today.  This is not the first time rain caused player delays in tournaments in the NH summer.    And then w ahve  contant claims of heatwaves in Europe - while people are wearing winter clothing.        

ROUND 3

Top Half of the Draw

1     Carlos  Alcaraz                                  vs       14    Tommy Paul

Stan Wawrinka                                         vs       Max Purcell        

4     Stefanos Tsitsipas                             vs       Hubert Hurkacz

Emil Ruusuvuori                                     vs        Alexei Popyrin      

Bottom Half of the Draw   

Mackenzie McDonald                            vs         Adrian Mannarino

3    Danill Medvedev                              vs       16   Alexander Zverev

9    Taylor Fritz                                       vs        Dusan Lajovic

2     Novak Djokovic                              vs         Gael Monfilsr

QUARTERFINALS

Top Half of the Draw

1     Carlos  Alcaraz                                   vs      Max Purcell        

Hubert Hurkacz                                         vs        Alexei Popyrin      

Bottom Half of the Draw   

16   Alexander Zverev                               vs        Adrian Mannarino

2     Novak Djokovic                                 vs      9    Taylor Fritz

A  tsunami hits the bottom part of the draw when Skinner lost his match in  Round 2 and Rune retired as a result of injury.    As a result Djokovic - whose opponent in Round 2 also retired due to injury in Round 2 received a huge boost route to the final as a result.            

SEMIFINALS

1     Carlos  Alcaraz                                  vs          Hubert Hurkacz      

2     Novak Djokovic                                vs         16   Alexander Zverev

A  tsunami hits the bottom part of the draw when Skinner lost his match in  Round 2 and Rune retired as a result of injury.    As a result Djokovic - whose opponent in Round 2 also retired due to injury received a huge boost enroute to the final as a result.  By the way two other players also retired due to injury.   Why the sudden spate of injuries - one or even  2 players retiring during  tournaments is possible - but 4 is really unheard of.             

To t he top with this thread

Traz is taken to the brink again by Tommy Paul….two tie breakers decided the first two sets. Paul is certainly not a top 5 talent. Probably not even top 10…but he was the better player for much of this match. Just one of many Traz will have to deal with and certainly others will be much better. I’m predicting an 8 Majors career, certainly accomplished, but nothing like Federer, Nadal or Djokovic,

If  you write something like the spate of injuries that plagued the tournament I would have thought that you would be making sensible comments or commented on the fact there is only 3 of the 16 seeds lef t in the tournament going into the quarterfinals your comments would have been positive - but what you write is unadulterated prejudiced BS.            

That would be stating the obvious….I leave that to you. You are the master of the banal.

What you wrote is not the obvious either?   Comments on the slide in performances of Ruud and Tsitsipas would be sensible comments - especially dealing as to why it is happening  - or that Zverev is rapidly approaching the top 10 ranking and the reason for that could be an obvious comment and comment on his regaining of confidence in himself after his near to career-ending injury last year that would have been sensible comments - not what the career prospects of the 20 year-old Alcaraz - which you have been negative from the I first wrote about him 2 years ago when he was still 18 years of age at the time and based your comment on 1 match he lost - it is amazing BS to be expected from a prejudiced know-nothing  of tennis.   .    

None of those guys will ultimately matter….Ruud is a journeyman. Tsitsipas and Zverev are talented but should have won a Major by now…not the real deal. The scene shifts to Sinner and Rune who are part of the Traz era. The Joker is nearing the end, but with two Majors and a Final this year….he is still the man.

Why haven’t I jumped on the Traz hype? Well for three reasons. Firstly assuming you will automatically have another Joker/Roger/ Rafa is naive. We haven’t had that kind of long lived dominant player since Laver.

Secondly young players usually develop between 20 and 25. Traz has been so professionally coached, it’s not clear what he can actually improve….a sort of good is bad argument.

Thirdly his style is not unlike Michael Chang. He puts huge effort into every game. And when he is a little flat he is vulnerable to pretty ordinary players like Paul and the qualifier who whipped him earlier in the year. That kind of effort does not suggest a very long career.

And his real competition is still playing in junior tournaments. You claim I’m prejudiced….maybe, we all have our likes and dislikes. But my opinion is based on specifics, having played the game at club level and a long history of following top level tennis…..I watched Edberg defeat Pat Cash in the Aussie final for example and I have been to Wimbledon and the US Open many times.

Time will tell….I just hope you and I are around to discuss his whole career.

I won't be around for that long anyway.    I look at potential not how to run down players.    So lets keep to the present - I think the US Open  Final would be between Alcaraz and Djokovic.  Dohjokovic played only half a game in Cincinnati and he will play his first full game today against Fritz.   Lets see what happen in that match .   Djokovic wins in the final it would be the first time in many years that he won anything in the USA since 2017so les hope for an improvement in this case.

By the way Djokovic's family is talking about his retirement and signs are there to inidcate that he is reducing the number of tournaments he plays in.    If he does not win in any of the two remaining tournaments he is playing in this year it is unlikely that he would return to play in the USA again.   A great loss to tennis - but one has to accept the inevitable of advantage  age when it comes to sportsmen and their retirement from thei codes of sport.   .                       

FINAL   

1     Carlos  Alcaraz             vs        2     Novak Djokovic

If there is a final between Alcatraz and Djokovic and Djokovic  won in the final the latter will remain the no 2 seed going into the US Open.

So I guess you lost a lot of money on your big bet that Traz was going to win his next tournament after he bombed against Tommy….hahahaha….Paul.

No I did not spent money  on that batt - the odds did not justify it.   I would not call this a smashing win  - only two points made the diffe rence between winning and losing the match.   I think Djokovic was very, very lucky with his two main opponents going out before he had to play them.   He had very poor opposition as a result.   You better read what Djokovic  said about that match.    

The draw made a difference - but the easy road to the final in the US Open enxt week will determine how far Djokovic goes in that series - I would not put any moneyy of him winning the US open this year,