Incredible Alcatraz pass on match point.

After losing to Korda in Monte Carlo Alcatraz was staring an embarrassing loss to de Minaur in the face. De Minaur had match point and forced the action, drawing a weak short response. He could have finished it with a number of different shots, a dipping  cross court forehand for example would have been fatal.

Instead he hammered one on the back hand side but not deep enough. Alcatraz moved across at speed enabling a forehand which he whipped down the line, an incredibly athletic shot.

Watching the young Spaniard again after a while, one is struck again by his strength and athleticism. But his tactical game remains one of doing what his opponent does and doing it better. That can get you into trouble like today when de Minaur was actually controlling the rallies until he lost that match point.

If you watch how the Joker structures points, his tennis IQ remains leagues ahead of the younger set, even if his body isn’t in the greatest shape at the moment.

Mozart

You mentioned Djokovic structuring points - yesterday he was disgraced by Rublev and there were zero structuring points - he lost 6-2. 6-7. 6-0.

So where did his structuring points go?    Definitely nowhere in the games he played thus  far this year.    In Dubai he lost in the semi against a qualifier - in Monte Carlo  he lost in Round 2 against a nobody and yesterday Rublev wiped the floor with him.

By the way your comments above is really  laughable.    Alcaraz did not lose the game and he showed a hell of a lot of fight to get back and won in the semi.  Three hours later he won the final - which had plenty of structured points tht6 you apparently did not see.

Djokovic is now  off to Madrid next week - all he can hope for is that he does not come up against Alcaraz of Rublev in that series.    The problem with Djokovic is that he is NOT matchfit and is unlikely to win anything in future unless he can get back to fitness.   As Jean De Villiers said about fitness of players over 30 - they have to train  twice as hard to retain the fitness level they had under 30 years of age.   I saw all the matches Djokovic played this year and in none of the matches he lost he was not even near to be in real contention. and physically he was no up to real tournament level fitness,   

Without fitness - tennis IQ is meaningless and that story is jus plain nonsense anyway.   Djokovic did not achieve at 18 anything  close to what Alcaraz achieved  already and he is already a top ten player.   So he does have the IQ  to win great matches.   

By the way Rublev is now one of only a few players who beat  all 3  tennis greats -  Nadal, Djokovic and Federer - since 2019. .             .            . 

When Alcatraz has won 20 majors talk to me about tennis IQ. The fact is he was outplayed by de Minaur, who simply didn’t have the guts close the deal. In the rallies he was killing Alcatraz.

You seemed obsessed by the fact that Alcatraz is a seuntjie…he certainly has the opportunity to grow. But it’s  no guarantee plenty of young tennis prodigies, particularly on the woman’s side, simply disappear. 

To me he looks much like Shapalov did….big groundies, no tactical distinction. The recipe for a short career. All of the big three except for Nadal who is exceptionally strong had the intent to quickly end points, which is why they survived,

Will Alcatraz survive even the first wave of younger, stronger kids coming behind him? Only if he develops a game that can’t be blunted by the de Minaur’s.

Alcaraz  will be the world number 1 in two years time and he will win more than 20 Majors by the time he is 30. 

Anyway when last has your assessment of sporting talent been even remotely objective?   

Anyway - you completely missed the point I made about the Djokovic losses this year in tennis.   I did not go on a personal charade about one match of Alcaraz.     My point did not relate to the tennis IQ of players - it relates to the fact that the IQ goes missing when the body cannot execute what the IQ demanded of  it.    

Plainly put - I refer to  match-fitness  due to the match schedule of Djokovic as his major problem and it is.   .  .           

And I agree with that point….but match fitness is more easily attained than tennis acumen. As for Alcatraz winning 20 majors, he might. He might win none….neither of us knows,

Mozart

Following the Jean de Villiers comments n it will be difficult  bearing in mind his age for Djokovic to recover match fitness.     

By the way your hero Holger Nure beat Zverev easily 6-3 6-2 in Munich  

Both Djokovic and Zverev is in terribly poor form and Nadal is likely to be poor as a result of absence caused by injury  from playing, it looks like Alcaraz, Tsitsipas and Rublev are the main contenders for the Madrid Major Open. 

By the way your hero Holger  Rune  beat Zverev easily 6-3 6-2 in Munich.  Zverev won the Munich tournament in 2021 and his loss was indeed surpising.   Nure is the favorite in his quarterfinal match against Vuusuvu ori  - another very young player .   My money is on Runee in this case.   

Both Djokovic and Zverev are s in terribly poor form and Nadal is likely to be poor as a result of absence caused by injury  from playing, it looks like Alcaraz, Tsitsipas and Rublev are the main contenders for the Madrid Major Open.