Terrific French final

Congratulations to Alcatraz who came back from a set down twice in the match. He played a very fine game tactically ….taking Zverev out of his rhythm with high spinners. And in the fifth he hit biting ground shots on key points.

Zverev played a fine match as well, and had strong tournament. His hopes of winning imploded in the fifth on a dubious line call and some fragile volleying, which was a bit surprising because he had volleyed well to that point. He has the game to win Majors if he can find that last bit of resolve

Agree with you on that point - Zverev played a good match and is also on th e way to the top.

However, you claimed that Alcaraz is a Chang  case and would not succeed as a player.   He is th e youngest player ever to won majors on the three differnt surfaces applicable - eg hard courts, grass courts andd clay courses, so I suppose you8 will not admit you were wrong on that issue would you.   

I can see the future rulers of tournament tennis would be Alcaraz, Sinner and Zverev.   With some competition from  Medvedev. Ruud and Rublev also being competitive, but not winning many torunaments on the Majors and APT1000 levels, but remaining amongst the top 6 players. - while playes like the 18 year-old Mensik becoming threats to the other top 10 players in the word.

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His main challengers will come from kids still in school. To match the Big Three will take 10 to 15 years, over that time waves of new challengers will emerge. Even if  Sinner, Alcaraz and Zverev are today’s best bets….three years from now the picture could be quite different. 

There is a number of Italian young sters that is showing a lit of promise - namely Coboli Nardi and Arnaldi - as well as an 18 year old Mensuk from Prague - that you should look out for.  

There will be a lot of youngsters in the Top 30 by the end of  next year.    

The volley and the drop volley have come back big time, dramatically improving clay court tennis.  The drop volley in particular because it forces play at the net. I have to give Alcaraz credit for leading that change. He is exceptionally well coached and tactically very resolved. But he is an engine running at high revs….not clear he will be able to play that kind of game for 10 or more years.

Sinner also looks physically stressed with his somewhat gangly movements in transition.

And many of the other big hitters, eg Shelton have weaknesses, in his case a ‘pushed forehand’ return of serve.

Wimbledon should be interesting.

Mozart

There are at present two tournaments on the go - but those two will have no impact on the Top 10 rankings.   The other two tournamen to be played that an impact on rankings will be in London 9previously knownas the Queens Park tounament and in Halle - tat could impact on the seedings.

After that two weeks from now there are two other grasscourt ATP 250 tournaments before Wimbledon starting on 1 July 2024 - but those two willl no imapct on the Wimbledon seedings.

That brings me to the sisue of winning in he Wimbledon toruanement and hte question mark is whther Djokovic will play.   His injury is likely to cause him not to play.    Alcaraz won the tournament last year and will lose 2000 ranking points when the tournament start.   Sinner will be the number 1 seed and Alcaraz the number 2 seed. 

The draw will impact on the situation so one will have to see who is drawn where and  then perhaps a erson would have a clearer idea of chances of players  to win the tournament.   The of Alcraz winning is 2,5/1 odds on Alcaraz winning and Sinner 2,7/1 to win.   if one of the two does not win - nobody knows what will happen.   I think I will put R20 to win on Rublev to wina R1 000 - a fun bet at best,

A to your comment on Alcaraz and Sinner I see things verys imilar to what you wrote.   Over the last two yeaars both Sinner and Alcaraz had injury problems and that can happena gain at Wimbledon.   That may bring Zverev into the picture - but Zverev is not a particularly good player on grass,   Outside of those three anybody can win the tournament if those 3 fail to reach the semi-finals.

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