The ATP/WTA Tennis thread
The cluster**** to the AO seems to have been resolved, and we're ready to fire up the hype for 2021.
I'm running a season
Musetti is flying right now and handled Fritz with ease. His variety and improved aggression on hard courts really stand out. He has shown he can challenge Djokovic, so this quarterfinal should be a great one.
Do pro tennis players ever do "chops" of the prize pool behind the scenes like in poker tournaments? This year's us open singles winner gets $5M and 2nd place gets $2.5M. For some players that is alot of $.
I'd be shocked if this has ever happened at a slam final. $2.5m is not a lot of money for the type of players who get to slam finals. This isn't poker where the wsop main event final table could realistically be 9 people who make less than $100k/year and they all know they have almost no chance to ever make that kind of money at poker (or anything) ever again.
That being said, I would not be at all shocked if this happens at the challenger/futures level where a difference of a couple thousand could mean the difference between making a small profit or losing money you can't afford to lose for the week and having to go into credit card debt or borrow money to pay your travel expenses to the next tournament.
<3
I found a new love, too. Randomly turned on the Tennis Chanel during the Brisbane/Auckland stretch. Jacqueline Cristian from Romania.
Also, Anisimova is also a total babe, IMO.
Cristian is cute. Amanda not my type. Eva Lys and Marta Kostyuk are the two hottest wta players at the moment imo.
Marta is a babe, too, for sure.
Sabalenka cruising through the tourney right now. It would definitely be a let down if she could not finish.
Rooting for Alcaraz in the men's bracket, after Joker, of course.
My gf Aleks Krunic is in the doubles final. She's basically a dubs specialist now.
Joker goat
JOKER
Has to be one of the best pairs of semifinal matches ever in a slam. I was skeptical that Joker still had access to a level that would allow him to beat Sinner in a major on hard courts.
Sinner remains vulnerable if you can somehow drag him into the deep water of a 4+ hour five-set match.
Sinner won 12 more points but lost which I imagine is pretty big margin to still lose.
moar sabby skipping rope plztyvm
You guys seem to forget how much of an advantage it is, not having to play two full matches before a semi final ...
Joker would have never won if he had to play (and win, which I doubt he would have) those two matches.
You guys seem to forget how much of an advantage it is, not having to play two full matches before a semi final ...
You seem to forget that no one mentioned it wasn’t.
Joker would have never won if he had to play (and win, which I doubt he would have) those two matches.
Sinner is very lucky to have won his 3rd round match when the roof was closed at the absolutely perfect time for him, I think he was very likely to have retired rather than play that match out. Sinner clearly has deficiencies, he can’t play in extreme heat and he can’t play for 4 hours. Jannik has a long way to go to be compared to Carlos.
You guys seem to forget how much of an advantage it is, not having to play two full matches before a semi final ...
You seem to forget that no one mentioned it wasn’t.
Joker would have never won if he had to play (and win, which I doubt he would have) those two matches.
Sinner is very lucky to have won his 3rd round match when the roof was closed at the absolutely perfect ti
Who among his contemporaries should Carlos be compared to then?
Sinner is very lucky to have won his 3rd round match when the roof was closed at the absolutely perfect time for him, I think he was very likely to have retired rather than play that match out. Sinner clearly has deficiencies, he can’t play in extreme heat and he can’t play for 4 hours. Jannik has a long way to go to be compared to Carlos.
I'm guessing a few here are still bitter laying -900 on Sinner v Djokovic.
Sinner's performance being inversely correlated to temperature is weird. Too bad the earth is gonna keep getting warmer for the rest of his career.
Roddick had some interesting comments about Sinner, and extreme heat in general, on his podcast last week. He was talking about the old AO court surface being way hotter in the sun, since it was just rubber (it was called Rebound Ace).
I'm a little shocked at people saying alcaraz-zverev was a great match. I guess casual fans just love 5 setters no matter what? It was like 2 hours of decent tennis followed by 2 hours of alcaraz cramping followed by 1.5 hours of zverev choking. Meh
If Alcaraz gets the leg cramps for 2 hours again tonight it'll be 25 majors for Vax.
Sampras had some issues in long matches too and never came close to winning the French like McEnroe & Edberg did. Courier calling him out about it in the 5th set in the AO was an alltime Self-Weighting moment.
Analysis: Samford Bulldogs @ Western Carolina Catamounts (Sunday, Feb 1) – Total Points Pick (Over/Under 154.5)
A critical Southern Conference (SoCon) rematch arrives with both teams at divergent psychological crossroads and clear defensive vulnerabilities. The Samford Bulldogs (10-12, 3-6 SoCon), reeling from a heartbreaking 78-73 loss at Furman, desperately need a road win to reignite their faltering conference campaign. The Western Carolina Catamounts (8-12, 4-5 SoCon), soaring after a monumental 90-88 road upset over first-place East Tennessee State, seek to validate that victory and climb into the SoCon's upper echelon. This matchup isn't just about standings; it's a battle between an elite offensive weapon and a resilient, high-variance attack, played on a floor where defense has been optional. The over/under line of 154.5 points is a direct challenge to the core identities of both squads.
Deep Dive: Tactical Styles, Personnel, and the Rematch Dynamic
Samford Bulldogs: The Star-Driven Engine with a Leaky Hull
Offensive Identity: The offense flows through and finishes with Jadin Booth (20.8 PPG, 41.6% 3PT), a bona fide SoCon Player of the Year candidate capable of 30-point explosions. He is complemented by the interior efficiency of Dylan Faulkner (17.3 PPG, 63.1% FG, 7.5 RPG), creating a potent inside-outside duality. Point guard Keaton Norris (4.7 APG) is the orchestrator, adept at finding both in their spots.
Defensive Frailty: For all its offensive firepower, Samford's defense is a persistent issue. They struggle to contain dribble penetration, lack consistent rim protection outside of Faulkner's 1.6 BPG, and are vulnerable to giving up offensive rebounds (36.2 DRPG). Their defensive effort can wane, especially on the road, leading to debilitating scoring runs by opponents.
Psychological State & Recent Form: Coming off a tough loss where they surrendered a second-half lead at Furman, the Bulldogs are fragile. However, they won the first meeting against WCU 82-77, giving them a tactical blueprint and confidence. Their season is on the brink, which could elicit a supreme offensive effort or compound defensive lapses.
Western Carolina Catamounts: The Volatile, Opportunistic Storm
Offensive Identity: Don't be fooled by the lack of a single dominant scorer. WCU wins through collective toughness, pace, and relentless rebounding. They are led by Cord Stansberry (13.9 PPG) and Marcus Kell (13.4 PPG), but the engine is Julien Soumaoro (11.9 PPG, 37.2% 3PT) and the interior duo of Samuel Dada (7.2 RPG, 73.4% FG) and Abdulai Fanta Kabba (6.7 RPG). Their +3.7 rebounding margin is a direct ticket to extra possessions and higher game totals.
Psychological State & Recent Form: Riding the high of a program-defining road win at ETSU, WCU will be confident and energetic in front of their home crowd. The revenge factor for the earlier 5-point loss to Samford adds fuel. Their style is inherently chaotic, which naturally leads to higher-possession, higher-scoring games.
Game Flow & Multifaceted X-Factors
...
The full analysis for this game and others is on my website:
v i c t o r y p i c k s . e u
And today, something truly special...
Analysis: Samford Bulldogs @ Western Carolina Catamounts (Sunday, Feb 1) – Total Points Pick (Over/Under 154.5)
A critical Southern Conference (SoCon) rematch arrives with both teams at divergent psychological crossroads and clear defensive vulnerabilities. The Samford Bulldogs (10-12, 3-6 SoCon), reeling from a heartbreaking 78-73 loss at Furman, desperately need a road win to reignite their faltering conference campaign. The Western Carolina Catamounts (8-12, 4-5 SoCon), soaring after a monumental 90-88 road upset over first-place East Tennessee State, seek to validate that victory and climb into the SoCon's upper echelon. This matchup isn't just about standings; it's a battle between an elite offensive weapon and a resilient, high-variance attack, played on a floor where defense has been optional. The over/under line of 154.5 points is a direct challenge to the core identities of both squads.
Deep Dive: Tactical Styles, Personnel, and the Rematch Dynamic
Samford Bulldogs: The Star-Driven Engine with a Leaky Hull
Offensive Identity: The offense flows through and finishes with Jadin Booth (20.8 PPG, 41.6% 3PT), a bona fide SoCon Player of the Year candidate capable of 30-point explosions. He is complemented by the interior efficiency of Dylan Faulkner (17.3 PPG, 63.1% FG, 7.5 RPG), creating a potent inside-outside duality. Point guard Keaton Norris (4.7 APG) is the orchestrator, adept at finding both in their spots.
Defensive Frailty: For all its offensive firepower, Samford's defense is a persistent issue. They struggle to contain dribble penetration, lack consistent rim protection outside of Faulkner's 1.6 BPG, and are vulnerable to giving up offensive rebounds (36.2 DRPG). Their defensive effort can wane, especially on the road, leading to debilitating scoring runs by opponents.
Psychological State & Recent Form: Coming off a tough loss where they surrendered a second-half lead at Furman, the Bulldogs are fragile. However, they won the first meeting against WCU 82-77, giving them a tactical blueprint and confidence. Their season is on the brink, which could elicit a supreme offensive effort or compound defensive lapses.
Western Carolina Catamounts: The Volatile, Opportunistic Storm
Offensive Identity: Don't be fooled by the lack of a single dominant scorer. WCU wins through collective toughness, pace, and relentless rebounding. They are led by Cord Stansberry (13.9 PPG) and Marcus Kell (13.4 PPG), but the engine is Julien Soumaoro (11.9 PPG, 37.2% 3PT) and the interior duo of Samuel Dada (7.2 RPG, 73.4% FG) and Abdulai Fanta Kabba (6.7 RPG). Their +3.7 rebounding margin is a direct ticket to extra possessions and higher game totals.
Psychological State & Recent Form: Riding the high of a program-defining road win at ETSU, WCU will be confident and energetic in front of their home crowd. The revenge factor for the earlier 5-point loss to Samford adds fuel. Their style is inherently chaotic, which naturally leads to higher-possession, higher-scoring games.
Game Flow & Multifaceted X-Factors
...
The full analysis for this game and others is on my website:
victorypicks.eu
And today, something truly special...
Regarding Rebound Ace, yes it was hotter but it was also conducive to injuries, it had to go.
Djokovic and his team have every right to be pissed about idiot Craig Tiley’s scheduling. It’s ridiculous that the semi started at 9:22pm on Friday night, Djokovic would have been lucky to hit the pillow by 4am.
Is it too much to ask for guaranteed start times for the semi finals and finals? The Australian Open cares only about profit and little about the players or spectators.
Phenomenal effort from Novak but he was never going to beat Sinner and Alcaraz. Number 25 would have been in 2022 when he was ridiculously banned from playing two grand slam events.
Just saw some highlights but not sure I've seen an around the post defense in tennis
Analysis: Nicholls State Colonels @ Northwestern State Demons (Monday, Feb 2) / Odds: Both Teams -110
The Stakes: A Southland Revenge Spot
A conference rematch with teams on opposite trajectories. Nicholls State (9-13, 8-5 Southland) sits in the upper half of the standings and won the first head-to-head meeting 74-72 on Jan 6. Northwestern State (6-15, 4-8) is mired near the bottom, having lost four straight and 8 of their last 10. For the Demons, this is a chance for revenge at home. For the Colonels, it's an opportunity to sweep the season series and stabilize after recent stumbles.
Deep Dive: Team Styles & Current Form
Nicholls State Colonels:
Biggest Strength: Balanced Scoring & Experience. They have three reliable double-digit scorers: Jaylen Searles (14.4 PPG), Jalik Dunkley (13.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG), and Sincere Malone (11.1 PPG). They are a veteran group that has learned to win close conference games.
Fatal Flaw: Defensive Lapses & Inefficiency. Their defense is among the worst in the country (308th). They struggle to get consistent stops. Offensively, they shoot a poor 43.2% from the field, often relying on second-chance points (Dunkley) to score.
Current Form/Identity: INCONSISTENT BUT BATTLE-TESTED. They own quality Southland wins but are prone to bad losses. They are a physical team that wants to attack the paint and rebound, but their guard play and shooting can be erratic.
Northwestern State Demons:
Biggest Strength: Star Scorer & Home Comfort. Micah Thomas (17.1 PPG) is a dynamic guard capable of taking over a game, as shown by his 29 points in the first meeting. The team plays with significantly more competence at home (5-3 vs. 1-12 on the road).
Fatal Flaw: Lack of Support & Collapsing in Clutch. Beyond Thomas, scoring is inconsistent. They have a severe inability to close games, as evidenced by their 4-game losing streak featuring several tight losses (by 2, 2, and 2 points). Mental toughness is a major question.
Current Form/Identity: FREE-FALLING AND FRAGILE. A team that competes but has forgotten how to win. They rely heavily on Thomas and forward Willie Williams (9.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG) but lack the depth or late-game execution to finish.
⚔️Game Flow & Key Matchups
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The full analysis for this game and others is on my website:
And today, something truly special... free NHL fix with a 100% win guarantee for everyone!
How many ****in people do you need to do the coin toss? This is getting ridiculous
