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The Daily Drill – Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Stephanie Myles 4 months ago 6 min read

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The buzz right now in tennis is on three fronts.

Who will or won’t compete in the Olympic event in Paris next month.

And who is managing to stay on the feet on the lush, green grass in the early days of the Queen’s and Halle men’s events.

And Milos Raonic’s serve – calm down, all those “SERVEBOT!!!” Tweeterers. These types of performances are rare. It’s not like *all tennis* is like this. And when it happens why not … just enjoy it?

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ATP Record for Missile Milos

Milos Raonic, at 33 trying to get back healthy and productive on tour again, made a statement Monday at Queen’s Club.

With a tough draw against Brit Cameron Norrie, Raonic hit … 47 aces and saved two match points on his way to a 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-6 (9) win.

The record had stood since 2015, when Ivo Karlovic hit 45 in a match against Tomas Berdych.

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“With the scoreline and having to save match points, I probably needed every single one of those. But my serve has always been the most important shot to me. This small record, it’s something special, something meaningful,” Raonic said in London.

“I’m glad that behind that also stands a win because maybe I’d feel differently or maybe a bit more sour if I was to get that many free points and lose the match. So overall, a very positive thing and a fun stat to be proud of.”

Raonic will either play No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz or qualifier Taro Daniel in the second round.

No Olympics for Jabeur, Sabalenka

You’d have to put Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenka among the favorites for a medal at the Paris Olympics.

But having the Olympic event on clay, between the grass and hard-court seasons, during a year when it’s become increasingly clear that the increase in two-week 1000 events and the physical rigours of the pro tours has never been more challenging, is turning out to be a deal-breaker.

On Tuesday, Jabeur bowed out.

For the Belarusian Sabalenka, who would have to compete as a “neutral athlete” anyway because of current world events, it was a similar story.

“Especially with all the struggles I’ve been struggling with the last months, I feel I have to take care of my health. It’s too much for the scheduling and I made the decision to take care of my health,” Sabalenka said during media day in Berlin, as reported by the WTA Tour website.

“I prefer to have a little rest to make sure physically and health-wise I’m ready for the hard courts, and I’ll have a good preparation before going to the hard court season. I feel that this is safer and better for my body,” she added.

Japan’s Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori, both playing on protected rankings, were confirmed as nominees for the Games on Friday by their national association.

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Four Olympian (women) for Ukraine

Ukraine is low-key a fairly solid power in women’s tennis. And as a result, the war-embattled country has the maximum allowable four singles players nominated for next month’s Olympic tennis event.

On the list are Marta Kostyuk (a career high No. 16 this week), Elina Svitolina (No. 21), Dayana Yastremska (No. 27) and Anhelina Kalinina (No. 47).

In doubles, Kostyuk and Yastremska will team up. And the Kichenok twins – Lyudmyla (ranked No. 17) and Nadiia (No. 35)

Kalinina is much higher ranked in doubles than Yastremska, who is at No. 215 and has only six tournaments on her record. But that’s not how it works.

On the men’s side, there isn’t much to choose from; the highest-ranked Ukrainian man is 36-year-old Illya Marchenko, at No. 229. So they’re shut out.

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Flashback: Zika fears whittle 2016 Rio Olympic draw

This year, it’s surface change.

But back in 2016, the “big concern” for players considering playing the Olympic event in Rio de Janeiro was … the Zika virus.

The concern with Zika was that there was a risk of causing birth defects in children born to women with the virus.

Which, of course, was not something that would theoretically have been a concern to either the male players on tour – or even most of the players on tour, few of whom were having children at the time.

But it was enough to put off Milos Raonic (who also cited scheduling – as did American John Isner), and Tomas Berdych, and 24-year-old Simona Halep, and Karolina Pliskova.

Genie Bouchard, who made the decision late with prospective doubles partner Gabriela Dabrowski on tenderhooks, said she “just don’t know if the health of my future babies is worth it. So that’s what I’m trying to decide in my head.”

She ended up going, and had a great experience.

In the end, the WHO reported after the Olympics that there were no confirmed cases of the virus at the Games.

Which is what Brazilian doubles star Bruno Soares had said all along; during the ATP event in Rio in February – which took place during peak mosquito season (the pest that carried the virus), there were no issues.

It’s … interesting to look back at this now, having come through the Covid era.

Green, green grass (not) home

Those lovely, lush lawns on the first day of the grass-court tournaments are very photogenic for television.

But in reality, they’re a menace.

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Lush green grass is almost as slippery as ice, the way the players are trying to move on it. And that’s true even with the special grass-court shoes.

Several examples on Monday bear that out.

At Queen’s Club, Frances Tiafoe was forced to retire in his first-round match after slipping.

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In the replies to that thread, Thanasi Kokkinakis affirms that the fact that he withdrew from his final-round qualifying match on Sunday was related to that.

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And in Halle, Félix Auger-Aliassime reportedly tweaked his hip after slipping on the grass.

He called it a day at 4-3 in the second set against Dominik Koepfer.

Hip strain leads to sudden FAA retirement

Centre Court at Wimbledon gets almost no use at all before the tournament, with (only recently) a few practices – plus a friendly member ladies’ knock up.

And it’s the same thing there.

It’s just one element in the gradual evolution of the grass-court season to becoming the … least compelling chunk of the season.

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Quarter-century for Rybakina

We’re a long way from the days in women’s tennis when, if you hadn’t “made it” by the time you were out of your teens, you were washed up.

There are exceptions, of course. But Elena Rybakina, who turned 25 Monday, is the perfect example of how the tide has turned. The players (mercifully) are only coming into their own when they’re a little older and, you hope, better able to handle all that comes with that success.

Rybakina is ranked No. 4 in the world with a career high of No. 3 reached exactly a year ago.

She has eight career titles – including a Wimbledon title in 2022 – and one other major final, in Australia a year ago. Beyond that, she has just three other major quarterfinals in 19 starts since beginning her Grand Slam career in 2019.

She’s just getting started.

Here she is at Roland Garros, in an early pre-tournament practice before the event.

As of yesterday, she can rent a car without getting ripped off for extra charges.

So there’s that.

Rybakina will play one of two countrywomen (although she technically represents Kazakhstan) in her Berlin opener on grass this week: ‘s-Hertogenbosch champion Liudmila Samsonova, or Veronika Kudermetova (who had to qualify – the first time she’s had to do that in several years).

Read us
The Daily Drill – Monday, June 17, 2024

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Stephanie Myles

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