Tag Archives: Monfils

A Comprehensive Threshing

US Open, Second Round The 2011 US Open is well into its first week, which in the final reckoning will be the week that no one remembers. It is ever thus, especially in New York where the final set tiebreak … Continue reading

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The Merely Talented

US Open, First Round (7) Monfils d. Dimitrov, 7/6 6/3 6/4 (27) Cilic d. Harrison, 6/2 7/5 7/6 Tomic d. Yani, 6/3 6/4 6/4 If compelled (under duress) to say what it is about Grigor Dimitrov that makes him the … Continue reading

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The Heart of Rage

Cincinnati Masters, Quarterfinals (1) Djokovic d. (6) Monfils, 3/6 6/4 6/3 The Roman philosopher Seneca once remarked, perceptively, that rage is self-punishment for others mistakes. As a statement it packs rather a lot into very few words, and was doubtless … Continue reading

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Bad Scene

Cincinnati Masters, Third Round (2) Nadal d. Verdasco, 7/6 6/7 7/6 (10) Simon d. (5) Ferrer, 6/4 6/7 6/4 The pressing issue in Cincinnati today was crap tennis, which is a bad issue for a Masters 1000 event to have. … Continue reading

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Deuced Flat

Washington, Final Stepanek d. (1) Monfils, 6/4 6/4 Radek Stepanek today defeated Gael Monfils in straight sets in the Washington final, a putative upset that has been widely attributed to the vagaries of scheduling, as though a poor Monfils performance … Continue reading

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Infinite Monkeys

In 2010 Roger Federer was defeated four times after holding matchpoint, an unhappy series of results that strikes many as another sure indicator of his accelerating decline. How accurate is this? The first thing to do is recall the matches … Continue reading

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Risking Censure

ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, Rotterdam Tsonga d. Dimitrov, 6/4 6/4 Did you know that Grigor Dimitrov has modelled his groundstrokes on Roger Federer’s? Yes? I mention this purely for legal reasons since, judging by the commentary for every one … Continue reading

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He Snap In The Head

Australian Open, First Round Monfils d. de Bakker, 6/7 2/6 7/5 6/2 6/1 I switched on the TV at a seemingly opportune moment, as the coverage cut from a yawnfest on Rod Laver Arena to an intriguing men’s match on … Continue reading

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Shatter’d & sunder’d

As cavalry engagements are reckoned, the Charge of the Light Brigade is pretty celebrated, though if you only know a little of military history you might imagine the outing was a successful one. After all, Tennyson’s poem isn’t called the … Continue reading

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The Charge of the French Brigade

‘Flash’d all their sabres bare, Flash’d as they turned in air Sabring the gunners there, Charging an army while All the world wonder’d . . .’ It occurs to me, apropos of Guy Forget’s seemingly baffling decision to play Gilles … Continue reading

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