The Matlock Report

On our last day in Cincinatti, we went to the Grandstand and got to see Alex Michelson (USA) world rank #33 and Holger Rune (DEN) world rank #9. Rune takes the match in straight sets 7-6 6-3.

Michelson serves.

Alex, look out!

Rune with a serve.

Rune. Holger Rune.

A look from above….

Rune displaying some amazing shot-making skills.

Monday, August 11th, was a busy day in Cincinatti. We had tickets for the daytime session and then were on a flight back home that evening. I tried to take in as many matches as I could while we were onsite. The first one was Alexandrova v Joint. I’m a big fan of Maya Joint, I think great things could be store for her in the future.

Why don’t we start out with a serve? Joint (AUS) is currently the 37th ranked player in the world. I came to Cincinatti with a couple of goals but one of them was to try and attend one of her matches. As you’ll see from some of the pictures, not everyone had that same goal.

I’m not exactly sure what’s going on here but she kind of looks like she’s about to Vogue.

Ekaterina Alexandrova has the rank of 18 in the WTA singles rankings. I’d say that she gets pretty good air on that serve.

Joint returns a ball while 8 people look on.

Alexandrova is kind of to hit a return for those same people.

Maya Joint doing her best Marilyn Monroe impression, with the skirt I mean.

A shot well done, indeed.

Joint on the run, chasing down a shot.

The steely-eyed Alexandrova waiting for a serve.

One more photo, because, why not?

Here we are on Center Court for a match that I wish had lasted longer. Ben Shelton (USA) world rank #6 won 6-3 3-1 over Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) world rank #47 retired in the second set.

Ugo Carabelli with a serve…

Shelton returns serve.

Ugo Carabelli shot out of a cannon.

Dr. Ben Shelton – Contortion Specialist

Shelton getting some coaching from his dad, who is his coach.

Shelton checking in on Ugo Carabelli who then retires.

Jasmine Paolini (ITA) World Rank #8 takes on Maria Sakkari (GRE) World Rank #65 on Center Court on this day. Paolini was victorious in straight sets with a score of 7-6 7-6.

Sakkari with the serve….

Paolini waiting patiently.

There’s the return.

One more for the road.

I’ll be honest, when I first saw these pictures I had no idea who was playing in this match. I don’t particularly know Sofia Kenin (USA) world rank #29 or Varvara Grachevka (FRA) world rank #103. There aren’t a lot of pictures, so I must not have been there very long. Maybe the heat was getting to me?

Sofia Kenin (above)

Grachevka with a serve.

Fault!

Not…. a fault.

Daniil Medvedev (Voldemort) ATP Rank #13 taking on Adam Walton (USA) ATP Rank #85 should have been a slam dunk for Medvedev. If you are asking who Adam Walton is, I asked the same question. However, Medvedev appeared to be struggling not only with the excessive heat but also with his game and lost in 3 sets. Fun fact: Medvedev’s coach was sitting three rows in front of us on the Champions’ Court and every time he started yelling at his coach it felt like he was yelling at us because that is where he was focusing his attention. I felt bad for his loss because I really like Medvedev, hopefully he will return to form sometime in the near future.

We’re going to start off with Walton’s serve. Interestingly enough, his eyes always seem to bug out like that when he serves.

The Medvedev serve….

Walton with the return volley.

No shirt, ice towel on his head…. this is how he spent the changeovers. I was jealous.

I like both of these pictures of Walton, good action shots.

How about a close-up?

Daniil in a full sprint to the ball.

I’ll close out with the last pictures here, lots of pictures…. loved being able to see him play in person.

This was a fun match to watch a bit of if I may say so myself. Alex De Minaur (AUS) ATP Rank #8 took on Reilly Opelka (USA) ATP Rank #73 in the Grandstand. There wasn’t a huge turnout for this match, at least while I was there, but it was fun nevertheless. As I post this, De Minaur is making a deep run at the U.S. Open and Opelka has length, you can’t teach that, and a huge serve.

De Minaur and his serve.

Opelka and his big serve.

The aftermath of that big serve but can he stick the landing?

De Minaur with the return.

Opelka winds up for the return!

De Minaur on the stretchout…

I don’t think that De Minaur is short but Opelka is tall. Really tall.

After leaving the Sinner practice session, I wandered to the Champions Court nearby and popped into this match for a little while. Veronika Kudermetova (Voldemort) WTA Rank #36 pulled off an upset against Belinda Bencic (SUI) WTA Rank #19 in straight sets.

I spent time at my second practice session of the day seeing Maya Joint. I even managed to get an autograph after the session.

Caroline Garcia (FRA) could not get past Karolina Muchova (CZE) WTA Rank #14 despite both sets going to tiebreakers on Center Court.

Garcia (on left) and Muchova (on right) display their serving prowess.

Garcia levitates while hitting a return.

Muchova waiting for a serve.

Garcia carefully examining a selection of balls prior to the serve.

Garcia on the run, chasing down a return.

Muchova practicing for take-off.