The Matlock Report

While in Cincinatti, we did not see Jannik Sinner play a match but I did go watch his practice session for a while. The stands were packed with people to see the #1 player in the world from Italy practice.

Jannik, look out!

I know this one isn’t as good as the Jasmine Paolini picture but I’m happy with it. Thanks for looking!

On Day 6 of the tournament we had Center Court seats and saw Carlos Alcaraz (ESP), ATP Rank #2, defeat Damir Dzumhur (BIH), ATP Rank #56, in three sets. This set is going to be a little different as I’ve got a couple of sequential shots that I want to use because, well, it’s Alcaraz. On to the fun!

Let’s start off with Dzumhur getting ready to serve…

Alcaraz waiting for the ball to return to Earth for his serve.

Dzumhur with the return…

Here’s the first of the Alcaraz sequences:

Let’s go ahead and give the second one:

Nice, there we go.

I think seeing the shadow of the ball on the racquet is cool in this one.

One more serve….

Boop!

Finally…. what do you look like when you win? Probably something like this

This match at the Grandstand Court features Francis Tiafoe (USA) ranked #14 in the world takes on Roberto Carbelles Baena (ESP) ranked #87. One of the nice things about the Grandstand, as a venue, is that only part of the seats are sold in advance. The tickets on both levels, around the ends, are sold but the upper level seating on the sides is first-come, first serve so you can wander in there and if you can find a seat then it is yours. That is what I did for this match. It was fun to see the man I call “Big Toe” for a couple of games.

Tiafoe with the serve.

Eye on the ball…. wait for it…..

Carabelles Baena with a nice return.

He looks so happy to be returning the ball.

Carbellas Baena slides into action!

Batter up!

Choosing which balls to use is a big deal for a player.

Carbelles Baena ready to serve!

Tiafoe going airborne for this one!

As we were watching Davidovich Fokina vs Fonseca, I looked at the court behind us and this match was going on with very few people in the stands which meant I could sit wherever I wanted to sit. I’ve watched some of Schnaider’s matches over the past few months so I took the opportunity to move from a crowded court to a less crowded one for a bit. Yue Yuan (CHN) is ranked #89 in the WTA rankings while Diana Schnaider (The Place That Shall Not Be Named) is ranked #20. Yuan made the most of her appearance on Court #4 by winning in three sets over Schnaider.

Schnaider ready to receive the serve from Yuan.

Yuan with the return!

This is what it looks like when one goes in the net.

Schnaider with a nice follow-through.

Grit and determination.

Schnaider serves!

I apologize, if I wasn’t lazy I would find a way to crop the leg out of the bottom right corner but…. enjoy it anyway.

Ayrna Sabalenka (Belaruse) is the WTA’s #1 ranked player and has been a top two player for a long time. Despite the endless grunting, she’s a lot of fun to watch play. On this evening she played against Marketa Vondroušová (CZE) who is currently ranked #58 in the world.

Sabalenka on the serve.

Sabalenka moving into position to strike!

Vondroušová getting ready to serve.

I’m not sure if both feet are off the ground or not but it’s a pretty good return.

Camera people hard at work!

Here we get a good look at that famous tattoo.

Same shot, different player.

Here’s a couple of Sabalenka pictures that are pretty impressive.

Finally, we get the post match shot at the net.

On a hot Cincinatti evening, we had Center Court tickets for this match. Taylor Fritz (USA) is the 4th ranked player in the world according to the ATP rankings. Emilio Nava (USA) is ranked 101st in the ATP rankings.

Let’s start out with some pictures of Fritz and Nava on the changeover. I wish I would have had one of those big fans to blow air on me during our trip.

Taylor Fritz gets in a serve right on the line.

Nava gets some real air in that service motion.

Nava makes a great shot…..

And celebrates the point!

Taylor Fritz about to make a hell of a return!

Now that’s a two-handed backhand!

More heat, more tennis… more fun! On Saturday afternoon we had Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina (SPA) ranked #19 in the world against Joao Fonseca (BRZ) ranked #52. The teenage Fonseca is supposed to be the second coming of…. someone but I haven’t seen greatness yet. He managed to win his way to the 3rd round after Davidivoch-Fokina withdrew up a set and down 4-5 in the 2nd set.

Davidovich-Fokina with the serve….

Fonseca with a serve of his own.

For some reason, this picture makes me think of “Live long and prosper”.

I’m not exactly sure how one contorts their body like this, but I’ll give Davidovic-Fokina style points for doing it.

Joao as a bunny???

Can you balance on one foot and return a volley? Dadovich-Fokina can.

In a battle of “L’s”, Learner Tien (USA) and Leandro Riedi (SUI) went to war on the Grandstand Court on this night. Tien (World Rank #55) beat Riedi (World Rank #433) in straight sets on a hot Cincinatti evening.

Riedi starts off with a serve right into the service box.

Not to be outdone, Tien lands a great serve.

Riedi stretches out to make the shot.

Tien returns a ball that quite frankly should be in Wilson’s ad campaign.

Riedi celebrates a point won.

Tien says “I got one too!”

Tien’s hit is heading or the line.

At the net….

Caty McNally (USA) – World Rank #104 literally had the home court advantage being as she is from Cincinatti. McNally won in straight sets against Maddison Inglis (AUS) in a thrilling matchup.

McNally not quite at a 90 degree angle returning the shot.

Full extension, return shot.

McNally serving like she is diving in the Olympics.

Stretch…..

Inglis getting ready to receive the serve.

I like this picture with the swoosh of the tennis skirt. A little bit of a different look.

Inglis with an interesting angle of the racquet, bringing the ball straight back.

McNally and an overhead view of her serve.

Inglis, with that nice looking Wilson racquet, making a good shot.

Apparently McNally hits a lot of returns this way because there are a lot of pictures like this one. I’m glad that I like them.

Look at the intensity of that stare after the serve.

Look at all that hair flying around!

How low can you go???

Inglis at full speed.

We arrived in Cincinatti on Friday afternoon for the evening session (Session 6) on day 4 of the tournament. Getting the lay of the land at my first tennis tournament took me a while but eventually got the hang of things.

Roberto Bautista-Agut (Spain) and his big serve.

Daniel Altmaier (Germany) with a serve of his own.

Bautista-Agut working hard for the point!

Bautista-Agut stretches for the ball.

Altmaier with a return of his own!