Good morning, Court Theorists! ☕️☀️
Today’s tennis mood: Ready for a full day of matches, plus charmed a bit by Iga.
Let’s tennis!
-Allen
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🎾 Madrid rundown: We eased into the Madrid Open yesterday with just 10 women’s main draw matches that were, unfortunately, a bit on the lackluster side. Notably, the match of the day wasn’t very competitive as Peyton Stearns smacked 21 winners on her way to victory over Lois Boisson 6-1, 6-3. Venus Williams tried, but just didn’t have the juice against Spanish wild card Kaitlin Quevedo, losing 6-2, 6-4. Robin Montgomery’s return to the main tour was short-lived this week as she lost to Magda Linette 6-4, 6-3. And there were several non-competitive 6-0 and 6-1 sets. But today is a new day! More on that below.
🎾 Wristy business: Yesterday, as The Daily Theory was set to publish, news came out that Amanda Anisimova had pulled out of the Madrid Open, citing a wrist injury. Add that on top of Carlos Alcaraz and Raphael Collignon, and we’ve got a few out this week with similar ailments. It’s not exactly news. Emma Raducanu has dealt with her share of wrist injuries. So has Sebastian Korda. Jenson Brooksby had double wrist surgery not so long ago. What’s the cause? The balls? Extreme grips? All-poly string set-ups? A combination of all the above? It’s hard to say. But isn’t it about time that the governing bodies undertake a serious study of the matter?
🎾 One to watch: Rafael Jodar vs. Jesper de Jong (1st round - ATP 1000): Watch this one to see how Jodar handles the pressure of playing his first 1000-level tournament at home. Jodar is more used to the conditions of Madrid’s red clay, and his explosive game is suited for it. Meanwhile, de Jong is quite good on the dirt, but he struggles in the altitude.
The record: This is the first time Rafa Jodar and Jesper de Jong will face each other.
On the line: Neither player has to worry about defending points from last year’s Madrid Open. This match represents an opportunity to bank some matches going into Roland-Garros. But Jodar has the extra opportunity/pressure to perform well at home.
And that’s game.
