June 11, 2021

Five Point Friday

Here’s your roundup of the five most interesting things I’m enjoying or thinking about this week.

1.) Federer’s Withdraw

Federer made it to the fourth round at the French Open but decided to withdraw from the tournament to protect his knee. Reactions were mixed with many, including Patrick McEnroe, expressing some level of disapproval for his decision. Of course, Roger had plenty of support, such as Andy Murray, who was inspired by his participation at age 39.

Thank you Sir Andy, the feeling is mutual. You gotta love it 💚 See you on the 🌱🎾 https://t.co/6Jln8V6vSw

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) June 6, 2021

2.) Coco’s Quarterfinal

At 17 years old, Coco Gauff became the youngest woman to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal in the past 15 years. Although Coco had a great run at Roland Garros and started strong in the first set of the quarters, unseeded Barbora Krejčíková denied her a spot in the semi-finals.

3.) Practice for Big Servers

Tsitsipas was spotted practicing to face John Isner with his hitting partner standing well into the court to serve. It’s a common tactic that seems obvious for prepping against a big server, but many players have never tried. If you’re looking for a new drill, you might consider giving it a shot.

How did Tsitsipas prepare to return Isner’s monster serve tonight? Had his practice partner serve from close to the service box. https://t.co/JiS8jMJQuT

— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) June 4, 2021

4.) Iga’s Practice Partner

After a prominent player on ATP tour suggested he enjoyed watching Iga play tennis, she followed up with a thank you and asked if he might be willing to help her practice on grass. Unsurprisingly, he was happy to make time. Can you guess which player she asked to practice?

Anytime🙂 just promise to go easy on me as I’m a bit old and fragile now!

— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) June 8, 2021

5.) Djokovic’s Fighting Spirit

Many things make Djokovic the player he is, including his fighting spirit and that he never gives up on a point. During his fourth-round match against Lorenzo Musetti, his fight was on full display when he slipped and still managed to win the point.

Just @DjokerNole doing Novak things out here.

He started like this in the fifth set with Lorenzo Musetti. Djokovic now up a double break, 3-0.#RolandGarros Live Blog: https://t.co/nOJbhg7gOM pic.twitter.com/629jlODzEp

— TENNIS (@Tennis) June 7, 2021

If you have a moment, I’d love to hear your feedback. Which topic is your favorite? What would you like to see more or less of each week?

Share your thoughts in the comments below and have a great weekend.