Mutua Madrid Open ATP and WTA 1000

    For Foodies...... 

One of the most traditional and famous rice dishes in Spain, paella comes in several varieties, but if you can, try Valencia paella. Valencia is the region in which this dish originates

European Tour Rolls on: ATP 500 and 250, WTA 500

 CONGRATULATIONS Billie Jean King Cup final qualifiers:

Spain, Czech, Republic, France, Canada, USA, Italy, Germany, Kazakhstan, Slovenia.  The teams will meet again at the finals in November 7 - 12, 2023.

CONGRATULATIONS:  Monte Carlo Open Champion - Andrey Rublev 

On the ATP side a friend keeps talking about The Fab Four.  Who are the Fab Four and when did they become the Fab four?  Eh she then reeled off the names - Sinner, Rublev, Fritz, and Medvedev.  What? No Novak, no Tsitsipas, no Zeverev and what about Alcaraz, Rune, Ruud and Tiafoe? Ok she said The Fab Five - Sinner, Rublev, Fritz, Medvedev, Alcaraz. Uhm I told her but, but, but Rune is now 8-2 vs Top 10 players in France......She crunches up her nose and says "well I don't like him...."  Yeah fandom is irrational and strange.

So MCMer experts who are your Fab Four or Fab Five? Do we even want to start that label? Is the consistency there? Storylines are floating all over the tennis world, especially with Novak's loss at Monte Carlo, Sinner's loss to Rune and Rublev's championship run.

Nary a mention of Rafa and I wonder if Feliciano will formally retire on his home turf?  I might be the only one with this POV but I sense that Novak is a bit vulnerable as we move along on the tennis calendar.  I know the high expectations for him this year and I don't ever rule him out, but I believe the pressure by the young, hungry and very talented players definitely pose a threat.  On any given day and all that......

 Let's see what's on tap for this week.....

ATP Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters 2023

 

For the next two weeks, only the men are competing in the ATP Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters 1000 - 'The Gem of the Mediterranean.'  

With so many withdrawals, including those by several top players, there was considerable discussion about the timing of Monte Carlo. Is one week sufficient time for players to make the transition from two, long hardcourt tourneys in the US to red clay in Europe?

There are no regular WTA tournaments this week, but 18 nations will compete in Billie Jean King Cup ties on a home-and-away basis. The BJK Cup qualifiers will be competing at multiple locations on April 14 and 15, 2023, and the 9 winners will advance to the Finals on November 7-12.

Several top players are taking part, including Elena Rybakina playing for Kazakhstan in the Kazakhstan vs Poland tie and Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff representing the US in the USA vs Austria. For further information: Billie Jean King Cup.

Let's get dirty👇

The Sandman Cometh - 2023 Clay Season Begins!

 

Congratulations to this week's Miami Open Champions - ATP Daniil Medvedev (d. Jannik Sinner who weathered a blistering SF v. Carlos Alcaraz) and WTA Champ Petra Kvitova (d. Indian Wells Champion Elena Rybakina depriving her of the elusive Sunshine Double). 

We're leaving hardcourts for two months while the tours enter the official 2023 Clay Season. The biggest tournament is the WTA 500 on the green stuff in Charleston, SC. The WTA is also hosting a 250 in Bogota, while the ATP host three 250s: Houston, Marrakech, and Estoril.

Some players on both tours thrive on the terre battue - especially South American players and more than a few Spaniards. I know fans are holding their breath and crossing their fingers that Rafa Nadal will be up for snuff for the red stuff soon as there's been news of him practicing! Then again there's other players who'd rather rub sandpaper over their face than have to play on the dirt  - I'm thinking of "I Hate Clay" Medvedev, whose funny quotes over his embedded distaste for the surface are too many to mention. But, these exchanges with the chair during a match at the 2021 Madrid Open gives you a clue:

 "Gerry, please default me; it could get dangerous for everybody," the "I don't want to play here on this surface" and the "It's already bad surface! I cannot do damage to the bad surface!." 

Then after winning the match, he wrote "I Love Clay" on the camera, all of which is simply par for the course for the funny guy! However, there's recent news that Daniil is listening to his team and intends to approach the surface with a new and open mindset this year after being reminded a fellow countrywoman early in her career once described her ability on clay as "a cow on ice." Maria Sharapova went on to win 18 titles on the surface, so we'll see if mind over matter makes a Meddy difference!

Let's get dirty👇