Tsitsipas Outclasses Ruud for 3rd Monte Carlo Title | Monday Match Analysis

Summary

In the Monte Carlo Championships, Stephanos Tsitsipas showcased an impressive performance, defeating Casper Ruud in the final with a 6-1, 6-4 victory. Despite a subpar serving day, Tsitsipas dominated with his exceptional backhand and forehand, and strategic gameplay. His victory not only highlighted his prowess on clay but also reset the narrative around his ability to win major tournaments. Meanwhile, Ruud's performance was disappointing, particularly on break points and return games. The match also sparked controversy due to a line call error in Tsitsipas' semi-final against Yannick Sinisterra, emphasizing the need for electronic line calling to minimize officiating errors.

Takeaways

• 🏆 Stephanos Tsitsipas wins the Monte Carlo Championship, marking his third title in the prestigious event.
• 🎾 Tsitsipas demonstrated exceptional performance on clay, especially at Monte Carlo, with an impressive 21-3 record and 88% win percentage at the Monte Carlo Country Club.
• 🔄 Coming into the tournament, Tsitsipas had a recent history of losses against top players, but his victory signifies a strong comeback.
• 💡 Despite a poor serving performance, Tsitsipas managed to win in straight sets, highlighting his dominance in other areas of the game.
• 👎 Casper Ruud's performance in the final was disappointing, particularly his second serve return and lack of aggression on his forehand.
• 🚫 Ruud's record in finals above the 250 level is 0-7, raising questions about his ability to close out important matches.
• 🌟 Tsitsipas' tactical approach of mixing up his second serves and not allowing Ruud to anticipate plays was a key factor in his victory.
• 🔄 Ruud's deep return position on second serves did not yield the expected results, as Tsitsipas was able to counter effectively.
• 🤔 The match featured a controversial line call and decision by the chair umpire in the first game of the third set, which could have potentially impacted the outcome.
• 🏐 Tsitsipas' victory over Yanik Sinner in the semifinals, despite physical challenges for Sinner, showcased his resilience and determination.

Q & A

Who won the Monte Carlo Championship according to the transcript?

Stephanos Tios won the Monte Carlo Championship.

Who did Stephanos Tios beat in the final of Monte Carlo Championship?

Stephanos Tios beat Casper Ruud in the final.

What was the score in the final match between Tios and Ruud?

The score in the final match was 6-1, 6-4 in favor of Tios.

What was Tios' performance like in terms of serving during the final?

Tios had a poor serving performance, which the narrator graded as a 2 out of 10, yet he still managed to win in straight sets.

How did Ruud's second serve returning performance affect his game in the final?

Ruud's second serve returning was poor, with 36% of returns missed, which significantly contributed to his loss.

What was the significance of Tios' win at Monte Carlo for his career and reputation?

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How did the line call controversy in the semi-final match between Tios and Center affect the overall perception of the tournament?

The line call controversy in the semi-final match raised questions about the reliability of officiating in tennis and highlighted the potential impact of such errors on match outcomes.

What was the commentators' view on Casper Ruud's performance in big finals?

The commentators felt that Casper Ruud has struggled in big finals, showing disappointment in his performance and suggesting that the 'finals thing' might be in his head.

How did Tios tactically counter Ruud's preferred playing style during the final?

Tios made strategic decisions to prevent Ruud from getting comfortable, particularly by attacking Ruud's backhand side and not allowing him to camp there.

What was the commentators' take on the electronic line calling system in tennis?

The commentators acknowledged that electronic line calling will become universal in 2025, which will greatly reduce the chances of such officiating errors happening in the future.

What was the commentators' opinion on the impact of the officiating mistake in the semi-final match between Tios and Center?

The commentators believed that the officiating mistake could have decided the outcome of the match, and while it was unfortunate, such errors are part of sports officiating.

Outlines

00:00

🏆 Match Analysis: Monte Carlo Champion's Victory

This paragraph provides an in-depth analysis of the Monte Carlo Championship match where Stephanos Tsitsipas, a three-time Monte Carlo Champion, triumphed over Casper Ruud in the final. The analysis highlights Tsitsipas' exceptional performance on clay, his preparation for the match, and his tactical approach during the game. It also discusses Ruud's performance, noting his previous record against top players and his inability to capitalize on break points. The summary emphasizes Tsitsipas' dominance in the final and the significance of his victory for his career and reputation.

05:02

🤔 Second Serve Success: The Key to Tsitsipas' Win

In this paragraph, the focus is on the surprising success of Tsitsipas' second serve and how it played a crucial role in his victory. The analysis delves into the statistics of Tsitsipas' serving performance, particularly his second serve, and how it impacted Ruud's game plan. It discusses Ruud's shortcomings in returning Tsitsipas' serves, especially the second serves, and how Tsitsipas exploited this weakness. The summary also addresses Ruud's deep return position and its ineffectiveness against Tsitsipas' strategic serving.

10:04

👀 Breakdown: Ruud's Missed Opportunities

This paragraph examines Casper Ruud's missed opportunities to break Tsitsipas' serve and the implications of these missed chances. It provides a detailed look at each of Ruud's eight break points, highlighting where he went wrong and the key moments that slipped away. The analysis points out Ruud's errors in returning Tsitsipas' first and second serves and criticizes his inability to convert break points. The summary underscores the disparity between Tsitsipas' and Ruud's performances on critical points and how it influenced the match's outcome.

15:05

💪 Tsitsipas' Forehand and Backhand Tactics

The paragraph discusses the effectiveness of Tsitsipas' forehand and backhand during the match and how they contributed to his victory. It compares the two players' backhands and forehands, analyzing Tsitsipas' strategic placement and precision. The summary also touches on Ruud's performance with his forehand and how Tsitsipas managed to disrupt Ruud's preferred playing style. Additionally, it highlights Tsitsipas' tactical decisions to prevent Ruud from getting comfortable with his backhand and the impact this had on the match.

20:06

📈 Ruud's Record in High-Level Finals

This paragraph focuses on Casper Ruud's record in high-level finals, noting his 0-7 record in finals above the 250 level. It reviews Ruud's performance in previous important finals, including his matches against top players like Nadal, Djokovic, and Tsitsipas. The analysis expresses disappointment in Ruud's approach in these finals and questions whether the lack of success in big finals might be a mental obstacle for him. The summary considers the broader implications of Ruud's performance in major tournaments and the potential for discouragement or 'scar tissue' from these experiences.

25:07

🧐 Controversial Calls: Impact on the Match

The paragraph discusses the controversial line calls during the match, particularly the missed call on Tsitsipas' serve that should have been a double fault but was not challenged. It explores the potential impact of this error on the outcome of the match and the need for electronic line calling to prevent such mistakes. The summary also compares this incident with another controversial call in the match involving Tsitsipas and explains why the two situations are fundamentally different in terms of their potential impact on the match's outcome.

30:08

🏆 Tsitsipas' Victory: Resetting the Clay Court Season

In this final paragraph, the analysis concludes with a reflection on Tsitsipas' victory over Yannick Siner and its significance for the clay court season. It acknowledges Siner's physical struggles during the match and considers the physical demands of tennis. The summary celebrates Tsitsipas' consistent performance throughout the Monte Carlo tournament and flags him as a key player for the upcoming clay court events.

Keywords

💡Monte Carlo Champion

The term 'Monte Carlo Champion' refers to the winner of the prestigious tennis tournament held in Monte Carlo. In the context of the video, it highlights the significant achievement of the player Stephanos Tsitsipas, who has won the Monte Carlo Masters multiple times, showcasing his prowess on clay courts and establishing him as a dominant force in the sport.

💡Clay Court

A 'clay court' is a type of surface used in tennis, made of crushed shale, brick, stone, or synthetic materials. Clay courts are known for being slow and high-bouncing, which often favors players with strong topspin shots. In the video, the discussion revolves around the performance of players on clay, particularly Tsitsipas's proficiency on this surface.

💡Top 20 Players

The 'Top 20 Players' refers to the highest-ranked tennis players in the world, as determined by the ATP rankings. These players are considered the elite of the sport, and victories against them are significant measures of a player's skill and form. The video discusses Tsitsipas's performance against top-ranked players leading up to the Monte Carlo tournament.

💡Masters 1000 Titles

The 'Masters 1000 Titles' are a series of nine prestigious tennis tournaments for male players, which include the Monte Carlo Masters. Winning these titles is a significant accomplishment and contributes to a player's overall ranking and reputation. The video emphasizes the importance of Tsitsipas's Monte Carlo win as part of his Masters 1000 titles.

💡Forehand and Backhand

The 'forehand' and 'backhand' are fundamental strokes in tennis, executed with the palm facing forward and backward respectively. These strokes are crucial to a player's game and can determine their effectiveness on the court. The video provides an in-depth analysis of the forehands and backhands of Tsitsipas and his opponent, Casper Ruud, during the final match.

💡Serve and Volley

The 'serve and volley' is a tennis tactic where a player serves the ball and immediately moves towards the net to take part in the volley, aiming to finish the point quickly. This strategy requires precision and agility. The video discusses Tsitsipas's use of serve and volley, particularly on his second serve, as a key element of his game plan.

💡Break Points

In tennis, a 'break point' occurs when a server's opponent has the opportunity to win a game by breaking serve. Saving break points is crucial for maintaining serve and dictating the flow of a match. The video analyzes how Tsitsipas managed to save all eight break points he faced in the final, which is a testament to his resilience and skill.

💡Tactical Mentality

The term 'tactical mentality' refers to a player's strategic approach and mindset during a match. It involves making calculated decisions based on the situation and the opponent's weaknesses. The video delves into the tactical patterns used by Tsitsipas, such as targeting Ruud's backhand and forehand, and how these contributed to his victory.

💡Line Call Controversy

The 'line call controversy' refers to a dispute or disagreement over a linesperson's decision on whether a ball was in or out. In the video, a specific incident during Tsitsipas's semifinal match against Jannik Sinner is discussed, where a line call was incorrect and could have potentially affected the outcome of the match.

💡Electronic Line Calling

Electronic line calling is a system used in tennis to determine whether a ball landed in or out of the court. It uses technology like Hawk-Eye to track the ball's trajectory and provide accurate feedback to the umpire and players. The video mentions that this system is set to be implemented across the board by 2025, aiming to reduce human error in line calling.

💡Narrative Shift

The 'narrative shift' refers to a change in the perception or storyline surrounding a player or event. In tennis, this can occur when a player achieves a significant win or experiences a turning point in their career. The video talks about how Tsitsipas's victory at Monte Carlo has altered the narrative around him, from someone who couldn't win big tournaments to a player with multiple Masters 1000 titles.

Highlights

Titi POS wins Monte Carlo Championship against Casper Rude with a score of 6-1, 6-4.

Titi POS made an immediate statement on clay, his preferred surface, at Monte Carlo.

Despite a lack of recent big wins, Titi POS's victory at Monte Carlo was not entirely unexpected given his historical success on clay.

Titi POS had not beaten a top five player since 2022 but managed to beat two top five players during this tournament.

Titi POS's three Monte Carlo titles significantly alter the narrative around his ability to win big tournaments.

Titi POS saved all eight break points against Casper Rude in the final.

Casper Rude's second serve return was disappointing, with a miss rate of 36%.

Titi POS's second serve was highly effective, winning 68% of the points.

Casper Rude's deep return position on second serve did not yield the expected high-quality returns.

Titi POS served poorly by his standards but still managed to win in straight sets due to his superior performance in other areas.

Titi POS's forehand was noted for its precision and ability to hit winners from various positions on the court.

Casper Rude's forehand, while powerful, lacked the same level of precision and aggression as Titi POS's.

Titi POS tactically aimed to disrupt Casper Rude's comfort zone, particularly on the backhand side.

Casper Rude has a 0-7 record in finals above the 250 level, indicating a potential issue with performing in big matches.

The line call controversy in the semi-final match between Titi POS and Yanik Center could have potentially affected the outcome of the match.

Electronic line calling is expected to eradicate such errors in tennis by 2025.

Titi POS's victory at Monte Carlo is a significant reset for the clay court season, positioning him as a key player.

Transcripts

welcome everyone to Monday match

analysis I'm Gil gross Stephanos Tios is

three-time Monte Carlo Champion he beats

Casper rude in the final

6164 and we are going to break it down

what a shift what a turnaround Titi POS

wasted no time after stepping foot on

the clay making an immediate statement

and look coming in from just an

expectation standpoint you're well aware

that titas is a better player on Clay

than he is everywhere else you're well

aware that Monte Carlo historically is

his best big

tournament but it it was still hard to

completely put Faith in something like

this happening

because there just wasn't a lot of signs

that big wins over top players

was going to be something coming around

the corner he came into the week 25th in

the race having lost six of his last

seven matches against top 20 players

having not beaten a top five player

since

2022 he beat two top five guys this week

and he dominated a top 10 player in the

final now on the other hand maybe we

should have seen it coming regardless of

how how bad things looked in a 62 64

loss to Dennis shapovalov in Miami or a

loss via the same score line to Yuri

leka at Indian

Wales because he's done this before

maybe to a less extreme level but here's

a guy who's never made a semifinal at

Indian Wales or Miami and now he's won

Monte Carlo three times he's got a 21

and3 record at the Monte Carlo Country

Club 88% win percentage has one

tournament ever meant so much to a

player resume wise at least a player of

titi's level and his caliber and I'm not

talking about a player who you know wins

their only title somewhere and yeah like

maybe that means more to that individual

player because now they have one career

title instead of zero I'm saying in

terms of really good top players who

actually win quite a bit they're going

to win a lot over their

career think about narratively and

reputationally how much Monte Carlo

shifts uh just changes and Alters the

conversation about CTP now he has the uh

year end championship title first time

he played the event in 2018 but it it

doesn't matter if he didn't have a

Masters 1000 title if he didn't win

three Monte

Carlos the The Narrative around TTP

would be that of someone who can't win

big tournaments who doesn't win big

finals right

instead it's not it's not the case at

all it's a guy with three Masters 1,000

titles which is solid you know you have

the context that it's all in the same

place but it it's really really solid I

do want to give a little bit of a

preview of what's to come in this

analysis we're going to talk about how

titia saved eight of eight break points

in this final we'll compare backhands

we'll compare the forehands I'll talk

about a

tactical mentality a pattern that ttas

used over and over to great

effect I will give you my take on Casper

rude's record in finals above the 250

level he's 0 for S and I will end by

talking about the controversial yanic

Center Stephanos tias semifinal three

set win for Steph the line call the line

call and the chair

umpire uh decision in the first game of

the third set I have a big point to make

about umpiring and tennis and all of

that so that's what's to come but we're

going to start by talking about the

unconventional way in which Stephanos

Tas managed to hold his serve throughout

this straight set win in the final

against rude titia

served if I were to grade it out of 10

I'd give him a two

so he had a two out of 10 serving

performance and still won in straight

sets that's how much better he was than

Casper in every other area I found

Casper roode's performance to be

disappointing and it it's going to be

harsh and it it stinks to talk about

Casper on this show as negatively as I'm

going to have to because he had a great

win in the semi-final and he beat Novak

jokovic but this is how Monday match

analysis is we focus on the final and as

far as the final is

concerned I think Casper roue should be

pissed off I do I think he should be

pissed off because he fancies himself he

backs himself as a player who's going to

win from the

Baseline who's going to return serve at

a high level who's going to break

serve and he goes up against stepanos

CPAs who did not have his serve

and Steph beat him with his second serve

over and over and over and over again

that should be extremely frustrating to

casaro the fact that tias made 48% of

his first

serves and even when he made his first

serves he only won

60% but on the second serve which ttas

was you know kicking he's not John Isner

he's not even Ben Shelton he has an a a

good quality second serve don't get me

wrong very good second serve but not a

second

serve that should be as effective as

anybody's first serve against Roode on

Monte Carlo clay and that's what this

was uh CT POS won 26 of 38 second serve

points that is

68% look at total points one on for tias

he won 21 points with his first serve he

won 26 points with his second

serve that's what I mean when I say that

Roode lost to a second serve and that

Titi pass won with

his so that's where we should start

let's start with the second serve

success of Stephanos Titi pass and and

first I do want to point out one thing

that that Steph did exceptionally well

and then we'll get to where rude fell

short he did not subscribe to the idea

that every second serve should go into

the Casper rude backhand in fact he

mixed it up very evenly uh he

distributed his second serves pretty

evenly backhand forehand now on the ad

side rightly so heavier to the backhand

especially on big points and in general

a little bit heavier on the backhand but

more than enough serve serves to the

Casper rude forehand where

Casper could not prematurely anticipate

that the serve was going to come to his

backhand side and remember uh with

Casper he's going to stand deep on the

second serve return standing deep uh

allows him time theoretically to run

around and hit a big heavy forehand

return if Titi was kicking it to rud's

backand over and over and over again as

many players do

Roode was would have picked his spots

and likely on every big point he would

have simply started moving left as soon

as Titi through the Ball Toss Up Wait

for the kick to the backand turn it into

a forehand and rip and if he did that

enough times if Casper got to do that

enough times he likely would have found

a really good groove on the second

return but I think titia saw look if

he's going to stand back like that

there's way too much time for him to run

around if I kick my serve towards his

backhand so I have to mix in the serve

to his forehand that way he can't do any

guesswork beforehand so when I go to the

backhand it actually gets there he

actually has to hit a backand when I

serve at it that was really good by tias

and he deserves credit there other than

that roode's second serve returning was

awful it was awful uh he missed

36% of his second server returns that's

a really high number he was not finding

titi's

backhand this is another byproduct of

the deep return

position you're trying to buy

time but the reward should be that

you're hitting really good highquality

balls that's what the extra time is

allowing you to do so you can take a

fuller swing a bigger cut at the ball

generate more speed more spin hopefully

more precision and you make

more that wasn't happening the forehand

return was not only leaking errors but

there was also a depth problem and a

Precision problem he just wasn't putting

the ball deep into Titi pass's backhand

side on a consistent basis off the

forehand return off the backhand return

I don't think he missed as

much I don't think he put as many in the

middle but it's so

slow that it takes too long to get into

titi's backhand corner and what does

Steph do it it again comes back to time

it's the same discussion Titi pass has

too much time to run around and hit a

forehand so it really looked to me like

it didn't usually matter how good a back

hand return Roode would hit from The

Back Fence he just doesn't have the the

the speed to really get it to titi's

backand so he's opening with the

forehand the Deep second serve return

position has worked for a lot of the

best clay Court players that we've seen

in the modern era I'll say it's worked

for Stan vinka it has worked for Dominic

team and of course it has worked for

rapael Nadal better than anybody else

what they

do this is not a complex thing they rip

the ball off of both

Wings they move back they buy themselves

time and they rip the ball off of both

wings uh Casper theoretically rips the

ball off of his forehand side can't do

it off of his backhand the other three

can do that better but just all in all

he's not as good at it Casper is not as

good at it um and it it was just not

there in this match and then of course

the other part of this particularly in

the second set is Titi started serving

voling shocking success rate on this

tactic stunning because he got

predictable he got very predictable and

he still kept on winning until

eventually Casper I can think of two

times where he actually ended up hurting

TTI pass by hitting damaging returns uh

a pass and a a Dipper that forced a

floating half

volley I hate second serve serving

volleys like I usually can't stand them

I think unless your opponent is in utter

Shock by it and didn't expect it it's

usually a losing Play Because players

return too well modern string technology

and modern racket speed just make it too

easy to dip the ball down down low and

when you're serve and volleying behind a

second serve I just think you're you're

hitting volleys from under knee level

way too often but Titi POS just kept

getting comfortable height

volleys above hip level and I couldn't

believe

it cuz they're handleable

serves relatively there's no element of

surprise and it was stunning to me that

rude couldn't get the returns to dip

lower all in all that that's what lost

for the match it was uh it was

just Tas had a terrible serving day and

rude couldn't do anything about it

because the quality on the return just

wasn't there now he did create openings

and for as good as TTP was from the back

of the court and I I do think he was

good there were several service games

where he made some

pretty easy finishing errors that opened

up opportunities for for

Casper and rud had eight break break

points there were eight chances that

rude had to break Titi pass's serve I

think it's worth going through all eight

because ttia saved all

eight so let's run through these quickly

then in the end I'll kind of summarize

what my main takeaway is uh when when

you look at these eight break points so

three came in the first set they were

all at

21 the first one was a second

serve and Roode hit a forehand return

into the net it's an awful return

Miss when you think about it with Casper

he's got one of if not the highest RPM

forehand in the world he's 15t behind

the Baseline so if he hits the ball with

8 feet of net clearance that thing is

going to drop in the net should not be

in play there that should be a high

heavy return with rud's forehand the way

he generates all that Top Spin and him

being 15t behind the Baseline there

should be 8 ft of net clearance you

shouldn't be messing with the net there

second one another second serve

look Roode hits a forehand return inside

out that doesn't get to titi's

backhand Titi hits a brilliant plus one

forehand inside out that brushes off the

Baseline gives him an attackable

forehand on the next ball he takes that

inside in he hits a couple of overheads

to finish the point awesome plus one

forehand by tias but when you when you

look at it it's a second Serve by Steph

and rude couldn't get the ball to tti's

backhand not because he hit a terrible

return but because he was way back in

the court and he didn't hit a great

return so if you're up on the Baseline

and you hit like a decent ball towards

the backand you might get tias to hit

one but if you're on The Back Fence you

got to rip it and it better be either

deep or achieve some width you get the

point the standards are

higher because there's extra time for

ttas to run around uh third one Steph

hit a service winner out wide on the ad

side this was a first serve that CC POS

made but he missed the location it was

an easy return Roode barely needed to

move for his backhand return but he Mish

Hit It

Wide so those were the three in the

first set return to serve that's the big

issue there

second set at love all there was one uh

in this case TTI hit a service winner

fantastic serve there by Steph no chance

for Roode he got his racket on it but it

was a brilliant Serve by tias at one all

Roode had a break

point he had started to experiment with

the closer in second serve position

actually faked standing in then when TI

POS threw the toss up he moved back

ended up getting getting a forehand rips

the forehand return Inside Out thumbs up

on the return he made a good

return tias hit this first ball backhand

rude got a forehand to attack on the

next ball this is beautifully drawn up

this is exactly what Casper wants he

missed the forehand he had a forehand on

forc a long trying to go inside in

tactics were right there made a good

return missed the forehand three all

second set these will this game is when

uh Casper gets his final three break

opportunities first one second serve

look makes another good return titas

hits a backhand crosscourt trade really

good quality was kind of right in the

corner good depth good width rude still

tries to run around turns into an

uncomfy jammed

runaround doesn't get much on the ball

weak ball uh tias hits a forehand inside

out to build forehand crosscourt to win

and to finish so offensive forehand

combination by tias but what really won

the point for Steph was the crosscourt

backhand that turned into the jammed

runaround by Roode next one

tias made his first serve Roode hit a

backhand return that was extremely short

extremely

soft it it did go to the tisas backhand

but Steph to his credit stepped in

backhand down the line approached

backhand volley went winner all

right

um good job by Titi there I I'm not too

critical of rude he he made the first

serve return he made it to titi's

backhand and Steph just made a good play

there although obviously the return

could have been better it was very short

and very soft as I mentioned uh at out

and it wasn't a great first serve either

next one last one second serve TI serve

in volley kick out wide rude Tak it as a

backhand hits it hard down the line but

it's high and this is the common theme

this was this was why Titi POS was

winning so many serve and volley points

with his second serve it's just height

of Return by Roode height of return was

not good and this was one where yeah he

hit it hard and Titi was stretched out

on the forehand volley so good job

stretching him out but when you don't

make him hit up on the volley when he

gets to hit down on the volley it's so

much easier for Steph to stick that into

the open court and he did he hit a

winner on the forehand volley didn't

have to hit up on

it and there you have it all eight break

points so in summary Titi hit one good

first

serve Roode hit only

two returns that got him into a rally so

only two times s did Roode get into a

rally and only one time did tias hit a

good first serve that's crazy right like

that is why I'm this is why I'm

disappointed as a whole with what Roode

brought to the court now tias some good

plus ones uh uh you know a Serv and

volley that was well executed a good

volley on that eighth one but like how

do you not make good enough returns to

at least get into some rallies uh and of

of course rude couldn't win either of

the rallies that forehand unforced error

and the jammed runaround that he got

dictated off of so th those are your

eight break

points so thus far I've only talked

about uh C pan

serve um and the second serve stuff

mainly in the break points let me get

to when Casper was serving how did CT

POS break Casper I do want to shout out

ttp's backhand I thought it was really

good in this match

and if you look at the first break of

serve at one all Tas hit three damaging

backhands in that game two of them were

deep down the middle one of them was

down the

line and then in the third set at

45 you had a backhand return deep middle

into a rude forehand shank to start the

game at 45 and this is the game that

rude is going to get his serve broken to

lose the match and to lose the

championship and then there were two

other points here where they get into

those extended Baseline ex changes each

player had to hit some backhands and

roode's two-hander faltered with a

couple of unforced Errors Titi pass's

one-hander stayed

solid so tias protected the one-hander

very

well I would say again Center same thing

like maybe he came up with a couple of

good highlight re moments on the

one-hander But ultimately it comes down

to is the one-hander for tias sabotaging

his ability to do everything else that

he does so well use his athleticism use

his transition game and mainly use his

forehand so let's talk about the

forehand and that's what's always pretty

fascinating about this matchup it's two

of the best forehand in the world

especially on Clay so as these two

shared the court and I was watching this

match I wanted to pay attention and and

take note of who forehand is more

effective and why

and here's where I landed look both are

great Titi poses is more

clinical Steph he takes time away he

puts it on a dime meaning he's deadly

accurate and he comes forward he's got

the pace and spin of a big Western grip

forehand like

roods but he's got the Precision of an

Eastern grip forehand one of those you

know old school Eastern grip forehands

that are are so well suited so well

designed to step inside the court and to

hit precise approach shots which is

something that c is able to do at a

really high level and uh you know tennis

insights did send me some really good

numbers on ttp's forehand look what I

love most about it is not how big he

hits it not how much spin he hits it

with although those things are high-end

it's the placement it's the way he

spreads the court it's how close he's

able to play to the lines with

consistency when he's in attacking

positions and uh this is one I love from

tennis insights if you if you split the

court into

thirds you can see how well Titi pass

keeps his forehand out of the middle

third of the Court the tour average is

177% forehands middle of the Court Titi

pass's average over the last year is

133% his average here in Carlo

9% so

essentially an an incredibly low number

by Titi of four hands that land in the

middle third of the

Court he moves the ball around and by

the way he takes it early it's a big

deal obviously he can back up you know

defend on it hit the high heavy ball of

course that's true uh but when it's when

it's time for him to take charge he can

step inside the court take time away hit

it as an approach shot so it's such a

dynamic for him where Casper he needs

more time his footwork is less

aggressive he's less precise he doesn't

come in behind it as

naturally and the strength for for rude

is probably you know I suppose he hits

it a little bit heavier but I don't

think that makes up for all of the

dynamic things that tias does with his

there's one other thing that tias was

doing tactically that I want to talk

about before we get into the rude record

in

finals Titi

was not going to let Casper get

comfortable trading and

camping in the backhand

side so what Roode is going to often do

is he's going to go into his backhand

Corner hit a backhand trade crosscourt

and he's not going to recover all that

hard to the middle because he wants to

create as much space as possible to hit

a forehand on the next ball he doesn't

want to create a lot of space on his

backhand side he'd much rather leave

some space on his forehand side what

ctios did was oh I'm going to crush the

ball into that space and put you on the

run and put you on the defensive so I

saw so many times where Roode even off

of his forehand if he was hitting a

forehand Inside Out Titi was actively

thinking can I run around this and hit

an aggressive forehand inside in into

that open Duce

Court I'll threaten with the backhand

down the line from time to time as well

even when Casper was hitting his

forehand inside in and his backhand down

the

line titos is coming back with what is

the best running forehand crosscourt on

Clay probably in all of men's tennis so

it was very difficult for Roode to go

into his backhand

corner and play from there because TTI

was just finding opportunities to basic

Bally get him on his horse scrambling

into the de side because anything less

than exceptional when Casper was hitting

out of that side of the Court was being

met with tias aggression into the deuce

so that was uh that was super great from

Steph he did that incredibly well that's

all I got on the final let's zoom out

let's talk a little bit about

Casper he is 0 and

seven now in finals above the 250

level let's talk about

that he lost to alcarez in the Miami

open Final Nadal rollan garos alcarez at

the US Open jokovic at the tour finals

that was all

2021 last year he lost rangar final to

jokovic

this year he's now lost in aapco to deor

Monte Carlo to

tias I'm not going to say it's bad luck

who he's playing and I was saying for a

long time look let's not let's not

Hammer home this this stat for rude when

he's not expected to win any of these

matches I talked about that after he

lost the r on G final to jokovic last

year but I'm also not going to say it's

bad luck who he's playing because other

than akapulko these are all Master's

1000s and above you're going to play

great guys in the

final unless you're it's actually it's

lucky if it's the other way but it's not

unlucky when you play a great player in

the final of a Masters 1000 or a slam

it's just how it

works so of course you're playing top

guys here's the disappointing thing

about it I thought played the best big

final of his career against

jokovic in Paris last year of the seven

it's really the only time that I didn't

want more out of Casper's forehand

meaning I felt that he took his best

weapon he backed it he trusted it he

went after it he freaking hit it and on

a lot of the these other finals I feel

like sure like maybe Casper's playing

fine but but he's not playing Big Boy

aggressive tennis with that forehand

like he needs to in my opinion to just

reach that Elite

level he has since after that rangar

final lost four finals in a

row and he's 0 and8 in

sets and by the way in that 0 for seven

if you're going to Lev a criticism about

the results itself the US Open final

against alcaraz is the only of the seven

where casaro has won a

set it's not great and I do think at

least now I'm ready to say and look

akapulko uh against demon I kind of

missed that one that was my Vegas

weekend where I was I was uh I was

pretty busy that weekend uh traveling

and watching Nadal alcaraz at the

Netflix slam and all that but this to me

was easily his most disappointing

performance in a big final as long as

you give him a pass for what he did

against Nadal in that first RG final

where he was overwhelmed to Shell of

himself but I thought psychologically

there was enough going on there where

you could understand why rude couldn't

bring his best it's hard for me to

really understand this one but I do

think it's possible that the finals

thing is is in his head because he came

out too passive on the forehand little

shaky on the forehand and then you know

you see some of this the returning stuff

on the break points and he goes 0 for8

and it's just like he just wasn't able

to bring it today in a way that was

certainly disappointing so this to me

was the worst one of the seven he's

having a good year he's made three

finals his win loss record is excellent

but you know

certainly the more times this happens

the more you get concerned about Scar

Tissue the more you get concerned that

he's going to get discouraged at at a at

a larger level you know in the bigger

picture

so

um I think even if he puts in a good

performance in one of these finals like

if he played one of these guys

tight that would be a different story

but he's not

right last thing I want to talk about is

going back to the semies where tias beat

Yanik siner

and you have a little bit of controversy

with the line call at 31 titia serving

down 13 breakpoint for

Center and I want to talk about this and

I hope that anyone who initially gets

upset up my premise hears me out uh you

have to be okay with an uncomfortable

truth here when it comes to this

tournament and that

result like to me you just have to be

okay with it you have to be able to make

peace with the idea that the L's judge

may have determined and the chair umpire

who didn't overrule and Center's failure

to stop the point like that point may

have decided the outcome of that match

easily and it was a mistake no two ways

about it it stinks that that

happened under no

circumstance should it not have been 41

double break yanic Center

up now this is not an abnormal thing in

sports officiating matters in sports

officiating swings outcomes in sports

when I say outcomes I don't mean even

the overall outcome cuz usually we can't

actually even tell whether or not it

swung the overall outcome which is true

in this case because let's say it's 41

we still don't know what would have

happened

but as far as that particular point that

particular game since it was a break

point we know it swung the outcome and

it was not a judgment call it was

objectively wrong way outside the margin

of error of

Hawkeye and by the way if you missed it

tias double

fault but they played out the point and

Tas won the point and then after the

point CER was like who who that serve

was out and Hawkeye confirmed it was way

out uh yes Yana could have stopped the

point I think we all understand that

so this is all to say it's normal in

other sports we really aren't used to it

in tennis because it's genuinely rare

it's genuinely rare in tennis that we

can look at such a big point that

clearly 100% beyond a shadow of a doubt

should have gone one way and because of

a missed because of an officiating

mistake went the other way this is going

to be eradicated in 2025 electronic line

calling across the board where there

still might be some judgment calls and

we're going to talk about judgment calls

in a moment uh but as far as like

egregious line call errors they're not

going to really happen anymore unless

systems

malfunction

so that's my thought on what happened

with CER there that it stinks

that you got to be comfortable with the

idea that yeah could have decided the

match right there we'll never know what

would have ultimately happened but it

definitely should have been 4-1 double

break Center period it should have been

there's no debate now what I saw was a

lot of people saying

well what about what happened to Titi

pass what about what happened to tias in

the first game of the third set

massive false equivalency massive I'm

sorry and that was a bad call as well

that point should have been replayed the

out call came basically simultaneously

with ctios missing a backhand slice and

when the shot and the call come

simultaneously there's really no telling

if the call affected the shot I even

think it looked like it did

regardless if the shot if the Call Comes

at the same time as the shot the point

needs to be replayed that was a mistake

Titi was wronged no doubt about it but

the decision was wrong uh the decision

should have been replay the point but

here's why it's completely

different let's run through the

scenarios here if everything went well

if everything went how it should have

been that ball should not have been

called

out and TT POS is hitting a backhand

slice

pulled outside the single sideline he's

in a bad position so I'll be generous

here generous and I'll say that there's

65% chance Center wins the point might

have been higher but I'll be generous so

I'll say 65% chance Center wins the

point if the lines umpire doesn't make a

mistake now the point should have been

replayed first serve Titi pass let's say

I don't know uh still 30% chance CER

wins the point will give titia 70%

chance that he wins the point so what

ended up happening was sner was awarded

the point he got the point again bad

call but that's very different from a

double fault in which in all scenarios

100% of scenarios CER won that point you

see how it's different because with the

tias thing well CER should have CER was

in good position to win that point so it

would have been bad luck for CER already

even if they replayed the point then if

even if they did replay the point you

don't know who would have won the

point so it it's it's just a different

thing it's not as bad it's still it's

it's still a tough pill to swallow for

tias there there's also 15 all first

game of the first set it ended up being

a break of serve for Center uh but it's

a little bit different both things were

unfortunate one was far more unjust than

the other don't make false equivalencies

be able to

differentiate you know cuz it's not the

same both can be bad but both are not

the

same uh TTI played really well in that

match against Center he got the benefit

of yanic wearing down physically I don't

know how much of it was wear and tear

how much of it was like you know acute

injury it was hard to tell but it kind

of seemed more like wear and tear

because there were moments in that match

where I saw him grabbing his hip and

then I saw him grabbing his quad and

then I saw him grabbing his hamstring so

it's like okay seems like everything

hurts and Center's played a lot of

tennis and it was physical that's part

of the game as I always say that's part

of the game and it's a huge win for Titi

P there against Yanik who's welld

deserved I look throughout Monte Carlo I

don't think anybody played better tennis

consistently than Stephanos

CPAs huge win for him so uh really

resets the clay Court Season a little

bit because I think it's fair to say

that he's going to be a factor hope you

enjoyed don't forget to subscribe I'll

see you next time