Opelka Takes Down Djokovic, Gauff & Fritz Power U.S. to United Cup Glory | Monday Match Analysis

[@GillGross]

Clarification: When Bublik won Montpellier last year, he got a first round bye and won four matches. Alexandre Muller is the first ever to win five matches from a set down to win a title, according to TennisTV.

[@Luca-ei3fu]

@@GillGross Ok get you 👍

[@IanVanSlyke]

I think it should also be mentioned that Opelka recently switched from his long time Wilson racket to the latest Technifibre T-40, and worked with the Technifibre team over the summer. He says the new racket has given him a lot of confidence to really go for his shots

[@yanair2091]

I don't know what he did, but that was scary good

[@S_Gilbert0908]

39:30 I agree that Iga was trying to mask an injury. There was a play where Coco hit a FH lob (not a tennis player so might be called something else) and Iga tried to hit it but flew up in the air landing awkwardly. It was from this point that her movement changed. I don’t think she wanted to say anything about it ahead of the AO. It definitely wasn’t smart for her to say it was due to fatigue/tiredness in the post match interview, though.

[@phy_totum4184]

Ah yes, Monday Match Analysis 🥰

[@MegaGo68]

We've got to get you down to Brisbane and Sydney next year, Gill. You'd love it!

[@Vescilla]

I think what Iga wanted to say, that's how I understood it, is that she felt pain, she took an MTO to make sure she's not injured but now that she knows it was caused by fatigue and not an injury, she said that it's what it was. She didn't say she took the MTO BECAUSE she was just tired. So she said "it's all good, it's nothing" because she's not injured.

[@drashyr]

Exactly, it's a language barrier, but haters will interpret it as they want. Same with bathroom breaks, Katie Boulter also took a toilet break, and there was a 7-second difference between Iga's toilet break and hers, but people will tell that Iga's was lengthy and unacceptable. Gill chooses to not believe his own eyes and interpret conference as confession (which would be a moronic act) because he has been infected by the prejudice of the haters. That's why haters spew hate everywhere-at some point, even sane people start to question their own senses.

[@Vescilla]

@@drashyr I think Gill isn't influenced by haters, it's more of a misunderstanding because it does sound like she just admitted to cheating but we have to remember that those players are not super fluent in English, sometimes things will sound weird or suggest something that they didn't mean

[@drashyr]

@@Vescilla And he knows that English is not Iga's first language, but does not ask himself a question: What top player would blatantly admit to cheating in the press conference? (I guess Sharapova is an exception, but she was already caught, so) There are penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct, which this behavior would constitute, and Gill would have to believe that Iga either does not know the rules or is dumb enough to confess-and both of these scenarios did not seem weird to him at all, and my point is he did not give her the benefit of the doubt exactly because the "Iga is a cheater" concept took hold in his brain.

[@Vescilla]

@@drashyr I actually believe that Gill has no bias here. He just saw the transcript or the interview itself and it looked bad for Iga. She usually speaks clearly enough so he probably didn't think that she might have not expressed herself very well in this situation. Let's not treat everyone who misunderstands as a hater. Some people just see what she said and interpret it the "wrong way" not because of prejudice but because that's what it sounded like to them, simple as that.

[@anabelleigh5745]

Even if the pain was caused by an injury, why take the MTO right at that critical moment? If she's injured, she should realize she couldn't keep up. She should've either stayed out there and finished playing or else retire.

[@jonbonesmahomes7472]

Opelka's backhand was something else.

[@ANaijamansPerspective]

Better than any man his size and height. Compared to Isner and Karlovic

[@joeypierantonis7576]

Yes the BH is the crucial tipping point in most matches. That's why I believe the BH is the most dynamic shot in the game.

[@Videolistener]

Btw just a bit of nitpicking - double-edged swords are those that hurt the wielder as well as the recipient. NOT the same as a dilemma - having weapons on both wings or good serves in both directions.

[@bpbml98]

Yea this stems from the sword and shield terminology, where your forehand is your attacking weapon and your backhand so your shield. So it’s fair to call it a “two swords mentality” when a player attacks with both wings

[@GillGross]

@@Videolistener yeah I don’t know why the word “edge” got in there. Force of habit. I meant to say double sword.

[@FranciszekLewicki-dm3st]

Congratulation and full respect to Coco Gauff match with Iga Swiatek. For long time against all Coco critics I believed and I believe that Coco is the one of greatest talent in women's tennis. I think in this and next year she is the only one to challenge Sabalenka for number one in women's tennis. She is the one the world should look at as emerging tennis superstar. As for Iga's medical time-out, there is nothing controversial about it. A tennis player has the right to a medical time-out and intervention in the event of the slightest feeling that something is wrong with their health or even their condition. Even in the case of exhaustion/fatigue where the player has difficulty breathing, he/she can ask for a medical time-out and intervention. Iga asked the referee for this medical time-out and she received it rightfully.

[@Luca-ei3fu]

Bulbik was the first person to win a title from 1 set to love down in every match in Montpellier last year

[@MatteoDonadoni-ef2sz]

Wasn't Ashe in 1975?

[@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten]

Yes, but he won less matches to do this.

[@GillGross]

Check pinned comment

[@ANaijamansPerspective]

Happy new year Gill

[@adamkrol3313]

I mean seriously, she had her leg checked in the Boulter match, they told her it is not an injury it's fatigue, she had the same problem while playing against Coco and again they told her it's fatigue. Because in polish language there is no difference between "fatigue" and "tiredness", there is just one world that means both she made a mistake of saying "i was just tired" instead "it was just fatigue" while asked about what's happened to her leg. It's reverse lost in translation

[@adamkrol3313]

btw that's easy to verify, use google translate and see how "tiredness" and "fatigue" translates to polish - it's one world "zmęczenie"

[@Vescilla]

It was a different leg in Coco's match but I assume it hurt enough for her to be worried about it

[@gonderAmh]

Neither tiredness nor fatigue are valid excuses for an MTO

[@icefalcon2243]

Kielbasa” is the word you seek

[@wildlive1296]

​@gonderAmh Exactly. Not sure where this translation excuse comes from.

[@adambernstein-performances8330]

Incredible content as always. Best tennis analysis on KZbin by FAR

[@derickster5595]

Best part of this post was the quote from Opelka about those who play Novak have to play like they have nothing to lose. I think this is what's happened to Coco with respect to playing Iga. She even said she approached the match by telling herself, "the worst thing that could happen was that I lose the match." And now that she's adopted that go for broke attitude, she's winning matches she used to lose to Iga. Now she's the one dictating most of the points. Same was true in the Opelka match. Like al the rest of us, Novak and Iga get frustrated when the opponent is the one seizing control.

[@jolanciabe8602]

Letting this mto apart bc it’s not clear what was really said and what was transcript and if people commentating it are doing it based on the presser or the transcription I would just refer to those bathroom brakes. Everybody is doing the same Aryna, Coco, Collins and mamy many others but it is only Iga who is blamed for. Why others can use them as strategic brake of oponent momentum but not Iga?

[@vm4473]

Opelka would have beat ANYBODY that day, with the exception of Sinner (possibly)

[@yanair2091]

Are you kiddin'? Sinner and Alcaraz could have joined Novak on the court and Opelka would win. That was scary.

[@ostrogodo]

Gillzinho you forgot to put Fonseca on the title of the video and to talk about his second straight title. You gonna learn fast about brazilian baiting on the internet real fast this year ma man. Great ep nonetheless (hope this word exists)

[@MatiasGutierrez-jc7vw]

Hope he does this in the Power Rankings for AO 😂

[@wildlive1296]

Iga losing the h2h advantage versus Coco is a big deal. Iga was 5-1 in SF's and 1-0 in Finals against Coco. Having that big of an advantage against a fellow top player is a major boost.

[@katherinestrohm8359]

I understood iga saying “I’m not injured just tired” as she was feeling pain on court but knows it isn’t an actual injury after being evaluated

[@AC-ss5oy]

The only differences in Coco's forehand that I see is that a) she's leaning into it and she's on her front foot versus in the past where she's leaning back, in the past it was more defensive than offensive. b) there is more depth on the ball which kept Iga pinned more behind the baseline than in the past when Coco's forehand balls were landing just behind the service line, allowing Iga to dictate and come forward c) at key times she varied her spins and paces which disrupted Iga's rhythm. Technically I don't see a difference in the forehand grip.

[@BazOfTheNorth]

Just as a general point handshakes DO matter, they're part of the decorum and tradition of the sport, the ability to put away the fight and gather enough respect for your opponent is critical to keeping the sport what it is. There's a reason Wimbledon is by far the most popular tournament globally and it's all about tradition and decorum. Its as bad as the "marriage is just a piece of paper" argument, it's reductionist and erases thousands of years of history for a throwaway line.

[@irie2jones]

Agreed. Collins poisoned the well with her handshake at the start of the match. Coco also wasn't particularily graceful towards Iga with that celebration (different connotation for digging for non- English speakers). I guess she got what she wanted looking at the smirk she gave straight afterwards when she turned away from Iga. Team USA gave me mean girls vibe.

[@icefalcon2243]

Well said. Etiquette is a big part of tennis-even down at the public park. It should never be ignored as it is one of the games defining features.

[@Kaneki]

2:35 - pretty sure bublik did this in montpellier last year

[@BillyBob-xi9ih]

Gill clarified though by saying “title run that stretched as many matches as his did.” Bublik played 4 matches because he got a bye, Muller played 5 matches

[@GillGross]

Yup, what BillyBob said

[@jonathanhoward8608]

Can we please get a top 10 forecast for the WTA. The WTA is fantastic…anyone who doesn’t like it should give it a second look…and a third…and a fourth

[@IGuess...]

You're on the Tennis Channel, laboriously delve into the nitty-gritty of tennis down to the cytoplasm and mitochondria, and yet you don't understand why people care about the handshake at the end?? A "gentleman's sport" that's historically prided itself on manners and exhibiting good sportsmanship? When the handshake can be a quick, visual summary of how the players feel about the match, each other or how they handle defeat after playing for hours on a court in front of a loud crowd? When even Tennis TV commentators make note of it? Very interesting....

[@TheCapiller]

17:21 AYO😂

[@JohnGrendal]

Man that fritz hurkacz match was so lame after swiatek and gauff. Seemed like they were just hitting the ball back to each other.

[@sbrons1]

Hmmm, I watched the match and saw some incredible rallies in that match, including some excellent lobs and Hubbie diving to win one of them. It’s true that neither are all court players with great movement, but I thought it was a high quality match.

[@Aliceteacup]

The tallest of tall beat the lowest of all. Two reptiles 🐍🐊summarily taken out by two warrior kings who got the job done 🤴🏽🇫🇷🤴🇺🇸👌Things are looking up.

[@joeypierantonis7576]

Yea biggest Novak fan boy.... I just don't know man... I feel this thing can easily be over

[@Yonatan-t9l]

Didn’t Bublik win one while losing all first sets?

[@GillGross]

Check pinned comment

[@Yonatan-t9l]

Thanks!

[@gonderAmh]

I’m convinced Gauff could evolve into an offensive player on top of her defensive game. The only thing holding her back is better shot selection and more willingness to take risks. Her backhand alone could deliver so many down-the-line winners, but she rarely takes the chance. I think that’s the next step in her evolution. As for her forehand, it’s improving, but even at the United Cup, you could see that nothing had really changed technically; those short, fluffy forehand returns were still showing up at times

[@brunoalves3736]

Me watching the whole episode waiting for a fonseca title mention

[@MatiasGutierrez-jc7vw]

I don’t think he discusses Challengers except as an antecedent to an ATP match

[@droliver]

Kevin Anderson and Ivanisevic had better groundstrokes then Opelka for a serve bot

[@yanair2091]

Have you seen the match against Djokovic??

[@goldwolf5160]

Holy Smokes Gill allowed my comment!!!! 😂

[@user-wd7ue1wd6r]

@@goldwolf5160 now you can bull shi8 again and be restricted. By the way, is rafa happy with Saudi money and paying you well? Or as usual, is he still whining " IF IT IF I am not injured I am The 🐐" along with his uncle and you?

[@janetterceira4201]

I forgot Carlos did that in a tiebreak, and I have never seen that ever before., not even during the changeover.

[@janetterceira4201]

I have always been suspect of Iga's less than moral tactics on court. I feel the same way about Carlos. The commentators were saying Hubie should not be allowed to change socks last week, but they did not say that when Alcaraz took ages to do shoes and socks against Jannick last year.

[@devikuSoul]

if you're gonna hate, at least be accurate, Carlos only changed his shoe (not socks) and his shoe literally broke, do you expect him to continue with broken shoes? it's a skill issue if something so minor rocks Sinner lmao

[@travisbickle5279]

djokovic will win the australian open again. Novaks biggest opponent by the AO will be like always the daysession matches. IF IF IF he dont plays the first semi final match in the daysession, nobody can stop him

[@alburaq3290]

His biggest opponent will be Opelka 😂

[@user-wd7ue1wd6r]

It will be his age too now. Gone are those days travis, unfortunately 😢

[@travisbickle5279]

@@user-wd7ue1wd6r next year not this year

[@DaveOwen-vn6ie]

​@@travisbickle5279 Daydreamer

[@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten]

This is such a cope lol, pretending like he lost last year because it was a day match. It might make a difference, but the reason he lost (and is not the favorite this year) is because Sinner simply played better in every way.

[@Maitland5]

Bublik? DId 4

[@GillGross]

Check pinned comment

[@user-wd7ue1wd6r]

Gill Respectfully, novak has a secret formula and that is his elasticity that helped his return more than rafa and andy. Roger is not even in the returns discussion tbh.

[@GillGross]

I’m just saying they all had stellar records against Raonic, Isner, Karlovic

[@user-wd7ue1wd6r]

@GillGross naah. Novak is an ELITE ALL time greatest returner and it's okay to give credit where due instead of undermining things ain't it? 😇😇 Even rafa dreaded karlovic. Novak is a GOAT versatile returner unlike rafa who needed clay to take speed off the ball to return well. And roger? Come on now, we are insulting novak's return skill now.

[@guruk]

​@@user-wd7ue1wd6ri get your point dude 😇 but we should let it go. Whole world including Gill knows novak is a superhuman returner.

[@DanielRohr]

Not a single word about Fonseca? :(

[@daniellydford6142]

Does Gill normally talk about Challengers?

[@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten]

@@daniellydford6142 He only really talks about challengers if an interesting player got a result there, (Tien win streak, Berrettini comeback). To me Fonseca could have been metioned by Gill as he seems to have continued his form on outdoor hardcourt.

[@goldwolf5160]

Chokovic losing to Opelka was funny! 🤣

[@user-wd7ue1wd6r]

You returning after a 2 year hiatus is funnier 😂

[@naysayer1238]

Internet imbecile with zero wins of any kind ever: no, just sad.

[@goldwolf5160]

@user-wd7ue1wd6r I actually comment on every one of Gill's videos. I think this is the first one in ages that people can see!

[@user-wd7ue1wd6r]

@@goldwolf5160 you shameless guy. When you know your comments are removed why do you keep commenting like raf a who always brings up his excuses when talked about GOAT race? If it if I am not injured 😅😂

[@guruk]

There he is... 😂😂😂 The 22 > 20 guy now ready for excuses like his master? 😂

[@lsb9073]

Re Iga's MTO: She should have just said she had "no energy" Apparantly that gives you the right to take an 11 min off-court MTO. Then just get rhe Dr to say you were probably a bit dehydrated, even if it's night, not particularly humid & your fitness levels are legendary. Tired, no energy, fatigued - apparantly it's all down to semantics . 🙄

[@frederickbousquet6019]

Karlovic has 2:1 h2h against Djokovic so obviously Djokovic wasn’t so dominant against him

[@adithyanarayan7023]

For a layman, it feels as though you're just showing off your theoretical tennis knowledge.... 😴

[@420benton2]

It's sad to see Novak losing to a mediocre serve bot. But time catches up to everyone I guess.

[@naysayer1238]

I didn't see a serve bot anywhere.

[@oleksandrfedoriv]

this mediocre serve bot came all the way to the final

[@marekwichniarek268]

Even prime Novak lost to Karlovic in Doha quarters exactly 10 years ago (then he won AO and had the greatest season ever). Time has nothing to do with such defeat.

[@janetterceira4201]

I don't like the United Cup. It is too much for the players, hence none of the top dogs will ever play in it. We already watched the Laver Cup and the David Cup team events, so it seems repetitive and bad for the players.

[@Julian_orwell]

Literally no one cares about the Unted Cup.

[@graemenoeldeans]

another crap show

[@goldwolf0606]

Weakvak loses on his favorite surface to Opelka 😂😂😂 GOATdal on hard courts beat opelka in their last meeting 😂😂😂 there are levels and Weakvak win on GOATdal’s level…