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View this email in your browser. WIMBLEDON DAY 5 - RESULTS 🎾 Featured Matches:



Federer d Struff 6-3, 7-5, 5-2



Very comfortable match for Federer against a big-serving opponent who can be dangerous, especially on faster courts. Roger was utterly unbreakable on serve, facing zero break points and winning 93% or 37/40 1st serve points. Fed was similarly impressive on return, winning 34% of 1st serve return points, which is pretty outrageous against as big a server as Struff on grass. Struff will be disappointed by some of his shot selection, especially choosing to serve and volley, on big points, on some questionable 2nd serves. Roger finished with an impressive 36 winners to 8 unforced errors, as well as 13/14 net points won.



Zverev d Fritz 6-4, 5-7, 6-7(0), 6-1, 6-2



Very mature comeback from Sascha. Yesterday Fritz played inspired tennis in sets 2 and 3, with a combination of big serving (89% 1st serve points won) and enormous forehands to take time on the ball away from Zverev. When play resumed today though, their difference in ranking became more apparent (4 vs 68). Sascha finally started converting his break points chances (5/16 for the match) and Fritz never managed to find the same kind of time, or pace on his forehand, that saw him go up 2-1 yesterday. Zverev feasted on Fritz's 2nd serve (Taylor winning a measly 35% 2nd serve points) and lost only 3 games today.



Also:

(‼️ = upset)

(🤕 = injury)

(💥 = demolition)



Monfils d Querrey: 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2

Great level for sets 2, 3 & 4 from Monfils. Unbreakable.



Anderson d Kohlschreiber: 6-3, 7-5, 7-5

Anderson dominant on serve, very solid on big points.



Mannarino d Medvedev: 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-3

Brilliant match. Mentally Mannarino had lots of wobbles but was VERY good for parts of the match. So dangerous on this surface.



Tsitsipas d Fabbiano: 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 💥

Woodshed. Not sure where the Fabbiano from the Wawrinka match was but Tsitsipas was impressive and fun to watch.



Isner d Albot: 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

John was unbreakable (faced 0 BP's + 21 aces) and returned well (39% returns points won).



McDonald d Pella: 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(6)

Pella was a shadow of the player who beat Cilic but great win for McDonald. First 2nd week of a slam for him.



Still going, likely to be finished tomorrow:



Raonic tied up vs D.Novak: 7-6(5), 4-6, 4-3 All Results INTERVIEW/PRESS TL;DR 🗣 Federer after beating Struff:



- "It's good that I faced different types of opponents this week. Next round it will be a lefty, much more tactical, given the way Mannarino plays."

Source



- "The SABR is fun for me, I like to look for new ways to win the points... I can't do it in practice, only with my coach, if I did it practicing with other guys they'd go 'what'?"

Source



- "In Stuttgart and Halle it wasn't easy, not having a day off between matches."

Source



(Matt): Fed almost definitely finds it easier on the body to win slams than masters/500's these days.



- "On sunday I won't practice, I'll have a break from everything."

Source



- "Do I have a big appetite for fashion? Yes, I like to eat my clothes! (lols)."

Source



- "The second week here is easier for clay court players, the ball doesn't bounce that low."

Source

Zverev after beating Fritz in 5 sets over two days:



- "It was difficult for me to play yesterday, had a stomach virus, threw up during the match. I think Court 1 is dark at 7.30, as it's so enclosed. Played set 2 and 3 in the darkness."

Source



- "All players keep learning, even Federer at 36 is trying to learn ways to do things better."

Source



On his next opponent, an old friend:



- "Gulbis came to Hamburg to train when he was 18-19, he stayed in our house and my mom was cooking meals . So I know him very well."

Source

Gulbis on the key to winning his match vs Dzumhur:



- "I changed my shorts. They were all wet. I did it in the first match as well.... You feel kilograms lighter."



(Matt): Gulbis forgetting to take the gold bars out of his shorts again.



Brutal honesty about facing players like Dzumhur:



- "I would be really confident going into a match with him because I wouldn't think I could lose against him. Now I'm 100 spots behind a guy like this... I don't want to sound arrogant but I have the tools to beat all these guys."

Source SHOTS OF THE DAY 😮 SABR No.1 of Wimbledon 2018.

(BBC) Monfils SLAP.

(Eurosport) Doublefault Brilliant lob from Fritz. Murray-esque.

(BBC) Makes-it-look-easy change of direction on the backhand from Fed.

(BBC) Ridiculous half-volley pickup from Monfils. Nearly bounced back over the net.

(BBC) Roger painting lines.

(BBC) Brilliant touch from Struff.

(BBC) DAY 6 (SATURDAY) OOP ⏰ Match to watch = 🔥 Centre Court

(1pm Start) Nadal vs De Minaur (1st Meeting)

Prediction: Nadal in 4



Djokovic vs Edmund (H2H: 3-1)

Prediction: Djokovic in 3



Court 1

(1pm Start) Gulbis vs A. Zverev (H2H: 1st Meeting)

Prediction: Zverev in 5



Kyrgios vs Nishikori (H2H: 0-3)

Prediction: Kyrgios in 4



Court 2

(11:30am Start) Del Potro vs Paire (H2H: 0-1)

Prediction: Del Potro in 4 Court 3

(11:30am Start)



Fognini vs Vesely (H2H: 3-0)

Prediction: Fognini in 4



Non-Show Courts to Watch

(11:30am Start)



Court 12

Khachanov vs Tiafoe (1st Meeting)

Prediction: Tiafoe in 5



Court 18

Simon vs Ebden (H2H: 0-2)

Prediction: Ebden in 5 Full Order of Play EXTRAS...🔍🎤📊 Yet to be broken at Wimbledon so far:



Federer: 41/41 ( service games won)

Isner: 61/61

Del Potro: 26/26



Federer has also faced 0 break points at Wimbledon so far this year. He hasn't even been taken to deuce.

A. Zverev has needed five sets to win 4/5 of his most recent matches at majors.

Federer is the only 2017 Wimbledon semi-finalist (or better) left in this years draw, mens or womens.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Mackenzie McDonald have made it into their first 2nd week at a Slam.

Kyrgios on the Australian Federation's failure to produce young players:



- "Haha that’s what happens with our system big fella, better to stay away."

Source

Today, for the 1st time in 4 years, Monfils has defeated a Top 20 opponent in a slam.

After his win today, Federer moves ahead of Jimmy Connors for the most wins ever on grass (175).

Benoit Paire on his up-and-down relationship with grass court tennis:



- "I like playing on this surface, I like hitting small shots and serve-and-volley. Why did I say in the past that I didn't like it? Because I was young and stupid. I want more matches here, even if my knees are killing me."

Source



(Matt): Context = In 2014 Benoit said: "I hate Wimbledon and I’m glad to leave as soon as possible." and "The atmosphere displeases me greatly." In 2013 he also went 'full-Dimitrov', smashing 3 racquets in succession, against a wall of the All England Club. Knowing Benoit, if he loses tomorrow, he'll probably be straight back to decimating racquets and cursing Wimbledon with "merde"-laden outbursts.

Source

Taylor Fritz on his fallback career (ESports):



- “I joke about if tennis doesn’t work out I’ll have to go into eSports but I’d say I’m close to that level.”



- “I’ve won money from just betting with a lot of the tennis guys (Kyrgios/Sock). A lot of the tennis guys think they can play FIFA but no-one’s on a level.”



- “Right now I’m playing a lot of Fortnite and I’m extremely good.”



- “You think about some of the situations in a tennis match, the money that we’re playing for – that I don’t get nervous in. But then you’ll get nervous in a video game when you’re about to win.”

Source

Rafa, Novak, Grigor, Halep, Mugurutha, Thiem play BBC's Football/Tennis Quiz:

Video

Novak Djokovic has won a higher % of baseline points than any other player at Wimbledon so far:



95/139 (68 percent)



Simon (61), Delpo (61) and Federer (60) are the only other male players that have won at or above 60 percent of baseline points.

Source Kyrgios' response to Marion Bartoli's comments about what a shame it is that neither Kyrgios or Monfils seem to be mature enough to live up to their talent: Video

(Matt): Marion calling Nick/Gael "pathetic" was just dumb, but I actually don't mind the brutal honesty from her. Monfils looked more fired up in his win vs Querrey today than I've ever seen him (looked like he had a point to prove). So if it has the effect of motivating these players, that will be no bad thing. Great slow-mo illustrating the force the players joints are put under, especially given all the small stabilizations needed for grass.

(BBC) Nice slow-mo visualisation of the fact that almost all the, seemingly easy, power players generate comes from the preperation and wrist snap. Loading the back leg, uncoiling up and across the body, wrist & racquet getting left behind and then catching up, snapping onto the ball. It all makes the actual point of contact, made while floating serenely in the air, look effortless.

A beautiful straight-arm forehand.

"If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same".

10 years ago today. Source // Full Match in HD 5-sets, 5 hours, started on Wednesday, finished on Friday. LOL 😂 'Backhand-bouncing-before-it-hits-the-net' from Federer. Solid cricket shot.

(BBC)

Struff with the elusive Stevie Wonder trick-shot.

(BBC) Boris's bankruptcy is really taking its toll on his diet.

(BBC) Medvedev about to get mauled by the Wimbledon groundsmen for grazing the hallowed grass.

(BBC) Fritz...

(BBC) Girraffe's on ice, Sam Querrey Edition.

(BBC) Share Tweet Forward GAME, SET & MATCH 👋 The Racquet is created, and written, by Matt. You can find me on twitter by tapping/clicking this. You early subscribers (Beta testers) get access to 'The Racquet' Discord. Tap/click the Discord button below to join (we even have Jerzy Janowicz emojis). If you know anyone who would like 'The Racquet' here is the link to send them so they can sign up: https://theracquet.co See you tomorrow for Day 6 at Wimbledon!