Thumbs Up Thompson: Tennis Insights

(February 18th - February 24th Recap)

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Emmanuel Okosun & Courtside Tennis
February 25, 2024

Meet the new GOAT in tennis!

Okay, just kidding but what Jordan Thompson did this week was absolutely insane but it’s only a fraction of what happened last week. It was particularly a historic week for tennis in many ways. Here’s a quick summary.

New Video 

As you've come to expect over the last couple of weeks, we have our weekly recap video coming up monday, so make sure to check it out once it drops.

What Happened Last Week

Rio Open

Sebastian Baez bagged his fifth tour-level trophy and the biggest title of career in Rio de Janeiro, ending the dream run of countryman Mariano Navone, a qualifier, 6-2, 6-1 in the ATP 500 final. Navone had been impressive all week, beating defending champion Cameron Norrie in the semifinal but the more experienced Baez proved too solid on the red clay.

Qatar Open

Karen Khachanov captured his sixth tour-level crown and first of this season in Doha. In a heavy-hitting battle, the 27-year-old outlasted #NextGenATP Czech Jakub Mensik 7-6(12), 6-4 in the final. Khachanov had to fend off four set points in the opener before stealing it at the death. Mensik had impressed throughout the entire week in Doha, defeating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and three former champions — Andy Murray, top seed Andrey Rublev, and Gael Monfils who was having an incredible run— en route to his first tour-level final.

Los Cabos Open

Jordan Thompson’s patience paid off in a big way as the 29-year-old Aussie won the first title of his career in sensational fashion. Thompson beat Casper Ruud 6-3, 7-6(4). The victory, in Thompson's third tour-level final, capped a dramatic week that saw him play for 12 hours across five matches. Thompson’s title run included three match point saves in a comeback from 6-0, 3-0 down against Alex Michelsen in the quarter-finals, in addition to a three-hour, 40-minute win against Top seed Alexander Zverev in the semis. Thompson would then follow his singles victory with another title win in Doubles with his partner Max Purcell, as the Aussie would end up playing 3 matches in a single day! 

Dubai Open (WTA)

Jasmine Paolini pulled off a gritty come-from-behind victory on Saturday to capture the highest-level title of her career, defeating qualifier Anna Kalinskaya 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the WTA final in Dubai. The Italian had to battle back from a break down in each of the second and third sets to outlast Kalinskaya in 2 hours and 13 minutes. The win saw Paolini claim her second career singles title on the Hologic WTA Tour, and her first at WTA 1000-level. Kalinskaya had beaten tournament favorite and world no.1 Iga Swiatek in the semi-final, also beating world no.3 Coco Gauff in the quarterfinal.

The Biggest Movers Of The Week 

ATP

WTA

Major Tournament Updates 

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (26 February - 2 March, 2024)

Daniil Medvedev makes his return in Dubai. The world no. 4 won the tournament last year without dropping a set, including a semi-final victory against Novak Djokovic before beating Andrey Rublev in the final. Rublev, who won lifted the trophy in 2022, would be looking to have a go again. Former Champion Andy Murray will also be looking to build on his form in Dubai.

Acapulco Open (26 February - 2 March, 2024)

We will be seeing stars aplenty in Acapulco. 9 Top 20 players headline the field and the Top 4 seeds are Zverev, Rune, Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz, respectively. De Minaur enjoyed a milestone triumph last year in Acapulco, bagging the biggest title of his career. He will now aim to defend all 500 points to have a chance at holding on to his spot in the Top 10. With 5 of the 6 highest-ranked Americans present, we will be seeing lots of American Power in Acapulco.

Chile Open (26 February - 3 March, 2024)

Nicholas Jarry returns to his hometown, where he is the defending champion and top seed in Santiago. Second seed Sebastian Baez will also be a strong contender for the title with 3 of his titles coming on clay. Arthur Fils will also be looking to make an impression at the tournament.

San Diego Open (26 February - 3 March, 2024)

The WTA Tour returns to the United States this week for the conclusion of the spring hard-court season, going coast-to-coast over the next five weeks. World No.5 Jessica Pegula leads the field in San Diego in what is her first tournament since the Australian Open. The American withdrew from the Middle East swing after suffering a neck injury. We have the rest of the seeds here:

ATX Open (26 February - 3 March, 2024)

Anhelina Kalinina will be the top seed in Austin, Texas and she will be joined by Sloane Stephens, Danielle Collins, and Lucia Bronzetti as the no. 2, no. 3, and no. 4 seeds respectively. Marta Kostyuk won her first Hologic WTA Tour singles title at the inaugural ATX Open in 2023 but will not be playing in Texas this year.

Watch Out For This Player

Jakub Mensik

The 18-year-old became the youngest player to reach the final of the Qatar Open. After beating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and three former champions — Andy Murray, top seed Andrey Rublev, and Gael Monfils all in one week, we could tell easily that we had seen a special kid. The 6-foot-4 Czech has the potential to be a top player and he could be a real threat to anyone. Powerful, athletic, and a rock on the defense, it will be interesting to see how Mensik develops from here.

Off The Court

Rune Teams Up With Mouratoglou Again

The pair announced that they had reunited earlier in the week and are now set to resume their partnership in Acapulco. “I am excited to start a new collaboration with Holger Rune,” Mouratoglou wrote on Instagram. “We have known each other since he was 13 years old and I always believed in his potential. He has high goals and so do I for him. It is the start of a new adventure. See you guys in Acapulco, Indian Wells and Miami.”

Trivia Of The Week

Did you know that between 2003 and 2007, Roger Federer, on the men's side, and Belgian Justine Henin, on the women's side, dominated Dubai with both players winning the tournament 4 times each within that period? The Dubai Tennis Championships was founded in 1993 and has been an ATP 500 tournament since 2001.

Highlights Of The Week

  1. Baez Magic

  1. Fonseca on Fire

Until next time, keep swinging.

For The Love of Tennis