Consolidated Break

 Trouble: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/dec/23/max-purcell-to-miss-australian-open-after-accepting-ban-for-anti-doping-breach

 Impressive year for the Americans on tour. https://www.atptour.com/en/news/americans-feature-next-gen-atp-finals-presented-by-pif-2024

 Wowzers.. https://www.atptour.com/en/news/fils-tien-jeddah-2024-friday

   In tennis, the handshake at the end is a moment to snap out of it and appreciate the competition. The one on one time often produces memorable emotions.  In college football, the coach's handshake at the end embodies the same moment of clarity, and also produces some hilarious scenes.  At the end of the Maryland v PSU game yesterday, it looked like Mike Locksley of MD was going to wrestle James Franklin. Franklin broke away, but not without shouting, "if that's the way you feel then fine." You can't take those two anywhere.  At first, the meeting of Florida's Billy Napier and FSU's Mike Norvell looked even more heated than Locksley and Franklin's. Norvell initially rejected the handshake to focus on Napier's players trying to plant their flag at midfield, at the very same moment.   But this handshake became perhaps the most layered in history. Napier chased after Norvell, along with everyone's state troopers in tow. He actually gets Norvell ...

   Jannick Sinner is a doper. Iga Swiatek is a doper. They are two of the best players we have seen in tennis over the last decade. Each became no.1 by dominating. Now, they have both found to have benefited from illegal substances. The sport of tennis is in major trouble.  Who ever thought that the ways in which Rafael Nadal acted on the tennis court were normal ? If you thought that, then you were probably never suspicious of Rafa. But I was always scared for Rafa. He looked like an insane person adjusting his water bottles, touching himself relentlessly and having that black look in his empty eyes. Some claim these were the idiosyncrasies of a champion, but you could easily use this same evidence to say he was definitely doping.   Why am I using Jannick and Iga to throw Rafa under the bus ? It has been way too long that the fans have been in the dark about how these players become the machines we see on television. Not only do we hear months later that some h...

   Who remembers Ernesto Escobedo ? The one time up and coming American from California now plays under the Mexican flag. It's a little different from Naomi Osaka playing under the Japanese flag, due to the finances involved, but it is also similar. We don't talk too much about the flags that players choose to fly in tennis. But rest assured, most are taking a chance and very few see the success of a Naomi Osaka or Martina Navratilova.  It is my understanding that the now #458 Escobedo made the change to honor his family heritage, but to also help promote tennis in Mexico. Even at #458, he is the second highest ranked player from Mexico, after #379, Rodrigo Mendez.   At the Manzanillo Open in Mexico today, Thanksgiving, Escobedo takes on Michael Geerts, the no.4 seed out of Belgium. American Toby Kodat, currently #350 and the no.8 seed in Manzanillo, faces off against Alan Magadan. Another American, #723, Karl Poling, takes the court against Canadian Liam Draxl,...

   The Tennis Channel is showing repeats, one would suppose in order for charges to study. But it's after 9pm on the east coast and Yoshi Nishioka is about to suit up in Japan on the Challenger Tour.  Yoshi is taking on qualifier, Hiroki Moriya. Hiroki is currently #380. Yoshi is not going to be seeded at the AO25, but he's the no.1 seed here and is obviously still working on his end of the year ranking. I like Yoshi here.  Also in Japan, #167, Yuta Shimizu takes on 'lucky loser' American, Alafia Ayeni, #480. Shimizu has not won on the main tour this season. So this is a large opportunity for the 25 year old from Walnut Creek. I am cheering for Ayeni tonight.  Mattia Bellucci and Elias Ymer are also in action tonight, so it's a real unknown why Tennis Channel is ignoring the Challenger Tour right now.  Good action on the Challeger Tour tomorrow in Portugal. Andrej Martin has advanced thru qualifying and plays wild card, Francisco Rocha. Martin should push t...