#SmashTalk: is Delpo back to his best?

Published by tennismash

Juan Martin del Potro's victory at the If Stockholm Open was his first ATP title since Sydney in January 2014; Getty Images
Delpo’s return, Monfils’ consistency and the absence of marquee names at the season-ended events are all topics thrashed out in this week’s #SmashTalk.

Is Juan Martin del Potro back to his best?

That’s the question we – tennismash.com editorial staffers Vivienne Christie, Paul Moore, Matt Trollope and Leigh Rogers – ponder this week in #SmashTalk.

We also consider Gael Monfils’ newfound consistency and how the withdrawal of several marquee names hurts the WTA Finals and ATP World Tour Finals, as well as offering our picks as to who will win this week in Singapore.

Agree or disagree with the views presented? Have your say on Facebook and Twitter using #SmashTalk.

Juan Martin del Potro won his first ATP title in 33 months in Stockholm at the weekend. Is the Argentine “back”?

VC: Yes, unquestionably so. With his 19th career title in Stockholm, as well as wins over the game’s biggest stars at other major events (Stan Wawrinka at Wimbledon and Novak Djokovic at the Rio Olympics) del Potro has re-entered the conversation as one of the most dominant men in tennis. But that’s not even the best part of the story: having only returned to the tour in February, the Argentine has no rankings points to defend for several months yet. At world No.42, he’s already climbed over 1000 rankings places in his stunning comeback. As he keeps building on form and confidence, it’s likely there are even more significant milestones in del Potro’s short-term future.

PM: Yes, he is most definitely back. But – and there is always a but with someone like him – there are still big questions about his fitness. Delpo has shown that his body, and in particular his wrists, are fragile. That said, if he can stay injury free (and the whole tennis world is keeping their fingers crossed that he can) then he is capable of challenging the Top 5, and could easily pick up another major title in the next 12 months.

MT: According to almost every metric, del Potro has produced excellent tennis this year in his comeback from yet another wrist injury. His win-loss record is 28-11. He’s risen from outside the top 1,000 to world No.42 in just eight months. He’s beaten big names with regularity – his victims include Djokovic, Murray, Nadal, Wawrinka, Thiem, Ferrer and Dimitrov. Although his schedule has been somewhat limited – just 12 tournaments in 2016 – he’s made an impact whenever he’s appeared on court. His Stockholm title was a heartwarming reward for his persistence. Although his backhand is perhaps a little compromised, you could argue his serve and forehand have even more sting at this stage of his career. I’d say he’s definitely back.

LR: Without doubt. Since August he has beaten four top 10 opponents (including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray), won an Olympic silver medal, reached the US Open quarterfinals and steered Argentina into the Davis Cup final. To see Delpo sweep aside four seeds to win Stockholm is hardly a surprise; he is one of the form players on tour right now.

Gael Monfils is next in line to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals for the first time. Has he surprised you with his consistency in 2016?

VC: Given his acrobatic ability, I’m less surprised about Gael Monfils consistency in 2016 than his lack of consistency in earlier years. Although I guess that’s a pattern that was established early when the French teen almost became the first young player since Stefan Edberg in 1983 to win the junior Grand Slam (in 2004 Monfils won every boys’ title except the US Open). You can’t help injury and health issues have unquestionably affected him over the years. Still, I sense that it has taken until age 30 for Monfils to start taking his potential seriously. Hopefully he hasn’t left his run too late …

PM: Absolutely. Monfils has always been one of those players that everyone wants to watch, but nobody expects to regularly go deep at tournaments. That he has started to do so is only a good thing for tennis. The guy is a natural born entertainer, and when he is on the can push any player in the world to the absolute limits. What’s more, in the absence of Roger and Rafa his pulling power will come as a much needed boost to the World Tour Finals.

MT: Completely. I figured that at age 30, most players were set in their ways. But Monfils – once maddeningly mercurial – has shown an extraordinary improvement in his week-to-week consistency, level and motivation. Back in the top 10 and having won almost 50 matches in 2016, he deserves all the plaudits he gets. He would be a fabulous addition to the World Tour Finals field – few players could light up the O2 quite like him if his flashy style fires.

LR: If you asked me 12 months ago I would have been. Consistency is not something associated with Monfils in his first 11 seasons on tour, which explains why the showman had never qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals before. It is hard to argue he is not deserving of a place in London this year – quarterfinal finishes or better at two Grand Slams and four ATP Masters 1000 events highlight a newfound consistency that has elevated the 30-year-old from a talented player to an elite one.

No Roger or Rafa in London. No Serena or Maria in Singapore. How much do these absences hurt the tours’ season-ending showcases?

VC: We know the absence of big stars impacts those big events but it’s impossible to quantify by how much – and I’m not sure it’s helpful to try and do so. Far better, I think, to allow the players still competing to create their own compelling narratives. From Angelique Kerber underlining her world No.1 ability to Svetlana Kuznetsova’s unlikely last-minute return, as well as Andy Murray’s ascension and Gael Monfils potential debut at age 30, there are still many fascinating storylines. We’ve talked enough about the players who are not competing: let’s focus instead on the ones who could claim one last hurrah in 2016.

PM: A lot. For the first time both end of season championships look significantly depleted. Obviously, there is nothing that these events can do about it, but without their ‘golden tickets’ (which Roger, Rafa, Serena and Maria undoubtedly are), ticket sales will suffer and general media interest in the events will probably fall away.

MT: Most certainly. This quartet represents the four biggest names in the sport. Thankfully, the quality of tennis displayed by the eight women in Singapore has so far been both impressive and entertaining, yet it’s hard for the casual fans to embrace names that are largely unfamiliar outside of hardcore tennis fan circles. Amazingly, this will be the first time the ATP season-ender won’t feature both Roger and Rafa since 2001. Londoners have typically attended the O2 in droves, but this is the first time they will experience a field lacking its marquee duo. The ATP World Tour Finals will serve as a little snapshot of men’s tennis beyond Federer and Nadal – and I suspect that picture will be significantly less rosy.

LR: All four are superstars of the game, so their absence is definitely notable. It will probably impact the events from a commercial aspect too – but unfortunately the sport can’t rely on these four to be their marquee names forever. A positive to the situation is that it opens the door for a new generation to make a mark. The likes of Karolina Pliskova, Madison Keys and Dominika Cibulkova are adding enthusiasm to the Singapore event as they make their debuts. New faces such as Dominic Thiem and David Goffin are also in line to make their first appearance in London. This is their chance to further boost their growing profiles, which is a healthy outcome for the sport’s long-term benefit.

One name: who wins the WTA Finals?

VC: Kuznetsova. Yes, really!

PM: Kuznetsova.

MT: Kerber.

LR: Kerber.

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