Raising the bar: tennis super duo setting new standards

Perth Now

a day ago

As Wimbledon pub lunches go, it could have proved a particularly indigestible one for an already miserable Alex de Minaur as he dined while watching two of his rivals serving up a televised feast of tennis in the French Open final.
Knocked out in the second round, Australia's big hope had come to England for a bit of r and r with fiancee Katie Boulter, wanting nothing to do with the sport for a while - and the sight of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner duelling in one of the greatest tennis matches looked designed to make him feel even more deflated.
For didn't the sublime standard of the game they were producing make Australia's No.1 - and perhaps the rest of the best in the men's game - feel they were playing almost a different sport, such was the level the pair reached in their five-and-a-half hour classic finally edged by Alcaraz?
On the contrary, reckoned 'Demon'.
"By the time we got to dinner, it was on every single TV. And the whole fifth set was captivating from the very first point to the last -- and it was truly great to watch as a fan of the sport," he reflected.
So, no sigh of resignation then? "No, I think those two are bringing out the best in each other, and are raising the bar constantly. So the way I was looking at it as a competitor and a fellow player, I saw that as the benchmark.
"And it keeps on rising. So ultimately, from my side, I've got to keep on improving too, because, ultimately, what I truly want in this sport is to compete for the biggest tournaments, then I've got to get to that level, or as close as I can to that level.
"And that means for me to keep on looking at myself in the mirror and improving in certain areas. And obviously it gives me drive, motivation and hunger."
Whether the rest of the Wimbledon men's field feel the same way is unclear as the same dynamic duo of world No.1 Sinner and his nearest Spanish pursuer start Wimbledon as almost unbackable favourites this week, having won the last six slams between them.
This increasing duopoly seems ominous even to the peerless Novak Djokovic, who conceded on Saturday that this edition could be his best chance of finally sealing that elusive record 25th grand slam at the age of 38.
Seeking to become the oldest slam winner in the Open era, he told reporters: "My wish is to play for several more years, I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level.
"That's the goal, but you never know at this stage.
"I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance because of the results I have had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon.
"But whether it could be my last dance, I'm not sure, as I'm not sure about Roland Garros or any other slam that I play next."
So if Djokovic trips up in this last waltz, who else might be a contender to end the Sinner-Alcaraz grand slam feast?
How about American Taylor Fritz, the fifth seed who quietly wrapped up another ATP title in Eastbourne on Saturday, his third at the traditional Wimbledon curtain raiser, by defeating Jenson Brooksby 7-5 6-1 in the final.
"I'm going to be ready to go," beamed the 27-year-old, who has a quick turnaround before kicking off his campaign against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a battle of the big hitters on Monday.