Tennis thread: to Winston Salem - and beyond! All your build-up to the US Open here...

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Cincinnati finals tomorrow... Meanwhile Andy Murray travels to Winston Salem (by car ) today...

Welcome one and all

Yep five minutes at most!!

I think that's true Fizzy - about Medvedev I mean, he wins the big points and he plays really fast, so you sort of don't notice what he's doing

Also he's very un-flashy, a bit awkward even, and doesn't seem to have any shots that are particularly good?! I mean, he must do. But they don't stand out.

I do like him, having said all that but he's just... I don't know, I can't put my finger on it.

Ok that was quite good, I'll give him that

I think he’s quite unconventional Spidey but it seems to work.

He was taken apart quite comprehensively in Canada by Rafa though

Well that's that great tournament for Grigor though, all things considered. And Medvedev deserves it, he's had a great run.

The handshake was... brief? I think would be the best description?!

Yes that's right - I forgot they played in Montreal.

Ah I hate it when they show the beaten player walking off all alone

Right am I going to stay up for Rafa??! I'm probably going to nod off...

It was a bit brief Spidey - I’m still not quite sure what to make of Medvedev. Is he a goody or a baddy?

I’m going to try and stay up for Rafa - the annoying thing is that now I’m old I will still be awake at 7am whatever time I go to bed.

Wait - did that just say Medvedev hit one forehand winner?!?!

Is he a goody or a baddy?

Exactly - that's what we need to know.

Maybe we can make our minds up on Sunday?!

I don't think I'd ever enjoy watching him play as such - when there are so many other players with brilliant, exciting games like Stan or Grigor or Jo-Willy etc etc etc.

But he gets the job done, I'll give him that. He's like Djokovic in that way, I suppose.

Well, I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open, so that's it for me.

Good night, thanks for the company.
And enjoy the rugby private

I definitely prefer watching him to Djokovic! I quite like his unpredictability-still not sure how he manages to win most of his points (and matches)

Where is Rafa - are they going to string this out - if Mac is to be believed Berretini might as well not bother turning up!

That might be it for me too - will check in on the scores if I wake up!!

Loved the chat, as always

Night all

I fell asleep after the first set of the Medvedev match, and woke up to find Rafa and Mateo 4-4. In the first. I must admit I panicked a bit, it did look like Rafa was struggling. But he hasn't played him before. I must have nodded off again, and woke up just in time to see that the match took a bit of a turn and Rafa seemed to end it quite easily.

So, Rafa and Medvedev in the final. He's having quite a season, Daniil.

Morning all!

Yes I wish I'd seen Rafa, it sounded like the first set was really good. Will try and catch up later. Did you watch it Fizzy?

Yes you have to take your hat off to Medvedev I suppose. I would have loved to see Grigor get through but after the summer Medvedev has had I suppose you can't really argue.

I don't want to make any predictions though! But I hope it's a good final!

Rafa was down in the the break, and I was getting a bit nervous. ( I hate tie breaks). I think once he won that set, my brain just decided to go back to sleep.

I don't think they've played each other before. Maybe it took a set for Rafa to get the measure of Berrettini.

I hope it's a good final. I think Daniil will out up more of a fight than Anderson did( that was one sided), but just how much must he have left in him- he looks permanently knackered!.

Maybe he has Scooby Snacks. Is Rafa still munching dates?

Scooby snacks - of course!! That's how he's doing it

Not sure about the dates - remember when AC thought they were some new-fangled food that nobody had ever eaten before?!

Scooby snacks - he seems to eat a lot of bananas - maybe they’re his secret weapon!

I only managed to watch the first two games of the Rafa match Spidey - it sounds as if the first set was a bit touch and go for Rafa but he seems to have won the last two easily enough.

On the Tennis Podcast they were listing Medvedev’s rap sheet- racist language (not exactly sure what that involved), the coin tossing at Wimbledon, swearing at Tsitsipas and offering him out for a fight - he’s definitely a complex character.

Aahh, Scooby snacks.
I used to love Scooby Doo.
Until the irritating Scrappy came along, so I stopped watching or maybe I just got too old

Ugh! Scrappy-dappy-dooooooo.

No. I didn't like him either.

Zoinks!

We still watch Scooby Doo quite a lot in our house - only the old, pre-Scrappy episodes though.

We watched one the other day called The Warlock of Wimbledon about a tennis player whose matches were being suspiciously sabotaged by a "warlock".

Wimbledon was depicted as being on clay courts and the tennis player was like Austin Powers it was great.

I didn't watch the match but I see that Jamie and BMS have retained their mixed doubles title, so well done them.

Did I read somewhere that Jamie has won at US Open every year since 2016 - either mens or mixed.

I am pleased for Bethanie in particular, I really like her.

Now, I will be watching the women later. But part of me doesn't want to watch Serena at all. I mean , Wimbledon was great, but I genuinely wanted Simona to win anyway.

But I am happy to cheer for Andreescu. The Canadians are doing very well at producing young talent at the moment.

Oh- I forgot about the national anthem and stuff beforehand.