Manna, the real comeback?

Literally transformed in Montpellier, here he is on an American tour that he generally enjoys a lot!

Even though Mannarino’s rise in form was pretty abrupt, Walton’s is still only just beginning. While it was completely awful right at the start, now he’s putting together stretches of matches that are much more convincing. But we’re still not at the level of what Manna produced in Montpellier. Not even close. So there are two questions: the match-up, and Manna’s trip to Dallas after giving a lot in Montpellier up until February 8. Is he capable of following up with an 8-hour flight and a 6-hour time difference? That’s the debate Marcos and I are having right now: this kind of back-to-back schedule can both be fatal and at the same time boosted by the adrenaline from the previous results. Manna didn’t play much before Montpellier, but he’s 37. Walton is a good server, but he also knows how to make you play, and in any case Manna’s game is based on solid physical resilience. A lot of long, tough matches in Montpellier, but confidence is back and there’s surely some adrenaline. Not easy...