The tired ones

I still wonder what Tiafoe is even doing still alive in this tournament...

Bellucci played the hand poorly yesterday against Tiafoe. He wasn’t good enough to turn things around, despite the obvious signs of fatigue from the American. That said, I’m wary of Tiafoe, who managed the situation well and chose the right moments to step on the gas. When you see the 6–1 head-to-head for Tiafoe against Nakashima, and then see that he’s the underdog, it does tell you something. The thing is, Nakashima also seemed cooked to me at the end of his match against Vacherot, and he finished his match later. On the other hand, he clearly showed a higher level, in my opinion. Looking a bit at their recent meetings, even though Tiafoe leads 6–1, I read that he often played very well in those matches against his buddy Nakashima. And I think it’s quite possible that the matchup isn’t in his favor in the slow conditions in Acapulco, the humidity, and given his physical state. That’s how I see it, and so I find the odds quite logical.