circuit – SamaGamer

In Bercy,

Little amusing riddle discussed between supporters on Sunday at the Accor Arena. To what extent did Novak Djokovic need to place the cursor of his tennis know-how to win his seventh Parisian indoor title? Best split answer: a small 60%, and once again, this shows the sickening margin of the man over the rest of the plebs, Carlitos excepted. Let’s quickly move on to the final, one of the most boring we can remember, even if we admit that the year of Sock-Krajinovic, we had a swimming pool.

Dimitrov, who was coming off one of the best weeks of his career, quickly remembered why he had only beaten the Serb once, during the Visigoths. With his one-handed backhand dying in the fourth game, Grigor sometimes reminded us of Gasquet going to his execution against Nadal, to compare with another esthete of the genre. 6-4, 6-2 in 1h38, old age rolls around. “Playing a final against Novak is one of the biggest challenges in our sport,” sighs the Bulgarian. Even though he’s not in the best physical shape of his life, he still manages to make your life uncomfortable at crucial moments. »

“Even when he’s not in the shape of his life…”

At 36 years old, in a circuit known to be ultra-competitive, you can therefore win a 40th Masters 1000 between two golf training sessions to work on your backswing. No second degree here. Djoko, on an extended vacation since his victory at the US Open, explained what his daily life consisted of in recent weeks upon his arrival in Paris: “It’s really magnificent, to be with my family, especially with my wife and my children. . We took advantage of our free time to play a little golf and watch other sports. My golf level is not yet that of my tennis, but it was time well spent, we can say that.

What is he doing in the City of Lights you ask me, when golfers know very well that you can never spend enough time with a driver in your hands if you really want to progress? Watch the rugby final at the SDF, then continue with a costume party at the Châtelet to award a Ballon d’Or. Oh, and play a little tennis again too, a week before the Turin Masters, just to complete a 398th week as world number 1 before the fall.

Nearly 400 weeks on the throne of world number 1

Arriving without his coach, without his family, and even without his agent, since he has just fired the duo who have always looked out for his interests, Djokovic still went through some turbulence, notably a devastating gastro attack before his 2nd round. against the so-called Grikspoor, likely a Jumbo Visma teammate for the rest of the year. “I had three very difficult days, during which everything I ate went away very quickly (smile). I was trying to hydrate myself, but obviously I felt very weak, so I tried to extract the energy from where it was coming from.

The best player in the world, for example, was able to count on his bitchy love affairs with the Parisian public, faithful to his legend once again this year. He wanted to see the Serb lose? We therefore had to avoid booing him when he was broken by the said Grikspoor at 4-4 in the third set on Wednesday. Djoko, never stronger than when he has the flu, applauded ironically at Medvedev, before scoring the next 8 points. Then he made up his mind the next day, while all of Bercy was jostling behind Rune and whistling at him copiously during his traditional bathroom break.

Our little finger tells us that the man had also prepared his perfidious remark during the presentation of the trophy: “Paris is a city which has a lot of tennis culture, I am always proud to shine here. After the support… The relationship was special but thank you all the same for the energy you gave me this week. If his swing improves as much as his French, watch out for the 2025 Ryder Cup.

A small tackle to the Parisian public

What else can we tell you? That with such influence over his work colleagues – how Rublev could have lost his half on Saturday is still anyone’s guess – Djokovic doesn’t see why he should do us the pleasure of retiring so soon. “How does it feel to others to see me win when I don’t play often? I don’t know, you’d have to ask them. I try to do my best, like everyone else. People expect me to always be in the final and that expectation is something I love. Of course, I didn’t play my best tennis, well not at the level that normally allows you to win such a difficult tournament, but these are the kind of weeks where you have to fight to survive until the next day. »

Three times on the verge of defeat at Bercy, the Djoker finds himself almost guaranteed to finish number one: all it takes is one victory in Turin (November 12-19), where the competition must already be sweating in the evening at the idea of to meet. the man with 22 Grand Slams, undefeated since the Wimbledon final. By Sunday? “A little time with the family to recharge the batteries. » And a small 18 hole for the road anyway?

gn headline

It promised to be one of the most important tournaments in the history of competitive Pokémon, but more than a dozen players have been disqualified or sanctioned during its course. A new disaster for the collectible monster franchise that has arrived at the worst possible time. There was enormous expectation, especially in Spain, after Ibai Llanos decided to sign two of the most prominent players on the national scene for his esports club. This had generated interest in many new viewers who joined the stream only to discover that the players they were rooting for were absurdly disqualified.

Pokémon has a problem, but it doesn’t want to accept it

More than a dozen players, including both Alejandro “PokéAlex” Gómez and Eric “riopaser” Ríos, have been sanctioned for using illegally obtained Pokémon. This is common practice in tournaments: many players use external programs or abuse in-game bugs to create creatures with the best possible stats and moves. This is done to avoid ‘wasted’ hours using the Pokémon Scarlet and Purple breeding system. In the case of Alejandro and Eric Rios, they took advantage of this method since, in the words of PokeAlex: “we didn’t decide which team to play until yesterday (the day before the tournament) night.”

The use of creatures obtained illegitimately is a serious violation according to The Pokémon Company’s competitive rules. However, it is a rule imposed against the will of the players. There is no difference between a Pokémon obtained illegitimately and one obtained using the breeding (or farming) systems of the original games. In this sense, it is just a shortcut that most players use to save time, allowing them to dedicate more hours to analysis or combat training. The logic with which this position is defended is difficult to refute: no type of skill is needed, only time, for parenting.

When it comes to combat, there is no difference between an artificially generated Pokémon and one raised in official games.

The sanctions imposed by those responsible for the tournament have led to embarrassing moments. In addition to disqualifying several players, there have been players who have been sanctioned with the elimination of some of the Pokémon from their team. This caused us, in the official live broadcast of the championship, to see a quarterfinal showdown between a player who had four creatures on his team versus another who had six. “They have disqualified another Spaniard from the tournament and several players continue playing with 4 Pokémon instead of 6. They are destroying their own game,” said Eric Rios.

Guillermo Castilla, Spanish player and Pokémon SamaGame world runner-up in 2022, I didn’t agree with the situation either.. Although he did not commit any infraction, he said the following through his social networks: “Very sad about what happened to Alex, Eric, Albert and Trosko. Pokémon has just shot itself in the foot. And personally they have just ruin the tournament. I want to win this regional with the best playing and tomorrow (in reference to the decisive day of the tournament) they will not be there.”

Despite being sanctioned and having only four Pokémon available, Davide Cognetta reached the quarterfinals.

As if that were not enough, some players could have been unfairly punished. Davide Cognetta, who reached the quarterfinals, explained that two of his Pokémon had been banned – he could continue playing because he still had four legal ones – despite having been obtained through legitimate methods. Both the situation and the handling that those responsible for the tournament have made of it have reinforced that feeling of amateurism in official Pokémon tournaments. The organization, which did not communicate the punishments effectively to the public, is nowhere near up to par with a franchise as popular and with as much potential as Game Freak.

In terms of results, the reading is positive. Antonio “Rahxen” Sánchez has been proclaimed champion of the tournament, Guillermo “Kasty” Castilla reached the semis and Joan Perelló slipped into the Top 8, falling in the quarterfinals. In general, very good feelings for the Spanish players, who in recent years have become some of the most renowned in Europe. In two weeks, let’s hope that this time without controversy, the competition will continue with the Dortmund Regional.