iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Finally got around to reading Navarro's full statement. Much respect for putting it out there for awareness. Knowing someone dear to me having to deal with Hashimoto's disease, I can't even begin to imagine what an athlete, who suffers from it, must be going through. Best wishes to Emma ✔️

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Large majority of the council composed of top, elite players. Furthermore, does this counsel have actual, tangible power in the decision-making process? I don't expect much to come out of this that will benefit all players.

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Berfu #Cengiz def. #Kostović to win her best career title, WTA125 Ankara. Barely did she enter top 200 in 2024 that she suffered a terrible wrist injury, requiring an operation and a long rehab period resulting in ranking drop. She is now back in Slam qualifying contention 👏🏻👏🏻 (Photo: WTA Günlüğü)

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tennis-skip1515.bsky.social @tennis-skip1515.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Very chuffed to have had the chance to talk about the Aussie great, Lew Hoad, with Hall of Fame member Richard Evans and 1975 world #8, Aussie John Alexander. All thanks to @saqiba.bsky.social and the Tennis With An Accent Podcast. Insights into tennis techniqe and anecdotes galore.

podcasts.apple.com

Barstool Conversation - The mighty Lew Hoad

Podcast Episode · Tennis with an Accent · September 25 · 1h 11m

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

National Daughter's Day? I'm game 😍

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Tick Tock Tennis @ticktocktennis.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Digging Deep She's literally a coal miner's daughter from Miechlow, Poland. And back in May, Maja Chwalinska hit pay dirt with a stunning run to the final at Roland-Garros. Now, looking to build her resume off the clay, she's into her first WTA quarterfinal on hardcourts.

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

#Zverev breaks #Shelton serve twice in the fourth set to take the #USOpen title 6-3 7-6 5-7 6-2. It's the second Major title of his year and career. Oddly enough, he may have a shot at finishing the year number 1 depending on how Sinner performs the rest of 2026. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

#Zverev will have to accomplish one of the harder tasks in tennis to earn this win: protect the early break lead throughout the set. 2-1 up and serving in the fourth set. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

That 3rd set stops the consecutive streak of #Zverev at 12 sets in a row vs #Shelton #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

#Zverev takes a trip to #GagCity at 5-6 serving in the third, and that's enough for #Shelton to extend this match to a fourth set. #USOpen

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adbtennis.bsky.social @adbtennis.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Shelton holds, leads 6-5* on serve. Either this match comes to life in the next two games or it dies never having lived.

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Question mark on whether #Shelton would have gotten to that passing shot at 30-30 or not, had he not slipped. He prepared the point so well and would have had a break point had he won it. Instead #Zverev holds, and it's 4-4. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

#Shelton needs to find ways to approach the net, or force #Zverev into moving forward to the net. Baseline duels won't do the job for three sets in a row. It's not as if he is not getting chances to move forward. Ben up 4-3 in the third. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The first 'almost' game for #Shelton on Zverev's serve since the match started. Almost meaning.... not. 3-3 in the third set. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

#Zverev now up 6-3 7-6. It will take a monumental effort by #Shelton to overcome this. If he does, it would be his first Major title, his first comeback from two sets down, and surely many other intangibles... #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

147 mph serve by #Zverev (fastest of the tournament by anyone, says my TV) takes him to a 4-0 lead in the tiebreaker. Switching sides now at 5-1 up. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Couple of well-played low volleys by #Shelton helps him hold serve on the crucial 10th game. #Zverev holds routinely once more for his part and leads 6-5 in the second set. Ben is looking uphill here, he has never come back from two sets down. He must hold serve & win the tiebreaker. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

First "somewhat extended rally" that I've seen #Shelton win and it came at an important moment (1-2 down, deuce, second set). He pumps his fist, and holds serve two points later. 2-2. #USOpen

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adbtennis.bsky.social @adbtennis.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Urk. Second break on a DF. First set Sascha. Shelton looks completely at sea in extended rallies. He can’t play purely neutral balls, and he hasn’t yet found a pattern that lets him up his percentage chance of winning the rally.

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Mark Taylor @emarktaylor.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

🎾 #Tennis #USOpen #USOpen2026 Elena Rybakina comes back from a Set deficit to defeat Coco Gauff.

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#Rybakina played an almost perfect two-set stretch until the last two points of the 5-3 game. Then, went back to perfection to break and win 6-4 in the third. She will take on #Sabalenka for the title. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#Rybakina is striking stellar shots from both wings. Can #Gauff keep up? Well, Coco is right there, still on serve. 3-3 Sooner or later, the question will turn into "how long can Rybakina keep this level up?" #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Second set goes to #Rybakina 6-4. Final set coming ✔️ Gauff will surely remain fearless on (2nd) serves and rallies. Rybakina will surely work Coco's forehand and nail 2nd-serve returns. No? #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#Gauff is simply hitting too many balls back for #Rybakina to avoid errors. And she is working the middle of the court like if corners don't exist, not giving Rybakina angles to work with. 6-3 to Coco. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Surely, this doesn't come as a surprise, does it? #DontCallMeShirley

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The way that first set ended suddenly foregrounds how precious the earlier moments are in a close set. A ball that went out by an inch at 30-30, or a second-serve return missed on a rare break point, or a tentative shot on a short ball at deuce, etc.. #Sabalenka #Pegula #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#Sabalenka with first-serve issues and a couple of forehand errors at 4-4 serving. But then, down a break point, comes up with three booming serves in a row to lead 5-4. #USOpen

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Jason @hurleytennis.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

all the Top 4 women's seeds have made the US Open semis. the only other time this happened at the US Open (in the Open Era) was 1975 before this fortnight, the most recent time all the Top 4 women's seeds made the semis at a Grand Slam was 2009 Wimbledon (Safina, S.Williams, V.Williams, Dementieva)

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megan. @twointheschink.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

this was such a chess match. very astute play from both. i enjoyed it a lot as a tactical battle.

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The ubiquitous "[insert Navarro's opponent name] is having an off day," or "hasn't yet settled in" commenting patterns emerge yet again. It couldn't possibly be that Navarro causes any of that... naturally. 6-3 4-4 vs #Pegula #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The neck-to-neck crowd behind the ESPN desk on my screen inspires zero desire to be on the grounds at the #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

When #Navarro plays like this and you're on the receiving end, it feels as if somebody is scurrying you on a trip across the country and back, without you realizing that you even left your original spot. Too good ✔️ 6-4 6-2 vs #Kalinskaya #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

For about half of my life, watching tennis live 30K-feet high in the air as a concept had as much plausibility as Scotty beaming Spock from the Enterprise down to a planet. And yet, here we are... #LiveLongAndProsper 🖖🏼 #USOpen #MySport24

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

The fact that some players are qualifying for the third round before even first-round matches are in the books, is a scheduling farce. It needs to be made an official rule that every match must be completed prior to moving forward to the next round. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

More ugliness regarding the USTA partnership with Kalshi for the US Open: President of the USTA, Brian Vahaly, is a member of the board of the ITIA. So is Portia Archer of the WTA, Mark Young of the ATP, and David Heggarty of the ITF. WTA, ATP, ITF also have sponsor deals with betting companies.

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

"Kalshi has a gambling problem, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote last Friday, [...] Now, thanks to the decision [...] prediction platforms like Kalshi, Crypto, and Robinhood will no longer be able to offer sports event contracts in Nevada." #BeLikeNevada #USOpen reason.com/2026/09/01/k...

reason.com

Kalshi says it's a prediction market. The 9th Circuit says it's gambling.

Prediction markets can no longer offer sports event contracts in Nevada, giving other states a roadmap for regulating the platforms.

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

#Sonego is pumped up and his maniacal shots in the third-set tiebreaker are proof of it 😅 He is up two sets to one vs #Zverev #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

6-3 6-4 to #Gauff vs #Sönmez That was two of the very fastest women on the WTA Tour. That alone produced some spectacular rallies. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

#Gauff didn't serve well on paper in the first set. 50% first serves, a few double faults. But she pulled the big ones when she needed to ✔️ 6-3 #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

It's almost like Roddick, Mary Jo, and Chris Fowler don't have any tangible notes on #Sönmez other than 2 or 3 generic ones. It's all about #Gauff in the pre-match talk. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

#Mertens ousts #Quevedo 6-4 6-4, playing her usual crafty, high-IQ tennis. Considering her terrific career, versatile game, and sustained consistency, she gets very little spotlight-time in my view. Her tennis is a treat ✔️ #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

After a few meltdowns until about 3-4 down in the third, #Bencic logs out mentally and #Putintseva wins the kind** of match she loves to play, 4-6 7-5 6-3 **in which she irritates her opponent and steers her into a stress-filled, confrontational match. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

#Damm nailing gargantuan serves and returns, relentlessly approaching the net. A lefty, he must be a nightmare to play against for #Tiafoe He leads by two sets to one, 17 aces and 80% of points won when getting his first serve in. Winners: 48-23 for Damm #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

#Shang finishes ahead by significant margins in the points won (141-130), games won(25-20), unforced errors (40-47) and number of winners (40-37) categories vs. #Trungelliti Yet Trungelliti wins 0-6 7-6 1-6 6-2 6-4 The 36-year-old Argentine will take on #Blockx in the 2nd round. #USOpen

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Tennis Panorama News @tennisnewstpn.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Ugh, no. If I were to take ads or links from gambling/betting sites, my site would not be able to get credentials to cover majors. I have said “NO” to thousands of dollars over the years. I get ad offers almost daily. Even if I could take them I wouldn’t.

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Mark Taylor @emarktaylor.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

🎾 #Tennis #USOpen #USOpen2026 An American Slam Winner wins a Set on Ashe and you could almost hear a pin drop. Sofia Kenin takes the 1st Set from Venus Williams.

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Today's elite superstars in the WTA have maximum 4 Majors to their name. Ashleigh Barty retired before she turned 26, while on top of her game, with 3 Majors on 3 different surfaces to her name I so wish she were still around 😥 [📷: Getty 2022]

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Common sense would say *not* to have any post-match, on-court interview. Handshake, grab their stuff and leave. Then, promptly get the players and match officials on the court for the next match. Maybe like... 5 minutes turnover time at the most once #Navone and #Djokovic leave the court. #USOpen

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Mert Ertunga @tennisnerdmert.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

#Djokovic is hitting 95% crosscourt on baseline rallies. #Navone is practically waiting at the right spot every time. He is up 5-2 in the fourth. A fifth set could possibly extend this match to the 5-hour mark. It's 11:22 PM. #USOpen

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