s-Hertogenbosh and Stuttgart. What's with all the tie break sets?

First topic message reminder :

Just checked some of the scores in the two grass 250 tournaments played today and noticed that most of the sets have gone to tie breaks. In Stuttgart 4 of the 5 sets in singles so far have been tie breaks and in s-Hertogenbosh 3 of the 4 sets have been tie breaks.

Personally I'm always disappointed when sets are decided by a tie break.

Hey, a tournament win's a tournament win, right? As you say, doesn't matter if it's a 250 grass 250s tend to be stronger anyway due to the lack of opportunity to play on the surface throughout the year.

Well done Mahut and Nadal

A few things from the Nadal match

- improved serve. It's basically night and day compared to what he's been wheeling out for the last few years. Nothing wrong with it, as he's had the groundstrokes to support it, but maybe that isn't the case no more, so good of him to get the big boom back out.

- Return wasn't great today, but he's generally averaged a break a set, so that's another positive.

- He now has more outdoor titles than anybody else in the open era. Nothing record, but you'd rather have a nothing record than not, I suppose.

Little steps....that is what it is about for Rafa just now. Good title win and perhaps he can build from here.

Hardly rates as a huge achievement we know, but a win, which is enough to put a little bounce back in his step and a big smile on his face.

Wow tough crowd on here! I'm surprised that Nadal's win in Stuttgart is being played down so much. Between 2012-14 Nadal entered 5 events on grass and went 5-5. He won 4 consecutive matches on grass for the first time in 4 years. His confidence should improve drastically - whether it's 'only a 250' doesn't come into it.

Not tough, realistic. Personally the points don't come into it from my perspective. He has a tough draw at Queens I therefore reserve judgement; there is stiffer opposition and that will give more of an insight as to where he is with his game. Cautious optimisim

Wonder if Mahut will finally get a call for the davies cup tie against GB on grass. Not that he can trouble Murray but given the double is likely to be decisive he might be an option as well.

This week has to be encouraging for Nadal.  Small tournament yes, but win is a win.  Plus, some of the opponents he played were strong enough that they could have potentially beaten him if he had been playing very poorly.

Obviously, he needs to continue doing well in Queens and Wimbledon if he wants to get back to anywhere he used to be, but this is a start.

I thought the Mercedes AMG GT S is what put the smile on his face? That's a real bad boy to win.