Tennis Thread

[Crashcourse]

I wish people wouldn't call it "rona." I know it's not meant as a joke but it sounds like it.

I'm sorry for Coco.

[Harry24]

I was so disappointed reading that Coco won’t be at the Olympics.  I enjoy her so much.

[Jaded]

9 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

I wish people wouldn't call it "rona." I know it's not meant as a joke but it sounds like it.

I'm sorry for Coco.

I hate it when it gets called a "panini" too.

[Crashcourse]

9 hours ago, Jaded said:

I hate it when it gets called a "panini" too.

Wow, I never heard that one.

[roseha]

For those who would like to watch the Olympic Tennis, it appears that it will be streamed at this page:  https://www.nbcolympics.com/schedule/sport/tennis

It also lists replays which is good for anyone in the Americas given the time difference.

I was also able to download the Olympic Channel free on my Roku, it's supposed to show the tennis as well.

[CouchTater]

Thank you @roseha!  I w just trying to figure out the viewing options.

[Harry24]

A second big thank you to Roseha (hi!!!!).  I checked the Order of Play and see that Nishikori is playing doubles with my favorite Japanese team member, Ben McLachlan!  (That ALWAYS makes me laugh.)

[roseha]

You’re welcome @CouchTater and also @Harry24 - hi to you too :)

I recommend checking the webpage on a desktop or laptop if possible, it seems to display more courts than the mobile options.  There are some tough early round matches - Andy Murray vs Felix AA for one!

[Spunkygal]

If you have DirecTV, tennis will be shown at 9 pm CDT on channel 624 which is a special Olympic channel. Once in a blue moon, it is worth it to have that overpriced satellite service.

[emmawoodhouse]

2 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

If you have DirecTV, tennis will be shown at 9 pm CDT on channel 624 which is a special Olympic channel. Once in a blue moon, it is worth it to have that overpriced satellite service.

The Olympic Channel is also airing tennis at that time.😊

[Spunkygal]

9 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

The Olympic Channel is also airing tennis at that time.😊

Yes, it appears that 624 is DirecTV’s Olympic Channel. Prior to finding that channel, I was looking on my local NBC channel and on NBCSN but then saw a banner regarding 624. I’m probably not making sense! But I’m just glad I can watch on TV and not a device.

[emmawoodhouse]

Well, I'm glad you found the Olympic Channel. 😃

[Spunkygal]

SASHA! Boy did I turn the TV on at the right time to see him suck it up and take control after losing that first set to Novaxx. Sasha, I love you so much right now and want to have your baby! Thank you on behalf of #TeamABN! 

[BlackberryJam]

5 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

SASHA! Boy did I turn the TV on at the right time to see him suck it up and take control after losing that first set to Novaxx. Sasha, I love you so much right now and want to have your baby! Thank you on behalf of #TeamABN! 

I was so so so happy about this. SO HAPPY.

I'm imaging Rafa and Roger texting each other smile and thumbs up emojis. 

[truthaboutluv]

I might be one of the only people not surprised Novak lost. The Next Gen players have proven many times that they can win at Best of 3 tournaments. It's why many of them have had big wins against the Big 3 at the Masters tournaments.

It's the Grand Slams/Best of 5 they can't seem to crack. So I always felt Novak was more vulnerable here than he likely will be at the U.S. Open. I see the excuses have already started from some of his fans that he shouldn't have played the mixed doubles, and so he was just tired. 

Edited July 30, 2021 by truthaboutluv

[emmawoodhouse]

2 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

I might be one of the only people not surprised Novak lost. The Next Gen players have proved many times that they can win at Best of 3 tournaments. It's why many of them have had big wins against the Big 3 at the Masters tournament.

It's the Grand Slams/Best of 5 they can't seem to crack. So I always felt Novak was more vulnerable here than he likely will be at the U.S. Open. I see the excuses have already started from some of his fans that he shouldn't have played the mixed doubles, and so he was just tired. 

Almost everyone played doubles as well as singles, so that's no excuse. Especially for a gymrat like Novaxx.

[dcalley]

10 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Sasha, I love you so much right now and want to have your baby!

Well, the woman who just had his baby wanted nothing to do with him. And there are abuse allegations from another ex of his. https://racquetmag.com/2020/11/05/olyas-story/

[truthaboutluv]

And Novak is officially medal-less in Singles. Quite the performance from Carreno-Busta.

[Spunkygal]

1 hour ago, truthaboutluv said:

And Novak is officially medal-less in Singles. Quite the performance from Carreno-Busta.

Rennae and Mary were just saying that he didn’t get a warning when he threw his racket in the stands and Bencic just hit her racket on the court with no warning. What gives? I feel so sorry for Djoker’s mixed doubles partner. She didn’t even get a chance for a bronze and must be crushed. 

Congrats to Madame Monfils. She played a great game to win the bronze.

Edited July 31, 2021 by Spunkygal

[truthaboutluv]

46 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

Rennae and Mary were just saying that he didn’t get a warning when he threw his racket in the stands and Bencic just hit her racket on the court with no warning. What gives? 

Sometimes they don't always apply all of the specific rules of a sport at the Olympics. The same issue has come up in the basketball, where many times the US team especially expect a foul to be called that in the NBA would be a foul. And instead the referees just ignore it. 

[halopub]

20 hours ago, dcalley said:

Well, the woman who just had his baby wanted nothing to do with him. And there are abuse allegations from another ex of his. https://racquetmag.com/2020/11/05/olyas-story/

Yeah, I continue to be bothered that the story is so under reported. I feel like that alternate from the US fencing team got more coverage than Zverev.

Instead all the usual social media managers ignore the allegations and celebrate his win as if nothing has happened.

At least McEnroe and his co-analyst touched on the allegations against Basilashvili and Zverev during Wimbledon but it was very brief. If i recall correctly, McEnroe was accused himself by Tatum O'Neal decades ago but subsequently got full custody of their kids.

I can't stand Djokovic for many reasons. Including his initial support for Justin Gimelstob a few years back. The covid tour. Etc., etc. But yeah, I easily would have preferred him over Zverev on the podium.

[truthaboutluv]

On 7/31/2021 at 2:52 PM, halopub said:

But yeah, I easily would have preferred him over Zverev on the podium.

Personally it's why I was Team No One and have been for most of these Olympics in general. I'm happy for Bencic and well all the women medalists. Good for Kachanov and Pablo medaling but yeah, in general, I was mostly whatever.

And as I said, honestly I kind of had a gut feeling Novak wasn't winning the Gold medal so his loss didn't really surprise me. I guess I was mildly surprised he didn't pull off the Bronze but all around...eh.

It is interesting how little attention is given to the Zverev scandal, particularly when you compare the reaction to accusations like these in some other sports. I do think it's probably in part to the fact that it doesn't seem the ATP has any rules/stipulations in place for handling something like this.

Or if they do, it may apply only to if and when official charges are filed and thus far, that hasn't happened. I believe it's just accusations made by the ex in media interviews. But yeah, I've always been mostly indifferent to Zverev so that's unlikely to change anytime soon. 

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by truthaboutluv

[halopub]

47 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

It is interesting how little attention is given to the Zverev scandal, particularly when you compare the reaction to accusations like these in some other sports. I do think it's probably in part to the fact that it doesn't seem the ATP has any rules/stipulations in place for handling something like this.

I think it would certainly help if well known players other than Andy Murray and Daniil Medvedev would be willing to at least support the addition of a domestic violence policy into the code of conduct. As it is, it seems most either don't want to speak on the matter at all or like Bencic, actively support Zverev. Or like his social media posts as if the detailed allegations never happened.

Maybe Ben Rothenberg is the reason players so easily dismiss the allegations. I don't know. But if I were in sports marketing at Rolex, I would not have wanted to even risk the whiff of scandal by signing Zverev.

In other Olympic tennis, I'm still disappointed Hsieh Su-wei was deemed ineligible by the ITF. It would have a been a blast to watch her in doubles.

[mojoween]

Bad weekend for Novak, huh?  Bummer.

[Harry24]

1 hour ago, halopub said:

Maybe Ben Rothenberg is the reason players so easily dismiss the allegations. 

Why would Rothenberg lead to players distrusting the allegations?  I just read an interview BR did with Zverev’s ex, which was convincing and very disturbing.  Tennis needs to get ON this situation, make sure it is properly investigated, and if necessary severely discipline AZ.  

[halopub]

31 minutes ago, Harry24 said:

Why would Rothenberg lead to players distrusting the allegations?  I just read an interview BR did with Zverev’s ex, which was convincing and very disturbing.  Tennis needs to get ON this situation, make sure it is properly investigated, and if necessary severely discipline AZ.  

My question is whether the sometimes problematic messenger makes it easier for tennis players and fans to dismiss the allegations as some sort of fantastical crusade on Rothenberg's part. That if he's been a gossipy pot stirrer to them, then this is just more of the same. That is just the vibe I'm getting from tennis twitter, but I totally realize that's not a representative sample of the tennis audience at large.

The reason I wondered this was an old interview with Kristen Stewart where she was asked about why she worked with Woody Allen despite hearing about the molestation and she mentioned that the tabloids had made up so much about her. She had projected her experience onto Allen.

I 100% agree with you that Olya's story was convincing and the ATP is way behind the other major sports leagues on investigating such serious allegations. Tennis players also need to step up and say something but it seems Zverev has plenty of allies.

 

[Harry24]

4 hours ago, halopub said:

My question is whether the sometimes problematic messenger makes it easier for tennis players and fans to dismiss the allegations as some sort of fantastical crusade on Rothenberg's part. That if he's been a gossipy pot stirrer to them, then this is just more of the same. That is just the vibe I'm getting from tennis twitter, but I totally realize that's not a representative sample of the tennis audience at large.

Oh, I see.  Thank you for explaining, halopub!

[Spunkygal]

On 7/30/2021 at 4:51 PM, dcalley said:

Well, the woman who just had his baby wanted nothing to do with him. And there are abuse allegations from another ex of his. https://racquetmag.com/2020/11/05/olyas-story/

I was totally unaware that Zverev is such a disgusting, violent ass until you posted this. I was only rooting for him in the semis because he was playing Novaxx, but I will not make that mistake again. It sickens me that he won the gold and I wholeheartedly wish him an injury-filled career in the future. 

I wish Roger and Rafa would speak up about updating the code of conduct with domestic violence penalties. 

 

Edited August 1, 2021 by Spunkygal

[emmawoodhouse]

I'm really disgusted. I thought Zverev was so cute when in a post match interview at the 2019 US Open he said he wanted to "find a girlfriend." 

Meanwhile, all that shit with Olya was going on behind the scenes. Unbelievable. And gross. 

Edited August 1, 2021 by emmawoodhouse
Weird spacing

[roseha]

It is horrible.   I haven't been able to watch Z since this came out.

Tennis clearly needs a policy governing domestic violence and other abuse but it may take a collaboration among the ITF, ATP and other prominent organizations to make it happen. 

[TVbitch]

Well, crap. I was so thrilled Zverev beat Dj and was really moved by the way he broke down sobbing after that match. ...only to come here and find out about this! Ugh.

I think the best match was Carenno Busta/Dj. The last set and a half was superb tennis. I was outraged that Dj was not even given a warning for whipping his racquet into the stands. He should have been ejected. He hurled it with force, and although there was no one sitting in that section, if it had bounced or hit something that changed its trajectory, it could have struck a nearby spectator. Then when he really violently smashed his racquet into the net post right below the chair, that was rather ugly. 

[Spunkygal]

54 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Well, crap. I was so thrilled Zverev beat Dj and was really moved by the way he broke down sobbing after that match. ...only to come here and find out about this! Ugh.

I think the best match was Carenno Busta/Dj. The last set and a half was superb tennis. I was outraged that Dj was not even given a warning for whipping his racquet into the stands. He should have been ejected. He hurled it with force, and although there was no one sitting in that section, if it had bounced or hit something that changed its trajectory, it could have struck a nearby spectator. Then when he really violently smashed his racquet into the net post right below the chair, that was rather ugly. 

I agree. The infractions of a sport may not be entirely adopted or recognized by the IOC but I would have thought that racket abuse would certainly be a no-no in the realm of tennis everywhere. 

[Harry24]

6 hours ago, TVbitch said:

I was outraged that Dj was not even given a warning for whipping his racquet into the stands. He should have been ejected. He hurled it with force, and although there was no one sitting in that section, if it had bounced or hit something that changed its trajectory, it could have struck a nearby spectator. Then when he really violently smashed his racquet into the net post right below the chair, that was rather ugly. 

Yes, either way someone could have been seriously hurt.  I agree that the lack of warning for the first infraction was shocking.

Just as disturbing was the lack of appropriate reaction from the commentators.  All of them (Gilbert, Rubin, Carillo were the ones I saw) commented from the point-of-view of how they indicated ND’s state of mind, not that he’s awful and should have been strongly disciplined.  WTF, people?!!

[Spunkygal]

6 hours ago, Harry24 said:

Yes, either way someone could have been seriously hurt.  I agree that the lack of warning for the first infraction was shocking.

Just as disturbing was the lack of appropriate reaction from the commentators.  All of them (Gilbert, Rubin, Carillo were the ones I saw) commented from the point-of-view of how they indicated ND’s state of mind, not that he’s awful and should have been strongly disciplined.  WTF, people?!!

Don’t get me started on Gilbert. Cannot stand him. I have to mute when he’s on.

I did not watch the match live but I believe that later Rennae Stubbs did express disbelief that he wasn’t penalized but also recognized the difference between Olympic rules and ATP rules. I may be making this up, but I think she also said that had to change in this regard.

Thinking ahead to when the two classy members of the big three retire, I will be interested in seeing how Seb Korda develops and matures. If anyone knows anything asshatty about him, please tell me now!

[shok]

Rafa's gone to Washington, DC for the first time and he's flashed his dimples and won them over.  😄

Quote

 

Your Citi Open First Take: The Rafa Effect

Steve Fogleman in Washington

I’ve been attending the Washington ATP event since the 1990’s, back when it was named the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. I’ve seen fans in awe of Andre Agassi, go loco for Juan Martin Del Potro and get cuckoo for Coco Gauff. None of that prepared me for The Rafa Effect, which swept the Nation’s Capital at the Citi Open in Washington this weekend.

I’ve been to majors and masters events, yet in those environments, the Great One is part of a team of superheroes like Djokovic and Federer and consequently basks in the shared limelight at those locales. DC is different. At once, he has breathed all of the oxygen at this tournament, and during qualifying weekend, that was more than any fan could ask. Nadal returns that oxygen by packing the stands for hardly-known qualifying players who notice more fans than they’ve ever seen at one of their matches.

At his Saturday morning practice, the energy was pronounced. While thousands of fans queued up to see the Spaniard in action, those fans already in the stadium made noise. Those waiting in line acted like they were at a TSA checkpoint and about to miss a flight as Nadal took the court. Fans shouted, “Thank you for coming!’, applauded nearly every point and gave him more than one standing ovation. Although few of the fanaticos got Nadal’s autograph, many left fulfilled with a selfie of a tiny Nadal hitting behind them.

Why Washington? How did we get so lucky?

“When I see the calendar, my goal was to be here in Washington,” he told reporters earlier today. “Here I am. So that’s the main thing for me. An important one. Playing in Washington allow me to be on the tour one week before than what I do usually for this part of the season,” he added, before noting that he believes that skipping Wimbledon was a wise move on his part.

Whatever magic Nadal’s presence conjures up, it feels even more magical here in DC. Even the US Open puts their marquee players on stadium-style courts for practices, but this one felt like family. DC tennis fans have always enjoyed their ATP 500 level tournament, but this was a taste of the big time. It’s something residents of New York or Miami might take for granted since the tennis carnivals come through their towns every year. For Washingtonians, it was a dream come true.

I’ve heard the term “The Rafa Effect” thrown around on social media, and I am now able to quantify it. Another tweeted, “Elvis is in town.” And hopefully, we’ve got the King all week. I fully expect the anticipation for Nadal’s Wednesday night match to boil up every day, and I can’t wait to see how his disciples react when he hits a ball in actual match play.

https://tennisatlantic.com/

 

*I can't figure out how to property format this post. Oh well, it still contains the whole article.

Edited August 2, 2021 by shok

[Crashcourse]

I decided to skip the Citi Open this year but I'm glad Rafa's playing.  I'll just enjoy watching him on tv.  

[ebk57]

On 8/2/2021 at 3:11 PM, Crashcourse said:

I decided to skip the Citi Open this year but I'm glad Rafa's playing.  I'll just enjoy watching him on tv.  

Me too.  I worked at the bank that was the original sponsor of this tournament back in the Stone Age and we had to work the week there.  It was awful.  I swore I'd never go again when I left the bank.

Now I work in "the business" and have gotten tickets through work several times.  But this year you couldn't pay me to get close to the place. 

I am glad he's here, though.  It's good for the tournament. 

[Crashcourse]

20 minutes ago, ebk57 said:

Me too.  I worked at the bank that was the original sponsor of this tournament back in the Stone Age and we had to work the week there.  It was awful.  I swore I'd never go again when I left the bank.

Now I work in "the business" and have gotten tickets through work several times.  But this year you couldn't pay me to get close to the place. 

I am glad he's here, though.  It's good for the tournament. 

Yeah, I started going in the early 2000's when it was still the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

[Spunkygal]

I can’t lie. It’s good to see Rafa at the Citi Open which is on now. I need a good Rafa or Fed fix for my soul. 

[khyber]

This Jenson Brooksby kid is going to make the summer hard court series very interesting.

[Crashcourse]

The semifinal match between Sinner and Brooksby should be interesting.

[Crashcourse]

I would've been happy with either of the two young'uns winning, so I'm happy for Sinner.

[Crashcourse]

That was a great match between McDonald and Sinner, congrats to Sinner for winning the Citi Open.

[woodstock]

Roger Federer just posted on Instagram that he will be having surgery and will be out for the foreseeable future😥

[Spunkygal]

6 minutes ago, woodstock said:

Roger Federer just posted on Instagram that he will be having surgery and will be out for the foreseeable future😥

Translation: expect a retirement announcement soon. 😭😭😭😭😭

[mojoween]

Right?  A third surgery, at his age?  

[TVbitch]

On the bright side, the sooner Fed retires, the sooner he will become a commentator, and I think he will be great at it! Even better if they bump Brad Gilbertson to make room. : D

Wow, Med was on fire today, hope he brings that level to the US Open!

[galaxygirl76]

19 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Translation: expect a retirement announcement soon. 😭😭😭😭😭

If he doesn't, he probably should at this point.

[Spunkygal]

42 minutes ago, galaxygirl76 said:

If he doesn't, he probably should at this point.

Sadly, I agree. 😢😢😢😢 Whether it’s coaching, commentating, or just running a Fed tennis academy, he won’t be far from tennis. Add in a very active family with 4 kids, he won’t be bored. From watching his video, I think he’s being realistic that this is probably it. He won’t want to try to come back to just constantly be defeated in early rounds by more and more newcomers. (Not that anything could diminish his career for me.)

[roseha]

I haven't seen Roger's video but I was watching the Toronto final on Tennis TV and the British announces said "sad news...Roger" and for a second I thought they were going to say he was retiring.   I agree that it's coming.  Maybe he will want to come back to Wimbledon for some kind of special appearance but to put himself through surgery and rehab and possibly living with pain afterwards just doesn't seem worth it for a man who clearly has a lot going on with his family and foundation and has been such a unique and memorable champion.    I do think Roger is realistic enough that he will know when the time has come and will be able to deal with it and make his announcement.  Sad but at least we all have great memories.   I saw him play in person over Labor Day weekend at the US Open in 2008 (I have a photo somewhere, I will look for it) and I'm glad I went.  No one ever played as he did :(