Tennis Thread

[truthaboutluv]

So Murray just won the Rome Masters, which means each one of the three clay Masters tournament had a different winner - Rafa won Monte Carlo, Djokovic won Madrid and now Murray wins Rome. It does make things interesting going into Roland Garros. Based on these three tournaments, I'd say Murray looks the strongest and most consistent. He made the semis in Monte Carlo, finals in Madrid and won Rome. Still, you can never count out Djokovic heading into a Grand Slam, even though The French Open has clearly been the bane of his existence.

Also, I had a feeling Murray would win because Djokovic did not look very solid all week. He got to the Finals on sheer will and determination and coming up with the big points in the matches when it counted the most. Which, by the way, is not a criticism because that's what champions do - figure out a way to win even when they're not at their best. 

As always, I'm rooting for Rafa and I have to say I was mostly happy with what I saw in the last three tournaments. Yes, the serve is still shaky at times and he still couldn't pull out the wins against Djokovic but as frustrating as the quarterfinal loss was to some, I actually took some positives out of it. I think right now, it may be more mental with Rafa against Djokovic which is certainly better than a year ago or even some months ago where he was just solidly being outplayed and had nothing that could challenge and hurt Djokovic.

But that quarterfinal match, Rafa was more than capable of winning and had chances. He just froze in some key moments, none more so than the second set where he blew 5 set points. Yes, some of those were just Djokovic playing an amazing point but some of it was Rafa second guessing himself. So the positive is that I feel like he still has the game, he just has to find his belief completely again. Easier said than done I know. 

Edited May 16, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[sacrebleu]

At the risk of sounding cliche, You CANNOT be serious!

http://www.thewrap.com/shia-labeouf-to-star-as-john-mcenroe-in-biopic-borgmcenroe/ 

[Ohwell]

Shia Labeouf is perfect to play McEnroe.  Can't wait to see his temper tantrums, which should come naturally to him.

[sacrebleu]

So sad to hear Fed is dropping out of the French, his health and his consistency playing at the highest levels are really remarkable. (and I say this as a Rafa fan but you can't help but admire the guy- -although I will admit, once I got over the shock, my thoughts turned to-- does this mean Rafa won't meet Novak until the finals?)

[KFC]

It depends on what happens with the draw tomorrow. They could still be in the same half of the draw.

It does mean Rafa and Novak won't meet until the SFs at the earliest, due to Rafa getting bumped up to the #4 seed.

[truthaboutluv]

On 5/20/2016 at 9:43 PM, KFC said:

It depends on what happens with the draw tomorrow. They could still be in the same half of the draw.

It does mean Rafa and Novak won't meet until the SFs at the earliest, due to Rafa getting bumped up to the #4 seed.

And so it is. The draw was released and they're both in the top half and on path to meet in the semifinals. 

Edited May 25, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[dcalley]

Quote

Dutchman Robin Haase has hired countrywoman Kristie Boogert as his coach....

The 29-year-old Haase is ranked No. 86 in the world. but has been ranked as high as No. 33 in the world. Haase was earlier working with Mark de Jong until he was arrested in Amsterdam on suspicion of murder in March.

(Whoa.) http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Another-ATP-Player-Hires-Former-WTA-Player-as-Coach-articolo32983.html

[Ohwell]

Well, Monfils is also out of the French due to some sort of viral infection.  Too bad, because he would have put on a show for at least two rounds.

[truthaboutluv]

So is this a sign that Murray may win this thing or is this all leading to him clawing his way to the end, only to be destroyed by whoever is in the Finals with him? Because I have to say, despite all the good mojo he had coming into the Open, so far I've not been really impressed. 

eta: Absolutely gutted and there goes my interest in this year's French Open. Rafa pulled out of the Open this morning due to a wrist injury.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/36401280

Edited May 27, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[Etta Place]

Yeah, so sad that Rafa had to pull out. 

From your lips to God's ears that Murray fails spectacularly in the final.

Boy does Alize Cornet apparently have a reputation as a drama queen. It seems to be pretty universally believed that she was using gamesmanship in her match against Tatjana Maria.

Looking forward to Ferrer-Lopez today. (Have to be on the lookout for the positive things at this point.)

[Ohwell]

So Gasquet beat that asshole Krygios.  That's enough enjoyment for me so I don't care what happens from this point on.  I'm still smiling. : )

[Ohwell]

Gasquet is on roll.  Congrats for beating Nishikori (although I like him, too).  Unfortunately, he meets Murray next. 

Also nice that Ferrer won, even though that meant that dreamboat-eyes Lopez lost.   

[sacrebleu]

Well, it was one year ago today that I saw my first match at Roland Garros. I wanted to see Rafa play on clay before his body completely gave out-- so we headed to Paris and got tickets for the middle Sunday and Monday. We saw Fed-Monfils/ Tsonga Berdych-- then on Monday, we saw Serena and Nadal-Sock. (among others)

So glad I went last year instead of this year. Can you imagine planning a trip around the French only to have both Fed and Nadal withdraw and nearly two whole days of suspended play?

[KFC]

The singles finals are all set: Djokovic vs. Murray and Serena vs. Muguruza.

I still think the top seeds are the favorites, although I wouldn't be entirely shocked if either Andy or Garbiñe won the title. I'm just hoping the matches are good.

[truthaboutluv]

Both Garbine and Murray are more than capable of winning. Garbine proved she could beat Serena at Roland Garros just a few years ago and did it in pretty convincing fashion. However, that was the 2nd Round and this is the Final. A win means she wins a Grand Slam title. That's where nerves and experience come into play. Yes, this is her second GS Final, so we can hope she's shaken off those jitters but we'll see. Not to mention that until this tournament, she wasn't having such a great year and had some pretty huge choke moments. On top of that, while Serena hasn't been her best this tournament, like all great champions, she seems to find a 10th, 11th, 12th gear when she needs to. 

Murray proved his ability on clay in all the Masters leading up to the French Open and he just beat Djokovic in Rome, right before the start of the French. However, he's unreliable. Not to mention those weird first two matches at the start of the tournament. It will be just like him to get to the end and choke at the Finals and just get destroyed by Djokovic. That being said, Roland Garros has proven to be the bane of Djokovic's existence so we may well see another upset a la last year where Stan just came out guns blazing. As disappointing as it's been to see Rafa sidelined by injury again, I am mildly interested in the Finals. 

Edited June 3, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[caracas1914]

If the Joker wins he will be the first male player to hold all 4 Major titles simultaneously since Rod Laver in 69. He'd have bragging rights over both Fed and Rafa in that regard.

As to Serena she's gotten surprisingly nervy at the last 2 Majors when the prize was close at hand , conventional wisdom used to be she was most vulnerable in the earlier rounds but I'm guessing like many mature champs, it's hard to get mentally up and focused after years of the tournament grind.  Having said that, Muguruza has a shot but I do find Gabines mental toughness still a question mark.  

She reminds me so much of Jennifer Capriati.

[truthaboutluv]

I think at this point, unless Djokovic gets unlucky and injures himself badly, the writing is on the wall that he's likely going to surpass Federer in GS titles and hell if he finally wins tomorrow, we're probably going to see him, come the U.S. Open, being the one chasing the Grand Slam history this year, like Serena was last year. Because the fact is there is no one currently that can truly go toe to toe with Djokovic on a consistent basis. The best bet is Murray I guess.

Federer and Rafa are done. That's the truth, as sad as it is for me to accept being a Rafa fan. Age and time have caught up with them and in Rafa's case, just his body not being able to keep doing it. I do not see him playing Wimbledon and I haven't heard anything about Federer's status (although on a side note, I still believe that Rafa will get a 10th French Open title. It just has to happen in my opinion and will probably be the last slam he wins. It'll be his version of Federer's 2012 Wimbledon win). And aside from Murray, none of the other male players have the game or the consistency to challenge Djokovic.

Stan is, when in beast mode, amazing but again, not consistent. Many of the younger guys haven't been able to deliver tournament after tournament. And the young, up and coming ones, well who knows really. Granted 6 GS titles, which is how much away Djokovic is to Federer's record, can be a lot more daunting when you have to win it. Hell Rafa was only 3 away and since 14 it's been one health thing after another. So who knows...

But like I said, barring injury and just a mental meltdown, yeah Djokovic is running away with the men's game. And yet, many will still not care. Which, interestingly, McEnroe just commented about in the media. He noted that Djokovic may well end up surpassing both Federer and Nadal but he will still never be as beloved and deified as they are. And that's just sad, really. 

But putting my feelings for Djokovic aside, I do hope that someone starts challenging him soon because the fact is you need rivalries in sports. I hope one of those younger guys do get their heads on straight and truly start making a consistent case for themselves. Let's see if Thiem can build on his Roland Garros semi-final success

[azshadowwalker]

I haven't watched the French Open at all this year. To be honest, without Federer, it didn't feel like a major. When Nadal also dropped out, it was definitely not something I was interested in. There's nothing less compelling to me than a Djokovic-Murray final. That said, I did tune into the women's final today. I expected it to be a walk in the park for Serena. Muguruza just kicked some ass out there. So impressed by the way she played and the way she kept her nerve. Even though Serena has a history of coming back in this kind of match, I never really felt like Gabine was in danger. Very impressed.

Edited June 4, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[truthaboutluv]

Yeah unfortunately I had to miss it but just saw the score line. I read that it was a well fought match. Really happy for Garbine. She's been one of my ones to watch since she upset Serena at the French two years ago. I knew she had the game to beat her but wasn't sure her nerves would hold up under the pressure. I'm sure Serena will win #22 soon but it just goes to show how stressful and difficult chasing history can be sometimes, especially the mental aspect of it.

Edited June 4, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[KFC]

Kudos to Garbiñe. Serena played better than her last two matches though not at her peak. Having said that, Serena's won majors playing worse than she did in the final, and Muguruza was just better on the day. I still expect Serena to hit 22 at Wimbledon or the USO.

I have high hopes that Muguruza can bring it on a more consistent basis. The women's side is badly in need of new stars, especially as Serena and Maria are nearing the ends of their careers. And what impresses me most about GM is how she wants to play on the big stages; she doesn't shy away from it.

[mojoween]

Yawn.  Novak wins a Major. Again. And it is so BORING to me.

I fully understand that it's because I just do not like him, because if Roger were still winning all of the time, great.  Serena? Golden. But Djokovic does it and I'm like ugh could someone please just beat him I'm sick of watching his face hoist trophies over and over and over repeat ad infinitum.  Hell I wouldn't even mind if Andy were closing out these matches with a victory or three.

I will give them both props because their long rallies were impressive to watch.  Yes there were unforced errors but they both were, for some of the time, playing very good tennis.

[Ohwell]

Congrats to Novak.  I went awwww when he and Murray hugged each other at the end.

[Qoass]

I would have appreciated Djokovic more if it weren't for the constant tongue bath from the NBC announcers.  Did you know Novak showed up for tennis lessons with his shirt tucked in?  Clearly a sign he should be in line for sainthood!

[sacrebleu]

I just can't get past Novak's "Love me, aren't I great" attitude. Constantly playing to the crowd- asking for their cheers. The little drawing the heart on court and lying down in it-- just seemed so calculated (and, I believe, swiped from Guga)

It was charming when Guga did it, because it seemed spontaneous (like Rafa's little flip on Centre Court when he beat Berdych at the Wimbledon final in 2010).

I don't know what it is about Novak- but I can't cheer for the guy-- even when I appreciate his ridiculous shot-making-- he just annoys.

[caracas1914]

Good lord, Thiem, Goffin, Kygios , etc have to take step up sometime don't they?

Novak is so dominant at the moment I wonder if he'll break the pattern in the ATP that players close to 30 and over don't win multiple Majors in a year consistently.  He's like a Frankenstein monster built to counteract Federer and Nadal's game, and now with the  inevitable physical decline in their games I just don't see anyone younger counteracting Novak.

Winning 4 in a row is something Fadal never did, and all Novak needs now is another FO to be the only male player in the open era to win all the Majors twice.  With the caveat that a decline can happen on a dime (Mac never won again a Major after his best year in 84) Novak, to the Federer fans chagrin (and Roger himself) has serious GOAT cred, who would have thunk/predicted  that just 5 years ago?

Let's not mention he's also again  halfway to a year Grand Slam.

Edited June 6, 2016 by caracas1914

[kdm07]

I don't hate Novak but I'm completely meh about him. He just doesn't inspire any intense emotion from me. I hate Kyrgios (will he ever grow up?) and I love Rafa but Novak just never grabbed my attention one way or the other. He'll probably be one of the least memorable top men's player to me even if he beats Roger's trophy haul especially now that his real competition is clearly fading away.

Garbine beating Serena was a total surprise to me. I watched the final at the gym and I did let out a little cheer when she won that final point. Good for her.

[truthaboutluv]

Quote

I don't hate Novak but I'm completely meh about him. He just doesn't inspire any intense emotion from me.

You and so many others, which is why bless his heart he keeps trying SO hard to be beloved. At this point, the only thing that will stop Djokovic is injury or just some crazy mental meltdown and I don't really see the latter. The thing is, when Federer was getting ready to run away with the game, Nadal stepped up. When Nadal was going to run away with the game, Djokovic stepped up and well who are we kidding, injuries did him in as well. The point is, there was always someone there to step up. If we're putting our hopes on that crop of unreliable idiots currently around, yeah no...

The people who could truly go toe to toe with Djokovic are the two players who age and injury have caught up with. Their spirit is willing but the body just ain't what it was. So personally I have made my peace with Djokovic and his many wins to come. And I will continue to be completely and utterly indifferent. As a fan of the sport, I respect Djokovic's talent and his abilities but I have never been a fan and I never will, no matter how many damn trophies he wins. 

[Ohwell]

2 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

As a fan of the sport, I respect Djokovic's talent and his abilities but I have never been a fan and I never will, no matter how many damn trophies he wins. 

I feel the same way.  I congratulate him because he is a hard worker and he's come a long way from being the class clown imitating Nadal and Sharapova.  Doesn't mean he's my favorite, but I do respect his game.  

Funny thing is, I don't care for Murray all that much either but the hug at the end was a nice thing to see.  I think Murray appreciated the notion of getting a monkey off your back since he did it by winning Wimbledon.  Djokovic got it off his back by winning the French.

[Carey]

Pretty much agree with both of you as it relates to Djokovic.  Don't hate him, don't love him, but that's mainly since I don't know him.  I've only seen him as a star.  That said, I was pulling for him like he's family to make history.  So glad that he did.  I'll probably root for him to eventually pass Federer, and maybe even Steffi Graf.  Not sure that he will despite the pace.  It might be too soon (February 2019 is a long way from now), and I wouldn't bet that Steffi would have the record at that point anyway

[shok]

Djokovic has been the luckiest son of a gun ever in tennis. Yes he's good and yes he's worked hard but no other player has had a stretch of no competition like him which has allowed him to rack up his string of victories. Since 2011, the one year that Rafa has been in good shape was 2013 and it was Rafa who went to #1 and was more than Djokovic's match. He then got injured in the first big tourney of 2014 and Djoke has had clear sailing since then. The records he may end up holding will be tainted.

[sacrebleu]

So, Sharapova's suspended for two years. I guess she's pretty much done then. 

[blackwing]

Sad to hear about Sharapova.  I have always liked her.  I agree that it's important for athletes to take responsibility for what goes into their bodies but it seems evident from her testimony that it was unintentional.  Two years is a harsh ban for something unintentional.  She is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

She's 31 years old, so if the suspension is upheld, I think she is probably done.  Then again, who knows?  Serena and Venus are still playing at 34 and 35, and if Maria can keep up her conditioning, there's no reason why she couldn't still play at 33.

[Dejana]

20 hours ago, shok said:

Djokovic has been the luckiest son of a gun ever in tennis. Yes he's good and yes he's worked hard but no other player has had a stretch of no competition like him which has allowed him to rack up his string of victories. Since 2011, the one year that Rafa has been in good shape was 2013 and it was Rafa who went to #1 and was more than Djokovic's match. He then got injured in the first big tourney of 2014 and Djoke has had clear sailing since then. The records he may end up holding will be tainted.

Nadal is my favorite player but any player can only go against the available competition at the time. On the women's side you get arguments that Graf wouldn't have won so many slams without the Seles stabbing. Maybe, but that's a very unnatural, horrifying disruption to a career. Injury and illness? That's life, for a professional athlete. I remember some of the more extreme Fed fans trying to discredit Rafa's 2008 because Roger had mono early in the year and it lingered! And I didn't buy the argument then, either. 

Maybe Djokovic is unlucky to have come along in the shadow of Roger and Rafa, and wouldn't seem like such a horrible guy next to Nastase, Connors or McEnroe. I mean, it does crack me up how much Djokovic lets it show that he wants to be liked, but compared to some of the straight A-holes and abusive/surly jerk champions who've graced the game, I sort of understand why he must wonder exactly what he has to do to get the crowd's love (the answer seems to have been lose multiple times at the French in sympathetic fashion, have Rafa and Roger out of contention early and let the other finalist not be French or French-adjacent). 

I saw a discussion of Murray's 2-8 record in slam finals where a writer argued that perhaps he's extraordinarily unlucky to have played all ten against Federer and Djokovic. If he's 15 years older and peaking in the days of #1 players Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt, then maybe Murray has 6-8 slams. Or maybe not, the game was different then, and Djokovic also used to be one of the also-rans to the "Big 2" until he pushed himself to meet their level. I don't think Murray has quite the same peak potential, but if he'd sorted out the miserable grump issues between his ears, he probably could have won another two slams at least. 

Edited June 9, 2016 by Dejana

[shok]

13 hours ago, blackwing said:

Sad to hear about Sharapova.  I have always liked her.  I agree that it's important for athletes to take responsibility for what goes into their bodies but it seems evident from her testimony that it was unintentional.  Two years is a harsh ban for something unintentional.  She is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

She's 31 years old, so if the suspension is upheld, I think she is probably done.  Then again, who knows?  Serena and Venus are still playing at 34 and 35, and if Maria can keep up her conditioning, there's no reason why she couldn't still play at 33.

Reading some of the actual report from the ITF puts Maria's claims that it was unintentional on pretty shaky ground. She may have screwed up by not knowing the drug was on the banned list but it seems pretty obvious that she was aware it was to be used to aid her physical training. Here are a couple of paragraphs:

http://www.itftennis.com/media/231178/231178.pdf

The player’s case is that she did not know that the active ingredient of Mildronate, a medication which she had regularly been using for over 10 years, had been added to the Prohibited List from 1 January 2016 and she did not intentionally contravene the anti-doping rules in using Mildronate at the Australian Open. The ITF accepts that she did not know that Mildronate contained a Prohibited Substance but argues that in taking the medication she knowingly and manifestly disregarded the risk of contravening the anti-doping rules, and thus committed an intentional violation.
...
In the period from January to April 2006 Dr. Skalny sent very detailed messages to Ms Sharapova advising on her nutritional intake, including advice as to medications. The messages which have been disclosed include the following advice given in 2006 on taking Mildronate: “Mildronate 1-2 X 10, repeat in 2 wks (before training or competition)” “1 hr before competition, 2 pills of Mildronate” “During games of special importance, you can increase your Mildronate dose to 3-4 pills (1 hr before the match). However, it is necessary to consult me on all these matters (please call)” “30 minutes prior to a training session: Mildronat – 1 Capsule. 30-45 minutes prior to a tournament Mildronat 2 capsules”

....

After Ms Sharapova ceased in early 2013 to be under the care of Dr. Skalny there is no evidence that any medical practitioner was consulted about or prescribed the taking of Mildronate, or that the use of Mildronate was disclosed to any of the medical practitioners, with one exception, who were consulted by Ms Sharapova between 2012 and 2015. During this period Ms Sharapova was under the general care of her family doctor in California to whom she would go for treatment when she became sick. She also relied on the medical practitioners provided by the WTA from whom she would seek medical advice when she suffered injury or became sick in competition. She also underwent MRI scans and ECG tests and examination by a number of specialists during this period, particularly in 2015. To none of the medical practitioners or specialists who treated her over 3 years did she disclose the fact that she was taking Mildronate. Her explanation in evidence is that none of them had asked what medication she was taking.
...
That leaves the issue as to why Ms Sharapova was systematically using Mildronate before matches, and in particular at the Australian Open in 2016. In the tribunal’s view the answer is clear. Whatever the position may have been in 2006, there was in 2016 no diagnosis and no therapeutic advice supporting the continuing use of Mildronate. If she had believed that there was a continuing medical need to use Mildronate then she would have consulted a medical practitioner. The manner of its use, on match days and when undertaking intensive training, is only consistent with an intention to boost her energy levels. It may be that she genuinely believed that Mildronate had some general beneficial effect on her health but the manner in which the medication was taken, its concealment from the anti-doping authorities, her failure to disclose it even to her own team, and the lack of any medical justification must inevitably lead to the conclusion that she took Mildronate for the purpose of enhancing her performance.

[dcalley]

23 hours ago, blackwing said:

She's 31 years old, so if the suspension is upheld, I think she is probably done.  Then again, who knows?  Serena and Venus are still playing at 34 and 35, and if Maria can keep up her conditioning, there's no reason why she couldn't still play at 33.

She's 29 as of April 2016. The ban of 2 years starts from her admission date in January, meaning she will be 30 when she can come back.

[caracas1914]

I admit that I was never a fan of Maria when she first burst on the scene,  and the whole marketing/media fawning of her appeal left me even more nonplussed. However through the years she got my grudging respect for coming back from injuries and being more than a one Slam wonder.  However these latest revelations have pretty much put her whole legacy/rep in question.   The 3 set win with over Halep in the 2013 French Open final  comes to mind with me, I'm sorry to say.

It has to be noted that it is extremely hard to prove that someone intentionally tried to buck the system (has anyone ever admitted that?); so the report saying her violation was unintentional is a toothless statement.  The 33 page report is pretty damaging and refutes some of what she said previously,  using this drug for practically the whole fortnight of last year's Wimbledon and this year's AO pretty much indicates Sharapova was using it for perceived performance enhancement and NOT for medical reasons.  I've yet to see anyone , including the manufacturer, justify using it for the reasons she put in her spin media event back in March.

I don't see how she gets a reprieve, 2 years IS within the norm of sanctions for "unintentional use", and she tested positive for both the 2016 AO and a non competition testing done in February of this year , so that shoots out of the water IMO the last plausible reason for leniency, ie that the drug remained in her system after being used when it was not a banned substance circa 2015.

It's hard to pinpoint if it was hubris, incompetence or, yes, intentional duplicity  that resulted in this sorry affair.  By failing to disclose the drug usage to any of her current team (coach, doctor (!!) nutritionist, etc) in the last 4 years (apparently only Papa Yusef and her agent Max knew) or include it in the medication disclosure statements at tournaments,  it also belies that Sharapova thought it was all some "innocent" medical supplement.  Again it fails all common sense and bull shit indicators.

The cynic in me thinks that they thought they had a foolproof masking system in place and it blew up in their face.   Wouldn't be the first time an athlete does that and is caught with their pants figuratively down.   Not being a hater, but her credibility is shot because her story has more holes than swiss cheese.

As to coming back after a two year ban, she's never been confused with a gifted  "athletic"   player such as Steff Graf or Serena or Venus Williams, so losing half a step would probably be the kiss of death for her, as it is, her results were spotty and inconsistent the last couple of years regardless.  

[cesstar]

On 08/06/2016 at 1:39 PM, shok said:

Djokovic has been the luckiest son of a gun ever in tennis. Yes he's good and yes he's worked hard but no other player has had a stretch of no competition like him which has allowed him to rack up his string of victories.

I'm a firm believer that you can only beat the level of competition that is in front of you and if you win the sheer number of Grand Slams that Federer, Nadal and Djokovic will, there is no way that you can consider those records tainted. That said, out of the Big 4, I would argue that Djokovic has perhaps had to overcome the most competitive stretch of opponents for his victories, not the least. Of Federer's 17 wins, the vast majority (11) are against players like Philippousssis, Safin, Roddick, Hewitt, Baghdatis, Gonzalez, Soderling. Only 6 of his Grand Slams are against other members of the Big 4.

In contrast, Djokovic has achieved 11 of his 12 Grand Slam wins against other members of the Big 4. So I disagree with the assertion that he has been "lucky".

 

Quote

Reading some of the actual report from the ITF puts Maria's claims that it was unintentional on pretty shaky ground. She may have screwed up by not knowing the drug was on the banned list but it seems pretty obvious that she was aware it was to be used to aid her physical training.

I agree. The report is pretty damning and I'm surprised so many of her big sponsors are sticking by her. It seems a pretty clear case of using a banned substance for the purpose of obtaining an advantage. It's a shame, as she probably had the talent to succeed without resorting to these measures but there will always be a question mark over her achievements now.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Please don't throw rotten tomatoes at me but I love Djokovic.  I think he's funny, self-deprecating, and I enjoy watching him play much more than I ever did Nadal.

[Flarking Schnit]

6 hours ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

Please don't throw rotten tomatoes at me but I love Djokovic.  I think he's funny, self-deprecating, and I enjoy watching him play much more than I ever did Nadal.

That's one of the great things about tennis:  there's a style and personality for every taste.  I agree with others that Djoker does overdo the Evita "You must love me" theatrics, but I don't think anyone can deny the work he's put in to reach both Fed and Nadal's level. 

[caracas1914]

I like Novak, even if I'm a hard core Rafa fan.  He doesn't even evoke my annoyance the way Roger (and his fans do).  As to wanting to be liked and popular, eh, that's not a big deal (indeed, I find Roger's passive aggressive "good boy" persona far more creepy).  My biggest issue the last year isnt' Novak's dominance, but that his main opponent has turned out to be Andy Murray.   The funny thing is I also like Murray, despite  (or because of?) his Jekyl and Hyde persona on court, which I find entertaining.

For the most part, Novak/Murray matches arent' that fascinating, because IMO they play similar power counterpunching baseline games, there is no "friction" of contrasting styles, the way you get with Murray/Rafa, or Novak/Fed, Fed/Nadal, or Murray/
Fed.    They are just too similar in their games, with Novak doing everything slightly better. Don't get me wrong,  I admire  their skills , especially their defensive ones, and can respect  them individually, but together I find the patterns of their matches too predictable, I dunno, it's like seeing Chris Evert and Tracy Austin play each other in their heyday.     

Edited June 10, 2016 by caracas1914

[truthaboutluv]

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 I mean, it does crack me up how much Djokovic lets it show that he wants to be liked,

And the funny thing is that for some, that's exactly why they don't like him. Because it makes him seem so needy and desperate. It is also why many dismiss all his "cute" actions as calculated and a ploy to be liked - the interaction with the ball kids, having the ball boy sit next to him that one time during a brief rain delay, etc. And the sad thing is, these things may very well be genuine but because he makes it so obvious how much he wants to be beloved, it makes some of his actions seem calculating. Djokovic needs to heed the mentality and belief of once you stop caring what people think about you, is when they like and accept you. 

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Nadal is my favorite player but any player can only go against the available competition at the time. On the women's side you get arguments that Graf wouldn't have won so many slams without the Seles stabbing. Maybe, but that's a very unnatural, horrifying disruption to a career. Injury and illness? That's life, for a professional athlete. I remember some of the more extreme Fed fans trying to discredit Rafa's 2008 because Roger had mono early in the year and it lingered! And I didn't buy the argument then, either.

 

ITA. Like I've said many times in this thread, while I'm indifferent to Djokovic, as a tennis fan, I do respect his talent, and abilities. So I agree that it's unfair to say that his wins and success will be tainted just because age and injury did Federer and Nadal in. Because the fact is, and again I say this as a hardcore Rafa fan, but Djokovic didn't just start winning and succeeding when these two were injured or not at their best. He beat them both many times when they were playing at their best and competing at a high level. His breakout year, 2011, came from beating Nadal in 3 out of the 4 Grand Slam finals. So Djokovic has more than proven that he can not only go toe to toe with the best, but that he can beat the best.

I do agree that it looked like Rafa had turned things around in 2013 and for a period had the upper hand again against Djokovic, which made it especially disappointing to see him get hampered by injury again in 2014 and then him just not being able to find his form for most of 2015. And I absolutely agree that it is disappointing that Djokovic doesn't seem to have any real competition right now because as I've said, putting my personal feelings for him aside, it's just bad for the game. Like as much as that 2012 Australian Open final left me gutted when Rafa lost, as a fan of the sport, I appreciated the brilliance that was on display by both players. And of course there was Rafa and Federer's 2008 Wimbledon final.

And the fact is, we don't have that right now, with none of the guys being able to truly challenge Djokovic. But that's not Djokovic's fault, who can only play who is across the net from him. And he still has to win seven matches every time to win the Slam and in my opinion, it is a testament to his talent that he can be so dominant. Yes, none of these other guys are Federer or Nadal but at the same time, it still takes incredible mental toughness and focus and talent to keep winning like Djokovic is doing. So I will never consider his wins tainted - no matter how much I don't care about him. 

Edited June 12, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[Dejana]

Murray reunites with Ivan Lendl

[truthaboutluv]

I love how the headline says Murray re-hires Lendl, when it's more like, "Lendl decided to come back" since let's face it, it was his decision to leave. Murray was more than happy with Lendl as his coach. And speaking of, shows much I care about Murray, I totally didn't realize he and Mauresmo split in May. I was wondering where she was during the French Open. 

[Ohwell]

It's nice to see that Del Potro is playing again.  He got to the semis but lost to Kohlschreiber in the Mercedes Cup in Germany.   

[cesstar]

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That's one of the great things about tennis:  there's a style and personality for every taste

So true. Maybe because most of the other sports I follow are team-based, or maybe because tennis has such diversity in terms of international representation, but it seems particularly true in tennis. And to be honest, I have found something to appreciate in most tennis players at some point or another. I enjoy Djokovic's humour and engagement with the crowd (and don't find it put on or forced at all!), I admire Murray's social activism and giggle at his deadpan and sarcastic responses to journalists, I think Rafa is adorable, Federer probably leaves me most cold but to compensate I could watch his backhand for days.

 

7 hours ago, Ohwell said:

It's nice to see that Del Potro is playing again

That wrist injury has really derailed his career. He was a really promising player but after the first wrist injury and the prolonged time out of the game, he never quite seemed to recapture his form. And then the second injury a couple of years ago (?) put him back again. Must be incredibly frustrating for him.

[Flarking Schnit]

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And to be honest, I have found something to appreciate in most tennis players at some point or another.

Completely agree, except for maybe Kyrgios.  I appreciate any time he has his little punk ass handed to him.

[KFC]

On 6/12/2016 at 7:21 PM, cesstar said:

That wrist injury has really derailed his career. He was a really promising player but after the first wrist injury and the prolonged time out of the game, he never quite seemed to recapture his form. And then the second injury a couple of years ago (?) put him back again. Must be incredibly frustrating for him.

During Miami, the commentators were also touching on how he may never fully return to his previous glory because he has had to alter his backhand technique to avoid re-injuring the wrist, and as a result the shot is no longer the effective weapon it used to be. So sad.

[selkie]

Lindsay Davenport, among others, has also noted that you're supposed to disclose all medications you're taking on doping control paperwork, even the perfectly allowed ones like Advil and birth control pills. Maria apparently did NOT disclose the meldonium in 2015 when it was legal but being tested for as WADA was trying to decide on its allowed or not allowed status for 2016 and the drug showed up in her samples on multiple occasions without her disclosing it on the paperwork.

[Mrs. P.]

I feel like there's not much excitement about Wimbledon this year - same old, same old - but I got a kick out of reading that a tennis coach ranked 770 in the world has qualified to play.  His first match opponent?   Roger Federer.

[Ohwell]

His last name is Willis and he was a wild card.  Actually, he won the first round (he beat some player named Berankis), so he plays Federer in the second round.

I'm happy that Del Potro got through; sad that Monfils tanked.

But, in general, I agree.  I can't muster up much enthusiasm.