Tennis Thread

[shok]

4 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

And the thing is he had the match on his racket after going up the early break in the fifth. However, I think he was waiting for Pouille to just go away at that point, which is silly, since the guy has had tight  5-setters in all his previous matches, and when he wouldn't, Rafa got tight and had that one loose game that lost him the break.

Rafa got tight because the damned umpire gave him a time violation warning in that game while Rafa was waiting for 20,000 people to calm down, as if they cared whether Rafa took an extra two or three seconds in a match as intense as that. Rafa may not show it on the outside but he freezes up when he gets those unfair warnings and invariably loses the point and/or his serve. It's all such horseshit when there are players pulling all sorts of hijinks and stalling on purpose all over the place but Rafa's rule is pulled out of the umpire's ass and awarded to him when the match is especially tight. Happens all the damned time and it makes me so angry.

[BitterApple]

Between the Rafa match and the Texas/Notre Dame thriller, I'm emotionally drained this morning, lol. It's been a hell of a weekend for sports.

[BitterApple]

15 hours ago, Ohwell said:

 

Also, Serena's coach sitting at the desk with the other announcers annoys me for some reason.  If he's angling for a job after Serena retires he could at least wait until she does.

There's something very sleazy and off-putting about Patrick, like he's that lech at the bar who slides over and hits on you when your husband gets up to go to the bathroom. I'm hoping this doesn't become a permanent thing. 

[topanga]

23 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

There's something very sleazy and off-putting about Patrick, like he's that lech at the bar who slides over and hits on you when your husband gets up to go to the bathroom. I'm hoping this doesn't become a permanent thing. 

I thought it was just me! Yes, he seems very creepy. Maybe it's because there was a rumor about him and Serena being romantically involved when he was still married. I know they're both consenting adults, but I don't know, there's still something pedophil-ish about it. 

But he is a great coach. 

I wish I could get excited when I watch Novak play. He's extremely talented, no question. But his matches bore me to death. I have much more fun watching Monfils or Del Potro play. And Nadal--RIP, Rafa. 

[Ohwell]

I "love" Monfils so much but he just makes me so nervous when he plays because I want him to win so badly, so I never watch an entire match when he plays.  I have to change channels and switch back and forth.  Same thing for Del Potro, but to a lesser extent.   

I truly hope Rafa can get his mojo back, just not against Monfils or Del Potro.

Novak is a great player but he is just too damn needy for crowd acceptance,  and his shtick after he wins is just getting tired. 

[BitterApple]

Djokovic, Isner and Murray are guys I just can't help but root against, while I have soft spots in my heart for Nadal, Monfils, Tsonga and Del Potro. I think because the latter group seems like such good guys. I mean Rafa suffered a crushing loss yesterday but was still signing autographs on his way off the court. Now that he's out, I'm really hoping one of the Frenchmen can break through and make a run for the title.

[Phebemarie]

I realize John MacEnroe and Brad Gilbert need to keep themselves awake when calling late night somewhat uneventful matches, but their mocking of Kyle Edmund came across (to me, at least) as boorish and mean-spirited.  I was glad when the 21-year-old came back to break Djokovic because it made them shut up for awhile.  

[BitterApple]

8 minutes ago, Phebemarie said:

I realize John MacEnroe and Brad Gilbert need to keep themselves awake when calling late night somewhat uneventful matches, but their mocking of Kyle Edmund came across (to me, at least) as boorish and mean-spirited.  I was glad when the 21-year-old came back to break Djokovic because it made them shut up for awhile.  

There was actually a match several years back where Darren Cahill put them in their place. It was during a Federer match where the guy he was playing was ranked something like #130 in the world. Gilbert and the other commentators were cracking jokes and putting the poor kid down, basically saying why are we even here, the guy has no chance, and Darren immediately snapped and told them to show a little respect, that it take a ton of hard work to play at the professional level. It was ten million kinds of awesome.

Edited September 5, 2016 by BitterApple

[Ohwell]

Well, Del Potro is through because Theim retired.  I'm happy for Delpo but I hope Theim is ok because I hate to see players get injured.

[truthaboutluv]

Darren immediately snapped and told them to show a little respect, that it take a ton of hard work to play at the professional level. It was ten million kinds of awesome.

And this is one of the many reasons that Darren is so awesome. I swear I want to see Simona win a Slam less for her and more for him.

[MostlyC]

So many guys retiring...I wonder if the "season" is too long?

[Ohwell]

8 minutes ago, MostlyC said:

So many guys retiring...I wonder if the "season" is too long?

Did somebody just retire?

[MostlyC]

Dominic Thiem is the 4th guy to retire?  It seems like an awful lot.

[Ohwell]

12 minutes ago, MostlyC said:

Dominic Thiem is the 4th guy to retire?  It seems like an awful lot.

Ok, I feel like a dunce now.  I thought you meant retiring from tennis.  Like, for good. : )

[CoffeeTV]

I was hoping for more with the  Dimitrov v. Murray match. Murray is just so hard to root for.

[bluepiano]

14 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Djokovic, Isner and Murray are guys I just can't help but root against, while I have soft spots in my heart for Nadal, Monfils, Tsonga and Del Potro. I think because the latter group seems like such good guys.

It's realistically not going to happen, but I would love for either Tsonga to break through and win a Slam, or for Del Potro to complete the great comeback story he began at The Olympics and win. Both those guys have always been a joy to watch, because of their obvious love for the game combined with great sportsmanship. From what I understand, they are probably the two most universally liked guys on the tour by the other players.

 

13 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

I realize John McEnroe and Brad Gilbert need to keep themselves awake when calling late night somewhat uneventful matches, but their mocking of Kyle Edmund came across (to me, at least) as boorish and mean-spirited.  I was glad when the 21-year-old came back to break Djokovic because it made them shut up for awhile.  

McEnroe was really a jerk tonight mocking Grigor Dimitrov, and saying that he didn't show any heart. From what I could see, Dimitrov was trying his best, but getting completely outhit by Murray, who was like a human backboard. Tennis is sometimes like that. You can't just will yourself to win against a guy who's better than you and playing at an incredibly high level. And as always, McEnroe said some really dumb things while trying to be funny, like "maybe Grigor's problem is that he's too good looking, so he doesn't have to focus on tennis." (paraphrasing)

The other night, with Paolo Lorenzi serving to win the second set against Murray and even the match, McEnroe picked that moment to read a list of all the Challenger tour events Lorenzi played in this year and his results. He droned on throughout the entire game, completely ignoring the action on the court at this crucial moment.

I often feel that McEnroe is bored by contemporary tennis, and (other than his salary) is only there to hear himself pontificate, and massage his huge ego by telling (over and over again) old war stories about himself vs. Borg, Lendl, Connors etc. Many successful former athletes who have become TV commentators only rarely talk about themselves. But with McEnroe, everything relates back to himself and his glorious career. And he's got others in the booth (especially brother Patrick) feeding him questions like, "so John, where would you have stood again Isner's first serve," so he can drone on some more. It's as if he really believes people watch to hear him talk, and the actual match is just a sideshow.

Almost all tennis announcers talk too much, but McEnroe (John) is the worst. Sometimes I really enjoy watching the live stream on ESPN3 with no announcers at all, so you can just focus on the match, the way you would if you were at the event.

Edited September 6, 2016 by bluepiano

[azshadowwalker]

I have not been following the USO this year. Didn't watch the French or the Olympics, either. Lack of Federer generally means lack of interest for me. While I am developing a lot of respect for Murray off the court, I'm still not a fan of his game. But Gael still has a special place in my heart. I caught the end of his quarter, and was so thrilled for him. I would really love to see him in the final. Just wish he would shave that scruffy beard. 

Go Jo-Wilfried! 

As for Nadal, maybe I would give a shit about his time warnings if gamesmanship, taking extra time and getting coaching from the box weren't staples of his career. He's not on top anymore, so no more cheating for Rafael. Too bad they didn't enforce the rules back in the day, but the time has finally come. 

Edited September 6, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[Ohwell]

Well, my honey Gael listened to me and didn't waste any time dispatching Pouille.  I love the scruff. : )

[BitterApple]

The time warning didn't bother me either because Rafa really abuses it. For every time the umpire calls him out on a violation, there's probably ten where he doesn't.

[MostlyC]

McEnroe was really a jerk tonight mocking Grigor Dimitrov, and saying that he didn't show any heart. From what I could see, Dimitrov was trying his best, but getting completely outhit by Murray, who was like a human backboard. Tennis is sometimes like that. You can't just will yourself to win against a guy who's better than you and playing at an incredibly high level. And as always, McEnroe said some really dumb things while trying to be funny

McEnroe was being a jackass.  Someone needs to muzzle him.

[BitterApple]

Wtf, Djokovic got another retirement?! What sort of hex did he put over this tournament? This is insane.

[truthaboutluv]

Seriously. Yes, I know it is not his fault, yes, I know you can only play who is against the net from you but I am sorry I cannot respect if Djokovic wins this thing because dude HAS NOT played. What the first round against his barely average opponent and the fourth round against a young player still trying to figure his game out? No really, I think we need to pull out the history books on this because has a person ever, in a Grand Slam had two retirements and a walkover?

[bluepiano]

10 hours ago, MostlyC said:

McEnroe was being a jackass.  Someone needs to muzzle him.

He was doing it again tonight, saying that the Djokovic-Tsonga match would never make ESPN Classic. I mean, how do you mock a guy like Jo-Willie, one of the best sportsmen and competitors of this tennis generation. A guy with 10 times the class McEnroe ever had.

He also made fun of Lucas Pouille for losing badly to Monfils. This is a young player who had just won back to back five setters over seeded players, including Rafa Nadal in probably the best match of the tournament. But I guess with McEnroe it's always what have you done lately, and you get no credit for having had a breakthrough US Open.

For whatever veneer of sophistication McEnroe gives himself, he's still basically a punk kid from Queens. (And I can say that, having once been a punk kid from Queens myself).

[pennben]

That was a disappointing evening of tennis. I say that without meaning to fault either Tsonga or Sevastova, but one retirement after two sets where the outcome was clear, and one ankle roll in the second game of the other match which pretty much made the outcome clear quickly did not make for a stellar evening.  I would have been so disappointed had I actually been there.

[clb1016]

4 hours ago, bluepiano said:

He was doing it again tonight, saying that the Djokovic-Tsonga match would never make ESPN Classic. I mean, how do you mock a guy like Jo-Willie, one of the best sportsmen and competitors of this tennis generation. A guy with 10 times the class McEnroe ever had.

He also made fun of Lucas Pouille for losing badly to Monfils. This is a young player who had just won back to back five setters over seeded players, including Rafa Nadal in probably the best match of the tournament. But I guess with McEnroe it's always what have you done lately, and you get no credit for having had a breakthrough US Open.

For whatever veneer of sophistication McEnroe gives himself, he's still basically a punk kid from Queens. (And I can say that, having once been a punk kid from Queens myself).

Pouille had actually played 3 5-setters in a row, and the last one against Rafa (absolutely the best match of the tournament) was undoubtedly emotionally exhausting as well.  This kid deserves a ton of respect and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.

[MyAimIsTrue]

7 hours ago, bluepiano said:

For whatever veneer of sophistication McEnroe gives himself, he's still basically a punk kid from Queens. (And I can say that, having once been a punk kid from Queens myself).

I'm a Queens native myself but I don't claim McEnroe since he grew up in fancy Douglaston.  Then again so did Mary Carillo but she's awesome so it's okay.

[Ohwell]

I know it's not his fault because his opponents retired, but if Djokovic wins this thing I hope they put an asterisk next to his name because this is just weird.  I'm not counting Monfils out though. 

[bluepiano]

3 hours ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

I'm a Queens native myself but I don't claim McEnroe since he group up in fancy Douglaston.  Then again so did Mary Carillo but she's awesome and not a jerk like he is.

And his father was a lawyer. But despite a privileged background (he and Carillo met as kids while both attended the Harry Hopman Tennis Academy on Long Island), it seemed that he always had a chip on his shoulder, like he was raised with the Irish immigrant mentality.

Another tennis player from Queens was Vitas Gerulaitis, who had a great personality. Sad that he died at 40 in a stupid accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.

2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I know it's not his fault because his opponents retired, but if Djokovic wins this thing I hope they put an asterisk next to his name because this is just weird.  I'm not counting Monfils out though. 

Not having played much tennis may actually hurt Djokovic, because his pattern in the Slams he's won has been that he survives a tough 4 or 5 setter and then goes on to play his best tennis. Well, maybe that's wishful thinking on my part. But Monfils is playing well, and unlike other Slams where he's made a deep run, he's not exhausted from having played several long matches and/or nursing injuries. So I think he at least has a shot.

[BitterApple]

I didn't watch last night so I didn't hear the commentary, but McEnroe bashing Tsonga and Pouille is just classless. Pouille gave arguably the most gutsy performance of the tournament against Nadal, so to talk smack about a kid coming off three five-setters is a low blow. Ditto for the cheap shot against Tsonga.

[MostlyC]

The US Open has turned into The Gong Show.

[Ohwell]

Congrats to Nishikori defeating Murray.  

[mojoween]

Really?  No way!

So much for reaching all of the Grand Slam Finals in a season.  

Monfils reached the semis right?  Is there another quarter tonight?

[Spunkygal]

3 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Really?  No way!

So much for reaching all of the Grand Slam Finals in a season.  

Monfils reached the semis right?  Is there another quarter tonight?

Wawrinka vs. Delpo tonight.

Today's subtitle sounds like it's from The Karate Kid... "a gong, a butterfly and a Kei." Well, the Kei kicked it!! So happy for him...what an entertaining match that I almost turned off after the first set.

Edited September 7, 2016 by Spunkygal

[Ohwell]

10 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

So happy for him...what an entertaining match that I almost turned off after the first set.

I was just about to turn it off as well.  Imagine my delight when Nishikori pulled it off.

[mojoween]

Wawrinka vs. Delpo tonight

Balls.  I like them both.  I bet when the match starts I'll be pulling for Delpo though.

[truthaboutluv]

I haven't heard much of McEnroe's commentary until today when I was watching the Murray/Nishikori match online and wow, I see what you guys were talking about above. McEnroe made so many dismissive comments about Nishikori at various points in the match and that just makes no sense to me considering Kei has made the finals of the U.S. Open and has beaten all of the Big 4 at least once. But with some of his comments, McEnroe made it seem like Murray was playing some amateur who was simply getting lucky. I get that Murray was one of the heavy favorites coming into the Open but acting like Kei was some nobody against him was just ludicrous. 

Edited September 8, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[topanga]

Congratulations to Serena, though Halep played her well, especially in the 2nd set. When Serena plays tentative and nervous, as she did in the second set, she's extremely vulnerable. She has to win the open to maintain her #1 ranking. I hope that pressure doesn't make her tighten up and play below her abilities. 

I think it was Mary Jo who said that players quickly learn that they have to play two great sets against Serena in order to beat her. Halep learned tonight that you can't take a set from Serena then lower the intensity of your game. 

3 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Congrats to Nishikori defeating Murray.  

It was a great match. Murray has never done anything to make me dislike him. But I was rooting for the underdog in that match. 

[clb1016]

Patrick McEnroe called the Murray/Nishikori match.  John is calling tonight's match.

[topanga]

14 minutes ago, clb1016 said:

Patrick McEnroe called the Murray/Nishikori match.  John is calling tonight's match.

Patrick and John sound a lot a like. But when the announcer sounds like a nice guy, that's when I know it must be Patrick. 

[truthaboutluv]

25 minutes ago, clb1016 said:

Patrick McEnroe called the Murray/Nishikori match.  John is calling tonight's match.

As I said, I watched the match online, since I was at work at the time, so I was watching Eurosport coverage, not ESPN 2. I know the difference between John and Patrick's voices.

Edited September 8, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[topanga]

17 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

As I said, I watched the match online, since I was at work at the time, so I was watching Eurosport coverage, not ESPN 2. I know the difference between John and Patrick's voices.

Then you have a better ear than I do. But that reminds me: I watched the women's quarterfinal match tonight at home (with Mary Jo and the guy--not one of the McEnroes). In my car, while waiting for the end of my son's football practice, I watched ESPN live streaming with Chanda Rubin and a guy--I can't for the life of me remember his name. Chanda is not a good commentator. It was very clear who she wanted to win the match, and all of her comments and observations supported her argument that her player should win the match. It was quite annoying. 

[bluepiano]

4 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

As I said, I watched the match online, since I was at work at the time, so I was watching Eurosport coverage, not ESPN 2. I know the difference between John and Patrick's voices.

Their voices are similar but not identical, and as topanga said, when the announcer's not a jerk, it's Patrick.

If John was mocking Kei, how did he explain it when the guy came back and won the match?

I like the announcers (usually Brits it seems) who do the online streaming, because they keep the chatter to minimum and let you watch the match. At one point tonight McEnroe and his cohorts yakked away for literally an entire game about whether natural athletic skill or training were more important in creating a great player. I can only imagine what it must be like to have dinner with McEnroe. He never stops pontificating.

And tonight he had the nerve to mock one of my all time favorite players, Guillermo Vilas, over Vilas' comb over. Sorry John, not everyone wants to spend their money on hair plugs like you did. (McEnroe has more hair now than he did at the end of his playing career.

7 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I was just about to turn it off as well.  Imagine my delight when Nishikori pulled it off.

Congrats to Kei. And although he's probably a decent guy off the court, there's just something about Murray that makes you want to root against him. Today was the return of the old Murray. Petulant, scowling, sour, whiney. Was there ever a great player who looked so unhappy to be out there playing tennis? Even when he's winning, he doesn't communicate any joy over playing the game. It's another day at the office.

Note to John Isner, who has a similar (non) personality. Maybe that's why the US Open crowd was cheering for Monfils over you in that infamous match. Because when it's not Davis Cup or the Olympics, tennis is an individual sport, and people will naturally cheer for the player who has the more entertaining game and the more appealing personality. (And John, not everyone in the crowd was American. New York is an international city. You ain't in North Carolina with all your good 'ole boys).

Edited September 8, 2016 by bluepiano

[Ohwell]

7 hours ago, bluepiano said:

Note to John Isner, who has a similar (non) personality. Maybe that's why the US Open crowd was cheering for Monfils over you in that infamous match. Because when it's not Davis Cup or the Olympics, tennis is an individual sport, and people will naturally cheer for the player who has the more entertaining game and the more appealing personality. (And John, not everyone in the crowd was American. New York is an international city. You ain't in North Carolina with all your good 'ole boys).

Exactly.

I was rooting for Delpo but, on the other hand, he had a good run.  Hopefully, he'll get even better and win another slam.  I also hope Monfils wins a slam before he retires (one can dream).

[xaxat]

I'm really disappointed that they are tearing down Louis Armstrong. It's where I saw my first US Open match. Sampras/Chang 1992(?).

[Ohwell]

I'm really not even sure if Serena losing was a shocker or not.  

[BitterApple]

This year's semi reminded me of last year's against Vinci where Serena just seemed mentally burnt out and almost relieved when it was finally over. I thought Pliskova played well but no way is she a better athlete than Halep. She has a good serve but her movement is lacking. I hate to sound like the announcers who always make excuses for the top players, but Serena really should have won this match. 

Edited September 9, 2016 by BitterApple

[LilWharveyGal]

Siegemund/Pavic were too cute. What a great story.

[pennben]

I hope we find out Monfils was hurt because that was a shitshow. A complete mess of a match on both sides. 

[MostlyC]

I didn't get to watch the match- what happened?

[BitterApple]

Now that there's no possibility of a Williams/Kerber final and or a Monfils/other opponent final, I'm totally over it.

I just can't get behind Novak winning when the guy had three walkover/retirement rounds. I know it isn't his fault, but still.