Tennis Thread

[shok]

4 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Tennis Channel is pissing me off so much! Really, we can't even see the final games of Halep/Kerber cuz we have to watch every moment of Rafa on court! 

 

 

15 hours ago, sally-can-wait said:

Is the Tennis Channel freaking kidding?! Halep and Kerber are going to a third and they switch to the START of Rafa's match? Come on!!

I waited anxiously for the Rafa match and was happy it was being shown as Halep and Kerber interest me not one whit. I'd have to guess, based on the general popularity of men's tennis over women's, that most viewers are like me and that's why the tv poobahs make the decisions they do.

[truthaboutluv]

Okay, up til now I was being cautiously optimistic. But dammit Simona, now is the time. You need to win that title. She was brilliant against Muguruza today. And you can't follow that up by losing to Sloane Stephens or Madison Keys. I mean no offense to either but come on, on clay? 

So not that it wasn't already known but these two weeks have further solidified that Rafa does not do well when the conditions are damp and rainy. But that sun comes out and it's full on beast mode. Interesting semi-final match up between him and Del Potro. 

Edited June 7, 2018 by truthaboutluv

[BitterApple]

This women's final is tough for me. I'd love to see Simona win her first Slam, but I like Sloane and Madison as well. It's hard to pick who you want to win when there really isn't anyone to root against.

[truthaboutluv]

Just now, BitterApple said:

This women's final is tough for me. I'd love to see Simona win her first Slam, but I like Sloane and Madison as well. It's hard to pick who you want to win when there really isn't anyone to root against.

I hate having that struggle where I actually like both players. That's how I felt for the Aus Open final because I liked both Simona and Caroline and neither had won a Grand Slam title yet. But in this case, nope, I'm Simona all the way.

Edited June 7, 2018 by truthaboutluv

[BitterApple]

2 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

I hate having that struggle where I actually like both players. That's how I felt for the Aus Open final because I liked both Simona and Caroline and neither had won a title yet. But in this case, nope, I'm Simona all the way.

Yeah, I definitely give a slight edge to Simona, I just remember Madison being so classy after her loss in the U.S. Open final and Sloane was very gracious to her opponent after a disappointing first round loss at the Aussie. It's like why can't one of the three be a raging bitch or a poor sport so I can feel good about picking a favorite? 

[Jillibean]

7 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Yeah, I definitely give a slight edge to Simona, I just remember Madison being so classy after her loss in the U.S. Open final and Sloane was very gracious to her opponent after a disappointing first round loss at the Aussie. It's like why can't one of the three be a raging bitch or a poor sport so I can feel good about picking a favorite? 

I'm pretty sure another American woman has both the raging bitch and poor sport markets effectively cornered. 

[sally-can-wait]

11 minutes ago, Jillibean said:

I'm pretty sure another American woman has both the raging bitch and poor sport markets effectively cornered. 

Does her name rhyme with Loco?

[TVbitch]

I'm all in for Simona, Sloan will have her time. 

Can't see DelPo having a chance against Rafa, so the other men's semi might actually be more interesting. 

Also, I found it a bit annoying how they had to mention every 5 seconds how Schwartzman WAS ONLY 5'7"!!! OMG! Like he is some kind of super tiny side show freak. Lots of guys are not 6' tall for pete's sake.  

[Harry24]

Quote

I found it a bit annoying how they had to mention every 5 seconds how Schwartzman WAS ONLY 5'7"!!! OMG!

I realize this isn't exactly your point, but he looks much shorter than 5'7".  He looks nearly a foot shorter than Rafa, who I think is 6'1".

[truthaboutluv]

46 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

I'm all in for Simona, Sloan will have her time. 

Sloane's already had a time - she won the US Open last year.

[theatremouse]

22 hours ago, shok said:

I waited anxiously for the Rafa match and was happy it was being shown as Halep and Kerber interest me not one whit. I'd have to guess, based on the general popularity of men's tennis over women's, that most viewers are like me and that's why the tv poobahs make the decisions they do.

I don't discount that but when Rafa's match started, Kerber/Halep had maybe 10 minutes to go. So from a programming perspective, it is odd they wouldn't show the last two games of that match and then switch to Rafa 2 games into a best of five. If the women's match seemed like it was going to go way over  (like if it were 5-5 or something), I see switching, sure, but hell they cut away from bigger matches to show an expected-to-be-conclusion of less popular players all the time. So when they're already showing the entirety of one, and cut away just for the end, it's not only frustrating for the people who cared about the outcome, but it's inconsistent with the usual pattern....other than the usual pattern of...if you're going to not show something...it'll be the ladies.

[Harry24]

Sloane makes beating Madison Keys look so easy.  She was just floating around to each ball, swinging fluidly, peacefully, and the ball was firing off her racquet.  She doesn't give the impression of being a great athlete, but she's stupendous.  I'm really looking forward to the final.  I hope it's a great match.  I'll be happy with either player winning.

[caracas1914]

I’m thinking Rafa /Del Potro is Rafa pounding JMDP’s BH corner and Juan Marin pounding that FH when he gets the chance.

On a sidenote:  i never thought anything would more annoying than the psedo poetic Melbourne commercials during the AO but I’m ready to hurl when the overwrought Lacoste  commercials pop up.  It’s suppose  to be about sportswear, right?  I want to throw the couple off that damn train.

Edited June 8, 2018 by caracas1914

[truthaboutluv]

Del Potro had so many chances to break in that first set and just couldn't capitalize on any of them. And it's like once he lost it, that took the wind out of his sails. At one point in the second set, one of the Eurosport commentators said that it wasn't a match but rather Rafa seemingly playing himself. The finals against Thiem could be interesting, depending on which version of Thiem shows up.

He has shown he has the game to challenge Rafa but he's also shown that he can wither under pressure and just vanish from a match. He can hope for poor weather since Rafa does not like playing under those conditions. But if it's sunny and bright, it'll be damn near impossible to challenge Rafa in a Best of 5. Not to mention it has to be intimidating playing a guy who is 10-0 in French Open finals. 

I am looking forward to both finals. 

Edited June 8, 2018 by truthaboutluv

[sacrebleu]

My love for Rafa is well documented in this thread, so I don't hold out much hope for Thiem. He might be able to win best of 3-- but not best of 5. This is one of those rare occasions where I think the women's final might be a better contest. #TeamHalep (I really want her to finally win a Slam-- so I'll be pulling for her over Sloane)

[caracas1914]

Even if Del Potro had won the first set, it was still going to be a brutal grind out battle, and JMDP was going to be subject to that pounding all day long and the physical toil on him...

 

For the final, I think it really depends how Thiem’s  one handed topspin BH withstands Rafa’s barrage on it.  As pretty as that Thiem shot is, it has IMO less variety than Roger’s version because of his long windup, and we know how that Roger BH  turned out on red clay versus Rafa.   Theim has beaten Rafa 3 times on clay, there’s that,

but agreed; 3 out of 5 ??

[TVbitch]

It's unwatchable for me when DelPo gives up and kind of gingerly walks about the court with that far off look in his eyes like he is taking an afternoon stroll in the garden. 

I hope Thiem can make it a match. 

[dcalley]

On 6/7/2018 at 11:02 AM, BitterApple said:

It's like why can't one of the three be a raging bitch or a poor sport so I can feel good about picking a favorite? 

There's enough about Halep to give me pause. She has spoken glowingly about Ion Tiriac, the owner of the Madrid Open, who earlier this year said, "With due to respect, Serena Williams is 36 years old and 90kgs, I would like to see something else. I would like to see a player like Steffi Graf." He's also against equal prize money, as is Halep, apparently, and is buds with Ilie Nastase. And while Halep said that Ilie Nastase, who did all sorts of horrible things in 2017's Fed Cup, was wrong to have done and said those things, she initially brushed off his comment about Serena's baby as a joke and just how he is. She thanked him a mere 3 weeks after all that Fed Cup nastiness, when he was on court for her Madrid Open trophy ceremony (thanks to Ion Tiriac). Yes, she was put in an awkward position there, but....

[caracas1914]

Give me a Halep who respects her opponents over Coco Vanderweghe any day of the week.

[Ohwell]

I'm rooting for Sloane right now but if Halep wins it won't bother me.   My women's tennis slogan is ABC:  Anybody But Coco. 

[Conotocarious]

Go Sloane. I just like her immediately.

[truthaboutluv]

Dammit Simona. I can't deal with this stress. It'll be funny if she does to Sloane what Ostapenko did to her last year. Down a set and a break and come back to win. 

[BitterApple]

I'm getting really annoyed with the way the fans are screaming support for Halep right as the players are about to serve, so I'm firmly on Team Sloane for this final set.

[Ohwell]

Yikes!  Sloane folded like a tent in the 3rd set.  I wonder what happened to her?  Anyway, congrats to Halep.

Sloane has a gorgeous smile, I'm just sorry I won't see that though.  

ETA:  she just smiled holding the platter, so there's that.  

Edited June 9, 2018 by Ohwell

[truthaboutluv]

And so said, so done. While Sloane wasn’t as clean in the third set as she’d been in the first, credit to Simona who really raised her game. That’s what you call digging deep when you need to. I am thrilled for Simona. Talk about getting a monkey off your back. 

Edited June 9, 2018 by truthaboutluv

[Ohwell]

Simona's dad is a nice-looking older gentleman.

[BitterApple]

Congrats to Halep. Congrats to Sloane on a great run. Sloane is a beautiful girl and her speeches are always so classy. 

Even though the third set was lopsided, I still felt like it was great tennis. Sloane didn't tank it or give up, Simona just raised her level and came up with some great shots when she needed to. 

On another note, how fabulous does Arantxa Sanchez look? She's kept herself in great shape.

[TVbitch]

That was a nail-biter. I agreed with McEnroe that Sloane would have to win it in 2 or Halep would win it in 3. Sloane seemed to surrender in the 3rd to Halep's unrelenting energy level. But woo damn it was || this close to Simona not being able to get it a 3rd.  Kudos to both for their fight and sports(wo)manship. 

[mojoween]

I can’t say by any means that I am an expert on Rafa, but I feel he is louder today than I have ever heard him.

They are both annoying, actually.

[Spunkygal]

16 minutes ago, mojoween said:

I can’t say by any means that I am an expert on Rafa, but I feel he is louder today than I have ever heard him.

They are both annoying, actually.

Yes, I have muted the sound. Gah!!

[mojoween]

Bwahahahaha!  At 40-love, 5-2 in the third set, John McEnroe says “this is a rather anti-climactic ending” so naturally Thiem rattles off three straight points to bring it to deuce.  Snort.

[BitterApple]

Wow, talk about an underwhelming final. The match ended only an hour ago and I can't remember one thing about it. Congrats to Rafa, but when the hell is a player going to make a serious challenge for him on clay? Somebody has to come out of the woodwork at some point.

[Ohwell]

I'm normally meh on McEnroe and Carillo but today they really earned their paychecks, because it must have been difficult trying to carry on a conversation during such a boring match.

[truthaboutluv]

1 hour ago, BitterApple said:

Wow, talk about an underwhelming final. The match ended only an hour ago and I can't remember one thing about it. Congrats to Rafa, but when the hell is a player going to make a serious challenge for him on clay? Somebody has to come out of the woodwork at some point.

In the interest of fairness, I thought Djokovic presented a pretty formidable obstacle a few years ago. Okay, he still lost both of the finals he and Rafa played but they were close matches. And he's beaten Rafa more than anyone else on clay. But yes, I do see your point. The thing is Thiem tried in the first set and as he said to McEnroe later in his on-court interview, he did come in with the game-plan to do what he did in Madrid where he won. But the Roland Garros courts, while still clay, play differently than in Madrid and more importantly, Rafa is experienced enough to where I'd assume he knew that's what Thiem was going to do and came prepared with his own game plan for it. 

You can tell Thiem was putting everything to win that first set, because I do think that is a big key - win the first against Rafa and then maybe you can make something happen. Not a guarantee of course because he has lost the first set in the French Open final more than once and still won. But you at least get a fighting chance. But I think once the players lose the first set, that mountain that already seemed so insurmountable becomes almost impossible. And then they just sort of fade away. 

I do love that Rafa has said in interviews that contrary to belief, just because it seems so easy for him, it's not and that he has worked very hard for every one of his wins. And I believe that, which is why tedious as I'm sure it is for others to watch, I still have to give him all the props for this. I mean to have won his first title 13 years ago and still be so dominant on the surface against everyone else, is pretty damned amazing. 

Edited June 10, 2018 by truthaboutluv

[caracas1914]

1 hour ago, BitterApple said:

Congrats to Rafa, but when the hell is a player going to make a serious challenge for him on clay? Somebody has to come out of the woodwork at some point.

Maybe whe he’s 39 or 40, slowing down a half step, and it’s  slow wet conditions on the red clay, with a low bouncing ball, some young phenom will snatch the title from him playing out of his head.  

Until then...

I laughed when Rafa at the awards ceremony did the obligatory “my opponent will win a FO in the future”.  HA!  Wanna bet??   

At this rate Rafa will have 14 or 15 FO’s by the time he’s through.

FWIW, I don’t even think it’s the so called daunting physical task of playing Rafa at the FO:  Thiem is as physically well conditioned as any tennis player out there (he’s a beast for practicing) and he’s only 24, but the mental strain of having to hang in there with Rafa’s relentless tenacity/will every damn point.  Thiem was as much mentally spent as anything.

Edited June 10, 2018 by caracas1914

[mojoween]

Aww and he kissed Mahut’s partner too

[BitterApple]

Aw, that video is so cute.

[sally-can-wait]

Cute interview with Chris Evert and Simona after her win.

[truthaboutluv]

Okay, I have been cracking up at the memes being posted on social media of a doctored images of Rafa looking really old, with the caption that he's won like his 50th or 60th French Open. The whole thing is hilarious. 

Edited June 11, 2018 by truthaboutluv

[TVbitch]

Nobody watching the grass tourneys?

Good to see Novak playing so well, although he looks a bit thin to me.

Does Kurious (that's what I call him) have some sort of compulsive disorder? 

Enjoyed the two guys that gave Fed a run for his money in Halle. 

[Spunkygal]

57 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Nobody watching the grass tourneys?

Good to see Novak playing so well, although he looks a bit thin to me.

Does Kurious (that's what I call him) have some sort of compulsive disorder? 

Enjoyed the two guys that gave Fed a run for his money in Halle. 

Fed looked very beatable, didn't he? Wasn't it Paire who pitched a tantrum and threw his racket a few times but then pulled it together to make it a good match. Although I've seen him before, I'm not too familiar with him. He sure got his meltdown under control and sucked it up to fight back. I purposely avoid Kurious (love it!) if I can so missed his matches. Novak did look pretty good. Should be a good Wimbledon. 

[TVbitch]

Yes, Wimbledon should be crazy good!  

I don't think Fed is invincible, but they are certainly pumping it up to be HIS Wimbledon. Fed got testy today and smashed a ball into the crowd. Glad he got a warning and not special treatment. (Have we learned nothing from the Shapovolov incident!) Paire gave Fed a good run and the match today against Denis Kudla was quite good too. I've never really heard of either of them and they took him right to the edge. I noticed they both had lumberjack beards, so maybe that is Fed's kryptonite. 

Kurious frustrates me cuz he is a great player and could have beat Cilic today if he had kept his focus. He just does such weird shit and he constantly talks to himself, it makes me think he might have some sort of impulse disorder. The announcers were calling him "fearless" and I was, um, more like "reckless." I mean, does he not care about the win or the money! 

[truthaboutluv]

33 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Kurious frustrates me cuz he is a great player and could have beat Cilic today if he had kept his focus. He just does such weird shit and he constantly talks to himself, it makes me think he might have some sort of impulse disorder.

That's why I've said that he honestly makes me anxious watching him because there's always an on edge feeling that he's just going to go off at any minute. Talented guy though and if he can just pull his focus and drive, could be an amazing player. 

[BitterApple]

16 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

That's why I've said that he honestly makes me anxious watching him because there's always an on edge feeling that he's just going to go off at any minute. Talented guy though and if he can just pull his focus and drive, could be an amazing player. 

I know what you mean. It's like you don't know whether he's going to play lights out or do horribly and beat up a ball kid out of frustratuon. He's a very unsettling player to watch.

[Spunkygal]

Not too surprised that Roger lost in Halle. He hasn't looked sharp all week. Hey, Rog, it's okay. I'm old, too! Some days not all the parts work! But he better get it together if he's going to go far at Wimbledon. Those young studs are chomping at the bit to take over. Coric was really impressive. 

[TVbitch]

I just don't see Fed winning Wimbledon. Too many lower ranked players really challenged him in this tournament. No shame coming in 2nd, but the look on his face expressed a lot.

Not surprised Cilic won. All the talk about Novak being back at the top of his game and a real contender for Wimbledon seemed premature. He is playing well, but he looks kind of vacant on the court. I don't see a lot of fire or even life in his eyes yet. (And, I still want to buy him a sammich.)

I think Rafa is the one to beat next month. 

Was anyone else fascinated by the one very pale blonde lines women in Halle. She had huge eyes and a super intense stare. And they dress them in those cool suits. She looked like she could be a beautiful Bond villain or something.   

[truthaboutluv]

40 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

(And, I still want to buy him a sammich.)

lol. I definitely think Novak's getting some of his groove back, though definitely not fully a 100 percent yet. 

 

40 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Not surprised Cilic won.

I've seen a few comments online predicting a possible Cilic win for Wimbledon. Not entirely impossible, but not sure I'm ready to make that bold of a prediction regarding him. 

 

40 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

I just don't see Fed winning Wimbledon. Too many lower ranked players really challenged him in this tournament.

Thing is, sometimes the top players struggle in the warm-up tournaments and still deliver on the big stage. I think the draw he gets and those first two/three matches will truly tell the tale. If he struggles like he did at last year's U.S. Open in his first few matches, then yeah I don't see him pulling it off. 

 

40 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

I think Rafa is the one to beat next month. 

Seriously? I mean I love the man dearly but the last few years would suggest otherwise. Hell, he owns it. He just did some media interviews during his preparation at the Mallorca Open and he admits that it's really the Slam he comes in with the least preparation and is the most challenging. So he seems to be keeping his expectations very low. 

I will say I thought he looked the best he has in years during his first few matches, at last year's Wimbledon and that loss to Mueller was nothing to hang his head about because that was a well fought match. But yeah Rafa is always a huge toss up for me when it comes to Wimbledon. I go in always hoping for the best but kind of expecting the worst. 

Edited June 24, 2018 by truthaboutluv

[TVbitch]

2 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

Seriously?

It is entirely possible I have been subconsciously brainwashed by having to watch that Goddamn "Strokes of Genius" commercial 5 million times wherein Rafa goes: "I gonna win Wimbledon." :)

[truthaboutluv]

5 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

It is entirely possible I have been subconsciously brainwashed by having to watch that Goddamn "Strokes of Genius" commercial 5 million times wherein Rafa goes: "I gonna win Wimbledon." :)

lmao... Fair enough. 

[theatremouse]

I think best of five is a whole different animal, and Fed may have had a better shot against Coric in that context. That said, after he lost the first set, I didn't expect him to win the match, even after the mostly clean second. Fed is usually very chill during matches, even when he's losing. A visibly vexed Fed is one who will lose. Because if he's perturbed enough to show it, he's REALLY out of sorts. So I wasn't surprised at the outcome. That said, also I do credit Coric. Of the players in his age bracket, I think he might actually have the most upside. I expect him to win multiple slams in a couple years.