Tennis Thread

[topanga]

It saddened me to see Federer lose, but I'm hating the media response: "Is Roger done? Should he retire?" Everyone loses. Except the 1 person who wins the Grand Slam. Yes, this was earlier than usual for him, but it doesn't mean his career his over.

 

 

It's interesting that you say that, because I feel like there's a lot of activity in the crowd (shouting/chanting, flag waving, dressing up), even for non-Aussie players.

I saw this for the first time a few days ago with the Canadian fans. Singing, flag-waving, the hats. It was great.

[truthaboutluv]

I would be more excited to see Kyrgios/Seppi (I like the brash kid, what can I say), but I won't be watching since it'll be on in the middle of the night and I'm not excited enough to stay up for it.

 

 

Yeah that's what's tough about the Open - the live matches are so late, especially when one has work the next day and the replays are shown during the day when I'm at work. That said, I'm actually more interested for Murray/Dimitrov than Kyrgios/Seppi. I just have a feeling Kyrgios is going to come through that one fairly easy. Of course, as I say this, watch me be wrong. Murray and Dimitrov is more up in the air because I believe an on fire Dimitrov could seriously challenge Murray and he sure as hell destroyed him last Wimbledon.

 

But I saw parts of Dimitrov and Baghdatis and he didn't look as sharp. He had moments and flashes and came up with the big points when it mattered but he's not looking as good as he did at Wimbledon last year. And I've heard Murray on the other hand is looking fairly strong - I usually avoid all Murray matches because win or lose he just bores me to tears. 

 

I am also a little wary about Rafa and Anderson. Rafa has done well enough to get to the fourth round but his fitness is clearly not where it needs to be. It's what affected him to where he almost lost that second round match and while he was on fire for the first two sets in his last round, he seemed to run out of gas a little in the third and started getting tight, causing him to almost lose the set. Considering how Anderson all but destroyed Gasquet, I don't think he will be as easy as Rafa's first three opponents and I don't know if he'll have the fitness to keep up if he has to fight for every set.

 

I didn't regard Federer losing as a huge upset anymore, and I suspect that neither did a lot of other people.  Hence, not much to say about it.

 

 

While Federer is by no means the player he once was and I don't think he has another Grand Slam win in him and he's definitely had more uncharacteristic early losses in recent years, he is still competing on a fairly high level. He made the finals of Wimbledon last year and the semifinals of the US Open and by all accounts, came into the Australian Open looking fairly good with a win in Brisbane and not too far behind Djokovic in points. Then there is also the fact that he hadn't lost before the semifinals at Australia since 2008. So saying that, I do think his win was understandably surprising to some. 

Edited January 24, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Ohwell]

I still don't think it was considered that much of an upset for Federer to lose in the 3rd round - now.  Stellar record notwithstanding, he's older, with maybe a couple more years to play.  So no, it wasn't that surprising to me.

[Etta Place]

truthaboutluv: Yeah, the things you mention are what make me less sorry about missing Dimitrov/Murray. I saw Dimitrov/Baghdatis and agree that Dimitrov was not looking in Murray-killing shape. His decision-making was dodgy. I've seen a few minutes here and there of Murray and unfortunately he's looking strong.

[caprice]

I'm amused by some of the tweets and announcements running along the bottom of the screen during the Open. Really? We're still talking about reducing the "grunting" in tennis? Fine the shit out of them and you'll see it stop.

[Etta Place]

They can't even consistently apply a concrete rule like the amount of time between points. There is no hope on something as subjective as how much grunting is a hindrance.

[Etta Place]

Hate to double post, but this is too hilarious to let it go without mention:

 

http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/video/index.html?id=ydpgnecqf_lxhhsbmlt6a0fg5ms1gwwe

 

It's a video from near the end of Nadal's match, when the wind blew over one of his water bottles and the chair umpire asked a ball boy to stand it up again, and the part of the post-match interview pertaining to that.

[topanga]

I'm watching the Cibulkova/Azarenka match. Great one, by the way. But as much talk as there's been over the years about Azarenza's and Sharapova's grunting, Serena's fist pumps and "Come On!"s (which everyone does, by the way), no one has mentioned these things about Cibulkova.

 

Lindsay Davenport and Patrick McEnroe call her "pumped up" and "enthusiastic," but I find some of her behavior unsportsmanlike. Several times during the match, when she one a big point against Vica, she'd stare her down and shout things to her in Slovakian? Russian? It seemed very mean-spirited. Maybe she's simply being ultra-competitive, the way Serena is when she's playing. But I find it interesting that no one commented on it.

[caprice]

I'm watching the Cibulkova/Azarenka match. Great one, by the way. But as much talk as there's been over the years about Azarenza's and Sharapova's grunting, Serena's fist pumps and "Come On!"s (which everyone does, by the way), no one has mentioned these things about Cibulkova.

I snipped the part about DC's behavior, but I was only half watching. I'm taping while watching a few other things and will keep an eye out when I re-watch tomorrow.

As far as the grunting goes, I've actually seen Azarenka play Serena live. When you're there, you don't hear it as much. Since that time, I've been convinced that there are microphones courtside that get cranked to eleven for the dubious benefit of the rest of us, watching from home.

This doesn't change my mind about fining the shit out of loudly and constantly grunting players, male or female. I specify "constantly" because I think we can all agree there is a difference between those who do it on every stroke and those who start in toward the end of long rallies or matches.

[shok]

Hate to double post, but this is too hilarious to let it go without mention:

 

http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/video/index.html?id=ydpgnecqf_lxhhsbmlt6a0fg5ms1gwwe

 

It's a video from near the end of Nadal's match, when the wind blew over one of his water bottles and the chair umpire asked a ball boy to stand it up again, and the part of the post-match interview pertaining to that.

 

That was so cute. I was going to post it myself because I can never get enough of that smile of Rafa's. There was an article in one of the Australian papers that said Rafa is just so happy with how things are going so far that he's like 'a grin on two feet walking around'.  :)  I just hope he can keep it up and his AO jinx stays far far away this year.

[truthaboutluv]

So  I guess Rafa felt about those 17 straight wins and decided to throw Berdych a win? Wow...I cannot off the top of my head remember the last time Rafa played this badly in a Grand Slam and he wasn't injured. Talk about a bad day because man is he having one - nothing is working right now.

[Harry24]

I cannot off the top of my head remember the last time Rafa played this badly in a Grand Slam and he wasn't injured.

 

But I think he was injured.  He wasn't even going for a lot of balls he would at least have tried for normally.  That said, congratulations to Berdych for holding on and getting it done.

[shok]

But I think he was injured.  He wasn't even going for a lot of balls he would at least have tried for normally.  That said, congratulations to Berdych for holding on and getting it done.

 

I don't think he was injured...at least no more so than the tweeks and strains most players have by the QFs of a grand slam tournament. I think he just didn't have it today - didn't have the rhythm, his feet weren't moving, his shots were misfiring. He got up on the wrong side of the bed like many of us often do. :(

 

Not to take anything away from Tomas who played very well but then again, Tomas didn't have much competition and he and Rafa usually play some really good matches against each other. Oh well. On to his beloved clay and hopefully he'll get his good feelings back then.

 

And thank goodness Kyrgios got beaten tonight. If that cocky, foul mouthed, bad tempered punk (who for some reason the umpires refuse to penalize) is what future tennis is going to be, I'll be finding another sport.

[truthaboutluv]

But I think he was injured.  He wasn't even going for a lot of balls he would at least have tried for normally.

 

 

I saw the match and got no indication that Rafa was injured and he certainly didn't act like he was. The trainer was never called and he never took a medical timeout. In his second round match he was clearly suffering in some way. Last night, he just played two very, very bad sets and when he finally got his feet moving a little, it was just too late because he couldn't make a dent in Berdych's serve, not to mention he was still struggling with his serve. It was disappointing. 

 

I had little expectation coming into the Australian because everyone knew how little match play he'd had and after all the one warm-up event he played, he lost in the first round to a qualifier. But he actually was playing pretty well, I thought. He looked great against Youhzny, the second round seemed a combination of his fitness not being where it needed to be and the humidity getting to him but he pulled it out and he was on fire against Sela and Anderson. But the Rafa that showed up for those first two sets just looked lost and Cahill pretty much summed it up, "he was just having a very, very bad day..."

 

So on one hand I'm glad for Berdych he avoided the lovely distinction of being the only player to lose to someone 18 straight times but honestly he really didn't have to do much last night other than just keep calm, stay steady and keep his serve in play. Rafa pretty much beat himself about an hour into that match. As for Murray and Kyrgios, have to say, I wasn't expecting Murray to take care of business so definitively but good for him. This match was kind of a toss up for me - on one end Murray bores me to tears not to mention he's kind of incredibly whiny and on the other Kyrgios is pretty obnoxious and I don't know that the courts would be able to fit his ego if he'd made a Grand Slam semifinal. It already barely can with only a few big wins. 

[Etta Place]

Tomas Berdych ... I just can't like the guy or enjoy watching him. I didn't expect Rafa to go all the way or anything, but that was not a pretty way to go out. It's a shame that he seemed to spend the second set mentally sailing in Mallorca or something.

[Ohwell]

And thank goodness Kyrgios got beaten tonight. If that cocky, foul mouthed, bad tempered punk (who for some reason the umpires refuse to penalize) is what future tennis is going to be, I'll be finding another sport.

When I first saw Kyrgios last year I defended him because he was young and just coming into public view, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and figured he'd calm down and act better.  But no, he's really is an arrogant little prick.  I'm so glad Murray took him to the woodshed and gave him a good spanking.

[shok]

Kyrgios better practice his ducking skills because some of the older players are going to be aiming some high hard ones right at his kisser when he gets into the net. His behaviour towards his opponents is disgraceful and I'm going to enjoy seeing him taken down a peg or two out on the court. I'm sure there will be some interesting goings-on in the locker room too.

[Harry24]

His behaviour towards his opponents is disgraceful

 

I hadn't realized that, shok.  I was aware that his style offended some, and that he was prone to audible expletives on court, but I didn't realize that he was being a jerk to his opponents.  What happened?

[shok]

I didn't watch a lot of his matches but just from the brief glimpses I got, I can think of two. When Seppi hit an ace, the punk threw his racquet as if he couldn't believe Seppi could hit a shot like that against him. Then in the Murray match, they had a pretty good rally and Andy's shot missed wide and Kyrgio went running all around his half of the court celebrating like a mad man. You could tell Andy was royally pissed off and his next serve was hit a million miles an hour.

 

Some of the commies, Patrick McEnroe was one I particularly noted, were going on and on about how good Kyrgios was for the game. Meanwhile, quite a few people in the audience were a far bit less enthused. He yelled at one young woman who was texting to 'get off your fucking phone', and three people who got up to leave were told to 'sit the fuck down'. An Australian newspaper ran an online poll asking if people approved of the punk's behaviour or if they thought it was embarrassing to Australia's image. Of the over 15,000 people who responded, 74% said they were embarrassed. PMac and the rest of them better wise up and realize that the idiot is going to tarnish tennis' image too.

[mojoween]

I did enjoy watching both matches last night with the Williams sisters, and nothing against the ladies, but is there any particular reason they are shown first every night?

I would like to watch some men's matches in prime-time without having to stay up to 2 am to do it.

I thought Lindsay Davenport's attempts to stay composed when Madison Keys was close to winning were adorable.

And now I know the answer to a trivia question...Hingis, Henin and Cjlisters are the only women to beat both Williams sisters in the same tourney. Impressive list, that.

[Harry24]

When Seppi hit an ace, the punk threw his racquet as if he couldn't believe Seppi could hit a shot like that against him. Then in the Murray match, they had a pretty good rally and Andy's shot missed wide and Kyrgio went running all around his half of the court celebrating like a mad man. You could tell Andy was royally pissed off and his next serve was hit a million miles an hour.

 

Thanks, shok.  I had read about the comments to the fans, but I had missed these nuggets.

[Ohwell]

I did enjoy watching both matches last night with the Williams sisters, and nothing against the ladies, but is there any particular reason they are shown first every night?

 

I would like to watch some men's matches in prime-time without having to stay up to 2 am to do it.

I agree.  Is there a "ladies play first" rule in tennis?  Because if not, then it doesn't make sense to always have the women playing first.  I'm tired of having to stay up late to see the men play.

[yourstruly]

I think it's that if the men go first and it's some 4+ hour five set match, then the women would not get started until midnight. I have seen night sessions where the men went first, but that's rare. And since the semifinals for the women are the day after the quarterfinals, it would be unfair to make them play their quarterfinal that late.

 

 

I still don't think it was considered that much of an upset for Federer to lose in the 3rd round - now.  Stellar record notwithstanding, he's older, with maybe a couple more years to play.  So no, it wasn't that surprising to me.

I think it was surprising that he lost to Seppi of all people. I heard that Navratilova said it was a catch-22, you get older, you realize you are running out of time (my prediction-he retires next year at the absolute latest), you realize you are running out of chances, and it makes you play tighter and you lose more and more.

[truthaboutluv]

Some of the commies, Patrick McEnroe was one I particularly noted, were going on and on about how good Kyrgios was for the game.

 

 

This is hardly surprising in the least - Patrick McEnroe is the brother of John McEnroe after all, of course he's not going to think anything Kyrgios is doing is so bad. Also not for nothing, people like Patrick do have a tendency to reward what they view as "brash and bold" behavior, which is what I'm sure he views Kyrgios as. That he's just a confident, brash and bold kid who isn't afraid to stare down and take on the big guys and that's great for the game.

 

And hey, I'm the first person to applaud confidence and I don't even have an issue with some arrogance as I've always believed all champions have some level of arrogance in them. But there is a big difference between confidence and even arrogance versus rude and obnoxious behavior. That is just unappealing in anyone. But like I said after Wimbledon, give it time - when those expected big wins don't come as quickly as everyone predicted or expected he'll be humbled, willingly or not. 

 

An Australian newspaper ran an online poll asking if people approved of the punk's behaviour or if they thought it was embarrassing to Australia's image. Of the over 15,000 people who responded, 74% said they were embarrassed.

 

 

This also doesn't surprise me. Australians have always had a love/hate with their own players if they didn't like something about their attitude. They were the same about Lleyton Hewitt some years ago and Lleyton was by no means as arrogant as Kyrgios.  Largely because Lleyton actually saw himself as an underdog - he wasn't the biggest (in the era of Safin, Juan Carlos, Philloppousis) or the one expected to be great (that was Federer and Roddick actually) but he had his bratty moments and then there were the "come on's" that many thought was pretty rude. And so while they would support him in his matches just like they do Kyrgios, they weren't always happy with him.

 

PMac and the rest of them better wise up and realize that the idiot is going to tarnish tennis' image too.

 

 

Doubt it. Unless he starts winning and dominating like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have, I doubt many people will care that much. And tennis has survived many unpleasant personalities throughout the decades. Again, tennis survived McEnroe and his temper tantrums and antics. 

 

So it's a good thing I did not bet on last night's women quarterfinals because I totally picked Venus to win her match and Serena possibly end up in danger against Cibulkova. Instead Serena pretty much destroyed Cibulkova and to Venus' credit, she almost had it but kudos to Keys. Guess she's the new star since Sloane seems to currently be in limbo. 

 

I also thought Stan and Kei would have been a little more competitive but kudos to Stan, doing well defending his title. I don't know if he has another big win against Djokovic like he did last year but I wouldn't bet against him. Murray should beat Berdych tonight but Berdych may be riding really high on confidence right now, ridding that Rafa record off his back and he's apparently gone through the draw not dropping a set.

Edited January 28, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[mojoween]

I'm a Grand Slam tennis fan and don't tend to watch any of the other tourneys through the year, so question for those of you who do - is the Serena/Sharapova final ho-hum, more of the same or is it exciting to see the top two players meet for the title?

[MyAimIsTrue]

I only watch Grand Slam events as well and to me it's a ho-hum matchup.  I happen to like both players (though Sharapova's grunting grates on my nerves) but it would be nice, at least in my opinion, to see some fresh faces win a major championship.

[Harry24]

is the Serena/Sharapova final ho-hum

 

Well, Maria's record against Serena is almost in Berdych-Nadal territory: Serena has won the last 15 times!  The last time Maria won was over ten years ago.  And the last time they played in the final of a major was the French in 2013.

 

So ... does that make it more exciting, wondering if Maria can break the streak, or more ho-hum because it will likely be one-sided?

[truthaboutluv]

I happen to like both players (though Sharapova's grunting grates on my nerves) but it would be nice, at least in my opinion, to see some fresh faces win a major championship.

 

 

As someone who was happy when Kei and Cilic made the finals of the US Open because it was nice for the first time in almost 10 years to see a final without either Nadal, Federer, Djokovic or Murray, I don't think this applies to the women's game. Yes Serena has been fairly dominant but the women's game has seen many other faces win a Slam.

 

Just last year, the Australian Open final was between Cibulkova and Li Na, the French Open was between Sharapova and Halep, Wimbledon was between Kvitova and Bouchard and the US Open was between Serena and Wozniacki. In the past five years we've seen Grand Slam wins from Kvitova, Azarenka, Li Na, Bartoli, Stosur, etc. Yes Serena is often a looming presence but I'd say the women's game has a lot of unpredictability, far more than the men's game that's for sure. 

 

As for Sharapova and Serena in the finals - well the odds certainly aren't in Maria's favor as Harry24 noted. Serena has pretty much dominated their head to head in the last eight years or so. Maria looked good coming into Australia, winning at Brisbane, although she didn't play Serena to win it and many picked her as a favorite. Still, I've watched some of her matches and she's still irregular with her serve just like she's been since coming back from shoulder surgery many years ago. She can hit some huge winners/aces but also pile up on the double faults. And it's just hard to bet against Serena in a final. 

[dcalley]

Ugh, I can't believe I watched that entire crappy match (Djokovic-Wawrinka). It was awful. Even the line judges were awful. P.U.

 

ETA: It was so awful that it made me forget for a while how much I enjoyed watching the women's doubles finals earlier and also Hingis/Paes in the mixed semis. They were having fun and doing well.

 

Edited January 30, 2015 by dcalley

[Harry24]

also Hingis/Paes in the mixed semis.

 

That was a delightful match.  I thought the Taiwanese woman, Hsieh, was amazing with her lobs and disguise.  The announcers called her a female Santoro, and they weren't far off.

 

As for the singles, blech.  Four finalists I don't like and, worse, don't care about.  Well, it's still been a fun almost-two weeks.

[Etta Place]

I was going to stay up to watch Wawrinka/Djokovic but now I'm glad i didn't. I have zero interest in the final now. I hope they both lose.

[Ohwell]

I don't care about the four finalists either.  Just like I don't care about the two finalists in the Super Bowl.  I'll certainly be watching other stuff  on TV this weekend.

[BitterApple]

I'm a Grand Slam tennis fan and don't tend to watch any of the other tourneys through the year, so question for those of you who do - is the Serena/Sharapova final ho-hum, more of the same or is it exciting to see the top two players meet for the title?

I think the final is going to be ho-hum and Serena will win like she usually does against Maria. I'm predicting Sharapova's serve will tank and she just doesn't have the foot speed to run down balls.

 

The Murray/Djokovic final is the more compelling match. I'm hoping Murray pulls out the W.

[shok]

I'm rooting for Murray too but it's more of an anti-Djokovic root than anything. ;)

 

That Djerk/Wawrinka semi was embarrassingly bad. 120 UEs between them???? Yikes.

[crimsongrl]

I'm a Grand Slam tennis fan and don't tend to watch any of the other tourneys through the year, so question for those of you who do - is the Serena/Sharapova final ho-hum, more of the same or is it exciting to see the top two players meet for the title?

I wanted to answer your question earlier but I was worried I'd jinx Serena. I thought I might have used up all my sports wishes keeping the Dallas Cowboys from getting to the Superbowl but Serena got to 19 anyway! :)

There's nothing I love more than watching Maria lose, so I'm always excited to see them play in a Final!

As for the Men: I don't care for either player but I want Murray to win so everyone who gave Amelie Mauresmo a hard time for coaching a Men's player can eat a bowl of crow!

[mojoween]

Is there a rule that you can't wear different dresses throughout the tourney? I didn't see much of Serena because Maria was always on when I was watching, but I noticed that Maria wore that same pink dress every match. I would think someone as image concious as Maria would want to show off as many options as possible so I was wondering if it was a rule, or perhaps just a superstition on her part.

My hubby and I were watching her play the other day and I couldn't help but notice that there was no visible bra line so I posited that she had a built in bra in what I called her "$300 tennis dress" and he snorted and said "$300? Maybe the stitches cost that much."

When Serena is not being a jerk, I really really like her so I'm happy for her to get to 19. Too bad in about four months everyone is going to ramp up the talk about 20.

Edited January 31, 2015 by mojoween

[truthaboutluv]

This wasn't a bad match. Maria did well to keep the second set close, saving all those break points and even saving a couple of match points. That said, I knew she wasn't going to win the tie-break because tie-breaks favor the server and her serve is still not where it needs to be while Serena is just insane with these aces and perfectly placed serves. Maria had some good serves and she was definitely more consistent with it in the second set but she still had way too many missed first serves.

 

That said, ultimately this match solidified what I and I'm sure many already know, that there is nothing in Maria's game that can hurt Serena. Their styles are very similar but unfortunately for Maria, everything she does, Serena does better. At this point, all she can hope for to ever win a match against Serena, is for her to have a wacky off day like Rafa had against Berdych that allowed him to break that long losing streak against Rafa. 

 

I thought both women gave very well spoken, classy speeches and it was nice seeing Serena so genuinely moved by her win and her success. That said, it may have just been me, but I was slightly bothered by their praising of each other, knowing their history so it was hard to not feel like it was all very fake. Or I guess I can give them the benefit of the doubt and say they've genuinely moved past all that. 

 

I also have no clue why I listened to the commentary because Chris Evert was so annoying, although her barely contained seething realizing Serena was about to pass her Grand Slam record was delicious. She was so desperate for Maria to win that match it bordered on pathetic at times. 

Edited February 2, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[KFC]

Is there a rule that you can't wear different dresses throughout the tourney? I didn't see much of Serena because Maria was always on when I was watching, but I noticed that Maria wore that same pink dress every match. I would think someone as image concious as Maria would want to show off as many options as possible so I was wondering if it was a rule, or perhaps just a superstition on her part.

 

The players usually only wear one outfit for the entire tournament but I don't think it's a tournament rule but rather something they decide with their brands? Their brands (Nike in Maria and Serena's case) design a kit for each top player (hat, dress or separates, wristbands/headbands, paired with shoes, etc) which they wear throughout the duration of the tournament. I think it's probably not cost-effective to design multiple looks for each of the top athletes, so they just design one look for each player. I'm sure Nike has to limit their looks in particular because they sponsor so many of the top WTA players (Serena, Maria, Petra Kvitova, Eugenie Bouchard, formerly Li Na, Victoria Azarenka).

 

And if you're a top athlete you don't want to wear the same thing as your competitor if you share the same brand sponsorship, so that's probably why Nike isn't having all their players wear a different dress each match from their AO line. It would dilute the brand, so to speak. Maria wouldn't want to be associated with Serena's lime green/magenta, and Serena wouldn't want to be associated with Maria's coral dress. Although it happens from time to time, especially with the Adidas players. I think Halep and Ivanovic both wore that same Adidas black dress during their match at the Year End Championships in 2014.

 

U.S. Open is the only time when they players will wear a different dress, a second look for the night matches.

[dcalley]

As for the Men: I don't care for either player but I want Murray to win so everyone who gave Amelie Mauresmo a hard time for coaching a Men's player can eat a bowl of crow!

This, definitely this, plus Murray played better in his semi than Djokovic did.

 

 

The players usually only wear one outfit for the entire tournament but I don't think it's a tournament rule but rather something they decide with their brands? Their brands (Nike in Maria and Serena's case) design a kit for each top player (hat, dress or separates, wristbands/headbands, paired with shoes, etc) which they wear throughout the duration of the tournament. I think it's probably not cost-effective to design multiple looks for each of the top athletes, so they just design one look for each player. I'm sure Nike has to limit their looks in particular because they sponsor so many of the top WTA players (Serena, Maria, Petra Kvitova, Eugenie Bouchard, formerly Li Na, Victoria Azarenka).

 

And if you're a top athlete you don't want to wear the same thing as your competitor if you share the same brand sponsorship

I feel like noting that a lot of the men wear the same thing the entire tournament, too.

 

The outfits are more memorable if the player is always wearing the same thing, so the brand probably likes that, too. If you're a huge fan of player A, you might go out and buy that outfit. I am happy not to have to see Nike's highlighter colors any longer. Maria must have said no to that!

[selkie]

The Novak Djokovic special collection from Uniqlo consists of three different  shirts colors  and two different short colors:

 

http://www.uniqlo.com/us/men/featured/novak-djokovic.html

 

It's also kind of expensive compared to Uniqlo's normal product line- they're largely The Gap of Japan with a few different special collections every season.

[truthaboutluv]

You know, Murray whines quite a bit about how mean the British press can be towards him at times but matches like tonight's explain their attitude. Like WTAF - he just all but went away in the match and just seemed to stop trying. And then the plodding, woe is me walk got more pronounced, complete with reaching for the knee, shoulder, head, etc. like everything on him ached. Djokovic himself wasn't even playing that great but those last two sets, once he got the break back in the third, he didn't have to do much to win because Murray all but just folded. What a boring and disappointing men's final, especially because the first two sets started off so well and with so much promise. 

Edited February 1, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Ohwell]

I hate that noise that Murray makes when he serves, so I didn't watch much of the final. 

 

Speaking of tennis outfits, the one that Venus wore looked like something grandma would wear if she played tennis. 

[Harry24]

 

 

I hate that noise that Murray makes when he serves, so I didn't watch much of the final.

Speaking of tennis outfits, the one that Venus wore looked like something grandma would wear if she played tennis.

Get outta my head, Ohwell!  I've remarked on many occasions that Murray's serve grunt sounds just like (the much-missed) Elena Dementieva.  But it doesn't annoy me as much as it amuses me.

 

And I remarked on another tennis board that Venus's dress, while a nice fabric and color, is cut perfectly for the geriatric tennis gal.  Is it possible V was thinking of selling tons of them to the over 60 set?

[selkie]

The Williams sisters seem to have a decent head for business so it could be they're trying to come up with something a little more all ages here.

[Ohwell]

Well, if that's the case, since Serena's outfit had the back out, she's going for the younger age group and Venus must be going for the older ones.

[shok]

I was so glad to hear the commentators on ESPN finally call out Djokovic for his gamesmanship last night. Apparently Sky and Eurosport were just as turned off and twitter was ablaze with journalists and media and pundits commenting on his swooning and swanning and fake injuries. Novak pulls his stunts over and over again and has done so for years but this is the first time I've heard the media come down on him for it.

 

Murray should have dealt with it better as he knows full well what Djokovic does but at least he took responsibility in his press conference and acknowledged that he shouldn't have let it get to him and that it was all his own fault that he let it bother him. Murray is so frustrating to watch. He should have won that match in straights but he let it get away from him again. I know Rafa says that 'if' doesn't exist in sports but Murray must lie awake at night and rue all the 'what ifs' he's had.

[topanga]

 

I also have no clue why I listened to the commentary because Chris Evert was so annoying, although her barely contained seething realizing Serena was about to pass her Grand Slam record was delicious. She was so desperate for Maria to win that match it bothered on pathetic at times.

I watched the Tennis Channel broadcast w/ Martina. And while she can be unfairly harsh to Serena at times, she does give praise where praise is due. When a male commentator (Patrick Mac, maybe?) suggested that she didn't really want Serena to reach 19, Martina insisted that she did want Serena to pass her record because Serena has worked hard all of these years and deserved to be #2 (in the open era).

 

--And I loved that when Martina went on an on about Serena's power, she admitted that Serena's fans contact her to remind her that Serena's game is about more than power. And she reluctantly agreed that Serena's game also includes strategy, mental toughness, and angles, but power is the thing that separates her from other players the most. But that isn't exactly true. Venus hits the ball just as hard as Serena, and if overpowering opponents were all it took to win Grand Slams, then the sisters would be even.

 

 

 

What a boring and disappointing men's final, especially because the first two sets started off so well and with so much promise.

I watched the Men's semi-final matches but not the Finals. Maybe it's because I enjoy watching the women's matches more. When the women play, their body movements and acrobatic shots are more dance-like, making the match more entertaining for me. The Men also hit the ball at some amazing angles, but theirs really is more of a power game, I suppose. I don't mean to sound hypocritical by saying the men are all about power. But maybe I am.

Edited February 2, 2015 by topanga

[renard]

Roger just posted his Spring/Early Summer schedule: [hardcourts] Dubai, Indian Wells, [clay] Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros, [grass] Halle, Wimbledon. No Miami giving him an extra 2 weeks before clay, an only 1 back-to-back (Madrid and Rome) otherwise anywhere from 1-3 weeks between tournaments. He didn't mention Davis Cup though. I'd suspect Cincinnati and Canada before the USOpen and 2-3 indoor Fall tournament, including Basel, before the year-end championships.

[crimsongrl]

Serena Williams returns to Indian Wells after 14 year boycott
 

I'd forgotten all about that disgusting incident, but I'm happy for Serena that she's ready to forgive and move forward.

 

Her match is on Friday at 10pm EST on the Tennis channel.

[truthaboutluv]

Interesting article about Rafa. 

 

http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/03/14/myth-or-man-why-is-rafael-nadal-a-protected-species/

 

Curious to read the comments here. I will just say this, whatever legitimate point the author may have had was minimized when he allowed his very obvious Federer bias and agenda to shine through.