Tennis Thread

[TVbitch]

This Murray/Tsitsipas match is getting painful to watch.

I like Murray but I don't think he has it in him to go that far. Stephanos on a REALLY good day stands a better chance against Novak, but after last week's cheating scandal and his head getting a bit inflated with his own brand, he could use a little humbling. 

[Harry24]

15 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

This Murray/Tsitsipas match is getting painful to watch.

I like Murray but I don't think he has it in him to go that far. Stephanos on a REALLY good day stands a better chance against Novak, but after last week's cheating scandal and his head getting a bit inflated with his own brand, he could use a little humbling. 

What does it say about how much I dislike ND that I won’t be disappointed if ST beats AM?  

[Medicine Crow]

1 hour ago, TVbitch said:

This Murray/Tsitsipas match is getting painful to watch.

I like Murray but I don't think he has it in him to go that far. Stephanos on a REALLY good day stands a better chance against Novak, but after last week's cheating scandal and his head getting a bit inflated with his own brand, he could use a little humbling. 

What cheating scandal???

[TVbitch]

I wrote about it in detail upthread, @Medicine Crow.

[roseha]

For anyone who wants to avoid the ESPN talking heads, ESPN plus or Watch Espn (whatever they call it now) is $6 a month and I was able to watch the court I wanted so far today with no commercials*. You browse until you find Tennis and it shows the matches.  I only saw part of Murray/ Tsitsispas but I think it works for all the matches at least for now.

*okay I am watching Tiafoe there now and there are a few commercials but it’s much better than the ESPN usual.

Edited August 31, 2021 by roseha

[Medicine Crow]

2 hours ago, TVbitch said:

I wrote about it in detail upthread, @Medicine Crow.

Yes, I knew about THAT ... I thought there was something new.  Thanks.

[Medicine Crow]

Has anyone seen my favourite Umpire, Mo(hamed Lahyani, today?

[Lady Whistleup]

An article about how tennis players are surprisingly resistant to getting the covid vaccine.

[shok]

9 hours ago, TVbitch said:

I like Murray but I don't think he has it in him to go that far. Stephanos on a REALLY good day stands a better chance against Novak,

I like Andy too and admire his grit in trying to play on a new hip but the whole scenario makes me just crazy at how awful the media coverage of tennis is these days. If a hobbled Andy can almost beat the no. 3 ranked player who is being touted as a possibly capable opponent for Djokovic, it's a pretty strong statement about how dreadful the younger generation of tennis players is. Djokovic isn't as terrific as the media plays him up to be! He has no opposition for gawd's sake! Older guys are injured and aging and younger players, several generations worth of them, have been horribly inept. I heard today's match called 'epic' several times. Sheesh, it wasn't epic. It was long, and exciting tennis shots were few and far between.

[BitterApple]

7 hours ago, shok said:

I like Andy too and admire his grit in trying to play on a new hip but the whole scenario makes me just crazy at how awful the media coverage of tennis is these days. If a hobbled Andy can almost beat the no. 3 ranked player who is being touted as a possibly capable opponent for Djokovic, it's a pretty strong statement about how dreadful the younger generation of tennis players is. Djokovic isn't as terrific as the media plays him up to be! He has no opposition for gawd's sake! Older guys are injured and aging and younger players, several generations worth of them, have been horribly inept. I heard today's match called 'epic' several times. Sheesh, it wasn't epic. It was long, and exciting tennis shots were few and far between.

I agree. The younger generation of players are too inconsistent, and don't have the mental toughness required to succeed on tour as long as Fed, Nadal, and Djokovic have. And quite frankly, I think many of them are unlikeable. Aside from FAA, I struggle to find anyone on the men's side to root for.

[Medicine Crow]

I'm sorry that Nick, as capable as he is, embarrasses himself on a regular basis.  What a waste!!

[khyber]

Some great 5 set tie breaks today!

[emmawoodhouse]

17 minutes ago, khyber said:

Some great 5 set tie breaks today!

I got pulled away from the Seppi match and missed the tiebreak. Holy cow!

[TVbitch]

Wooo, this Rune kid just took a very competitive set off Dj! Go baby, go!!!

... ...Nevermind.

Apparently winning that set destroyed him. : D 

Edited September 1, 2021 by TVbitch

[Crashcourse]

Welp, at least the kid can say he took one set from Djoker.

[emmawoodhouse]

Chris Evert was shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, that the fans weren't lovingly backing Novaxx. Sure, he's chasing the calendar Slam, but doesn't she realize how unlikable he is? 

[Medicine Crow]

16 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Chris Evert was shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, that the fans weren't lovingly backing Novaxx. Sure, he's chasing the calendar Slam, but doesn't she realize how unlikable he is? 

... not to mention insincere on a whole new level.

[truthaboutluv]

4 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Wooo, this Rune kid just took a very competitive set off Dj! Go baby, go!!!

... ...Nevermind.

Apparently winning that set destroyed him. : D 

Literally as he was winning the set, I yawningly said to my screen, "well, at least you can say you won a set." Because I knew how this would go. 

[NUguy514]

3 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Chris Evert was shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, that the fans weren't lovingly backing Novaxx. Sure, he's chasing the calendar Slam, but doesn't she realize how unlikable he is? 

She sounds doped up on pills or something at the best of times, so I can't imagine any lucid thought – like, for instance, the obvious reasons why every normal tennis fan has enormous antipathy for Djoker – ever occurs to her.

[shok]

It's not just Evert going on and on about Djokovic, it's the whole damn crew! Everybody, all of the announcers and colour commies, were blathering endlessly about Djerk and his effort to make history. Pissed me right off how they kept telling the audience that everybody should be excited about him possibly setting a record. Well, I'm not excited in the least and no I don't want him to win.

Plus, it isn't even a damn record!!!! Laver's already done it twice so what's the big deal about Djerk doing it again, albeit some 50 years later. Rafa's accomplishments on clay with his 13 FOs and 12 Barcelonas, 11 Monte Carlos and 10 Rome titles - now those are records that nobody else is likely to achieve and can truly be called historical. Fed has some records of his own too, as do a number of other history worthy tennis players. The tennis media makes me crazy.

[blackwing]

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/32120951/alexander-zverev-shares-frustration-fellow-tennis-star-stefano-tsitsipas-long-bathroom-breaks

Zverev complained about it.  Now Murray complained about it.  Isn't it obvious what's happening here?  Stefanos asks for a bathroom break, takes his phone into the toilet, takes (or pretends to take) a dump and is texting his dad/coach and asking for advice.

How is this allowed?  Either 1) make him show that he is leaving his phone on court when he leaves, 2) search him before he goes into the locker room, or 3) ban the dad.

Have any of the commentators said anything about this?

On 8/31/2021 at 10:39 AM, BitterApple said:

I agree. The younger generation of players are too inconsistent, and don't have the mental toughness required to succeed on tour as long as Fed, Nadal, and Djokovic have. And quite frankly, I think many of them are unlikeable. Aside from FAA, I struggle to find anyone on the men's side to root for.

Berretini seems like a good guy, as does Hubert Hurkasz.  I think either of them have much better chances than Zverev or Tsitsipas at taking down Novaxx.

[CountryGirl]

I rolled my eyes so hard when the commentators (probably Brad "Shut Up" Gilbert") said how the crowd shouldn't have been behind Rune as this was Novak's year. And WTAF? He doesn't own the fans and I DGAF about his record.

Yes, he has the wins but so many of those have come against lesser talents, who were physically and/or mentally not up to par (kind of like right now). 

So his slams don't really mean that much to me. 

[truthaboutluv]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

Have any of the commentators said anything about this?

Chris Evert and Darren Cahill discussed it yesterday and both agreed that there is very likely some level of gamesmanship going on by Stefanos but the larger issue is a Tennis Association problem. In other words, they need to change the rules to institute a clear time limit on how long bathroom breaks can last. 

I actually, until this drama with Stefanos, didn't even realize there wasn't a time limit. Apparently the rule is "a reasonable amount of time." Well as Darren stressed, one person's reasonable is different from another's.

The same way they instituted the time clock between serves after years of people complaining about some players taking too much, they really need to do the same for bathroom breaks. 

 

47 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

I rolled my eyes so hard when the commentators (probably Brad "Shut Up" Gilbert") said how the crowd shouldn't have been behind Rune as this was Novak's year.

It's especially ridiculous as tennis fans, particularly the New York crowd, love rooting for underdogs. 

[blackwing]

18 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

Chris Evert and Darren Cahill discussed it yesterday and both agreed that there is very likely some level of gamesmanship going on by Stefanos but the larger issue is a Tennis Association problem. In other words, they need to change the rules to institute a clear time limit on how long bathroom breaks can last. 

I actually, until this drama with Stefanos, didn't even realize there wasn't a time limit. Apparently the rule is "a reasonable amount of time." Well as Darren stressed, one person's reasonable is different from another's.

The same way they instituted the time clock between serves after years of people complaining about some players taking too much, they really need to do the same for bathroom breaks. 

 

It's especially ridiculous as tennis fans, particularly the New York crowd, love rooting for underdogs. 

I do agree with Darren on this... what is reasonable to one is not necessarily reasonable to another.  Urination shouldn't take that long, but what happens if someone has to defecate?  Some people are fast poopers and done in a minute while others can sit there for 15 minutes.

I think the one thing that does need to change is the use of phones to communicate with parents/coaches.  This should be something that can be easily addressed.  I would say that players cannot access their phones at all during a match.  They have to deposit their phones in a box in front of the chair umpire and can retrieve them when the match is over.  Why hasn't this rule been instituted yet?  Wasn't there some other player recently besides Tsitsipas who was accused of doing the same thing with a parent or coach, or am I thinking of his Zverev incident?

[theatremouse]

I was under the impression it already is against the rules for them to have their phones during a match, including bathroom breaks and change of clothing breaks, but they're not - say - searched for them. It's more a "if you get caught with one, you're warned and fined" kinda thing.

[BitterApple]

3 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

I rolled my eyes so hard when the commentators (probably Brad "Shut Up" Gilbert") said how the crowd shouldn't have been behind Rune as this was Novak's year. And WTAF? He doesn't own the fans and I DGAF about his record.

Ugh, I hate when they make comments like that. The fans paid good money and they can root for whomever the hell they choose to root for. One thing I've always loved about the Open crowd is how they cheer on the underdogs. Brad is such an idiot.

 

[Harry24]

14 hours ago, shok said:

It's not just Evert going on and on about Djokovic, it's the whole damn crew! Everybody, all of the announcers and colour commies, were blathering endlessly about Djerk and his effort to make history.

One of the big drags about watching any ESPN broadcast is its RELENTLESS dedication to hyping the planned story line.  It’s so tiresome.  I’m pretty sure that’s what led to Mary Carillo leaving ESPN many years ago.  I’m honestly not sure how Mary Jo F and Darren C manage to sidestep joining in on the hype machine.

That said, I’m so excited for tonight’s Coco-Sloane match.  I hope it’s a good one.  It’s just fun to be pumped for a tennis match again.

My secret hope is that Barty and Osaka start a rivalry in the finals at this tournament.  It could be a thing of beauty for years to come.

Edited September 1, 2021 by Harry24

[Medicine Crow]

I had pretty negative feelings about Aryna Sabalenka until today.  After the match, she was signing autographs, etc., & a little boy asked her for something.  She went back to her seat, picked up her towel & gave it to the young lad.  What a kind thing to do & the lad was SO happy.  Nice play Aryna!!!

[CouchTater]

A few years ago I heard a commentator (maybe Darren Cahill?) make the point that treatment for injuries has a time limit, but the comfort/bathroom break does not.  That blew my mind.  And makes no sense.  

[theatremouse]

In some cases I get it, like when the path to the restroom is super far away from the court in question vs when it's just inside. But still they could have a time limit on the "once you actually get inside the bathroom" part. I see why they might feel icky about time limiting bathroom breaks since it's a biological necessity, but on the other hand they could put a limit in the sense of if you can't finish within X you're disqualified, same as you would be if the medical timeout weren't enough... it's weird though. If they are sneaking phones in, though, I imagine a couple texts can go through in the amount of time it does take people to actually go to the bathroom, so the answer might be more stringent prevention of phone presence.

[CountryGirl]

Okay, are TPTB trying to cause injuries? Ridiculous expecting play on Armstrong court with the rain coming in. 

[dcalley]

$200 million for a completely new Armstrong stadium and it can't keep out the rain. Meanwhile Ashe, which had a roof added to an existing structure, is fine.

 

edit: Well, apparently spectators are getting wet inside Ashe, too, but it's nowhere near as bad as this:

Edited September 2, 2021 by dcalley

[Medicine Crow]

The driving/sideways rain is blowing into both “indoor” venues, making is rather miserable (& loud) for fans & players.  Can’t believe the rain ... it’s almost “Biblical”.

[emmawoodhouse]

The court was flooded! Insane. 

[SeriousPurrs]

10 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

Chris Evert and Darren Cahill discussed it yesterday and both agreed that there is very likely some level of gamesmanship going on by Stefanos but the larger issue is a Tennis Association problem. In other words, they need to change the rules to institute a clear time limit on how long bathroom breaks can last. 

I actually, until this drama with Stefanos, didn't even realize there wasn't a time limit. Apparently the rule is "a reasonable amount of time." Well as Darren stressed, one person's reasonable is different from another's.

The same way they instituted the time clock between serves after years of people complaining about some players taking too much, they really need to do the same for bathroom breaks. 

 

The next step--each player takes his own bathroom break after Stefanos comes back to court.

Would he or fans like that?

 

[emmawoodhouse]

I can't believe Armstrong was ready to play on this morning. I think they said there was an hour delay, but the way it looked last night, it's amazing. 

[theatremouse]

They have...like....suction drainage, right? I don't know the real term, but it's not just drains with gravity sending the water down, there are vacuums or something too if I'm remembering right.

[Crashcourse]

I'm watching an interview with Reilly Opelka right now and, my God, he looks just like the GEICO cave man.

[Medicine Crow]

1 hour ago, theatremouse said:

They have...like....suction drainage, right? I don't know the real term, but it's not just drains with gravity sending the water down, there are vacuums or something too if I'm remembering right.

They must have something other than gravity.  The pictures today didn't reveal a leaf out of place!!  Amazing.

[blackwing]

I watched the Berrettini match, he played against someone named Corentine Moutet whose first name sounds just like quarantine but with a C.  Berry looked sloppy in the first two sets but then he stepped it up and his game in the third and fourth sets was very workmanlike and powerful.  It's amazing how fast and well he moves considering he is so big.  I'm hoping he can take out Novaxx in the quarters.

I've never seen Moutet before but he is kind of hotheaded.  The commentators kept talking about how he put on such a good show for the crowd.  All I saw was someone who kept telling the chair that he couldn't hear him, almost slammed his racket a few times, and slammed a ball out of the stadium in disgust after he double faulted.

I've never understood TV's love for the "butt shot" view that is often shown on TV.  We get this when the player on the near side of the court is receiving the ball on the right.  There is a cameraman sitting in a chair in the bottom right corner of the court, and he always treats us to this shot from eye level perspective looking towards the serving player, but invariably it is mostly just a view of the receiving player's butt.  Why?  So we can see what it's like from the receiver's perspective?  It's so hard to see the ball with this angle and if viewers wanted to look at players' butts I'm sure we could just google.

 

14 hours ago, SeriousPurrs said:

The next step--each player takes his own bathroom break after Stefanos comes back to court.

Would he or fans like that?

 

The complaints seem to be twofold... 1) Stefanos is playing mind games by taking or pretending to take really long dumps, it makes the opponent wait and pisses him off and hopefully he plays poorly, and 2) Stefanos is texting his dad and getting advice on what to do differently in the next game/set.

He seems to be purposefully doing both, and both suck.  I hope the tour addresses this, since he definitely seems to be a repeat offender.

[Medicine Crow]

I get four ESPN channels showing tennis & right now they're playing a re-run of Pospisil/Ivashka on one channel, Bianca on two & Djokovic on the fourth.  WTH?? There are at least four other matches going on that are more interesting!!!
 

[TVbitch]

Brooksby/Taylor has been an amazing match so far. 1 set all!  Watching on the Watch ESPN steaming app!

[truthaboutluv]

21 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Brooksby/Taylor has been an amazing match so far. 1 set all!  Watching on the Watch ESPN steaming app!

It was until Taylor disappeared in the fourth set.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz is not making life easy for Tsitsipas. I’m cracking up at all the social media comments that the bathroom is coming anytime now.

[TVbitch]

Yeah, what happened to Taylor? Brooksby showed WAY more fight.

Wow, this Alcaraz kid is really taking it to Stephanos and the crowd is loving it! (I have to admit, so am I!) He's already got a time and a coaching violation and is now holed up in the bathroom! 

[truthaboutluv]

That was a really good match. Alcaraz showed a lot of heart and mental toughness. Especially after losing the fourth set 6-0. The day session crowd definitely got their money's worth. 

On a completely unrelated and shallow note, Juan Carlos is still as fine as ever. Just wanted to add that little fact. 

[TVbitch]

Electrifying 5th set! 

I was changing back and forth between ESPN and ESPN3. Wanted hear Darren Cahill, but could not put up with Brad Gilbert very long. If Brad said "young fella" one more time, I was going to lose it!

PS. I didn't even realize that was Juan Carlos Ferraro at first, but yeah, looking good, and great to see his reaction.  

[Harry24]

Way to go, Young Fella, er .... Alcaraz!  Seriously, he did a great job.  (And, honestly, I think working with only the rather taciturn Cahill kept Gilbert in check.)

He’s a lovely kid.  I saw him interviewed the day before he was to play Rafa in ... was it Barcelona or Madrid this year?  I forget.  He was delightful.  He got his clock cleaned, but it clearly didn’t discourage him too much.

Very sad that Sloane couldn’t advance.  She has SUCH a gorgeous game.  It would be awesome if she could find her way back to the top.  That said, I’ve always liked Kerber.

Glad Muguruza took out Azarenka.  I like Mugu a lot.  She reminds me of a 40s movie star, like Irene Dunn.  Kind of cool, patrician and elegant.  And she’s very likable and has a great power game.

Oh, I forgot to add, yes, JCF is still looking great, like a Vermeer come to life.  His smile when Alcaraz won was a thing of beauty.  Very genuine and warm.

Edited September 3, 2021 by Harry24

[TVbitch]

The hilarious thing was when Brad had Darren saying "young fella" too! But you are right, Brad tones it down when paired with Darren. Love the respectful way Darren calls a match, being judicious about when there is a "need" to speak.

Speaking of Darren, was not a fan of Halep barking at her box to give her "more."  

[CountryGirl]

Buh-bye, Bathroom Boy!

That match was so, so good! Alcarez reminds me a bit of a young Sampras. I’d love to see him build on this, the biggest win of his career.

I’m disappointed in Sloan but I like Kerber, too. 

[CountryGirl]

I know she is the two-time defending champion, but Osaka is not an icon, Pam and Chrissy. Thus far, she’s proven herself on hard courts. Call her an icon, which should be reserved for the likes of Serena, Steffi, Martina, and Billie Jean, when she’s won on all surfaces and her titles are in double digits.