Tennis Thread

[CouchTater]

2 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

Well, Medvedev is through. 

Yay!  He's my pick.

Back to Leylah's gesturing for a minute.  I was watching on mute last night (I've had it up to HERE with the commentators) so I may have missed some things.  At one point, I saw Sabalenka celebrate/pander to the crowd in the same manner that Leylah has been doing.  Do we think that's on purpose, as a dig?  Or was she also just really excited?

Or am I making this up?

[Crs97]

11 minutes ago, CouchTater said:

At one point, I saw Sabalenka celebrate/pander to the crowd in the same manner that Leylah has been doing.  Do we think that's on purpose, as a dig?  Or was she also just really excited?

I also had it on mute, and she seemed very insistent that she should be given the same applause Leylah was getting.  I kept thinking, “Honey, that’s not really how cheering works.”  So it wasn’t just you.

[CountryGirl]

1 hour ago, Crs97 said:

I also had it on mute, and she seemed very insistent that she should be given the same applause Leylah was getting.  I kept thinking, “Honey, that’s not really how cheering works.”  So it wasn’t just you.

I saw it, too, and I thought, “Umm, sweetie. you kinda have to give them something to cheer about.”  Not to mention the temper tantrum with her racket. This was after a string of errors and she finally got a point. But I did feel for her a bit and have to remember she’s only 23. 

[Spunkygal]

#ANB but I hate Sasha too. Let’s make voodoo dolls of both of them.

[CountryGirl]

15 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

#ANB but I hate Sasha too. Let’s make voodoo dolls of both of them.

I know it’s illogical and impossible, but if they could somehow both lose, that would be wonderful. 

[Bewitched]

So are we pulling for COVID?

(Disclaimer: I am a nurse who works on a COVID unit.   I would never pull for COVID, but maybe a false positive?)

Edited September 10, 2021 by Bewitched
I can’t be that mean.

[Spunkygal]

4 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

I know it’s illogical and impossible, but if they could somehow both lose, that would be wonderful. 

So MANY years ago, my NFL home team who I now hate (Cowboys) played the Baltimore Colts in their first Super Bowl. My sister and I made voodoo dolls of the great Johnny Unitas. The voodoo dolls worked and Johnny was injured. HOWEVER! His replacement Earl Morrell performed brilliantly and the Cowboys lost. I am now happy that the Cowboys lost and  I will forever hate them. But voodoo dolls do obviously work! 🤣 So I’m your girl for a hex! 

[theatremouse]

 

45 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

I know it’s illogical and impossible, but if they could somehow both lose, that would be wonderful. 

Earlier today I was thinking "hmm what are the odds Novak suddenly fails a drug test and Zverev tests positive for COVID." (Because in my wondering mind I figure, they couldn't both get DQed before the match for the same reason; it'd make more sense to be different reasons. And Novak already had COVID - so while he might get it twice, probably not, but Zverev wasn't positive after that fiasco, but I doubt he's actually being careful, so...)

 

[emmawoodhouse]

Well, Sasha is crumbling like an old golf ball. 

[Spunkygal]

Can you imagine Roger waving his hands to generate crowd support? No way in hell. So have at it Novaxx. You are not loved. You achieved most of your wins when you had no real competition  and Roger and Rafa were injured. But you are so pathetic, just go with it.

Edited September 11, 2021 by Spunkygal

[Medicine Crow]

84 yr. old Rod Laver & his girlfriend ... BLECH!!!  (Give it a rest you two.)

[Spunkygal]

13 minutes ago, Medicine Crow said:

84 yr. old Rod Laver & his girlfriend ... BLECH!!!  (Give it a rest you two.)

Oh  I missed it! 

[truthaboutluv]

As I said when Zverev beat Novak at the Olympics - those wins don't surprise me in the slightest because it's Best of 3. I'll start to take these guys seriously when they can consistently win Best of 5 matches against the Djoker. 

The only one of the Next Gen to beat Djokovic multiple times at a Grand Slam, thus far, is Thiem, who's done it twice at the French Open. And even he choked when he could have and probably should have won the Australian Open final they played. Zverev came as close tonight as anyone could. 

I'd like to think Medvedev can pull off the upset, but again, his only wins against Djokovic have been Best of 3 and he didn't exactly inspire much hope with that performance at the Australian Open final this year. 

 

2 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

You achieved most of your wins when you had no real competition  and Roger and Rafa were injured.

Oh this is going to be massively unpopular but oh well. I say this while waving my Rafa stan flag high and proud. But that statement is not accurate. Djokovic, whether you like the little shit or not, went toe to toe with the two of the best that ever played and decisively beat them multiple times. And no, it wasn't always because they were injured. 

In 2011,  Novak's true breakout year, Rafa was more than healthy enough to make the Finals of every single major that year. The only reason he didn't end up chasing the Grand Slam is because Djokovic beat him at every one of those Finals they played. I remember all of these losses and matches because I had to watch them in agony. 

Admittedly this year has been the least impressive because the two players who were his toughest competitors are both aging out of the sport. But Djokovic hasn't exactly beaten scrubs and no-talents for many of his wins. Even his many Finals against Andy Murray count as these were years when Andy was in some of his best form. 

I mean if we start going down that road, much of Federer's 20 Grand Slams came before Rafa and Djokovic came into their own, against an era that some might say was fairly weak. None of these guys - Roddick, Hewitt, Nalbandian, etc. were any real threat to Roger.  Safin might have been the only one who if he had been serious enough, could have been a formidable challenger but again, he was kind of all over the place. 

The true legacy of the Big 3 is the fact these three players managed to keep going to toe to toe with each other for years and dominating the sport to the exclusion of almost everyone else. So you cannot dismiss Djokjovic's accomplishments without somewhat suggesting Rafa and Federer were weak competition. 

To be absolutely clear - I do not like Novak Djokovic. I am not looking forward to watching him win this Calendar Grand Slam and listen to the commentators slobber forever and ever about it. In fact, who are we kidding, I will decidedly not be watching. But as much as it pains me to have hear about it happening, I am still not going to discredit his career. 

Edited September 11, 2021 by truthaboutluv

[shok]

Djokovic has had the good fortune of playing half of his career against aging and injured Roger and Rafa. There were a few years there in the middle when all three were relatively healthy and competitive but no one has ever had the luck that Djerk has had in not having any competition from the generations coming up behind him. Sometimes there is a gap of a few years before a generation starts producing some slam winning stars but we've gone through about three rotations of new players and they still can't begin to compete as this USO is proving. Roger did have a couple of easy years at the beginning of his slam winning career with opponents like Baghdatis and Philopousis but that's nothing like the seven or eight years that Novak has had.

[BitterApple]

11 hours ago, Medicine Crow said:

84 yr. old Rod Laver & his girlfriend ... BLECH!!!  (Give it a rest you two.)

Omg that was making me so uncomfortable. They reminded me of Jennifer Coolidge's character and her senile old husband in Best In Show. Laver looked like he didn't even know where he was and she kept pawing at him. So gross.

When Zverev double-faulted in his first service game of the fifth, I knew it was over. 

[TVbitch]

That was his GIRLFRIEND?! I wasn't paying close enough attention to them to get that. 

There were some truly great points in the match, but the end was inevitable, cuz, you know, Sasha gonna Sasha. 

 

[CountryGirl]

I didn’t watch much of it (just the first 2 sets) so I’m glad I missed the pawing. 

[Medicine Crow]

5 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

I didn’t watch much of it (just the first 2 sets) so I’m glad I missed the pawing. 

Lucky you!!  I'm still trying to scrub my mind's eye ... LOL.

[dcalley]

Alexander Zverev allegedly abused his girlfriend. Tennis officials don’t seem to care. - "Though the ATP investigates all kinds of misconduct, it cites ‘due process’ as a reason for inaction"

Tennis Star ‘Embarrassed’ at Sport’s Response to Alexander Zverev Abuse Allegations - ”'I felt like they were a little bit hush-hush about the whole thing, and just waiting for it to pass,' Milos Raonic says of governing body ATP"

[emmawoodhouse]

I don't know who to root for in this match. I just hope it's not a blowout. 

[Crashcourse]

Can they both win? 😁

[BitterApple]

This is a rare occasion where I'd be happy for either player to win. I'm pulling slightly harder for Leylah because she's had to gut through so many tough matches.

On another note, the crowd is making me irrationally stabby. The camera panned to one of the luxury boxes and every single person was glued to their cell phones. The celebrities are yapping and barely paying attention. True tennis fans would give their right arm to see this match and these idiots treat it like a social event. 

[truthaboutluv]

17 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

don't know who to root for in this match.

In times like these, I just appreciate the tennis and amazing play, which is what I'm doing right now. So far both seem to be holding their nerves very well for the most part but have also both had some loose errors. 

I've noticed it watching both their matches but it's more glaring watching them play against each other today. Leylah you can tell just loves the big matches and moments and when she hits a great shot, just has this big smile on her face. Emma is all steely coolness. 

Edited September 11, 2021 by truthaboutluv

[truthaboutluv]

9 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

On another note, the crowd is making me irrationally stabby. The camera panned to one of the luxury boxes and every single person was glued to their cell phones. The celebrities are yapping and barely paying attention. True tennis fans would give their right arm to see this match and these idiots treat it like a social event.

Yeah that is annoying. Especially since my friend worked for the USTA so I know how expensive some of those seats are. But for many of these people it really is just a casual weekend social outing. 

The good news for Leylah here is that she's had to battle in multiple three sets matches just to get to the Finals. So she knows what it takes to reset and still win and sometimes seems to play her best tennis coming from behind. Thing is, she may be a bit tired from all those three sets matches. 

And on the flipside, part of why Emma hasn't dropped a set from Qualifiers right up to this point is that when she's taken control of the match, she doesn't let up. 

[CouchTater]

OMG, this is a good match.  No "nerves," as Chrissy likes to talk about.  Just 2 women playing well.

I love Leylah's smile, by the way.  And Emma's stoicism.

I am literally player-neutral.  I have no real preference on who wins (other than maybe Leylah's camp being a little annoying).  So I guess Emma?

Edited September 11, 2021 by CouchTater

[BitterApple]

Jesus God, how long does it take to slap a band-aid on? 

[Crashcourse]

5 minutes ago, CouchTater said:

I am literally player-neutral.  I have no real preference on who wins (other than maybe Leylah's camp being a little annoying).  So I guess Emma?

Yeah, I have nothing at all against Leylah, I think she's delightful, as is Emma, but Leylah's camp is a bit annoying.

[truthaboutluv]

7 minutes ago, CouchTater said:

No "nerves," as Chrissy likes to talk about.  Just 2 women playing well.

Oh the nerves showed up for Emma when she had those Championship points first on Leylah's serve and when serving for the championship. She was just able to fight against them and hold her nerve, which is impressive because there are older players who would buckle under the pressure. 

 

[BitterApple]

Congrats to Emma. She's had one heck of a run.

Leylah looks like she's trying not to burst into tears. I know it's disappointing but she should be proud. Not too many players could've held their nerve to get through all those three set matches. And yes, her camp is beyond annoying. 

[Crashcourse]

Congrats, Emma!  I love her calm demeanor.  (Now matchmaking her and Sinner. LOL 😊)

I hope to see more of Leylah and Emma.  And I hope Leylah's camp calms the hell down in future matches.

 

[emmawoodhouse]

Poor Leylah looks devastated, but she just invoked 9/11 to great applause.

[SuburbanHangSuite]

Amazing feat.  So happy for Emma.  And she's such a poised, confident young woman.  She doesn't seem fazed at all.  So adorable.

[Danny Franks]

Emma Raducanu is amazing. Simply amazing. Yes, the nerves showed a little at the end, because of course they did! She's eighteen and in the US Open Final. But she just had the edge over Fernandez physically and is surely going to go to the top of the rankings before much longer.

I'll give Fernandez the benefit of the doubt and assume she didn't see how badly Emma's leg was bleeding, when she was complaining and agitating the crowd. She's one of those players people will love when they're neutral and hate when she's playing their favourite. Losing is tough, but she'll have more opportunities if she continues on the same course of progression.

[TVbitch]

Wow, both of these young ladies are very well-spoken. Emma has the most gorgeous skin since Sloane Stephens. And Laylah has such a beautiful genuine smile. More importantly, and it's been longer than I can even remember since I have said this: The Ladies Final was one of the most exciting matches of the whole tournament! 

[Crashcourse]

Evil me cackling because even if Djoker wins, I think the competing story of the Open will be Emma as the only qualifier to win a major.  That is HUGE!

[BitterApple]

15 minutes ago, Danny Franks said:

 

I'll give Fernandez the benefit of the doubt and assume she didn't see how badly Emma's leg was bleeding, when she was complaining and agitating the crowd. 

I didn't understand that either. I know there's been controversy over players taking gamey time-outs and bathroom breaks, but this wasn't one of them. Emma had blood running down her leg from her knee to her ankle. It did seem to take a ridiculously long time to wipe it down and tape it, so maybe that was the bulk of Leylah's complaint rather than the interruption itself?

[shok]

11 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

Evil me cackling because even if Djoker wins, I think the competing story of the Open will be Emma as the only qualifier to win a major.  That is HUGE!

See, now THAT is historic. Hasn't been done before, at least in the open era. It is literally what the word means, not this nonsense about what Djerkovic is trying to do. The guy who has already done it twice is sitting in the stands watching for dawgs sake! For many reasons I hope Djerk falls flat on his face tomorrow.

[Danny Franks]

35 minutes ago, shok said:

See, now THAT is historic. Hasn't been done before, at least in the open era. It is literally what the word means, not this nonsense about what Djerkovic is trying to do. The guy who has already done it twice is sitting in the stands watching for dawgs sake! For many reasons I hope Djerk falls flat on his face tomorrow.

Emma's achievement, in isolation, is far bigger than Djokovic's US Open run. Yes, I know 'all the Grand Slams in one year' blah blah, but one, transcendent tournament performance by someone so unheralded is always going to grab the attention more than a year of supremacy by someone who has been supreme for years.

Emma did something no one else has ever done, in only her second Major tournament, and she did it without dropping a set, without playing a tiebreak, playing ten matches on her way to being the youngest Major winner in seventeen years and the youngest US Open Champion in twenty two years, the first British woman to win a Major in forty four years.

Pile all those things on top of one another, then factor in the emotional journey she's been on - debuting at Wimbledon, being thrust into the national spotlight, having an anxiety attack and being called mentally weak by dickheads, embarking on a US tour and playing in some minor tournaments just to get some tour experience, then everything that has happened in New York.... Sorry, Novak, your 'historic achievement' just won't cut it.

[khyber]

19 hours ago, BitterApple said:

On another note, the crowd is making me irrationally stabby. The camera panned to one of the luxury boxes and every single person was glued to their cell phones. The celebrities are yapping and barely paying attention. True tennis fans would give their right arm to see this match and these idiots treat it like a social event. 

And that is why the crowd atmosphere at the Wimbledon final between Goran and Pat Rafter was the greatest of all time.  Just a lot of regular tennis fans got in to see the final.

[theatremouse]

I'm not watching the final today. I've decided I can't stand to watch Novak at all anymore, so unless he's playing someone I do want to watch, I'm out. There's no joy in it for me. I hope he falls flat on his face (metaphorically? literally? either way is fine).

 

[Crashcourse]

I enjoyed watching Emma and Leylah, but I'm not watching today either.

[BitterApple]

I just watched the doubles final and I worry a bit for Coco. I don't expect her to be Sally Sunshine after a tough loss, but I hope her team isn't putting too much pressure on her. Seeing her cry like that makes me think there's a shit ton of expectation, and it's only going to get worse now that two other teens have had huge success. I hope she's getting the encouragement she needs to develop at her own pace. 

[TVbitch]

I am going to suck it up for Team ABN. ...but I will be switching back and forth from tennis to football. Unless Med gets a lead then I will relish every moment. Med said in an interview that he realizes he can't just be a defensive player against Novak, so hopefully he will have some special moves up his sleeve!

[BlackberryJam]

Come on Med!

[Spunkygal]

39 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

I am going to suck it up for Team ABN. ...but I will be switching back and forth from tennis to football. Unless Med gets a lead then I will relish every moment. Med said in an interview that he realizes he can't just be a defensive player against Novak, so hopefully he will have some special moves up his sleeve!

I will be watching baseball but checking the score on iPad. When Med starts to pull ahead, I’ll switch to US Open. 

[Harry24]

41 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Unless Med gets a lead then I will relish every moment. 

But that’s the worst part (there are so many from which to choose) about Novaxx the Tennis Fan Soul Killer.  He loses every effing first set, and then ... 

[truthaboutluv]

1 hour ago, TVbitch said:

Med said in an interview that he realizes he can't just be a defensive player against Novak, so hopefully he will have some special moves up his sleeve!

I hope so because in the Australian Open finals, once Medvedev's serve wasn't working very well, every other part of his game seemed to fall apart. He started rushing and just making wild shots that didn't seem like he had much of a strategy at all. 

Edited September 12, 2021 by truthaboutluv

[Medicine Crow]

I'm loving the "celebrity shots" ... Bradley Cooper, Gayle King, etc.  Oh ya, & Rod is back with his main squeeze (tee hee).

[BitterApple]

50 minutes ago, Harry24 said:

.  He loses every effing first set, and then ... 

Yeah, we've seen this movie a hundred times before. I'm not getting my hopes up because Med won the first set.

 

[TVbitch]

Med up a set and a break! Dj smashing his racquet, nearly clubbing a ball kid, and bouncing a lot! Keep it up, Med!!!!!