Tennis Thread

[Etta Place]

That guy is insane.I don't think there's been any sweeping under the rug of how problematic Rafa's repeated injuries have been for his career and standing in the game. I can barely remember a time when it wasn't a question of how long he'd be able to keep up his style of play with the injuries.

 

I can't even dignify most of what he wrote with any sort of response at all, but I will say that in comparing Murray to Nadal, he's missing a huge part of what makes people dislike Murray, and that's attitude.

 

And if the author of the article wants to say that people have built Nadal up to create a false rivalry between him and Roger, then maybe he shouldn't defend Roger against criticism about his age and future in the game by making the whole thing about tearing down Nadal?!

[topanga]

I normally don't read "Vogue" magazine, but Serena is on the cover, and there's a great interview with her and Caroline Wozniacki. They really do seem like good friends.

 

Oh, and gossip: Caroline is apparently dating J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans. If he does break up with her, let's hope it's not over the telephone.

[crimsongrl]

The French Open starts tomorrow (5am EST on ESPN2) and I'm not excited at all. My love for the sport has been dwindling for a while and I haven't found a younger player to love like Rafa & Serena.

 

I'll set the DVR and hope it's not Sharapova and Djokovic holding up the trophies in two weeks...

[shok]

I'm excited. I am looking forward to Rafa winning again and all the media having to eat the shit they've been dishing out about him so far this year. As Maria Sharapova said, they've been very disrespectful about Rafa and his accomplishments. Plus on various forums the Djokovic fans have been disgustingly cocky and it will be so sweet to see them get their comeuppance. ;P

[truthaboutluv]

Call me crazy, but I just have this gut feeling that even if Rafa does lose as many seem to expect, Djokovic won't win either. I have a feeling it will be some up and coming player instead. That being said, I absolutely understand why so many are picking Djokovic to win and none of the "experts" seem to believe Rafa can pull it off. Certainly if you go by the numbers and the last few months, it would seem that way. And while I'm no Djokovic stan, he really has been amazing throughout this early part of the year. 

 

That being said, after 9 championships, I just think it's crazy for anyone to ever truly bet against Rafa at RG. Like if I was a betting woman, no matter what the stats and numbers say, a part of me would always go, "but just to be on the safe side, I'm going with Rafa." Many are harping on his many clay court losses leading up to RG and that being his most ever. True, but last year he lost all the tournaments he played leading up to RG, save for one against Nishikori where he was down a set and a break and some think he won because Kei got injured. Many were positive last year, especially because some of his losses came in early rounds to unexpected players - Ferrer and Almagro - that it was definitely Djokovic's time and Rafa was in no way the favorite. And then Rafa won his 9th French Open, beating Djokovic.

 

Again, I'm not saying I don 't get where others are coming from. Every year means Rafa is older, every year means his body being beaten down more and this time I think confidence and self belief is probably a key factor. Yes, Rafa is one of the most mentally tough players but he's human and all these doubts, whispers about him not being the player he was, etc. has to start seeping in and creating doubt. And if there is some self doubt in sports, that can be disastrous, especially in the tight, clutch matches. But again, I have watched Rafa accomplish some amazing feats over the last 10 years at RG, so all I'm saying is that it wouldn't shock me to see him prove the naysayers wrong again.

[yourstruly]

 

Call me crazy, but I just have this gut feeling that even if Rafa does lose as many seem to expect, Djokovic won't win either. I have a feeling it will be some up and coming player instead.

Well then I am crazy too. I just think the fact that they are playing each other so early (the *QF* for God's sake!) is going to mess with both of them-like it will take so much out of them mentally that they won't be all there for the next two rounds, letting someone like Murray or Nishikori grab the trophy.

 

Or they will be thinking about it so much that one of them won't make it to the QF at all.

Edited May 28, 2015 by yourstruly

[truthaboutluv]

A couple of early upsets on the women's side, with Halep probably being the biggest surprise since so many had her as a favorite to if not win, at least make it to the Final 4. Bouchard's loss was less of a surprise as many experts wrote her off as even having a chance. On the men's side, I guess Dimitrov's upset is a surprise to some but not really to me. He's sort of been in limbo starting late last year and it has continued for much of this year. I wonder if some are right, that it may be time for a coaching/team change. Maybe Rasheed has taken him as far as he can. 

 

As for the whole Rafa/Djokovic saga, I read an article that I thought made a great point, that Djokovic is really the one with the most pressure and burden coming into this French Open and that might be his undoing. Let's face it, most of the experts have all but written Rafa off as having any chance this year while everyone expects Djokovic to finally win the one slam he hasn't won and they keep touting his near spotless record since the year started. So he has a lot of expectations on him this French Open and that might just be his undoing...or not.

 

eta: Man, Azarenka has got to stop choking against Serena. I mean it's entertaining for me but just kind of sad at this point. That said, I could barely focus much on the match because I was too distracted by Azarenka's god awful on court look. That woman has the most unfortunate body shape and Nike just aren't very nice to her with the stuff they give her. 

Edited May 30, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[topanga]

 

eta: Man, Azarenka has got to stop choking against Serena. I mean it's entertaining for me but just kind of sad at this point. That said, I could barely focus much on the match because I was too distracted by Azarenka's god awful on court look. That woman has the most unfortunate body shape and Nike just aren't very nice to her with the stuff they give her.

I agree with both points. I'm a Serena fan and I love watching her come back in a match, like she did in the previous round against Friedsam. But I feel bad that Vika is usually the victim of one of her epic comebacks. Apparently, Serena and Victoria are friends off the court, and Vika said she recently gave Serena a pair of her shorts because Serena liked them. Azarenka is obviously a much better person than I am because I'd pretty much hate Serena Williams if I were her-- both on and off the court. 

 

So the controversial call at the end of the 2nd set? I see both sides of the issue, but I'm giving Serena the benefit of the doubt. My family and I watched that play over and over, and we vehemently disagree on the ump's final call. My son says that Serena had already hit the ball when the judge yelled "out," and the ball was already on its way into the net. I argued that Serena could have heard or seen something from the line judge --before we heard his call--that indicated to her that he thought the ball was out, thereby altering her shot. But who knows?

 

And in terms of Azarenka's Nike wardrobe: she's obviously a physically fit, toned athlete. But she doesn't have a clearly defined waist, and I think Nike could design outfits for her that "create" a waistline (a popular tip from "What Not To Wear"). The dresses and shirts she wears now seem to highlight her square shape. I don't know if it's an oversight or an unfortunate choice to outfit Vika this way. And it's even more glaring when she plays Serena, another Nike athlete, whose outfits are designed to flatter her boodylicious body.

[Ohwell]

Serena's eyebrows are giving me nightmares.

[yourstruly]

In defense of Azarenka's clothes I have always liked that she seems to be the one top women's tennis player who wears shorts instead of a skirt-I think it underlines how jock-ish she is. I hate how Nike advertises the women's clothes like "flouncy skirt", "flirty skirt", etc. It's just corny. This is arguably the most prominent women's sport out there and it makes me uncomfortable how much of the emphasis is on the clothes and how revealing they are in a lot of cases. Even though to be fair I am a guy and I do get excited about the Nike/Adidas tennis shirts and new color shoes sometimes even though I never end up buying them.

 

I hope that Azarenka gets a break in a draw for once and doesn't have to play Serena so early. And that she holds a lead and finally beats her. She is *way* too good to stay ranked at 27. I like how feisty she is.

[Ohwell]

Hoping Monfils is rested up enough to take out Federer tomorrow.

[truthaboutluv]

He definitely looked good in the second set. But after that choke performance he had at the U.S. Open last year, I hesitate to place much hope on Monfils. By the way, what happened at the end of Berdych/Tsonga? I saw up until the start of the fourth, after Tsonga choked while serving for the match and screwed up in the tie break. I saw when he quickly went down an early break in the fourth and figured this was clearly heading for a fifth set. But I left for a few minutes, less than half an hour and by the time I got back he'd won the match. 

[Ohwell]

He definitely looked good in the second set. But after that choke performance he had at the U.S. Open last year, I hesitate to place much hope on Monfils.

Oh I'm an optimist, so one can only hope.  LOL.  Problem with Monfils is that I think he's just too good-natured, laid back, etc.  I noticed at the end when they suspended the match, he goes over to Federer, laughing, and pats him on the back.  I know that they probably do like each other, but Monfils just doesn't seem to take things too seriously.  Also, he's still making money with commercials so maybe he thinks he doesn't have to win on the court?  I do think, however, that he tries harder during the French.

 

In short, he can be frustrating as hell, but I like him.  

[truthaboutluv]

Oh I quite like Monfils. He seems like a really nice guy where there's really nothing to dislike. I just know better than to place much hope in him in big matches. And the frustrating thing is it is definitely not from lack of skill.

[MyAimIsTrue]

I will always love Monfils for this (and I also love Djoker's reactions in the background):

 

[Qoass]

I enjoy tennis but I really, really hate NBC's tennis coverage.  I don't have a billboard-sized high-definition TV and without one, I find it impossible to read that tiny little scoreboard at the bottom of the screen.  The crap they scroll on the bottom of the screen is distracting and I wish the commentators would just. shut. up.  The second a play is over they pounce on an opportunity to further whatever storyline they've cooked up regardless of whether the actual match taking place is proving them right or wrong.  I've taken to watching with the sound off and listening to NPR for the final scores.

[truthaboutluv]

Well, well...the quarterfinal matchup so many were desperately salivating over, is officially here. Rafa and Djovovic will meet on Wednesday (coincidentally that also happens to be Rafa's birthday) in the quarterfinals.

Oh the drama...lol. Oddly I find myself pretty chill about the whole thing. I'm totally rooting for Rafa but I'd be lying if I said I'd be devastated if Djokovic wins. Yes his fans will likely be insufferable and we'll never hear the end of his dethroning the King but eh. Maybe it's age but I can't care enough to get up in arms about that stuff anymore.

In other news, I find it interesting how Maria's upset was barely a blimp in the coverage. And Serena got out of that match today playing 60-70% at best which just shows how amazing she is.

Edited June 1, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Qoass]

I'm rooting for Rafa-- love him.

 

If I could add one more little rant, what would it take to make all the guys quit the raised fist after every. freakin'. point?  Sure, you want to have a gesture to celebrate a win but when you do it after every volley it just looks silly.

[truthaboutluv]

Well, so much for Federer's "easy" draw. Stan was not having it today. That was a dominating performance. I love how some Federer fans are crying about him playing three days in a row and it being so unfair and he was clearly tired. Uh-huh, never mind that Federer played all of one set yesterday to close out the match against Monfils which barely took half an hour and was the first match on Phillipe-Chatrier. Therefore he was on and off the court pretty quickly but that's the reason he lost, because of his oh so difficult three straight days of playing. 

 

Really happy for Ivanovic. I've always liked her and it's funny because some experts were lumping her in with Bouchard at the start of the tournament, as someone with zero shot of doing well much less winning. And here she is in the semi-finals. Good for her. .Her boyfriend's enthusiasm everytime she wins is adorable. Kind of bummed Muguruza lost, though I'm kind of happy for Safarova.  It's just I became a fan of Muguruza last year when she not only solidified her upset of Serena but maintained her composure when she was jeered and booed while playing a French woman, to still win the match.

[topanga]

 

Really happy for Ivanovic. I've always liked her and it's funny because some experts were lumping her in with Bouchard at the start of the tournament, as someone with zero shot of doing well much less winning. And here she is in the semi-finals. Good for her. .

I agree. I like Ivanovic and hope she makes it to the finals. She and Serena are the only top-10 players left on the women's side. Which is kind of a bummer. As much as I like to see Serena win, I also enjoy watching Sharapova and Madison Keys play. And I wish Serena could have played Sloane Stephens later, but that's the "luck" of the draw. Lastly, I was hoping for a Serena-Halep match, probably because I've never seen Halep play (and she's ranked #2 in the world--but that's on me).  

 

Yes, the Rafa-Djokovic match should be fun.

[Qoass]

*sigh*

[truthaboutluv]

Yes, the Rafa-Djokovic match should be fun.

 

 

Yeah, not so much, lol. Man poor Rafa - what a really, really sucky way to celebrate your birthday. But he just didn't have the game to match Djokovic. I was worried about his serve coming into the match because he'd lost so many points on it in his previous matches, not to mention getting broken way too many times. And that kind of level was simply not going to be good enough today. I was worried when he quickly went down those two breaks in the first set but thought things would go better when he somehow got both back. However, once he lost that second set, I think it took everything out of him. 

 

Well it is what it is. Good for Djokovic. He's worked hard and played amazing this year. I am laughing at so many acting like this was the finals and his win is now a given, like the other guys in the draw don't exist. I mean sure, Novak is definitely the favorite but anything can happen and both Tsonga and Wawrinka are looking pretty good. I can't speak on Murray since he bores me and I've seen none of his matches. 

 

Again, as a Rafa fan this hurts but strangely, last year, after his amazing win, I remember watching his celebration and thinking, "Rafa's not winning again next year." Maybe I jinxed him, lol. But as they say, all great eras must come to an end. He's still the greatest clay court champion and that title will likely last for many years to come. Right now, I just hope he can stay healthy for the rest of the year and especially make a good run at Wimbledon and the hard court season.

Edited June 3, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[khyber]

Anyone know if NBC plans to start coverage earlier tomorrow to pick up the end of the Djoker Murray match?

[crimsongrl]

Sports Illustrated says continuing coverage of the Men's second semifinal will air on NBC Sports Network at 7 a.m. ET. They'll also have a live stream on NBC Sports.com.

[truthaboutluv]

So serious question, is it better to just lose in straight sets, or put a lot of effort to come back from two sets down to take the match to a fifth set, only to get blown away in the fifth? I mean I guess you get the benefit of it being said that you fought and put up an incredible effort but you still lost. I say this because Murray just built all this false hope for his fans (not me), coming back from two sets down, only to lose 6-1 in the fifth. It honestly feels like "what was the point?" Should have just lost in straights and be done with the whole thing yesterday. Of course, my guess is that it just takes so much mental and physical strength to climb your way out of a two sets down hole, that by the fifth you just have nothing left. 

[Etta Place]

Although I really don't like seeing a set be a complete blow-out like that, of course, I have to say that overall I'd rather see 5 sets. Because if the player doesn't have it in them mentally or physically to get through that 5th set, at least I can feel like they really gave it everything they had, and the lopsided final set is testament to that. Straight sets, unless they're all tiebreaks, don't really give the same impression.

 

Plus, if the player happens to be playing someone I dislike, I'm always happy to have them push the winner to the limits before their next match. (In this case, since I don't like either of them, my only wish was that it would be a very long 5-setter, whoever won.)

[Ohwell]

Like many others in the spotlight, I think Serena likes to control her own narrative, because I don't believe for one second that she didn't think she could beat that girl.  She wants people to say "oooh she came back!" or ooooohhhh, she was so sick and came back to win!"  I give her all the accolades and all the glory for being the greatest female tennis player ever, I think she is, but I have never liked her public persona.   She is such a fucking drama queen.  

[BitterApple]

Like many others in the spotlight, I think Serena likes to control her own narrative, because I don't believe for one second that she didn't think she could beat that girl. She wants people to say "oooh she came back!" or ooooohhhh, she was so sick and came back to win!" I give her all the accolades and all the glory for being the greatest female tennis player ever, I think she is, but I have never liked her public persona. She is such a fucking drama queen.

I agree. There always has to be some ridiculous backstory coming into every tournament. She's sick. She's injured. She couldn't practice. She can't get out of bed. It's like just play the frigging game and shut up already.

[khyber]

The Stanimal is on the move!

[Mrs. P.]

The Stanimal is on the move!

His tennis is great, but his fashion is hideous.

[truthaboutluv]

STAN THE MAN INDEED!!! 

 

Didn't want to comment until the match was over because you never want to count Djokovic out until it's "Game, Set, Match." I called it at the start of the tournament - even if Rafa lost, my gut said Djokovic wouldn't win. And this is the second time some acted like Stan was inconsequential. Everyone acted like Djokovic beating Rafa was the Final and his win was a given. Damn good performance by Stan.

 

The second set was the key. Once he held on after losing break chance after break chance to finally take it at 5-4 and win the set, it basically gave him more confidence and motivation because at a set a piece it was anyone's match. To prove I'm not totally heartless, much as I'm not a fan of his, I do kind of feel bad for Djokovic but I think maybe he's putting too much pressure on himself to win this and needs to just relax and not worry so much about the whole "winning all the majors." 

 

His tennis is great, but his fashion is hideous.

 

 

Ha...no kidding. And now that outfit will forever be immortalized with the images of him holding the trophy.

[Dejana]

Go Stan! I really don't understand his outfit, either. Maybe his kid picked it out?

Guga!

This runner-up ovation for Djokovic is probably more love than the crowd showed when Rafa won the last few times.

[crimsongrl]

Woooot! Thank you Stan and congrats to Serena.

 

Does anyone know why there's an extra week between the French Open and Wimbledon this year?

[Ohwell]

MY SO and I were talking about Stan's awful outfit.  I don't know who makes it but surely he can do better than that.  Anyhow, I'm happy he won and is no longer "that other Swiss player."  Just get some new clothes, Stan.

[Dejana]

Woooot! Thank you Stan and congrats to Serena.

 

Does anyone know why there's an extra week between the French Open and Wimbledon this year?

 

For years, players have complained that Roland Garros and Wimbledon were too close together; maybe the tournament organizers finally relented.

[truthaboutluv]

Yeah that was my first thought. 

[Qoass]

I despise the NBC commentators but I did enjoy when one of them said that the downside to Stan's win was that now he'd think that was his lucky outfit.

 

ETA that I had to wonder whether Djokovic opted for orange in hopes that it wouldn't show the clay if he dropped to the ground when he won.  Guess we'll never know.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Qoass

[topanga]

 

I agree. There always has to be some ridiculous backstory coming into every tournament. [serena]'s sick. She's injured. She couldn't practice. She can't get out of bed. It's like just play the frigging game and shut up already.

But isn't that true for every top player who loses a match? This year, everyone said Sharapova lost because she had the flu (or was it a bad cold?) And when her serve is off, they bring up her shoulder injuries from the past. I think members of the media need a story as much as the players. The bottom line is that great players get beat sometimes. But that doesn't give the commentators much to talk about, so they have to create a story--both for the winners and the losers.

 

That being said, I really like Serena as a player, but I wouldn't ever want to meet her. I heard from several people that she's not very nice in person. So I'll stick to admiring her tennis skills from afar.

 

I wonder what her chances are for the calendar year Grand Slam? Slim, I'd say. But it would be cool to see a 33-year old woman achieve that feat.

 

And I'm sad for Djokovic. I'm sure he'll win the French some day, but so far this tournament has been his Achilles' heel.

[Rick Kitchen]

Is there any planning that goes into the French being over the US Memorial Day holiday, Wimbledon being over 4th of July and The US Open being over Labor Day?  Or is that all just a coincidence?

[caprice]

Is there any planning that goes into the French being over the US Memorial Day holiday, Wimbledon being over 4th of July and The US Open being over Labor Day?  Or is that all just a coincidence?

My French husband tells me that one of the weekends covered by Roland Garros scheduling is a holiday in France.

[Dejana]

Is there any planning that goes into the French being over the US Memorial Day holiday, Wimbledon being over 4th of July and The US Open being over Labor Day? Or is that all just a coincidence?

The US Open has its midpoint around Labor Day weekend to get a big gate from people with extra time off or making a vacation out of it. The Australian Open happens around Australia Day there. Wimbledon and French Open oraganizers couldn't care less about US holidays. The American TV rights aren't funding much of the events, unlike the Olympics.

[topanga]

Serena and Djokovic will be the #1 seeds at Wimbledon--no surprise. Federer is #2! BTW, why don't we call Djokovic by his first name, Novak? Or Nova, for short? Calling players by some version of their first names (Rafa, Serena, Venus, Vica) makes them sound like buddies, and when we don't (Murray, Federer, Agassi), it sounds so formal. Maria Sharapova seems to be called both "Sharapova" and "Maria" equally, so that one's kind of a wash.

 

This, however, seems unfair:

"Wimbledon Win For Serena Williams Could Lead To Historically High US Open Tickets"

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/06/24/wimbledon-win-for-serena-williams-could-lead-to-historically-high-us-open-tickets/

 

If Serena makes it through the first week at Wimbledon, I think her chances are good for winning Wimbledon and maybe the calendar year Grand Slam.

Though she struggled at the French, her 3-set matches seemed to be a function of how she was playing, more than her opponents raising their level of play (which they did. I'm not discounting their talent) .

 

So who is Serena's stiffest competition this year? I still like Azarenka, although Serena has found a way to defeat her both mentally and physically every time they play.

Kvitova? She beat Serena earlier this year in Madrid, but Serena leads the head-to-head matchup 5-1.

Halep?   She beat Serena one match at the 2014 WTA championships, but Serena leads the head-to-head matchup 5-1.

Sam Stosur? She's the last player to beat Serena in the US open--back in 2011.

Sloane Stephens? After their match in Paris, Serena made it clear that she's not passing the "Black female tennis superstar" baton any time soon, as many in the media had assumed.

A low-ranking qualifier who plays the match of her life on a day where Serena isn't playing well and can't pull off a miraculous comeback? Maybe

 

--

Edited June 24, 2015 by topanga

[Dejana]

Serena and Djokovic will be the #1 seeds at Wimbledon--no surprise. Federer is #2! BTW, why don't we call Djokovic by his first name, Novak? Or Nova, for short? Calling players by some version of their first names (Rafa, Serena, Venus, Vica) makes them sound like buddies, and when we don't (Murray, Federer, Agassi), it sounds so formal. Maria Sharapova seems to be called both "Sharapova" and "Maria" equally, so that one's kind of a wash.

 

I've also seen Djokovic referred to as Nole sometimes but it's not as widespread as something like Rafa for Nadal. Also, on tennis boards posters will call him the Djoker, but it's often derisive.

[dcalley]

You kind of have to refer to Serena and Venus with first names since they share a last name.

[topanga]

Yes, but I'd say there's less confusion between the two sisters now that Venus is no longer a top-10 player. It's kinda like in men's tennis: if someone said "McEnroe" in the 80s and 90s, I knew that 99% of time, they were talking about John and not his younger brother Patrick, who had a meaningful tennis career of his own--ranking as high as #3 in the world.

[Ohwell]

Regarding first names vs. last names vs. nicknames, I just think it's simply a matter of what names people like to have rolling off their tongues.  For example, for whatever reason I like pronouncing Djokovic instead of Novak, Federer instead of Roger.   On the other hand, I like saying Rafa instead of Nadal.

 

Also, my favorite player is still Gael Monfils but I always call him Monfils, and so do the announcers.

Edited June 24, 2015 by Ohwell

[shok]

I've also seen Djokovic referred to as Nole sometimes but it's not as widespread as something like Rafa for Nadal. Also, on tennis boards posters will call him the Djoker, but it's often derisive.

 

Or my favourite...Djerk.

[truthaboutluv]

Halep and Bouchard both need to seriously go back to the drawing board and figure something out. Second straight major and both out in the first round. This is not good all, especially for Bouchard who just lost a lot of points going from Finalist to first round exit. Halep's fall is a little more surprising, only because she started off the year very well. After her QF loss in Australia she did pretty good at Indian Wells and Miami and did well in the lead up to the French Open. But it's just all gone very wrong since the French Open with the second round loss there and now a first round loss at Wimbledon.

Edited July 1, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[blackwing]

They said that Bouchard had an ab muscle tear, which is why she retired at Eastbourne a week ago.  Although a week ago, the papers reported it as "an abdominal injury" which for some reason I had interpreted as "really bad diarrhea and cramping".  I guess it was pretty serious.

 

Regardless though, it doesn't explain her abysmal play all season.  She has been terrible.  I hope she figures it out and improves and doesn't become one of those brief flashes in the pan and winds up being one of those people like Mirjana Lucic and Jelena Dokic who made a brief impact when young and then whose career never really took off and reached full potential.  I see that Mirjana Lucic is still playing, and she's become one of those "Oh yeah, her, I can't believe she's still around" players who just toil in mediocrity and first and second round exits.  I really hope we see a lot more from Bouchard.

[truthaboutluv]

*Sigh* Oh Rafa, might have to go back to that drawing board Halep and Bouchard need. He has now lost points at every single major this year. Big servers are the bane of Rafa's existence at Wimbledon. Well I guess the only positive here is that he can only gain points at this point since he has nothing to defend all summer. But Rafa has a lot of work to do. His serve is not very good - he's losing too many points on it while not winning enough cheap points. His movement isn't all the impressive at times either. He was wrong footed and looked lost a number of times out there today. 

Edited July 2, 2015 by truthaboutluv