Tennis Thread

[Harry24]

Boy, that is a non-glamorous line-up in Rod Laver today.  All fine players, of course, but mostly not-headliners.

[truthaboutluv]

Oh boy, the unhinged monster is coming out of Collins. I almost want her to lose just to see her really freaking lose it.

[Crashcourse]

13 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

Oh boy, the unhinged monster is coming out of Collins. I almost want her to lose just to see her really freaking lose it.

Well, I don't see her winning the whole thing (fingers crossed), so we'll have our chance to see her lose her shit. 

[truthaboutluv]

4 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

Well, I don't see her winning the whole thing (fingers crossed), so we'll have our chance to see her lose her shit. 

The thing is, I've noticed that her crazy only truly rears its head during tight 3-set matches. If she loses in a straight sets thumping, she tends to keep the crazy at bay.

So it'll need to be a tight match where she has chances in the match to win, like her epic 3-set loss against Simona some years ago. That's the first time she came to my attention. And the crazy was strong that day.

[nittany cougar]

1 hour ago, truthaboutluv said:

The thing is, I've noticed that her crazy only truly rears its head during tight 3-set matches. If she loses in a straight sets thumping, she tends to keep the crazy at bay.

So it'll need to be a tight match where she has chances in the match to win, like her epic 3-set loss against Simona some years ago. That's the first time she came to my attention. And the crazy was strong that day.

Collins always looks so high strung and uptight.  I've never seen her smile once.

If I understood it correctly, she's in the same bracket as Halep.  I'd give Collins one more round at the AO.

I'm pulling for Sabalenka, Sakkari, and Pegula.  I'd like to see a new person break through and win this year.

Edited to add, apparently Sakkari and Pegula play each other next in the fourth round.  That will be a tough one for Pegula. She has never beaten Sakkari before.

Edited January 22, 2022 by nittany cougar

[truthaboutluv]

Just now, nittany cougar said:

I'd like to see a new person break through and win this year.

That's all but a given with the way the WTA has played out in the last few years. 

[Carey]

8 minutes ago, nittany cougar said:

Collins always looks so high strung and uptight.  I've never seen her smile once.

If I understood it correctly, she's in the same bracket as Halep.  I'd give Collins one more round at the AO.

I've never paid attention to her profile picture, which might be the only time you'd see her smile.  On the other hand (and apologies for the use of a double negative), I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't smiling in it.

In the event that it gets to the point where she would end up facing Halep, and blowing a big lead, then it would be fair enough to air that on both ESPN & ESPN2.  On a related note...

Quote

I know I said I would probably mostly watch online, but - let me get this straight - in addition to the already sparse AusOpen coverage on US television they are currently airing the SAME NFL GAME on both ESPN and ESPN2 on my television? And tennis starts in 30 minutes?

Theatremouse, even though it was the same game, the difference was ESPN2 was a special presentation of the game with Peyton & Eli Manning hosting a commentary version of the program, better known as the Manning Cast.  Since this is a major, maybe they could've replaced the real broadcast with the Australian Open

[Medicine Crow]

Thanks a lot TSN!!  Last night, of the five channels I get, two were women's tennis from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m.  Tonight, the women go first again!!!  I'm not interested in watching anyone after 10:00 p.m., because I know I won't make it to the end, so why bother.  I'll just wait & check the results in the morning.  Geez!!

[roseha]

It's so odd, I watched some match replays on ESPN plus during the day, and there was not a single commercial, just a card from ESPN saying they were in a "break".  Then I tune in the women's matches in the evening and get bombarded with obnoxious commercials.  It's so odd, but I guess they are putting all the ads in prime time on purpose?  I've turned the sound down most of the way just to minimize the irritation.

I was able to re-watch Felix's match and he does look good, lets hope for a good run.

[woodstock]

Don’t know too much about Krejcikova but she is playing well against Azarenka.

 

[Harry24]

14 hours ago, woodstock said:

Don’t know too much about Krejcikova but she is playing well against Azarenka.

 

I've become a Krejcikova fan, however charisma-free she may be.

So proud of Madison for taking out Badosa (who I thought was the second favorite after Barty.). I wish I could have seen the match.

[BlackberryJam]

Not sad about Zverev.

[truthaboutluv]

1 hour ago, BlackberryJam said:

Not sad about Zverev.

Not sure many are, save for his fans. But so much for Sacha being this massive threat who was going to give Rafa a hell of a time. 

[Crashcourse]

So Monfils made it to the quarterfinals.  Color me surprised and delighted.  He plays Berrettini next and even though I like him, I'm rooting for La Monf.    

[kittykat]

On 1/21/2022 at 1:45 PM, BlackberryJam said:

Safin is my tennis bad boy boyfriend. I didn't care about his revolving girlfriends, bar fights or dropping trou, I loved him. I still love him. I feel no shame for this.

I have Youtube TV and haven't had a chance to review what matches they are showing. YTTV dropped The Tennis Channel so I think this is my first slam without it. I may have to add it to my streaming package. Ugh.

 

Oh man, Marat Safin!  It's a shame he never got his mental game together because in those days he was one of the few that actually could challenge Federer when he hit his stride.  If only he could have stopped being his own worst enemy and played the way he did when he steamrolled Pete Sampras in the 2000 US Open (good times!) he could have won a lot more majors. 

And strangely enough Federer was considered the non entity of the four in the early 2000s after he flamed out in a few majors.  Roddick/Hewitt were prognosticated as the heirs apparent after Sampras/Agassi but once Federer stepped up they were toast.

Edited January 23, 2022 by kittykat

[TVbitch]

I am totally out of touch with this tournament. The coverage is so fooking abysmal. ESPN3 is playing all kinds of juniors double matches while the top players are playing. W.T.F.?! I guess they REALLY want me to pony up for ESPN plus, but sorry, not happening.

I guess I'll watch the coverage on ABC today that runs a WHOLE HOUR. Why does tennis always get the shaft. : ( 

[truthaboutluv]

1 hour ago, kittykat said:

And strangely enough Federer was considered the non entity of the four in the early 2000s after he flamed out in a few majors.  Roddick/Hewitt were prognosticated as the heirs apparent after Sampras/Agassi but once Federer stepped up they were toast.

Interesting because I actually remember that a little differently. Yes, Federer took a bit longer than the pundits predicted to fully come into his own but as I remember it, he was expected to be great. Federer had huge expectations on his shoulder, largely owing to how dominant he was as a Junior player. 

As I recall, Federer and Roddick were definitely expected to be the next great era of men's tennis. Roddick for sure was supposed to carry the mantle of the next great American male player. Hewitt was actually considered an overachiever in that he did far better than the experts predicted and expected. 

20 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

I am totally out of touch with this tournament. The coverage is so fooking abysmal. ESPN3 is playing all kinds of juniors double matches while the top players are playing. W.T.F.?! I guess they REALLY want me to pony up for ESPN plus, but sorry, not happening.

I guess I'll watch the coverage on ABC today that runs a WHOLE HOUR. Why does tennis always get the shaft. : ( 

I'm happy to see that they have been getting called out for it online, to the point that some of the media has even covered the backlash. Look, I'm not naïve, we all know these things are a business and it's all about money. And I'm sure that yes, tennis doesn't bring in a 1/5 of the revenue for ESPN that the NFL and NBA does. 

But my issue is if they're not going to commit to the coverage, then give up the rights to another network that will. Like oh I don't know, Tennis Channel. Because whatever this is they're doing this year, it's freaking ridiculous. Ridiculous and insulting for tennis fans. 

Edited January 23, 2022 by truthaboutluv

[BlackberryJam]

I remember the Federer hype. Andy Roddick had done some commercial about “Where’s Andy’s mojo?” And almost instantly the joke was, “It’s in Federer’s bag.” I also remember Hewitt as an overachiever.

Safin never seemed to be driven to succeed. He enjoyed success, but he enjoyed partying as well. And he could never put his temper aside to focus. Still, smokin’ hot.

I do like watching Monfils because he’s so damned entertaining.

I did get to watch a bit of Nadal’s match last night, the tiebreaker. I watched long enough to be reminded how annoying JohnnyMac is. At least I turned it off before he started talking about Borg.

[Harry24]

1 hour ago, BlackberryJam said:

Safin never seemed to be driven to succeed. He enjoyed success, but he enjoyed partying as well. And he could never put his temper aside to focus. Still, smokin’ hot.

I always laugh remembering that Darren Cahill’s wife always refers to MS as the “big, sexy Russian."

[roseha]

I always thought it was a waste that Marat didn't go into the movies when he retired.  With his looks, personality and sense of humor, how could he have missed?

I have to say that watching on ESPN plus has worked for me.  I've managed to completely miss Fowler and the Mac brothers so far, and there are no commercials on the daytime replay matches.  And when I watched that rather amazing tiebreak last night between Nadal and Mannarino, it was much less annoying coverage.

The biggest problem for anyone in the US East coast is just that you have to go to bed just when things are getting dramatic but there's not much anyone can do about that.

[Jillibean]

1 hour ago, truthaboutluv said:

Interesting because I actually remember that a little differently. Yes, Federer took a bit longer than the pundits predicted to fully come into his own but as I remember it, he was expected to be great. Federer had huge expectations on his shoulder, largely owing to how dominant he was as a Junior player. 

As I recall, Federer and Roddick were definitely expected to be the next great era of men's tennis. Roddick for sure was supposed to carry the mantle of the next great American male player. Hewitt was actually considered an overachiever in that he did far better than the experts predicted and expected. 

I think overachieving actually adversely affected Lleyton--I think it gave his awful tennis parents the idea that he was somewhat infallible, which led to the parting with Darren Cahill. Part of it was the ascendancy of players like Federer, but Hewitt's game was never the same after he hired some random tennis coach approved by mom and dad who messed with his serve to make it "bigger." Ultimately he was a counterpuncher, and it's really hard for a counterpuncher to outgun someone like a Federer who was a shotmaker. Hewitt's game relied a lot on the other player making errors or coming in far enough that he could get in a passing shot or lob. 

I remember Jon Wertheim being on a hot streak for awhile there predicting which "best player to have never won a slam" would be next--JCF, Federer, and Roddick. But I also remember the analysis back then was that Federer was the undisputed best in terms of skill but was a mental, anxious, self-destructive mess. Once he dealt with that piece, it was case closed for quite some time.

[Harry24]

45 minutes ago, Jillibean said:

But I also remember the analysis back then was that Federer was the undisputed best in terms of skill but was a mental, anxious, self-destructive mess. Once he dealt with that piece, it was case closed for quite some time.

It's remarkable that he dealt with that as effectively as he did.  In fact, it might be one of the more amazing things about him.  I don’t believe there are a lot of top level players who really make dramatic headway with those issues.  Martina N might be one of them.  Those issues are rough.

Also ... I’ve been WONDERING why there’s been no mention of Peng anywhere recently

[theatremouse]

My understanding is, while it may feel good to those doing it to inspire public outcry demanding answers, doing so may be putting her at more risk and that is at least part of the reason that's being quashed.

[Medicine Crow]

Thanks again, TSN!!!  Two channels, one game (that doesn't interest me in the least)!!!

 

[Leeds]

On 1/22/2022 at 6:29 PM, roseha said:

It's so odd, I watched some match replays on ESPN plus during the day, and there was not a single commercial, just a card from ESPN saying they were in a "break".  Then I tune in the women's matches in the evening and get bombarded with obnoxious commercials.  It's so odd, but I guess they are putting all the ads in prime time on purpose?  I've turned the sound down most of the way just to minimize the irritation.

I was able to re-watch Felix's match and he does look good, lets hope for a good run.

I stopped watching tennis decades ago when the grunting started.  It's truly a great sadness to me.

8 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

So Monfils made it to the quarterfinals.  Color me surprised and delighted.  He plays Berrettini next and even though I like him, I'm rooting for La Monf.    

Pretty sure "La" Montfils is Elina Svitolina!

[Crashcourse]

20 hours ago, Leeds said:

I stopped watching tennis decades ago when the grunting started.  It's truly a great sadness to me.

Pretty sure "La" Montfils is Elina Svitolina!

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Crashcourse

[CountryGirl]

Safin and Berrettini. My, they do bring the pretty.

Sorry, I'm in the shallow pool at the moment.

Carry on. 

[kittykat]

23 hours ago, Jillibean said:

I think overachieving actually adversely affected Lleyton--I think it gave his awful tennis parents the idea that he was somewhat infallible, which led to the parting with Darren Cahill. Part of it was the ascendancy of players like Federer, but Hewitt's game was never the same after he hired some random tennis coach approved by mom and dad who messed with his serve to make it "bigger." Ultimately he was a counterpuncher, and it's really hard for a counterpuncher to outgun someone like a Federer who was a shotmaker. Hewitt's game relied a lot on the other player making errors or coming in far enough that he could get in a passing shot or lob. 

I remember Jon Wertheim being on a hot streak for awhile there predicting which "best player to have never won a slam" would be next--JCF, Federer, and Roddick. But I also remember the analysis back then was that Federer was the undisputed best in terms of skill but was a mental, anxious, self-destructive mess. Once he dealt with that piece, it was case closed for quite some time.

I forgot all three of those guys won their first (and only for JCF and AR) slam the same year, 2003.  The Australian Open that year would also be Agassi's last major title and the 2002 US Open was the final one for Sampras.  That really was the torch passing in that time.

Maybe it was the channels I watched but Federer definitely came one everyone's radar when he delivered Sampras his first Wimbledon loss in five years.  It seemed every year the narrative for the next big ones changed.  Patrick Rafter and Gustavo Kuerten came out swinging until injuries did them in.  Then Safin, Hewitt, Roddick, Ferrero, Xavier Malisse, James Blake.  The two Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Paul-Henri Mathieu we're also heavily hyped.

Anyhow back to current talk, pulling for Rafa tonight.  Claim that record!

 

[xaxat]

Gael Monfils is 35? That makes me feel so old.

[CountryGirl]

Rafa vs Matteo in the semis.

I'll probably be watching like this:

I'm rooting for Rafa to get to 21 (partly because I know it will piss Djoker off) but I'm also excited for Matteo to get to the finals, win, and have his first Major. 

[Crashcourse]

It's always a bummer when two people you like go up against each other.  I'm really sorry Monfils lost, but I don't mind looking at Berrettini a little longer. 

Nadal had me biting my nails and I'm so glad he prevailed.  I'm also happy for Madison Keys.

Rafa vs. Matteo?  Damn. 😒 Ok, I've gotta root for Rafa to get his 21st win.  Sorry, Matteo, but you'll have other chances after Rafa retires.   

Edited January 25, 2022 by Crashcourse

[Crashcourse]

2 hours ago, xaxat said:

Gael Monfils is 35? That makes me feel so old.

I first saw him when he was 19 at what was then the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, now the Citi Open, in DC.  Talk about feeling old! 😅

[CountryGirl]

So I only got to see a bit of the Rafa/Shap match and curious about Shap's beef with Rafa about the serve clock. Folks with more time on their hands than I have indicated that they differed by about two seconds so not sure what the issue is. 

[theatremouse]

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

It's always a bummer when two people you like go up against each other. 

This is how I feel about Barty/Keys.

Re: serve clock, when the whole thing is 25 seconds, 2 seconds difference is kinda big. But historically Rafa  on average takes, last I checked, longer than anyone else on tour. In tournaments with 20 second limits, he regularly exceeds the 25 second limit for majors. So - while I admit I don't have the exact numbers on last night's match - in general, Rafa should letter-of-the-law get a lot more time violations than he does.

[blackwing]

On 1/22/2022 at 9:09 PM, woodstock said:

Don’t know too much about Krejcikova but she is playing well against Azarenka.

 

 

On 1/23/2022 at 11:12 AM, Harry24 said:

I've become a Krejcikova fan, however charisma-free she may be.

I am decidedly not a fan, and she is one of the people that I automatically hope will lose.  I never liked her much, but her match against Muguruza in last year's US Open is when my hate bloomed.  The dislike/hate that I reserve for people like Sofia Kenin, Danielle Collins, Coco Vandeweghe.

Garbine was down something like 4-1 in the second set.  She came back and was leading 6-5.  Then Krejcikova took a medical time out.  During Muguruza's service game, Krejcikova also would limp slowly to the corner to get her towel and then limp slowly back.  Yet seemed to have absolutely no issues moving around on the court.  It was really unprofessional.  

So I'm happy to see that Madison Keys beat her.  Question, are she and Bjorn Fratangelo still together?  I know his family a little bit.

Happy for Berrettini.  I wish there was a way that Monfils could have advanced as well.  Happy for Nadal.  I watched the end of the Nadal/Shapavalov match, and wow, when Shapavalov hit the ball out for the final point, he immediately slammed his racket into the ground and broke it.  Then he left it there and walked off.  Poor sport much?  I don't think I have often (if ever) seen a player react in such a manner to losing a match.  Tennis is supposed to be a gracious game.  Most people lose gracefully and immediately approach the net to shake hands.

Edited January 25, 2022 by blackwing

[truthaboutluv]

5 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

So I only got to see a bit of the Rafa/Shap match and curious about Shap's beef with Rafa about the serve clock. Folks with more time on their hands than I have indicated that they differed by about two seconds so not sure what the issue is. 

Denis' issue was particularly with regard to the start of the third set. At the end of the second set, Rafa took a bathroom break to change his clothes, which he typically does at the conclusion of a set because he sweats a lot. 

Denis' contention was that he was ready to play, was waiting ready to serve and Rafa was holding up play. In reality, Rafa took about 20 seconds or so more after the umpire called time. This wasn't a case of  Tsitsipas' strategic and long bathroom breaks as Rafa was at that point up 2 sets to 0. 

They discussed this on Tennis Channel Live and Martina was none too impressed with Denis. .She thought he was just being a brat and at that point in the match was more so just frustrated that he was losing. She was also pretty disgusted with his slamming the racket when he lost the match point. 

She made a great point that he exerts too much mental energy on reactions, mouthing off to his box, freaking out on sometimes the smallest points, rather that lasering all his focus on the court and each point. 

Edited January 26, 2022 by truthaboutluv

[BlackberryJam]

3 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

Denis' issue was particularly with regard to the start of the third set. At the end of the second set, Rafa took a bathroom break to change his clothes, which he typically does at the conclusion of a set because he sweats a lot. 

Denis' contention was that he was ready to play, was waiting ready to serve and Rafa was holding up play. In reality, Rafa took about 20 seconds or so more after the umpire called time. This wasn't a case of  Tsitsipas' strategic and long bathroom breaks as Rafa was at that point up 2 sets to 0. 

They discussed this on Tennis Channel Live and Martina was none too impressed with Denis. .She thought he was just being a brat and at that point in the match was more so just frustrated that he was losing. She was also pretty disgusted with his slamming the racket when he lost the match point. 

She made a great point that he exerts too much mental energy on reactions, mouthing off to his box, freaking out on sometimes the smallest points, rather that lasering all his focus on the court and each point. 

I love Martina.

[Phebemarie]

I think it's interesting that in the Halep/Cornet match, the heat was probably more intense than during the Nadal/Shapovalov match.   Both women were visibly struggling, but Halep pulled out a difficult second set win and was on a roll.  After a 10 minute (much needed) heat break between sets, Cornet was reinvigorated and won the match.  Halep didn't complain that the heat break favored Cornet or complain of unfairness. 

Shouldn't there be a play stoppage once court temperatures reach the 90s and 100s?  Tournament officials thought Nadal might be experiencing heat stroke.  

Edited January 26, 2022 by Phebemarie

[Harry24]

51 minutes ago, Phebemarie said:

Shouldn't there be a play stoppage once court temperatures reach the 90s and 100s?  Tournament officials thought Nadal might be experiencing heat stroke.  

I can’t quote the exact guidelines, but the AO has certain levels where they put special rules into play regarding extreme heat, including stopping play.  It’s a combination of heat, humidity and other factors.  Maybe they call it the Heat Index?

[Harry24]

21 hours ago, blackwing said:

Garbine was down something like 4-1 in the second set.  She came back and was leading 6-5.  Then Krejcikova took a medical time out.  During Muguruza's service game, Krejcikova also would limp slowly to the corner to get her towel and then limp slowly back.  Yet seemed to have absolutely no issues moving around on the court.  It was really unprofessional. 

Thanks for bringing this up, blackwing.  They mentioned this propensity in the match against Keys (or perhaps an earlier one?), and now Krejcikova has jumped from my favored list all the way to my shit list.  I HATE that shit.  It’s one of the reasons I disliked Djokovic from the first time I saw him play Monfils at the US Open when they were both fresh out of juniors.  He was pulling crap like that all over the place.  Repulsive.

[CountryGirl]

15 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

I love Martina.

I adore her. She and Serena are my favorite tennis players. 

I did see her commentary and trust her assessment. It sounds like he was upset because he was losing and he could have pulled off the upset with the right focus. And yes, breaking the racket or smacking it around is just toddler behavior.

Also, her dog, Lulu, is just the cutest. 

[CountryGirl]

So it will be Medvedev and Tsitsipas for the other semi-final. I was really pulling for FAA and it could have gone either way.

[emmawoodhouse]

Gaaah FAA almost had him! 

[CountryGirl]

Is it wrong to say that I could not care less about the Med-Tsis semi-final?

[truthaboutluv]

3 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

Is it wrong to say that I could not care less about the Med-Tsis semi-final?

Eh, not really. Can't say I'm jumping out of my seat in excitement over it. I enjoy Med well enough but honestly, Stefanos has become persona non grata to me. I don't dislike him per se and it has nothing to do with the whole bathroom/gamesmanship controversy.

I just don't really care about him or his game much anymore. He had a brief moment there where I was sort of excited to see if he was this next great men's champion but I don't know, somewhere along the way, that interest died a swift death. 

 

3 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Gaaah FAA almost had him! 

I'm glad FAA was positive in his post-match press, choosing to focus on the positive. I mean a few months ago, Medvedev destroyed him in the semifinals of US Open and made him look like an amateur. To come back and produce that kind of performance and tennis was very impressive. 

I do think FAA and Denis' performances at this year's Aus Open makes a strong case for the ATP Cup as a good warmup to the Open.

Edited January 26, 2022 by truthaboutluv

[TVbitch]

Found a website that shows full replays of the main matches after they are finished! I'll just have to avoid the news, but at least I will get to see the semis and finals despite ESPN's best efforts. They've got FAA/Med up so I'll watch that too! If anyone would like the address, just PM me. 

Watched ESPN's chopped up version of the match between Kanepi and Swiatek. Felt bad for Kanepi. Feels like I've been watching her do just okay forever and was hoping this was her time to set a new best for herself.  

[Leeds]

On 1/25/2022 at 10:22 AM, Crashcourse said:

I first saw him when he was 19 at what was then the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, now the Citi Open, in DC.  Talk about feeling old! 😅

This comment makes me simultaneously feel the need to laugh and cry!  For me, early Wimbledon memories are from Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong, Virginia Wade, Chrissy Evert days.  Not to mention Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe.  The amazing doubles.  Oy.  One memorable year I studied for my O Levels (school exams taken aged 15/16) out on the lawn while watching on a portable TV with a long extension cord working on my tan in an at-the-time unusual heat wave.  As you say, talk about feeling old!

 

Edited January 27, 2022 by Leeds

[nittany cougar]

Danielle Collins beat Iga Swiatek to make it to the Australian Open final.  She'll play Ash Barty for the title. Barty won her semifinal in straight sets over Madison Keys.  The first set only took 26 minutes. Wow.

Barty and Collins have played each other 4 times, with Barty winning 3 of those matches.  Should be a good matchup.

Edited January 27, 2022 by nittany cougar

[mojoween]

Nick Kyrgios threw a temper tantrum?!?  Why I’ve never HEARD of such a thing.

[BlackberryJam]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

Nick Kyrgios threw a temper tantrum?!?  Why I’ve never HEARD of such a thing.

I’m not big on corporal punishment for children, but someone needed to give him a spanking at some point in his life. He’s so petulant. 

Good for Collins. I’m rooting for Barty though. The Men’s is just more interesting to me in this tournament. I miss Serena.