Still can't get over how Naomi is potentially lined up to play 7 finals, basically.
No wonder she wanted the rest.
No wonder she wanted the rest.
Tennis
- Thread starter backstreetjoe
- Start date
Simona just isn't a main favorite this year at the Australian Open and that's fine. Her 2020 was great through and through but her losses, as few as they were, have only highlighted what we already knew, she can be easily blown off the court by a power hitter on a good day. Swiatek, Sabalenka, Muguruza last year and Alexandrova this week all played what they had to play against Simona, relentlessly attacking the lines.
Oh I'm fully aware of all of that. I would honestly never criticise someone for scheduling lightly with an aim to lasting longer.
But scheduling lightly is different to actually entering into events you have zero intention of completing. Serena has in the past scheduled lightly and tanked non slam matches. Both are a bummer for the tour, but it's her choice and it isn't really sabotaging a tournament or letting ticket holders down to the same extent as getting to the end of an event and then withdrawing. I mean logically it makes sense that a lot of people tune in later on in an event for the more serious matches and/or buy tickets for later rounds thinking it will be the best/most in-form players going at it. Not to mention tournament quarters and semis come at the end of the work week. Not having a product for people to consume is a problem.
We're unlikely to live in a world where players can be in Stuttgart one week, Madrid the next, Rome following that, and then have a week of training intensely in Paris before Roland Garros any time soon. Having non-slam events not get played out beyond the quarters or so would be really, really detrimental to the tour over the next year or two.
Edit: Not to mention the effect it has on the rankings with players getting artificial bumps from "going deep" in these warmup tournaments by virtue of playing one or two completed matches. Trivial point, but still.
Also Serena's withdrawal bothers me a lot less than Naomi's given that Serena has for sure paid her dues and is understandably looking to conserve energy for slams, being at the tail end of her career. Naomi is in her physical prime right now.
But scheduling lightly is different to actually entering into events you have zero intention of completing. Serena has in the past scheduled lightly and tanked non slam matches. Both are a bummer for the tour, but it's her choice and it isn't really sabotaging a tournament or letting ticket holders down to the same extent as getting to the end of an event and then withdrawing. I mean logically it makes sense that a lot of people tune in later on in an event for the more serious matches and/or buy tickets for later rounds thinking it will be the best/most in-form players going at it. Not to mention tournament quarters and semis come at the end of the work week. Not having a product for people to consume is a problem.
We're unlikely to live in a world where players can be in Stuttgart one week, Madrid the next, Rome following that, and then have a week of training intensely in Paris before Roland Garros any time soon. Having non-slam events not get played out beyond the quarters or so would be really, really detrimental to the tour over the next year or two.
Edit: Not to mention the effect it has on the rankings with players getting artificial bumps from "going deep" in these warmup tournaments by virtue of playing one or two completed matches. Trivial point, but still.
Also Serena's withdrawal bothers me a lot less than Naomi's given that Serena has for sure paid her dues and is understandably looking to conserve energy for slams, being at the tail end of her career. Naomi is in her physical prime right now.
Turns out Barty did just enough to crack Muguruza's game AND brain while at it. I'm glad... in a way.
Mertens defeated Kanepi quite easily in the Gippsland final but I feel no need or desire to document myself on that as probably and unfortunately Kanepi blowed herself out of the court while Mertens just sat there. Sad for Kaia but what a week has been for her anyway.
Mertens defeated Kanepi quite easily in the Gippsland final but I feel no need or desire to document myself on that as probably and unfortunately Kanepi blowed herself out of the court while Mertens just sat there. Sad for Kaia but what a week has been for her anyway.
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And we're back!
Pleased to see Serena and Venus moving forward to the second round, Kerber losing to Bernarda Pera so easily is quite the shocker though.
I'm watching Buzarnescu against Bianca and we're having a three setter.
Pleased to see Serena and Venus moving forward to the second round, Kerber losing to Bernarda Pera so easily is quite the shocker though.
I'm watching Buzarnescu against Bianca and we're having a three setter.
I don't think we'll see Kerber here next year. She's 33 now and has done all she's likely to do; I think it's one last Olympics then goodbye.
Happy for Serena and Venus, but it's Iga's result that cheers me the most. No sign of the first-time Slam winner pressure getting to her at all.
Naomi Osaka is a different player when she's playing slams - looked locked in and focused.
Can't decide if I underestimated Naomi or overestimated Pavs, but I haven't seen Naomi look this comfortable in an opening round since US Open 2018. She had her ice-queen US Open 2018/Beijing 2019 face on, which is a scary prospect for her opponents.
Can't decide if I underestimated Naomi or overestimated Pavs, but I haven't seen Naomi look this comfortable in an opening round since US Open 2018. She had her ice-queen US Open 2018/Beijing 2019 face on, which is a scary prospect for her opponents.
What a display put on by Shapo and Sinner. A crying shame to lose Jannik so early. I was ready to whinge about him giving up and getting to focused on his tiredness and then he brought out some electric play to take the 4th and keep competitive in the final set.
Glad to see Denis get the win though, especially seeing him by using tactical play rather than just explosiveness. He did well to hang in there mentally at the start too. He was clearly edgy, had he not resisted as much as he did though it could have been over in 3 quick sets.
Getting the title yesterday is a bigger deal for Sinner at this stage, it’s time for Shapovalov to start notching slam wins and coming through these blockbusters before he accumulates too much mental scar tissue.
Glad to see Denis get the win though, especially seeing him by using tactical play rather than just explosiveness. He did well to hang in there mentally at the start too. He was clearly edgy, had he not resisted as much as he did though it could have been over in 3 quick sets.
Getting the title yesterday is a bigger deal for Sinner at this stage, it’s time for Shapovalov to start notching slam wins and coming through these blockbusters before he accumulates too much mental scar tissue.
Part 1 of my all brits must die (apart from evans) prediction has been fulfilled, whilst i'm praying I'm wrong, I will be getting up to watch Fran and Jo tomorrow morning, which feels masochistic.
Barty looked great in the final, Gabs, did not.
I've caught up on a few matches today, Iga look solid if unspectacular, Serena was impressive and Hsieh is still here!
also Sinner looked pretty fresh, I want to be 19 again.
Barty looked great in the final, Gabs, did not.
I've caught up on a few matches today, Iga look solid if unspectacular, Serena was impressive and Hsieh is still here!
also Sinner looked pretty fresh, I want to be 19 again.
I hate the colouring of both Serena and Naomi's outfits. Petra looks amazing in the more standard Nike dress. Shapo's outfit is really disappointingly blah too, especially after how well the Agassi throwback stuff suited him. It looks like someone has repurposed an old prom dress. Sinner rocked the standard kit really well.
Oh, and I wasn't sure whether to eyeroll or smirk seeing Kerber bringing up the hard quarantine in detail in relation to her loss. Obviously it didn't exactly help but she has seemed all the way checked out for a while now, as stated in this thread.
Edit: And let me also add, the sooner we get this thread to a new page and we can skip seeing that hideous trophy and Barty can stop taunting me with her flawless (and appropriately dull) return to the tour, the better!
Edit: And let me also add, the sooner we get this thread to a new page and we can skip seeing that hideous trophy and Barty can stop taunting me with her flawless (and appropriately dull) return to the tour, the better!
HEATHER! The only brit I don't get up for does the job (also the most boring brit game wise). Right, back to optomism, let's get either Jo or Fran through now please.
That trophy is the best trophy I've seen on tour, closely followed by the boomerang.
That trophy is the best trophy I've seen on tour, closely followed by the boomerang.
Yall will not discredit the Madrid phallu... trophy like that!
Day 2 in Australia and Azarenka is already packing her bags. Unconvincing thus far this year although Pegula is a tough one to play against in a first round. Another upset would be Sakkari losing in 3 to Mladenovic of all people.
By virtue of both Azarenka and Sakkari being in the same section, Svitolina's path to the quarters got a tiny bit easier although I wouldn't trust her to move past a peaking Pegula or wishful thinking, Stephens.
Other than that I think most girlies expected to win their matches have actually managed to do so today! Consistency!
Day 2 in Australia and Azarenka is already packing her bags. Unconvincing thus far this year although Pegula is a tough one to play against in a first round. Another upset would be Sakkari losing in 3 to Mladenovic of all people.
By virtue of both Azarenka and Sakkari being in the same section, Svitolina's path to the quarters got a tiny bit easier although I wouldn't trust her to move past a peaking Pegula or wishful thinking, Stephens.
Other than that I think most girlies expected to win their matches have actually managed to do so today! Consistency!
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Konta is severely overranked at the moment and Juvan has nothing to lose against her anyway. Go, Kaja!
Azarenka is appearantly injured -she did have a MTO during the match- but didn't want to go in detail over that. Quite on brand dddd.
Also blamed having to quarantine, lack of fresh air etcetera.......
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/...open-azarenka-blames-isolation-for-early-exit