*Official* Tennis Thread

[_Ed_]

Enjoying this Swiatek-Jabeur match.

 

[Spark]

suppose it comes down to personal preference but i don't find that at all tbh - even in the most brilliant of rivalries, when it's the same three blokes involved in the rivalry for a decade it becomes tiresome (as to your first remark), and i don't find thrashings all that fun at all tbh (as to the second); again, while it's all personal preference surely you can't tell me the 27th death march of nadal to the final in france is as fulfilling as aslan karatsev's buzzsaw run a couple of months back?

would argue as well it's a bit rich to call the women's finals error ridden scraps of a bunch of mediocrities given they are still the cream of the tour hehe

I'm definitely in the "women's tennis >>> men's tennis" camp right now but you can't deny that there's something deeply alluring about singular talents pushing the absolute extremes of what's considered possible in sport. Steve Smith scoring a facile hundred against SL's medium pacers when three other blokes also do so is obviously eminently forgettable, but that's not actually the point of Steve Smith. Scoring three hundreds in a series when hardly anyone else can get to fifty is.

 

[_Ed_]

Enjoying this Swiatek-Jabeur match.

This was quite the jinx - Swiatek didn't win a game after I posted it.

 

[Shady Slim]

I'm definitely in the "women's tennis >>> men's tennis" camp right now but you can't deny that there's something deeply alluring about singular talents pushing the absolute extremes of what's considered possible in sport. Steve Smith scoring a facile hundred against SL's medium pacers when three other blokes also do so is obviously eminently forgettable, but that's not actually the point of Steve Smith. Scoring three hundreds in a series when hardly anyone else can get to fifty is.

i agree to an extent, though only to an extent. i won't use the smith example bc personally i'd rather **** in my hands, clap, then bore my eyes out w a drill than watch smith bat for an extended period - and i was all aboard the smith train in 2013-14, 14-15, 15-16 to an extent but it's been tiresome since

but there are only so many times you can watch tom brady go 30 from 33 on 8 to 12 yard passes for 3TD 0INT 310YDS before you can, without in any way at all detracting from your appreciation of the skill and mastery the man has, feel nothing except ambivalence while watching it. novak probably the most egregious example of this because he's the most bradyesque - ruthlessly clinical and margin-perfect without bombasticism or the extreme flash of some of his compatriots. i too have always been a fed guy, but again, unless he was up against nadal or djokovic by the late 2010s i really could not root for anything but an upset tbh

there is a point at which you get sick of the real prize in the majors being whoever the fourth guy to make the mens semis is because you know at the release of the draw who three of the spots are going to

my favourite sorts of matches are **** like hsieh memeing andreescu out of the oz open or what denis istomin did to novak back in 2017, than novak in the finals for the gazillionth time

 

[Spark]

Well sure unpredictability is the soul of sport. But just because something is unpredictable because it's **** quality doesn't change that it's **** quality. That has its place, but elite top-level sport is not it.

 

[Niall]

10 breaks of serve in final set of he fifth set of the Korda v Khach match.

Garin wasting everyone's time v Novak, maybe it would have been closer on clay but nonetheless Novak absolutely cruising.

 

[Niall]

FFS .,,,have bet plenty on Pliskova to win this event in previous years after she enters the event in promising form only for her to lose to randoms, this time I swore not to and she is playing lights out tennis.

 

[Niall]

draw from hell for Novak gets even tougher, Rublev gone but Fucsovic next a player he has never beaten on the ATP Tour.

 

[Anil]

gauff and swiatek gone...i hope kerber or barty can stop some random player from winning the women's title but not holding my breath...

 

[Niall]

gauff and swiatek gone...i hope kerber or barty can stop some random player from winning the women's title but not holding my breath...

You don' consider Saba a randomer do you? Been one of the favs for most slams over last few years just has never been able to hold it together.

Patchy from Federer so far, but he's a set up against an inform Sonego.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

If the Ladies semis are Barty v Kerber and Pliskova v Sabalenka that would be pretty decent. One or two of the others not quite so much.

 

[Anil]

You don' consider Saba a randomer do you? Been one of the favs for most slams over last few years just has never been able to hold it together.

Patchy from Federer so far, but he's a set up against an inform Sonego.

well she has been unimpressive in majors to put it mildly, certainly has the potential to win a few but first has to show she has the temperament to get it done at least once...

regarding federer, he has done better than i thought he would...a soft draw helping him so far but will most likely be out in the quarters whether against medvedev or hurkacz...

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

i agree to an extent, though only to an extent. i won't use the smith example bc personally i'd rather **** in my hands, clap, then bore my eyes out w a drill than watch smith bat for an extended period - and i was all aboard the smith train in 2013-14, 14-15, 15-16 to an extent but it's been tiresome since

but there are only so many times you can watch tom brady go 30 from 33 on 8 to 12 yard passes for 3TD 0INT 310YDS before you can, without in any way at all detracting from your appreciation of the skill and mastery the man has, feel nothing except ambivalence while watching it. novak probably the most egregious example of this because he's the most bradyesque - ruthlessly clinical and margin-perfect without bombasticism or the extreme flash of some of his compatriots. i too have always been a fed guy, but again, unless he was up against nadal or djokovic by the late 2010s i really could not root for anything but an upset tbh

there is a point at which you get sick of the real prize in the majors being whoever the fourth guy to make the mens semis is because you know at the release of the draw who three of the spots are going to

my favourite sorts of matches are **** like hsieh memeing andreescu out of the oz open or what denis istomin did to novak back in 2017, than novak in the finals for the gazillionth time

I watch The Big Four to marvel at what "sports science" has to offer professional athletes.

 

[Niall]

well she has been unimpressive in majors to put it mildly, certainly has the potential to win a few but first has to show she has the temperament to get it done at least once...

regarding federer, he has done better than i thought he would...a soft draw helping him so far but will most likely be out in the quarters whether against medvedev or hurkacz...

Bar Gasquet its not been that soft of a draw tbf. Manny in round 1 would be a pest for anyone as he loves the grass. Norrie and Sonego also have reached grass finals recently so both clearly on form.


However yeah I am skeptical of him beating Medvedev/ Berrettini or FAA then Shapo or obviously more likely Novak back to back sadly.

 

[Shady Slim]

berrettini is having some tournament, ftr. only dropped the one set so far - FAA in a bit of form though and should be a bigger challenge than guys he's faced so far imo

 

[grecian]

KP and Penis Moron being ***** about Radanacu, quelle suprise.

 

[wpdavid]

KP and Penis Moron being ***** about Radanacu, quelle suprise.

I think we've seen enough evidence that Morgan enjoys bullying young women for this not be any surprise at all.

 

[Niall]

Uneventful quarter finals but pleased to see Kerber v Barty and Saba v Pliskova as semi finals. No randoms ftw.

 

[wpdavid]

KP and Penis Moron being ***** about Radanacu, quelle suprise.

I though that Lineker's response, posting a picture of Morgan's flounce off the GMTV set was more than reasonable. otoh, Morgan's charmless response to Lineker is the latest evidence, should any be needed, that freedom of speech is a one-way street as far as that obnoxious **** is concerned.

 

[grecian]

I though that Lineker's response, posting a picture of Morgan's flounce off the GMTV set was more than reasonable. otoh, Morgan's charmless response to Lineker is the latest evidence, should any be needed, that freedom of speech is a one-way street as far as that obnoxious **** is concerned.

In the end Murray and Lineker's reaction are all grist to Morons chuntering lard-laden mill though, it's his career nowadays. Even us talking about it is what he wants.

So it's all bad, hopefully Radanacu can move on, but unfortunately, this is discourse nowadays, she'll have to get used to it.