The Tennis Thread

[Soapsuds]

I didn't think Roger was going to win the match. Cilic was really tight on key points that cost him the match. I have to say that Federer matches never disappoint whether he wins or loses. 

 

I guess its back to hiding with Sam after his loss with Milos. I am sure the media will pimp him all summer long and at the US Open but I am sure Sam won't even be a factor at this year's US Open. I really hope Milos doesn't win Wimbledon. He still doesn't have the game to be a grand champion winner. His volleying, backhand and movement are still a liability for him. He only has a serve. Milos has to be one of the most dullest  players to watch and he has zero personality off and on the court.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Soapsuds

[Soapsuds]

I am LOL at Murray's antics on the court and his struggle to put away Tsonga. But someone must stop his f word over and over after almost every point. I am surprised he doesn't get heavily fined for it. He is the worst at dropping the f word on court with television viewers and those at the stadium watching the match.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Soapsuds

[Toups]

Maybe that's why he got McEnroe? He's volleying more. 

 

That doesn't really mean anything.  Look at Federer who doesn't really have a "personality" on and off the court either. 

[Soapsuds]

Roger has more than Milos and is the most popular male player on tour right now. Novak is so jealous of that and wishes fans loved him as much but it will never happen. 

 

Tennis is down in the ratings because of lack of personality on tour. Andy is dull as hell and so is Novak. I wish an American would step up and get the male side of tennis going again. The women's tour is different with Serena bringing in those ratings…..

 

Golf had Tiger and that brought in the ratings…..Spieth brings in ratings but not what Tiger did….but ratings were good for his unfortunate meltdown at the Masters….Johnson winning the US Open brought lower ratings even though he was an American….again Johnson has zero personality and was rumored to have drug problems and supposedly suspended on the tour for it. 

 

But back to Milos….I clearly remember an interview he had with Brad Gilbert and Milos gave him nothing on the interview….it could have been a way for him to get known better by tennis fans….instead he was short and seemed rather rude to which Brad and the other commentators noticed. I never cared for him but that interviewed made me care even less for his overrated game.

 

 

Maybe I should say tennis players must be likable. Well more than likable and I don't see that on the men's tour minus Roger and Rafa. I hope Dominic Thiem gets a following. I like his game and he has a good personality. He seems very very likable and Americanized….LOL

 

 

Oh and going back to Novak….LOL…he comes off as a sexiest pig….his comments are mind boggling. His comment about the women's tour were brushed under the rug. Others were ripped to shreds and I guess since he is the top player he gets a pass. I was rolling my eyes how he was forgiven in an instant and tournament director Moore was replaced and dragged through the mud for his comments. And I believe those were the same comments Novak agreed on and then later retracted them…..Novak comes off so fake and I think tennis fans see it too and thus the lack of real fan support.

[Toups]

Tiger Wood's doesn't have a "personality" either and he wasn't "likeable" either! LOL But he was damn good and that's why ratings were up whenever he was leading in the 4th round.  You need great players to bring in great ratings, it's that simple.  If it was Federer/Djoker/Nadal vs each other in the finals, or Williams vs Sharapova, it would get ratings. 

[Soapsuds]

Novak has never brought in ratings. Sunday's Novak Djokovic/Roger Federer 2015 U.S. Open men's final drew a 1.8 final rating and 3.2 million viewers.  A 1.8 ranking is pretty low for a tennis match.

 

Williams vs Williams always brings in ratings(last year's QF match between the two sisters at the US Open was the most watched tennis match in 2015….it peaked at 5.6 rating) or when Serena was going for the grand slam last year.

 

 

Novak vs Federer in the finals last year at the US Open didnt even come close to William sister numbers….so Novak doesn't bring in ratings….LOL

 

 

Toups….

 

5.6>1.8…..LOL….Again Novak doesn't bring in any ratings….LOL

 

 

I am sure ESPN is bummed that there won't be a Williams vs Williams final on Saturday. The ratings would have been great again. I was hoping Venus would have won one more Wimbledon.

Edited July 7, 2016 by Soapsuds

[DramatistDreamer]

@Soapsuds, I was hoping Venus would win Wimbledon too . At least both Sisters won their doubles match and are in the SFs. Come Monday, Venus will be up to #7. The Williams are still very much representing U.S. tennis as Madison Keys is now going to drop out of the Top 10 and she just got in, like 2 weeks ago, I think.

 

[Soapsuds]

 

 

BTW…the final round of this year's Masters where Spieth was a contender..in the lead was an 8.5 rating with 14 million viewers. The year before when Spieth actually won the rating was a 9.6 with 17 million viewers. So I guess Spieth does bring in the ratings…no???

Yeah I got to see their doubles win too. I was really hoping for number 6 for Venus. Madison Keys continues to be a disappointment but it was mentioned that maybe(I guess they finally realized it…LOL) that they were pimping players too early in their career. I don't remember if ESPN or Tennis Channel said that. They have been doing that with Jack Sock even before he hit a ball in the main men's tour and his career hasn't been anything to write home about. Other players like Thiem and Sasha have progressed much faster. Jack needs to lose more weight and get into shape in the weight room. He needs to improve his backhand too.

[Toups]

Yes! Milos! First Grand Slam final and makes history as the first Canadian man to do so. Just bring it home now.   Sad to see Federer fall (literally) but it's still great to see him, at this age, make it this far. 

[Soapsuds]

UGH!!  What a boring and probably least watched final ever between Milos and Andy….talk about a terrible final that no one will watch. I can't wait to see how low the ratings will be for ESPN. Roger was up 2 sets to 1 when I stopped watching and then tune back in and find out he lost…..thats it for Roger…he won't ever win another major. Today was his best chance and he blew it although he should have lost to Cilic. I think I am going to skip this year's final. What a disappointment.

 

I wish ESPN would stop with the big 4. They aren't doing themselves any favors every time they say that. It is obvious the tennis fans don't care for them(ratings prove it). Tennis is in bad shape with Murray, Novak and the likes of Milos left after Roger and Nadal call it quits. I had to LOL at idiot Patrick McEnroe saying how tennis was in better shape now than ever before. In what planet is this bozo living in? Tennis was at its best during the John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors era and the Sampras/Courier/Agassi years….much greater numbers too because of all the great American success. Now you don't have that in the men's tour. All of the men on the American side have been failures….

Edited July 8, 2016 by Soapsuds

[Toups]

Aw, poor sad American. LOL There is no "big four," just a "three". Andy needs to win some more majors to be considered in that category.  

 

Why do do you care so much about ratings? It's not like they're to cancel the sport due to low ratings. lol

[Soapsuds]

Thank you!  Patrick McEnroe today backed off about the big 4 saying that they were because of the deep runs the four have made. That is hogwash and thats not what ESPN has been pimping all this time. It is has been about major wins. And you are right ….Andy has only 2 majors and both with Lendl. He hasn't accomplished [!@#$%^&*] since Lendl left him. Hell even Stan has 2 majors and he isn't even mentioned with the supposedly big 4.

I like to see who is popular and who's not in Tennis and Golf. Roger and Nadal are the only ones that have brought decent ratings to the men's tour. There is no American male that has broken through to get people to watch tennis again. It is in bad shape IMO. Look at golf….Tiger brought huge ratings and after Tiger stopped playing I didnt watch anymore. I didnt see any American good or worth watching. Then came Spieth and golf fans are watching again. And the golf tour is making the same mistake the tennis tour does by pimping players they shouldn't. Jason Day wins and bam he is the best….better than anyone on tour…he is the next Tiger Woods….where?? He has won only one major. Then they will pimp Rory when his game has fallen ever since Spieth had that great year. He has felt the pressure and his admitted to it. He was more nervous playing with Spieth at this year's Masters than Spieth was with him. And finally they pimp Dustin Johnson, an american, but so dull as a player. Oh wait he hits the ball the hardest so he must be the greatest….rolls eyes…….He hadn't won a major in how many tries? Yet, he is now the one ….the best…better than Jason Day who just the day before they were pimping. Dustin was rumored to have a drug problem that got him suspended by the tour and a womanizer who's only claim to fame until recently was knocking up WG daughter and having a child out of marriage…..His US Open win btw was less seen than Spieth win from last year.

 

So who should golf channel be pimping? The American….Spieth..he is the future and brings in ratings…..I haven't seen anyone else do that.

 

Rant over…LOL…back to tennis talk…..Murray vs Milos…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Edited July 8, 2016 by Soapsuds

[Soapsuds]

 

 

I am so tired of ESPN commentators thinking that big serving players with nothing else equates to great tennis. It doesn't….it equals to boring less than average players who fans on tv don't want to watch.

[Toups]

This era may have sucked for the American men but this era of Federer/Nadal/Djokovic has been the best ever.  They have dominated the sport like no other group.  They have a combined 43 Grand Slam titles.  I think it's going to be a long time before we see an era like this again. 

Edited July 8, 2016 by Toups

[Soapsuds]

 

 

And why is John McEnroe NOT helping out the American male tennis players?  Milos got his services. Instead American tennis is stuck with coaches like Justin Gimelstob, Patrick McEnroe, Jay Berger(three losers who didnt do squat during their tennis careers)

 

And Patrick is awful commentator as well. He shouldn't be allowed anywhere near tennis as a coach or analyst….LOL

 

@Toups  One of my favorite players to watch is actually a Canadian….Vasek Pospisil ….he has a better game than Milos but unfortunately he has no idea what to do with it. He needs a strong coach to help him out. He is wasting his talents away just like Grigor Dimitrov. He beat Berdych at the Canadian Open a few years ago badly but his career has gone south. He is close to falling out of the top 100. It is sad considering what a great player he is and should be.