The Tennis Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

Those ratings don't surprise me one bit. I'm not sure what tennis can do about it, except to accept the fact that they cannot build ratings on the 'strength' of either number one, at this time.

Tennis better pray that the likes of Fritz, Osaka, Tiafoe, Zverev and yes, even Kyrgios start ascending because Nolé, Kerber and Plisková aren't really doing it for folks.

 

I guess Cilic and Nishikori are entitled to a good belly laugh because people kept saying that they were the low bar in terms of ratings, clearly these people were wrong.

Edited September 30, 2016 by DramatistDreamer

[Soapsuds]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/winning-grand-slams-no-longer-priority-says-djokovic-142056181--sow.html

 

It looks like The Joker has run out of gas!

[DramatistDreamer]

Yeah, he may very well feel uninspired, there's no Roger to beat up on. Perhaps I'm being petty but I'm believing that talk that marital discord has taken a toll.  Time for one of these other Top 10ers to step up and take full advantage. Men's Tennis could do with that change.

[Soapsuds]

Grigor is winning again!  He beat Rafa early this morning!

 

Now Stan is talking about panic attacks he had before the US Open final. What is going on with the men's tour??

[DramatistDreamer]

Regardless of whether anyone would admit, they all got used to Federer absorbing the spotlight and the pressure. He was the face of tennis and as much as Djokovic seemed to complain, now that Roger is not around, he suddenly wants to shrink away. Hmph.

 

Stan seemed like he was just fine with Roger being away but not longterm and he doesn't seem to like being the #1 Swiss maybe because there is now a bit too much hometown attention (particularly the press) on him.

 

Yes, Grigor seems to be enjoying his tennis again (by the way, he and Nicole still appear to be an item) and he even managed to get in a mild zinger about his ex Maria too then followed it up by a diplomatic comment to soften his remarks.

[Soapsuds]

Grigor got a walkover from Milos and is now ranked #18 and if he can beat Murray in the finals he will move to #16.

[DramatistDreamer]

Grigor didn't beat Murray. He needed to hold serve and attack Murray's 2nd serve (Murray's service stats today were dreadful yet Dimitrov still failed to capitalize) but Grigor could do neither today. Lost serve, broke Murray to get to a Tiebreak (which was promising) but when it matter most, lost serve in the tiebreak.

[DramatistDreamer]

The Telegraph newspaper goes in on Sharapova playing an exhibition while still effectively under a (recently reduced) ban from tennis.

 

Maria Sharapova's teeth-grindingly inappropriate love-in was nauseating and does tennis every discredit

 

 

 

[Soapsuds]

There a lot of tennis players speaking out sayin that she should have not gotten her ban reduced.

[DramatistDreamer]

This is quite hilarious. Kuznetsova grabbed that final spot from Konta, who was already in Singapore, posing for pictures and doing press.

 

 

Edited October 22, 2016 by DramatistDreamer

[ChitHappens]

LMAO!  I'm so happy for Sveta and Konta is a cheater so I'm super happy she didn't make it.  She was half dead at the USA but takes a MTO, miraculously recovers and wins the match?  Can anyone say Azarenka?!

[DramatistDreamer]

@ChitHappens, I'm no fan of Konta nor her shady strategically timed bathroom breaks. Her overly dainty service motion has really started to bother me. I know a few tennis fans from the U.K. who complain about growing weary of Konta due to her being overhyped by the British press.

 

I recently had to remind some Serena fans that Serena has been playing (and winning) matches for 20 years now and she just may need a bit more time to recover and refresh the mind and the body and as youthful as Serena appears to be, that level of play takes a toll on the body.

This is why I've always said that to me, it does not matter whether she ties or exceeds Steffi's record, there will always be people who will complain that it's not enough, that she needs to do more. I've even heard "fans" grumbling and claiming that had she applied herself she could have/should have had 30 majors.  

Are these people f***ing serious?!  Like Andy Roddick recently said, people don't appreciate what an achievement it is to win one major title, let alone 22 major singles titles? And if you count doubles (which are also very important to her), she's already exceeded 30.

That's why I say, she should just do what makes her happy and forget other people's expectations, including fans.  From what I saw of that Serena documentary, she spent most of 2015 getting sick due to stress from carrying hers and everybody else's expectations all at once. Something had to give. In her Instagram videos, she looks very happy, so good for her!

 

Speaking of people's expectations and fans talking, boy are people speculating about Venus and Lewis Hamilton! I assumed they were just friends when someone posted pictures of them at some party over the summer but Vee was at some big race of his and when he won and embraced her in the garage after the race, the rumor mill went into overdrive! Someone even claimed that they held hands. Some Formula 1 fans were pissed because a reporter approached Venus during Hamilton's race and she basically declined to be interviewed. She had on a dark hat and dark glasses, I think she was trying to go unnoticed. Hamilton, who has also been criticized by the British press, I think got a kick out of Vee snubbing a reporter and proceeded to tweet his thanks for her being there and celebrating with him.

 

Feliciano Lopez sounds like he's having Twitter sex with Andrea Petkovic. I'm going to start calling him Deliciano

Lop-sex. Between intense twitter flirtations and pictures of him with apparent morningwood (or is it evening), he just seems to be setting thirst-traps wherever he goes.

 

In actual tennis, lots of people losing matches. Raonic and Grigor lost early in Basel, Stan barely hangs in. After Muguruza and Halep talked all that mess about others stepping up in Serena's absence, they've each lost already at the WTA Finals (they're lucky it's Round Robin). Thiem is probably going to fall out from playing way too many matches- he's becoming a regular Davydenko.

I'm on Kei watch to see if his body holds up or will he be covered in Scotch tape and kinesio tape by the WTF in London.

Edited October 26, 2016 by DramatistDreamer

[Soapsuds]

......................

[DramatistDreamer]

LOL @Soapsuds and I didn't even get to Nolé and this guru mess.

[I Am A Swede]

Andy Murray will become the new world number 1 on Monday after Milos Raonic withdrew from their semi-final in the Paris Masters

 

http://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/37882467