The Tennis Thread

[ChitHappens]

Jeezus!  Let's just give it to Fed! 

[Soapsuds]

I seriously believe Roger has put a voodoo hex on the other players on the tour....LOLOLOL

[Faulkner]

This Venus/Kasatkina match is BANANAS.

[Faulkner]

Ugh. Why does Venus always have to make things so hard for herself? She had been playing so beautifully and was two points away from taking Dasha out.

 

So angry. She could have won this *entire* tournament. 

 

Is it just fatigue? She has come so close in so many tournaments over the past couple of years.

Edited March 17, 2018 by Faulkner

[Soapsuds]

What a match! Venus should've won. I thought for sure at love 30 she'd close her out. I think fatigue played a factor.

 

LOL at Pam interviewing Darren(her coworker/now coach mode tonight)....LOL

[ChitHappens]

Osaka!!!

[DramatistDreamer]

Are people really dragging Venus for battling for nearly 3 hours against a 20 year old while Simona got bageled by another 20 year old!

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Yes, Venus should've maintained that break in the third and I feel bitter about that but fatigue does things to the mind. 

What's Simona's excuse??

 

Years ago, I said Osaka had potential to be a Top 10 player and anytime she lost, I had people making fun of me.

Now what? 

Hope she wins the tournament.

[ChitHappens]

Osaka has grown leaps and bounds.  She and Sascha appear to be a perfect fit! 

 

I was extremely disappointed Vee lost but folks get too carried away. 

 

Halep?  I have no words!  

[ChitHappens]

 

I don't think it's fatigue. Vee is still playing some of the best tennis of her career and many others. She made some wrong moves on critical points. I was happy to see her go toe to toe with a 20 year old power hitter. Vee still got it!  

[Faulkner]

I think she’s playing great. But every time she’s close to a trophy, there’s just something that can’t get her over the line these days, which is why I’m wondering if it’s fatigue.

 

I fell asleep before Halep/Osaka, but wow. After how Naomi handled Pliskova and now Halep, I think she’s going to be a handful for Dasha. Sascha has really helped Naomi develop rather quickly.

[Soapsuds]

Halep was a complete mess last night. She was in a bad mood from the first point. I had to LOL at her shade for Darren during the change overs.

 

Madison Keys should learn some pointers from Osaka. She just blasted the ball all over the place too. The finals should be a good one.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

I'm a huge fan of hers (since the very beginning of her career).  Never will you hear me claim that Vee has lost "it" or doesn't got it.

 

But the conditions last night on court, weather-wise are are not ideal for someone with an autoimmune illness and fatigue is a very real part of Sjogren's.  Venus will never complain or show when something bothers her, which is probably one of the reasons why I adore her but there were people in coats while the players are on court. 

Those conditions and a superslow court are not ideal for any big hitter but I'm proud of the way she competed but that one loss of serve to give back the break was the point of no return for the match.  After nearly three hours, it is understandable.

[Faulkner]

I actually thought Venus was surprisingly demonstrative last night (slamming her racquet on the ground in frustration, groaning loudly at mishits, etc). You could tell she really wanted it and was angry with herself for those momentary lapses. That was a winnable match for her, even though Dasha played well. I knew if it went three sets, the odds were in Dasha’s favor, but Venus was soo close.

 

I love Venus too, and I really wanted her to win. But it’s like how I feel with Kei Nishikori. Wonderful player with lots of potential, but he’s a bit fragile, and he exacerbates situations with these lapses, letting his opponents back into the match. He’s a great defender and often fights back to 3-5 set wins, but at the business end of a tournament, he’s out of gas. He doesn’t manage his energy that well.

 

Here’s the difference with Federer. If his opponent shows the least bit of vulnerability, Federer puts his foot on the guy’s neck, even when Fed’s not at his best. He just has such awareness, and he also knows he’s no longer 25. Dasha had moments of vulnerability too. 

 

I love that we’re still seeing Venus play at an elite level after all she’s been through. Maybe it’s a bit greedy to want her holding the big trophies again. She IS capable of it.

Edited March 17, 2018 by Faulkner

[DramatistDreamer]

@FaulknerI don't think the Kei and Venus comparison works simply because when Venus was Kei's age she had already won majors and been #1 in the world. 

 

Kei and Chanda Rubin would be a better comparison (unless Kei gets to #1 and/or wins a major).

 

As far as the Men's semis, oh look, they're having their matches during the day and not at night when it's blustery and cold AF.

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  The WTA has some horrible negotiators as far as TV rights and court assignments, that's for sure.

[Faulkner]

I wasn’t talking about them from a career perspective, just from how they are playing now with their respective current physical limitations. Of course, Venus is much more accomplished. No one can take away Venus’s seven GS titles.

 

Whoa, did Coric just take a set on Fed?!

Edited March 17, 2018 by Faulkner