The Tennis Thread

[Soapsuds]

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[Faulkner]

The top women have really stepped up in a way they haven’t in MANY years. 

[Faulkner]

It’s always interesting to see veteran players who’ve somehow avoided playing each other over the years. But if Nishikori and PCB win their matches tonight, they’ll have their first meeting ever in the AO R16.

 

 

[Soapsuds]

Talk about a coma inducing match. 

[Faulkner]

Medvedev looks great, but he’s had a pretty easy path. Goffin was gone for a while and lost first round to Berankis (!) in Doha.

 

Someone who has played well relative to expectations is Herbert.

[Soapsuds]

What has happened to Goffin's game? It's gone south. He is ranked #21 in the world....

[Faulkner]

So unlucky with injuries last year. I wonder what his offseason preparation was like.

 

Brad Gilbert going in on Fognini’s fitness: “He didn’t put in the hard yards in the offseason. He put in the hard yards on the pasta.”

[Soapsuds]

Bwhahahaha....I heard that and his comment about how his outfit wasn't doing him any favors either too in the fitness department...LOL

[Faulkner]

Coric and especially Pouille have been under the radar.

Edited January 19, 2019 by Faulkner

[Soapsuds]

Was shocked to hear ESPN say that Denis just hit the ball hard with no game plan. I thought they gushed over him and said he was a shot maker? He looked awful against the Joker. 

 

And Joker does it again. Just a few days ago he was praising the Aussie Fans as being the most loving and he loses a set yesterday and gives them the business....LOLOLOL......and then after he wins the match he does his fake heart love......Joker is full of [!@#$%^&*] and so fake that's why he will never get the love he wants from fans.

[Faulkner]

Even Nolefam were a bit confused as to why Novak got so derailed by the lights in the stadium (and then the heckler) when he was cruising to a straight sets victory. BG brought up the USO match against Sandgren last year, a good comparison. But sometimes he does need to take a scenic route in a match to stay motivated for whatever reason. I think about 2016 when he went AWOL in the match against Gilles Simon, made 100 UFE, won the match, and then won his sixth AO. 

 

He’ll need to tighten it up against Medvedev, who talked a bit of sh!t about Novak in his last press conference. If there’s anything that motivates a great champion, it’s sh!t talk from an up-and-coming opponent.

 

Sad to see Venus go out like that to Halep. That section of the women’s draw is insane.

 

Meanwhile, this made the rounds:

 

 

[Soapsuds]

The match was just going too easy for him and he just lost focus. I mean Nole was playing his C game just like Nadal and Roger did with their teeny boppers opponents. Those matches were embarrassing to watch. 

Medvedev is plain evil....LOL....never cared for him or his game.

Edited January 19, 2019 by Soapsuds

[ChitHappens]

Tiafoe takes the first set from Dimitrov! 

 

Barty is slicing her way to a possible victory. So annoying!  Worse than Niculescu!  

[Faulkner]

There was a rally in the 3rd set in this Barty/Sharapova match that ranks among the best I’ve seen. Certainly some of the best movement I’ve seen from Maria.

 

Barty nearly let Maria back into this set just now, but had some clutch serves to maintain a break lead. 

Frances up two sets to love on Grigor.

[Soapsuds]

Maria's screeching was annoying too...LOL....Gawd could she have been any louder?

I saw the first set and Grigor was just playing so passive and not going after his shots. Tuned in later to see him way ahead in the second set tie-breaker only for him to lose it.....awful......

 

When is Grigor going to realize his passive game isn't going to get him anywhere? I am losing my patience with him and believe he won't accomplish any true greatness.