The Tennis Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

Bianca Andreescu was hungry and played like there was no tomorrow. Serena's serve let her down and her footwork stopped and by the time she was able to play up to her normal standard, it was too late for her.

Congrats to Andreescu!  I've known since the beginning of the season that she has been one who could snatch titles.

Let's not have a contest about who can be a drama queen because according to Kerber, Bianca has made a name for herself in that category as well, lol.

 

That second set was thrilling. It's rare to see a tennis match get that level of full-on, full-throated cheering and excitement.

[ChitHappens]

Lawd!  24 is there but Serena cant get across that finish line.  In finals, we aren't getting the game we get in the previous 6 matches.  No serve, no movement. Ugh!  Anywho, Bianca has a great game and I welcome the changing of the guard.  I did it with Martina, Steffi and now Serena.  

[Toups]

Yes Bianca! She did it!  First Canadian (man or woman) to win a grand slam!  What a huge year for Canadian sports - with the Raptors winning their first Championship. And first person born in the 2000's to win a grand slam.   

 

Bianca's game is so good, and so fun to watch. I love her violent forehand swing, and her crouching swing.   That second set was so tense.  She was so close to winning and then Serena started to come back and you're just like, "She's only 19......what if she can't handle this pressure?"  But she prevailed and that's going to great for her experience, to go through a match like that where the crowd was rooting heavily for her opponent.  

 

#SheTheNorth #SheTheChamp

[I Am A Swede]

Congratulations to Bianca!

 

I wonder if Serena will ever get number 24 now. It seems like there's a mental barrier for her now, and she's not getting any younger. She's obviously still good enough to be competitive but it won't get any easier....

[Faulkner]

Serena at her most transparent and vulnerable with the press (who frankly don’t deserve it).

 

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[Faulkner]

Those of us who thought Medvedev would simply roll over for Rafa were sadly mistaken.

[Faulkner]

Medvedev sure wasn’t boring tonight. His shotmaking and fight were top-notch.

 

 

 

[ChitHappens]

What a match!  Nadal could have easily lost this one.  That was quite a win.  Fed better watch out!  

 

Folks better watch out for Med in the future!  

[Faulkner]

Yep. He’s a problem solver. To go from that beatdown in the finals of Rogers Cup to this tight five-set epic....

 

[ChitHappens]

 

Not to mention, that match looked to be over in 3.  Med made it a thriller.  He gave viewers what they came to see. 

 

I was a bit peeved at Nadal for what appeared to be intentional breaks of Med's momentum by repeatedly stopping play.  But he paid for it with the shot clock violations so I'm good.  The ump was not playing with Nadal last night.  The double faults were a direct result of shorter prep time when serving.  The 40 second prep is over!  

[Faulkner]

Kevin Anderson and Carla Suarez Navarro have both ended their 2019 seasons due to injury. KAndo is also having a kid.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Nadal has violated that rule many more times than he has actually been caught.  Tennis is very selective about who they punish and it makes them look ridiculous as an organization. 

You have people who bash holes into umpires' chairs and pretending to fire guns getting smaller fines than players swiping at a blade of glass.

Also,

how is it determined that CSN was giving 'not enough effort'?  How is that determined?

You have verbal abuse warnings for some...fine, but let it be in a language or slang that an official isn't familiar with and the offender gets absolutely no warning, even if everybody heard it.

Pundits still complain about grunting as though it is solely a women's tennis issue when, at this point there are just as many male players who grunt (and loudly) during matches.

 

When the shot clock rule was introduced, I was one of those who dismissed it.  One, I really thought the effect would be negligible on the actual running time of the match (surface speeds, balls, etc. are far more important factors, imo) and I just didn't care and third, like many other of tennis' rules, many players who are often habitual offenders would find a way around it anyway. 

Now that the shot clock rule is here and in effect, however, I think that either tennis needs to apply and enforce it, equally and judiciously or just get rid of the rule altogether.  Tennis as a sport looks ridiculous nowadays.

 

Edited September 9, 2019 by DramatistDreamer

[Soapsuds]

The women's final had a 3.0 rating.

 

The men's final had a 2.0 rating.

 

Both up from last year. 

[Faulkner]

Re: Serena/Bianca ratings: many may have thought Serena was finally gonna snatch No. 24 or were anticipating another meltdown like last year. Serena’s always going to be box office, though.

 

Not surprised at all about Nadal/Medvedev. That was a classic. Djokovic/Delpo in 2018 was a rout.

 

I’d be more interested in seeing the numbers over time. Many may have opted out on Nadal/Medvedev thinking it was going to be a cakewalk for Rafa, only tuning in when they got word it was becoming a tight match.

 

Back-to-back men’s Grand Slam finals with actual drama and stakes? When was the last time we had that?

[Faulkner]

Naomi’s bf, rapper YBN Cordae:

 

 

Edited September 11, 2019 by Faulkner