2022 Tennis

[jezza1918]

The Australian Open begins Jan 17 and Novak Djokovic will have a chance to defend his title and break the 3-way tie with Nadal & Federer for most Men's singles majors (20). Tennis Australia (via an independent panel) granted him a medical exemption as he is not vaccinated - https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/32990613/novak-djokovic-defend-australian-open-title-exemption-vaccination
*Note - not trying to stir the pot, as this is commentary free of his vax status. There is a thread on covid & sports in V&N where that would be more applicable if you want to do down that road - https://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?threads/covid-sports-what-are-athletes-vaccination-responsibilities-other-topics.34381/

 

[cromulence]

Novak is a villain, through and through.

 

[streeter88]

As a resident of a thoroughly exhausted and freaked out Melbourne, my observation is that Djokovic's exemption is creating negative press for an event that could potentially be held in front of empty seats due to the rampant spread of the Omicron variant.

Nadal has always been more popular here; though there are a few Serbians here in Melbourne (23,000), there are even more Spanish (120,000), and the Australian tennis fan appreciates Nadal's class. Hoping for a Nadal resurgence, but Joker seems inevitable at this point.

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

‘Appalling message’: outrage over Novak Djokovic’s medical exemption to play Australian Open
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/05/appalling-message-outrage-over-novak-djokovics-medical-exemption-to-play-australian-open

 

[jezza1918]

Relating the fan reaction to the actual tennis, Djokovic seems to relish the villain title anyway...so it might help? That said two straight weeks of that could mess with his head a bit. Current odds on mens side has Djoker at +150, followed somewhat closely by Medvedev (+225) and Zverev (+300). From my POV, mens tennis really needs some likeable young guys to enter (and stay) in the top 10...I don't know a single person who enjoys rooting for any of the 3 favorites at this point).
Women's Draw should be intriguing as well, with Barty (+450) being a slight favorite over Osaka (+550), and then a bit of a drop off before Raducanu/Murguraza/Sabalenka (all +1,000). Coming off a 4 month break, it will be interesting to see what Osaka does. Will wait to make any prediction until the draw comes out but a first round exit or a victory really wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

I'd be surprised if Raducanu reaches the Round of 16, let alone contending to win the tournament; her tennis focus, shall we say, has dropped off alarmingly since the US Open. Barty and Osaka both have plenty of baggage - Barty because it's her home Slam, Osaka because of her mental health status - and so as usual the women's tournament ought to be WIDE open.

I don't know a single person who enjoys rooting for any of the 3 favorites at this point

Well...I kinda enjoy Medvedev's antics. He's easily more likeable for me than Djokovic and Zverev at this point.

 

[jezza1918]

I'd be surprised if Raducanu reaches the Round of 16, let alone contending to win the tournament; her tennis focus, shall we say, has dropped off alarmingly since the US Open. Barty and Osaka both have plenty of baggage - Barty because it's her home Slam, Osaka because of her mental health status - and so as usual the women's tournament ought to be WIDE open.

Well...I kinda enjoy Medvedev's antics. He's easily more likeable for me than Djokovic and Zverev at this point.

Very fair points all around. Medvedev is kind of playing the role of anti-hero quite well.

 

[bosockboy]

Australia fights back.
View: https://mobile.twitter.com/thedailybeast/status/1478747454497505280?s=21

 

[thehitcat]

I'd be surprised if Raducanu reaches the Round of 16, let alone contending to win the tournament; her tennis focus, shall we say, has dropped off alarmingly since the US Open. Barty and Osaka both have plenty of baggage - Barty because it's her home Slam, Osaka because of her mental health status - and so as usual the women's tournament ought to be WIDE open.

Hey @Conigliaro's Potential is this kind of in line with what Pam Shriver said recently that this year might be one of consolidation as everything changed for Emma overnight? Or is this from being an insider tennis guy and you know she's been out partying/missing training/whatever? I'm curious because I rooted for her to do the unthinkable and I'd love to be able to continue to do that as she turns into Tom Brady or the tennis equivalent of superstar out of nowhere.

 

[Comfortably Lomb]

Australia fights back.
View: https://mobile.twitter.com/thedailybeast/status/1478747454497505280?s=21

"It's unclear what Djokovic can now do to enter Australia."

Uh, get vaccinated? Good for Australia taking a hard line.

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

Hey @Conigliaro's Potential is this kind of in line with what Pam Shriver said recently that this year might be one of consolidation as everything changed for Emma overnight? Or is this from being an insider tennis guy and you know she's been out partying/missing training/whatever? I'm curious because I rooted for her to do the unthinkable and I'd love to be able to continue to do that as she turns into Tom Brady or the tennis equivalent of superstar out of nowhere.

No inside information...but I do live in the UK and have read countless headlines about her schedule (on and off court) since last September, how she's changed coaches, and so on. EVERYTHING about her career trajectory screams "one hit wonder" to me at this point, and she's got a lot to do to convince me otherwise. I mean, it would have helped her to win any Slam other than the US Open, and been forced to immediately pick up a racket again and play more tennis instead of basically going on vacation for 3+ months; simply winning a Slam out of nowhere is bad enough for your short-to-medium-term prospects, as countless women have proved over the past few decades.

 

[jezza1918]

Something tells me this story isn't over yet, but as of now Djokovic is being deported -
View: https://twitter.com/paulsakkal/status/1478836799195664386?s=20


"Breaking: Novak Djokovic's visa has been cancelled. He's been told to leave the country today, two sources confirmed to
@theage. His Lawyers are in the process of appealing. He's not demonstrated to Border Force sufficient evidence for his exemption" @ paulsakkal on twitter

 

[canderson]

Didn’t Serena drop out due to the vaccine mandate?

 

[jezza1918]

Didn’t Serena drop out due to the vaccine mandate?

Everything I saw on Serena alluded to ongoing hamstring issues

 

[Marceline]

Not only is he being sent home, but depending on the outcome in court he could be banned from the country for 3 years.

Excerpt from The Defector (paywall):

Djokovic appealed his visa’s rejection shortly after being detained, and Federal Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly granted an injunction that prevents Djokovic from being deported from the country until after his case is heard next Monday. Djokovic’s case hinges on the argument that he had COVID in the last six months and is therefore immune. The feds rejected that argument once already, and he faces a possible three-year ban from the country if the courts side against him.

More (non-paywall) info here:
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/border-force-investigating-other-australian-open-players-after-djokovic-ban-20220106-p59md5.html

 

[RIrooter09]

I love when bad things happen to entitled assholes.

 

[canderson]

Australia craters, allows Novak to stay in the country.

https://www.cnn.com/webview/asia/live-news/djokovic-australia-hearing-live-intl-hnk/h_7d33f65adbe28ed15fce2940106bcb9a

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

Australia craters, allows Novak to stay in the country.

https://www.cnn.com/webview/asia/live-news/djokovic-australia-hearing-live-intl-hnk/h_7d33f65adbe28ed15fce2940106bcb9a

A court has ruled to reinstate his visa, but the Australian immigration minister (Alex Hawke) could decide to cancel it again - we'll probably hear his decision tomorrow. (I don't think a judge making a ruling constitutes "cratering" in this context.)

 

[canderson]

A court has ruled to reinstate his visa, but the Australian immigration minister (Alex Hawke) could decide to cancel it again - we'll probably hear his decision tomorrow. (I don't think a judge making a ruling constitutes "cratering" in this context.)

Ohhh, my apologies. I misread the piece (not enough caffeine yet)

 

[shawnrbu]

Emma only won one game in losing to Rybakina in a tuneup event for the Australian Open.

 

[soxhop411]

A court has ruled to reinstate his visa, but the Australian immigration minister (Alex Hawke) could decide to cancel it again - we'll probably hear his decision tomorrow. (I don't think a judge making a ruling constitutes "cratering" in this context.)

Ohhh, my apologies. I misread the piece (not enough caffeine yet)

And it has been Revoked. (Again)
About 10 min ago.

In the high-stakes legal match between Novak Djokovic and the Australian government, it’s game for Australia, love for Djokovic. The world No. 1 will not be allowed to remain in Australia to compete in the Australian Open.

“Today I exercised my power under section 133C(3) of the Migration Act to cancel the visa held by Mr. Novak Djokovic on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so,” Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said Friday, a day after Djokovic was included in the Open’s draw.

Before the decision, the tennis superstar admitted to sitting for an interview and a photoshoot with a French news outlet after testing positive as well as falsely claiming on his immigration forms that he had not traveled in the 14 days before arriving in Australia. He called attending the photoshoot “an error in judgement” and said the false declaration on the form had been an “administrative mistake” made by someone on his team.

Djokovic, who had attempted to evade disclosing his vaccination status, had received a waiver from the Australian Open to compete before he arrived in Melbourne on Jan. 6. He had tested positive for the coronavirus in December in Serbia, which he asserted gave him immunity and exempted him from Australia’s vaccination mandate.


Australian officials revoked his visa on arrival, citing the country’s mandate that all foreign travelers be vaccinated. Djokovic also found a transcript of his interview with a border official—“I’m not vaccinated”—made public. His family gave multiple press conferences supporting his anti-vaccine stance while he was detained.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/australia-cancels-novak-djokovics-visa-for-the-second-time
View: https://twitter.com/BenRothenberg/status/1481882690140131328

Not only is he being sent home, but depending on the outcome in court he could be banned from the country for 3 years.

Excerpt from The Defector (paywall):


More (non-paywall) info here:
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/border-force-investigating-other-australian-open-players-after-djokovic-ban-20220106-p59md5.html

You are correct as well. It’s essentially a three year ban from Australia
View: https://twitter.com/latikambourke/status/1481883955670536196

 

[jezza1918]

On the actual tennis front Medvedev looks to have a relatively easy road through to at least the 2nd week - unless you think Kgyrios can keep it together to challenge him in the 2nd round. Easy first week matches are super important at most slams, but in Australia even moreso with the potential for extremely hot weather and since it's so early in the season (having a grand slam 3 weeks into a season is preposterous, but that's a different story).
What 1st round match will have more aces: Opelka vs Kevin Anderson or Cressy vs Isner?
Haven't had a change to look over much of the Women's draw yet, but based on what we've seen for months now I'd be surprised of Raducanu beats Sloane Stephens in the opening round.

 

[canderson]

Novak had appealed and remains in the tournament. Any word on when they’ll hear the appeal? It’s the weekend now. Does he play and win and then get kicked out of the appeal is denied?

 

[jezza1918]

Per this link - https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/novak-djokovic-australia-visa-ruling-01-14-22/index.html initial hearing later this evening eastern time (saturday morn in Oz); and a more detailed one Sunday morning in Oz. But also per that link it sounds like as of this moment, while he remains in the draw, his visa is indeed revoked.
"The tennis star is being placed back in detention by Australian authorities on Saturday after his visa was revoked for a second time."

 

[BigMike]

Emma who has done very little since (other than) winning the US Open draws Sloane Stephens in the first round. Very weird first round matchup of former US Open champions

 

[soxhop411]

Novak had appealed and remains in the tournament. Any word on when they’ll hear the appeal? It’s the weekend now. Does he play and win and then get kicked out of the appeal is denied?

Appeal has been denied.
View: https://twitter.com/karenlsweeney/status/1482606743352135682

#Breaking Novak Djokovic has LOST his Federal Court Case. The decision was unanimous. Written reasons to follow in the coming days.

 

[nolasoxfan]

Good. Frak him and the entitled, anti-vaxx horse he rode in on.

 

[canderson]

Fantastic to see a county follow through!

 

[mauidano]

Emma who has done very little since (other than) winning the US Open draws Sloane Stephens in the first round. Very weird first round matchup of former US Open champions

Thought the same thing. Women’s tennis brackets are wide open for anyone. Would not say she is favored and a ton of pressure on the kid. Don’t sleep on Leylah Fernandez either! Really excited for tennis to start tonight!

 

[shawnrbu]

Hilarious scoreline.

Madison Brengle defeats Dayana Yastremska 6-1, 0-6, 5-0.

Winners
Yastremska 31
Brengle 1

That can’t be real.

Also, tennis is ridiculous for betting. Because Yastremska retired, if your book voids a bet if a match ends due to a retirement, Yastremska bettors get a refund when it should have been a L.

 

[Matty005]

Hilarious scoreline.

Madison Brengle defeats Dayana Yastremska 6-1, 0-6, 5-0.

Winners
Yastremska 31
Brengle 1

That can’t be real.

Also, tennis is ridiculous for betting. Because Yastremska retired, if your book voids a bet if a match ends due to a retirement, Yastremska bettors get a refund when it should have been a L.

I would never bet on a Yastremska match because she pulls this shit all the time. So glad she it out.

 

[BigMike]

Hilarious scoreline.

Madison Brengle defeats Dayana Yastremska 6-1, 0-6, 5-0.

Winners
Yastremska 31
Brengle 1

That can’t be real.

Also, tennis is ridiculous for betting. Because Yastremska retired, if your book voids a bet if a match ends due to a retirement, Yastremska bettors get a refund when it should have been a L.

Hard to believe this is true, but the numbers do add up. Brengle won 64 points. She had 1 winner. Yastremeska had 60 unforced errors, and 3 double faults. That said, I did watch the highlights, and would have given 1 play I saw a winner for Brengle and not an unforced error. That play was a long rally where both had been brought into the net, Brengle hit a good shot that a fully stretched out Yastremska was barely able to get the top of the racket on losing the point, certainly a winner not an unforced error. (I know this was not the one winner, as there was one other clear winner earlier in the highlight package)

 

[jon abbey]

Good match finishing up now, Andy Murray still on the comeback trail against #21 Basilashvili. They split the first four sets, Murray went up 3-0 in the 5th but now it is back to 4-4.

 

[jon abbey]

Raducanu/Sloane Stephens supposed to start around 5 AM EST.

 

[jon abbey]

Murray comes back with two strong games and pulls it out, 6-4.

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

That Raducanu-Stephens match...tennis is weird.

 

[jezza1918]

That Raducanu-Stephens match...tennis is weird.

At first I was shocked at this result given Raducanu's results since the US Open. But I guess Stephens has barely played since then either, and also got married a couple of weeks ago...so it's not like she is anywhere close to top form either.
I guess given both of their inconsistent play, the scoreline isn't THAT weird?
Some nice five set wins for American men Frances Tiafoe, Steve Johnson & Maxime Cressy (over fellow American Isner). The score that really stuck out to me on the Women's side was Sabalenka surviving a slight scare from 27 year old WC Storm Sanders from Australia. I've seen her play once and there's a reason she's never cracked the top 100...although looking her up some impressive Dubs results last year (quarters at US, semis at Wimby), so perhaps it's translating a bit.

 

[mauf]

Good match finishing up now, Andy Murray still on the comeback trail against #21. They split the first four sets, Murray went up 3-0 in the 5th but now it is back to 4-4.

Is Murray dealing with an injury? I only watched a slice of the match (3rd set) but he seemed to be struggling physically, perhaps with a hamstring. I fell asleep right after the 3rd and was a little surprised to see this morning that he had pulled it out — kind of thought Basilashvili would win the 4th and 5th.

 

[jezza1918]

Is Murray dealing with an injury? I only watched a slice of the match (3rd set) but he seemed to be struggling physically, perhaps with a hamstring. I fell asleep right after the 3rd and was a little surprised to see this morning that he had pulled it out — kind of thought Basilashvili would win the 4th and 5th.

While I can't answer the question, I will say it's kind of looked this way to my eyes since he started his comeback. He's like the hobbled guy at that pick-up basketball game that you really can't figure out why he's beating you, but alas...Wasn't a huge Murray fan for the bulk of his career, but rooting for him hard these days.

 

[jsinger121]

Murray has had two hip surgeries. He probably will never look the same as he did in his prime which is to be expected. Frankly just seeing him on the tennis court is good enough for me as he probably should be in retirement now.

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

I guess given both of their inconsistent play, the scoreline isn't THAT weird?

Any match that finishes 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 is by definition weird.

 

[shawnrbu]

# 2 ranked Sabalenka only being a -303 favorite over the 128th ranked player is a sign of the bad form Sabalenka is in to start the year.

# 1 ranked Barty was a -2000 favorite over the 119th ranked player.

# 3 ranked Muguruza was a -909 favorite over the 77th ranked player.

 

[jezza1918]

Any match that finishes 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 is by definition weird.

I assure you, not at the lower levels of D3 Tennis! But as to your actual point, yes I agree...I mainly made the comment to highlight how inconsistent both have been, and the score is a microcosm of that inconsistency.
Thanks @shawnrbu for digging up that info. Good insight!
Hoping Americans Mackie MacDonald (vs Karatzev) & Amanda Anisimova (vs. Bencic) can challenge for upsets during the Day 3 slate.

 

[Matty005]

# 2 ranked Sabalenka only being a -303 favorite over the 128th ranked player is a sign of the bad form Sabalenka is in to start the year.

# 1 ranked Barty was a -2000 favorite over the 119th ranked player.

# 3 ranked Muguruza was a -909 favorite over the 77th ranked player.

She has a case of the yips with her serving. In the tuneups, she was actually serving underhand to get her serve in.

 

[mauf]

I wish ESPN would show one match at a time, at least absent unusual circumstances. I’m fine with, say, jumping over to watch Keys finish off Cristian, but just cut away from the first set of the Nadal match for a few minutes.

Or maybe I need a bigger TV.

 

[swiftaw]

I wish ESPN would show one match at a time, at least absent unusual circumstances. I’m fine with, say, jumping over to watch Keys finish off Cristian, but just cut away from the first set of the Nadal match for a few minutes.

Or maybe I need a bigger TV.

On ESPN+ there is a separate feed for each match.

 

[jon abbey]

Funky cluster of 4 on the women’s side with one advancing to the round of 16: the talented Anisimova beat #22 Bencic 6-2, 7-5 and now plays the winner of Osaka/Brengle which just started. Anisimova/Osaka would be a fantastic third round match, and the winner would likely get #1 Barty.

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

Funky cluster of 4 on the women’s side with one advancing to the round of 16: the talented Anisimova beat #22 Bencic 6-2, 7-5 and now plays the winner of Osaka/Brengle. Anisimova/Osaka would be a fantastic bthurd round match, and the winner would likely get #1 Osaka.

Not enough coffee yet this morning?

 

[jon abbey]

Haha fixed! Actually too much multitasking, this is my prime time.

 

[jon abbey]

And Osaka wins easily, 6-0, 6-4.