2022 Tennis

jezza1918

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Jul 19, 2005
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Revoking ranking points at Wimbledon by the ATP/WTA is a colossal misstep. I guess I can see the thought process - "hmm maybe if we revoke points, sponsors will threaten to pull out and put pressure on Wimbledon to reconsider their banning on Russian/Belarussian players." Problem is, it did nothing of the sort. Affects things on so many levels...but I really feel badly for a hypothetical player ranked outside the top 100 who makes a run, and while the short term profit will be nice, the long term benefit of getting a good chunk of points allowing main draw entry into events for a decent length of time REALLY hurts.
 

jezza1918

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Tiafoe through 4, 4, & 4. Beat a qualifier named Andrea Vavassori (currently ranked 256th). He lost 14 points on serve in 15 service games...don't care who you are playing or what surface it's on but that is pretty damned impressive.
 

jezza1918

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Er...Djokovic lost the second set to a Korean player I'd never heard of before, and it's 2-2 in the third (with Djokovic just having saved a break point on his serve).
Kwon is playing with very little fear, and is actually winning the longer points. Serving for the 2nd set he was down 0-15, then there was a brief stoppage due to a medical incident in the stands, goes down 0-30...and then reeled off 4 straight points to take the set. It was very impressive.
 

shawnrbu

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Jul 14, 2005
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Isner had 53 Aces today to win in 5 sets.
Isner and Murray to meet in Round 2. Murray is 9-0 in the head to head, although they have not played each other since 2016.
 

jsinger121

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Jul 25, 2005
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Serena hasn’t played in a year in Wimbledon as a wild card playing a nobody in round 1 and still gets Centre Court billing with the third match there today.
 

jezza1918

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Serena hasn’t played in a year in Wimbledon as a wild card playing a nobody in round 1 and still gets Centre Court billing with the third match there today.
Serena's fan appeal at Wimbledon is probably higher than anyone on the Women's side at the AEC not named Raducanu, and might still be higher than her. Would've been shocked to see her anywhere but Centre or #1 for her first match.
Coco G. had a tough first rounder but just grinded out a 3 set victory...she'll have to up her game to make any sort of run though.
 

jsinger121

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Jul 25, 2005
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Serena's fan appeal at Wimbledon is probably higher than anyone on the Women's side at the AEC not named Raducanu, and might still be higher than her. Would've been shocked to see her anywhere but Centre or #1 for her first match.
Coco G. had a tough first rounder but just grinded out a 3 set victory...she'll have to up her game to make any sort of run though.
And Serena is out in round 1 on Centre Court. Might be the final time she plays on Centre Court because I kinda think she is done.
 

Dim13

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Jul 14, 2005
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Tan’s mental toughness in that match should be noted. She blew a match point before the tiebreak and the went down pretty big early in the tiebreak. Great match by her.
 

cromulence

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Aug 25, 2009
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Serena is thoroughly washed. It'll be interesting to see how long she holds on - I get the feeling it will be too long, but I could also see her saying the US Open is her last tournament.
 

jezza1918

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And Serena is out in round 1 on Centre Court. Might be the final time she plays on Centre Court because I kinda think she is done.
I couldn’t watch much of it...she looks so slow out there. And almost discombobulated. I wonder if she’ll try to play a few summer hardcourt events and have a decent showing in nyc and call it a career?
 

Matty005

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Aug 28, 2005
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Serena is thoroughly washed. It'll be interesting to see how long she holds on - I get the feeling it will be too long, but I could also see her saying the US Open is her last tournament.
I really don't agree with this at all. I watched the entire match and while she wasn't at top form, she played really well considering she hadn't played a match in over a year. She was slow at times but was also moving decent. Tan did a bunch of drop shots and stopped about 1/2 through the match because Serena was getting to them. Her net play was also great.

I don't think she can win a grand slam but I think if she trains for the Open and stays healthy she could easily make the QF's.

Also, it was quite inspiring see the greatest grand slam champion of all time at 41 years of age battling her ass off and showing how much she wants it. I remember Serena getting shit in her mid 20s about not caring about tennis. To watch her play today that couldn't be further from the truth.
 

cromulence

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You raise some good points, and "thoroughly washed" is probably a bit strong. We're actually mostly on the same page when it comes to her prospects going forward. But if I wanted to be pessimistic...it's not like Tan played an incredible match. I don't think she's about to go on a long run here. Serena just can't move well enough anymore, and she doesn't have the same overwhelming power on her forehand or serve to overcome it.
 

johnmd20

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I really don't agree with this at all. I watched the entire match and while she wasn't at top form, she played really well considering she hadn't played a match in over a year. She was slow at times but was also moving decent. Tan did a bunch of drop shots and stopped about 1/2 through the match because Serena was getting to them. Her net play was also great.

I don't think she can win a grand slam but I think if she trains for the Open and stays healthy she could easily make the QF's.

Also, it was quite inspiring see the greatest grand slam champion of all time at 41 years of age battling her ass off and showing how much she wants it. I remember Serena getting shit in her mid 20s about not caring about tennis. To watch her play today that couldn't be further from the truth.
If the best case for Serena is the QFs, then she is throughly washed. But she is also 40, it's amazing she's lasted this long.

Oh, she battled in a match and lost in the first round at Wimbeldon? That's a sign of being washed. Tennis players at age 40 don't all of a sudden work their way to victories, even if the player is the best tennis player of all time.
 

Matty005

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If the best case for Serena is the QFs, then she is throughly washed. But she is also 40, it's amazing she's lasted this long.

Oh, she battled in a match and lost in the first round at Wimbeldon? That's a sign of being washed. Tennis players at age 40 don't all of a sudden work their way to victories, even if the player is the best tennis player of all time.
It would be a sign of being washed if she had been playing regularly. For not playing in over a year I thought her play was actually better than I expected.

I think maybe we are saying washed up in different terms. If making the QF's and no going beyond that means you're, "washed" up in tennis, than 95% of tennis players are washed up. If you're comparing Serena of old to Serena of now, yes, of course, she is no where near that level. But if she wants to go out there and compete more power to her. She still wants to play and win. The way the women's game is too (with the exception of Iga who isn't great on hard courts) the US Open is completely wide open. Look at how many seeded players are already out in round 2 here and look at the French results.

Steffi was washed up, so was Pete, and many people said Fed was when he had his mini drought. They all went on to win another major and while I think it's highly unlikely Serena does so (the women's game is SO much deeper than it was 20 years ago) I don't blame her for going out there and competing.
 

johnmd20

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It would be a sign of being washed if she had been playing regularly. For not playing in over a year I thought her play was actually better than I expected.

I think maybe we are saying washed up in different terms. If making the QF's and no going beyond that means you're, "washed" up in tennis, than 95% of tennis players are washed up. If you're comparing Serena of old to Serena of now, yes, of course, she is no where near that level. But if she wants to go out there and compete more power to her. She still wants to play and win. The way the women's game is too (with the exception of Iga who isn't great on hard courts) the US Open is completely wide open. Look at how many seeded players are already out in round 2 here and look at the French results.

Steffi was washed up, so was Pete, and many people said Fed was when he had his mini drought. They all went on to win another major and while I think it's highly unlikely Serena does so (the women's game is SO much deeper than it was 20 years ago) I don't blame her for going out there and competing.
I'm not blaming her, it's awesome she is still playing.
 

shawnrbu

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Another 36 Aces for Isner (only 2 double faults). Gets his first career win against Murray. Tough path coming up: Sinner, then potentially Alcaraz followed by Djokovic.
 

BigMike

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I really don't agree with this at all. I watched the entire match and while she wasn't at top form, she played really well considering she hadn't played a match in over a year. She was slow at times but was also moving decent. Tan did a bunch of drop shots and stopped about 1/2 through the match because Serena was getting to them. Her net play was also great.

I don't think she can win a grand slam but I think if she trains for the Open and stays healthy she could easily make the QF's.

Also, it was quite inspiring see the greatest grand slam champion of all time at 41 years of age battling her ass off and showing how much she wants it. I remember Serena getting shit in her mid 20s about not caring about tennis. To watch her play today that couldn't be further from the truth.
She could maybe make the QF if the draw is right, and as she would likely be a WC again, she could easily get a tougher first round out

Her skills were declining the past 3 years even before the injury and the long time off. She is older, and slower, and even before the time off was mostly getting by on power, intimidation, and mental toughness. She will be 41 at the end of summer, and hasn't won a singles major in Over 5 years at this point, and I think has one 1 singles event since Australia in 2017
 

jsinger121

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Jul 25, 2005
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8 Americans on to the third round on the mens side at Wimbledon. Only 3 on the womens side into the third round. Will this finally be the year an American man can at least reach the QF or further?
 

jezza1918

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8 Americans on to the third round on the mens side at Wimbledon. Only 3 on the womens side into the third round. Will this finally be the year an American man can at least reach the QF or further?
Kind of insane that a few years ago it was "when will an American male win another grand slam?" Now we are just begging for a quarterfinal! Can you remind me what the last one was? The last semi was Querrey at Wimbledon in 2017 if I recall?
 

jsinger121

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Kind of insane that a few years ago it was "when will an American male win another grand slam?" Now we are just begging for a quarterfinal! Can you remind me what the last one was? The last semi was Querrey at Wimbledon in 2017 if I recall?
Isner reached the semis in 2018. He had that insane SF against Kevin Anderson in which the 5th set was 26-24 Anderson.
 

jsinger121

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Jul 25, 2005
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The Americans with the most favorable draw to the QF are Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz and Jenson Brooksby.
 

jsinger121

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This is American Tommy Paul’s first ever Wimbledon and he’s into the 4th round. Hasn’t dropped a set yet. He’s my dark horse candidate to reach the semis on the top half of the bracket.
 

Matty005

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You raise some good points, and "thoroughly washed" is probably a bit strong. We're actually mostly on the same page when it comes to her prospects going forward. But if I wanted to be pessimistic...it's not like Tan played an incredible match. I don't think she's about to go on a long run here. Serena just can't move well enough anymore, and she doesn't have the same overwhelming power on her forehand or serve to overcome it.
This isn't trying to be a, "gotcha," thing because I expected Tan to lose her next round as well. Except Tan has now won her next two rounds super easy (she won today 6-1 6-1 in under an hour) and is in to the second week. Serena is probably kicking herself.
 

BigJimEd

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I just want to say how i hate the switching of matches on ESPN. Watching the Gauf-Anisimova match and they switch to De Minaur. Miss the first three games of the 3rd set.
 

swiftaw

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Jan 31, 2009
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I just want to say how i hate the switching of matches on ESPN. Watching the Gauf-Anisimova match and they switch to De Minaur. Miss the first three games of the 3rd set.
That’s why I always watch on ESPN+ as they have match specific feeds.
 

BigJimEd

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That’s why I always watch on ESPN+ as they have match specific feeds.
Yeah and that probably plays into their decision.
Don't watch ESPN much and don't see enough to give them extra cash. Or maybe I'm just too cheap.
 

jon abbey

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Jul 15, 2005
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Swiatek down a set to Cornet, went up 2-0 in set 2 but then lost 3 straight games and is down a break and in some trouble.
 

jon abbey

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Can anyone recall this level of breakdown from a #1 before? Mens or womens?
Novotna wasn't number 1 in 1993 (she was #8), but she had just beaten #4 Sabatini and #2 Navratilova before going way up on #1 Graf in the finals and then forgetting how to serve.