I see. Has she fallen out with Genie already. I thought they were besie mates.
Nothing's confirmed. It's just fan speculation because there haven't been any recent pictures or videos of the two of them together. But then I would think Bouchard is very busy at the moment and Laura is....recovering.
It's ridiculous that today's men's game is predominately 2 players trying to outcounterpunch each other from the back of the court, combined with high endurance relentless defence.
Most Djokovic v Nadal matches it seems like in most rallies both players are hitting the ball to each other just like they do to each other in the 5 minute warmup.
I've posted on this a few times with links to discussions by the powers that be to speed the courts up (2 months back???)
The gradual changes made to frames and especially strings have transformed the mens' game into the baseline slugfest.
It involves great ball striking and demands tremendous fitness.
Remember that stat about Federer and his serve volleying at Wimbledon - in the early 2000's he did lots, now he doesn't do any.
Even in Federer's career, one study reckoned that the work which today's players can put on the ball is 4 times greater than a decade ago.
If the guys go to the net pro-actively, they'll get passed.
The racquets/strings also allow them to play attacking shots from the baseline where before, they would have had to put up lobs.
Murray is especially good at hitting these type of passing shots where he shovels/punches his double handed backhand and the ball goes like a tracer bullet past his opponent (he did a couple yesterday).
The top guys are amazing but if the final ends up with a 5 hour baseline battle between Nadal and Djokovic, I will not be watching. I've got better things to do with my time.
While I would have love to have had Nadal's fitness and commitment and Djokovic's stroke production (especially his F/H) at my lowly levels before my knees went, the modern playing styles, for the reasons above, have effectively turned all surfaces into hard court versions of the French Open back in the 80's where we had to endure Wilander and Vilas hitting a 60 stroke rally on the first point of the 1982 (???) Paris Final.
In losing the all court days of the 80's and 90's, the game has lost nuance.
Martina Navratilova, ironically perhaps the fittest woman player of all time, nontheless, said words to the effect that tennis is about skills and players outsmarting each other, not endurance and players out lasting each other.
PS Well done Ana Ivanovic. While in my favourite Wimbledon village cafe a few years back, during the tournament, 3 women came in and sat down. None was wearing any tennis gear but were all dressed really smartly. I could not stop starring at the younger of the three. Then it dawned on me that this was Anna I. She looked like she had just walked out of some stylish clothes shoot! I have always followed her with a bit more interest since.
I had a feeling that would happen which was why I was a little disappointed I wouldn't be able to watch the match. Ana has all the ability in the world but her head isn't right and there have been subtle signs since the start of the season that she's getting back to 08 Ana. The win in Auckland did wonders for her. I don't think she will win the AO but I think she can make the semis or even the final and if she gets her head right then she can be top10 again and compete for trophies
Fingers crossed. She seems in a better place mentally and her weapons are almost as potent as they were in 08.
lol Stans shot selection when he's bossing the points is awful sometimes.
Yeah, Stan can often make a horlicks of serving out sets/confirming breaks. 1st serve vanishes and channels his buddy Paire in the brainless shot selection stakes.
Very relieved he put Tommy away in straights - that was shaping up to be another of his famed comebacks from two sets to love down.
Ana is stunning and if she hadn't gone on a mental decline and carried on her 08 form then she could've been a true superstar. I think she has grown up now and will start coming good again
Ana is stunning and if she hadn't gone on a mental decline and carried on her 08 form then she could've been a true superstar. I think she has grown up now and will start coming good again
Since that French win she hasn't been in a slam semi. This is a big match for her as it will be for Genie in her first ever slam quarter final. Hope the match lives up to expectations.
Since that French win she hasn't been in a slam semi. This is a big match for her as it will be for Genie in her first ever slam quarter final. Hope the match lives up to expectations.
I think Ana has the momentum. I think Auckland did something big to her and made her believe again. Whether she will get past Li Na I'm not sure but Ana on form is formidable . I think a similar thing happened to Jankovic in Bogota last year and she went on to have a great year. I'm not sure Ana will win any slams but I can see her winning some WTA titles and go far in the slams
I'm going to go for Genie in 3, think she has what it takes. Ana has been superb so far though.
Tonight's 4th round matches look great:
Nadal vs. Nishikori
Dimitrov vs. Bautista-Agut
Murray vs. Robert
Federer vs. Tsonga
Mens quarter-final matches are shaping up to be humdingers. We already have Novak v Stan, and David v Berdy. I'm expecting Roger v Andy and Rafa v Grigor to complete the line-up. All of these 4 have the potential to be 5 set mammoths.
Roger's draw is so tough now. Nadal's path to the semis is pretty easy since Del Boy for beaten. Dimitrov has had chances against him but isn't mentally or physically tough enough. Nole has been playing well and I know their head to head is 15-2 but I still feel nervous because of the epic 5 setters they had last year. Still I would rather Nole Lost to him than most players, I like Wawa! His backhand
While it was almost one of those moments when, literally, you have your breath taken away, my breath did not get withdrawn on the first look.
But as I sat there, bit by bit, I just wanted to stare at her and jaw was probably becoming a tad slack too.
If she'd called across and told me to come over and stir her latte, I would have jumped up and said, 'Which way, clockwise, or anti-clockwise?':D
I've always thought that Ana was the most beautiful of all the players - and her skin seems to have a golden glow to it too - and had she been able to consolidate her FO win she would have become a superstar. Certainly hope it's the start of a revived career for her, but still can't see her winning.
I don't think that Serena is the overwhelming force that commentators make her out to be. Except for the year she won three Slams, her best (on several occasions admittedly) has only been two. Not sure how that compares to Martina and Chris E, but I'll wager a guess that they had far more dominant years. I know Steffi did, but people always say the talent in her day was very poor - but they say this about the current crop too, so Serena should be more dominant. I think she'll probably overtake Martina and Chris's slam total, but don't think she'll ever complete a proper Slam. The older she gets, the more injuries she'll have to compete with.
I agree, she has such great support but she seems more embarrassed about her 'army' more than anything. She was certainly dismissive of them when the interviewer suggested they would all propose to her
I think that was because the crowd was silent after the interviewer said her fans would propose. Normally there'd be cheering and whistling and there wasn't, so I assumed when she laughed and said no she was responding to the crowd's silence.
There was a funny mocking thread on tennis talk asking who had lost fewest matches when not 'tired or injured', Nadal or Serena? i don't think she is as bad as him, no made up ailments or convenient MTO's, but still.....
Many players win matches while injured and if you have deemed yourself fit enough to play and haven't retired from the match, you can't complain. To be fair she did say Ana played well.
Would love that but not going to happen...Aza wins in straight sets. I feel like Sloane is at least another year away from taking out the big guns on a consistent basis.
Shame serena didn't make it! But she is only human, there's a lot of pressure placed on her to win. We have to remember she's 32 and can be beaten, albeit rarely. Ivanovic played really well, would be amazing if she went all the way. But, I suspect the title will be there for Azarenka to take now.
I've always thought that Ana was the most beautiful of all the players - and her skin seems to have a golden glow to it too - and had she been able to consolidate her FO win she would have become a superstar. Certainly hope it's the start of a revived career for her, but still can't see her winning.
I don't think that Serena is the overwhelming force that commentators make her out to be. Except for the year she won three Slams, her best (on several occasions admittedly) has only been two. Not sure how that compares to Martina and Chris E, but I'll wager a guess that they had far more dominant years. I know Steffi did, but people always say the talent in her day was very poor - but they say this about the current crop too, so Serena should be more dominant. I think she'll probably overtake Martina and Chris's slam total, but don't think she'll ever complete a proper Slam. The older she gets, the more injuries she'll have to compete with.
I am of the 'can't compare eras' group.
But I don't mind a bit of semi-superficial discussion.
I'm wondering on the issue of whether or not Graf's competition was poor, who's saying it and on what basis
A quick look at the 16 seeds for Wimbledon 1988 when Graf won her Golden Slam is as follows (cut and pasted from Wiki), a group of players we'd find in the other Slam seed lists, if we checked;
1. West Germany Steffi Graf (Champion)
2. United States Martina Navratilova (Final)
3. United States Pam Shriver (Semifinals)
4. United States Chris Evert (Semifinals)
5. Argentina Gabriela Sabatini (Fourth Round)
6. Czechoslovakia Helena Suková (Quarterfinals)
7. Bulgaria Manuela Maleeva (First Round)
8. Soviet Union Natasha Zvereva (Fourth Round)
9. Australia Hana Mandlíková (Third Round)
10.United States Lori McNeil (Third Round)
11. West Germany Claudia Kohde-Kilsch (Withdrew due to knee injury)
12. United States Zina Garrison (Quarterfinals)
13. Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko (Fourth Round)
14. Bulgaria Katerina Maleeva (Fourth Round)
15. West Germany Sylvia Hanika (Third Round)
16. United States Mary Joe Fernandez (Fourth Round)
If that's poor competition, I'd hate to see strong!
I am not going to chip away at Serena. She's done what she has in the era she's in and been dominant.
Is her competition weak or are they only weak when compared to her?
In an era where the money has been huge, she (and Venus) haven't had to go through the slog that Evert, Navratilova and to a marginally lesser extent, Graf, Seles, Sanchez-Vaicarrio had to.
Evert and Navratilova won a high number of Slams, often off each other, especially in Paris but also won a vast number of tour titles (both over 150) and then we can add Martina's 177 doubles titles too!
Would Serena have done this? We don't know. And she didn't have to and we can't hold that against her.
Serena's game is a power based one. If it's a bit off or someone can throw it back at her (or both), the odd loss, especially to someone like my cafe buddy, Ivanovich, is not a surprise to me.
Comments
On twitter, she seems more friendly with Jamie Hampton at the moment. They are both in the "rehab club."
I see. Has she fallen out with Genie already. I thought they were besie mates.
Nothing's confirmed. It's just fan speculation because there haven't been any recent pictures or videos of the two of them together. But then I would think Bouchard is very busy at the moment and Laura is....recovering.
I've posted on this a few times with links to discussions by the powers that be to speed the courts up (2 months back???)
The gradual changes made to frames and especially strings have transformed the mens' game into the baseline slugfest.
It involves great ball striking and demands tremendous fitness.
Remember that stat about Federer and his serve volleying at Wimbledon - in the early 2000's he did lots, now he doesn't do any.
Even in Federer's career, one study reckoned that the work which today's players can put on the ball is 4 times greater than a decade ago.
If the guys go to the net pro-actively, they'll get passed.
The racquets/strings also allow them to play attacking shots from the baseline where before, they would have had to put up lobs.
Murray is especially good at hitting these type of passing shots where he shovels/punches his double handed backhand and the ball goes like a tracer bullet past his opponent (he did a couple yesterday).
The top guys are amazing but if the final ends up with a 5 hour baseline battle between Nadal and Djokovic, I will not be watching. I've got better things to do with my time.
While I would have love to have had Nadal's fitness and commitment and Djokovic's stroke production (especially his F/H) at my lowly levels before my knees went, the modern playing styles, for the reasons above, have effectively turned all surfaces into hard court versions of the French Open back in the 80's where we had to endure Wilander and Vilas hitting a 60 stroke rally on the first point of the 1982 (???) Paris Final.
In losing the all court days of the 80's and 90's, the game has lost nuance.
Martina Navratilova, ironically perhaps the fittest woman player of all time, nontheless, said words to the effect that tennis is about skills and players outsmarting each other, not endurance and players out lasting each other.
PS Well done Ana Ivanovic. While in my favourite Wimbledon village cafe a few years back, during the tournament, 3 women came in and sat down. None was wearing any tennis gear but were all dressed really smartly. I could not stop starring at the younger of the three. Then it dawned on me that this was Anna I. She looked like she had just walked out of some stylish clothes shoot! I have always followed her with a bit more interest since.
Fingers crossed. She seems in a better place mentally and her weapons are almost as potent as they were in 08.
Yeah, Stan can often make a horlicks of serving out sets/confirming breaks. 1st serve vanishes and channels his buddy Paire in the brainless shot selection stakes.
Very relieved he put Tommy away in straights - that was shaping up to be another of his famed comebacks from two sets to love down.
But her type of beauty is not immediate.
While it was almost one of those moments when, literally, you have your breath taken away, my breath did not get withdrawn on the first look.
But as I sat there, bit by bit, I just wanted to stare at her and jaw was probably becoming a tad slack too.
If she'd called across and told me to come over and stir her latte, I would have jumped up and said, 'Which way, clockwise, or anti-clockwise?':D
Since that French win she hasn't been in a slam semi. This is a big match for her as it will be for Genie in her first ever slam quarter final. Hope the match lives up to expectations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtGBIOEf7ro
I think Ana has the momentum. I think Auckland did something big to her and made her believe again. Whether she will get past Li Na I'm not sure but Ana on form is formidable . I think a similar thing happened to Jankovic in Bogota last year and she went on to have a great year. I'm not sure Ana will win any slams but I can see her winning some WTA titles and go far in the slams
Tonight's 4th round matches look great:
Nadal vs. Nishikori
Dimitrov vs. Bautista-Agut
Murray vs. Robert
Federer vs. Tsonga
Jankovic vs. Halep
Cibulkova vs. Sharapova
Radwanska vs. Muguruza
Stephens vs. Azarenka
Roger's draw is so tough now. Nadal's path to the semis is pretty easy since Del Boy for beaten. Dimitrov has had chances against him but isn't mentally or physically tough enough. Nole has been playing well and I know their head to head is 15-2 but I still feel nervous because of the epic 5 setters they had last year. Still I would rather Nole Lost to him than most players, I like Wawa! His backhand
Shame that Serena had to fall back on the Fed-esq 'I was injured, but don't want to use that as an excuse' excuse.
Certainly opens up the women's draw, I kinda fancy Li to win thing.
In fairness, Serena didn't make excuses. She didn't let it slip, her coach did.
I've always thought that Ana was the most beautiful of all the players - and her skin seems to have a golden glow to it too - and had she been able to consolidate her FO win she would have become a superstar. Certainly hope it's the start of a revived career for her, but still can't see her winning.
I don't think that Serena is the overwhelming force that commentators make her out to be. Except for the year she won three Slams, her best (on several occasions admittedly) has only been two. Not sure how that compares to Martina and Chris E, but I'll wager a guess that they had far more dominant years. I know Steffi did, but people always say the talent in her day was very poor - but they say this about the current crop too, so Serena should be more dominant. I think she'll probably overtake Martina and Chris's slam total, but don't think she'll ever complete a proper Slam. The older she gets, the more injuries she'll have to compete with.
I think that was because the crowd was silent after the interviewer said her fans would propose. Normally there'd be cheering and whistling and there wasn't, so I assumed when she laughed and said no she was responding to the crowd's silence.
And wasn't that convenient.
There was a funny mocking thread on tennis talk asking who had lost fewest matches when not 'tired or injured', Nadal or Serena?
Many players win matches while injured and if you have deemed yourself fit enough to play and haven't retired from the match, you can't complain. To be fair she did say Ana played well.
Would love that but not going to happen...Aza wins in straight sets. I feel like Sloane is at least another year away from taking out the big guns on a consistent basis.
I am of the 'can't compare eras' group.
But I don't mind a bit of semi-superficial discussion.
I'm wondering on the issue of whether or not Graf's competition was poor, who's saying it and on what basis
A quick look at the 16 seeds for Wimbledon 1988 when Graf won her Golden Slam is as follows (cut and pasted from Wiki), a group of players we'd find in the other Slam seed lists, if we checked;
1. West Germany Steffi Graf (Champion)
2. United States Martina Navratilova (Final)
3. United States Pam Shriver (Semifinals)
4. United States Chris Evert (Semifinals)
5. Argentina Gabriela Sabatini (Fourth Round)
6. Czechoslovakia Helena Suková (Quarterfinals)
7. Bulgaria Manuela Maleeva (First Round)
8. Soviet Union Natasha Zvereva (Fourth Round)
9. Australia Hana Mandlíková (Third Round)
10.United States Lori McNeil (Third Round)
11. West Germany Claudia Kohde-Kilsch (Withdrew due to knee injury)
12. United States Zina Garrison (Quarterfinals)
13. Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko (Fourth Round)
14. Bulgaria Katerina Maleeva (Fourth Round)
15. West Germany Sylvia Hanika (Third Round)
16. United States Mary Joe Fernandez (Fourth Round)
If that's poor competition, I'd hate to see strong!
I am not going to chip away at Serena. She's done what she has in the era she's in and been dominant.
Is her competition weak or are they only weak when compared to her?
In an era where the money has been huge, she (and Venus) haven't had to go through the slog that Evert, Navratilova and to a marginally lesser extent, Graf, Seles, Sanchez-Vaicarrio had to.
Evert and Navratilova won a high number of Slams, often off each other, especially in Paris but also won a vast number of tour titles (both over 150) and then we can add Martina's 177 doubles titles too!
Would Serena have done this? We don't know. And she didn't have to and we can't hold that against her.
Serena's game is a power based one. If it's a bit off or someone can throw it back at her (or both), the odd loss, especially to someone like my cafe buddy, Ivanovich, is not a surprise to me.