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The Tennis Thread (Part 31)


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Old 18-07-2016, 15:40
Cherry-choc
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Haven't posted in ages, so much has gone on, shiny new thread...obviously thrilled that Andy got the job done, however I was still very nervy watching the final. Then the DC, great to see Kyle step up and Dom Inglot also. Thankfully Kyle saw off Lajovic in straights, as I wouldn't have fancied his chances to win in a 5th and Wardy was badly out of form. Kyle seems fit enough so maybe nerves are behind his cramping?

Fingers crossed Bedene wins his appeal. It's very frustrating not to have him available for clay ties when Andy ain't there. He's miles ahead of all the rivals for the #2 slot - Evo, Wardy, Broady, Willis, Cox...whoever.

Lost count of how many WTA players have tied the knot after Wimby, plus Taylor Fritz - all the best to them. Same goes to Vika with her unexpected item in cervical area.

Absolutely gutted that Gilles Muller couldn't get his long awaited ATP title in Newport, he may not get another chance.

In the previous thread Lisa mentioned that many players were using Zika as an excuse to pull out of the Olympics, and I fully agree with her. This is exposing the players who only play for dough/ranking points. Alternatively, they are aware that the Olympic anti-doping procedures are far more stringent than the ITF's token effort.

Btw, still no sign of Sparkle and CGG? How odd. Hopefully all is well.

If only we had Dan Evans, we could have won all five matches
Have a word with yourself...it was on clay.

What surprised me seeing the score was 2-1 was that the Bryans lost the doubles to Dodig and Cilic - they really aren't the team they were.

Not likely but we should hope for a Croatia win - they are the only team we could face at home in the final as France and the US would both be away. Clearly a European tie would suit us more though as it would be just after the world tour finals where Andy and Jamie should be playing.
Yes, the Bryans have finally declined. I personally like the new order in men's dubs as the chest-bumping, shock and awe style of play became very boring indeed. Give me the finesse and guile of PHH/Mahut/Jamie Murray any day.

Looking ahead to a possible final, I also want a Croatia win because we'd face them at home, plus I think it wouldn't necessarily all come down to the dubs. I think Kyle could win a rubber against Coric. When we faced France last time at Queen's, they were captained by Clement and he paired Mahut and Tsonga in the dubs. Noah won't make the same mistake - he'd pair PHH and Mahut and they'd be a nightmare to beat. Kyle would also struggle to win a rubber against Tsonga/Gasquet/Pouille.

Croatia amazingly won after coming back from 2-0 down - with Coric beating Sock in 4 sets. They now face France at home.

And if they beat France and GB beats Argentina then the final will be In the UK.

http://www.daviscup.com/en/draws-res...G-M-USA-CRO-01
Coric really exposed Sock's limitations. Sock's bog standard tactic of belting off FHs from the doubles alley was never going to work against Coric, whose BH is super resolute. He just absorbed it and went CC to expose Sock's dreadful BH. Sock was screwed - whenever he tried to hit the BH DTL, he dumped it halfway up the net. His pedestrian slice was no problem for a good mover like Coric.

Sock's gameplan should've been to expose the flimsy Coric FH, but I got the feeling Jack don't do gameplans.

Pleased that Dom and Colin Fleming are in Olympic squad. Means a lot to them I'm sure. Dan Evans didn't want to disrupt his schedule. Was he injured for DC or didn't want to play?
When we play on clay, Evo runneth away.

I see Dominic Thiem is continuing to run himself ragged: the only player in the Top 15 active this week. Fair play to him for winning a few events this year but think he needs to manage his schedule a bit more.

Then again, it is his home event...

Weirdly enough, Thiem is the defending champion in the two other clay events in Croatia and Switzerland this week, but obviously wont be defending them
It seems that way, but maybe he feels he learns more from playing matches than practicing? He also has to discover what his physical limit is and how to win when he's struggling physically.

Thiem's priorities are odd though. He can win clay 250s in his sleep, but he should be aiming far higher than that. He should be looking to go deep in Masters/slams and phase out the 250s. Guy's too humble for his own good
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Old 18-07-2016, 15:57
Ginger Daddy
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Its just odd. I assumed he was skipping the Olympics in order to have a rest but then you see he is playing this week and I just took a look at the upcoming schedule and he is down to play in the ATP event in Los Cabos which clashes with the Olympics?!

I assume he pulled the Zika excuse because he was eligible to play as far as I am aware?
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Old 18-07-2016, 15:58
Jimmy Connors
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Will depend on what is available, arenas get booked up a year or more in advance in some cases, this event is in less than 2 months time. They wont be able to be afford to be choosy.

If GB win the semi final and so do Argentina, the LTA will be in a pickle to find a venue. The obvious choice, the o2 in London, which will already have been set up for an indoor hard tournament in November, has been booked the week after by no other than Rod Stewart. He aint going to cancel three dates very easily I would have thought
They can't both win.

This venue problem seems to crop up regularly, but it's always sorted out in the end.

The GB DC team did well in Belgrade.

I see Kerber is back on clay this week. I thought it was a no no to go back to clay after grass and before the hard courts.
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Old 18-07-2016, 16:02
Ginger Daddy
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They can't both win.

This venue problem seems to crop up regularly, but it's always sorted out in the end.

The GB DC team did well in Belgrade.

I see Kerber is back on clay this week. I thought it was a no no to go back to clay after grass and before the hard courts.
Sorry I meant Croatia, not Argentina

The issue with the final though is the minimum capacity requirements, would rule out some venues straight away as they arent high enough to get the seating in.
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Old 18-07-2016, 16:23
Cherry-choc
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Its just odd. I assumed he was skipping the Olympics in order to have a rest but then you see he is playing this week and I just took a look at the upcoming schedule and he is down to play in the ATP event in Los Cabos which clashes with the Olympics?!

I assume he pulled the Zika excuse because he was eligible to play as far as I am aware?
Well, not as such...

“I'm not a big fan of the Olympic Games. The ATP calendar is a bit complex due to the Olympic event,” he told TennisNet. “Small tournaments like Gstaad, Umag and Kitzbuhel will be played in the same week. It's not the main priority for me, but maybe my mentality will change when I'm older.

“I prefer playing ATP tournaments and Davis Cup competition rather than Olympic Games. The Olympics are very important only if you gain a medal and that's a very difficult achievement.”

It seems that he really values the clay 250s he won last year (Gstaad, Umag) and his home event (Kitzbuhel) and is miffed that he can't play in all of them, as they're scheduled in the same week. Small time from Dom

I disagree with him that the Olympic tennis is only about medalling and nothing else. For many players it means a lot just to represent their nation on the biggest sporting stage of all.

I see Kerber is back on clay this week. I thought it was a no no to go back to clay after grass and before the hard courts.
Some players manage it better than others. Djokovic can transition to clay easily, Murray requires a clay training block to be comfortable with movement.

Sorry I meant Croatia, not Argentina

The issue with the final though is the minimum capacity requirements, would rule out some venues straight away as they arent high enough to get the seating in.
Yes. I looked up the ITF regs and the minimum capacity for the DC final is 12k. Obviously the venue must also be well served by air transport and have sufficient hotels, etc...
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Old 18-07-2016, 16:25
Jimmy Connors
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Sorry I meant Croatia, not Argentina

The issue with the final though is the minimum capacity requirements, would rule out some venues straight away as they arent high enough to get the seating in.
I knew you knew, I was just messing about. ...

I never realised there was a minimum seating capacity. That will scupper a few places then.
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Old 18-07-2016, 16:29
Ginger Daddy
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Well, not as such...

“I'm not a big fan of the Olympic Games. The ATP calendar is a bit complex due to the Olympic event,” he told TennisNet. “Small tournaments like Gstaad, Umag and Kitzbuhel will be played in the same week. It's not the main priority for me, but maybe my mentality will change when I'm older.

“I prefer playing ATP tournaments and Davis Cup competition rather than Olympic Games. The Olympics are very important only if you gain a medal and that's a very difficult achievement.”

It seems that he really values the clay 250s he won last year (Gstaad, Umag) and his home event (Kitzbuhel) and is miffed that he can't play in all of them, as they're scheduled in the same week. Small time from Dom
.
A very strange attitude to have. Its not as if the Davis Cup is any different to the Olympics in terms of what you win, yes there are ranking points but they are miniscule.
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Old 18-07-2016, 18:09
Jenny1986
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Well, not as such...

“I'm not a big fan of the Olympic Games. The ATP calendar is a bit complex due to the Olympic event,” he told TennisNet. “Small tournaments like Gstaad, Umag and Kitzbuhel will be played in the same week. It's not the main priority for me, but maybe my mentality will change when I'm older.

“I prefer playing ATP tournaments and Davis Cup competition rather than Olympic Games. The Olympics are very important only if you gain a medal and that's a very difficult achievement.”

It seems that he really values the clay 250s he won last year (Gstaad, Umag) and his home event (Kitzbuhel) and is miffed that he can't play in all of them, as they're scheduled in the same week. Small time from Dom

I disagree with him that the Olympic tennis is only about medalling and nothing else. For many players it means a lot just to represent their nation on the biggest sporting stage of all.
Yeah I don't agree with that attitude at all. It's about representing your country, being part of a huge team, and from what I hear, good times are had in the Olympic village..... he's missing out.
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Old 18-07-2016, 19:11
Lisa.B
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I would love to know what Courier thinks....
Haha! What a mess the USA made of that. Just goes to show you need all the component parts to have a successful, well-rounded team in DC. For all of the Bryan Bros success they've only managed to contribute to one DC win for USA. Now they're on the wane, Isner's not going to be around forever and Sock seems a bit injury prone and a mental liability at times.

In the previous thread Lisa mentioned that many players were using Zika as an excuse to pull out of the Olympics, and I fully agree with her. This is exposing the players who only play for dough/ranking points. Alternatively, they are aware that the Olympic anti-doping procedures are far more stringent than the ITF's token effort.
It's not quite a multi-quote mention, but it'll do.

I see Kerber is back on clay this week. I thought it was a no no to go back to clay after grass and before the hard courts.
Not sure why, when she's not a really a lover of outdoor clay.

Yeah I don't agree with that attitude at all. It's about representing your country, being part of a huge team, and from what I hear, good times are had in the Olympic village..... he's missing out.

Indeed!
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Old 18-07-2016, 19:31
tartan-belle
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Haha! What a mess the USA made of that. Just goes to show you need all the component parts to have a successful, well-rounded team in DC. For all of the Bryan Bros success they've only managed to contribute to one DC win for USA. Now they're on the wane, Isner's not going to be around forever and Sock seems a bit injury prone and a mental liability at times.
TBH, many of the male American players are limited - Isner, Querrey, Sock. I'm actually surprised at the Bryan Bros stat there!

Andy isn't going to Toronto.
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Old 18-07-2016, 19:41
Jem19876
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Pleased that Dom and Colin Fleming are in Olympic squad. Means a lot to them I'm sure. Dan Evans didn't want to disrupt his schedule. Was he injured for DC or didn't want to play?
It sounded like he had a minor injury, but there was some other reason that they didn't want to talk about.

Hope the LTA go to places they haven't been before to allow people and families who don't have exposure to tennis to watch the likes of Murray in person.

Glasgow/London would be predictable (although a final would be great there), maybe Sheffield or Cardiff?
I read something about Birmingham being a possibility. They were there last year, but it's got good connections, and it's also important to be sure of having a good audience. Sheffield would be good, especially if Kyle is expected to be playing.

I disagree with him that the Olympic tennis is only about medalling and nothing else. For many players it means a lot just to represent their nation on the biggest sporting stage of all.
I could understand the older players who don't expect to get near the podium giving it a miss if they've already been a couple of times, but I can't imagine that a young player would turn down the opportunity to go and enjoy the experience without any serious pressure. If they have serious ambitions, which you'd hope Thiem has, they can return four years later and take it seriously without feeling they are missing out on the fun.
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Old 18-07-2016, 19:53
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I'm not up to date on the thread, as packing for move is not going well, washing machine break down and illness not helping!

Have any more players pulled out of Rio? I understand why they doing so but hope there aren't too many more withdrawels
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Old 18-07-2016, 22:00
Jimmy Connors
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Some players manage it better than others. Djokovic can transition to clay easily, Murray requires a clay training block to be comfortable with movement..
That's interesting. Never realised.

I often wonder why there are clay court events after Wimbledon.

Not sure why, when she's not a really a lover of outdoor clay.
That's why her name stuck out like a sore thumb when I was looking through. As you say she doesn't particularly excel on outdoor clay.

................................................


On a separate note. I wonder if Nadia Petrova has retired. AFAIK she has not retired officially, but has not played for ages now. Her last slam was 2013. I know she lost her mother in 2013 as well.

She's still young (by today's standards) at 34.

I used to enjoy watching her play.
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Old 18-07-2016, 23:00
Irishguy123
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In the previous thread Lisa mentioned that many players were using Zika as an excuse to pull out of the Olympics, and I fully agree with her. This is exposing the players who only play for dough/ranking points. Alternatively, they are aware that the Olympic anti-doping procedures are far more stringent than the ITF's token effort.
Oh no you didn't!

I see Kerber is back on clay this week. I thought it was a no no to go back to clay after grass and before the hard courts.
I imagine she's being paid well to appear, Serena played the last two years so they need a star player.


Regarding people possibly lying about zika as a reason for pulling out of the Olympics, it's a shame really, after 2012 I was of the impression that the old stigma about tennis in the Olympics had disappeared.
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Old 18-07-2016, 23:10
Jimmy Connors
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Oh no you didn't!



I imagine she's being paid well to appear, Serena played the last two years so they need a star player.


Regarding people possibly lying about zika as a reason for pulling out of the Olympics, it's a shame really, after 2012 I was of the impression that the old stigma about tennis in the Olympics had disappeared.
That's a very good point actually. I'd completely forgotten Serena played there in the past right after Wimbledon. Money talks. Must be a hack of a lot too.
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Old 18-07-2016, 23:17
mashamoto79
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Bastad pays big appearance fees...that's why Serena played a couple of times.
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Old 18-07-2016, 23:38
striing
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Any update on ITV4 and the USO?
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Old 18-07-2016, 23:54
MARTYM8
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I'm not up to date on the thread, as packing for move is not going well, washing machine break down and illness not helping!

Have any more players pulled out of Rio? I understand why they doing so but hope there aren't too many more withdrawels
Hope you get things sorted.

Berdych was the most recent Rio pull out.
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Old 18-07-2016, 23:58
Lisa.B
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Hope you get things sorted.

Berdych was the most recent Rio pull out.
Gasquet withdrew today, because of the back injury.
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Old 18-07-2016, 23:58
CLL Dodge
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Have any more players pulled out of Rio? I understand why they doing so but hope there aren't too many more withdrawels
The Russians may get kicked out.
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Old 19-07-2016, 00:26
MARTYM8
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Dan Evans is on Sky now playing his first round match in Washington against Benjamin Becker. Just won the first set.

Why didn't he play the Davis cup match against Serbia - is there something we aren't being told as I cannot believe James Ward would have been picked over Dan?
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Old 19-07-2016, 00:36
striing
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I can't believe Benjamin Becker is 35.
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Old 19-07-2016, 00:43
CLL Dodge
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Laura Robson has drawn Tara Moore in the Sacramento ITF event.

Laura leads their head-to-head 3-0.
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Old 19-07-2016, 03:07
vaslav37
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Good win for Daniel Evans in Washington over veteran German Benjamin Becker.
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Old 19-07-2016, 03:08
vaslav37
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Laura Robson has drawn Tara Moore in the Sacramento ITF event.

Laura leads their head-to-head 3-0.
Moore could win this one.
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