TENNIS THREAD!- From the Road to Rio, to Flushing Meadows...

[Raahh]

before my phone decides to give up altogether, here's a new thread to get us on our way.

Andy Murray still in the Olympic Singles, as is Rafa,

Jo Konta through for the women.

Lots of missing names from the top players- but we are edging towards the US open- without Federer- and who knows, maybe even without Djokovic.

Could we be heading for all change at the top?

Wow, that was unexpected! I'd say Lendl is fuming with Murray. R5 live commentators said he was the first person out of the stadium!

I'm sure you're all fast asleep as I watch the match between Simona and Serena. Simona made a brave stand in the 2d set I could believe she'd win the match but it's looking bleak at 5-2 Serena in the 3rd.

Just a rant here (What?! Me?!) -- but why is Serena always "Serena" to the broadcasters, while her opponent is called by her surname? I dislike hearing that again and again.

Sweet dreams, y'all.

Very frustrating Barbara

Still, what is life without a bit of drama and excitement

Williams/Halep was great, esp 1st set. Watched til 1.30 last night and rest this morning.

Just catching up on Wawrinka/DP match, shame DP couldn't do it (it seems he won't, I'm not in real time!)

Hhhhhmmmm, dovthst are looking into some suspicions of match-fixing at the US Open (but nothing to do with Djokovic's opponents)

m.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/37302708

Too bad about Delpo last night, but I can't say I was surprised. Disappointed, yes. He hadn't looked too strong to me all tournament, to be honest.

Mind you, nor had Stan. I hope he can pick up the pace a bit and show signs of the type of play that won him the 2015 RG.

Or that Nishikori will.

Or that Gael will.

Otherwise, I'll end up as a Hater in Ruins, as they say...

Can't decide who I'd prefer in the Wozni-Kerber match. Any opinions?

Prefer Kerber of the 2 Barbra. BTW glad all clear.

oh rats about Andy, but Kai played well as deserved to win. missed end of match though, did Andy do a strop?

so finals- anyone but Novak and WIlliams (there, ive called her by her surname) .

eurosport showing the Jamie doubles match tonight, cant remember what time though. .

Andy did have a rant -- understandable for the reason, but not for the magnitude of the distraction.

In the first set, some crowd noise or other disrupted him, and the chair umpire essentially said, "Too bad; play will continue throughout noise; deal with it."

Then in the third, I think, another noise erupted -- this one from the sound system. Andy was playing through it, and the ump stopped play.

Andy was really mad about the inconsistency (and rightly so), but he should be able to get beyond that sort of thing, really.

I'm with you on the finals outcome, Becker; do we have a prayer?

Anybody watching Pliskova/Williams?

Finally, someone giving S a run for her money, although Halep was great in 2nd set last night.

Yes, great performance by Pliskova. Very calm and clinical under the pressure. I think she is going to win.

Incredible point to break Serena. Tremendous stuff, hitting the ball accurately and very hard with great pace.

Blimey, tiebreak is tense

Wow

Amazing, it looked like it was written in the stars, nothing Serena could do to stop it. Credit to Serena, she is a champion and fought back like one against the odds, but you could feel that Pliskova was unstoppable and Serena's final double fault spelt out that the luck was not with her.

Brilliant news

I thought it was funny that Pliskova said all Americans are hating her for beating the Williams sisters.

No they aren't.

She was amazing; that was quite a match.

Barbara one down, one to go .

great result.

wish Serena would be a bit modest though, it worked more or leess on Roger.

Hed strut about like a peacock on hs monogrammed jackets like he owned the world, then after a period of losing matches/injuries, hes come off his cloud a bit and is much nicer (he was never macenroe bratty but just quetly arrogant). Im actually liking him now as a person as well as a player.

so whos left in the mens? Im lost now. want Monfils to win, prefer Nishky to Stan.

don't mind who wins the ladies now.

and well doner Murray/Soares, shame Herbert/Mahut had to lose though, I like them.

wonder if Jamie and Soares will be on opp sides of the net davis cup next week?

Hope Andy and Delpo can play.

BTW wheres Raah and Juanpotato today? haven't heard from JUan unless shes changed her username.

nice to chat about tennis with all of you too.

I like Federer now too, Barbara. I wasn't a fan at all at the height of the Fed/Nasal rivalry, but he's grown on me over the last couple of years. Fatherhood seems to have knocked some of the 'strut' out if him

(Of course, my new-found liking of him is probably nothing to do with his barely disguised antipathy towards Djok. The enemy of my enemy is my friend )

Yeah, thanks for changing Nadal to Nasal, autocorrect!

What is the consensus about who will win tonight?

I think Djokovic and Stan will win.

claig, I hope Monfils gets to his first GS final. For o so many reasons, but your prediction is probably correct. Unless Nishikori plays his best. Stan has yet to unleash his best; I've been worried about him for two weeks. Perhaps he's been saving it up for the weekend....

1st match slated to begin shortly -- I have the school + haircut + Friday treat run to do. Home before it's over, I hope!

Always delighted to meet a fellow Fed fan, Space!

I think you're right, claig

Back and watching the SF, but only joined long enough to see the last couple of games of the third set. From reading the tweets from ESPN, doesn't sound like Gael was making any sort of effort at first; he was soundly booed by the crowd and scolded by McEnroe.

Huge crowd support for Gael winning the last set ... and poor ND had to have the trainer come out. Quelle surprise. Also, ND's shirt had ripped right open by the end of that third set -- wouldn't make me dash to buy Uniglo.

At deuce on ND serve in the 1st game of the fourth.

I think I know how this one ends, but I'm a glutton for punishment. (Or maybe just a glutton?)