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Original poster

Tennis Thread..The US OPEN final approaches...

999 replies

Raahh · 07/09/2018 21:01

New thread before the Rafa/Delpo thread starts...

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JaneJeffer · 10/09/2018 09:50

How does she get away with things? Remember when she was "unwell" in the doubles at Wimbledon and couldn't even hit the ball? Anyone else would have been slated for that!

Original poster
Raahh · 10/09/2018 10:09

She did the 'unwell thing at RG too, remember the year of the dog food incident?Grin. at a number of her matchrs there, she meandered around for 2 sets-then made miraculous recoveries in the third.

it was the year I went off Marion Bartoli, listening to her fawning excuses!

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Original poster
Raahh · 10/09/2018 10:11

thanks fizzy they are running late. or in my sleep deprived haze, I'm early. Not sure which.

It's so annoying. They shouldn't be discussing Serena anywhere. They should be talking about the amazing new talent that is Naomi Osaka. or even Novak, if they must. Grin.

Don't give her air time. It's what she wants.

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PrivateParkin · 10/09/2018 10:16

Jane my mum and sister were at that match. They nipped out for a brew and when they came back the place was deserted!!

BagelGoesWalking · 10/09/2018 11:19

I wonder how Osaka is feeling now. It was obviously such a discombobulating experience and I hope she has a good team around her to help her through it. The bloody annoying thing is that it will be mentioned over and over again at the next tournaments she competes in.

I'm glad there are some ppl on the other thread explaining what the real situation was re the incident, as so many are not looking at it in tennis terms, ie, how it built up to the game being forfeited. I can't be bothered to join in!

Fizzywinegum · 10/09/2018 12:38

Bagel there were quite a few people on the radio who were just talking about it as a race/women issue and who didn’t understand tennis. The people who did understand tennis and were trying to explain why she lost a game because of the three code violations and not because she is a woman were shouted down.

On breakfast telly they showed Osaka at the Rockefeller centre with her trophy and she still looked sad. She said something like I guess it’s still a win as if she was doubting that she’d actually won the tournament - i need to stop writing about it as I keep getting cross.

And yes I even feel a bit sorry for Djokovic as it’s overshadowed his victory.

PrivateParkin · 10/09/2018 13:13

Fizzy I can just imagine. I've had to log off Twitter for the same reason. If you know about tennis, you know he applied the rules as he always applies them, to men and women. Aome people have no idea. Someone gave the example of Thiem breaking his racquet in the RG final and not losing a game to demonstrate how unfair it all is. No, because he didn't then go on to breach the rules twice more Hmm so it's not like for like at all.

The whole thing has been blown massively out of proportion.

Meanwhile, sobbing Delpo keeps popping into my head and putting a further downer on things Sad. I also fear we are entering new Djokovic era, but maybe I'm getting carried away. This isn't traditionally a good part of the season for my favourite players, and I think Djok could go on a real streak.

Remember when our friend Chickenato Grin beat him and he was threatening not to play Wimbledon?! It seems so surreal now. He was fine when he was a bit/very vulnerable but now he's back to his best, I don't know, that relentless precision etc, it's impressive, but... Just taking away someone's power and waiting for them to make errors... It's not the most electrifying way to play, is it? Last night he only hit one more winner than Delpo and only one ace the whole match.

I know that's not the whole story and I keep thinking of how good he was in that Wimbledon semi, he was amazing... But still. I can't get on board with it anymore, now that he's killed the dream of another JMDP grand slam!

Anyway. On the plus side, the women's Tokyo tournament starts next week and I assume Osaka will be playing. So she should get a great reception which she deserves. That's awful about her still looking sad Fizzy.

Original poster
Raahh · 10/09/2018 16:38

Parkin I was thinking about RG, and how Djok threatened not to go to Wimbledon- how different things might have been...

This next couple of months is definitely the part of the year that does not favour Rafa (in door in particular, which makes the likelihood of winning the WTF slim), but when hard courts make up the majority of the tour, they are not as easy to avoid as clay is for Federer.

I'm not on board with a resurgent Djok. I was happy he found his mojo, but he can lose it a bit now. Grin

The Serena thing is really annoying me still- and a quick google will show up any number of fines and code violations handed out to the men - (just recently in Washington, Paire's fabulous smashing frenzy got him a $12,000 fine).
The difference is not drawing more attention to yourself by carrying on arguing. But 'the lady doth protest too much'- it's always the ones who feel the need to keep moaning, who know they were in the wrong in the first place.

I do hope Naomi can do well in Tokyo- she is scheduled to play. Serena isn't, as far as I can tell. It's her 'home coming' tournament of sorts , I suppose (though she's lived in the US most of her life and has dual citizenship). Makes it all the more upsetting that the fiasco of Saturday night happened at what she probably considers to be her 'home' slam. Sad

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JaneJeffer · 10/09/2018 17:40

There's a really good blog post here hermione-mak-gilmore.tumblr.com/post/177923483967/okay-i-rarely-get-into-these-kinds-of-arguments on the Serena debacle from someone who obviously watches tennis unlike a lot of other people who just want to shout sexism!!

ferrier · 10/09/2018 18:22

Yes, good post.
So many non-tennis fans don't seem to understand that the point and game penalties aren't according to the particular offence, they are for each incremental code violation.

I was pleased to read Paul Annaconne backs up my one small criticism of Ramos!
www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/1015209/Serena-Williams-US-Open-final-meltdown-umpire-Carlos-Ramos-Patrick-Mouratoglou-tennis

PrivateParkin · 10/09/2018 18:31

Thanks for posting Jane, will have a read.

I see the ITF has made a statement in support of Ramos - finally. They made the point that the USTA fined Serena for what happened, so why did they do that if they thought she was in the right? Hmm

JaneJeffer · 10/09/2018 18:32

I doubt if Serena would have listened to the umpire at that stage though ferrier. She was like a toddler having a tantrum. He could have tried I suppose.

JaneJeffer · 10/09/2018 18:36

Well exactly Private and the coach admitted it didn't he?

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Raahh · 10/09/2018 18:37

That blog post is excellent. Sounds like pretty much everything we have said. Grin

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ferrier · 10/09/2018 18:41

You could well be right Jane. It's just the one thing that I thought as the situation unfolded and it was before Serena was really raging.

GrouchyKiwi · 10/09/2018 19:38

I loved that Tumblr post. That's exactly what I've been thinking over all of this.

A shame about Del Potro but I'm glad I didn't try to stay up for the match.

PrivateParkin · 10/09/2018 19:38

I love the blog. This sentence sums it up for me
But I hate when outsiders with no knowledge about my sport make comments and reserve judgements.

Yep. It makes me irrationally angry when that happens!

Original poster
Raahh · 10/09/2018 19:42

Private there has been a lot of that happening over the last two days.

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PrivateParkin · 10/09/2018 19:47

PS there was an article in the NY Times (I think) showing the stats on fines etc this tournament. It was something like 23 men had received fines for code violations, compared to 9 women. Yep, really unfairly sexist Hmm

PrivateParkin · 10/09/2018 19:48

Sorry about my overuse of the Hmm emoji on this thread!! But really - words fail me. What a tournament Hmm Grin

PrivateParkin · 10/09/2018 19:49

Raahh there really has. Totally infuriating.

Original poster
Raahh · 10/09/2018 20:23

Well, at least this has kept me occupied, and there hasn't been any of the usual post Slam slump- yet .Grin
( will hit me a few days though, and when I realise Rafa will probably not play for ages. Which I ought to after all these years. But it's still rubbish).

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Original poster
Raahh · 10/09/2018 20:24

*be used to..

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PrivateParkin · 10/09/2018 21:13

Raahh I was thinking exactly the same thing myself earlier!! I should be used to it by now, but tbh if I'm not after 30-odd years of fully loving tennis and immersing myself in grand slams, I doubt I ever will.

In that sense it's good how tennis does keep rolling on, but there's nothing like a Slam (even a totally crazy one like this US Open)!

I still can't get over that woman fawning over Djokovic's last night in the presentation ceremony. I keep thinking about it! Honestly the whole thing was like a tacky game show - yuck.

PrivateParkin · 10/09/2018 21:18

So, Davis Cup next. Then Beijing is the next 500 tournament I think? Rafa's name is still down for that, as are Delpo, Zverev, Murray.. The Laver Cup must be before that but I don't really think of that as a proper tournament (yet) Grin

I've already been googling world tour finals tickets today....