OT: Aussie Open | Page 3 | The Boneyard

OT: Aussie Open

if you want to watch a classy press conference go on the ausopen site and watch Lucic-Baroni....so real, so grateful, so what sport should be all about
 
A recent tennis article discussing something about which I had not given any thought; That the overwhelming dominance of power in the women's game means that teenaged phenoms have become extinct.
As well as Ms Vandeweghe has played in the Australian Open, as good as she is projected to be, the hope that she is going to be around a while - The fact is she is 25 and has just played in her first grand slam semifinal. Is this going to be the new normal and will players now look to retire in their mid to upper 30's going forward? Will we see other players(read Keys, Stephens, Townsend, and others) make their big breakthroughs as they mature a bit more.

American tennis on the women's side may not die with the Williams sisters. That will be my hope going forward.
 
I feel certain that Bob Dylan won't mind my variation on his theme.

Yes, she serves...just...like...a woman.
And she returns...just...like...a woman.
Yes, and she takes the net...just...like...a woman.
But she celebrates like a...little girl.

I sheepishly admit I lost faith that she could find the stamina for a 3 setter.
What a remarkable person is Venus Ebony Starr Williams.

Watch the highlights/
Venus denies CoCo to reach final

And will Rafa join Roger? If he gets by Dimitrov at 3:30am
 
Serena is Serena but I do not remember Venus playing as consistently as she did. Her ground strokes and movement were really amazing. CoCo played pretty well but Venus won all the important points (facing 9 break points I think) . I think the final will be close going 3 sets. Looking forward to it.
 
VAUConnFan said:
While we certainly hope so, what, in your opinion, separates Ms Vandeweghe from all the other American hopefuls who have come and have gone away just as quickly?
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ericsandiego said:
For me, I think Coco will be around for a while, but also Madison Keys. Both have big games, Coco moves better than Madison and I think has a bigger serve, and while neither is fleet of foot, they aren't Davenport either...
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The concern is that we have seen this before, with American female tennis players who were groomed/hyped to be potential successors to the Williams sisters. But no one has truly stepped up.

The last American not named Venus or Serena to win a GS title? Jennifer Capriati (2002 Australian Open).

The last American not named Venus or Serena to make the final of a GS tournament? Lindsay Davenport (2005 Australian Open).

Since then, Melanie Oudin made the 2009 US Open quarterfinals, Sloane Stephens made the 2013 Australian Open semifinals, Bethanie Mattek-Sands made the fourth round of the 2013 French Open, Madison Keys made the 2015 Australian Open semifinals, CoCo Vandeweghe made the 2015 Wimbledon quarterfinals, etc. And now Coco Vandeweghe has made the 2016 Australian Open semis.

But none has had a consistent breakthrough, in terms of being a GS title contender. Keys, however, is the best bet, as she followed up her 2015 Aussie Open performance with making the quarterfinals at 2015 Wimbledon and making at least the Round of 16 of the next five GS tournaments she played (2015 US Open and all 2016 Grand Slams). She is currently injured and missed this year's Australian Open, but is currently ranked in the top 10. But she is only 21 years old (she turns 22 next month)

With Coco, the power was always there. The control, however, was not. In a way, she reminded me of an early Mary Pierce...fierce competitor with great power who could never quite harness her emotions and had a tendency to let her groundstrokes spray when she got into a funk. But in the last 13 months, Coco has six wins over Top 10 players (two at the 2016 Australian). And she is 25 years old, turning 26 later this year. I do not see her as a threat on clay. But with that big serve, and if she can harness the consistency like she did here, I could see the potential for her to be a threat at Wimbledon and at Flushing Meadows. Time will tell, however.

ericsandiego said:
Just my $.02 but I think the game is moving more towards power tennis and crafty players like Radwanska and Wozniaki will have a harder time remaining at the top. Players like Pliskova, Halep, Serena, Venus, Garbine, Madison, Coco, Lucic-Baroni, etc are all had hitters, and while Kerber doesn't hit as hard, she hits hard enough and chases everything down.
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When Davenport, Capriati, Venus, and Serena were on the scene together and winning majors (circa 1998-2002), Mary Carillo dubbed the new generation "Big Babe Tennis." She felt that players such as Martina Hingis, who was very crafty but lacked the booming serve and power in her groundstrokes, would have a much more difficult time.

And she was right. Hingis did not win another major after the 1999 Australian Open (and at the time, those four only had a total of one major; since then, they won a combined 35 majors).
 
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Interesting that not one #1 seed made it to the finals in mens and women's singles and doubles....can't remember the last time that happened..would definitely pay a lot for a seat to either the mens or women's final. Definitely want Roger to win but feel conflicted about who to root for in the women's final.
 
My money would be on Nadal and Serena. The faster surface would have certainly favored a younger Federer. Fed at 35? This Australian Open has so far shown that age is merely a number.
 
Now that Venus and Serena are in the final again for the first time in 14 years have we all forgotten the criticism heaped on their father who taught them how to play by reading a handbook? Have we all forgotten the nasty media articles about how ugly they are, their "manly" body types, the slurs, the stalkers? One who faced a life threatening injury, the other facing a years long debilitating auto-immune disease? Let's also note how these women have carried themselves with dignity and stayed above the vicious attacks leveled at them for years. Just for a second, let's acknowledge that these two women, aside from our beloved Husky's, are the greatest sports story of this century.
 
Perhaps I'm the lone voice crying in the wilderness. I'll feel almost as giddy as she did in the semi (no, opposite Lil Sis, she won't effuse),
with a Venus win.
 
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C3P-LZjXUAABKGB.jpg
 
Congrats to Serena. Winning her 23rd Major. Its only a matter of time before she ties and passes Margaret Court who has the record at 24 Majors.

Not a dominating performance by Serena. Had just enough control of her serve and utilized her power to beat Venus. I thought Venus played well, but was never a threat to beat Serena.
 
Wbbfan1 said:
Congrats to Serena. Winning her 23rd Major. Its only a matter of time before she ties and passes Margaret Court who has the record at 24 Majors.

Not a dominating performance by Serena. Had just enough control of her serve and utilized her power to beat Venus. I thought Venus played well, but was never a threat to beat Serena.
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I dont think Serena play Venus with the edge like she do everyone else
 
Well. That men's final was pretty incredible. Hats off to both of them for putting on such an unbelievable show!
 
The elation on Roger's face when he realized he won was something, wasn't it?
 
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What an incredible weekend of tennis. I never doubted that Serena would win over Venus but I had no idea what to expect in the Rafa/Roger match.

I am so happy to see Roger win an 18th title, especially over Rafa and at this age and also after such a long layoff. When he was down in the 5th I was watching the match in bed and just covered my head and listened because I couldn't watch. But my ears soon perked up and before a few minutes I was glued to the TV again.

Rafa looked completely disgusted standing on the podium after the match and looked like he would rather have been anywhere else in the world.
 
that 5th set, "longest rally" wow.... glad I'm able to watch this #replay #RogerThat
 
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So glad Roger and Serena won. American women's tennis seems to be on the uptick. Coco and Jen Brady played well. Keys should be back soon. Other American women also won the trophy - Mattek-Sands in doubles and Abigail Spears in mixed doubles.

Rafa never gave up, but I found myself asking on MANY occasions - isn't there anyone who can find him underwear that doesn't ride up his ass?????
 
And finally, I am pleased that a wcbb board can have nearly 2000 look-ins for tennis. We have broad horizons, my friends.
 
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Hey y'all, remember that time Roger Federer won the Aussie Open by virtue of a five -set victory over arch-nemesis Rafa Nadal? That was awesome...
 
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