OT: Australian Tennis Open

[eebmg]

One the other hand, UVA graduate Danielle Collins smoked #2 Kerber 6-0 and 6-2. And lets just say after her post match interviews, she does not lack any confidence.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Tiafoe! The bandwagon is still rolling.

 

[triaddukefan]

Any day that Sharapova loses in a Grand Slam is a good day indeed

 

[eebmg]

Tiafoe! The bandwagon is still rolling.

Gutsy win after cramping up in 3rd set. Gets Nadal for his trouble

 

[wire chief]

As I write this early morn, Sloane is early in her match vs. the woman with the longest last name in Russian history. If I have reason to mention her again, I'll call her "P".

Roger is gone in 4 sets a short while ago to the young Greek.
I had some thoughts, seeing his missus in the stands. Some of you will find this politically
incorrect, but here goes anyway. When Mirka started appearing in the stands in support of Roger (and later became his wife and mother of his kids), I remember thinking that she was kind of ordinary in her looks.
She was a once a pro player herself, and over time we learned that she was good with numbers and business sense. So Roger & she had a tennis consciousness in common , as well as a complementary
link that he would make big money, and Mirka would manage it.
This made me realize that beyond romance, they had an old fashioned economic union, the like of which reflected centuries of stable marriages and stable societies.
Now, our notions of female beauty are anchored in those who are in their late teens and early to mid 20's, the Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss America contestants, as well as the newcomer Hollywood actresses.
Other sport stars collect their trophy girlfriends and glamourous wives for whatever length of time they last.
And surely some such women evolve to be less attractive, when they reach their 30's.
Now, my point is that I get a kick out of seeing the, what, divine guidance involved for the Federers.
Her judgment that Roger would have years of fortune on the court, and his that she would turn into a beauty in her 30's. Cause as I look at her in the stands today, she has become such.

 

[wire chief]

Well, Venus pronounced Simona's game against her as flawless. Simona's strokes landed so consistently deep that Venus lacked the time and space to play her own game.
And next up will be that Simona vs. Serena. That will be the
Aussie night match at 7. three am EST.

Madison Keys is quietly moving on, and we can see her on the Tennis Channel at 7pm EST. She'll be battling with #6 seed Svitolina.

And speaking of #6 seeds, Marin Cilic has been ousted by the Spaniard Agut.

Here's the day's schedule.

Match Schedule | Australian Open

 

[wire chief]

And Sloane has just taken the first set in a tiebreaker.

 

[calpedaler]

Stevens out. Pav-lee-uh-chenk-oh-va in 3.

 

[eebmg]

Serena takes out Halep in 3. Give Halep credit for reversing a 6-1 2-0 deficit and going toe - toe.

 

[oldude]

Not surprisingly, Serena has improved her level of fitness significantly from where she was at last year’s US Open. Her ability to win a tough 3 set match against the #1 player in the world is evidence of that fact.

If she gets through her quarterfinal match vs Plyskova, a potential rematch against Osaka in the semifinals awaits. As a result of Serena’s meltdown in the US Open finals when Osaka beat her, a rematch would be one of the most hyped tennis matches in a very long time.

 

[eebmg]

Not surprisingly, Serena has improved her level of fitness significantly from where she was at last year’s US Open. Her ability to win a tough 3 set match against the #1 player in the world is evidence of that fact.

If she gets through her quarterfinal match vs Plyskova, a potential rematch against Osaka in the semifinals awaits. As a result of Serena’s meltdown in the US Open finals when Osaka beat her, a rematch would be one of the most hyped tennis matches in a very long time.

I have not really followed Osaka closely but it seems that she is not playing her best tennis with a lot of 3 set matches where she is forced to come back. I fear a rematch may be pretty one sided if Osaka gets that far.

 

[wire chief]

So who is this Daniele Collins, who we've never heard of, and who demolished Angelique Kerber to
make the quarters?
Collins stuns Kerber to make quarters

This am Kei Nishikori came back in a 5th set tiebreaker to knock off Busta.
And Novak just beat Medvedev in 4.

And here is the day's schedule.

Match Schedule | Australian Open

 

[oldude]

So who is this Daniele Collins, who we've never heard of, and who demolished Angelique Kerber to
make the quarters?
Collins stuns Kerber to make quarters

This am Kei Nishikori came back in a 5th set tiebreaker to knock off Busta.
And Novak just beat Medvedev in 4.

And here is the day's schedule.

Match Schedule | Australian Open

Collins took an unconventional route by going to college where she was a 2-time NCAA champion at UVA. Almost all the other top women’s players are groomed as championship tennis players from the time they start to show potential on the Junior Circuit. Few if any of these young ladies even consider going to college.

There is a nice article on Collins in today’s USA Today. She credits college for her success by helping her mature as an adult. When you think about it, isn’t that what college is all about?

 

[wire chief]

Just a few minutes ago, the Aussie hope Ash Barty has gone down in straight sets to the experienced Petra
Kivitova, who knows how to win Majors. Petra looks tough, so we can't count her out.

The young Greek Roger-slayer Stephanos Tsitsipas has ousted the Spaniard Agut in 4 close sets.

And what's with this collegiate Danielle Collins? She started slowly to take only 2 games initially vs the Lady P. Then took set 2 at 7-5, and had enough reserve to wallop her, Danielle losing only one game in the 3rd.

Today's schedule
Match Schedule | Australian Open

Rafa vs the lone male American Frances Tiafoe and his VAUC -led bandwagon starts right now.

 

[VAUConnFan]

The bandwagon has come to a screeching 3 set halt.

 

[triaddukefan]

I'll root for the kid Tiafoe cause he's an American..... but would it hurt for some of these players to hit a one handed backhand

 

[Plebe]

I'll root for the kid Tiafoe cause he's an American..... but would it hurt for some of these players to hit a one handed backhand

I hate to say it, but the one-handed backhand is en route to extinction.

At least until they mandate a return to wooden rackets...

 

[eebmg]

I am going to catch Svitolina / Osaka on the Tennis Channel. On paper, very close.

 

[triaddukefan]

I hate to say it, but the one-handed backhand is en route to extinction.

At least until they mandate a return to wooden rackets...

It was in decline when i was playing tennis. I always used a one-handed backhand in my playing days late 80s to late 90s.. ... it felt so natural.. so free flowing. There may have been one other player on the team that used one-hand. The players that I loved to watch the most were the one-handers.... Edberg, Stich, Becker, Leconte, Noah, Forget, Sampras. Thats one of the reasons why I rarely watch Men's tennis anymore.

 

[Plebe]

It was in decline when i was playing tennis. I always used a one-handed backhand in my playing days late 80s to late 90s.. ... it felt so natural.. so free flowing. There may have been one other player on the team that used one-hand. The players that I loved to watch the most were the one-handers.... Edberg, Stich, Becker, Leconte, Noah, Forget, Sampras. Thats one of the reasons why I rarely watch Men's tennis anymore.

What can I say, I was a two-hander. I started playing in the very early 80s when the most influential players on juniors were Connors, Borg and Evert. Kids couldn't really imitate McEnroe or Navratilova. But I recognize that the one-hander is more aesthetically pleasing.

 

[eebmg]

I am going to catch Svitolina / Osaka on the Tennis Channel. On paper, very close.

Well. that was anticlimatic. Osaka wins 6-4, 6-1. Svitolina did not play well.

 

[triaddukefan]

serena

 

[eebmg]

Shocking reversal of fortune. I was really looking forward to the Osaka / Williams rematch.


https://nypost.com/2019/01/23/hobbl...s-four-match-points-falls-in-aussie-quarters/


"On the first such chance, at 5-1, 40-30 in the third set, she turned her left ankle awkwardly. The owner of the best serve in the sport would lose every point she served the rest of the way".

From reports and video, it does not seem that the ankle twist dramatically affected her movement. The huge
collapse seemed to be a mixture of Pliskova making fantastic shots coupled to some 'shaky" Williams play.

 

[newfrontier]

Any day that Sharapova loses in a Grand Slam is a good day indeed

Funny, but I feel the same way whenever Serena Williams loses in a Grand Slam.

 

[DaddyChoc]

serena

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