OT: Australian Tennis Open | Page 3 | The Boneyard

OT: Australian Tennis Open

Status
Not open for further replies.
oldude said:
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.
Expand ...


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 said:
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
Expand ...
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?
 
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.
 
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 Head bangHead bangHead bang
 
.-.
triaddukefan said:
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 Head bangHead bangHead bang
Expand ...
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...
 
I am going to catch Svitolina / Osaka on the Tennis Channel. On paper, very close.
 
Plebe said:
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...
Expand ...

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.
 
triaddukefan said:
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.
Expand ...
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.
 
serena

nooooooooooo.gif
 
.-.
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.
 
Milos Raonic has been an out of his mind server this tournament and was favored over the Frenchman
Lucas Pouille, who had had a lackluster January so far. But the Canadian was ousted in 4 sets.
Lucas gives high credit to his coach. In 2016 he made a former Slam winner his coach.
But not one who anyone expected. He chose fellow Frenchperson Amelie Mauresmo,
the Becky Hammond of tennis.

Today's match schedule

Match Schedule | Australian Open
 
Disappointing showing by Danielle Collins. 7-6 6-0. She got into multiple skirmishes with the umpire starting during the tie breaker and leaking into the 2nd set. Her anger index was very high and you cant play your best like that. That said, Kivitova is at her absolute peak. I think she wins this tournament in straight sets.

Probably also helped Kivitova that the temperature was so high, they closed the roof at 4-4 in set 1. I would imagine very hot conditions would have given Danielle the advantage.
 
Osaka wins emotional 3 set match over Pliskova. She had to fight nerves and a tough opponent who raised her play after a flat set 1. Impressive but I think Kivitova will take it in 3 sets.
 
.-.
Well Nadal stripped the flesh off the bone of Tsitsipis. The inevitable Nadal - Jokovic final is coming. :)
 
triaddukefan said:
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.
Expand ...

In addition to the one handed backhand I miss serve and volley. Nowadays it is almost all baseline play and I just can't watch it not the way I used to when Edberg & Navratilova were playing at their peaks.
 
Beemer said:
In addition to the one handed backhand I miss serve and volley. Nowadays it is almost all baseline play and I just can't watch it not the way I used to when Edberg & Navratilova were playing at their peaks.
Expand ...

Edberg was my all time favorite player. I even bought one of his adidas shirt to play in :p I know you remember this one.


sedberg.jpg


Edberg had the most graceful game ever in my opinion..... sometimes I go on youtube to watch his old highlights and matches.
 
triaddukefan said:
Edberg was my all time favorite player. I even bought one of his adidas shirt to play in :p I know you remember this one.


View attachment 38674

Edberg had the most graceful game ever in my opinion..... sometimes I go on youtube to watch his old highlights and matches.
Expand ...

I do indeed!

I really liked him- low key guy but as you said so graceful in his movements, never any wasted motion.
 
Now, I don't much miss serve & volley tennis, sometimes played by the tall trees, but I'm with you guys as a Stephan admirer. There's something to be said about the side to side long rallies that make the fans nuts.
 
.-.
wire chief said:
Now, I don't much miss serve & volley tennis, sometimes played by the tall trees, but I'm with you guys as a Stephan admirer. There's something to be said about the side to side long rallies that make the fans nuts.
Expand ...

I love serve & volley for its aggressiveness. I can't stand these interminable baseline rallies where one player hits the ball as hard as he/she can, prays it stays in and that his/her opponent will either be unable to run it down or will hit it out.
 
But dear fellow, there's plenty of aggression in the going-all-out from side to side and picking that exquisite moment to launch an unreturnable.
 
wire chief said:
But dear fellow, there's plenty of aggression in the going-all-out from side to side and picking that exquisite moment to launch an unreturnable.
Expand ...

I'm not a fellow :)

Nope I just loathe baseline tennis, the rallies are interminable. Especially on clay.
 
Beemer said:
I'm not a fellow :)

Nope I just loathe baseline tennis, the rallies are interminable. Especially on clay.
Expand ...


Besides the US Open....... my favorite matches to watch back then were when Stich, Edberg, Sampras, Becker types played at the French Open
 
Do you remember?
Two heavyweights of the '80's met in the US Open final. In the 5th set tiebreaker it went back and forth until a shot hit the tape and dribbled across, unreachable. That decided the championship.

Who were they?
 
.-.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Forum statistics

Threads
167,964
Messages
4,547,003
Members
10,428
Latest member
CarloPFF


Top Bottom