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OT: For tennis fans

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One of my favorite players over the years has been Andrea Jaeger, the moonball queen. On the men's side, Bjorn Borg, a defensive player who was able to win on clay, and then on grass a couple weeks later - for something like five years in a row.

With current technology being a bigger part of the game than talent, compared to a couple decades ago, I doubt we'll see another Jaeger anytime soon.

Here's one of the many things I'd do if I hit Powerball - Sponsor a pro tournament in which players could only use < 1960's technology. i.e. - wood racquets.


ericsandiego said:
I'll admit i haven't watched much Christina McHale in the past, but her game plan vs. Ivanovic seems to be just push the ball over the net and hope Anna makes an error. It worked in the first set, not so much in the 2nd set. I don't see her with a very high ceiling in tennis. I really like Hampton's game - she strikes the ball well, and really moves it all over the court unlike McHale who seems to play defensive tennis most of the time, and she's not fit enough to run all over the court chasing stuff down...
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On Monday the Sisters Williams are on Louis Armstrong "Not before 1pm".
Oh, yes, Serena beat Sloane in 2.
And Allison Riske takes the court at 11am.
 
.-.
DaddyChoc said:
started off good then Sloan folded
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More or less, yeah. Sloane has a tremendous weapon from her forehand, but her forehand started to fall apart just a bit in the second set. Serena was strong and consistent throughout.

Speaking of forehand weapons, Camilla Giorgi has a tremendous one. She, of course, beat Wozniacki yesterday. Two blond bombshells, so like I said last night, I had no complaints about watching it. I could see Giorgi moving up in hte rankings with that forehand and overall efficiency. Should that happen, I shan't be complaining...
 
DaddyChoc said:
started off good then Sloan folded
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As entertaining a two set match as I can ever recall. There was some hitting and some shot making in that match that was incredible. Sloan's power is such that she does not wind up before unleashing, she just explodes. Serena at her best is the absolute best.
 
Imagine that...3 Italians of the 6 women on court now. Our Alison is in serious trouble to Hantuchova (not an Italian). She's down a set and break. Daniela just more aggressive
with tons of winners.
 
VAUConnFan said:
As entertaining a two set match as I can ever recall. There was some hitting and some shot making in that match that was incredible. Sloan's power is such that she does not wind up before unleashing, she just explodes. Serena at her best is the absolute best.
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In an alternate universe somewhere, Geno is Sloane's coach.

"You have to figure out how to take the good in someone and overlook the fact they are a dope. Sometimes God gives you everything; great speed, a powerful forehand, and a 115mph serve. But he forgets to put the brain matter in there." :D


Sloane does have a few technical problems, e.g. mediocre footwork around the court that increases her unforced error rate, a weak second serve, and a weak second serve return. Those can be fixed with proper coaching. The harder bits to fix are mental: she knows very little of point construction at this point in her career. More importantly, she has trouble maintaining her play style as matches get more tense. When things are tough, she reverts to a hyper-defensive play style (not so apparent in this Serena match, but very common in matches she truly thinks she should win).

The mental things can also be fixed...but many tennis players fail to manage it. I'm rooting hard for Sloane and hope that she does fix them.
 
alexrgct said:
More or less, yeah. Sloane has a tremendous weapon from her forehand, but her forehand started to fall apart just a bit in the second set. Serena was strong and consistent throughout.

Speaking of forehand weapons, Camilla Giorgi has a tremendous one. She, of course, beat Wozniacki yesterday. Two blond bombshells, so like I said last night, I had no complaints about watching it. I could see Giorgi moving up in hte rankings with that forehand and overall efficiency. Should that happen, I shan't be complaining...
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Vinci showed your girl the exit.
 
Rafa has lost set #1 to Kohlschreiber in a tie break.
Roger is gone in straight sets. Bad loss in not making quarters.
 
.-.
I liked the highlights of Mac and Martina... the stuff they were doing wouldnt work today, they stayed at the net
 
Serena plays tonight, but I cannot find any info on the sisters postponed doubles.
 
VAUConnFan said:
The question now is does he hang around or retire near the top?
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While Venus' downfall has a more dramatic antecedent, both players, so far, are saying they are happy people and will continue so long as tennis, and the work involved, fits with that happiness.
They don't, as yet. embarrass themselves, unlike when Unitas left Baltimore for the west coast.
 
.-.
wire chief said:
While Venus' downfall has a more dramatic antecedent, both players, so far, are saying they are happy people and will continue so long as tennis, and the work involved, fits with that happiness.
They don't, as yet. embarrass themselves, unlike when Unitas left Baltimore for the west coast.
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The saddest for me was when routine flyballs started baffling Willie Mays.
 
iri10 said:
In an alternate universe somewhere, Geno is Sloane's coach.

"You have to figure out how to take the good in someone and overlook the fact they are a dope. Sometimes God gives you everything; great speed, a powerful forehand, and a 115mph serve. But he forgets to put the brain matter in there." :D


Sloane does have a few technical problems, e.g. mediocre footwork around the court that increases her unforced error rate, a weak second serve, and a weak second serve return. Those can be fixed with proper coaching. The harder bits to fix are mental: she knows very little of point construction at this point in her career. More importantly, she has trouble maintaining her play style as matches get more tense. When things are tough, she reverts to a hyper-defensive play style (not so apparent in this Serena match, but very common in matches she truly thinks she should win).

The mental things can also be fixed...but many tennis players fail to manage it. I'm rooting hard for Sloane and hope that she does fix them.
Expand ...

Then again, Sloane was playing Serena. As Mike Tyson famously iterated, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

Ms Stephens possesses a unique enough name such that if all the predictions come true, she can be widely known and referred to by her first name.
 
Some notes:

-Giorgi's elimination was too bad. She's got some potential, and is, ahem, marketable.

-Serena double bagled Suarez-Navarro and figures to have a tough semifinal game with Li Na. Li has given Serena fits in many tough wins in Melbourne. If she wins, another Serena-Vika final, a replay of Cincy and last year's Open, seems likely.

-Federer is a player I've held in the utmost regard, but let's face it: if he'd beaten Robredo, Nadal would have handled him anyway. This is really too bad. I enjoyed 2004-2007 immensely, and I even enjoyed his comebacks (like to re-take Wimbledon and world #1 last year). I would love to see Fed pull a Sampras and win one last major before riding off into the sunset.
 
While Gasquet and Ferrer are early in the 5th set on ESPN2, THE SISTERS ARE IN WARM-UPS ON THE tennis cHANNEL. likely YOU'LL GET THE SISTERS ON THE DEUCE WHEN THAT SINGLES MATCH ENDS.
 
.-.
And it's over in 2 sets. Second set stayed even until the Williams got the 1st break.
Then Venus had a poor service game to level things. Breaks were traded to become 6-6.
the sisters raced to a 5-0 lead in the tiebreak and finished things at 7-3.
As they sometimes are for big sister, the 2nd set was a comedown, after she was just ferocious in the first(6-1).
Tomorrow they play the #1 seed, the Italians Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci, who beat our women in Australia.
Serena has no singles until Friday.
 
Is it that Fed's game has gotten weaker, or that it has stayed the same and others have surpassed him? Seemed to me that he made some crucial mental errors int he first set, which was the only one I watched, esp hitting several volleys that he should have put away directly at the opponent and losing the points.
 
Another round, another Williams win, 6-3, 6-1.
Despite the #s, the 1st set went easier for Venus & Serena, in that their 1st service % was
high, so they had no trouble holding.
The 2nd set showed an expected difference between the sisters, as Venus twice had 1st serve problems and the Italians capitalized on her 2nd serve to cause deuce games, though when needed, Venus pulled it out.
Conversely, Venus is conspicuously better than li'l sis at the net. Venus is the more natural volleyer and mover from side to side. Serena is near static there and is a bit less proficient at reflexive strokes.
Together though, their power at the baseline meant that the Italians could not react fast enough
when either sister went right at them. Great time for us fans.
 
On the sad side of news: the Bryan twins lost in 4-6 in the third in the semi's on their quest to be the first team in the open era to complete a calendar year Grand Slam.
 
.-.
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