OT: Wimbledon

[Deepster]

You mean like not have any matches on center Court for the 1st week?ok

I guess. I just watch the matches now and they’re on dirt. Seems like the best matches should be on better conditions.

 

[Drew]

I’m not a tennis fan but tune in to the big matches. Why are the courts at Wimbledon so beat down? It’s like dirt, not grass. If this is their keynote fortnight, can’t they get the courts to be in better shape? Sorry if that’s a dumb one but it always bugged me.

It’s just hard with grass. Everyone plays from the same area on the baseline these days and it completely wears it down over the course of two weeks. Given how short its cut and how many steps and matches are played on it there really isn’t much they can do although they do give the courts a day off on the Sunday after the first week every year.

Fed/Nadal tomorrow should be great

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Wimbledon and England really should control the weather better. After all, they should have arranged for an extended heat wave with temps some days near and higher than in Greece and Spain much later. Darn meteorologists, they really should have expedited arrival of heat wave breaking thunderstorms earlier than this weekend’s finals.

 

[dannyHAM]

GO DJOKOVIC GO

 

[Drew]

To a third we go

 

[superjohn]

Roger takes the third.

 

[Drew]

Fed v Djoker Sunday AM should be awesome

 

[Chuck]

I guess. I just watch the matches now and they’re on dirt. Seems like the best matches should be on better conditions.

I think the conditions are fine, it just doesn't look as pretty. I've never heard the players complain. Interestingly, it shows how the game has changed. It used to be that the baseline and net area would get worn down from everyone going to the net. Now they all just volley.

Amazing how long the top tennis players last. We've been watching Federer, Nadal, even Joker for a long time. It's probably helped the popularity, while the women's game has more turnover (other than Serena).

 

[superjohn]

Fed v Djoker Sunday AM should be awesome

These guys should be by far the biggest story in the sports world, the three best tennis players ever all still at the top of their game. Federer about to turn 38, incredible.

Love Fed but Djokovic is my guy and I think he wins Sunday.

 

[eebmg]

I am bit surprised how reliant Nadal seems to be in using his Top Spin forehand as his primary weapon and how often he will run around his backhand to get to it even if it pulls him out of position. I guess it is a residue of how unbeatable that shot is on clay but I think his backhand (not just a slice) is very strong and he can flatten out his shots on both sides. I think he is more dangerous if he played with more variety ,

Anyway, kudos to Federer for his win. I think he will get a set on Djokovic but that is it.

 

[tzznandrew]

These guys should be by far the biggest story in the sports world, the three best tennis players ever all still at the top of their game. Federer about to turn 38, incredible.

Love Fed but Djokovic is my guy and I think he wins Sunday.

It's crazy that Federer has been able to reinvent himself and continue to be this good late in his career. I'd be surprised if he bets Djokovic, though I'd be happy if he did personally. I like rooting for players who don't have a ton of time left. He hasn't beaten Djokovic in a final since 2007.

 

[Cheddie]

Nadal never quits. But the guy is the Nomar Garciaparra of tennis. He goes all sorts of routines with his forehead/headband before every point. And he tries to control the pace of the game, making other players wait until he's ready. If I was cynical, I'd wonder if he took the tape off his ankle to throw off Federer's concentration.

 

[methodology]

I would have to guess US Open courts are their least favorite of the majors. Post tension concrete with Decoturf coating (awful coatings laykold is so much better) with no sand added so it's the fastest surface possible. Gotta imagine the body aches after a week on those courts

 

[superjohn]

Nadal never quits. But the guy is the Nomar Garciaparra of tennis. He goes all sorts of routines with his forehead/headband before every point. And he tries to control the pace of the game, making other players wait until he's ready. If I was cynical, I'd wonder if he took the tape off his ankle to throw off Federer's concentration.

He's a bulldog but my least favorite out of the three. I think he'll go down the third best of all-time, after Novak and Roger.

 

[Drew]

Serena getting worked so far. Gotta be honest I wouldn’t mind seeing her lose here

 

[eebmg]

I have not been the biggest Serena fan but it is getting more and more painful for me to watch her get so ridiculously tight and sabotage her play. And her negative body language is beyond my comprehension.

 

[Drew]

I have not been the biggest Serena fan but it is getting more and more painful for me to watch her get so ridiculously tight and sabotage her play. And her negative body language is beyond my comprehension.

The US Open was the final straw for me with her. Totally ruined Osaka’s first major win with the way she behaved. I like Halep and a lot and would love for her to get the job done. Just locked up the first set 6-2 and hoping she does the same here in the second

 

[eebmg]

I have not been the biggest Serena fan but it is getting more and more painful for me to watch her get so ridiculously tight and sabotage her play. And her negative body language is beyond my comprehension.

Well, I think I need to edit my statements. Serena has shaken off her tightness but it is the brilliance of Halep with some unbelievable passing shots that has allowed her to take set 1

I expect it to be much more competitive in set 2 (and beyond?)

 

[Drew]

This is unreal. Has to be the best tournament Halep has ever played

 

[Robertelamin]

That was quick.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Serena looked like an old heavyweight champn who can't move her feet, can't jab, can't move her head but still has lethal knockout power.

The stats on how Halepn won every point on rallies over 9 strokes and a big majority in the 5-9 range says it all.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Halep holding up that plate and her forearms looked bigger than her biceps.

 

[TRest]

Serena looked like an old heavyweight champn who can't move her feet, can't jab, can't move her head but still has lethal knockout power.

The stats on how Halepn won every point on rallies over 9 strokes and a big majority in the 5-9 range says it all.

The strangest thing to me about the current tennis scene is how players who would be on the senior circuit 20 years ago have been able to extend their careers this long. At some point your legs just won't react the way they used to.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

The strangest thing to me about the current tennis scene is how players who would be on the senior circuit 20 years ago have been able to extend their careers this long. At some point your legs just won't react the way they used to.

some hybrid of better conditioning, nutrition, chemical enhancements, medical treatment/PT, lesser competition, maturity, psychology, etc may be considerations

 

[TRest]

some hybrid of better conditioning, nutrition, chemical enhancements, medical treatment/PT, lesser competition, maturity, psychology, etc may be considerations

Chemical enhancements is most likely have to the greatest effect.

 

[methodology]

some hybrid of better conditioning, nutrition, chemical enhancements, medical treatment/PT, lesser competition, maturity, psychology, etc may be considerations

Advancements in court surfaces and coating systems also

 

[huskyrob1]

Unfortunately I think feds backhanded slice has lost a little steam due to age Nadal will be Workin that side all day with heavy topspin,4 sets

Roger Federer is one of the few great players left who has a one handed backhand. He can hit it with power and topspin but as you mentioned also can slice it. That's a huge advantage for him on grass. It's also the reason he's the greatest player of all time. It's no coincidence that the two handed backhand has grown in popularity while at the same time the number of grass courts worldwide has fallen off a cliff. Of the men's top 20 only about 6 or 7 play with a one handed backhand, on the women's side I think it's almost extinct.

My prediction for tomorrow is five sets. I will say that Joker does also have an advantage in that the center court now is so beat up it plays more like clay which helps his game.

Weiterleitungshinweis

 

[eebmg]

Watching the men's double championship. Going to a 5th set where all 4 sets were decided in tie breaker. A real pleasure watching true doubles teams who specialize rather than smushing singles players onto a team. The quality of the tennis is incomparably better.

 

[Drew]

Watching the men's double championship. Going to a 5th set where all 4 sets were decided in tie breaker. A real pleasure watching true doubles teams who specialize rather than smushing singles players onto a team. The quality of the tennis is incomparably better.

Match has been really high quality. Glad they're showing this

 

[huskyrob1]

This is great for USA Tennis and badly needed, so many public tennis courts are empty these days if they even have a net. The two sports that have died in popularity since the 80's are boxing and tennis. A new young superstar will help.

Well recreational tennis is booming in the United States, but you are right about how pro tennis in the United States is not what it once was. I checked the WTA top twenty rankings from 1986 and ten of those were American women. On the men's rankings eight were Americans.

1983 top five rankings, 2 through 5 were American women tennis players

1) Martina Navratilova
2) Chris Evert Lloyd
3) Andrea Jaeger
4) Tracy Austin
5) Pam Shriver

Kathy Rinaldi, Kathy Jordan, Zina Garrison, and a couple others rounded out the top twenty.