Love, Balls and Courting: Tennis V

[allezfred]

It is a broken racket in fairness, but I can’t say I am sorry she lost…

 

[quartz]

She can buy another racket with that $1.5 million she’s leaving with.

 

[Jammers]

Shades of Irina Slutskays?.....

https://twitter.com/i/status/1700808834074415207

more:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1700900908643623108

So sad she didn't win the title so she could present it to her glorious leader of Belarus. So why was she allowed to compete anyways aren't Russians and competitors from Belarus banned from competing like they are in other sports?

 

[allezfred]

So sad she didn't win the title so she could present it to her glorious leader of Belarus. So why was she allowed to compete anyways aren't Russians and competitors from Belarus banned from competing like they are in other sports?

I think the fact that she competed in the final of the US Open answers your question for you.

 

[skatingguy]

She can buy another racket with that $1.5 million she’s leaving with.

You probably know this, but top players don't generally buy their racquets - they get them free as part of a sponsorship deal.

 

[quartz]

You probably know this, but top players don't generally buy their racquets - they get them free as part of a sponsorship deal.

Well then, she can buy herself something else. It was more the point that the “loser” still gets a whole shitload of prize money.

 

[Aaron MB Fan]

Congrats to Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe on winning the Women’s Doubles title at the US Open!!

Gaby makes history for Canada finally becoming the first Canadian Women to ever win a Women’s Doubles Grand Slam title. It’s her third Grand Slam title with the first two coming in Mixed Doubles.

 

[Sylvia]

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[skipaway]

Shades of Irina Slutskays?.....

https://twitter.com/i/status/1700808834074415207

more:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1700900908643623108

I’m a little shocked that cameras are in the room.

 

[airgelaal]

I’m a little shocked that cameras are in the room.

Why? we regularly see videos of figure skaters warming up during championships from the same rooms.

 

[skipaway]

Why? we regularly see videos of figure skaters warming up during championships from the same rooms.

True. Didn’t think of that.

 

[airgelaal]

By the way, this camera was not the only one there

https://twitter.com/x/status/1700984630638502257

 

[Fiero425]

For those who don't know, Novak Djokovic won his 4th US Open & 24th overall Major today over Daniil Medvedev in straight sets!

 

[caseyedwards]

For those who don't know, Novak Djokovic won his 4th US Open & 24th overall Major today over Daniil Medvedev in straight sets!

Very impressive! He faced someone who beat him on the exact same Court just 2 years ago so I don’t agree it was lesser match as some are saying. People did want to see Alcaraz play him again but that wasn’t to be. That happens!

It has been 5 years since he won a U.S. open which is a big gap for him. Part of that was crazy stuff. Being defaulted for errant ball. Then Novaxx. Big comeback

Also Interesting was John McEnroe talking about himself after his years of domination he said he just lost motivation. And that he admires Djokovic (and nadal and Federer ) for always finding new motivation.

In the press conference djokovic talked about having more motivation to continue.

 

[Sylvia]

Christopher Clarey has a substack now and he has written an "in-depth column on a big night at the #USOpen for #tennis and for the Gauff family":

Coco's Time

Gauff's US Open breakthrough

christopherclarey.substack.com

 

[millyskate]

Late to the party but very happy for Coco Gauff.

 

[chantilly]

I could care less about a player smashing their racket in the locker room after a huge loss.
On court it’s different.
But I totally understand it.
I certainly don’t think Sabalenka should be vilified or attacked for it.
It’s very human. These athletes are under an enormous amount of pressure.

 

[skatingguy]

Simona Halep has been suspended 4 years for doping violations.

Former No. 1 tennis player Simona Halep gets 4-year ban in doping case | Tennis.com

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been suspended from professional tennis for four years for doping violations

www.tennis.com

 

[Desperado]

Simona Halep has been suspended 4 years for doping violations.

Former No. 1 tennis player Simona Halep gets 4-year ban in doping case | Tennis.com

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been suspended from professional tennis for four years for doping violations

www.tennis.com

Things aren't looking good for Halep. Tennis has accepted farfetched stories in the past so to give her that sentence, they must be quite sure there is as they call it "likely doping".

 

[Sylvia]

"no wonder my brother didn’t answer the phone. legend says he’s still screaming to this day" (video): https://twitter.com/CocoGauff/status/1701297105564787131

 

[Sylvia]

Halep says she'll appeal 4-year ban over doping

Simona Halep on Tuesday was banned for four years for two separate anti-doping rule violations, according to the International Tennis Integrity Agency, but she said she'd appeal to sport's highest court.

www.espn.com

Halep, 31, has been provisionally suspended since October 2022 after testing positive for banned blood-booster Roxadustat at the US Open last year.
...
"I am continuing to train and do everything in my power to clear my name of these false allegations and return to the court," Halep said in a statement. "I intend to appeal this decision to The Court of Arbitration for Sport and pursue all legal remedies against the supplement company in question."
Her suspension runs until Oct. 6, 2026.

The drug Roxadustat is approved for medical use in the European Union to treat the symptoms of anemia caused by chronic kidney failure. According to the EU's medicines agency, it stimulates the body to produce more of the natural hormone erythropoietin, or EPO, which has long been a doping product favored by cyclists and distance runners.
Halep was accused of a second doping offense in May for irregularities in her athlete biological passport. The charge was "separate and in addition to" the provisional suspension from 2022.
The ITIA said in May that the charge "was based on an assessment" of Halep's biological passport profile by an expert panel. Such passports provide a baseline reading of substances in an athlete's body and are considered a way to help chart doping.

 

[eusebius]

I could care less about a player smashing their racket in the locker room after a huge loss.
On court it’s different.
But I totally understand it.
I certainly don’t think Sabalenka should be vilified or attacked for it.
It’s very human. These athletes are under an enormous amount of pressure.

sorry, posted in error

 

[skatingguy]

Full decision in the Halep case.

ITIA - Full decision in the case of ITIA v Simona Halep

ITIA - Full decision in the case of ITIA v Simona Halep

www.itia.tennis

The independent tribunal that banned Simona Halep for four years for doping had “strong grounds for suspicion” that the Romanian was also blood doping at last year’s Wimbledon, its newly published 125-page decision reveals. However, it could not be “comfortably satisfied” that was the case as the 31-year-old did not have any blood tests between April and September 2022.

However the full decision, released on Thursday, reveals that the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) pushed for a more severe punishment and believed that she had blood-doped from at least March 2022 in preparation for Wimbledon and the US Open that year.

“By contrast with their opinion relating to August 2022 and the US Open, there is no unequivocal assertion by the expert panel that the blood doping by the player was ‘highly likely’. The same applies to the allegation of blood doping in connection with the Wimbledon championships in June/July 2022 … There is a period from 27 April to 22 September for which the player’s blood values are unknown.”

As part of the case, a woman of a similar height and stature was given the same amount of Keto MCT as Halep before her positive test. However the control study found that the values of the banned drug in Halep’s urine test were between “46 and 85 times higher” than in the highest value of the volunteer’s urine.

One expert told the tribunal that Halep would have needed to take between 900 and 5,000 times the recommended serving size of Keto MCT to produce the estimated concentrations of roxadustat in her sample, based on the player’s explanation and what was known about the metabolism of the drug. “He did not consider that plausible, or in line with what the player says she ingested,” the report states.

Tribunal suspected that Halep was blood doping at last yearâs Wimbledon

The independent tribunal could not be ‘comfortably satisfied’ due to a lack of blood tests between April and September 2022

www.theguardian.com

 

[sk9tingfan]

I hope he got paid for this. He could easily be a runway as well as a print model....

https://twitter.com/i/status/1702981934266150955

 

[raruki]

Sina Visitor System

weibo.com

Wenjing Sui is with Roger Federer in Shanghai.

 

[raruki]

Xiangyi An and Qinwen Zheng, Zhengzhou and Palermo open’s champion and TOP15 in WTA

XiangYi An_FanClub on Instagram: "QUEEN Wen🎾✨@zhengqinwen_tennis . #anxiangyi #安香怡 #Nini #xiangyian #edeaskates #mkblades #edeafamily #figureskating #skating #centurystarclub #BJ_TeamCenturyStar #Beijing #zhengqinwen #greatathlete #郑钦文"

260 likes, 1 comments - nini_fanclub on September 18, 2023: "QUEEN Wen🎾✨@zhengqinwen_tennis . #anxiangyi #安香怡 #Nini #xiangyian #edeaskates #mkblades #edeafamily #figureskating #skating ..."

www.instagram.com

 

[Desperado]

Thanks to the fabulous play by newcomer Marina Stakusic and Leylah Fernandez, with assists from Gabriela Dabrowski and yes, Genie Bouchard in doubles, Canada wins the Billie Jean King Cup beating Italy

(Rebecca Marino also on the team.)

Never thought I would see such good Canadian women’s tennis in my lifetime.

Note: Prize $ is equal to the men’s Davis Cup, thanks of course to Billie Jean King herself.

 

[Aaron MB Fan]

Congrats to Canada on doing what I never thought I would see in my lifetime, winning the Fed Cup title!!!!

With Davis Cup finals still to be played later this month, this means Canada right now is the active holder of both the Men’s Davis Cup title and the Women’s Fed Cup title!!!

Absolutely huge for our country when you consider our relative history in the sport and population size compared to so many other countries.

 

[raruki]

Canada is now the reigning champ of the BJK cup and Davis Cup

 

[raruki]

Rafa Nadal on Instagram: "I confirmed yesterday I’ll be back 😄 Stay tuned these days when I decide and announce with my team when and where 💪🏻😉💪🏻"

401K likes, 7,044 comments - rafaelnadal on November 16, 2023: "I confirmed yesterday I’ll be back 😄 Stay tuned these days when I decide and announce with my team when and where 💪🏻😉💪🏻".

www.instagram.com

Nadal confirmed that he will be back at the tournament next year.