Love, Balls and Courting: Tennis V

Sylvia

TBD
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79,989
Iga, on ice?
The world No. 1 met up with fellow Olympic athletes Jean Luc Baker and Nathan Chen, who won figure skating’s Olympic gold medal in 2022, following her opening-round victory at the BNP Paribas Open. [...]
Baker, an Olympic ice dancer and former junior world champion, teamed up with Chen to watch Swiatek make quick work of American Claire Liu. The two later got the chance to meet and take a few photos—with the California desert serving as a backdrop.
How would Swiatek hack it on the ice? Perhaps she can get Daria Kasatkina's girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako to give her a few lessons!
:)

Getty Images (4 photos)
Re-posting the clip from their photo shoot: https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1634716163904253952
 

airgelaal

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5,495
Statement from Steve Simon today:
And the end of the story

We banned them, but they don't care. So now we don't care either.
Did I get it right?
 

Fiero425

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Messages
2,302
And the end of the story

We banned them, but they don't care. So now we don't care either.
Did I get it right?

If Russia and China are being aggressive internationally, BANS should stay in place! The Olympics barely tolerates them! It's nothing new worldwide! They're a-#ole that like to start $#!t for no damn reason! I don't blame the people, but someone's gotta take responsibility for being TROLLS out there! People are dying out there as we comfortably talk about this crap feeling sorry for "their flags!" Screw 'em! :rolleyes: :wall::eek::confused::mad:
 

Sylvia

TBD
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79,989
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Fiero425

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2,302
Today Rafael Nadal announced his withdrawal from Roland Garros (expected) and said in his press conference that 2024 may be his final season: https://twitter.com/TheTennisLetter/status/1659201428911718400

ETA an article:

He should have been preparing for this the last couple years! He's broken due to working too hard to win simple matches against "also rans" who'll never achieve much! Federer was able to hang on longer due to a more aggressive game and not allowing kids to run him to death! Djokovic is just a freak of nature who's won so much in the last decade w/o much trouble! Nadal played his silly defensive style and it finally caught up with him! "Good-bye Rafa!" :rolleyes: :wall::eek::confused::scream:
 

nylynnr

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1,080
He should have been preparing for this the last couple years! He's broken due to working too hard to win simple matches against "also rans" who'll never achieve much! Federer was able to hang on longer due to a more aggressive game and not allowing kids to run him to death! Djokovic is just a freak of nature who's won so much in the last decade w/o much trouble! Nadal played his silly defensive style and it finally caught up with him! "Good-bye Rafa!" :rolleyes: :wall::eek::confused::scream:
You are right! It finally caught up with him! Only 22 Grand Slam titles! 37 on June 6th! He is a broken man, miracle he won two Grand Slams last year! I pray he is able to make peace with his failed career!

/crap over

You're right, Djokovic is still no. 1 on hardcourts and grass. Going back to the point you make in your (possibly sarcastic) post, I do think he is no longer able to win tourneys on clay, and I wonder why he plays such an aggressive clay season. I don't think he will win Roland Garros again although you never know, except for Alcaraz the current top players have an amazing propensity to bow down.

And Fed didn't really hang on longer. He won AO 2018 at age 37; if we assume FO 2022 is Rafa's final slam, he won it at 36. Add to that, Fed played his first ATP match in July, 1998, a few weeks short of 17, and Rafa had his first ATP match when he was still 15. So they are about even in the longevity department, in that they both had their day, and then some, and then some more.
 

Fiero425

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2,302
You are right! It finally caught up with him! Only 22 Grand Slam titles! 37 on June 6th! He is a broken man, miracle he won two Grand Slams last year! I pray he is able to make peace with his failed career!

/crap over

You're right, Djokovic is still no. 1 on hardcourts and grass. Going back to the point you make in your (possibly sarcastic) post, I do think he is no longer able to win tourneys on clay, and I wonder why he plays such an aggressive clay season. I don't think he will win Roland Garros again although you never know, except for Alcaraz the current top players have an amazing propensity to bow down.

And Fed didn't really hang on longer. He won AO 2018 at age 37; if we assume FO 2022 is Rafa's final slam, he won it at 36. Add to that, Fed played his first ATP match in July, 1998, a few weeks short of 17, and Rafa had his first ATP match when he was still 15. So they are about even in the longevity department, in that they both had their day, and then some, and then some more.

I'm one of those people that like Top players to leave the game before being pushed! If Roger had gotten out after winning his last Wimbledon in 2017! He might have had a bit more "benefit of the doubt" at being THE GOAT to this day! Unfortunately he left no doubt he's in 3rd all time behind Nadal & Djokovic! He allowed "also rans" to run him ragged in '20 & '21! It hurt his legacy IMO! He was getting upset due to the speed and power of the game! The same is happening w/ Nadal who's always had problems w/ his body due to how hard he has to play winning over players you don't even know in early rounds due to his defensive game! He might have been more fit longer if he had attacked a little more! You can't let someone rank #121 in the world take you to 5 sets in early rounds! That's shortened his tenure over his entire career; estimating out of his 20 years on tour, he's probably lost 5 of them due to injuries that could have been avoided!

Novak seems to have had a good balance of play, rest, & taking care of smaller injuries to his legs and elbow! He was denied entry into the States the last couple seasons, but it's worked out giving him more rest time between events! He's not a favorite of mines, but I love what he's doing to shake up the perceived belief that tennis begins and ends with Fedal! He's surpassing them in just about every category, owning records; holding the #1 ranking for 386 weeks, 7 YE #1's, 2 Golden Masters (every Masters event won at least twice), the Masters lead at 38, taking 3 of 4 majors in 3 seasons, w/ his own 4 in row over 2 seasons w/ a Nole-Slam '15 Wimbl.-'16 FO! You have to appreciate that record, but he isn't well liked so doesn't get the cheers that Fedal get to this day regardless if they're playing or not! End RANT! - https://fiero4251.blogspot.com/2016/08/fan-page-novak-nole-djokovic.html - :40beers: :rolleyes::wall::eek::confused::scream:
 

quartz

scratching at the light
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19,931
Nadal is the reason I watch tennis. I was channel surfing one day and here’s this super cute guy with long flowing hair and a headband, running around in a sleeveless shirt, and I’m like, whoa! Maybe I’ll watch a bit of tennis. :D
 

Fiero425

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2,302
Nadal is the reason I watch tennis. I was channel surfing one day and here’s this super cute guy with long flowing hair and a headband, running around in a sleeveless shirt, and I’m like, whoa! Maybe I’ll watch a bit of tennis. :D

That was a long time ago! He's now gone thru a couple hair transplants and still looks thin on top! He takes the best advert pics, but he's now a broken down old man at 37! :rolleyes: :wall::eek::cool:
 

kedrin

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1,516
I was channel surfing one day and here’s this super cute guy with long flowing hair and a headband, running around in a sleeveless shirt, and I’m like, whoa! Maybe I’ll watch a bit of tennis. :D
I remember those days. I still mourn the loss of the sleeveless shirts.
 
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nylynnr

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1,080
Over punishment!!
Agree. Kato did not hit the ball in anger, she was trying to be helpful and kind of lobbed the ball over the net to the ball girl. The CNN article posted above is inaccurate, the ball did not hit the girl in the head; the ball girl turned, and it hit her on the back of the neck. The umpire was ready to let it go with a warning, except Tormo and Bouzkova said the ball girl was bleeding, which she was not. In any event, Kato won the mixed doubles with Tim Puetz.

On another note, pun intended, I'm watching the replay of the Muchova-Sabalenka match and Sabalenka's screaming, yelling and groaning is almost unbearable. It's getting louder and louder as the match goes along. Surely, she is more worthy of a disqualification than Kato.
 

Fiero425

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2,302
Agree. Kato did not hit the ball in anger, she was trying to be helpful and kind of lobbed the ball over the net to the ball girl. The CNN article posted above is inaccurate, the ball did not hit the girl in the head; the ball girl turned, and it hit her on the back of the neck. The umpire was ready to let it go with a warning, except Tormo and Bouzkova said the ball girl was bleeding, which she was not. In any event, Kato won the mixed doubles with Tim Puetz.

On another note, pun intended, I'm watching the replay of the Muchova-Sabalenka match and Sabalenka's screaming, yelling and groaning is almost unbearable. It's getting louder and louder as the match goes along. Surely, she is more worthy of a disqualification than Kato.

Players have never lobbied for a DQ like that! I hope they pay for it with silence in the locker room! I don't understand that little girl actually crying and gave the players the opening to have their opponents kicked out! :confused: :rolleyes::wall::eek:
 

Fiero425

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Messages
2,302
It's over! Djokovic wins French Open over Casper Ruud in straight sets! This makes his tally #23 surpassing Fedal's 20-22 majors respectively! Novak is tied w/ Serena Wms. & just 1 behind Margaret Court! He has 3 career GS: 10 AO's, 7 Wimbledons, 3 USO's, & now 3 FO's (surprise @nylynnr)! Nole re-acquires the #1 ranking, now set at 388 weeks & counting! Like 2021, he's on course for another big rec., a Calender Year GS! He still needs to pick up his 8th Wimbledon! He's now allowed in the States w/ no Covid vaccine so he'll be at the USO! The records just keep piling up! "Congrats Nole!" :biggrinbo :40beers:🥳:love:
 

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