Love, Balls and Courting: Tennis V

[Lorac]

Nadal not going to defend his US Open title due to CV:

US Open 2020: Rafael Nadal will not play at Grand Slam in New York

Also

Madrid Open: ATP & WTA event cancelled after rise in Spain CV cases

 

[missing]

I'd thought it would be a mistake for Nadal to play at the U.S. Open. There's so little time between it and the French Open.

I just hope there is a U.S. Open and a French Open.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

I'm not so sure. Nadal is competing for most GS titles. By not showing up for the USO, it could pave the way for Djokovic to add one more closer to him. Or will he tie Nadal's count with a win? It's so close between them. What if Djokovic is on a hot streak and wins both USO and FO? He ties Federer? I just wouldn't put my career slam count at risk by not competing.... ETA: Fed has 20, Nadal has 19, Djokovic has 17. It's so close, especially if Novak wins USO and FO this year. I'm surprised Nadal is passing this up.

 

[missing]

I'm not so sure. Nadal is competing for most GS titles. By not showing up for the USO, it could pave the way for Djokovic to add one more closer to him. Or will he tie Nadal's count with a win? It's so close between them. What if Djokovic is on a hot streak and wins both USO and FO? He ties Federer? I just wouldn't put my career slam count at risk by not competing.... ETA: Fed has 20, Nadal has 19, Djokovic has 17. It's so close, especially if Novak wins USO and FO this year. I'm surprised Nadal is passing this up.

My theory goes that Nadal would cede U.S. Open to Djokovic (although there's certainly no guarantee that Djokovic would win) to have the better chance of winning the French and tying Federer
with 20 majors.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

Except there has been NO season(s). Doing a USO and FO back to back as the schedule shows doesn't guarantee one thing. Imagine if Novak comes off after six months to win the USO and now has the match play and present game to be competitive, especially on clay. I totally disagree with Nadal skipping USO. Unless he is injured or, well, sick. Pro athletes are very much a different breed, but if you are Fed or Nadal, married/getting married, dealing with life or death health situations, maybe it will hasten their retirement? As in, "I've achieved almost everything I ever wanted to in the sport, and now I have the rest of my life to enjoy the fruits of my labor". It's just that those three on on the cusp of all time greatness. I'd hate to see Novak win just on showing up.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

Serena beat Venus today at the competition in LexingtonKY. Venus looks really good. Serena won in three sets, but it was a close match. I wonder if both are also doing the Cincinnati/NYC tournament before the USO?

 

[Lorac]

Well with no Nadal I was assuming Novak was heading towards his 18th GS at the US Open but he was just defaulted for hitting the ball in frustration and it hit a lines judge - hitting her in the throat - after being broken to go down 5-6 in the first set against Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain. He was trying to make all sorts of excuses and even made - a sort of 'do you know who I am' argument.

So there will be a new GS winner on the men's side.

 

[Lacey]

He had done almost the same thing a few points/games previously today and not been reprimanded, which was wrong on the part of the ref.

It had also happened with another male player hitting a camera man in a previous tournament last week and he was let off because the cameraman said he wasn't hurt.

Novak, in this case and others and the other players 100% should have been expelled, whether or not she or anyone was hurt (she was, she was hit in the throat) or had to be removed (she was, and no one walked off with her, huh?). He hit a tennis ball that was not in play. Sorry buddy, that is not allowed.

 

[jlai]

I want to toss a ball at Novac’s Throat myself

 

[Deleted member 40371]

Djok has no point to argue, he didn't intentionally want to hit her, but he had no need to do what he did. I wasn't his greatest fan, but his anti-vaxx views, the way he organised his competition and this is not making me want to root for him.

Tim Henman commentating, he defaulted in the past at Wimbledon and agrees with the referee as well.

 

[Desperado]

He had done almost the same thing a few points/games previously today and not been reprimanded, which was wrong on the part of the ref.

Agree. A few ESPN commentators mentioned it too. I thought for sure they would do anything to avoid disqualifying the favourite. Happy to be wrong.

I have to add that I also didn’t believe he injured himself falling a few minutes before, but that could just be me being mean. ?

 

[allezfred]

I guess there is truly no vaccine for stupidity....

 

[love skating]

My mom has always hated Djokovic, always rooting for either Federer or Nadal. I would stick up for him and say he isn't so bad, but all his recent behavior has made me realize maybe she's been right all along! As to today's default, at first I thought it wasn't fair cause he obviously wasn't trying to hit her and it didn't even look like a hard hit... but after hearing the rules I agree that rules are there for a reason and must be adhered to, so it had to be done.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

No excuses for what he did. I've sometimes thought that several tennis players are entitled, spoiled brats.

I wonder what the fall out from this will be, and if he earns a suspension or a ban from the sport.

 

[liv]

Novak, Novak, Novak.. He was reckless and a person got hit and all players know that that means default. He did it to himself. His arguing the decision is just another indicator that his ego is, well, healthy.... rules are rules and they did the right thing to enforce them.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

I had just checked my tennis forum two hours ago and then now all hell has broken loose!!! It's a shame, this was one more slam on a silver platter for him to get closer to Fedal. Rules are rules though. It didn't look like he hit hard in anger, and I'm sure that lines person milked it for all it's worth for the obvious lawsuit coming. Too bad. Get those anger management skills working for RG, Djokovic. This might be the loss that takes you off the top GS winners.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I had just checked my tennis forum two hours ago and then now all hell has broken loose!!! It's a shame, this was one more slam on a silver platter for him to get closer to Fedal. R
ules are rules though. It didn't look like he hit hard in anger, and I'm sure that lines person milked it for all it's worth for the obvious lawsuit coming. Too bad. Get those anger management skills working for RG, Djokovic. This might be the loss that takes you off the top GS winners.

Given how fast these hulks serve, I know I wouldn't like to be on the receiving end from one of their tirades.

A few years ago at the World Figure Skating Championships in Shanghai, as fans were throwing gifts onto the ice for Yuzu, I got hit hard in the back of the head with a flipping softball. It really hurt for a few minutes, too.

 

[Spikefan]

Given how fast these hulks serve, I know I wouldn't like to be on the receiving end from one of their tirades.

A few years ago at the World Figure Skating Championships in Shanghai, as fans were throwing gifts onto the ice for Yuzu, I got hit hard in the back of the head with a flipping softball. It really hurt for a few minutes, too.

They make Pooh softballs? All joking aside no one should throw a softball at a skating event.

 

[skipaway]

On ESPN the round table discussing the default included John McEnroe who actually asked the tournament ref “could some other decision have been made b/c of who he is?”
The ref said...ah no. Rules are same for everyone, will not change b/c of who you are.

 

[Deleted member 40371]

On ESPN the round table discussing the default included John McEnroe who actually asked the tournament ref “could some other decision have been made b/c of who he is?”
The ref said...ah no. Rules are same for everyone, will not change b/c of who you are.

I guess he is asking due to some Novak fans complaining about it, and how it would be a different reaction if it was Roger Federer had done it.

 

[skipaway]

I guess he is asking due to some Novak fans complaining about it, and how it would be a different reaction if it was Roger Federer had done it.

He didn’t mention others reactions. So he could have meant that. However, when confronted by Chris Everett he appeared to back down, still didn’t mention other players and then said again they should have considered who he was.

 

[jlai]

It is getting Annoying how the commentators keep going back to their default topic even with others playing

 

[Desperado]

It didn't look like he hit hard in anger, and I'm sure that lines person milked it for all it's worth for the obvious lawsuit coming.

In pictures the front of her neck is visibly very red and there’s not much muscle tissue there to protect your thyroid gland, etc. so I think saying she milked it is a bit much.

On ESPN the round table discussing the default included John McEnroe who actually asked the tournament ref “could some other decision have been made b/c of who he is?”
The ref said...ah no. Rules are same for everyone, will not change b/c of who you are.

I think James Blake emphasized this point too.

 

[skatingguy]

No excuses for what he did. I've sometimes thought that several tennis players are entitled, spoiled brats.

I wonder what the fall out from this will be, and if he earns a suspension or a ban from the sport.

Not likely to see either suspension or ban considering the nature of the incident, and the fragmented nature of governance in tennis. Based on previous incidents there will be a fine.

 

[Desperado]

He was fined $20,000 for missing the post-match media session and lost the prize money from the tournament.

 

[skipaway]

In pictures the front of her neck is visibly very red and there’s not much muscle tissue there to protect your thyroid gland, etc. so I think saying she milked it is a bit much.


I think James Blake emphasized this point too.

Whose point? The ref’s or McEnroe’s?

 

[Desperado]

Whose point? The ref’s or McEnroe’s?

The ref’s point. Blake said he was glad to hear that a player would be treated the same no matter what his rank because lower ranked players often feel like they’re held to a different standard than the top players.

 

[misskarne]

I guess he is asking due to some Novak fans complaining about it, and how it would be a different reaction if it was Roger Federer had done it.

Given Federer is renowned to be quite collected and classy, I think the chief reaction would be absolute shock that he'd done something like that.

Whereas Djokovic...well, as someone on my twitter feed said this morning: "Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!"

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

How quickly he forgets his own reputation. I'm reminded of the time John McEnroe was kicked out of the Australian Open for intimidation and racquet abuse.

John McEnroe Is Disqualified | Australian Open 1990

The 1990 Australian Open Men's fourth round match between John McEnroe (USA) and Mikael Pernfors (SWE) saw the American controversially disqualified from the...

www.youtube.com

 

[missing]

Someone I don't know tweeted the following:


SiddF

@SiddFinch86
·
7m

Replying to
@uptonbell
Djokovic is a million dollar talent with a ten cent head