Topic: The Tennis Thread - Sponsored By Melt-downium

[Andar]

Late one this. 2am out there in Melbourne.

[Gerry Attrick]

I’d have Rybakina as favourite in the women’s draw. She dispatched Swiatek like she’s a 100 ranked jabber. Won Wimbledon too. She’s definitely the best player left in it. It’s women’s tennis though.

[jizzspunk]

I’d have Rybakina as favourite in the women’s draw. She dispatched Swiatek like she’s a 100 ranked jabber. Won Wimbledon too. She’s definitely the best player left in it. It’s women’s tennis though.

No great surprise Swiatek went out, nor Medvedev in the Men's, if you follow enough tennis, albeit it's the start of a new season in some respects, both were vulnerable, some of the heavy hitters starting to get at Swiatek for sure

Rybakina v Ostepenko will be lively
Still fancy Sabalenka myself..I see she just steam rollered past the in form Bencic

[Nick110581]

Djokovic strolling

Can’t see anyone beating him now

Be level on 22 now

[Red-Soldier]

No great surprise Swiatek went out, nor Medvedev in the Men's, if you follow enough tennis, albeit it's the start of a new season in some respects, both were vulnerable, some of the heavy hitters starting to get at Swiatek for sure

Rybakina v Ostepenko will be lively
Still fancy Sabalenka myself..I see she just steam rollered past the in form Bencic

Me too.  If she can hold her errors together (namely her serve), I think she's just got too much for all the rest.  All big hitters are left now and she's the biggest of them all.

I think all the remaining players are capable of winning it though (apart from Pliskova), which makes it a great watch.  Unlike the mens.

[Ray K]

An absolute mystery how someone as limited as Alex de Minaur is in the world's top 25.

[Crosby Nick]

An absolute mystery how someone as limited as Alex de Minaur is in the world's top 25.

So you’re saying De Minaur can’t win da Majors?

[Red-Soldier]

An absolute mystery how someone as limited as Alex de Minaur is in the world's top 25.

Not a great advert for the game really.  He's absolute shite.  Got nothing in his game whatsoever.

[Ray K]

So you’re saying De Minaur can’t win da Majors?

[amir87]

So you’re saying De Minaur can’t win da Majors?

Fuck off.

[Gerry Attrick]

An absolute mystery how someone as limited as Alex de Minaur is in the world's top 25.

Well somebody had to replace Lleyton Hewitt for the Aussies. There are a few similar to him who are around the seedlings in a major. Bautista-Agut, Carreno-Busta, Coric and Schwartzman. Players with nothing in their arsenal, they’ve just been made in a lab to be a wall and absorb pace and try to use it to hurt their opponent. Gritty battlers that rely on the other person on the other side of the net beating themselves eventually and it works.

[Crosby Nick]

Fuck off.

Code violation.

[Red-Soldier]

Well somebody had to replace Lleyton Hewitt for the Aussies. There are a few similar to him who are around the seedlings in a major. Bautista-Agut, Carreno-Busta, Coric and Schwartzman. Players with nothing in their arsenal, they’ve just been made in a lab to be a wall and absorb pace and try to use it to hurt their opponent. Gritty battlers that rely on the other person on the other side of the net beating themselves eventually and it works.

At least he won a major, (two of them) was world number 1, and a very good grass and decent hard court player, in his prime. 

In November 2001, Hewitt became, at the time, the youngest man to be singles world No. 1 in the ATP rankings, at the age of 20 years, 8 months and 26 days, though this record was surpassed in 2022 by Carlos Alcaraz, who ascended to the top at 19 years, 4 months and 7 days.[2] He won 30 singles titles and 3 doubles titles, with highlights being the 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon singles titles, the 2000 US Open men's doubles title, back-to-back Tour Finals titles in 2001 and 2002, and the Davis Cup with Australia in 1999 and 2003. Between 1997 and 2016, Hewitt contested twenty consecutive Australian Open men's singles tournaments, his best result being runner-up in 2005. He was also the runner-up at the 2004 US Open.

Apart from that, they are exactly the same.

[amir87]

Code violation.

[Gerry Attrick]

At least he won a major, (two of them) was world number 1, and a very good grass and decent hard court player, in his prime. 

Apart from that, they are exactly the same.

A player who managed to win around the time when there was approximately zero good players. He had no weapons in his game. Him having any majors is a travesty. He wouldn’t even be a top 10 player in this era.

[Crosby Nick]

A player who managed to win around the time when there was approximately zero good players. He had no weapons in his game. Him having any majors is a travesty. He wouldn’t even be a top 10 player in this era.

I obviously despised and I think I was living in Sydney when he won the US Open. Didn’t he beat Sampras to win that one, albeit an ageing Pistol Pete.

The Wimbledon he won was a bit of a doddle against a very young Nalbandian but he did beat Henman easily in the semis.

He did fall away almost as quickly as he rose, in terms of contending for the Majors. Think you’re probably right, he was one of those few who had success post Sampras and Agassi and pre Federer and Nada eras.

[Red-Soldier]

A player who managed to win around the time when there was approximately zero good players. He had no weapons in his game. Him having any majors is a travesty. He wouldn’t even be a top 10 player in this era.

He was a small guy, but he maxed out on his talent!  He had the mentality and toughness of a top player and he was a superb athlete.  Not to mention a very good doubles player, which means he could volley too.

It wasn't a great era, but to say he was rubbish and a travesty that he won any majors, is absolute shit!

When he retired, he had the most wins on grass than any active player ( I know you hate grass and think it's a shit surface).  He deserved all his success and give him full credit for his achievements.

You're opinion cannot trump cold hard facts.

He got to the final of every slam apart from the French.  616–262 (70.2% in ATP Tour and Grand Slam main draw matches, and in Davis Cup).

[BoRed]

He did fall away almost as quickly as he rose, in terms of contending for the Majors. Think you’re probably right, he was one of those few who had success post Sampras and Agassi and pre Federer and Nada eras.

Makes sense that all he's won was in his pre-nada era.

[Gerry Attrick]

He was a small guy, but he maxed out on his talent!  He had the mentality and toughness of a top player and he was a superb athlete.  Not to mention a very good doubles player, which means he could volley too.

It wasn't a great error, but to say he was rubbish and a travesty that he won any majors, is absolute shit!

When he retired, he had the most wins on grass than any active player ( I know you hate grass and think it's a shit surface).  He deserved all his success and give him full credit for his achievements.

You're opinion cannot trump cold hard facts.

I don’t think I’ve ever had an enjoyable conversation with you because you post like you’ve never been wrong with anything and love a sly emoji. It’s my opinion, I don’t need your sermons on why you’re correct. Just spare us both and don’t bother.

[Red-Soldier]

I don’t think I’ve ever had an enjoyable conversation with you because you post like you’ve never been wrong with anything and love a sly emoji. It’s my opinion, I don’t need your sermons on why you’re correct. Just spare us both and don’t bother.

Sorry.  I just thought it was disrepectful to dismiss somebodies sporting achievements like that.  And you were wrong.

It's not personal, I just get overly passionate about things sometimes.

[elsewhere]

Was Nadal injured against this De Minaur when he lost? He looked like an amateur against Djoker and Djokovic did not even up his game.

[elsewhere]

Khachanov-Korda should be a tennis festival. Both playing very good tennis.

[Nick110581]

Azarenka through.

[Gerry Attrick]

There goes Pegula. Got sorted out by a champion.

[Nick110581]

There goes Pegula. Got sorted out by a champion.

Azarenka looks pretty determined. Love to see her win.

[Red-Soldier]

Let's hear from Victoria Azarenka now. She's got her PSG shirt back on:

"It hurts to beat her because I always want her to do well, but I also know I have to play my best tennis. She's been playing amazing, very consistent, and I knew from the first point I had to bring it, I just wanted to stay there, take opportunities..

"I'm very proud that I executed my game plan very well. It's so amazing to be in a semi-final of another Grand Slam.

"I felt like, especially last year, my tennis wasn't bad but I wasn't mentally there to go out here.

"I played with a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety, and it really was difficult to be brave and to make the right choice in important moments

"I worked a lot on my mindset, challenging myself and trying to push myself forwards.

"Sometimes when you achieve success, you become a bit conservative and are a bit more hesistant to try new things.

"This off-season, I was open-minded, tried new things and put my head down and worked hard."

[Red-Soldier]

She's won the Ausie Open twice, wouldn't be surprised to see her make it three times.

The semi against Rybakina should be good.

The womens semis should be really good to watch, apart from Linette and Vekic, they've all got a shot at winning it.

[Machae]

This Rublev fellas pretty shit

[Red-Soldier]

This Rublev fellas pretty shit

The womens competition has been great, the mens has been shit, as per!

They should've just handed Djokovic the title as soon as he said he'd play.  Tsitsipas is the only other player who has a realistic shot at winning it now.

[Dougle]

This Rublev fellas pretty shit

Djokovic pretty decent performance again. He's got the aura still hasn't he.

[Ray K]

There's no player more in need of Lendl as a coach than Rublev. He looks scared out there half the time, and the other half he looks like he's about to burst into tears.
He's got the shots, but the top 6 inches of his body is just so, so bad.

[Wolverine]

This has been one shit Aus open the women's and the men's, to be honest, no epic 5 setters most of them have been poor quality even if they did go to 5 and the women's tournament has just been full of straight sets beat down.

[BarryCrocker]

The jokers father filmed outside with some pro-Russian supporters wearing 'Z' shirts.

‘Long live the Russians’: Djokovic’s dad filmed alongside fans with banned flags

Srdjan Djokovic, father of tennis champion Novak Djokovic, was filmed saying “long live the Russians” in Serbian alongside fans who were brandishing banned Russian flags at the Australian Open on Wednesday night.

In a video published on YouTube after his son, a nine-time Australian Open champion, defeated Russian Andrey Rublev to reach the semi-finals, Srdjan Djokovic is seen with fans who are brandishing the country’s flags and chanting messages of support for Vladimir Putin.

Russian flags and other items are items bearing the Russian or Belarusian insignias are banned items at Melbourne Park after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As the senior Djokovic walks off, another person can be heard in the video saying in Serbian: “long live Russia”. The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald have had the comments translated to English.

Russian fans attending the champion Serbian’s win straight sets win over Rublev were detained by police after allegedly threatening security.

A fan carrying a flag bearing Putin’s image was among four men interviewed by police and evicted following the incident outside Rod Laver Arena.

Russian or Belarusian flags, or clothing with the “Z” symbol, were specified by tournament authorities as banned items under a crackdown after they caused offence in the early days of the grand slam.

Supporters have flouted the policy previously but the incidents on Wednesday night are the most serious breaches yet.

Tennis has taken steps to limit recognition of the two nations following the invasion of Ukraine in February, with players from the two countries banned from some leading events.

Wimbledon issued a blanket ban of Russian and Belarusian players, while the nations are prevented from competing in team competitions including the Davis Cup and the recent United Cup in Australia.

Other global sports have gone further by banning Belarusian and Russian athletes from all competitions.

There could be further attention on Russian and Belarusian athletes in Melbourne this weekend, as two players from Belarus, Victoria Azarenka and Aryna Sabalenka, could play each other in the women’s final.

The Age and Sydney Morning Herald are seeking comment from Tennis Australia and representatives of Djokovic and his family in Melbourne.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/long-live-the-russians-djokovic-s-dad-filmed-alongside-fans-with-banned-flags-20230126-p5cfpn.html

[Red-Soldier]

The jokers father filmed outside with some pro-Russian supporters wearing 'Z' shirts.

Delightful family.

[Crosby Nick]

Seems very out of character.

[Nick110581]

Delightful family.

Remember that hostage video when he got deported?

[Circa1892]

Such a shame that absolute piece of shit will end up as the men’s player with the most slams. Awful person, horrific family and a deathly boring style of play.

[Gerry Attrick]

Not many long rallies in a Rybakina match.

[sinnermichael]

Can't wait for Rybakina to win this tournament. Love her over the top celebrations.

[Gerry Attrick]

Rybakina is without doubt the cleanest ball striker on the WTA Tour. Sabalenka will have to be on her A-game and maybe even find another gear on top. She’s a nightmare to do battle with. She’s got a huge serve that she uses to get short or chipped returns and then just tees off and bullies her opponents. Monstrous and easy power off both wings due to her wing span and free swinging. You can only hope you serve like John Isner and she has an off day on serve and you can get a consistent first strike in. If not it’s over.