Tennis Thread - Grand Slams & The Tour

Djokovic and Alcaraz giving no quarter in the final.
17 minute game for ND 5-4.

 

I thought the GOAT was gonna get well beat again by Alcaraz but not happened yet.

 

In the record books yes but doesn't tell the whole story. Monica Seles was better than her but sadly she got stabbed by a Graf fanatic which left the door open for Graf to win loads more than she would've done.

 

Get in Novak!

 

Boorish,ill judged in his actions and words on occasions but it's hard to deny Djokovic that win.
An immaculate performance deserving of the golden slam.

 

Why was Seles better?

 

Nobody can begrudge Novak his gold medal, and even as a big Rafa fan I will finally concede he is the greatest male player of my lifetime (not that my opinion matters). He certainly has the greatest willpower and mental strength of anybody I’ve watched. Well done to him today.

 

1991 to 1993 she was the best player in the world. From January 1991 through February 1993, Seles won 22 titles and reached 33 finals out of the 34 tournaments she played. She compiled a 159–12 win–loss record (92.9% winning percentage), including a 55–1 win–loss record (98%) in Grand Slam tournaments. She was beating Graf all over the world apart from Wimbledon, which she would have eventually won with a 'normal career' as she was still young.

 

Possibly but of course you can't prove it.
Great players work others out.
It's unfortunate that Seles was denied the opportunity due to a maniac but Graff had many weapons,serve, forehand,feet, mentality.

 

Unconfined joy for them.
So pleased,Errani was a rock at the net and Paolini deserves something for a brilliant summer.

 

Graf was beating everyone then Seles came along who then dominated until she was stabbed and then Graf dominated again with Seles no longer around. Seles was only 19. Her career would've been unreal barring injuries but it ended in a terrible manner. Graf had weapons sure, she had an uninterrupted career with the world's best player 'out of the way' for people to see them, but Seles had it at another level at the time.

 

We'll never know.
Just as we'll never know how many major tournaments Laver would have won had he not turned pro.
Nor Hoad who was so dominant for two years as a young man and destroyed Cooper before turning pro,as all were forced to pre '68.
I would argue that Seles would have 'eventually won Wimbledon '. That was said of Rosewall. He never did.

The grass was grass then not the manufactured rye that it is today. It was changed in the 90s as the AE were frightened that Sampras and Goran were making it a dull event.

They slowed the courts down and worked against Henman who, to his credit, has never spoken of it.

The grass before that were ideal for a big serve and lower bounce. Not the higher bounce and hit point that Seles preferred.

 

She was only 19 and had already managed to get to a Wimbledon final. She had a decade to work it out and win one or some. Even if there was a small chance that she hadn't, Graf wouldn't have won as many of the other major tournaments as the record books show as Seles was the best in the world at the time and beating Graf on a regular basis, which was the point I was making in the first place.

 

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps!

 

Yes, neither Alcaraz nor Novak will take part for obvious reasons, but Sinner, Zverev and Medvedev will, so it’s still a fairly decent field.

Draper and Norrie will be flying the flag for us. Although that expression might no longer be so apt as it’s not the Olympics!

 

Draper's flag at half mast, losing to JT.
Harriet Dart out to Splosher Schnaider.

 

Meanwhile we prepare for our Medley quarter final v Comptons aka Trumpton this Saturday.

As non playing captain I've booked two hours on the clay on Thursday.

One can't make it, Tennis David so Nipper,The other chap has arranged a fourth.

Three guesses..

Clue,former world number 5 and Roland Garros semi finalist!

 

Can you hum the chorus?!

 

Tsitsi with new coach will play Draper who appeared at death's door v Munar.

 

Good win for Marzipan over Dimitrov.

 

Putinseva beats Gauff, having beaten Boulter earlier in the week.

Tsitsipas having difficulty keeping his ball toss in Cincinnati at present.

Scratchy match.

 

Sad to see the decline of a player so clearly.

At 26 Tsitsipas is done.

Can't beat Djokovic.

Can't get near Alcaraz.

Musetti,Darderi,Shelton,Fritz,Ruud, Medvedev,Sinner he can but he can also lose to,Rune too.

Must have been a huge emotional upset to split with his dad who saved his life as a child.

As for Draper?

Exodus 20:5 seems apposite.

 

Tennis is one of those sports where the top players win very regularly, unlike, say, golf where the big prizes are shared around more evenly. So it must be very frustrating for the very good players to almost never be able to beat the top ones to win Grand Slams. It seems to me it’s then a question of psychology as to whether they are happy to make an extremely good living winning some minor tournaments or feel constantly thwarted in their ambitions. If it’s the latter, I understand why they might quickly decline or even give up.

 

That's no way to treat my racket Carlos!

Courts are so quick in Cinci.

Remind me of the old wooden indoors at Queen's.

 

Poor Felix!

Useless officiating.

 

Yep!

All very unsatisfactory.

There's lots to admire about Swiatek but I find it difficult to like her.

Andreeva played very well and had a point for tie break in the third but it wasn't to be.

 

Hubie H retires leaving an oddly balanced semi final line up.
Zverev v Sinner and Tiafoe v Rune.
Pegula and Badosa return to form, although PB has been improving in the last month.

 

Saba beats Swiatek.
Pegula up on Badosa.