I intend to put a largeish wager on Djokovic because he's not particularly interested in The Narrative.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 18 August 2014 22:03 (nine years ago) link
hard to see Nole being the wreck he's been over the last few weeks, maybe could be vulnerable before the SFs but i don't trust the rest of the field to take advantage. now would be a great time for Murray to stop being shit
― cerealbar, Monday, 18 August 2014 22:51 (nine years ago) link
When is Jelena Ristic due to give birth, anyway? Or has it happened and I didn't notice?
If Djokovic/Murray regain enough form to reach the SF/F, I wouldn't count them out against Federer.
― lex pretend, Monday, August 18, 2014 1:28 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Jelena is between 7-8 months and is at home in Monte Carlo which explains some of Djoker's distraction level I'd imagine.
― Matt Armstrong, Tuesday, 19 August 2014 02:40 (nine years ago) link
Nole is slightly better than even money and Federer is 3.5-1 to win the open which seems about right.
The guy I truly don't see winning is Murray.
― Matt Armstrong, Tuesday, 19 August 2014 02:42 (nine years ago) link
cibu not heading into the open too well
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 19 August 2014 03:19 (nine years ago) link
Cibulkova went 24-7 from January to April, then she lost that insane match in the KL final to Vekic and since then has gone 5-9.
Yeah, if Ristic hasn't given birth yet then I don't expect Djokovic to snap out of it at the USO.
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 19 August 2014 06:36 (nine years ago) link
wow some really terrible line calls in murguruza/peng
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 20 August 2014 20:36 (nine years ago) link
man giorgi is so frustrating
― johnny crunch, Friday, 22 August 2014 17:39 (nine years ago) link
Venus/Lucic is such a special final. Mirjana's first final since Bol 1998. Insane to think they were teen prodigies together.
― lex pretend, Sunday, 14 September 2014 16:45 (nine years ago) link
And a very special outcome. Mirjana!!!
― lex pretend, Sunday, 14 September 2014 18:23 (nine years ago) link
yesterday's final really got me thinking about how Venus/Mirjana finals should've been one of that generation's finest rivalries. And how their respective families and teams really shaped their talents into such divergent careers. If Mirjana's dad had been the Richard Williams type...
Bencic was absolutely stellar in thrashing Sweta today. She can put that BH exactly where she wants to with such consistency, and she can conjure up angles wt full stretch. FH is much improved, as is the second serve.
― lex pretend, Monday, 15 September 2014 09:38 (nine years ago) link
Also, this tennis handshake happened. BZS, never change
http://i.imgur.com/0avw8v7.gif
― lex pretend, Monday, 15 September 2014 16:11 (nine years ago) link
impressive serving from vaidisova in her first comeback match
― groovemaaan, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 19:06 (nine years ago) link
Rumours are swirling that Li is going to retire. NOOOOOOOO!
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Thursday, 18 September 2014 08:07 (nine years ago) link
sad but 100% expected tbh
― lex pretend, Thursday, 18 September 2014 08:16 (nine years ago) link
it was in the offing as soon as that chinese academy took carlos back really
― lex pretend, Thursday, 18 September 2014 08:17 (nine years ago) link
Vaidisova's temper hasn't changed!
― lex pretend, Thursday, 18 September 2014 18:04 (nine years ago) link
Na's retirement confirmed
― uxorious gazumping (monotony), Friday, 19 September 2014 03:31 (nine years ago) link
Not surprising but still :(
― Roz, Friday, 19 September 2014 04:40 (nine years ago) link
Ashleigh Barty's also retired (or "taken an indefinite hiatus") at just 18. That does come out of the blue, though it's not as if she ever showed a great deal of drive about her career anyway. All those WCs wasted, lol. She was on the way to a great doubles career though. I expect she'll be back in a few years.
― lex pretend, Friday, 19 September 2014 06:14 (nine years ago) link
Oh god, I just realised that Li's last ever point was THAT DF down MP after the overrule. What a very...Li Na way to end a career. Also very Li Na: ending her career on the first day of the tournament created for her.
I saw her last ever match in person!
― lex pretend, Friday, 19 September 2014 06:29 (nine years ago) link
Suarez Navarro is so good for the game, hope she keeps up her form
― Matt Armstrong, Friday, 19 September 2014 07:22 (nine years ago) link
bye Li Na. really glad she stayed on to win that 2nd slam instead of retiring last summer or whenever it was rumoured before
― cerealbar, Friday, 19 September 2014 15:37 (nine years ago) link
Niculescu wins Guangzhou: the most dominant title run of the year! No more than 4 games lost in each match <3333
― lex pretend, Saturday, 20 September 2014 07:18 (nine years ago) link
Dimitrov's Spotify playlist!
https://twitter.com/SholzTalks10s/status/513222381549387776
― lex pretend, Saturday, 20 September 2014 17:37 (nine years ago) link
<3
― Roz, Saturday, 20 September 2014 20:38 (nine years ago) link
On board with this "Goffin is the male Halep" narrative. Gamewise and career trajectory-wise, it all fits. Initial minor hype after promising result as a youngster; two-year stall during which they didn't even look impressive; sudden massive breakthrough and multiple tournament wins out of nowhere, both playing every shot and rally with so much confidence and purpose. Anyway, Metz title (beating Tsonga en route), 34 wins in his past 36 matches, he's coming.
― lex pretend, Sunday, 21 September 2014 14:33 (nine years ago) link
Just noticed Goffin won Metz and that should put his ranking up to 32. He still looks adorably boyish and I think maybe he's too modest in scale to really get much higher than this but this is kinda heartwarming.
x-post!
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Sunday, 21 September 2014 14:43 (nine years ago) link
I had that window open a long time, what can I say. Other than "Goffin is still cute lololol."
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Sunday, 21 September 2014 14:44 (nine years ago) link
Garcia is so damn talented. And for all that she's a known choker, she's just won third set TBs on consecutive days against Venus and Aga. GET MORE CONSISTENT THO, these wins looked wonderful but I also see your string of losses preceding this...to Barthel, Gibbs, BZS, Begu, Babos...
― lex pretend, Monday, 22 September 2014 09:55 (nine years ago) link
Ivanovic retired down 5-7 5-6 lol
also I just noticed that Gajdosova has won 12 matches in the last 2,5 weeks
― groovemaaan, Monday, 22 September 2014 11:33 (nine years ago) link
I saw Goffin win all of five games vs Monaco at the Olympics two years ago and he looked out of his depth with nothing remarkable about his game. Late bloomer.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 22 September 2014 11:50 (nine years ago) link
lmao a Serena/Cornet re-rematch in R2 of Wuhan. You'd think that it'd be Serena Vengeance Time but then you'd have thought that at Wimbledon.
― lex pretend, Monday, 22 September 2014 13:30 (nine years ago) link
Really excited about a potential Gajdosova renaissance. I mean, sure, she's a brainless ball basher, but damn it, I like her and she's dealt with a lot of shit and playing her way back in smaller tournaments and getting lots of wins warms my heart.
Sweta is a set up over Sharapova. COME ON.
Gotta say I think Radwanska may be in for a lean 2015.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 22 September 2014 13:40 (nine years ago) link
Cornet technically 3-0 over Serena in 2014. Wut.
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 23 September 2014 10:53 (nine years ago) link
Serena out of sorts, other top players flopping terribly... Wozniacki to finish 2015 at #1 without a Slam, you read it first here.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Tuesday, 23 September 2014 12:56 (nine years ago) link
the next 12 months are going to be hilariously awful.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Tuesday, 23 September 2014 12:57 (nine years ago) link
wow, timea has beaten sharapova in straight sets! so good to have her back.
― groovemaaan, Wednesday, 24 September 2014 08:35 (nine years ago) link
She was working in a hotel this time last year apparently! Hadn't seen her for so long. Still the same - wonderful BH, iffy FH that accidentally gives people fits with its junk, sort of like Pironkova. She played excellently.
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 24 September 2014 08:58 (nine years ago) link
what an amazing comeback story for her this year
― Matt Armstrong, Wednesday, 24 September 2014 09:00 (nine years ago) link
shut up toni nadal pt 94903422
http://www.si.com/tennis/2014/09/23/ap-ten-spain-leon-nadal
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 24 September 2014 15:17 (nine years ago) link
Petra up 3-0 over Hypechard in a couple of minuts :D :D :D. Come on Petra, finish this before you get too sweaty.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 27 September 2014 07:21 (nine years ago) link
Bouchard really should just stand back, hope, and moonball. That's really all she could hurt Kvitova with.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 27 September 2014 08:06 (nine years ago) link
Only danger Petra faces vs Bouchard is getting bored bc it's so easy. Was pretty funny when the commentators commended Bouchard for finally getting more than three games in a set vs Petra. Little milestones!
― lex pretend, Saturday, 27 September 2014 08:37 (nine years ago) link
the Murray final was hilarious today. So bad and then 2-6 down in the TB he suddenly decided to be aggressive. Finally wins a title in 2014!
Benneteau meanwhile falls to 0-10 in career finals, though I'm happier to see Kei rebound from the USO final.
― lex pretend, Sunday, 28 September 2014 13:58 (nine years ago) link
Errani's first serve percentage in the third set vs Nara today was 91%. She won 9% of those first serve points. Stats very much in character
― lex pretend, Sunday, 28 September 2014 14:50 (nine years ago) link
lol @ the beijing crowd laughing about gulbis' forehand technique
― groovemaaan, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 14:03 (nine years ago) link
Good win for Murray over Cilic today. Was disappointed to belatedly discover that Cilic did this though: http://www.croatiansports.com/?p=20322
Marko Perkovic seems to be an ultra-nationalist verging on fascist, and in 2007 there were reports of Croatian crowds doing neo-nazi salutes at his concerts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marko_Perkovi%C4%87
His band's music was apparently played at changeovers during Davis Cup vs SRB, too. Cilic has since apologised and said it was beyond his control but c'mon dude, you got up on stage and sang his songs.
― lex pretend, Friday, 3 October 2014 08:39 (nine years ago) link
So.. how did Maria lose against Ivanovic earlier this year again?
― abcfsk, Saturday, 4 October 2014 11:22 (nine years ago) link
Kozlov the youngest player to make a Challenger final since Tomic.
― Matt Armstrong, Saturday, 4 October 2014 20:42 (nine years ago) link