ILE rolling non-slam Tennis thread

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.

Cornet technically 3-0 over Serena in 2014. Wut.

Serena out of sorts, other top players flopping terribly... Wozniacki to finish 2015 at #1 without a Slam, you read it first here.

the next 12 months are going to be hilariously awful.

wow, timea has beaten sharapova in straight sets! so good to have her back.

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.

what an amazing comeback story for her this year

shut up toni nadal pt 94903422

http://www.si.com/tennis/2014/09/23/ap-ten-spain-leon-nadal

Petra up 3-0 over Hypechard in a couple of minuts :D :D :D. Come on Petra, finish this before you get too sweaty.

Bouchard really should just stand back, hope, and moonball. That's really all she could hurt Kvitova with.

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!

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.

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

lol @ the beijing crowd laughing about gulbis' forehand technique

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.

So.. how did Maria lose against Ivanovic earlier this year again?

Kozlov the youngest player to make a Challenger final since Tomic.

So.. how did Maria lose against Ivanovic earlier this year again?

I didn't see any of the matches in question but I really have no idea how Ivanovic beat Maria or Serena this year. Every time I've seen her she looks the same as ever

I have had a REALLY SHITTY DAY and nothing short of a straight-sets Petra win will make me feel like life is worth living.

This is the most frustrating rivalry in tennis. It is entirely about winning the big points and Petra cannot do it. EVEN THOUGH SHE DID IT IN THE WIMBLEDON FINAL.

At least Kei beat Raonic :)

Just not enough depth on the average rally ball and no penetration on serve when it counted.

this Fed/Mayer match...6-6 in the final set TB, Mayer's blown 4 MPs so far

Fed saves 5 MPs, takes his first with a lob winner. Mayer looked disconsolate even before the handshake

yea i watched the re-airing of that, felt badly for mayer he was nearly crying

Of course, after that Mayer match, Roger brings out Aggressorer v Djokovic. Very tidy.

Simon/Federer's first set was excellent quality!

Fed/Djokovic yesterday was such an enjoyable match. Amazing to think Fed's week began with that mess of a match.

So disappointed that Diyas and Bencic didn't win their first titles today :(

It's Lucie so I shouldn't be surprised but I am still astounded that down SP, faced with a nervous Begu serve that barely crawled over the net at about 10mph, Lucie shanked a return that is yet to land

anyway, YEC groups.

White Group

1. Serena Williams
4. Simona Halep
5. Eugenie Bouchard
7. Ana Ivanovic

Red Group

2. Maria Sharapova
3. Petra Kvitova
6. Agnieszka Radwanska
8. Caroline Wozniacki

goddamn, I was hoping for another Bouchard/Kvitova life-giving match-up.

With A-Rad in danger of leaving without winning a match again and no doubt another agonising loss for Petra to Ma$ha, this is not a good time to be alive for me :(

GOD DAMN I MISS LI NA ALREADY

http://www.wtafinals.com/di/library/WTA_Championships/3d/2d/wta-finals-elite-eight_kz8rjzijpq9r1g3qirt4xj8vt.jpg?t=594634289

WTA finals photo! Overall standard of outfit is slightly up, and Serena and Woz look the best. Radwanska and Halep must be here to play because they certainly didn't come well-dressed. Oh dear.

THE RUFFLES OH GOD MY EYES

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B0Oa9MXCMAAJj2Q.jpg:large

Oh god, this Williams/Ivanovic match is so, so, so dire.

Bouchard struggles so much when she tries to take the ball early and mistimes and just ends up looping it back at 10mph

I know this is the banged-up group so expectations should have been low, but, I'm just not going to bother with any of the other matches in this group if they're going to be like this.

Halep is playing better than I expected her to!

Bouchard is gonna get Petra-fied by Serena and maybe even VIP if she plays like that against them. Only Simona sloppiness prevented that from being a double breadstick

God, I don't cheer on Woz much, but.. KAM THE FUCK AN

Lol Wozniacki's wonky forehands saving a breakpoint, gaining one, and then taking it.

Sharapova just hit a slice BH winner and a pig just flew past my window

Then lol she decided that she had touch and tried to hit a drop shot. That was funny. Really, this set could have been 6-1 to either of them with a little difference.

Woz's forehand has just completely collapsed. She's doing a good job at getting the first strike in, but she cannot ever put the point away because of her lol-forehand.

Wozniacki is playing really badly and isn't even defending effectively, so Sharapova decided to giftwrap that game there anyway

Peak WTA tie-break. Of course, ending with a DF.

God I hope Petra is in some form, this group is hers.

Terrible set finally ends thanks to Sharapova's ninth DF.

Ma$ha is still beating Petra 6-4 in the third as usual.

And yeah, that set went from being OK to horrifying so gradually I barely noticed.