ILE rolling non-slam Tennis thread

Also, somehow this is the first time Serena's played Niculescu, so regardless of the context it makes sense that she'd find it a challenge (but obv win)

I don't think I've ever seen Niculescu play. She's fascinating.

I stan for her so much

shes def unique

This is a good interview with Niculescu from this week

http://www.si.com/tennis/2015/03/13/monica-niculescu-forehand-slice

AND THAT PASS SHE JUST HIT

serenas reactions are like this is a grand slam final

If Niculescu is troubling one of the greatest of all time this much, you can imagine how beautiful the matches in which she carved up lesser-brained bashers like Lisicki were.

Niculescu does much much worse against the solid retriever types whom she can't goad into errors than against players who can technically overpower her.

I'd also love to know from a player's pov whether it's significantly different to playing eg a left-handed Vinci...

serena is trying to win this match and an oscar simultaneously

Niculescu eliciting an error off a moonball instead of a slice just to switch things up

Apparently Sam Smith said Sharapova should take lessons from Niculescu on how to play Serena. Incredible shade

It was funny seeing people try to snark on Twitter that Niculescu looks self-taught. She literally IS self-taught and she's made a goddamn top 100 pro career out of it.

So good to see Serena get such a rapturous reception after winning.

Niculescu is a bad-ass

Slices have always been a good tactic vs serena because she has trouble bending for low balls and has mediocre balance.

Her on court demeanor tonight was slightly more disgraceful than usual.

First time I've seen Jabeur play. She's v fun! Don't think Caro knew quite what to make of her. Particularly enjoyed the overhead drop shot she pulled out at one stage. Good match.

the magnitude of ppl watching the bouchard match vs watching coco's match is really crazy

like wtf go to court two and sit 2nd row vs being in the back of the fifth tier

Loved Jabeur's game too, real natural flair. That dropshot/smash was crazy. Level really dropped in the first set TB though.

First set of Harrison/Nishikori was soooooo bad.

dias hit 1 winner in losing 1st set to serena in :28

*diyas

Stan :-(

Sloane Stephens is so annoying to watch.

Watson/Radwanska was a weird match last night, Watson was serving bombs by the end. I had no idea she could do that. Aga looked like she was hitting much harder and being more aggressive, I guess the plan under Martina is one step back for two steps forward? Hope the risk pays off.

Safarova was a gigantic idiot in the last game vs Svitolina, first set of Dimitrov/Kyrgios was good!

Impressed by Bacsinszky taking out Makarova,12-match winning streak now.

verdasco gets 1st set off kei

murray/kohlschriber going 3d set

yasss @ Bencic beating Wozniacki after being double bagelled by her last time

yasss @ Garcia beat Ivanovic for the second time in two weeks

just rewatched some highlights, Keys really imploded in the last few games huh? Absolutely dreadful errors.

sloane!

Serena cruised in the end...just noticed her excellent shade in the interview before the match:

Q. You could get Sloane next. She's up in the first set. Can you talk about that, and also Kuznetsova if you get her?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes, I have had some tough matches with Sloane. She's had an interesting year, but I have noticed that she's been really playing well. She moves well and she tries to do her best for everything. That would be an interesting, good matchup for me.

Tsurenko over Bouchard! Pennetta over Sharapova! And Dimitrov following her out minutes later like a good boyfriend. Excellent.

Bacsinszky's post-match presser goes v deep on surviving teenage prodigyhood

http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=107443

Well, I have been a kid of like a syndrome of pushy parents. I think it happens worldwide. Yeah, sometimes, I mean, many, many stories, they never get heard because the players are not good enough and they don't want to talk about it if they are not good enough.
Anyway, it's happening a lot, especially in tennis, because ‑‑ especially in women's tennis, because for sure, as a woman, as a young girl, you can never go against the power of a dad. You have no money or nothing.

tomic/djoko is gonna be an interesting match style-wise, im bummed ill miss it

timea has mostly played p well here, but is maybe fatiguing a lil

Sock's backhand is tragic

Oh Flavia, how could you lose to Lisicki on a slow hard court. How could you?

I haven't seen any of her matches but how the hell has Lisicki posted her first ever notable hard court result on these slow-ass courts. Have literally thought she'd lose in every round so far. Vinci, Errani, Garcia, Pennetta, that's not a bad run either.

The prospect of an actual Jankovic revival through winning a relevant title is too horrifying to consider.

Maul her, Simona.

Fed looks ridiculously awesome v Berdych. Then I somehow failed to watch Raonic beat Nadal because, er, it was Raonic playing Nadal.

I haven't seen any of her matches but how the hell has Lisicki posted her first ever notable hard court result on these slow-ass courts. Have literally thought she'd lose in every round so far. Vinci, Errani, Garcia, Pennetta, that's not a bad run either.

lisicki is crazy talented, should be dangerous anywhere. Emphasis on should.

Serena w/d in another IW SF? That's...unfortunate and ironic. The crowd were good to her and she says she got closure and will be back next year, can't help but feel that it's a bit of an anticlimax without walking away with the trophy (or, lest we forget, an official apology).

As far as tweets after getting thumped go, this from Richel Hogenkamp is pretty funny: https://twitter.com/Richelhogenkamp/status/578898176419168256

really nothing much to say about that destruction of Murray by Nole, except lol @ Murray winning 46% of his second serves in the first set and merely 22% of his first serves

wtf is halep doing

winning?

kind of an epic of great rallies followed by untold unforced errors and a choking JJ. 18 breaks of serve and Halep at maybe 70% of her capabilities winning her biggest title.

JJ still fretting to her coach about blowing the 2nd set midway through the 3rd is all you need to know about her mentality really.

JJ single-handedly justifying on-court coaching in last night's changeovers. Amazing how she was completely immune to the most positive peppy motivational talks from her coach. She wasn't there for that, she just hauled him down to have a moan. Obv she was justified, she totally threw it away - Halep was very subpar and frequently outplayed but always the better competitor - the minute JJ failed to serve it out it was NID.

Was so tired I fell asleep during the men's final, briefly coming to for that absolute mess of a second set TB. Thought Federer was going to throw it away with terrible drive volleys but Nole repaid him with those b2b DFs.

Ugh, Bob Hewitt. Him & Frew McMillan were so much a part of my childhood Wimbledon viewing. I remember them outclassing McEnroe-Fleming for the title in '78 (Mac was 19 and hadn't developed *that* serving-round-the-corner-of-a-building action just yet).

impressed by 18yo Hyeon Chung's ATP debut - 60 46 64 over Granollers - and his game, he hit some fantastic BHs, though Granollers will make anyone look like a world beater

serve em twice, serve em twice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7AF5294ED4

I love this woman so much

oof what a ghastly ending to the first set from Delpo

had two BPs at 4-4, lost 8 straight points, the last two of which were a DF and a terrible shank

that Coric/Haider-Maurer final set felt like it would never end, NID that Coric wanted it more in the end though

these courts are slow as hell

Purple clay

Imo miami should just switch to clay and indian wells should be sped up. These two hardclay events add nothing to the season.