ROLAND GARROS 2015

wth razzano underhand serve on match pt

Aga :-(

lmao beck was on a six match losing streak before that win

was wondering why Sharapova's shriek sounded different, apparently she's sick

lol

HI EVERYONE

I had to leave just now due to a social engagement but I HAD A LOT FUN TODAY. The Kyrgios/Istomin match reached heights of hilarity that rival the biggest WTA mess, and you wouldn't have guessed it from the routine scoreline. Kyrgios still hasn't learned the meaning of "internal monologue" which makes him incredibly entertaining to watch in person. He's like Hewitt with occasional sportsmanship and constant showmanship, with the temper of Fognini.

AND TOMORROW I AM ON CHARTIER SO I GET TO SEE PETRA OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

haven't been watching venus/stephens bc i was too invested in that allertova/konta set. konta had soooooooooooooooo many set points in that TB, allertova takes it on like her 2nd or 3rd. 7-6 (19-17)

I think Kyle Edmund's shirt is outside the colour gamut of my TV.

Not really liking Robert's shorts either. This is quite the sartorial disaster. Entertaining match though.

i wonder if i can find a online stream

Really love Edmund's game, his FH is exactly the right balance between reliability and power.

Razzano is such a weirdo to be underhand serving (and DFing lmao) when leading. You were that nervous closing it out huh?

Konta/Allertova were both so undemonstrative that they even made a 19-17 TB a zen experience. Barely a fistpump or c'mon, watch and learn everyone else.

Didn't think Sloane/Venus was a great match even in the first set, Venus was embarrassing in the second set.

RIP Aga's career

Best shade I've seen re: Aga recently is that she's still the magician of the WTA - she made her own career disappear.

Navratilova is a red herring though. She's been declining ever since that AO SF vs Cibulkova.

Everything about Townsend's game is bad now, not just her fitness/movement.

Hope Ed is enjoying Petra hit errors!

Hamou's grunt is something else

lol @ Janowicz losing that set with a DF

What makes this even more worrying for Townsend is that Smitkova - who is very talented - is playing at about 20% herself. Very error-strewn and nervous. And still cruising.

what's on now that's decent? this Petra match is boring and terrible.

Hamou/Janowicz, maybe?

Oh Petra. That volley. That BH into the ground in front of her.

Diyas's ball toss technique doesn't seem logical

;_; @ Schmiedlova blowing 11 SPs in the second set to lose to an opponent she'd beaten three times this year ;_; though I like Van Uytvanck too, I guess.

Wussquet, like Garcia, apparently begged the organisers not to put him on Chatrier...though he got his way and won on Lenglen. It's a weird conflict about being a sports fan, their chokey mentality and dislike of the big stage is frustrating as a fan but I'd guess they're a lot more pleasant irl than the type A, uber-competitive players.

On the 10-year anniversary of her first THUNDEROUS run here, Sesil Karatantcheva is rumbling again, 6-3 4-0 up over a one-legged JaJa.

I will never understand why, with one match to choose from at any given time, both ITV and Eurosport have opted for the Djokovic R1 snooze.

Got a eurosport player 1 month subscription, definitely better than last time I used this thing. All filmed courts available in good quality.

how $$$?

Yeah I have the Eurosport thing for the first time, it's pretty good though is making my laptop a lot hotter than the illegal streams did

It's £5.99 per month in the UK, dunno about the US surm!

not bad

This Sesil choke...these serves suddenly going in at 20mph

lmao JJ finally ends it with a terrible overhead into the net

kiki doing god's work so far

The upset literally everyone saw coming

5 days after winning the longest ever RG qualy match, Andrea Arnaboldi becomes the first man to win from 2 sets to 0 down. 46 67 76 76 60 over Duckworth, what a scoreline.

Kiki is EXPOSING Bouchard, glad at least one French player loves the big stage

Damn, no bagel

Duckworth had a MP in the 3rd set too.

choking now :(

Got it done :)

Sock even hitting sick winners with his BH.

Hello! I am on the Thalys to Brussels, alas, no more tennis for me, so I thought I would sit here and say THINGS.

First thing I saw was Gajdosova/Hesse. This was dreadful. Gajdosova should have win this like 6-2 6-4 but seemed to really let the fact that the French crowd LITERALLY would not even applaud her winners get to her. She just got listless and her serve went to pieces. Hesse occasionally hit some good serves but once she was in the rally she was nothing special, and if Jarka got a good serve in she was toast. So it was a bunch of French people cheering for Hesse, and me and a turncoat cheering for Jarka. "Allez, Jarka!" this cute French boy kept yelling out. I joined him, but I failed to get his number or anything (he was with a girlfriend, I guess). More on this later. One particular member of the crowd tried to get a chant going early in the second set which went like this:

AMANDINE! (clap clap clap)
HESSE! (clap clap clap)

If you try this you will see that it is horrible and arythmic because the second half only has four beats to the first half's six. (In case your French is worse than mine, which it shouldn't be, "Hesse" is one syllable) People kept trying to join in but after "Hesse" had no idea what to do, and they didn't clap. A more competent crowd member then just went AMANDINE! (clap clap clap) and this worked considerably better. But then when Hesse started cruising they didn't bother any more, so it was back to AMANDINE CLAP CLAP CLAP HESSE CLAP CLAP CLAP. Anyway, I quickly cleared out after the match and then this purple shape moved near me and overtook me. It was Gajodosova! I got her attention and said "Better luck at Wimbledon, it's good to have you back on the tour" and she broke her disconsolate face just for a minute with a smile , thanked me and moved off. I knew better than to ask for a picture. TO be honest, this interaction <<<<<<<<<<<<<< nearly being knocked over by Juan Martin del Potro in Sydney. Jarmila is a nice girl. I feel for her. ANd it must suck to not even have the crowd applaud your winners, something that was not in evidence at any other match I saw.

I hadn't planned to make this Australia day but I decided I really wanted to see Kyrgios in case of antics. Since I'd also wanted to watch Kerber, but she'd won in like 4 seconds I decided to go and get a good spot for Kyrgios/Istomin. Which meant watching Stosur/Brengle. Stosur played well, she hit at least 5 BH winners in the first set and only shanked once. She got a little tighter in the second but never looked even remotely bothered and you wonder how Brengle beats anyone, then you in turn remember that one of her scalps was Shitra once, or something. Feh. She had a bad attitude today, yelling at the lines when one of Stosur's topspin-heavy balls bounced off them and away from her. So basically, a person who knows how to play on clay whomped someone who doesn't.

THEN KYRGIOS OH MY GOD, this was Peak ATP comedy. I can't even begin to put this in proper prose, so I'll just itemise the zaniness:

1. Kyrgios was wearing blue shorts with a pink shirt with blue stripes on it. It suited him, and nobody else I've seen wearing it this tournament. His hair was.. unspeakable. From the neck up he looked more like a backing dancer for an uptempo French Eurovision entry than a participant at the French Open.

2. His shorts appeared to be falling down at one point. He asked someone to bring him a belt. This did not come.

3. Istomin hit a ball on the line that was called out, Kyrgios hit a tweener off it and insisted that the point be replayed. Good boy.

4. But Istomin kept shitting Kyrgios off by not being ready for serves, being told at one point to serve again because opponent was not ready. Arguing with the umpire, Kyrgios said wtte of it's supposed to be at the server's place and "Look, I don't sit at the baseline and go 'Dennis, are you ready?'".

5. Kyrgios hit a reaction shot off an Istomin serve that was long and tried to challenge (maybe he was a bit tardy with the intention) and the umpire again denied. "If I was (playing?? Not sure if there was a word in here) Roger or Rafa, that point would be replayed" or similar, and then, "THIS SPORT IS A DISGRACE!!!".

There were lots of amazing screaming winners and for a straight-sets rout against an out of form player it was hugely entertaining.

THen I saw a bit of Pironkova before I had to leave but she won so yay.

TODAY I had tickets on CHartrier. I had to check out of my hotel and got the runaround at Gare du Nord owing to a Stupid Person giving me directions to the Eurostar instead of the checked baggage area closer to the metro station which is what I wanted. "I thought you must be going to London," ugh. Both times I"ve been to Paris I"ve had 99% overwhelmingly helpful Parisians helping me out and it's that 1% that gives me the irrits. So I ended up missing half a set of Kvitova/Erakovic, coming in just when Petra came back in the first set. Now, does anyone remember when Kvitova knew how to volley? I'm sure I do. Her first volleys were always tentative and back to Erakovic, and then she flubbed just about every putaway after the defensive shot came in response. SHe was sloppy off the ground but tidied up in the third set just in time for Erakovic to lose her self belief. A poor match but a win anyway.

THen I decided to hang around to watch Nadal liquefy a small child, Quentin Halys, a top junior. Who was not a small child, but anyway. Rafa was a bit slow and sloppy but won easily. Halys hits a lovely screaming flat ball and I thought his game looks better for fast courts. He did break Rafa once, so well done. He was wearing KYrgios's outfit and looked ridiculous, though I think he's far more handsome. I think one to watch, getting 10 games against Rafa on clay would be above average for like Federer, lol.

Feeling like Djokovic.Nieminen would be boring I opted for that minute to stop for lunch and buy a towel as a souvenir, gasping at the expense but going fuck it and doing it anyway. But then I went back in just as Errorvic showed up and nearly gifted Jark the second set. After the first break back, I heard a familiar voice from across the stadium. It was a French voice going "Allez, Jarkko!" and blow me down, it was the cute French boy who had been cheering on JarKA. Alas, Jarkko's serve was a bit off near the end of the second set and he barely won games after that, but he had chances in so many. Djokovic would want to play a lot better than that but you suspect he will.

THen Serena came out and dispatched Hlavackova very quickly though the latter hit some delirious shots, Serena just hit quite a few of her own and it was over in time for me to battle with the generally inept and slow moving French crowd back to Port d'Auteuil to get the 10 then the 6 to GDN just in time for the train to Brussels. I am sure last time I was here Parisians walked on the right, like they say they do in London, but this time it seems like they just walk like morons wherever the fuck they want, just like they actually do in London.

My seat on Chatrier were very high up and I got a nosebleed as soon as I sat down.

But I had an excellent time and I am sad I cannot Wimbledon as well during this trip.

I am sure last time I was here Parisians walked on the right, like they say they do in London, but this time it seems like they just walk like morons wherever the fuck they want, just like they actually do in London.

this is going to be the funniest sentence I will read today

Oh I forgot! Serena mistimed a response to a lob and got HIT BY THE BALL. Also I went strolling with my lunch and down to the outside courts and saw a bit of Mahut! You have to go watch Mahut. He was playing a team of Delbonis, who is normal height, and Diego Schwartzman, who is HILARIOUSLY TINY. It looked like a father playing with his 12-year-old son or something.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/26/sports/tennis/years-later-for-guillermo-vilas-hes-still-not-the-one.html?_r=1

Absolutely disgraceful and infuriating.

awesome report Ed!

I'm going to RG for the first time next week. Are the queues to get in long/hassle-y if you have a ticket? And what would be the best way to get from Charles de Gaulle airport to the grounds?

Queues were brutal yesterday. THe process is hilarious.

You show your ticket right at the entrance to the complex for them to divert you into a queue, then you queue up for a bag check which takes forever because it's a slow trudge (after a slow trudge from the metro to the complex), then you scan your ticket at the gate and walk through, then finally someone checks your ID to make sure you're the rightful owner of the ticket. It is preposterously inefficient. I would want to arrive before 10.30 in case there's a big queue for the court you want, you can always go into the museum or browse for tat in the shops. I bought a gigantic towel, misreading the price which pertained to a smaller variety and didn't realise it was about 70 euros. LOL. But I decided to get it anyway as a souvenir FOR MYSELF. I was going to get something for my mum but she was like "Oh, the French is my least favourite slam" WELL FINE HAVE IT YOUR WAY NO TOWEL FOR YOU!

THere is no queue to get in if you don't have a ticket. You simply can't and if you buy one off the street then you probably won't get admitted as you'll be unable to prove you're the owner. NOt that this applies to you of course.

OMG here is the awful Amandine Hesse chant and the man responsible for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYsnJhcl6_k

I wish someone had YouTubed the hot Gajdosova fan near me.

I wonder if this guy is there watching her likely fail to win a game against Stosur.

ugh, big queues - my flight only lands at 10.15. I have Chatrier tickets so I'll certainly be able to arrive in time for those matches, but doubting how much time I'll have to look at doubles/juniors beforehand. Oh well, will be there for two days anyway. Excited!

Omg is Halep going to lose again to Lucic in a slam? That would be hilarious and amazing and just all around awesome for Miki!

thiem-cuevas is getting epic. thiem just took the third set after almost 3h of play

http://espn.go.com/tennis/french15/story/_/id/12956202/french-open-jack-sock-john-isner-change-fortunes-americans

I am linking this article because of this amazing mangle of a quote, which I sincerely hope isn't a mangle at all but actually what dude said:

"Movement is another big part of my game. I feel like on the clay get to a lot of balls, I can touch a lot of balls in the balls, which sometimes can frustrate guys when you get to one extra. Sometimes that can change a match." - Jack Sock

thiem-cuevas is getting epic. thiem just took the third set after almost 3h of play

his defence at one point in this had me on my feet

It really is USO redux in Mirjana/Simona...

Gotta love the annual "US TENNIS ON THE RISE AGAIN!!!!11111" articles after RG R1

Joy.

Not the slightest trace of an asterisk with this one

of COURSE my stream froze on championship point. I was rooting for Nole but well done Stan. Great match.

Something Mauresmo-esque about this win. First Slam unexpected and comes, for many, with an asterisk re: an injured, more-accomplished player. Second Slam erases all doubts with a brilliant display in the final - and denies a dominant player the one Slam they're missing...

One daughter hacked off, one daughter delighted at victory of "Wear-pinka". Both want to go to the park with rackets. Let dad's heart rate come down a bit more, yeah?

Can't believe he won a Slam wearing those shorts

Nole tears ;_;

Ironic if this moment makes crowds finally love him, maybe the thing he's craved even more than Slam titles

Some heavy emotion here.

All this and Guga too (think his final vs Norman might be the most nerve-shredding RG men's title match I can recall before today... Gaudio-Coria perhaps, for different reasons).

Quick, we need Courier-translate.

Ah, we have a native speaker. Go Marion.

Aaah I'd forgotten Guga beat Norman in one of his finals

Never has a more terribly dressed player won.

Djokovic has lost 6 of his past 9 Slam finals :o

my kids also demanded to go to the park with rackets immediately

that was awesome

LOL @ ES commentators attempting to argue that someone else being able to hit through Djokovic will make Murray more confident about doing so

Roll of honour:

Men's singles: Stan Wawrinka
Women's singles: Serena Williams
Men's doubles: Ivan Dodig & Marcelo Melo
Women's doubles: Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova
Mixed doubles: Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Mike Bryan
Boys' singles: Tommy Paul
Girls' singles: Paula Badosa Gibert
Boys' doubles: Alvaro Lopez San Martin & Jaume Munar
Girls' doubles: Miriam Kolodziejova & Marketa Vondrousova

I saw a bit of the juniors while I was out there: Vondrousova was top girls' seed and was a very fitting warm-up for Safarova - tall, big-hitting lefty. Boys' finalist Taylor Harry Fritz managed to turn the crowd against him in his QF against a Chilean player - he was dominating, but after a couple of good winners he had this habit of turning to his opponent with this smarmy shit-eating grin on his face. Not edifying.

Ironic if this moment makes crowds finally love him, maybe the thing he's craved even more than Slam titles

― lex pretend, Sunday, June 7, 2015 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Not having a French Open will hurt far more. Bet Becker isn't as criticised as Mauresmo would've been had Murray lost today. Their partnership is in question as I think its reasonable to think Djoko would've won Wimbledon against Fed (D's final set rec is terrific as you pointed out from the stats) and Murray lost it by himself in the Aussie open.

This wasn't the fail as it was against Kei, but still...should be a fascinating Wimbledon.

Sorry I mean he would've won anyway - Becker or not.

New rankings:

1. Serena Williams (1)
2. Petra Kvitova (4)
3. Simona Halep (3)
4. Maria Sharapova (2)
5. Caroline Wozniacki (5)
6. Ana Ivanovic (7)
7. Lucie Safarova (13)
8. Ekaterina Makarova (9)
9. Carla Suarez Navarro (8)
10. Angelique Kerber (11)
11. Eugenie Bouchard (6)
12. Karolina Pliskova (12)
13. Agnieszka Radwanska (14)
14. Andrea Petkovic (10)
15. Timea Bacsinszky (24)
16. Venus Williams (15)
17. Elina Svitolina (21)
18. Madison Keys (16)
19. Sabine Lisicki (19)
20. Sara Errani (17)
21. Garbine Muguruza (20)
22. Barbora Strycova (23)
23. Flavia Pennetta (28)
24. Samantha Stosur (22)
25. Alize Cornet (29)
26. Victoria Azarenka (27)
27. Shuai Peng (26)
28. Svetlana Kuznetsova (18)
29. Irina-Camelia Begu (30)
30. Jelena Jankovic (25)
...
46. Alison Van Uytvanck (93)
56. Julia Goerges (72)
58. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (70)
68. Andreea Mitu (100)
75. Francesca Schiavone (92)

1. Novak Djokovic (1)
2. Roger Federer (2)
3. Andy Murray (3)
4. Stan Wawrinka (9)
5. Kei Nishikori (5)
6. Tomas Berdych (4)
7. David Ferrer (8)
8. Milos Raonic (6)
9. Marin Cilic (10)
10. Rafael Nadal (7)
11. Grigor Dimitrov (11)
12. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (15)
13. Gilles Simon (13)
14. Feliciano Lopez (12)
15. David Goffin (18)
16. Gael Monfils (14)
17. Kevin Anderson (17)
18. John Isner (16)
19. Richard Gasquet (21)
20. Tommy Robredo (19)
21. Roberto Bautista Agut (20)
22. Leonardo Mayer (22)
23. Pablo Cuevas (23)
24. Bernard Tomic (26)
25. Nick Kyrgios (30)
26. Fabio Fognini (27)
27. Ivo Karlovic (25)
28. Viktor Troicki (33)
29. Philipp Kohlschreiber (28)
30. Dominic Thiem (31)
...
31. Jack Sock (37)
41. Borna Coric (46)
58. Teymuraz Gabashvili (72)
69. Thanasi Kokkinakis (84)
87. Ernests Gulbis (29)

I'm still surprised Kevin Anderson is a top 20 player. He was 24 before he won a round in a Slam.