ILE rolling non-slam Tennis thread

I went to Wimbledon lots 1987-2003 but not since - lots of different experiences; queueing from 8am and not getting in until 5pm, queueing after work at 6pm and getting in immediately, going in the evening, seeing queues around the car park and giving up, scoring tickets for court #2, scoring resales for Centre, getting in and watching the entire day get washed out, etc, etc.

Never forget your first experience of pro tennis up close though - for me, it was Andres Gomez on an outside court. Just beautiful.

My first experience was also an outside court during Wimbledon 1987. Perhaps we were watching Gomez together, me the pubescent geek and you the older, cooler kid with the scary accent.

Never forget your first experience of pro tennis up close though - for me, it was Andres Gomez on an outside court. Just beautiful.

yeah - mine was Lindsay Davenport d. Maria Vento-Kabchi (or Maria Alejandra Vento as she was known then) in three sets on Court 2. Davenport was the #2 seed but I had an inkling Vento could stretch her, having reached the last 16 the year before.

Vento's career wasn't as consistent as I thought it would be - especially once she married, the Kabchi of her name was some rich lawyer iirc - but a few years ago in its twilight she had a weird resurgence and made the last 16 of the USO and made the top 30. She had a nice game! Flat, hard hitting like Tanasugarn - not the usual topspinny retrieving you expect of Latin American players.

Perhaps we were watching Gomez together, me the pubescent geek and you the older, cooler kid with the scary accent.

I was never cool, Mark. Especially not at 18.

Such amazing tennis from Sharppavaova right now. Down 0-2 against Peer, who has not really let off after that, she plays relentless tennis, but Masha found answers and we've had some pretty crazy duels. Now 5-2 after double ace. Consistency, give me consistency after this PLEASE.

(and it's 6-2)

no intention of watching this but Schiavone/Hantuchova was great fun earlier. Such a nice surprise to tune into a women's match with a huge crowd real atmosphere - commentators said it was the biggest WTA audience since the AO. The match was another hilarious Hantuchova special - serving at *5-5, 30-0...double fault, then just total collapse, including two of the most pathetic dropshots I've ever seen (seriously Dementievaesque). Very happy for Fran to pull it out in front of her home crowd! She is genuinely the WTA's shining beacon right now, I looooove her.

Absolutely night and day to see the wta audience in Rome vs Madrid, where no one gave a shit. Helps with Schiavone vs no Spaniards, of course.

How can you take Schiavone seriously when she grunts so much, lex??

despite the Schiavone audience, I don't think combined events is a very good idea on the WTA's part. Though when has the WTA ever had a good idea (I actually mean that, it's such a terribly-run organisation).

Schiavone's deeper grunt means it's not quite so piercing or annoying to hear.

federer/gasquet getting interesting

Well that was the best she's played since 2008. Azarenka next, oh god.

Azarenka next, oh god.

*mutes life*

0 DFs from sharapova omfg

*mutes life*

I will murder someone if I read another preview with that angle.

if you do it during the match it'll be the perfect disguise for the screams of your victim

Pffft.

Play more creatively, please, Roger.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

man there was that one point Gasquet played in that third set tiebreak that was just like WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW

glad to see Richard the mental case not freak out

who the fuck loses two tiebreaks to gasquet

if you do it during the match it'll be the perfect disguise for the screams of your victim

lololololololol

When I less informed more obnoxious, I used to think the French Open only counted if you won it twice owing to rub people who only won it once. In the spirit of that, coming good just before it and then winning it two years in a row would be so great for Schiavone, and for women's tennis in general. Doubly hope she ends up in Wozniacki's half and carves her up on clay like she would have on the plexi if she hadn't been clagged in January...

uhhh schiavone's been in horrible form all year. beating hantuchova 7-5 in the 3rd on red clay of all things isn't really a great indicator for the french.

Didn't say it was likely, saying it's what I hope against all rational evidence for :(

who the fuck loses two tiebreaks to gasquet

haha srsly

wonder if roger has mortality issues over turning 30 or something...

Did love this comment on a Yahoo news item though.

"When the third set gets going all you have to do against Hantuchova is stand upright and stick your racquet out."

lol otm - the minute it got to 5-5 I knew she'd lose.

uhhh schiavone's been in horrible form all year.

what makes RG so potentially nutsy is that so has everyone else. you could make a case for Azarenka and then you remember she's never been past the QF of any Slam and can't stay healthy. you could make a case for Woz and then remember that any B-rate basher on a good day can take her out.

w/r/t the abomination on my live stream right now, does anyone remember when Jelena Jankovic was actually a good player, and one who was so fantastic and dynamic to watch? because she is so fucking bad at the moment and doesn't seem to care.

the fh-to-fh rallies are complete nightmares. These players suck.

Couldn't make myself watch that match.. hopefully the big crowd at centre court will get a good match now, though.

I used to love Jankovic and always delude myself that of all the failed placeholder #1s, she's the most likely to come back strong (based mostly on her stellar record against the Williamses). but apart from a few times when her native solidity carried her through a draw falling apart, she's sucked for over two years now. I should really give up on her.

i'm glad the french open is going to be such a catastrophic mess this year (even moreso than usual). i have exams and no distractions! yay! last year when serena lost to stosur (ughhhhhhh even the thought of it still makes me shudder) i couldn't revise for days :/

Last year's FO final was pretty good, though.

Yeah the way Fran played the winning TB <3 <3 <3

One of the best women's Slam finals of recent times.

that's saying a lot!

fave women's slam final in the last 5 years is defo 2008 US <3

lol it's not saying very much at all! the last decade hasn't been kind to women's tennis finals.

RG '01, Capriati d. Clijsters
AO '02, Capriati d. Hingis
Wim '05, V.Williams d. Davenport
Wim '06, Mauresmo d. Henin
AO '10, S.Williams d. Henin
RG '10, Schiavone d. Stosur
AO '11, Clijsters d. Li

^^only ones in the past decade I'd stretch to calling "good" finals (never saw that Serena/Jelena one). Always makes me sad that Henin never won a great final, her great matches always seemed to come in the QF/SF and her finals were mostly one-sided.

2006 US Open was good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4koDiPnLZuo

haha I knew you'd come in with that, I never saw it though (I often end up missing USO finals). terrible final result obv ;)

lol it's not saying very much at all! the last decade hasn't been kind to women's tennis finals.

yknow i was being sarcastic right?

you missed a classic with the 2008 US! serena was down 3-5 0-40 in the 2nd set

and the AO 03 final was great

haha i should've got that. don't remind me of Jelena's three set points ;_;

In other news, Azarenka has now retired TEN times since the start of 2010. Third of the year already.

Azarenka:

FootFault_: RT @Ataraxis00: Oh whoa.. they showed the replay. She most certainly did call her a "f*cking b*tch." Drama!!

First set was pretty tight. It was after that we got Azarenka's quote.

lulz, accurate but like Azarenka can talk

Li Na take it all!! The only acceptable winner left.

Well they haven't exactly seemed like friends before, I recall "is her last name Jankovic?"

This match was pretty good before that (Azarenka got it stretching for a crazy forehand from Masha)-- so much better than their recent meetings. Felt like it could've gone to three high-energy sets.

Omg I missed Murray - Fayer 1-6 6-1 6-1

love azarenka just for giving us a bit of drama. a tour full of wannabe saints is so boring

don't remind me of Jelena's three set points ;_;

actually she had four. she doublefaulted on the fourth one :]

Very sad and tough day for me. Very hard to retire like this. Said some things to myself on the match that I'm not proud of. But it was just Being mad at myself. Will never refer anything to my opponent. I play with respect to every single player. I apologise if there was a Misunderstanding of that situation. Thank u for the support and so many spectators. The atmosphere was great

Which seems a bit odd, after winning the set. But you know

lol @ Azarenka, lol @ Twitter, lol @ the tennis journalists now whitewashing what is really a very minor drama by buying into that non-explanation

Nole is playing really very well, btw, but you knew that already. Soderling actually looked like he had him on the ropes at 3-3 in the third when he got a couple of break points and was slamming winners everywhere, but he juuuust missed the relevant points and Nole juuuuust got the lines and since then, one-way traffic.

first slam without a williams sister for 8 years :/

So it seems Sam Stosur will take this tournament and go into the French as a contender again.