ILE rolling non-slam Tennis thread

Well they almost always do play better against her. Like, where are these returns when she's facing Misaki Doi in the 2nd round of Wimbledon qualifying?

Is it some sort of rule that every time an underdog gets to a crucial point in the decider against Serena or Sharapova or some other insufferable top player, they serve a double fault?

Well they almost always do play better against her.

Um, no they don't? Look at all the underdogs who play terribly against her and all the times Zheng plays amazingly against other players?

I really hope I never see a Serena fan ever complain about an opponent celebrating off her DFs and errors, because she might be the worst on tour for it

"All the times Zheng plays amazingly against other players"

Um, not often? IDK

Haven't noticed many underdogs playing terribly against her. Since her comeback (too lazy to look further back) there's been Rezai, Halep, Kirilenko and Zheng playing way above themselves with only Bondarenko and Lisicki playing terribly.

LMAO @ how animated Serena is. Playing with so much passion even in non-GS events nowadays

Great match. Why does Serena always cut in front of her opponents to shake hands with the umpire first? Some sort of superstition I guess but it's kinda disrespectful.

Zheng's only made two Slam SFs, won three titles, won doubles Slams, reached the top 15. That's a lot of scope to play amazingly.

Haven't noticed many underdogs playing terribly against her

Are you actually serious lol. Most mentally weak WTA players shit themselves against any top player, not just Serena, and the match is won before they even start playing.

Who are these underdogs who play so shit against her then (as in, even more shit than they usually play)? It was just a throwaway whiny comment in my bitchy state of my favourite being on the brink of defeat but seems to me there's a hint of truth in it. Zheng has shown next to nothing since since AO 2010 iirc where she lost against Henin (1 & 0 or something), including her match against Clijsters the other day, but got pumped for it today and played out of this world. Rezai did the same at Wimbledon I believe (only saw highlights).

Rezai, Halep, Kirilenko and Zheng playing way above themselves with only Bondarenko and Lisicki playing terribly.

Rezai and Zheng didn't play above themselves, that's nonsense. Zheng is a great player when in form and healthy. Rezai is capable of running hot and cold against anyone, Serena didn't get a higher Rezai.

(I should clarify that though I didn't get to see this match, Zheng in the form I've seen her play sometimes would easily be able to take a set off non-peak Serena.)

Well, Zheng played WAY above herself for what she has produced in the last year and a half.

I hope for Zheng that this kickstarts her return to top 30 because I enjoy her personality-driven tennis.

Zheng's been on the comeback trail from injury herself. And if you look at the h2h, she ALWAYS plays tough against Serena. It's a great match-up, Zheng able to use use a lot of Serena's power against her and create some great angles, while also being quicker than most with both her feet and her hands to pull these shots off. So really she's an exceptional counterpuncher, and needs a strong opponent to play well. Seemingly why she has a lot of top 5 wins, but struggles against worse players. I think Serena realizes this too; she always has these kinds of matches against players she respects (Li, Kuznetsova, Azarenka).

Anyway, "disinterested" 08 Serena loses this match probably, but since her health scare she looks like she's on a mission. Great to see.

Serena wasn't disinterested in 08, that was more 09/10.

08 she won Bangalore/Miami/Charleston in a row.

I'm sure Zheng got some nice pace from Kvitova/Pavlyuchenkova/Shvedova all of whom she played recently but she lost all of those easily.

Azarenka's going to win this now, isn't she? Just, ugh.

Yeah Billy otm about Zheng's game really. Also, one of her biggest strengths is her ability to return and redirect fast serves - which obviously matches up well vs Serena, but is a kind of irrelevant weapon against most of the other women's wimpy serves (Zheng doesn't create her own pace as well). Am guessing this is why Azarenka gives Serena fits too.

Also Zheng's been on the comeback trail this year, it's been slim pickings but just making it through qualies and winning a round here was already a sign that her form is returning.

Look, Tsonga beat Federer again in Montréal. 6-1 in the third. I am not remotely surprised.

"she just won an epic point there - she was at net, couldn't put it away, Serena smashed an easy BH straight at her, you know how that normally ends"

This is silly. Serena did not smash that BH at her at all.

it was a mid-court slow ball that sat right up. i didn't mean "smash at her" as in, at her body or head, but just smash back...generally. i was drunk lol. it was incredibly impressive that Zheng even got her racquet on it.

anyway I have just shed a small tear at having missed the surely epic BH-to-BH exchanges in the Stosur/Vinci clash that's just ended. Mid-court slices due to an inability to drive the ball vs shanks and hacks that land two courts over.

I was kind of hoping I would never hear from Stosur again.

The first set was a bit like that, Vinci wasn't getting many serves in but was still winning all the points, then she failed to break Stosur at 0-40 (Stosur served a lol double at 0-30), then at 4-5 Stosur won the set and then promptly started cruising, no backhands really, just whomping big serves and forehand winners.

I still hope A-RAD beats her.

A-Rad to win the US Open Series that everyone cares about!

Fucking Fish bullshitting another Masters run.

Fucking Fish bullshitting another Masters run.

― lex pretend, Saturday, 13 August 2011 09:11 (27 minutes ago)

was it BS when he made the quarters at wimbledon? I guess it was BS in Miami when he beat Gasquet, Delpo and Ferrer in a row? You really need to quit harping on this; the dude is top 10 for a reason.

yeah I really didn't think he had this kind of consistency in him, but he's been good for basically 12 months now.

yr girl A-Rad just lost to Stosbot, lex

I thought we were done with Stosur being good

man this lisicki-peer match is hilarious

peer was up 5-0 in the second set, now it's 5-5

SERENA <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<3

Yes I am late but whatevz

Knew she would beat the nothingness that is Azarenka but a really solid display in the final. And her serving was finally properly on point again! Stosur was #2 on my hitlist after that Roland Garros last year... *wipes tear from eye* 2r rematch in Cincinatti lol

Did anyone see Fed/Del Pony? I wanted to watch that but had to sleep and work and other things less good than tennis :(

fed served very well and that was basically all she wrote. Delpo still hasn't regained his form fully; he doesn't dictate rallies consistently.

^^yeah pretty much. I didn't think Pony played too badly at all actually but there was no winning that when Fed's service games never lasted beyond two or three minutes each throughout the whole match.

I was kinda surprised Fed won that (didn't see it either). Guess Pony has some way to go still.

Kim Kardashian's wedding is on Saturday. Does Serena stop trying before then? I hope she realises she still has time to beat Stosur. Then, lose to Li.

While the No.12-seeded Pavlyuchenkova was ousted, No.13 seed Jelena Jankovic had few problems - on the court at least. The champion here in 2009, Jankovic cruised past Iveta Benesova, 60 63, then told the media about her troubles from earlier in the day.

"Me, my coach, my mom and my sparring partner were on our way to the site, and all of a suddent she was supposed to turn on the highway and the car completely stopped. My mom was like, 'Oh this car is not working.' We were like, 'What do you mean it's not working?' Then we looked and there was zero gas. I was like, 'Oh my God, I have 20 minutes until my practice session!'

"Luckily the gas station was two minutes' walk. So me and my coach ran out to the gas station and bought that thing, that gallon you fill the car up with. We didn't really know how to open this nozzle thing because it never happened to us, but then he figured it out and it was okay. Then we got going.

"There were some players passing through and looking at us in the middle of the road, like, 'What is she doing up there?'

"A lot of people found out about this because they saw me in the middle of the road. I'm like, 'How do you know I got left without gas?' Why didn't you stop to drive me back!'"

LOL @ all the players seeing JaJa stranded at the side of the road and just driving on.

Ooh, apparently Roddick's 1R loss this week - complete with the now-customary tantrum that makes him look like even more of a pathetic baby - drops him out of the top 20, a decade to the week after he first entered it :D

he must hate Mardy Fish so much right now

Wozniacki losing to McHale now

LOL/hurrah

Lost. Seriously the only thing that gets me excited about tennis these days is seeing Woz fall.

Kim Kardashian's wedding is on Saturday. Does Serena stop trying before then?

w/d, lol

"right" "toe" "injury"

wonder what kind of heels she'll be wearing at Kim K's wedding

Woz meltdown is eternally hilarious

only just saw the results and am here to belatedly LOL. And idly wonder what John Isner thinks of Rory McIlroy.

Pretty smart of Serena to withdraw, she needs to be fresh for the US Open. Six straight days of tennis, then a flight, then another day of tennis is just too much physically. I've done intense athletic activity for the past six days and totally need a day off tomorrow, but then again I'm not in Serena's shape.

Wtf kind of game does McHale even have to hurt Wozniacki?! She doesn't hit that big or is that crafty or w/e. What a terrible #1, hoping this is the beginning of her downfall (but then again, who's going to capitalize? Bepa? Yeesh)

I think Kvitova and Li are both way ahead of Bepa in the race (though Kvitova appears to be in a post-Wimbledon slump and Li keeps drawing FUCKING STOSUR so I can't tell whether she's playing badly or not cuz it's just a horrible match-up for her, she cannot deal with Stosur's heavy topspin at all)

Most pissed off at how Serena's w/d benefits Stosur. She had time! For one more win! Then fuck off or tank or whatever! Ugh.

Azarenka w/d too, what the hell is wrong with her now.

Bogomolov d. Tsonga. I do not comprehend this result.

Kvitova, Li and Sharapova are 1000 ahead of Bepa. And in contention this week still (tho yes, Li will probably lose to Stosur again, Kvitova will probably repeat her loss and Sharapova will win the tournament.. gosh)

Bogomolov d. Tsonga. I do not comprehend this result.

Bogo had a big ESPN.com puff piece earlier this week, maybe things are coming together for him like they came together for Fish?

RIP Verdasco's hotness.

his tennis is looking pretty good though - this match with Nadal has been quite the slugfest. Still, watch him unravel if he blows this first set.

Nando's beard. What is that thing!

whoa this match is still on?

predicting a DF here on MP

niiice

how has the quality of play been in the third set, lex?