ILE rolling non-slam Tennis thread

The entire match consisted of fast-paced forehands landing somewhere around the service line from Stosur, followed by Maria taking them nice and early, directing it to the backhand where it would eventually find its way into the net. Is there any other top 10 player for whom there is such an obvious game plan (bearing in mind that not everyone is capable of executing it due to physical reasons, i.e. height I guess)?

isn't the gameplan for Woz "don't hit it directly to her"?

yeah that's the reason Li does so badly against Stosur - she's powerful, but she doesn't have the height to take on the topspin. whereas it sits up right in Sharapova's hitting zone.

Sharapova heading inexorably towards year-end Slamless No 1, it looks like.

Well done on probably ending up year-end #1, Sharapova! If that happens, it's probably in the bottom half of outcomes as far as the level of embarrassment for the WTA, so that's something.

x-post!

I was hoping Kim would play so that dumb US Open win streak of hers would end. :[

I guess the gameplan for Sharapova (and Kvitova) is pretty simple too - make her run. But it's true that no one else in the top 10 has such a disparity between their strokes.

Nadal and Federer out in pathetic fashion.

djokovic lost a set!

wow this is an amazing match

somehow monfils learned how to volley before today's match

If Monfils could play like this all the time I'd actually be a fan.

yeah I find myself rooting for him for the first time here

nadal lost to FISH?

I agree. I'm all for this unexpected Nadal slump but christ he chooses FISH to capitulate against? Fuck you Nadal.

And fuck you too Fish.

guys losing to Dodig in 3 is way worse than Fish in 2.

yeah no kidding

I am worried about Peng! She w/d in Toronto, looked fine here but w/d again from a big, winnable QF. And she's still shown up in next week's Dallas draw :/

Rafa is definitely in a slump...he's just not played as well as usual this year, even when he's won tournaments (eg RG). Djokovic constantly attacking his BH with success seems to have made him lose confidence in that shot and he's not been as aggressive as he is at his best.

Ew ew ew @ the prospect of b2b MS finals for Fish.

Over in New Haven, there are two events going on - a competition to win a USO qualies WC, plus New Haven qualies. Respect to random lowly-ranked American Robin Anderson, who I'd never heard of before, who is playing both events simultaneously (and winning, so far!) - two matches a day I think.

Ewww Nadal even I didn't want you to lose to that.

The once not bad Vassilisa Bardina lost to something called Yasmin Schnack in the US Open National Playoffs :(

Oh god, Jankovic v Sharapova in the final. Someone gag me. Go Maria, I suppose.

lol... I don't know if I want to watch that match but at least this should provide us with entertaining pressers afterwards.

Not that I ever liked her particularly, but by now, I have to say Jankovic is my second least favourite player in the top 20 (behind Azarenka).

Oh wait, Ivanovic is still in there isn't she. Third, then.

She's still one of the top 20 players I most like, though she's become increasingly hard to support (not through active antipathy, more because...can one really be bothered to care about her results) and it's a long time since I would have called myself a fan of hers. I have no illusion that this will be any sort of ~revival~, just another of the random deep runs that'll keep her afloat in the rankings amidst the disinterested shit that comprises the remaining 75% of her tournaments. Have you noticed that those tend to come along whenever there's a threat that Ivanovic might overtake her in the rankings?

Boooooo Maria. I didn't expect Bepa to win a set though!

LOL @ Berdman, btw. Checked scoreboard and he was up 5-3 in the first. Then what seemed like 15 seconds, he'd lost it 5-7 and had retired.

Maria SHARAPOVA (RUS) Versus Jelena JANKOVIC (SRB)
Year Tournament Round Surface Winner Score
2004 U.S. Open 64 Hard (O) M.SHARAPOVA 6-0 6-7(5) 6-1
2004 Beijing QF Hard (O) M.SHARAPOVA 5-2 RET
2005 Birmingham FR Grass (O) M.SHARAPOVA 6-2 4-6 6-1
2007 Birmingham FR Grass (O) J.JANKOVIC 6-4 3-6 5-7
2008 Australian Open SF Hard (O) M.SHARAPOVA 6-3 6-1
2008 Rome SF Clay (O) J.JANKOVIC W/O
2009 Tokyo FR Hard (O) M.SHARAPOVA 5-2 RET
Maria SHARAPOVA (RUS) Leads Jelena JANKOVIC (SRB) : 5 to 1 *

So without retirements, Maria only leads 3-1, and they haven't played properly since Jan '08. A lot has changed since then! Mostly, Jankovic has gotten worse.

The minute Ivanovic drops out of the top 20, I will be breaking out the bunting and champagne.

I predict the WTA does everything possible to avoid that by wildcarding her into that Bali end-of-year championship-of-suck with its disgraceful amount of points, which she'll end up winning again over the likes of Medina Garrigues.

Someone's got to get their gif capturing tool ready in case Jankovic takes a medical time out.

wasn't ivanovic out of the top 60 last august?

Yeah she was. Those were happy days.

So the USO top 8 seeds will be Wozniacki, Zvonareva, Sharapova, Azarenka, Kvitova, Li, Schiavone and Bartoli.

Serena will be 28th seed...and will get one of them in the 3rd round! PLEASE let it be Woz! Or one of the shriekers. If Li gets another nightmare draw I will rampage.

they've announced seeds already?

would love for Serena to knock out Maria on round 3

I bet it'll be Bepa.

I assume they'll go by the rankings like every non-Wimbledon Slam does 99% of the time

Murray breaks then holds to open the final. Error error error from Nole.

Everyone has to support Murray in gratitude for knocking out Fish.

Four games in. Zero combined winners so far. Women'sMen's tennis!

Fucking live streams, good god when will technology just be UNPROBLEMATIC TO USE

what a fantastic point!

i don't mind jim courier but he is talking A LOT

Serena will be 28th seed...and will get one of them in the 3rd round! PLEASE let it be Woz!

assuming woz gets into the 3rd round

Whoa, EPIC point there

fucking drop shot come on andy

assuming woz gets into the 3rd round

indeed! this is why I hope for one of the shriekers instead. Now Silliams will be seeded, my dream of a Serena/Woz 1R has died ;_;

where are you(s) streaming from? my usual go-tos have been shit these past few weeks.

i'm trying out the ones on http://www.lshunter.tv/tennis-live-streaming-video.html but they keep fucking freezing, might stop trying

got a decent sopcast one there, thanks.

instant break from murray in the second set, djokovic looking like he can't be bothered.

I can't open the sopcast ones for some reason and the others are all shit :(

Betfair streams all the masters events live.