ILE rolling non-slam Tennis thread

Five years time, we see her again as the coach of Kristina Mladenovic as she lifts the dish?

should've retired in the wimbledon trophy ceremony speech though! i'm dissappointed in you, marion! for real though just lol and omg and a whole lot of <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Whoa.

First, I am surprised because Marion has always put a lot of stock into symbolic experiences, so I'd have thought she'd want to coast along and get Slam champ treatment for a year, then open Centre Court play on the first Tuesday of Wimbledon 2014. Even Ivanisevic did this (except still didn't get to do it). I wouldn't be entirely unsurprised if she unretired just to do this.

Outside of that I can understand it. I believe her when she says her body is banged up. And she's not at the zenith of her form - were it not for Wimbledon the "time to retire" mutters would have definitely started this year. Her giant-killing exploits in the past are a handy argument against her win being a fluke but overall, she was in decline. She won Wimbledon less because she was ascending to a new level as a player and more because the draw fell apart and she turned back the clock at the right time.

We talk about "going out on a high" so much, but so few tennis players actually do it. (This has similarities to Graf 1999, peaking in the summer despite the general downward slope of her career, getting to the US hard courts and retiring first from a match and then completely.) So if that's something Cake wanted (presumably eg Fran and Venus don't give a shit), good on her for realising it was time.

i'll really really miss her

Shocked to hear this news and kinda sad tbh! i know she didn't beat anyone too spectacular at wimby but she played so flawlessly, it seems such a dramatic move to suddenly give up forever.

i s'pose there is hope that she can pull a date-krumm / hingis and maybe come back after a few years of respite.

Well her match against Stephens was a long way from flawless, but she was ridiculously good against Flipkens, she'd have beaten nearly anyone on that form.

well yeah, even during Wimbledon she didn't play at her best until the last two rounds - which is to her credit, at that point the title was anyone's and it was Marion who found her highest gear. I've always loved how she could do that.

I'll definitely miss her but it's been 12 years since I first saw her play at a poxy Cardiff 25K challenger and it's been a really good innings. I don't think I ever envisaged her as a play-into-your-30s type, particularly as she's had a very long career without any mid-career breaks.

Sad news to wake up to. I will miss her on the tour.

RT @dougrobson Bartoli in conf call says she first thought about retiring…last night. #wta #cincytennis

She didn't exactly ponder it for very long...

lol wtg Sloane

omg cake ilu

Marion bartoli ‏@bartoli_marion 4m
My last half squat !!!! pic.twitter.com/cCZB1oMz2I

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BRzOZt9CYAAca9-.jpg

That is fantastic.

those heels... *applause*

omg lol

http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/9574234/maria-sharapova-fires-jimmy-connors-one-match

fed/nadal p fun so far

rog

wonderful to see Fed play well again, win or lose

really glad i stayed up for this whatever happens

this is incredible

where were these guys at wimbledon

this is great tennis

we're gonna be watching fed and nadal in 2040 aren't we

ballsy smash to the short court on set point

anyone got a link? firstrowsports seems to have kicked the bucket :(

cant give rafa that 4hand

haha ESPN2 going commercial free, real valuable time slot

Fed's level may have slipped perilously here

yeah he's about to get blown out, nothing on his BHs

he really should have stuck with the bigger racket, oh well

lol that swinging volley

ugh really unlucky way to get broken

Rafa's returning has been really wacky

whos a better problem-solver discussion - ok i miss commercials

oh man what a point

Patrick McEnroe praising Rafa's problem solving vs. fed, whom he plays exactly the same strategy against at all times

Fed's movement looks better than its been since the WTF

wtf was that woman doing

feds making it tough on raf

whoa that was out?!?!

drank some red wine to handle this disappointment. keep fighting, Rog. Also ate some cake.

damn time zones. I got to watch Murray be very underwhelming.

In light of Fed's lucky escape vs Haas I'm shocked he took a set off Rafa; still, going on the result I have no qualms about calling him "declined" rather than "declining".

it was a pretty incredible performance lex. He looked so much better than he has since Australia. Even if it was just a good day at the office it was nice to see. And as you said, it was so unexpected considering how he's looked since Halle.

imho the big 4 have all declined to varying degrees and if the rest of the top 10 and the younger guys in the top 30 weren't such a collection of headcases and clowns they would be challenging them for Slams by now.

I don't think Murray's declined (well, apart from this current blip). Nole is not at his peak but that just means "solid No 1" rather than "spectacular No 1" is his normal level, 2011 is probably unrepeatable.

But the ATP golden age is probably drawing to a close, yes. Putting a lot of hope in Delpo right now...

btw Nole wasn't terrible today, it was probably the best match I've ever seen Isner play

maybe i'm holding him to too high standards but Nole has looked pretty listless at times over the last 6 months. has lost as many tight matches as he's won. could be fatigue and also because he's been under no immediate pressure for #1 spot maybe he's come to regard Masters as just training sessions for the slams

not likely to happen but i'd love to see a Delpo-Berdych final here

rip pony

seeing Delpo double fault on mp there kind of puts Djokovic's mental lapses into perspective i guess. Isner-Berdych final please?

ISNERSLAM