ILE rolling non-slam Tennis thread

Dolgo-Delpo was great, both guys played at about 100%

god I love you Kvitova but if you flop to Jankovic I will be pissed

Same old from Dimitrov in what was on paper a great R1 match-up with Nishikori. Three loose errors for every "ooh" flashy point, NID flopping at the most crucial junctures (that last game!) and he seems to have added some disturbing serving yips to the mix. At least he's not Harrison, I guess, who lost in qualies to Go Soeda and is now ranked behind Donald Young (neither in the top 100 obv).

And earlier, Robson displayed even less movement and tactical nous than usual against Date-Krumm - even when Kimiko tried her best to choke in the last game, Laura just responded by whacking returns of short, weak second serves into the back fence.

This controversy over Kerber's last-minute WC for Linz is shameful for that tournament and the WTA, which once again shows itself to be a thoroughly corrupt, incompetent organisation that makes and breaks its own rules as it goes along.

lol Dimitrov is going to work with Roger Rasheed. I am not entirely convinced that Dimitrov's repeated flopping in grand slams is just to do with lack of fitness. Being a complete moron is a goal, and he needs a coach who can help him nitigate on his presumably terminal stupidity.

mitigate his stupidity, rather

Being a complete moron is the problem, rather. I am Dimitroving at posting today.

kerber just got bagelled by NICULESCU. quite an achievement.

this is hilarious, Niculescu peaking with her FH slices and Kerber just smacking everything out sarcastically

tbh this tournament deserves nothing less

Monica Niculescu <3

http://www.dodaj.rs/f/1k/7f/2DTv0eCs/mo.gif

rafa takes 1st set vs stan @ 12-10 tiebreak

why must stan suffer so much heartbreak :(

So Del Potro is already two breaks up v Nadal. *Searches madly for stream*

Watch the highlight clips on Youtube for the one at 1-1 15-15 in the second set :D :D :D

zomg and the point Del Pony won to break the same game. PONY OMG LOVE YOU

Delpo in slam-winning form, keep this going plz

That was a very enjoyable match. Nadal didn't play badly for the most part despite his serve not being that strong at vulnerable points, JMDP was just fantastic. 80% first serve percentage, huge winners, he looked sexy, it was perfect.

Look, yeah, Linz giving a WC to Kerber stinks in many ways, but look who stands to lose the most? Ivanovic, who gets the red-carpet treatment and free points from that stupid YEC wank-fest again. So not all is bad!

on the Karen Khachanov bandwagon - first 17-yr-old in an ATP QF since Delpo in 2006, seriously impressive yesterday vs Tipsy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY4OCqt_ZWY

Khachanov looks like a non-crazy Gulbis

so if sloane is the new serena, does this mean that vögele is the new henin?

LOL that Sloane's quest for her first titleFINAL ended with two QF losses to Voegele. If Halep doesn't get Most Improved this year over her it'll be a disgrace (I fully expect Stephens to get it anyway because USA and Hype).

Stephens will probably have a Chanda Rubin-level career, only without the likeability.

Meanwhile, Halep wins her fifth title of the year - she's really transformed herself out of nowhere since May.

A Rubin-level career probably means Stephens maxes out her talent - in contrast to Rubin herself, who really underachieved due to constant injuries at the worst possible times.

Haas-Haase final. Umpiring nightmare. Also good to see M Mecir (jnr) in the draw.

Dimitrov also finally gets his first title. Simultaneously "I thought the day would never come" and "four years overdue".

Indicative more of how subpar Ferrer has been since Wimbledon though. So many random errors, including on MP.

Dimitrov was pretty fantastic the whole tournament though, this is a big step for him. Maybe changing coaches cleared his head a little.

Haas is so painfully close to being in the WTF mix. Great season for him.

just realised the only ATP stuff i've watched since the US Open is a bunch of Del Potro highlights on youtube

Tokyo was pretty good, other tournaments not so much

what does Wawrinka have to do to get to London then? that's what i want to happen

he's in great shape, just needs to have ok results in basel and paris. He's 5 points ahead of Fed at 7th in the race.

Gasquet and Tsonga are the guys under the gun.

7 Wawrinka 3150
8 Federer 3145
9 Gasquet 3120
10 Tsonga 3055
11 Raonic 2770
12 Haas 2425

Tsonga isn't playing next week so Jo or Milos would have to have a big run in Paris to get in. And Murray is out so it's the top 9 that matters.

when Fed's AO points come off would lol and kind of cheer so hard if he fell behind Haas.

I doubt Fed would mind since they're uber-bros

I mostly want Stan to be Swiss No 1 soon

Looking at that yearly glam portrait that the WTA Champs entrants pose for... my god my eyes, my eyes. Why does Jankovic look like a 60-year-old drag queen, and why is she only the third worst-dressed in this lot (behind Azarenka and especially Kerber's unflattering monstrosity).

OMG/LOL at the Federer missed smash to go down *0-1, 0-40 in the third set. Yes, he's in a third set against Istomin...

Istomin choked, then got broken.

Still, things we have to look forward to: either Fed having to go to London as the alternate...or Fed getting into the WTF, and playing the traditional Dementieva role of going 0-3.

Serena, Vika and in form Kvitova and JJ would be a pretty great Istanbul semi lineup

not in this form Vika won't be, good lord

yet another FH error and JaJa has the win :)

oooh Dimitrov just won to set up a QF vs Federer...

Dimi still has to beat Dolgo

i was sort of thinking Vika would creep into the knockouts and suddenly raise her game. hmmmm

Can someone explain to me why you get points even for losses in the RR groups? I don't think that's the incentive for Azarenka playing when she's obviously (and for once, actually) injured, but I am curious.

i'm fine with Fed losing to Brands or whoever but for some reason Dimitrov beating him would feel like too much. come on man

actually kinda funny how both of them are attacking each other's backhands

holy lol Dimitrov