ILE rolling non-slam Tennis thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMqQ2ys71bw

When the SFs also contained Sharapova, Azarenka and Jankovic, one appreciates Serena all the more. May she continue to destroy this useless field of morons until Kvitova gets her shit together.

(of course she will probably lose to Azarenka now)

SORT YOUR SHIT OUT SERENA ARGH

you're surely not surprised by a Serena/Azarenka match on slow hard courts being a dogfight by now?

such a weird rivalry, this - it only occurs on hard courts (have they ever had a close match on clay or grass?), has never produced a str8-up classic and by the nature of their games and tactics is unlikely to; each of their close matches is patchy (and the good way as well - some great shots as well as poor missed opportunities), nervy but with periods of real intensity

Yeah, I won't deny that parts of that second set were entertaining, especially because the sound on the TV in my bedroom sometimes doesn't even work, but they aren't quite satisfying because despite some good play the key parts of sets turn on little bits of poor play - Serena losing focus, Azarenka serving a game's worth of puffballs.

I guess the Federer/Chardy match was a bit like that too in some ways.

if you can't be better than Serena (and currently no one is, aside from erratic Lisicki types who can play a match like at Wim once in a blue moon) the next best thing is to be able to drag her level down, which is what the best counterpunchers have always been able to do against her - what Azarenka does to her reminds me of what Capriati used to do (and what Jankovic occasionally did).

meanwhile how happy must the bogans in Brisbane be with the finals they got... (the Australian crowd is generally quite pro-Serena).

So do try to watch the point at 3-2 in the second-set tiebreaker between A-Rad and Cornut.

That was the second point that had the crowd cheering during it that ended up being replayed that I've seen this week

ugh Monfils was playing so well and then lost a chance to break back in the third (failing to challenge on a Rafa shot that was out especially) and now it's basically over -_-

wow, shameful for Federer

RETIRE

Haha the Australian press are going to LOVE that. Cue a heap of articles trying to construct some sort of fairytale slam narrative for Hewitt

I feel for you. Hopefully he draws Rafa first round and gets triple bagelled

Mattek-Sands' shorts look like a television test pattern. Perfection.

omg Wozniacki/Goerges is so so so so bad I can't look away

I see Stosur blew a lead, needed a third-set TB and took four MPs to beat MADISON BRENGLE...

This is such a tank job from Radwanska. BMS can run hot and cold but this is ridiculous.

Fortunately I also like Mattek-Sands, so, er tank up and rest up good for Melbourne, A-Rad.

BMS' netplay has been SO RIDICULUOUSLY IMPRESSIVE. the dropshot followed by angled forehand volley winner was immense.

watching her attempt to serve this out should be fun. forehand that bounced about ten times before hitting the net + mishit backhand to go down 0-30

loses serve after having a MP, hahaha NID. hitting a FH slice in the net shows just how nervy she is.

Errani-like serving. Hitting the ball back to BMS rather than even trying to move her around. LOLOLOL. Why couldn't Petra be in this section?

why is pironkova winning matches all of a sudden? not that i'm complaining.

As much as I can tell from watching on TV (could I find anyone in town to go with? No. Why must other people have jobs?) the courts are playing pretty fast, plus Shvedova (as likeable as she is) is frequently pathetic.

whens the next slam, non-slam thread

monday

ty

Kvitova looked uber today v McHale. Wasn't televised here but it's on YouTube. She's moving well, she even does an A-Rad-esque squat shot, ran lots of stuff down, hit lots of unreturnable serves and her groundstrokes were mostly controlled. WIN EVERYTHING PETRA.

The already-massive overexposure of Dimitrov is going to make me hate him so much so quickly. Kill him, Kei. Oh but it's too late because this VERY IMPORTANT EXHIBITION is being shown instead of Petra. FUCK I HATE TV.

Pironkova d. Errani :D :D :D :D

Tsvetanaaaaaaaa :D

I like Errani but I think the fall cometh for her this year.

The fall also cometh for Kirsten Flipkens, based on what I just saw against Storm Sanders. Sanders was better than I was expecting from the usual AUS WC but Flipkens...BH slices all landing so short, all the rallies so aimless.

Ooh Aus Open Q draws out, time to start that thread after I pore over them

Pironkova's first SF since 2010, btw. Her last one was...Wimbledon

gulbis seeded 24 for australia

what chance he ever does anything significant at a gs

Zilch. I suspect he's as in love with the waste-of-talent label as the commentariat are.

Pironkova wins first set 6-4 over Kvitova.

She lost 6 matches in a row to end 2013 and in Shenzhen she lost Q2R to Golubic.

This is not a good game from Petra. She has been in winning positions in so many rallies and just smacked the ball into the net. I mean, is she that upset that her boyfriend lost to del Potro?

Classic Petra. Flop hardest when your fans' expectations are up!

What even was that! Not just bashing the ball into the net, but pushing it long, hitting double faults and then, ugh, losing match point on a botched challenge. I mean I like all four of the semi-finalists but still, this was a cake draw for a biggish title...

lmao the return of Shitra. Not entirely surprising - Pironkova took a set off Peak Petra when she won Wimbledon...

I personally am a fan of a Pironkova/Kerber final but it's pretty funny how much less marquee it is than Keys/Kvitova would have been.

ooh, nice wins for Bencic and Konjuh in AO qualifying. Bencic beat top seed Fichman easily.

Real shame that Konjuh has to have elbow surgery after the AO - the most impressive talent to come along in years and already being held back by injuries.

The Vandeweghe/Rodionova qualifying match must have been a feast of sportsmanship.

btw, if you didn't see Konjuh beating Vinci last week, the whole match is on youtube, but these highlights certainly showcase her talent -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE1vIcApHvM

This match happened four days after her 16th birthday...

I am a fan of the final we're getting too because the existence of Kerber seems to completely mystify hacks who can't think of anything to say about her. And her game when on is delightful.

Kerber is great. Love that running lefty FH DTL.

I'm surprised (and relieved tbh) she doesn't get more attention from the Pretty Girl Fanboys. She resembles Kournikova so much facially.

I know her name is pronounced Kon-yuh, but I just keep wanting to call her Ana the Konjuror . :/

digging those konjuh highlights. really attractive BH. FH reminds me of vaidisova. serve looks an utter mess though, which is one thing i really really don't need to be seeing in these up-and-comers

technique-wise? It's one of her biggest weapons as far as I can see, though granted in that match it took her a set to iron out the DFs.

Her FH is slightly worrying with the absolutely massive take-back, you can just see her being rushed and shanking everything on faster surfaces. but amazing power in it, and her BH is perfect.

WTF is up with Ferrer this season? Lost sets to Dolgopolov, Young and Garcia Lopez; lost matches to Brands and Lu. None of that is good.