actually p hilarious to see Nole toying with Rafa like this
and those last two Rafa FHs that barely reached the net, screaming
― lex pretend, Sunday, 11 October 2015 13:01 (eight years ago) link
I've only just noticed that the ATP250s have a 28-player singles draw. The top four seeds go straight into the last sixteen? What kind of bullshit is that? Four matches to win a title? When did this happen?
In MY day everything was best of nine sets, 256-draw and you didn't even get a week off for Davis Cup, you just played those matches *at the same time*.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 12 October 2015 09:27 (eight years ago) link
Thiem's Umag title was my favourite 250 title run this year. R1 bye, R2 retirement, QF retirement
byes are bullshit but top players are pampered babies who call the shots
― lex pretend, Monday, 12 October 2015 11:27 (eight years ago) link
the WTA end of year is turning into its traditional clusterfuck, as well as everyone being injured/fatigued/absent somehow no one managed to notice that Luxembourg, the final tournament that's meant to count to YEC standings...ends after the YEC starts because it has a Sunday final. So points won't count. This particularly screws over Bacsinszky, who's in 10th place (effectively 9th with Serena out), 20 points behind Pennetta, but has only got Luxembourg scheduled
The alternate YEC this year is like a consolation tournament for the 9-20 ranked players, new depths of pointlessness there. I can't imagine Venus hanging around in China to play it and even Aga is whinging
― lex pretend, Monday, 12 October 2015 11:32 (eight years ago) link
Well the amount of points on offer at that consolation tournament is mind-bogglingly large. Where else would you have access to that many points without one of the top eight being there to stop you? Such bullshit.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 12 October 2015 12:21 (eight years ago) link
(watch Wozniacki win it, obviously)
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 12 October 2015 12:28 (eight years ago) link
Federer did not look like he gave a fuck losing in R2 of Shanghai to... Albert Ramos-Vinos. Obviously. Last time they played, he got three games in a Bo5.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Tuesday, 13 October 2015 12:18 (eight years ago) link
djokovic continues to barrel toward GOAT status
― k3vin k., Sunday, 18 October 2015 20:35 (eight years ago) link
Pennetta was pathetic today. Venus must be so pissed sitting on the sidelines watching this group of mostly-injured-or-exhausted women.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Sunday, 25 October 2015 10:16 (eight years ago) link
Who all outperformed her this year though.
Radwanska should be ashamed that she couldn't beat a Sharapova who hadn't completed a match since Wimbledon and who was completely falling apart at the end.
― lex pretend, Monday, 26 October 2015 10:33 (eight years ago) link
Rosol is rosoling Rafa again
Rafa just broke himself with a terrible challenge, lol. His groundstrokes are barely holding up against Rosol's power
― lex pretend, Monday, 26 October 2015 18:23 (eight years ago) link
Halep v disappointing against Sharapova yesterday (though to be fair Sharapova's half-year off just means she's a zillion times fresher than anyone else in the field here). Feel like Halep's spent 2015 desperately clinging on to her top 3 position, and to her credit has just about managed it despite threatening to fall off more than once, but there's a definite sense of regression, that the next step is further away than before and that she might not actually be able to take it.
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 28 October 2015 09:15 (eight years ago) link
Watched the replay of Panetta/Radwanska; what a fun match!
― I Am Curious (Dolezal) (DJP), Wednesday, 28 October 2015 12:31 (eight years ago) link
Kerber/Muguruza is really good (again this year). Kerber = WTA MVP for being part of so many high-quality matches
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 28 October 2015 13:18 (eight years ago) link
Radwanska wins 6 pts in a row from 1-5 down in the TB, which she looked like UEing herself out of in a couple of seconds. Last three points were two return bangers and then a crazy, crazy SP full of every shot in the book, lobs and dropshots and volleys and everything
― lex pretend, Thursday, 29 October 2015 08:33 (eight years ago) link
Halep fell away totally in the second set again and unlike Sharapova, Radwanska didn't let her back in to make the score respectable.
Radwanska pushing Sharapova to the limit then losing to Pennetta then straight-setting Halep is...not that logical.
Funny, Sharapova is now guaranteed to be in the SF, but Radwanska is only through if Sharapova wins in straight sets. Pennetta needs only one set to progress.
― lex pretend, Thursday, 29 October 2015 09:03 (eight years ago) link
In general I am coming down harder on the side of "Halep will never win a Slam"...she has had several opportunities for a real statement win now and flopped every time. The AO QF, whatever happened in her clay and grass seasons, the USO SF and now what should have been an open YEC with Serena out and Maria rusty.
― lex pretend, Thursday, 29 October 2015 09:09 (eight years ago) link
She's shown disappointing limpness in important matches, with no explanation, but I still feel pretty confident in a slam win in the coming years.
― abcfsk, Thursday, 29 October 2015 09:19 (eight years ago) link
in general I feel like she's much less confident in her game than a year ago; she's actually better at winning ugly over lesser opposition, which is how she's maintained her position, but a lot worse at imposing her game on good opponents (which was always a knife-edge anyway, with her one-dimensional counterpunching style) - and especially at big moments. I can see her with a Wozniackan/Radwanskan slamless career, now
lol @ Sharapova fighting to snatch that set from Pennetta (aided by a bit of a gag) even though she's already qualified - vaguely wondered whether her dislike of Radwanska would tempt her to tank and save energy while kicking Aga out at the same time, but I fully believe Sharapova would rather keep Aga in just so she gets the chance to beat her again
― lex pretend, Thursday, 29 October 2015 12:42 (eight years ago) link
And that's farewell to Flavia forever.
― lex pretend, Thursday, 29 October 2015 13:12 (eight years ago) link
Some tight stuff in the 2nd set. Obviously isn't as worn out as the others. Still going to set me up for a '16 season disappointment.
― abcfsk, Thursday, 29 October 2015 13:12 (eight years ago) link
Sharapova vs Kerber/Muguruza in the SF/F would be a pretty tantalising match
― lex pretend, Thursday, 29 October 2015 13:16 (eight years ago) link
https://twitter.com/TennisTV/status/659794761340100609
― lex pretend, Thursday, 29 October 2015 19:26 (eight years ago) link
Muguruza has been intent on storming the net all autumn, which I admire and bodes well for the future, bc lord knows she needs a few extra dimensions to her game, but ever since I tuned into this match her lack of natural touch has been really costing her. Should've broken Kvitova at 4-4 in the second but fucked up two swing volleys, and the volley she played on BP just now was embarrassing
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 October 2015 08:00 (eight years ago) link
Muguruza wins it with a BH volley though! That was a good match, esp towards the end
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 October 2015 08:46 (eight years ago) link
Fun 3rd set. I hate my useless faves so much tho.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Friday, 30 October 2015 08:51 (eight years ago) link
She did a lot better than I expected given that she was bending double after every point in the Safarova match
Kerber needs to win one set to go through, I can't see that not happening
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 October 2015 08:55 (eight years ago) link
It...didn't happen. Kerber was very underwhelming, Kvitova gets lucky and goes through.
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 October 2015 10:39 (eight years ago) link
Peakwanska on her own set point, as usual.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 31 October 2015 09:00 (eight years ago) link
Muguruza really does have to be the worst volleyer in the top ten though. I've never watched her play doubles, but is she any better there? I mean, Sharapova is terrible too but she restricts herself to swing volleys and doesn't try to hit traditional ones...
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 31 October 2015 09:05 (eight years ago) link
Hate Muguruza's errors, but love her regal comportment on court. 10 in 3 games!
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 31 October 2015 09:15 (eight years ago) link
Halep and Kerber are pretty poor at net too, they just don't try it as much as Muguruza does
Tuned in with Muguruza 1-4 down, that was unexpected. Good match since though...
― lex pretend, Saturday, 31 October 2015 09:38 (eight years ago) link
Aga winning a close high-stakes match? Well I never.
― lex pretend, Saturday, 31 October 2015 09:54 (eight years ago) link
If she'd served as well as she did v Halep it perhaps wouldn't have been a close match, but, hey ho.
Now let's have a repeat of last year's Petra/Maria to add to this mess.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 31 October 2015 10:03 (eight years ago) link
Kvitova so much more solid. She's not even peaking but Sharapova's BH is a mess
― lex pretend, Saturday, 31 October 2015 11:25 (eight years ago) link
it's gone very bad now -_-
― lex pretend, Saturday, 31 October 2015 11:46 (eight years ago) link
Some of Petra's returns now :D :D :D
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 31 October 2015 12:14 (eight years ago) link
And then very good from 1-5 down! PETRAAAAAAA
― lex pretend, Saturday, 31 October 2015 12:15 (eight years ago) link
Petra will now lose this set 5-7.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 31 October 2015 12:15 (eight years ago) link
Also, MARION BARTOLI.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 31 October 2015 12:16 (eight years ago) link
Petra winning points with anticipation and defence!
― lex pretend, Saturday, 31 October 2015 12:29 (eight years ago) link
thanks for reminding me why you're my favourite, Petra, after this not very good year
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 31 October 2015 12:31 (eight years ago) link
THAT FUCKING SECOND SERVE OMG OMG OMG
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 31 October 2015 12:32 (eight years ago) link
AFter all that, my two useless slumping underachieving failures of favourites are in the finals and.. whuh? how?
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 31 October 2015 12:33 (eight years ago) link
PETRA
KVITOVA
― lex pretend, Saturday, 31 October 2015 12:34 (eight years ago) link
Both finalists had a 1-2 RR record! Amazing.
― lex pretend, Saturday, 31 October 2015 12:35 (eight years ago) link
On top of that, Hingis/Mirza are in the finals of the dubs too!
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Saturday, 31 October 2015 12:38 (eight years ago) link
some real entertaining pts in gasquet/rafa but gasquets hitting too many errors
― johnny crunch, Saturday, 31 October 2015 14:35 (eight years ago) link
that was a brilliant point for Gasquet to break on
even in Rafa's state this feels like the ultimate NID result, some very pretty points tho yeah
― lex pretend, Saturday, 31 October 2015 14:52 (eight years ago) link
as I was saying...
Gasquet served for the set, DFed twice, left a ball that landed in, was broken to 15
NID NID NID
― lex pretend, Saturday, 31 October 2015 15:28 (eight years ago) link