meanwhile, Azarenka-Zhu is a real battle, Zhu just made it 4-3 in the third, the first to hold serve in this set.
― the shaker intro bit the shaker outro in the tail, hard (breastcrawl), Sunday, 22 January 2023 15:03 (one year ago) link
…but that didn’t work out for her. Azarenka takes the next two games and is now serving for the match
― the shaker intro bit the shaker outro in the tail, hard (breastcrawl), Sunday, 22 January 2023 15:11 (one year ago) link
two bps for Zhu, but Azarenka takes it. great match!
― the shaker intro bit the shaker outro in the tail, hard (breastcrawl), Sunday, 22 January 2023 15:17 (one year ago) link
This piece on Sabalenka and biomechanics to sort out her serve is great and another instance of how other tools are helping out talent to flourish.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jan/23/aryna-sabalenka-serves-up-a-storm-at-australian-open-after-biomechanics-help
― xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 24 January 2023 10:31 (one year ago) link
Rybakina opens her SF with a double-fault... and then an unreturned serve and three aces in a row. let's gooo
― Roz, Thursday, 26 January 2023 08:52 (one year ago) link
meanwhile, the Djokovics are being dicks once again: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/novak-djokovic-father-video-putin-flag-fan-long-live-the-russians-2107680
― Roz, Thursday, 26 January 2023 08:56 (one year ago) link
1st set going to tie break with an exchange of breaks. Looks worthy of a final.
― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 26 January 2023 09:46 (one year ago) link
Rybakina wins and seems to have found her serve again. Ominous.
― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 26 January 2023 10:02 (one year ago) link
Azarenka gets a break back but needs one more, unfortunately for her.
― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 26 January 2023 10:27 (one year ago) link
Doesn't get there. Rybakina breaks for set and match!
― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 26 January 2023 10:30 (one year ago) link
Very happy for Rybakina, that was convincing
― Roz, Thursday, 26 January 2023 10:47 (one year ago) link
Second SF also going to a TB
― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 26 January 2023 11:40 (one year ago) link
Which Sabalenka wins with ease.
― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 26 January 2023 11:44 (one year ago) link
Sabalenka wins the next set 6-2, so that's our final!
― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 26 January 2023 12:28 (one year ago) link
Tsitsipas through.
Paul has recovered from a double break down in the 1st against Djoko..
― xyzzzz__, Friday, 27 January 2023 09:44 (one year ago) link
Breaks again for the set. 7-5
― xyzzzz__, Friday, 27 January 2023 09:50 (one year ago) link
Djoko wellon his way with a break in the 2nd. He has barely sweated his way through the draw with 1.5 legs
― xyzzzz__, Friday, 27 January 2023 10:13 (one year ago) link
Final should be a match though.
Entirely sick of this third act of ND's career. Wish he'd stayed at his post-surgery early-2018 level for good and faded away.
Also: almost to make up for last year, he gets to play every match on the same court, at the same time, under lights (I think, maybe he's been second on some nights). No dealing with 35C heat, sun & shadows, interruptions, delays, awkward scheduling, the usual stuff the other 400+ players at a Slam deal with. I know, it's always been like this for the elite, Federer got star treatment everywhere he went for the last 15 years of his career, but it really does smooth out a lot of the stuff that makes it especially tough to win an event like this.
― Michael Jones, Friday, 27 January 2023 10:55 (one year ago) link
That's just slams being slams though. They are mostly lazily, badly run. The four countries that have them will never lose slam status so no incentive to change.
I doubt the administrators have the skills to effect any changes either. A big part of that would be to dictate to media companies that these are the changes etc.
Having said that Novak is so so good in Australia though. One thing is having an advantage, another is to take it time and again. Shame he is such an utter cunt.
― xyzzzz__, Friday, 27 January 2023 11:07 (one year ago) link
Yeah, sometimes it feels like a re-introduction of the Challenge Round - everyone else scrabbles around in all conditions, then you get to meet The King at 7pm on Rod Laver.Dimitrov had him (and his hamstring) in trouble, but you can't really argue with the beatings he handed De Minaur and Rublev. Rune might have been a different story, but nah - this isn't Bercy. And, by that token, I don't really expect the final to be as close as the ST-ND semi there.
― Michael Jones, Friday, 27 January 2023 11:35 (one year ago) link
Rybakina takes the first set. Not loving this final so far, neither of them are serving consistently - Sabalenka DF-ing to hand back the break to Rybakina kinda showing the limits of biomechanics here
― Roz, Saturday, 28 January 2023 09:23 (one year ago) link
Sabalenka really stepping up in this second set, attacking Rybakina’s serve and forcing her to move around the court
― Roz, Saturday, 28 January 2023 10:01 (one year ago) link
this is very good now, both of them are such massive hitters
― Roz, Saturday, 28 January 2023 10:43 (one year ago) link
God this looks like a great final :-(
Sabalenka serving for the match
― xyzzzz__, Saturday, 28 January 2023 11:04 (one year ago) link
All the way...Sabalenka wins
― xyzzzz__, Saturday, 28 January 2023 11:16 (one year ago) link
And she takes it in one hell of a final game - fighting off her nerves, the untimely reappearance of her serving yips, rybakina’s return. good stuff.
Bummed for Rybakina but she’s in the top 10 now finally, where she belongs.
― Roz, Saturday, 28 January 2023 11:18 (one year ago) link
impressive stuff from Sabalenka. very happy for her.
― the shaker intro bit the shaker outro in the tail, hard (breastcrawl), Saturday, 28 January 2023 11:20 (one year ago) link
congrats to nole
besides the bit of murray excitement, this tourney was abt as dull as possible on the mens side
― johnny crunch, Sunday, 29 January 2023 16:41 (one year ago) link
Pretty much, yes.
Very little stopping him from Court's 24 slams in the next 12 months. Alcaraz to recover, maybe Sinner finding an extra gear, and I'm sure there is someone I don't know about otherwise the men's game being dominated like this by the little shit is about as unpleasant as it can get.
― xyzzzz__, Sunday, 29 January 2023 20:24 (one year ago) link
yeah aside from the murray matches I just couldn’t bring myself to care about this tournament. I’ve defected to pickleball
― k3vin k., Sunday, 29 January 2023 20:27 (one year ago) link
The women's side is going to be a lot more interesting than the men's until Djoko's invincibility inevitably wanes. Which could happen quickly or take several years, he's probably just one serious injury away from it starting to slide.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 29 January 2023 20:28 (one year ago) link
Clay court season is demanding a maverick run.
The women's game is fantastic rn. Awed by the talent and depth.
― xyzzzz__, Sunday, 29 January 2023 20:30 (one year ago) link