TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
Go Bryans, only Steffi Graf can really talk to you now (don't be snobs to Laver though, he's too cool).
The women's final shows how completely crap it is at the moment, Lisicki chokes hard in a very un-german way and Bartoli wins yet never faced a top 10 opponent in the draw because of all the upsets.
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
Well there you go, Murray wins.
They kept talking about the heat being a factor, and Djokovic never does well in heat, but it was only 80 degrees, come on bros, that's mild in the south. And I think the crowd really messed with Djokovic this time, they were obnoxious from the very beginning and even the line calls felt like they were going against him. Not so much in the correct call, but they usually assert themselves into the match more than they did here, like a basketball ref who is used to blowing the whistle now magically letting things go. Novak didn't help himself with being so unprepared for the surface, he was falling all over the place. But congrats to Murray for being in better shape and knowing when to use the drop shots this time.
I kind of wanted Djokovic after the match to go "yeah I lost, but I have more titles and I'm still #1, suck on that" and then drop the mic.
They kept talking about the heat being a factor, and Djokovic never does well in heat, but it was only 80 degrees, come on bros, that's mild in the south. And I think the crowd really messed with Djokovic this time, they were obnoxious from the very beginning and even the line calls felt like they were going against him. Not so much in the correct call, but they usually assert themselves into the match more than they did here, like a basketball ref who is used to blowing the whistle now magically letting things go. Novak didn't help himself with being so unprepared for the surface, he was falling all over the place. But congrats to Murray for being in better shape and knowing when to use the drop shots this time.
I kind of wanted Djokovic after the match to go "yeah I lost, but I have more titles and I'm still #1, suck on that" and then drop the mic.
The BBC feed mentioned that it was almost 50 on Centre Court.
Civics is not a consumer product that you can ignore because you don’t like the options presented.
yeah, the temperature on court at the start of the match was apparently 50 Celsius/120 Fahrenheit which would be like playing in the firey pits of hell for a Scotsman. but then just seeing the sun is like enduring the firey pits of hell for a Scotsman so.....
TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
My mistake on the temperature thing, in the second set I checked London's weather on my phone and it was saying 80 degrees, and even when you factor in on court/on field temperatures it would be ten-fifteen degrees more than that. Don't blame me, blame yahoo weather or whatever the iphone uses.
and trained in Spain before that. still, genetics are harsh and we Scots don't do well at temperatures about 10-15C. but that just makes his victory all the better now doesn't it.
Classic Fed/Rafa quarterfinal tonight in Cincinnati. Just really high quality tennis. Roger played like his vintage self, definitely as good as I've seen all year. But Rafa just doesn't quit. I'll sure miss this rivalry when it's gone.
Nadal looks really sharp. Hasn't lost on hard courts yet this year. Looking forward to US Open.
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
I DVR'd it and it was a good match, reminds me of '08. Ah the good old days...
And those who win Canada/Cincy usually have strong showings in the USO that same year, usually in the semis at worst. I'd love to see Murray/Nadal
The US Open starts today. Venus Williams has already had a stronger showing than I expected from her. She won her first round match over Flipkens. Nadal is currently a set and a break up on Ryan Fuckface Harrison. (Of all the newer American guys, Harrison is the only one I find insufferable.)
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
Harrison just hasn't done anything of note in five years yet comes across like he has done something. At the very least he wasn't hyped up like Donald Young was, but I can't think of anything he's done. He's got no real weapons and plays a lot like a pre-Brad Gilbert Roddick in both style and mannerisms, but without that serve. And man does he waste a lot of energy running around and seemingly being a step behind all the time (easiest way to beat him is to be first to the net and volley wide).
Isner has the big serve, Querry has the big forehand, Harrison has....baggy clothes. Robby Ginepri at least had something in 2005 to get him in the spotlight. I dunno, seeing Harrison play always makes me think I could still give it a shot if I had a spare 5k to cover for travel expenses for Futures.
Other USOpen news Nishikori is out in the first round, which frustrates me. And this is Federer's first Open playing with his new racquet, when he hasn't really shown any big problems during the USOpen series.
Yeah, I'm frustrated about Nishikori too. Other notable first round losses are Verdasco, Dimitrov, and Janowicz. None of those guys were going to go all the way, but I'm still surprised to see them go out in the first round.
So I heard that Djokovic has stopped drinking cold water and has eliminated gluten from his diet. That's his secret.
Is it any wonder there's a stereotype of tennis players as superstitious? :P
In all seriousness, whatever he did, he needs to keep doing it. The man has been on top for way longer than I thought possible.
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
The gluten thing he's been doing for the past few years, and you can really tell the difference (from like 2010 onwards), especially in terms of endurance. The lukewarm water thing is new, reminds me of Hakeem Olajuwon.
Unlike everyone in Hollywood or those Manhattan moms, Djokovic actually does have that disorder where he shouldn't eat gluten (it has an actual name like lactose intolerance or something).
I still like Ivanesevic's superstition the best: whenever he hit an ace he would ask for that same ball back for the next serve. So much better than those people who always ask for three balls then hit one back to the ballboy.
The gluten thing he's been doing for the past few years, and you can really tell the difference (from like 2010 onwards), especially in terms of endurance. The lukewarm water thing is new, reminds me of Hakeem Olajuwon.
Unlike everyone in Hollywood or those Manhattan moms, Djokovic actually does have that disorder where he shouldn't eat gluten (it has an actual name like lactose intolerance or something).
I still like Ivanesevic's superstition the best: whenever he hit an ace he would ask for that same ball back for the next serve. So much better than those people who always ask for three balls then hit one back to the ballboy.
I thought the three-ball thing was standard practice. You see it so often.
Yeah, Djokovic has Celiac's, I believe. He's writing a book about fitness that's due out at the end of the year or something. The woman I train Muay Thai with is a big believer in not eating gluten, so it's not just tennis players who are superstitious.
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
Roddick and Federer interview for Roddick's new career at Fox Sports One (which is actually a very nice station compared to ESPN, if they can get some tennis.....).
That '09 Wimbledon final still eats away at Roddick, you can see it. But he has decent interview skills outside of doing that coached thing of looking away to make it appear more off the cuff.
TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
That was a good Hewitt/Del Potro match last night. These two go under the radar in terms of rivalries but they always have good matches, where it's pure offense vs counter-punching.
Did anyone else watch Nadal Kohlschreiber last night? It was nothing but razzle dazzle and ridiculous winners for four sets.
Edit: Also, Federer going out to Robredo... Who woulda thunk it?
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
edited September 2013
Robredo was pulling wicked Nadal topspin last night, on top of looking to be in better shape. It wasn't so much Robredo played significantly better it's Federer just didn't have his forehand and seemed intent to not slice. Glad Robredo finally won one against him though.
This Ivanovic/Azarenka match is good, so glad crowd turned on Azarenka. Ivo Karlovic said they reroute air traffic during the Open and yet Azarenka is still there
Hewitt/Youznhy not looking good so far for the aussie, he looks like he can't keep up with Youznhy's power and is hitting a few into the net now.
edit: Azarenka won, dammit.
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
Was watching that Hewitt match all day, good solid match, shame about the outcome. Hewitt just doesn't have an arm to serve the longer he goes into tournaments these days. At the Newport final he could have served for the title but double faulted his way out of the win, to where it looked like he was imitating Sharapova from a few years back.
Wawrinka is up two sets and a break on Murray right now. What is going on? Who else foresaw Gasquet and (probably) Wawrinka making it to the semis? Also, two one handed backhands making it to the semis, and neither of them is hit by Federer...
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
I have to root for Wawrinka, we are Yonex buddies.
I'm more shocked Wawrinka made it this far as opposed to Gasquet, I just remember years ago Gasquet (along with Berdych) were supposed to be the next big things along with Nadal. Gasquet was one of the few people to actually beat Federer in 2005 when he only lost 5 times the whole year, and he always had potential before he "kissed a woman who had cocaine on her lips." Wawrinka reminds me a lot of James Blake; solid #2 who will make a good living off of smaller tournaments, maybe a few QFs in slams.
I don't know how much of Nadal's beatdown yesterday was because of Robredo or if the bull is totally zoned in for the rest of the week, but he was damn impressive, I don't see Gasquet offering up anything to concern him. He eats one-handed backhands like they are tapas.
In other news, the Bryans lost in the semis, which means they achieved the career golden slam but missed out on the calendar.
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
Women's final never felt like there was a real challenge to the conclusion, just gusts of wind that seemed to force a third set (though the commentators say the wind really wasn't that bad).
The men's final should be stellar, just like the first SF from yesterday. It does figure that the year they make Monday the men's final the weather was pretty tolerable for the old schedule.
Ha, yeah. It's also super annoying that the final will start will I'm still at work. I am going to DVR it, but I'd rather be at home with a drink watching it, like I would be if it were on a Sunday.
Yeah the schedule makes no sense IMO. A final at 5 pm on a Monday?? Make it 7 pm or something. Or better yet, schedule it for Sunday and if it gets rained out push it to Monday.
Yeah the schedule makes no sense IMO. A final at 5 pm on a Monday?? Make it 7 pm or something. Or better yet, schedule it for Sunday and if it gets rained out push it to Monday.
Apparently they got tired of it always getting rained out which is why they just straight up scheduled it for a Monday.
The backhand Nadal bashes a few shots before the end had to be 120 mph.
Great match even if the final set doesn't show it. Legitimate talk for Nadal to be GOAT over Federer now. (the extra USO trophy helps along with the Masters Shields)
Yeah, that was a hell of a thing. If Rafa were to pick up another Australian Open title he will have won all of the slams at least twice... That's just... He's playing so well.
I remember when he won the USO back in 2010 he was routinely serving in the 130s. This year, he doesn't even need to pull out serves in the 130s because his court positioning is so good. He fell back behind the baseline a bit in the second (and part of the third) set, but he's done such a good job of staying on the baseline and being aggressive. His return game has really taken a step up this hard court season. It will be interesting to see what the final two Masters have in store for us as well as the year end finals.
Was a great match! That 50+ shot rally was one of the best things I've ever seen.
Living here this year I had a chance to go, thanks to a cheap Gilt deal. It was a lot of fun bouncing between the courts, but I spent most of the time with near courtside seats at the Grandstand, which was incredible.
I too was rooting for Wawrinka this year due to his really fun looking forehand, and for also being Yonex buddies as well, but only because I haven't upgraded my small-headed MP from years ago. I only wonder how much better a more modern racquet would feel.
Was a great match! That 50+ shot rally was one of the best things I've ever seen.
Living here this year I had a chance to go, thanks to a cheap Gilt deal. It was a lot of fun bouncing between the courts, but I spent most of the time with near courtside seats at the Grandstand, which was incredible.
I too was rooting for Wawrinka this year due to his really fun looking forehand, and for also being Yonex buddies as well, but only because I haven't upgraded my small-headed MP from years ago. I only wonder how much better a more modern racquet would feel.
It will feel awesome. I was rocking a Prince racket from like 95 up until a year or two ago when I upgraded to the Exo 3 Black (the racket Isner, Bartoli, and Zvonareva [holy shit, remember her?] were using a couple of seasons ago). It's like night and day.
Still stuck with my $99 Wilson. I am still pretty terrible so I can't justify getting a better racquet just yet.
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
Prince Triple Threat Warrior is still the go-to racquet for anyone looking to really hit and get better, it's been around for 15 years and is also 60 bucks.
I use the Yonex Ezone 98 now, it is bitchin' with natural gut.
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The women's final shows how completely crap it is at the moment, Lisicki chokes hard in a very un-german way and Bartoli wins yet never faced a top 10 opponent in the draw because of all the upsets.
They kept talking about the heat being a factor, and Djokovic never does well in heat, but it was only 80 degrees, come on bros, that's mild in the south. And I think the crowd really messed with Djokovic this time, they were obnoxious from the very beginning and even the line calls felt like they were going against him. Not so much in the correct call, but they usually assert themselves into the match more than they did here, like a basketball ref who is used to blowing the whistle now magically letting things go. Novak didn't help himself with being so unprepared for the surface, he was falling all over the place. But congrats to Murray for being in better shape and knowing when to use the drop shots this time.
I kind of wanted Djokovic after the match to go "yeah I lost, but I have more titles and I'm still #1, suck on that" and then drop the mic.
Any crowd cheering for a home player will make their presence felt. They did with Tsonga in Paris.
I hope that the Murray/Djokovic rivalry gets to another level now. I'd definitely be happy watching more matches like that.
3DS friend code: 4811-7214-5053
and trained in Spain before that. still, genetics are harsh and we Scots don't do well at temperatures about 10-15C.
Nadal looks really sharp. Hasn't lost on hard courts yet this year. Looking forward to US Open.
And those who win Canada/Cincy usually have strong showings in the USO that same year, usually in the semis at worst. I'd love to see Murray/Nadal
Isner has the big serve, Querry has the big forehand, Harrison has....baggy clothes. Robby Ginepri at least had something in 2005 to get him in the spotlight. I dunno, seeing Harrison play always makes me think I could still give it a shot if I had a spare 5k to cover for travel expenses for Futures.
Other USOpen news Nishikori is out in the first round, which frustrates me. And this is Federer's first Open playing with his new racquet, when he hasn't really shown any big problems during the USOpen series.
Is it any wonder there's a stereotype of tennis players as superstitious? :P
In all seriousness, whatever he did, he needs to keep doing it. The man has been on top for way longer than I thought possible.
Unlike everyone in Hollywood or those Manhattan moms, Djokovic actually does have that disorder where he shouldn't eat gluten (it has an actual name like lactose intolerance or something).
I still like Ivanesevic's superstition the best: whenever he hit an ace he would ask for that same ball back for the next serve. So much better than those people who always ask for three balls then hit one back to the ballboy.
I thought the three-ball thing was standard practice. You see it so often.
That '09 Wimbledon final still eats away at Roddick, you can see it. But he has decent interview skills outside of doing that coached thing of looking away to make it appear more off the cuff.
I made a game, it has penguins in it. It's pay what you like on Gumroad.
Currently Ebaying Nothing at all but I might do in the future.
Edit: Also, Federer going out to Robredo... Who woulda thunk it?
This Ivanovic/Azarenka match is good, so glad crowd turned on Azarenka. Ivo Karlovic said they reroute air traffic during the Open and yet Azarenka is still there
Hewitt/Youznhy not looking good so far for the aussie, he looks like he can't keep up with Youznhy's power and is hitting a few into the net now.
edit: Azarenka won, dammit.
I'm more shocked Wawrinka made it this far as opposed to Gasquet, I just remember years ago Gasquet (along with Berdych) were supposed to be the next big things along with Nadal. Gasquet was one of the few people to actually beat Federer in 2005 when he only lost 5 times the whole year, and he always had potential before he "kissed a woman who had cocaine on her lips." Wawrinka reminds me a lot of James Blake; solid #2 who will make a good living off of smaller tournaments, maybe a few QFs in slams.
I don't know how much of Nadal's beatdown yesterday was because of Robredo or if the bull is totally zoned in for the rest of the week, but he was damn impressive, I don't see Gasquet offering up anything to concern him. He eats one-handed backhands like they are tapas.
In other news, the Bryans lost in the semis, which means they achieved the career golden slam but missed out on the calendar.
The men's final should be stellar, just like the first SF from yesterday. It does figure that the year they make Monday the men's final the weather was pretty tolerable for the old schedule.
Apparently they got tired of it always getting rained out which is why they just straight up scheduled it for a Monday.
The backhand Nadal bashes a few shots before the end had to be 120 mph.
Great match even if the final set doesn't show it. Legitimate talk for Nadal to be GOAT over Federer now. (the extra USO trophy helps along with the Masters Shields)
I remember when he won the USO back in 2010 he was routinely serving in the 130s. This year, he doesn't even need to pull out serves in the 130s because his court positioning is so good. He fell back behind the baseline a bit in the second (and part of the third) set, but he's done such a good job of staying on the baseline and being aggressive. His return game has really taken a step up this hard court season. It will be interesting to see what the final two Masters have in store for us as well as the year end finals.
Living here this year I had a chance to go, thanks to a cheap Gilt deal. It was a lot of fun bouncing between the courts, but I spent most of the time with near courtside seats at the Grandstand, which was incredible.
I too was rooting for Wawrinka this year due to his really fun looking forehand, and for also being Yonex buddies as well, but only because I haven't upgraded my small-headed MP from years ago. I only wonder how much better a more modern racquet would feel.
It will feel awesome. I was rocking a Prince racket from like 95 up until a year or two ago when I upgraded to the Exo 3 Black (the racket Isner, Bartoli, and Zvonareva [holy shit, remember her?] were using a couple of seasons ago). It's like night and day.
I use the Yonex Ezone 98 now, it is bitchin' with natural gut.