Tennis Thread - Grand Slams & The Tour

We've all done it, trust me!

It took me about three years to recover from being a set, 4-1 up and 40-15 up in the nationals at Telford.

I preferred being 4-1 down as I would think back to Telford.

I never played well there, apart from the Home Internationals in 1989.

Straightforward for Tsitsi.

 

Almost always a qualifier into the second week.

Maria Timofeeva beats Haddad Maia.

 

If you beat Ruud, it's a good sign!

All of those ladies have been there or there abouts for a few years.

A good draw, healthy and injury free and good form and confidence builds.

 

Ruud has been in poor form since about September.
I can't recall if he had many points to defend but certainly,like Norrie,has dropped a level.

Out goes Iga.

 

RIP Alan Mills.

Excellent referee,very good player.

88.

Hard to fathom.

I had taken my Mother on the Orient Express for her 80th birthday.

We were walking across the Rialto bridge and I saw a figure I recognised.

" Hello Alan" I said. " What brings you to Venice?"

" Davis Cup tie in Mestre so I'm shopping for a gift for Jill" he replied.

Jill Mills. Unfortunately not from Mill Hill as I'd often hoped!

 

Without doubt,a member of the AE.
Mike ****son too.
An excellent reporter and one who didn't print conversations that were off the record, unlike some.

 

Sinner can.
Tsitsi so disappointing against the frankly weird Fritz.
Good to see Babs Kraj winning singles matches again,a player with court sense and guile, befitting her doubles status.

 

Noskova marches on,Svitolina retires at 3-0.
HH and Medivet moving quietly and efficiently through too.
Norrie in a fifth v Sasha.

 

Zverev in a match T.
Norrie had it, Zverev was very passive when he had chances to break but made two poor choices early in the breaker. Went for the drop shot too early.

 

Coco in three.
Djokovic two sets to one up on Fritz.

 

Could have been much later as Sabalenka blew Babs away.

 

So we get a repeat of the US open final. I think I’d expect Sabalenka to get revenge and make the final again.

Goodness knows who will make the final from the other half of the draw! I think it’s possible we could get a Russian v Ukrainian semi-final, which could be spicy. Li Na will fancy her chances after a slam best 1/4 at Flushing Meadow last year, but I have a sneaking suspicion for the teenage Czech as their women all seem incredible these past few years!

 

You mean Zheng?
Li Na won a while ago,seems like 5 years but probably 15!
Noskova would not have been a young Czech that I'd have picked but she's seeing the ball like a football so anything's possible.

Sabalenka was ridiculous today in the little I saw but Coco's playing well too.

 

Yes. Li Na will fancy her chances of her compatriot and protege making the final now. She won the Aussie in 2014 I think and is a big supporter of Zheng.

Ah well I cursed the young Czech but it’s a great story about Yastremska, and for Ukrainian sport (a second ladies singles semi finalist for them in the past year). It’s good she’s finally bounced back from her very unfair doping experience.

I’m Team Gauff as you know, but I’d make Saba a huge favourite to defend her title now, with the usual proviso of course that it’s Sabalenka and she’s capable of always clutching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Looks like being a very strong men’s last four at least.

 

Medivet edges past Hubie.
Kalinskaya and Zheng neck and neck and heading to a tie break.

 

Kalinskaya clearly hindered by an injury.
Shame.

 

He's blinked!
Can Carlito find a way back?

 

We go on ...

 

Come on Novak!

 

His for the taking, again!

 

Zverev held it together well in the end.
Impressive display.

 

As I feared, revenge in the air for Sabalenka.

But Coco has had her chances.

 

Saba held her nerve.
Coco had chances,serving 6-5 30-0.Dubious bounce and then she choked on her forehand.
Her old Νέμεσις, double faults reappeared, contrasting with Saba's first serve winning vital points.
Still think Gauff will win 7/10 as she's by far the superior athlete, however Saba really should go back behind her more. She tracks down so many side to side balls and Saba then misses.
Just happens she didn't miss as many as in New York.

 

Saba now has chance to become something of a mini rarity in the ladies game of late, and become a double/multiple slam winner!

By my count, 6 of the last 12 slams have been won by players for whom so far that’s been their only one….Emma, Coco, Rybakina, Vondrousova and Krejcikova, plus of course Sabalenka until maybe Saturday.

Of the other winners in that time, Iga fights on as does Osama (occasionally) but Barty has retired.

Zheng could of course make it a 7th at the weekend.

I think that’s quite a high percentage, but maybe it was destined to be that way post Serena.

 

Zheng has almost as ropey a serve as Coco.
She'll need 70% first serves to prevent Sabalenka as she's not as athletic as Gauff. Plus it's her first final and rarely do first time finalists win against those who have been there before.

 

It’s a, it’s a, its a, it’s a Sin (ner)

Just like Serena, number 25 is proving somewhat difficult!