Jump to content

2021 ATP/WTA Thread


UDontKnow

Recommended Posts

ATP: Rotterdam 500

Medvedev showing off how well built Tecnifibre racquets are constructed by having to smash the court twice before it broke... (if it even broke)...

CORRECTION: It broke on the first smash, but not so much.

He gave up a point to start the game after the changeover and then sent a howler return. Now he doesn't care so much in returning 30-0... at 40-0... he tried, but lost the game, the set, the match.

Lajovic (27th ranked, Serbia) over Medvedev (3rd, Russia/Monaco) 7-6 (4), 6-4

My unpredictable Russian-turned-Kazakh, BUBLIK (43rd) downed ZVEREV (7th, German from Russians) 7-5, 6-3
 

Andy Murray (Scotland wild card) vs Andrey Rublev (4 seed / Russia)*

*Not before 12:30pm CST

 

ATP Buenos Aires 250

Frances Tiafoe (62nd ranked) into the second round of the clay court tournament in “The Paris of South America”. (A tournament that I never went to see, but will if/when I’m back down there in March.)
 

This tournament is sooooo sloooowwww. It’s fairly tough to watch. 

The top 4 seeds get 1st round byes (28 total singles players).

About half the field are Argentines whose parents continue to fund their extended adolescence.

Diego Schwartzman is the #1 seed.

Cristian Garin (Chile) is the #2 seed and beat Schwartzman in the Córdoba final (the week before the Buenos Aires tournament)

 

 

WTA: Doha 500

Svitolina is loving life. She has yet to take the court in this tournament and already most of her challengers are out.
 

Bertens (5 seed)… OUT to Ostapenko

Bencic (6 seed)… OUT to Madison Keys (playing her first match of the year) 

Brady (7 seed)… OUT to Kontaveit (EST)

Kerber (3x Grand Slam Champ)… OUT to Kontaveit (again)
 

In other news Jessica Pegula over Ostapenko 6-2, 7-5 with a challenged ACE on match point.

SIDE NOTE: I like the digital image as well as real video image of the calls that they have in Doha.
 

DOHA SEEDS REMAINING:

2 Pliskova (vs Jabeur)

3 Sabalenka (vs Muguruza)           

4 Kvitova (vs Pavlyuchenkova)

8 Azarenka (over Siegemund today)
 

UNSEEDED MATCHUP TODAY:… STARTING NOW!!!

Maria Sakkari (25th ranked/Greece) vs Madison Keys (19th ranked… via 24 month help/ USA)

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Azarenka is hobbling around the court yet has broken Svitolina twice to start the match. She also took an injury time out after the first game of the match and is serving in the low 80s on her first serve. 

Svitolina has practically been handed a bye to the semifinals. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

54 minutes ago, perfectchaos007 said:

The qualifier Pegula is into the semis at Doha. Hell of a year for her so far 

And just as I said, even with a horrible back (something I experienced this past Saturday-> Monday/Tuesday), Vika Azarenka beats Svitolina in straight sets. 

She didn’t even sit down during changeovers because it hurt too much. My guess is that it is an inflamed nerve coming out of her sacrum, but maybe that’s just projection. 

I like Svitolina, but B+ is her ceiling. Usually she plays at a B or B- level, but can play at a C level and not shock anyone. She has no A+, A, or even A- game. 
 

Tommy Paul beat my guy Bublik and looked like he was on tranquilizers doing it. Just from the neck up. No reaction from him the entire match, but now I’m a fan. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Tauson/Giorgi at 6 am in Lyon QFs. 

This is the match that I’d like to watch, but The Tennis Channel has chosen Tsitsipas vs Khachanov for my viewing pleasure. (Bigger names, don’t care.)

I just found out that both of Giorgi’s parents are Argentine immigrants, so I have a new found connection to the most uncomfortable player (off the court) in professional tennis.

Today’s lineups. 

2213E1D3-CAA7-45C0-B61B-0B4052F4CA8B.jpeg

CB34495B-A81A-44F7-8EF3-CCBF8E68C907.jpeg

4DE2435E-ED11-4CAB-8445-72C6D6E2750D.jpeg

2690E3FE-04EE-4DCA-AEF4-BE1B777A0A01.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don’t tend to bet, but I have a good friend who has a tendency to bet on sports nearly every day so it is on my radar.

I knew that Tauson was going to crush Giorgi, but the thought of betting on the match never occurred to me... until I saw that Tauson had beaten Giorgi 6-3, 6-1...

...and I thought “Shiiiiiittt!”, I would have bet about $200 on that outcome. And since Giorgi is ranked about 81st and Tauson is ranked about 130th, Giorgi may have even been favored. Double shiiiiiittt!

Edited by Napoleon
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the match that I’d like to watch, but The Tennis Channel has chosen Tsitsipas vs Khachanov for my viewing pleasure. (Bigger names, don’t care.)
I just found out that both of Giorgi’s parents are Argentine immigrants, so I have a new found connection to the most uncomfortable player (off the court) in professional tennis.
Today’s lineups. 
2213E1D3-CAA7-45C0-B61B-0B4052F4CA8B.thumb.jpeg.51978b9b25faa5d8c21c140e3b60b5bc.jpeg
CB34495B-A81A-44F7-8EF3-CCBF8E68C907.thumb.jpeg.e3f61e54807572df4afbb46712682f69.jpeg
4DE2435E-ED11-4CAB-8445-72C6D6E2750D.thumb.jpeg.64c2ad75061bafc6dc50f77271cdc666.jpeg
2690E3FE-04EE-4DCA-AEF4-BE1B777A0A01.thumb.jpeg.273a41cfc768e269b59e27b1bf57b0c3.jpeg

What’s wrong with Giorgi off the court?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, HoustonFrog said:

What’s wrong with Giorgi off the court?


She seems like she's afraid of her own shadow.

I've never seen an adult look as uncomfortable as she does.

 

3 hours ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

It’s not really her, her dad is the one most don’t like. 


This may explain why she always looks on edge. That would be a bummer.

Not a lot of professional athletes get implants during their playing career. Sounds like dad might be her coach and "manager". Ugh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today's final between dueling amazons looks to be a good one.

Kvitova just blew a hit on a drop shot and might dump the 3rd game of the match... NOPE, two straight points brings her back to deuce.

Kvitova leads the head to head 5-1 and I would expect her to win today. She is faster around the court and her left-handedness is Mugarutha's kryptonite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm pulling for Francisco Cerundolo to make it to the finals in Buenos Aires. His 19 year-old brother went through qualies last week and then WON the Córdoba Open ATP 250 and now this qualifier is up a set in the semis in Buenos Aires. (The family is from Buenos Aires and shares the same surname of former USMNT Steve Cherundolo, though they didn't change the spelling upon arriving in Argentina.

Kvitova won.

Rubalev beat a tired Tsitsipas in straight sets and that Clara Tauson continues to steamroll the field in Lyon. I'm going to go have a productive Saturday while listening to the last two weeks of Surly podcasts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Hefeweizen said:

What streaming service do you use for most of your watching?  Is ATP TV more worthwhile than Tennis Channel?  I was looking to add one only.

I have TC with DirecTV & then ESPN+ for 3 of the Slams (TC covers French). This is the best site for finding just about any random match... 

https://www.jokerlivestream.org/joker-tennis-live-streaming-39.html

Hell, they have fucking Guadalajara qualies on there today. 

 

YouTube also has a lot of matches if you just search the players' names & filter to last hour. 

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Schwartzman gets his first title as well. 

First title IN... ARGENTINA.

Diego's little ass has won before, but never in Argentina. (I think that there are only two tournaments a year in Argentina: Córdoba & Buenos Aires. Both 250s)

If the announcers didn't make a mistake near the end, both of these guys are members of this tennis club: Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club: 1 on the map and an arrow pointing to the stadium used for the this past week's tournament.

I have included a map that shows 4 tennis clubs in close proximity. Also noted the Polo Grounds, the Horse Racing Track (Hipódromo), the Domestic Airport, and the GEBA (sports club) rugby stadium where I saw The Killers in 2009 with my Argentine ex.

Tennis Clubs in Buenos Aires.png

Edited by Napoleon
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anisimova crushing it on her first serve. (And getting most of her first serves in.)

She is steamrolling her opponent and is up 4-1 in the 2nd set. (1st set ~ 6-2.)

She has a single wrap on her right ankle just above her shoe. She "fell down some stairs"* a week or two ago and had to withdraw from Doha. She tested positive before the Aussie Open, so this is basically her first action of the year.

She is playing with lots of power, seems very business-like and appears to be a bit slim. (Though not as skinny as some "Tig" girl who played earlier and looked way too skinny to be a serious pro.) Also, she is looking rather tall. Don't know if she's 5'9 or taller, but she's looking at least that. (NO, I'm not going to look up her height.)
 

*"fell down some stairs" sounds like something that a battered wife says to hide that she's being beaten, or that college kids use to explain away a drunken mishap. Don't know what really happened, but it always sounds like an alternative explanation.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Muguruza (9) absolutely beating the shit out of the ball and sounding like she is slaying an ogre with each swing of the racket. And...

She wins on her first match point. 6-3, 7-5

She was down 3-5 in the 2nd set and the opponent was serving for the set, but the grunting Muguruza broke back on a crushed a forehand a few feet from “down the line” that hit the tape and dribbled over due to tons of topspin. Muguruza never ever even looked at her opponent, much less feigned an “I’m sorry”/“Discuplame” body language, she just coldly walked straight to her chair, which required the opponent to wait while Muguruza crossed in front of the chair umpire first. 
 

Cold blooded!

She cruised from there. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just turned on The Tennis Channel and they are showing LIVE WTA tennis from Guadalajara, MX.

The Mexican sensation from last year's Acapulco tournament, Zarazua, was serving for the set, up 5-4. But unfortunately she was broken. Then the announcer said...

"And we have our 10th service break to start the match."

...But Zarazua couldn't get over blowing her set point when she lost "a long rally". She double-faulted at deuce, and then blew a forehand wide of the doubles lane. Then her only point on Kawa's serve was a double fault, which led to the impressive line...

"And on our 11th game, we have our first hold of serve."

And after the commercial break, we hear...

"It took 55 minutes before someone finally held serve."

Then Kawa hit long on nearly every point and now on to the tie-breaker. Which led to the line.

"It's only fitting that in a set filled with service breaks, we go to a tie-breaker."

And now, we have three four five six seven consecutive mini-breaks to start the tie-breaker. 😂


UPDATE: Kawa held on the 8th point of the set... and then lost the next point on her serve. So after 9 points, were on serve.

And Zarazua wins her first service point to put it even at 5-5.

"14 double-faults combine in the 1st set."

Edited by Napoleon
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is like fairly bad high school tennis.

Like tennis at public schools that don't have budgets & property values like Westlake or Plano West or Highland Park...


UPDATE: A really, really long rally of mediocre, tentative forehands, slightly more powerful backhands, some defensive pseudo-lobs to a person who was already back on the baseline and finally the non-Mexican girl hits it into the net and then bends over like she busted a gut. (Only 28 years-old, but looked like she was 45 there.)

First serves of the 2nd set was 74 mph, but I think that the last serve of the tie-breaker was 59 mph. (95kph was on the display for "serve speed")

Edited by Napoleon
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

And now we're about to get a bagel in a little over 20 minutes. 

Followed by a Mexican woman interviewing a Mexican player in ENGLISH in front of a Mexican crowd.

Interviewer: "Thees especial day."

Zarazua: "Congratulations to all the womens."


Then the British guy who announced the second set said "Well said." after he's been saying "Guadalara" instead of "Guadalajara" for the last 20 minutes.


1) After the English portion, Zarazua should have been able to address the crowd in Spanish. (Even Iga Swiatek addressed the large Polish crowd in attendance in Adelaide in Polish.)

2) The British re-gard announcer on The Tennis Channel could listen to the name pronunciations on the WTA site before calling a match and he could have someone say the name of the city before he starts saying it (wrong) several times while announcing matches from the tournament.

Edited by Napoleon
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

All these ‘Rona-protected rankings sure have fucked up some draws. 6 of the remaining bottom 8 in Dubai are seeded, with Pegula & Garcia the other two. The top is, well, not strong. 

http://wtafiles.wtatennis.com/pdf/draws/2021/718/MDS.pdf

At the start of the year, they tour should have cut off two weeks from the equation (2019, then 2020) for each week that passes in 2021.

So by the start of March 2021, rankings points should only be accessible back to May of 2019.
Then by the start of April 2021, only as far back as July 2019. 
Then by the start of May 2021, only as far back as September 2019. 
Then by the start of June 2021, only as far back as November 2019. 
Then by the start of July 2021, only as far back as January 2020....

Jessi Pegula, Garbiñe Mugaruza, Iga Swiatek, Jen Brady, & Shelby Rogers should be much higher . . .

. . . while . . . 

Ash Barty & Elina Svitolina should be much lower.

Edited by Napoleon
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...