Tennis Thread

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

We decided against shelling out for a TV pass for matches that we mostly won't be able to see. Plus we'll be away the weekend of the final anyway.

I'm fortunate to already have most of what I need to see on espn2 and I don't mind the match to match back and forth and even split screens. During the week with work taking way too much of my time, I was just lucky to catch up by 8pm ET at night before the next day's matches were already starting here, so it has taken me 4 days to actually catch up to simply post here with all the coverage. I had City live on the big screen this AM while watching AO delayed from the overnight on the small one. ;-)

No doubt it will be another Alcaraz v Sinner final.

I'm not so sure after Sinner's last match. He was quite fortunate to get through against the enjoyable and surprising Eliot Spizzirri who had every chance to win that match had he simply played as well as he did the first set.

I'm going to say this now - I don't think Sinner makes the final here, and I'm not sure the oddsmakers are going to favor him much going forward if he suffers more leg cramps.

Ben Shelton has to get past Casper Ruud, but if he does, I'd favor him over Sinner or Darderi in the Italian matchup to get to the SFs.

#19 Tommy Paul has a big ask to take out #1 Alcaraz, and both have won all of their matches in straight sets, so tonight's match should be interesting.

From a "dark horse" and home country contender, it would not upset me in the slightest if #6 Alex de Miñaur could finally win a major. He ran down so many Frances Tiafoe points that I thought for sure were already put away, it was quite the show he put on. His upcoming match vs. #10 Bublik should be quite entertaining too.

The US mens and womens players both have a great chance to do something special with 9 out of the final 32 left. Only 1 of the top 12 in the mens is currently out, so things are very top-heavy there thus far.

On the women's side, it is also top heavy with 9 of the top 12 still playing. I'm a big fan of Canadian and Charlotte born Victoria Mboko tonight at the young age of 19 who is making quite the impression thus far in her play this tournament. I can hope...

 

[Sheikh rattle and roll]

We should he a bluemoon tennis competition going ;)

 

[Sheikh rattle and roll]

I’m going to do the US open this year and AO next year I think

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

We should he a bluemoon tennis competition going ;)

LOL - let me know now that I'm back to playing, though my location is probably not going to help there.

I'm in for doubles with sorted rankings too. Some of us are just happy to be competitive in a more "Senior League level" playing.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

I’m going to do the US open this year and AO next year I think

I'm tempted for the US Open this year too - have never been, but this year could happen. The AO, French, and Wimbledon are on my "bucket lists" to attend too.

I think year 1 in retirement will be an AO trip. With ice and freezing rain in the forecast tonight and all through tomorrow, seeing them sweat in Australia this week looks much more preferrable!

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

Well, if anyone is going to get a 3rd free pass tonight, it is likely to be Joker the way Sinner is prone to cramping.

I'm saying this now so it doesn't happen. Enough is enough already.

 

[Craig]

Alcaraz looks like he’s done here. He is struggling to run

 

[WickyWain]

Alcaraz looks like he’s done here. He is struggling to run

Came back from a break down in the 5th set to win it.

 

[Craig]

Came back from a break down in the 5th set to win it.

Yeah, must have been cramp but i was convinced he’d pulled a muscle because of how long he struggled for. Good job i didn’t have a betting account as id have unloaded the suitcase on Zverez towards the end of the 3rd set!

 

[smevchenko]

Djokovic v Sinner getting very tasty

 

[Dr Jacoby]

I’d hate to see Djokovic win after his fortunate victory in the quarters.

 

[smevchenko]

I’d hate to see Djokovic win after his fortunate victory in the quarters.

He got lucky yes, but you have to give him credit, hope he wins

 

[Xhavenjoe]

I’d hate to see Djokovic win after his fortunate victory in the quarters.

That's hardly his fault.
He has won titles when there has been great opposition, Federer, Nadal, Murray, beaten off the Zverevs and Medvedevs and still around, doing his best to take on Sinner and Alcaraz.
Can't see him getting anywhere near Alcaraz in the final.

 

[Craig]

That's hardly his fault.
He has won titles when there has been great opposition, Federer, Nadal, Murray, beaten off the Zverevs and Medvedevs and still around, doing his best to take on Sinner and Alcaraz.
Can't see him getting anywhere near Alcaraz in the final.

If he plays like that he could. The problem could be what’s left in the tank after that. One of the performances made all the more remarkable by the fact Sinner served brilliantly

 

[Xhavenjoe]

If he plays like that he could. The problem could be what’s left in the tank after that. One of the performances made all the more remarkable by the fact Sinner served brilliantly

Two great matches.
Can't recall when the 2 semi final games in a Slam tournament both went to 5 sets.
It would be ironic if Djokovic denied Alcaraz winning the Australian for the first time
I always wonder would Djokovic have won a few more if he hadn't taken that stance on Covid injections and definitely threw a Slam away when he got expelled for hitting his ball against a lines woman.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

It’s a funny old game. At 0-3 in the final set, Rybakina’s coach basically said to her “have you thought about putting some effort in?” And she’s now 5-3 up.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

It’s a funny old game. At 0-3 in the final set, Rybakina’s coach basically said to her “have you thought about putting some effort in?” And she’s now 5-3 up.

THAT was an amazing finals, and I too was fearing the worst for Rybakina once she got down 0-3 in that 3rd set.

Just a gutsy gutsy win by her, and I credit her and her coaching team for staying positive the whole time.
Her returns had more pace on them once she got down in that 3rd set resulting in both winners and Sabalenka hits into the net (on a good number of instances on that comeback).

Honestly, Rybakina has played the most consistently all tournament long, and her finishes in the final 3 matches in beating #2 Swiatek, #6 Pegula (who performed the best of ANY US player), and #1 Sabalenka today was quite impressive.

Well done to her and her team who really showed a calmness and helpful approach that really seemed to work.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

THAT was an amazing finals, and I too was fearing the worst for Rybakina once she got down 0-3 in that 3rd set.

Just a gutsy gutsy win by her, and I credit her and her coaching team for staying positive the whole time.
Her returns had more pace on them once she got down in that 3rd set resulting in both winners and Sabalenka hits into the net (on a good number of instances on that comeback).

Honestly, Rybakina has played the most consistently all tournament long, and her finishes in the final 3 matches in beating #2 Swiatek, #6 Pegula (who performed the best of ANY US player), and #1 Sabalenka today was quite impressive.

Well done to her and her team who really showed a calmness and helpful approach that really seemed to work.

I don’t know if you got to hear what her coach said. It was really loud and clear on TNT over here.

Just calmly told her that her intensity had dropped and she went up a couple of levels. Goes to show how much sport is played in the mind.

Matches are always good when the players are evenly matched. The margins are so small.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

Two great matches.
Can't recall when the 2 semi final games in a Slam tournament both went to 5 sets.

Yeah, that first match was NUTS! With a full day of work on Friday and meetings most of the day, I could only get through the first match, and that was truly epic. Credit Zverev for having the mental toughness to take it the distance, and credit Alcaraz for having enough to win that.

I didn't watch the 2nd men's match until Sat AM here in the US. ;-)

It would be ironic if Djokovic denied Alcaraz winning the Australian for the first time

It would be ironic, but as a Nadal and Alcaraz fan, I can think of other words...

I'm hopeful Carlos got the rest and treatment today to allow him to come back. The fact that the final match is played at 7pm at night will hopefully help prevent him from cramping again.

I always wonder would Djokovic have won a few more if he hadn't taken that stance on Covid injections and definitely threw a Slam away when he got expelled for hitting his ball against a lines woman.

And that is part and parcel why a few of us still don't cheer for him. Good on him for his overall career and he deserves all he has achieved, but some things don't just 'go away'.

If he can get through both #2 Sinner and #1 Alcaraz, he'll have definitely earned #25.

Wish I could be live posting about it here, but I'll be back on Sunday (very delayed) after all is said and done. 3am EST is not in my cards to start this. ;-)

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

I don’t know if you got to hear what her coach said. It was really loud and clear on TNT over here.

Just calmly told her that her intensity had dropped and she went up a couple of levels. Goes to show how much sport is played in the mind.

Yes, I did hear that, even though I was watching West Ham blow a 2-0 lead on the other TV screen (live) at the same time... bummer there.

Matches are always good when the players are evenly matched. The margins are so small.

They really are, that match showed it: each player won 92 points, Rybakina claimed 62 per cent of her service points to Sabalenka's 61.5 per cent, and committed one fewer unforced error (25 to 26) than the top seed.

That says it all.