Tennis Random, Random (On Court)

[meganfernandez]

A bit like in USSR. You couldn't leave that country either whether you wanted or not. Difference is that there only those with a special exit visa could travel internationally. In China most can leave (pandemic aside) except those disfavored by the authorities.

Mind you US government could as easily block any of you from leaving, it's just that short of you being sought for some crime they don't.

How does a country block you from leaving if you aren't detained and in custody? Another country might not let you in if you don't have a passport, but Peng could arrange help if she doesn't have her passport.

[ti-amie]

Remember when John Lennon couldn't leave the States?

Why couldnt John Lennon leave America?
The reason behind his deportation stemmed from a 1968 United Kingdom conviction for possession of marijuana. The US' immigration laws dictate that anyone convicted of a drug offence would not be allowed into the country.Oct. 10, 2021

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... IgHr0nuAh6

[Suliso]

A bit like in USSR. You couldn't leave that country either whether you wanted or not. Difference is that there only those with a special exit visa could travel internationally. In China most can leave (pandemic aside) except those disfavored by the authorities.

Mind you US government could as easily block any of you from leaving, it's just that short of you being sought for some crime they don't.

How does a country block you from leaving if you aren't detained and in custody? Another country might not let you in if you don't have a passport, but Peng could arrange help if she doesn't have her passport.

Because in a country like China you have to show your passport upon leaving on the border and if the government has canceled it there is no way you can leave legally.

In US they could put you on a global no fly list. I've never crossed US land borders so don't know if they check your documents carefully there as well.

[ti-amie]

Needless to say this has caused quite a stir.

[Deuce]

Coming back to the Peng Shuai situation.
She was able to call Thomas Bach, president of the IOC. Why would she do that? Why call Bach and not Steve Simon, who is the chairman of the Association she works with/for?
Could it be that the Beijing Olympics are only two months away and the Chinese know that Bach will never utter anything bad about them?
er by the minute.

Yeah, surely it has to do with the danger to the Olympics that this is causing, and I'm sure Peng was encouraged or forced to call him.

^ I'm thinking that she didn't call him/them, but rather that he/they called her, and it was simply 'spun' as her calling them because that suited their agenda of deceit better.

"Players will be allowed to take only one bathroom break per match, timed at a maximum of three minutes from the moment a player reaches the bathroom."
^ But that's not enough time to leaf through the magazine!
Seriously, though - is 3 minutes enough time to deposit a 'Number 2', wipe, and wash your hands?
Talk about a pressure situation!

It's good that they will count only the time that the player is in the bathroom (obviously some sort of official will have to be with them to count the time), which eliminates 'traveling time' to and from, as the distances from the courts to the bathrooms will obviously vary.
But will this lead to some players deliberately walking very slowly to and from the bathroom?

"In addition, medical time-outs will be modified. They will remain at three minutes but must now be taken at a changeover or at the end of a set. If a player can’t play on until the changeover or set break, they must give away the points necessary to do so. The start date for this change has yet to be confirmed."
^ This is good. If you're not fit enough to play, then too bad - period. That's how it used to be before the players started being ridiculously pampered for every minor discomfort.

[oliver0001]

Re: Peng Shuai: I have been to China multiple times and am fluent in Mandarin. In other words: I know and understand China. Being alive and knowing where she is does not in the least guarantee that she is well. She could be under house arrest as so many Chinese dissidents are and have been for years. You cannot leave your house/apartment unless the Chinese government wants to “proove“ that you are not under house arrest, which for the reminder you are. So even leaving your house/apartment will be impossible, so not to mention leaving the city or country.

[oliver0001]

Even if you have not spoken out or done anything, doesn‘t guarantee you are safe from retaliation. Once I was staying in China with a Chinese family. We forgot to report to the police within 24 hours as is mandatory for foreigners. Somehow they found out. From that moment on and for the next week, there was a police patrol outside the apartment for 24 hours each day. The Chinese family was frightened to death.

[ti-amie]

WTA Award Nominees

Nominees for 2021 WTA Player of the Year Award

Ash Barty
Barbora Krejcikova
Emma Raducanu
Garbine Muguruza
Naomi Osaka
Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek

Nominees for 2021 WTA Comeback Player of the Year Award

Carla Suarez Navarro
Sania Mirza
Elena Vesnina
Ana Konjuh


Nominees for the 2021 WTA Most Improved Player Award

Leylah Fernandez
Maria Sakkari
Barbora Krejcikova
Ons Jabeur
Anett Kontaveit
Paula Badosa
Jessica Pegula


Nominees for 2021 WTA Newcomer of the Year

Emma Raducanu
Mayar Sherif
Ann Li
Clara Tauson
Camila Osorio
Liudmila Samsonova

[ti-amie]

My votes:

Nominees for 2021 WTA Player of the Year Award

Ash Barty
Barbora Krejcikova
Emma Raducanu
Garbine Muguruza
Naomi Osaka
Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek

Nominees for 2021 WTA Comeback Player of the Year Award

Carla Suarez Navarro
Sania Mirza
Elena Vesnina
Ana Konjuh


Nominees for the 2021 WTA Most Improved Player Award

Leylah Fernandez
Maria Sakkari
Barbora Krejcikova
Ons Jabeur
Anett Kontaveit
Paula Badosa
Jessica Pegula


Nominees for 2021 WTA Newcomer of the Year

Emma Raducanu
Mayar Sherif
Ann Li
Clara Tauson
Camila Osorio
Liudmila Samsonova

[ponchi101]

Barty, CSN, Anett and Raducanu.

[Deuce]

WTA Award Nominees

Nominees for 2021 WTA Player of the Year Award

Ash Barty
Barbora Krejcikova
Emma Raducanu
Garbine Muguruza
Naomi Osaka
Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek

Nominees for 2021 WTA Comeback Player of the Year Award

Carla Suarez Navarro
Sania Mirza
Elena Vesnina
Ana Konjuh


Nominees for the 2021 WTA Most Improved Player Award

Leylah Fernandez
Maria Sakkari
Barbora Krejcikova
Ons Jabeur
Anett Kontaveit
Paula Badosa
Jessica Pegula


Nominees for 2021 WTA Newcomer of the Year

Emma Raducanu
Mayar Sherif
Ann Li
Clara Tauson
Camila Osorio
Liudmila Samsonova

Emma nominated for 'Player of the Year', but not Leylah?
Leylah arguably had a better year than Emma. Leylah beat several top 10 (and former top 10) players on the way to the U.S. Open Final. And, apart from Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, we didn't see Emma at all.
Neither Leylah nor Emma should win this category - but, really... you can't nominate one without nominating the other.

Comeback Player should go to Navarro - not for her results, but for her courage and resilience.
Honourable mention to Mirza.

Leylah gets nominated for 'Most Improved Player', but not Emma, who was nowhere the year before and is nominated for Player of the Year? Leylah was more improved last year than she was this year, in truth. The nominees make less and less sense as we read on.
Most Improved should be close between Krejcikova and Badosa. Kontaveit had a nice run at the end of the season, but the other 2 were more consistent throughout a greater portion of the year.

Newcomer of the Year is ridiculous. Apparently, their definition of a 'newcomer' changes from year to year to suit whatever agenda they have. Leylah should have won it hands down last year (she was Wertheim's pick), but they gave it to Podoroska based solely on her Roland Garros. But Podoroska was not a newcomer - she had been on the tour for years. By that criteria, Leylah should get newcomer this year, as she's been on the tour for fewer years than Podoroska was last year. 'Newcomer' should also go to a player who looks like they will be at least in the top 30 for some years to come - Podoroska has done nothing except for that Roland Garros last year, and never looked like she would.

I can only figure that the nominees for these 'awards' were not chosen by a committee of people who are both knowledgeable and experienced in tennis, but rather by one drunk individual whose knowledge of tennis is limited to having watched half of one Wimbledon Final in the 1990s.
I hope to hell that same person doesn't pick the winners, too...

[skatingfan]

Bary, Vesnina, Krejcikova, Raducanu

[patrick]

WTA Award Nominees

Nominees for 2021 WTA Player of the Year Award

Ash Barty
Barbora Krejcikova
Emma Raducanu
Garbine Muguruza
Naomi Osaka
Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek

Nominees for 2021 WTA Comeback Player of the Year Award

Carla Suarez Navarro
Sania Mirza
Elena Vesnina
Ana Konjuh


Nominees for the 2021 WTA Most Improved Player Award

Leylah Fernandez
Maria Sakkari
Barbora Krejcikova
Ons Jabeur
Anett Kontaveit
Paula Badosa
Jessica Pegula


Nominees for 2021 WTA Newcomer of the Year

Emma Raducanu
Mayar Sherif
Ann Li
Clara Tauson
Camila Osorio
Liudmila Samsonova

Barty. Guess one USO title put you on the list and getting overhyped for it.

CSN for the courage but Vesnina had the best results on the court,

Jabeur for making history during the year. Kontaveit came on too late.

Tauson. Again, one USO title put you on the list.

[ti-amie]

[ponchi101]

I gather that when you apply for a job with the IOC there is a tick box that says "Are you a hypocrite?". And if you don't tick it, you are.