Tennis Random, Random (On Court)

[mick1303]

Rybakina came to her coach's defense:
Elena Rybakina: Stop criticising my coach for shouting at me

It seems it is their dynamic.
Very slippery slope there.

Now, I'm not saying she doesn't feel this way, but I saw her defense of her coach yesterday and I'd say there's about only a 3% chance she actually wrote that defense on her own.

Could you, plz, elaborate on this 3% claim? What is the evidence, if any, that her words do not reflect her position and that someone is putting words in her mouth?

[ponchi101]

As we emerge from the Australian Open, some thoughts-
1.:Djokovic is back, only Alcaraz can beat him, on clay
2. Sinner, Medvedev, and FAA are in stall mode, may not do much this year..Zverev may be back this year..
3. Expect good things from Rybakina and Bencic, both are playing at their potential ..
4. Sabalenka will be a major force in the clay court season, may even win the French, she has done well on clay the past couple years
5. Gauff and Pegula are not progressing, I don't expect them to win a slam this year
6. Jabeur has gone off the boil totally..she has a good record on clay but her game is actually better suited to faster surfaces like grass..
7. Vekic and Korda are the real surprises for me, hope they do well at the majors this year
8. Look out for Samsonova and Alexandrova in the next few months and Alycia Parks!
9.Linette was probably a one-time performance, like Trevisan last year..good performance but may not be repeated
10.Azarenka is still playing well..

In order:
1. Yes, he is back. Alcaraz AND a healthy Rafa (and that is a major IF) on clay can challenge him. Nobody else.
2. Add Tsitsipas. If he could not take a set from Novak (and his injury), that is not progress. Zverev? Let's give him some time. That was a brutal injury.
3. Rybakina, yes. I need to see more consistent results from Belinda (but I hope you are right).
4. She has done well in Madrid, usually a bad indicator for RG. But, with a slam now, let's see her confidence level. If she is now free to hit as hard as she wants, the losses may be few.
5. Gauff is at her career high ranking. Pegula... I will take your word.
6. Indeed, surprising. Ons has been nothing like she was last year.
7. Neither is a rookie. Korda had a very good tournament, but that injury may be bad. Vekic? Let's give her more time with Shriver, but she has been on the tour a long time now. I think she has a ceiling in the 20's.
8. Haven't watched them. Your word.
9. Linette? This years Tatjiana Maria. Great run, but she is 30. She is not suddenly getting into the top 10.
10. Azarenka. Maybe that was her last hurrah...

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

This is an interesting conversation from earlier today re Andreescu.

[ti-amie]

The article is - interesting.

[Fastbackss]

Is the article in the tweet that's gone?

[ti-amie]

Is the article in the tweet that's gone?

Yes. Myles referred to a long piece she wrote in November October of last year if I'm remembering correctly where she detailed trainer Abdul Sillah's attempts to work with both Osaka and Andreescu at the same time and all the drama that he caused. The fact that she referenced her own article was a bit troubling to me and may have been to others so that may be why she deleted the tweet. I'll see what she's done since.

Here's the article.

https://opencourt.ca/2022/10/28/after-t ... ild-osaka/

[ashkor87]

It is, of course way too early for the French Open but I would say, tentatively,
1. swiatek will probably win, as will Alcaraz
2. Sabalenka and Djokovic have a good shot too but should not be considered favorites
3, among the women, I like the way Ostapenko is coming along, and she knows how to win here!
4. Dark horses would be Samsonova and Anisimova
5. Am very eager to see how Leylah has recovered - played very well at last year's FO, would have been in the semis or even finals but for that injury.
Stuttgart in particular will tell us more.
The entire mini-,hard-court season has little bearing on the French Open, the surfaces are too different, except for IW, which is as slow as any clay court could be.

[ponchi101]

Too early. I will not have an opinion on any player after we have at least one clay tournament to get a view.
But. Anisimova right now is nobody's dark horse. She is producing no tennis of any quality to speak of.

[Fastbackss]

Yes. Myles referred to a long piece she wrote in November October of last year if I'm remembering correctly where she detailed trainer Abdul Sillah's attempts to work with both Osaka and Andreescu at the same time and all the drama that he caused. The fact that she referenced her own article was a bit troubling to me and may have been to others so that may be why she deleted the tweet. I'll see what she's done since.

Here's the article.

https://opencourt.ca/2022/10/28/after-t ... ild-osaka/

Yeah, I concur. That is quite a piece.

There was a lot of "reporting" in it, but I felt like a bunch was assembled by conjecture from social media posts. Also seemed like the reporting was made to meet the outcome she wanted.

Anywho, back to my coffee...

[ti-amie]

Myles doesn't have the best of reputations among sports journalists. Deuce, being in Canada, might be able to speak more to that situation. I think she used to cover MLB too.

[Deuce]

Myles doesn't have the best of reputations among sports journalists. Deuce, being in Canada, might be able to speak more to that situation. I think she used to cover MLB too.

I have no idea about any reputation she has, good or bad...
I've talked with her a few times at tournaments - she's always been nice enough to talk with. I don't particularly like her style of journalism, though, as it tends toward the more sensational, 'look at the scoop I got' type of stuff. And she seems to be very possessive of her 'Open Court' website, often being rather insulting to anyone who writes comments that disagree with or challenge her positions, and even to those who may not know a particular rule or some such.

She seems to retain a particular access to Canadian players, though.
And, yes, she was a baseball reporter prior to tennis, reporting primarily on the Montreal Expos for her hometown Montreal newspaper.

[ashkor87]

am very impressed with Alycia Parks' agility, footwork, ability to change direction - there was one point where she was mid-court, going the wrong way, effortlessly righted herself and changed direction without losing balance and hit a winner.. very very good volleyer, quite the best I have seen in a while now.. her athleticism reminds me of Venus..
in short, a future Wimbledon champion..not necessarily this year, but some day..

[ponchi101]

Wait. She is 22, her career high is 51 (this week), she just won her first title, and you are ready to name her a future W champion?
I will wait. Needless to say, I have not seen her play but if you are that impressed, I gather she is at a different level. But this is just one win.