Talk About Tennis 2.0

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 28, 2021 11:51 pm

JazzNU wrote: ↑Tue Dec 28, 2021 10:56 pm

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Sat Dec 25, 2021 1:33 pm
Right, very strange. I want to know what’s up. Wonder why they broke up as a team, too. They like each other a lot and were doing so well.

So I'll off a counterpoint to this, though I agree Hsieh not being entered into Doubles is definitely strange. But the split with Mertens to me, not necessarily that odd.

What I've found truly strange over the last year was the adoration given to Mertens and Hsieh as a doubles team, over and above just their success on court. Elise essentially stole things that Aryna came up with for them as a team and was doing them with Hsieh and tennis media acted as if they were an original thing for Mertens and Hsieh and went wild for them, giving them more coverage than any other doubles team from what I saw. They seemed to want some darling Doubles story and these two became it. They've been acting as if Elise and Aryna were not a highly successful doubles team, and as if Hsieh was not coming off a long-term successful partnership with Strycova. The framing of the entire thing was very odd.

True, Mertens and Hsieh have just started playing together, so splitting is not that odd..I am surprised at Hsieh not being in the draw ar all, that is all .

Deuce wrote: ↑Wed Dec 29, 2021 2:02 am To me, it's rather obvious why the Hsieh/Mertens team received lots of attention - it's because they both came from very successful doubles teams where their respective partners decided to stop playing doubles.
When you have two successful teams that split up, and then two players from those two successful teams team up together, of course all eyes will be on them - to see if they have the right chemistry and can continue the success they had with their other teams.
Given the circumstance, I'd have found it much more odd if they hadn't received the attention they received.

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 28, 2021 11:51 pm

JazzNU wrote: ↑Tue Dec 28, 2021 10:56 pm

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Sat Dec 25, 2021 1:33 pm
Right, very strange. I want to know what’s up. Wonder why they broke up as a team, too. They like each other a lot and were doing so well.

So I'll off a counterpoint to this, though I agree Hsieh not being entered into Doubles is definitely strange. But the split with Mertens to me, not necessarily that odd.

What I've found truly strange over the last year was the adoration given to Mertens and Hsieh as a doubles team, over and above just their success on court. Elise essentially stole things that Aryna came up with for them as a team and was doing them with Hsieh and tennis media acted as if they were an original thing for Mertens and Hsieh and went wild for them, giving them more coverage than any other doubles team from what I saw. They seemed to want some darling Doubles story and these two became it. They've been acting as if Elise and Aryna were not a highly successful doubles team, and as if Hsieh was not coming off a long-term successful partnership with Strycova. The framing of the entire thing was very odd.

True, Mertens and Hsieh have just started playing together, so splitting is not that odd..I am surprised at Hsieh not being in the draw ar all, that is all .

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Wed Dec 29, 2021 4:05 pm

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 28, 2021 11:51 pm

JazzNU wrote: ↑Tue Dec 28, 2021 10:56 pm

So I'll off a counterpoint to this, though I agree Hsieh not being entered into Doubles is definitely strange. But the split with Mertens to me, not necessarily that odd.

What I've found truly strange over the last year was the adoration given to Mertens and Hsieh as a doubles team, over and above just their success on court. Elise essentially stole things that Aryna came up with for them as a team and was doing them with Hsieh and tennis media acted as if they were an original thing for Mertens and Hsieh and went wild for them, giving them more coverage than any other doubles team from what I saw. They seemed to want some darling Doubles story and these two became it. They've been acting as if Elise and Aryna were not a highly successful doubles team, and as if Hsieh was not coming off a long-term successful partnership with Strycova. The framing of the entire thing was very odd.

True, Mertens and Hsieh have just started playing together, so splitting is not that odd..I am surprised at Hsieh not being in the draw ar all, that is all .

Reportedly, the Belgian press said it was Mertens' choice to split up. (I guess I am going to see this curiosity through to the bitter end... hopefully will talk about something else soon!)

ti-amie wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 2:11 am

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 31, 2021 5:46 pm No way he was going to NOT be there if Novak is not going. A good chance for #21.
(#3 behind Medvedev and Zverev, to me).