Talk About Tennis 2.0

nelslus wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 7:32 pm I mean, seriously, I can also cop to, I would never want numerous players (Justine?!??!) to read my commentary on them. It IS painfully clear about the despicable horrors that women players (and all women) take on social media. I'll always be triggered by what happened to Marino- who is a huge heroine for me. I would never be able to take the crap that she and too many women players have taken.

Justine is free to read anything I've ever written about her. In fact, I'd be happy to perform it for her upon request.

The incredible thing is how Tiafoe has kept the showmanship under control. He is celebrating, but keeping it clean and controlled.
Two sets and no breaks of serve. That is odd, at this level.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 8:01 pm The incredible thing is how Tiafoe has kept the showmanship under control. He is celebrating, but keeping it clean and controlled.
Two sets and no breaks of serve. That is odd, at this level.

I mean, I think what is even more incredible is, Tiafoe has been choking away matches and big opportunities over and over again for months. Then- to come up with THIS level?!?! Just incredible. SO happy for Frances.

Technically, his running FH is a beauty. He can go from defense to offense in one stroke. Best I have seen since Pete.

Sabalenka is really like a tennis goddess, isn't she! She could walk onto the role of Wonderwoman..

Meanwhile, Swiatek is looking more and more like a champion..Pegula seemed to fade there, towards the end of the first set

Soon as I said she is playing well .Swiatek committing errors she never would .pegula just doesn't have enough pace to push her back so she is getting away with it...will not be so next round ..

Suliso wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 5:38 pm As I said few days ago that Kanepi choke might have given a new life to Sabalenka.

^ But why would this particular bad choke positively motivate her when she has badly choked away so many matches?
Unless you are saying that it's the choking badly, but winning the match this time that was the positive motivation. THAT, I can understand.

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 6:46 pm Would it kill people to just say she has played a great tournament, better than anyone expected, and leave it at that? Why does there have to be a negative? Y’ll are straining for negative things to say. This is what WTA players deal with - and women in general - that men don’t, for the most part.

^ When a player - ANY player, regardless of gender or shoe size or whether they hold the racquet in their left hand or their right - has beaten herself as often as Sabalenka has - especially with that degree of talent -, it leaves long lasting memories which leads to comments.

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 6:58 pm

ponchi101 wrote:A separate member has chastised us for our negative commentary about Ruud.

I could be guilty myself there. I’ll start paying more attention to knee-jerk reactions.

But Ruud isn’t a defending semifinalist here and recent world #2 and a constant target of derision. Not quite apples and oranges.

^ Nor has Ruud choked away as many matches as Sabalenka, or beaten himself nearly as often as she has.
The criticism of Ruud here has been that he's 'weak', rather suggesting that he's not that good a player. But his results prove otherwise. He is only perceived as 'weak' because he is not 'spectacular', and he has not won a Major yet. But he's only been a top 10 player for less than 2 years, I believe.
Sabalenka, on the other hand, is not criticized for being a 'weak', or not very good, player, but rather for not winning the matches that she was well on her way to winning, and that she should have won.

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 7:28 pm

nelslus wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 7:14 pm

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 6:46 pm Would it kill people to just say she has played a great tournament, better than anyone expected, and leave it at that? Why does there have to be a negative? Y’ll are straining for negative things to say. This is what WTA players deal with - and women in general - that men don’t, for the most part.

I genuinely hate feeling like I have to make comments, because I would never want to invalidate the crap that women and women's players have to take- which is an understatement, obviously.

However...on THIS site, the male players don't get snark? Don't get major criticisms? Novak? Zverev? The Entire Generation of Male Choker Tennis Players Who Wilted for Decades During The Big 3 (and, now and then, the Big 4 or 5) era?

It's not exactly straining to question whether or not Sabalenka can win this or any Slam, with her history- and BARELY making it out at this Open, only due to the choking of Kanepi. I mean, except for how loud she is on the court (which I cannot stand)- I can love watching Sabalenka's game- when she's playing well.

The last thing I want to do is come off as a sexist a-hole. But, this is how I feel here.

You're right, it's not straining. It's reflexive with Sabalenka. I don't think you guys are sexist. I know you're not an a-hole.

I didn't say men don't get snark. I said women get more knee-jerk criticism and cynicism, and Sabalenka is a prime example. I'm sure a few fellow female fans here would agree. I mean, it's not even a serious discussion. I won't reply to any other comments about this. It's too tiresome and I've spent too much of my energy in life on it. But I feel strongly about speaking out when I see it. Even if I'm not 100% right, I'm more right than wrong.

^ I don't interpret any of the criticism of female players on this discussion board as being rooted in the fact that they are female. Not even close.
On the other side of this, though, I do feel that some negative stereotypes of males is present in some of the criticism I've seen of male players here...

I was going to tell you guys something I thought was funny about someone's outfit, but I guess today's not that day, huh?

JazzNU wrote: ↑Thu Sep 08, 2022 12:10 am I was going to tell you guys something I thought was funny about someone's outfit, but I guess today's not that day, huh?

I watched a bit of Ostapenko losing in mixed just now, with her gold tennis "skirt". So, do go there. (Although, in this case, I'd go with disturbing vs. funny).

So my mom asks me a match or two ago, what's up with Iga's outfit? I said, uh, she's been wearing a version of it for months now. She say's it's bad look, like it's homemade. Like something someone's grandmother made or a friend who is a Project Runway hopeful broke out their Singer sewing machine. And now I can't unsee it.

JazzNU wrote: ↑Thu Sep 08, 2022 1:00 am So my mom asks me a match or two ago, what's up with Iga's outfit? I said, uh, she's been wearing a version of it for months now. She say's it's bad look, like it's homemade. Like something someone's grandmother made or a friend who is a Project Runway hopeful broke out their Singer sewing machine. And now I can't unsee it.

OMG. Please tell your mother. I mean, especially the Project Runway comment (Making the Cut also works for me). I love your mother. And my partner John wants your mother and you to know, he feels the same.

Swiatek seems to lack feel on the ball ...has no confidence to Hit it ..Maybe they really are too light .

That first set sucked, but the quality of the tennis was much better in the second set. Both players were returning lights out. I still think Sabalenka will beat Swiatek, though.