Tennis Random, Random (On Court)

[Fastbackss]

Exactly.

As Deuce pointed out below, the language is vague - does "affected" modify/the court or the player? I'd say player because if it was court, then affected should be before court - "any player on the affected court." My god, if I have to diagram a sentence to resolve a tennis dispute....

I think the rule needs clarification and I'm going to ask the USTA. Just to know the rule.

Thank you all for your feedback and commiserating.

I believe there was a similar question in the Tennis magazine ask the rules expert section. I don't recall how long ago, but I recall it saying it had to be intentionally vague - and that the let can be called at any time because safety must be paramount...

The byproduct of course is when there is gamesmanship. I have a doubles opponent who does this all the time - it will be against the fence in the back and if they are losing the rally he calls it.

[ti-amie]

Looks like a fun book. Congrats to your friend

He mentions Colombia in the podcast. Says he saw many more RF hats there than in Switzerland - because the Swiss don't fawn over Roger or any athlete. They adore him and show it at the Basel tournament, but otherwise they don't reveal themselves to be RF superfans.

Listening to the podcast, I kept wanting to ask Suliso, "Is that true?" when Dave interpreted something about Switzerland's character and applied it to Roger. Like the fact that he's not outspoken about social/political issues, something he is sometimes criticized for - is that the famous Swiss neutrality, as Dave observes, rather than a calculated move by Roger to keep sponsors happy? Also not fawning over athletes as celebrities. He also evidently discovered Europe's tennis club system there. I guess he wasn't familiar with the setup of little clubs in small towns, and that clubs compete against each other at all levels. Germany and France have the same thing, and Dave wonders if other countries do, too. I'd think so. Dave also said tennis clubs have good restaurants and are relatively affordable places to eat in Switzerland.

One great anecdote from Sackman - he wore an RF hat in Switzerland and no one said a thing. But on the train to Belgrade, an older woman shook her fist at him and said, "Not Roger. Novak."

I have two anecdotes about his fans. On the way to the US Open a few years ago on the #7 in a car full of people heading out there most of whom were talking within their groups about whatever could barely hear themselves because of two Fed Fans discussing the beauty of his game at the top of their lungs. Eventually everyone fell quiet except those two but they didn't get the hint and continued that way until we were able to escape them at the US Open stop.

On the other hand my daughter and I usually spend the first day or two with a friend who is a rabid Fed fan too. This particular year Federer was playing on Ashe - he had tickets - and he left us watching another match. He came back about half an hour later and we asked what happened. He said he couldn't take his fellow stans.

[Suliso]

Any of you remember when we last had (if ever) Q vs Q ATP or WTA final? There will be one in Lyon tomorrow.

[patrick]

WTA had a Q vs LL years ago in Australia where Ivanovic won the title. Forgot her opponent.

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

[ponchi101]

Borg retired with a little under $4MM. Connors I think with a bit over.

[Deuce]

And doctors, nurses, teachers, etc. make how much in comparison?
People respect and value professions based on income. People value the wrong professions.

The way that money is distributed on this planet is equally pathetic.

[ponchi101]

Knowing their endorsements and potential future income, once they are off the court, I say Roger may have the chance in a couple of decades to become the first tennis billionaire. Novak will be Serbia's Prime Minister in about 20 years. Rafa will vanish from sight, writing a book called "The rich old man and the sea".
We know Sharapova continues with her business ventures, but she is starting from too far back to reach the billion mark; she will make it to about half.
What about Serena? She will not disappear and her girl seems truly enthusiastic about the sport. But I can't read her, so who knows
---0---
@Deuce:
"Money, it's a crime
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today
But if you ask for a rise it's no surprise that they're giving none away"

But you knew that

(And no, I don't think that money is the root of all evil today).

[JazzNU]

Roger couldn't be the first tennis billionaire. At the very most he could become the second (assuming there aren't others I don't know about). Ion Tiriac holds that title.

You're not the only one who has referred to him being the potential "first", I've even seen it as a title of an article in the past. I assume there's some recency bias and amnesia going on, but even that's a touch strange given his current ownership of a major tournament on both tours.

[ponchi101]

I didn't know that Tiriac was worth that much. I knew he was loaded but a quick search says he is worth $1.27B.
Thanks for the correction.

[Liamvalid]

How come Serena’s not higher? Is this not counting doubles earnings on top of singles, or is the sex disparity that bad

[Deuce]

Knowing their endorsements and potential future income, once they are off the court, I say Roger may have the chance in a couple of decades to become the first tennis billionaire. Novak will be Serbia's Prime Minister in about 20 years. Rafa will vanish from sight, writing a book called "The rich old man and the sea".
We know Sharapova continues with her business ventures, but she is starting from too far back to reach the billion mark; she will make it to about half.
What about Serena? She will not disappear and her girl seems truly enthusiastic about the sport. But I can't read her, so who knows
---0---
@Deuce:
"Money, it's a crime
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today
But if you ask for a rise it's no surprise that they're giving none away"

But you knew that

(And no, I don't think that money is the root of all evil today).

I don't think that money is the root of all evil, either. Greed is. And greed manifests itself through money and the acquisition thereof.

People measure success based on the monetary value of one's income, rather than based on the value of one's contribution to society. When greed is celebrated as a wonderful achievement, things are backwards.

People say we should strive for equality - but the huge majority celebrate the opposite - they celebrate inequality...
When some people have 4 houses and other people have none; when some people wear new clothes every week and other people wear the same clothes for a year... it's incredibly obvious that there exists a major defect on any planet where this occurs.

[meganfernandez]

How come Serena’s not higher? Is this not counting doubles earnings on top of singles, or is the sex disparity that bad

Must be WTA Tour prize money vs ATP Tour prize money, and she hasn't played (or won) the tour events as consistently as the Big 3.

[JazzNU]

It's also just the years in addition to the different prize money on tour. She's been at it a long time, since before there was equal prize money at the Grand Slams.