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Post by leelee on Mar 29, 2009 22:02:55 GMT -5
So, Tennis Channel has gotten much better since I used to bitch about it like a year ago. Lately, they seem to be showing lots of old and classic matches. Today, I watched most of a 2000 Davis Cup match with Pornikova vs. Dokic. Match wasn't great or anything and Anna choked a lead, but I feel disappointed when I see the talent that Anna had. If she stayed serious into the lean years starting in 2004, I'm sure she'd have won slams. Also, it's weird how the current Dokic looks so similar to her in 2000... yet, she was so busty and hot from like 2002-04. Also, Becker vs. Doohan from 1987. Yi Brin would have hated this bug serving matchup. Doohan only won because he had a ridiculous returning day. Of note, Boris was really grumpy and ornery the entire match... almost to the levels of Mopey Muzza today. I never thought of B. Becker as a curmudgeon. The stuff I enjoy most are these Pepsi Grand Slam Exhibition things from like the late-70s, early-80s. They're 8-game supersets with McEnroe, Vilas, Ashe, Gottfried, all the top ranked guys from those days. Most of them I've never seen play, and tennis was so much better then with the older equipment. Also, Ashe's game was sooo pretty. Big, perfect serve. Great volleys. Such a smooth game other than his weak groundies. He so would have been my favorite. So, yeah, I just needed a place to rant about this.
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Post by janie on Mar 30, 2009 16:25:31 GMT -5
Today, I watched most of a 2000 Davis Cup match with Pornikova vs. Dokic. Match wasn't great or anything and Anna choked a lead, but I feel disappointed when I see the talent that Anna had. If she stayed serious into the lean years starting in 2004, I'm sure she'd have won slams. A girl Davis Cup match! But no, sorry, even though Porni was talented, she would NOT have won Slams. Ever. From age 17 or so onwards, she became a choker to make today's chokers look like Nadals. You would have been so frustrated with her. People forget that she spent only a few months of her 8-year WTA career in the top 10 and there was a reason for that beyond "injuries" -- the girl did not have the mentality to get it done. I should start looking at Tennis Channel, though; thanks for the tip. I've almost forgotten I have it, what with Miami and IW being elsewhere -- an elsewhere that isn't available in my neck of the woods.
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Post by leelee on Mar 30, 2009 22:08:59 GMT -5
Oops.
The main reason was because her arrogance cut off her career at 19 years old, with a brief comeback in 2002.
Yes, she had many tough losses against the top players in her day... but, it's amazing how consistent Anna was. By 2004, those top players were pretty much gone. You won't convince me that Myskina and Kuznetsova were better than her in any way. Anna had all the tools in her game, except for the serve.
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Post by janie on Mar 31, 2009 6:48:59 GMT -5
And the brain. There was not only the increasingly-hobbling choking, but her game was so predictable; that's why a savvy player like Hingis never had trouble with her. I remember watching a Kourni match -- I think in Moscow? -- against Dokic, and I was really impressed with AK's running forehand. It was a "Wow!" shot. But it didn't take long for Dokic to figure out that every single running forehand was being driven to the exact same spot cross-court, and pretty soon she was hitting her own FH out wide again on purpose, AK would speedily run out and hit that nice running forehand -- but now Dokic would be waiting at the net in the perfect position to pick it off. And Dokic wasn't exactly Miss Smarts herself out there. Also, Mysina and Kuz won Slams before their heads got too freaked out. Anna's best chance would have been when she was that "I'm the queen of the world" 16 or 17-year old with no idea of her game's or her brain's shortcomings. Remember how she used to strut around out there like she had won 10 Slams? And in fact she reached just that one Slam SF at 16, and years later, a single other Slam QF. Not so great for a player whom the wtaworld crowd considers one of the GOAT (since most of them were in kindergarten when she was choking her way around the world). Kourni was just too high-strung and too hyper-aware of the cameras and the eyes of the world on her, and those traits, plus the fact that she never thought she needed to improve her game since she had reached a Slam SF at 16, doomed her to be an eternal choker rather than a champion.
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Post by Traveling Man on Apr 4, 2009 2:21:28 GMT -5
I honestly think Kournikova was talented enough to regularly win tour titles and eventually maybe the odd Slam if the draw fell apart, provided she had remained on her natural trajectory of upwards improvement. Up until she injured her thumb in the summer of '98, she was coming along nicely and would have been a factor at Wimbledon that year. Yes, Jana was playing very well, but if Anna was a headcase, what does that make Jana? No, I'm not saying Anna would have won, but another SF or even F would not have shocked me, had she been in the bottom half with Graf, Seles, and Davenport, all of whom she had defeated in the last 6 months.
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Post by DBBN on Apr 22, 2009 23:11:02 GMT -5
They are showing last year's Rome final. Hearts.
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Post by leelee on Apr 22, 2009 23:33:00 GMT -5
Yeah, they usually replay many matches of whatever last year's MS event before the current one. I love this channel now. I wish I didn't have to work.
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Post by DBBN on Apr 22, 2009 23:39:04 GMT -5
I'm sorry, it's the 2006 final, the awesome 5th-set TB one. TiVo did not identify the year correctly.
ZOMG Fed Cup this weekend. USA scrubs vs. CZE hotties.
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Post by leelee on Apr 22, 2009 23:48:30 GMT -5
They're also replaying the USA-ARG tie. See how horrible Jozami is.
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Post by janie on Apr 24, 2009 14:49:53 GMT -5
Dang! I wish I were home instead of up here in my no-tv house in Bitter Cold Tiny Town. I want to see Jozami!
Come to think of it, I think I saw Betina play in person, in Allentown a couple years ago. I don't remember anything at all about her game, though.
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Post by leelee on Apr 24, 2009 22:40:03 GMT -5
Rome and Madrid coming. Endless coverage ensuing. Yay.
With TTC showing 2000 hours of coverage for every non-USian Masters Series and ESPN360 for all the slams now, I'm so spoiled.
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Post by janie on Apr 25, 2009 6:34:22 GMT -5
It was the US Masters events that threw me off. We had NO coverage where I live, except for the final weekend on network tv, because the local FoxSports outlet chose to air infomercials instead of tennis. I understand when they give the Phillies and Flyers precedence over tennis, but not infomercials! Cheapskates.
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Post by leelee on Apr 25, 2009 23:17:29 GMT -5
Same here for IW and Miami when Fox Sports Whatever had it. I don't think those networks have the rights to show whatever they wish.
Cincy and Canada are covered sufficiently by ESPN.
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Post by DBBN on Apr 30, 2009 15:17:48 GMT -5
"Tennis for Yoga" instructor Anastasia is giving me a stiffy
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Post by leelee on Apr 30, 2009 15:19:32 GMT -5
That reads better with the Beavis avatar.
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Post by DBBN on Apr 30, 2009 15:22:18 GMT -5
B & B would not change the channel if they saw Anastasia come on. ("Whoa." "M heh yeah!") But I don't think either of their households can afford the extended sports package.
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Post by leelee on Apr 30, 2009 16:01:17 GMT -5
They shouldn't have been able to live in their own house while occasionally working at Burger World when they felt like it. Logic cannot be used with B & B.
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Post by DBBN on Apr 30, 2009 21:06:10 GMT -5
Their moms are probably whores. Money in the bank.
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Post by DBBN on May 11, 2009 13:18:34 GMT -5
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Post by leelee on May 11, 2009 14:53:39 GMT -5
TTC doesn't have the rights to early-round WTA matches outside of slams, thankfully.
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Post by DBBN on May 11, 2009 16:41:20 GMT -5
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Post by leelee on Aug 15, 2009 22:04:51 GMT -5
Random babbling:
So, TTC has shown the 1999 USO final a couple times now. Andre vs. Todd. This was a match at the time which was extremely painful for me. I've always loved Todd, and I HATED Andre in the 90s. Hate to the Mickelson level. Time has softened that, although I still think Andre is kind of a douche.
Anyway, Todd was graying here and it was realistically his last chance at a slam. And his nerdy wife is soooo cute. Andre, die. Todd luckily goes up 2 sets to 1... it's that situation where you know he's still probably gonna lose, but your hopes are high. Of course, Andre squashes him and Todd plays hideous in the 5th especially.
After this match, I swore off tennis for a while. Andre's comeback made me so ANGER. Don't even get me started on 99 RG, oh if TTC shows that fucking nightmare again. My back aches watching Medvedev serve.
Anyway, with a clearer mind watching it now, Andre is very good and it's nice to see how happy he was after finally realizing his potential. And poor Todd was pretty fortunate to make 2 slam finals with his slothness. So, meh. There's no point to my posts here.
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Post by leelee on Aug 15, 2009 22:09:50 GMT -5
Also, TTC needs to show less Davis/Fed Cup. I know it's because it's one of the few tournaments they had the rights to in their early days... but, really, enough. Crowds are so annoying.
Also, Leach is a good announcer. I like how she's honest. Even though her opinions are usually bullshit. I guess that's what happens with one who is reason for everything bad in Women's Tennis.
Also, they keep hyping Jimmy Connors working for them at the Open. UUGGHH. Like I really want to hear that drunk.
Also, I never see No Strings at all anymore. But, the stupid vacation show with Mieke Fuckin' all the time. Boo.
Ok, I'm done.
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Post by DBBN on Aug 15, 2009 23:05:00 GMT -5
I watched that Andre-Todd match last week. I also watched it live with my elderly neighbor. Ten years. Sigh.
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Post by leelee on Aug 29, 2009 16:59:49 GMT -5
1991 final. Vintage Edberg kicking the poop out of Courier. I'm loving this.
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Post by leelee on Aug 30, 2009 17:18:30 GMT -5
ESPN Classic showing the 92 SF Edberg/Chang. I could do with just watching Stefan forever.
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Post by leelee on Aug 30, 2009 17:32:59 GMT -5
Oh, then they follow it with the 2003 SF disaster. Grar. Useless Fat Dave is fat.
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Post by DBBN on Sept 9, 2009 17:19:46 GMT -5
It's kind of cool they're showing whatever random crap is on Louis.
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Post by leelee on Sept 14, 2009 17:10:01 GMT -5
Yes, that was cool. I miss it already. Although, too much DNOC can fry your brain.
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Post by DBBN on Sept 14, 2009 19:57:01 GMT -5
Davis Cup next! Israel vs. Spain! BIGTIME!
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