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Post by Edna Krabappel on Sept 7, 2009 14:35:34 GMT -5
So, if Sweata loses tonight, there won't be a single Russian in QFs. When is that last time it happened?
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Post by janie on Sept 7, 2009 14:38:04 GMT -5
Wickmayer is winning. What a lucky thing that she will not be the Saint's next opponent! Those young Belgians worship their Saint.
On the other hand, the idea of Wickmayer and K-Bond fighting for a spot in the US Open SFs leaves me speechless.
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Post by janie on Sept 7, 2009 14:38:42 GMT -5
So, if Sweata loses tonight, there won't be a single Russian in QFs. We really do owe Oudin a lot!
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Post by Calico on Sept 7, 2009 15:01:03 GMT -5
Heh, the commentator here was dissing Oudin the whole time. Dementieva and Sharapova are much better, but they made so many UEs. The same with Petrova. Oudin's success reflects the state of women's tennis at this moment. We'll see if she'll be able to handle the pressure and big expectations from now on. She doesn't have the game to challenge the best players, but who knows, in a few years maybe she will. The way Melanie Oudin plays and wins tough matches with defense, counter punching and guts is the way to do it in women's tennis because women's tennis is all about unforced errors. If the mid sized Oudin who is about 5'6" tall and weighs about 130 pounds can master the art of playing fine defense and counter punching and not being a WTA choke artist that will be crucial in how successful she will become. Jelena Jankovic made it to #1 by playing outstanding defense and becoming a great counter puncher. But it's a tough way to play tennis for a career because it's very tiring.
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Post by DBBN on Sept 7, 2009 15:13:56 GMT -5
LOL at Nadejda and Petrejda.
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Post by Denise49IQ on Sept 7, 2009 15:15:58 GMT -5
Maria shrieking at the top of her lungs while hitting a weak FH to midcourt This vision amuses. A lot. For some reason. Oh man. I'm getting so tired of complaining now. Maybe laughter is the way to go... they should just market the tour as a circus. You could have a fashion show by Ree n Vee before each match showcasing the latest Aneres/EleVen pieces. Bring Tati and Anna back in some kind of Girlpower band, then bring Bree and Ashley out to cheerlead for the men. Etc. People would soon forget about the actual Women's Tennis.
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Post by DBBN on Sept 7, 2009 15:16:36 GMT -5
K-Bond beat Yanina in last year's Birmingham championship match for her only title...
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Post by Denise49IQ on Sept 7, 2009 15:17:35 GMT -5
K-Bond beat Yanina in last year's Birmingham championship match for her only title... I saw that live! Classic/terrible match.
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Post by DBBN on Sept 7, 2009 15:21:34 GMT -5
If K-Bond wins it, she'll be ranked #22. If Yanina wins, #21. LOLZ.
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Post by lexpretend on Sept 7, 2009 15:22:56 GMT -5
Sigh. Wickmayer's road to the QF is so unimpressive compared with what Kvitova's would have been.
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Post by DBBN on Sept 7, 2009 15:27:07 GMT -5
Sigh. Wickmayer's road to the QF is so unimpressive compared with what Kvitova's would have been. It's funny you say this, because I was just thinking...if Oudin makes the final -- ay yi YI -- at least we can't fault her quality of victories. But that she did get all of them...just a bad bad sign. WTA End.
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Post by R. Black on Sept 7, 2009 15:34:37 GMT -5
CBS salivating at the prospect of a WozPush Wickmayer semi-final.
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Post by lexpretend on Sept 7, 2009 15:35:08 GMT -5
If Oudin makes the final against Serena (we're one Sweta collapse away from that, folks!), WTAW might actually explode for good when the inevitable crowd bias becomes apparent.
Someone should compile all of Petrova's most notable chokes for posterity. There's at least one at each Slam now.
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Post by DBBN on Sept 7, 2009 15:40:43 GMT -5
If Oudin makes the final against Serena (we're one Sweta collapse away from that, folks!), WTAW might actually explode for good when the inevitable crowd bias becomes apparent. ZOMG amaze. I wonder if the Williams family would start boycotting the USO if that happened. So, if Sweater does not make the final...wow. Imagine how a whole bunch of people would react if "Pushniacki" was in a Grand Slam final.
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Post by GoDom on Sept 7, 2009 16:17:21 GMT -5
Oh man. I'm getting so tired of complaining now. Maybe laughter is the way to go... they should just market the tour as a circus. You could have a fashion show by Ree n Vee before each match showcasing the latest Aneres/EleVen pieces. Bring Tati and Anna back in some kind of Girlpower band, then bring Bree and Ashley out to cheerlead for the men. Etc. People would soon forget about the actual Women's Tennis. Isn't this a problem of women's sports in general? Let's face it: None of the "pro" women's sports (most of them aren't even pros) gets ANY respect if you compare it to the male version. It's not even remotely comparable, and many women players and teams get ridiculed. Tennis is (was?) the only exception. Well, not for everyone, as it still got ridiculed. But the push for equality backfires now because the men are stepping up and people realise again that women players are - worse. The only alternative is drama, circus and freak show. These have always been elements of the women's game but it doesn't work if it's not combined with some quality and excellence. And right now we don't have this.
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Post by Calico on Sept 7, 2009 16:19:02 GMT -5
Maria shrieking at the top of her lungs while hitting a weak FH to midcourt This vision amuses. A lot. For some reason. Oh man. I'm getting so tired of complaining now. Maybe laughter is the way to go... they should just market the tour as a circus. You could have a fashion show by Ree n Vee before each match showcasing the latest Aneres/EleVen pieces. Bring Tati and Anna back in some kind of Girlpower band, then bring Bree and Ashley out to cheerlead for the men. Etc. People would soon forget about the actual Women's Tennis. You should be the next WTA Tour CEO. ;D
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Post by Edna Krabappel on Sept 7, 2009 16:23:20 GMT -5
Let's face it: None of the "pro" women's sports (most of them aren't even pros) gets ANY respect if you compare it to the male version. It's not even remotely comparable, and many women players and teams get ridiculed. Tennis is (was?) the only exception. I think gymnastics is the exception as well, and probably a bigger one as the women seem to be even more popular than men. But the big thing in gymnastics happens once in four years, unlike most other sports. Oh, and figure skating probably, but I ignore that one. I agree with all the rest you said.
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Post by Calico on Sept 7, 2009 16:25:53 GMT -5
If Oudin makes the final against Serena (we're one Sweta collapse away from that, folks!), WTAW might actually explode for good when the inevitable crowd bias becomes apparent. Someone should compile all of Petrova's most notable chokes for posterity. There's at least one at each Slam now. What crowd bias? Only a very minority of New York tennis fans would root for Oudin over Serena because she's white and Serena is black. Most New York tennis fans would root for Oudin over Serena because of her major underdog story. I know because I'm a New York tennis fan.
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Post by lexpretend on Sept 7, 2009 16:28:25 GMT -5
Do female golfers get ridiculed? I never got that impression, though inevitably they were never taken as seriously as the men. Or has it all changed since Sorenstam retired, I haven't paid attention in years.
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Post by GoDom on Sept 7, 2009 16:28:31 GMT -5
Yeah, actually there are quite a few sports where women are equal or ahead of men. But in most of them there's no big money to be made. Women's tennis worked as long as it was different and thus incomparable to the men's game. They just played much slower and with GRACE and STYLE blah blah. Nowadays, it's mostly just a dumbed-down version of the men's game. Women in the 70's and 80's weren't better, but at least they weren't UE machines. No one wants to see that shit.
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Post by DBBN on Sept 7, 2009 16:34:34 GMT -5
Let's face it: None of the "pro" women's sports (most of them aren't even pros) gets ANY respect if you compare it to the male version. It's not even remotely comparable, and many women players and teams get ridiculed. Tennis is (was?) the only exception. Well, not for everyone, as it still got ridiculed. But the push for equality backfires now because the men are stepping up and people realise again that women players are - worse. This. Although, I think figure skating gets more respect for the women. But that's the only "sport" I can think of. Well, gymnastics. Tennis was at least respected equally. No longer.
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Post by DBBN on Sept 7, 2009 16:35:11 GMT -5
I think gymnastics is the exception as well, and probably a bigger one as the women seem to be even more popular than men. But the big thing in gymnastics happens once in four years, unlike most other sports. Oh, and figure skating probably, but I ignore that one. I agree with all the rest you said. Whoops. LOL. Yes. This.
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Post by Calico on Sept 7, 2009 16:35:27 GMT -5
Big John Isner is in the fight of his life against the tricky and skilled southpaw Fernando Verdasco. It's one set all and I like Verdasco's chances because he's winning most of the rallies and he's getting enough easy points.
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Post by DBBN on Sept 7, 2009 16:37:08 GMT -5
Do female golfers get ridiculed? I never got that impression, though inevitably they were never taken as seriously as the men. Or has it all changed since Sorenstam retired, I haven't paid attention in years. Women's golf is respected, yes...but men's golf is wildly popular, so there isn't a comparison there either. Tennis is the only sport where there was close to a equality regarding respect.
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Post by Calico on Sept 7, 2009 16:38:34 GMT -5
Do female golfers get ridiculed? I never got that impression, though inevitably they were never taken as seriously as the men. Or has it all changed since Sorenstam retired, I haven't paid attention in years. Not really. Other than Michelle Wie who received so much hype before she has ever won anything. Wie has settled down and is actually having a very solid year on the LPGA Tour even though she still hasn't won a tournament yet.
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Post by Denise49IQ on Sept 7, 2009 16:47:46 GMT -5
Oh man. I'm getting so tired of complaining now. Maybe laughter is the way to go... they should just market the tour as a circus. You could have a fashion show by Ree n Vee before each match showcasing the latest Aneres/EleVen pieces. Bring Tati and Anna back in some kind of Girlpower band, then bring Bree and Ashley out to cheerlead for the men. Etc. People would soon forget about the actual Women's Tennis. Isn't this a problem of women's sports in general? Let's face it: None of the "pro" women's sports (most of them aren't even pros) gets ANY respect if you compare it to the male version. It's not even remotely comparable, and many women players and teams get ridiculed. Tennis is (was?) the only exception. Well, not for everyone, as it still got ridiculed. But the push for equality backfires now because the men are stepping up and people realise again that women players are - worse. The only alternative is drama, circus and freak show. These have always been elements of the women's game but it doesn't work if it's not combined with some quality and excellence. And right now we don't have this. I couldn't care less about other women's sports. But yeah I think when the women get it right, the package can definitely rival the guys (obv very rare in sport), as it did around the turn of the century. If only we had all the personalities we had back then now.... Some great points were made in the other thread about how younger girls are more likely to take up team sports now because there's a much lower level or risk there than trying to become a pro singles player.
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Post by Denise49IQ on Sept 7, 2009 16:50:58 GMT -5
I think that's a big factor in the drought of young talent. And I don't really know what else. The game has basically changed beyond recognition since the mid-90s. Too physical. Bring back all the fatties.
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Post by GoDom on Sept 7, 2009 16:54:22 GMT -5
Mariaan de Swardt.
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Post by Denise49IQ on Sept 7, 2009 16:58:07 GMT -5
Mariaan de Swardt. Davenpork circa 96/7/8/9/00!
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Post by lexpretend on Sept 7, 2009 17:07:03 GMT -5
I fear the fatties have remained a constant in Women's Tennis.
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