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Post by The Chloe on Feb 15, 2013 18:09:10 GMT -5
The news told me that Serena is the oldest number 1, so i felt obligated to post about womens tennis. Serena so seamlessly shifts from life hero, to asshat, right back to life hero, doesn't she? Well, good for her. Enjoy this. She'll do something to annoy us again soon. Yay!
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Post by DBBN on Feb 15, 2013 20:17:39 GMT -5
I mean, athletes. One day the entire world thinks they are the inspiration for the future of the human race, the next day they shoot their girlfriend in the head because it turns out they probably always wanted to.
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Post by lexpretend on Feb 16, 2013 4:06:44 GMT -5
Gahhhh, I missed the last couple of days of tennis. - Good for Serena. So she cares about No 1 after all! - Good for Petra. If I'd watched it I'd be gutted but as it is I'm thrilled she played such a good match against Serena at all. I expected her to barely win games. - The Wozniacki family is a fucking disgrace and I can't believe any of that bullshit was permitted to happen.
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Post by Wagasi on Feb 16, 2013 5:22:23 GMT -5
How glorious would it have been for GOATra to return to form just in time to deny Serena a return to the world no.1. This only restates the sad facts that Serena is the best player on tour and Petra isn't the all-time-great-in-the-making she once seemed.
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Post by DBBN on Feb 16, 2013 9:38:00 GMT -5
Oh come on, even after Wimbledon '11 I was saying Petra would go 0-11 for the rest of the year and Leena said she will lose her next match to Camille Pin or something. Her game is always going to break down from time to time.
NOW. It is surprising to me she hasn't even made a Slam FINAL since then. But (a) I don't think anyone should have expected dominance, and (b) there is still time for her to rack up more Slams and become a notable player, if not an "all-time great."
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Post by lexpretend on Feb 16, 2013 12:32:21 GMT -5
So funny to see Ma$ha hysterically exhorting herself against an ultra-calm Serena.
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Post by Denise49IQ on Feb 16, 2013 12:44:36 GMT -5
Silliams FURIOUS with herself that she had to just face a BP.
Not sure about their YEC match, but does anyone know the last time Masha broke Serena's serve? lol
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Post by lexpretend on Feb 16, 2013 12:48:01 GMT -5
No bagels
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Post by DBBN on Feb 16, 2013 13:44:28 GMT -5
Also embarrassing for the Tour.
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Post by janie on Feb 16, 2013 16:57:10 GMT -5
On the changeover between sets, Sharapova’s coach Thomas Hogstedt encouraged her to watch for the big serve down the service “T,” serve to Williams’ body, and to go out there looking confident, aggressive and positive—whereupon the Russian went out and promptly fell behind 15-40 on serve, a position from which it doesn’t make much sense to look “aggressive” or even “confident.”Oh, the benefits of on-court coaching. When was the last time Ma$ha looked confident when playing Serena? She doesn't because she isn't, and she shouldn't be. TH should just be honest and tell his charge to "go out there and hope and pray she breaks her leg, because she's just so much better than you it isn't funny."
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Post by Grarliner on Feb 16, 2013 20:26:32 GMT -5
"I'm certainly capable of beating a player like that, like Serena, no doubt - that's why I'm always eager to get better and make my game better in order to go out onto the court and beat her."
Maria ...
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Post by Grarliner on Feb 16, 2013 20:27:33 GMT -5
Serena is actually racking up some Grafian numbers against these other top players. Today marked her tenth consecutive win over Maria - tomorrow is her chance to make it ten in a row over Vika too.
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Post by Grarliner on Feb 16, 2013 20:29:34 GMT -5
She was also asked about whether, at Azarenka's age, she thought she would still be playing now. "I never thought I would be, although I don't feel 31 - I don't know where the time went!" she said. "But I have nothing else to do. I'm still pretty good at tennis, so why not? I'd just rather not sit at home all day.
"It's kinda fun. I love playing. I love winning."
Poor Serena. Nothing else in her life except tennis.
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Post by lexpretend on Feb 17, 2013 3:07:39 GMT -5
A couple of months ago, I found this gem from a 1997 Venus press conference:
Q. You said that you don't plan to be on the Tour very long. Why would you say that? What makes you think you might not play that long?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I can't see myself playing through pain and injuries, year after year doing the same thing. I can't see it. I can understand it would be hard to quit, especially when you're on top of things and you're the best. I'm not going to stay there that long because I don't want to say that I spent all my youth on tennis and didn't do anything else.
I actually find the evolution of the Williamses from aloof outsiders to the tennis establishment who can't leave the sport behind rather endearing. Certainly I prefer the New, Mature Serena to the one who used to whine about how boring tennis was and why did they make her play tournaments, etc. It helps that she's not half-assing it game-wise, too. Some of the DTL shots she hit against Maria were astounding.
Janie is correct about how funny Hogstedt's coaching sounds.
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Post by Wagasi on Feb 17, 2013 7:50:38 GMT -5
Does Masha's persistent tactical ineptitude partly stem from her coaches focussing on her mentality and not her shots or game plan? I remember Michael Joyce (I think) coming on court between sets in that epic 2007 YEC final and basically just saying "you're tougher than her, you're better, you know you can do this." Gee, thanks.
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Post by Lady on Feb 17, 2013 10:31:56 GMT -5
Vika breaks 2*-1 Serena with a couple double faults
I'm always LOLing at Hogstedt's coaching. His usual advise when Maria is trailing is just hang in there, she can't keep that up, she'll choke. Now obviously that's often true in SEWTA world, but doesn't help against Serena.
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Post by lexpretend on Feb 17, 2013 10:32:19 GMT -5
Wow. Shankrena today. After holding in the first game, Serena's lost 10 straight points, inc two DFs.
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Post by lexpretend on Feb 17, 2013 10:36:34 GMT -5
What can Ma$ha's coaches actually tell her, though. She doesn't HAVE the shots to beat Serena. The match-up just completely exposes her one-dimensionality and inability to absorb pace.
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Post by Lady on Feb 17, 2013 10:42:59 GMT -5
Vika holds after saving a break point (and she actually did save it herself) 4-2
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Post by Lady on Feb 17, 2013 10:50:55 GMT -5
Serena levels the set 4*-4
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Post by lexpretend on Feb 17, 2013 10:51:51 GMT -5
So this is Azza playing pretty well versus Slothrena/Shankrena and the score is 4-4. Of course.
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Post by Lady on Feb 17, 2013 10:53:58 GMT -5
I don't think Serena is playing badly, she did for a couple of games and then Vika was leading. She stopped shanking and now leading.
When was her last shank?
Vika made more errors then Serena in the last couple of games, so how is it her playing well?
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Post by lexpretend on Feb 17, 2013 10:58:33 GMT -5
Serena's got it together somewhat but her reaction times are still awful and she's still making stupid errors...
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Post by Lady on Feb 17, 2013 11:02:18 GMT -5
Serena's got it together somewhat but her reaction times are still awful and she's still making stupid errors... Ok, Serena is so good, that even 70% below her best, she's better then soon-to-be #2 in the world. Or SEWTA players are so bad that even 30% Serena is still better then anyone/latest slam winner. I'm sure there were plenty of articles written on that after Serena returned to #1. And this horrible return from Vika surely shows how great she's playing.
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Post by DBBN on Feb 17, 2013 11:17:36 GMT -5
Serena complaining about Vika's THE HAND
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Post by lexpretend on Feb 17, 2013 11:19:00 GMT -5
LOL. Vika 5-2 up in the TB...
SW service winner. SW ace. VA DF. VA UE.
SP Serena...
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Post by lexpretend on Feb 17, 2013 11:21:13 GMT -5
Wow @ how Vika took that set in the end - Serena really unleashed on that FH but Vika just got it back and jammed Serena into making the error.
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Post by DBBN on Feb 17, 2013 11:23:03 GMT -5
First set to Vika in a TB
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Post by lexpretend on Feb 17, 2013 12:13:44 GMT -5
Second set was better; it felt a lot less one-sided than 6-2 would suggest, there were several multi-deuce games in there.
It feels refreshing watching one of these matches and not knowing who'll win.
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Post by Traveling Man on Feb 17, 2013 12:18:54 GMT -5
I can't believe Serena is going to lose to fucking Azza. Ugh.
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