Post: #26

Williams sisters eye bleach:







Russian Maria Kirilenko

Post: #27

The thing that pisses me off about chicks tennis is that I could probably go down to the park and get one of the better amateurs to beat some top ranked girl, well I guess it's pretty much like that with all sports some girl attempts to play.

Post: #28

My comment is coming from someone who was a juniors tournament player and has had 25+ years experience in tennis.
A decent division I male college player or just about any guy on a powerhouse team such as UVA, USC, Stanford, UNC, etc. would beat most women's pros. The gap is huge, especially when it comes to power and speed. Also, has anyone noticed that there are almost no pro women who play with a one-handed back-hand or who can serve and volley? Again the reason is because of lack of upper body strength for the former and lack of foot speed and serve for the latter.

To put it in comparison watching women's tennis is like watching women's basketball, you get some of the same game but acrobatic moves and power shots like dunks and alley-oops are missing.

Post: #29

Here's an article about a 203rd ranked guy playing the Williams sisters back to back

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/te.../96876832/

What was more intriguing at that particular Australian Open was that the two siblings had something of an inflated understanding of their abilities, developed from their being fresh-faced, and still in need of a few life lessons learned. So they marched themselves into the men’s ATP office to announce rather confidently they were ready to beat any tour player ranked around the Top 200 if someone wanted to take the challenge.

It just so happened that Karsten Braasch of Germany, once a top-40 player, but at the time ranked 203rd, was in ear shot. He thought it would be fun so stepped up to say he’d be happy to take them on.

The date was set and the day arrived. Braasch played a warmup round of golf in the morning, then came to Melbourne Park. The threesome went out to a back court where each sister would have a one-set shot at Braasch. Word had spread around the grounds that the event wsa taking place, which caused tournament officials to restrict admittance to the area to only those with badges.

Braasch would smoke cigarettes and sip beer during the changeovers, and to be honest no longer looked the part of a fit professional athlete. It made no matter. Braasch led 5-0 over Serena before winning the set 6-1, and then posted a 6-2 set victory over Venus.

It was all in good fun, but 19 years later, and a record six Australian Open titles later, Williams, laughingly, insisted recall of the event was not in her memory bank.

“I forgot about that, actually,” she said, smiling, on Saturday. “Gosh, I don’t remember that at all. Gosh, that was forever ago. I don’t remember what year it was.

“I have a terrible memory,” she added, still smiling.

Post: #30

On an international level, Thiem is one of the more recognizable & popular players on tour.

The US Open really fucked up by not putting this match on Ashe for two reasons:
1) As the economic capital of the world being NYC, tournament organizers potentially fucked Thiem over because exposing this calibre of a matchup to a general audience could've resulted in more sponsorships for this player.
2) This was also the USTA's opportunity to really generate more exposure for men's tennis & really increase the popularity of the sport amongst a general US audience....and they totally dropped the ball for A) Coco Vanderweigh, B) a Nadal route, and C) a Federer blowout.

Doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever...

Post: #31

^I was lucky enough to watch that match from the second row. Energy was insane in there - so many Del Potro fans going crazy for him during the last 3 sets. I was rooting for Thiem personally, the really big guys just don't impress me as much.

Anyway they're always going to put American players and the top ranked players on Ashe over the likes of Del Potro or Thiem. This is who the general audience, who don't know too much about tennis, wants to see most. I'm happy that there are still great matches to be found on the lower stadiums, since not everyone can afford a prime Ashe seat. Shit is expensive.

Post: #32

DelPo might be getting his 2nd us open title this weekend.

Looked impressive in his Fed/Thiem wins.

Post: #33

The Anderson-Isner game was magnificent but real questions being asked about the tiebreak now. Novak or Rafa will have an easy time of it in the final.

Tennis really needs to address the issue because it's really bordering the ridiculous.

Post: #34

Bump.

With the US open coming up and the Big 4 getting older, who do you guys see as the new contenders for dominance?

Everyone says Zverev but I dont see him winning many slams despite his huge talent. Kyrgios is my favorite player but he doesn't seem to give a shit half the time (and admits it lol).

Post: #35

(09-07-2017 03:46 PM)Kaizen Wrote:  DelPo might be getting his 2nd us open title this weekend.

Looked impressive in his Fed/Thiem wins.

Maybe in 2019 Juan Martin Del Potro may win a Grand Slam. I hope Del Potro proves me wrong by winning the 2018 US Open final against Novak Djokovic.

I'm not surprised at all that Novak Djokovic made the US Open final. Although it's unfortunate what happened to Rafael Nadal. Nadal definitely pushed himself against Dominic Thiem in the quarter final & couldn't move at all against Del Potro in the semi final. I think Djokovic will win the final against Del Potro in 4 sets, tying Pete Sampras with 14 Grand Slams & then would be a 99.99999999999999999999999% lock to win his 15th Grand Slam at the Novak Djokovic Australian Open in 2019.

You have to consider that Federer, Nadal, Djokovic will have approx. 3-5 years of dominance left, especially Nadal on clay. Murray will have a tough road to reach the top 10 again after hip surgery. Remember what happened to NBA player Isaiah Thomas when he played through his hip troubles. Then there's the veterans making their last push for GS/Masters wins such as Del Potro, Cilic, Raonic, Anderson & Isner (if Isner ever wins his return games).

Here's a live under-22 ranking list (aka the 'Next Gen Rankings': https://live-tennis.eu/en/atp-ranking-under-22). Out of the young players not named Alexander Zverev, I'd guess Denis Shapovalov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Alex De Minaur & Felix Auger-Aliassime have the potential to reach the top 5 in 5 years.

It's more difficult to identify a transcendental young talent these days. Gone are the days of young GS winners such as 17 year olds Mats Wilander (1982 French Open), Boris Becker (1985 Wimbledon) & Michael Chang (1989 French Open), 19 year old Pete Sampras (1990 US Open) & 20 year old Marat Safin (2000 US Open), who defeated Sampras in the final 10 years after Sampras won his 1st US Open. Lleyton Hewitt's youngest to #1 & Year End #1 record (20 years, 268 days) is unlikely to be broken. Nadal had the best chance for youngest #1 from June 6, 2005 to February 26, 2007 but he had to play prime Federer outside of clay.
_______________________________________________

I only have a brief opinion about the women's final. I'll be surprised if Serena Williams doesn't get her 24th Grand Slam & 7th US Open against Naomi Osaka.

Post: #36

Might be the only time I'm equally interested in a women's final

Im hoping Osaka takes it..

Post: #37

Tennis is awesome.

Racket I don't have a brand to recommend (not a fanatic or anything) but if you buy second hand consider fresh strings.

First thing I would do is get some lessons so your form isn't fucked off the jump.

Practice techniques: get a bucket of balls, hit serves, fill it up on the other side and repeat.

Hit them against a wall to play against yourself

I would work on forehand first.

Backhand can be done one or two handed. I generally do one hand but some angles two-handed is better.

Also I find cardio is more important than strength in this sport.

Post: #38

(09-08-2018 05:32 AM)Kaizen Wrote:  Might be the only time I'm equally interested in a women's final

Im hoping Osaka takes it..

Yeah women's tennis is watchable, the only other time I watch women's sports is the Olympics. I only watch women's tennis if I'm with my dad and uncles watching Wimbledon or something though.

Post: #39

This Osaka girl is so humble!

This was great!

Post: #40

I learned tennis mid 30 s just a few years ago and I wanted to take the opportunity to learn the game properly, so I hired the best coach in my city that I could find. I bought a ball machine to practice on after the lessons. Then, I signed up for tennis clinics, league play and a meetup group.

I got absolutely killed playing 3.0. as that was the lowest level but most of the guys had been playing for a couple of years. I found that playing in the meetup groups or drop in clinics to have a more chill and fun vibe, plus I didn't have to be on a schedule and was able to play against different players of various skill levels. It took me a couple of years to where I could compete well enough to compete with the guys who were good in high school.

I really enjoyed the process of learning something and having so much fun playing, I really love tennis. I stoppped playing for around 2 years and just getting back into the sport, and it really is a great and fun sport to play and even watch.

I actually took the opportunity to use tennis as an excuse to do some traveling. I attended all 4 major tennis Tourneys my 2nd year playing. I watched the French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open, and Australia. Fun travels.

I've seen guys get really good in a year that played a lot. I think it depends on your personality if you want to be self taught and get great form then definitely find a top tier coach and get lessons early so you don't develop bad habits. If you just want to do it your way then it's ok also. But I think when you play on your own before taking the lessons you will likely develop bad habits so it's likely best to take the lessons right off IMO.

I'm looking forward to the Australia event in January I plan to go. I'm really hoping Federer and Jochavich can get matched up at the Final or Semifinal.

I learned the one handed backhand. that's a very tricky shot to get consistent at. Also, I like watching the players with the one handed backhands play the best. The kick server is a fun shot also. I also love going for a very hard return serveI remember at the meetup group I was trying to kill the serves from all of the players for a few sessions and after studying some vidoes on youtube and being persistent at it, I was getting dialed in and my return serve became pretty dangerous at times

. If you get a chance to read Open by Aggassi, it's a great read. I loved that book.

Tennis is Fun!

Cheers!

Post: #41

Novak Djokovic has taken the Year-End No. 1 for 2018. Congrats Novak.

Has Novak regained his "Super Alpha mode"? Only time will tell. It's Novak's 2019 for the taking.

This is what I meant when I said that Novak has a 99.99999999999999999999999% chance to win his 15th Grand Slam at the Novak Djokovic Australian Open.
Here's a couple of articles highlighting Novak's great 2018 comeback run:

1. Where does Djokovic’s comeback rate among best ever? | Original Article: Where does Djokovic’s comeback rate among best ever?
   

   Quote:

   

   
   Novak Djokovic regained the world No. 1 ranking on Monday, having climbed from outside the top 20 at the start of the year.
   
   And the worrying thing for his opponents? He might have only just got started.
   
   Djokovic’s climb back to No. 1 has taken in two Grand Slam titles and a 47-10 win record, leading to a total improvement in his Elo rating* from the start of the year of +265.
   
   NEWS: Nishikori beats erratic Federer in London
   
   Elo ratings are an alternative to more traditional rankings aimed at giving a greater insight into a player’s performance ability.
   
   As impressive as that ratings climb is, it isn’t unprecedented, especially when you consider players who are just coming onto the scene and have the most room to improve over a short period of time.
   
   

   
   [Read full article for ELO ratings & explanation]

2. Why Novak Djokovic Is Playing Scary Tennis Right Now... | Original Article: Why Novak Djokovic Is Playing Scary Tennis Right Now...
   

   Quote:_______________________________________________
   Serb's dazzling serving numbers have underpinned his second-half surge in 2018 and make him the man to beat at the Nitto ATP Finals
   _______________________________________________
   
   What happens when the game’s best returner suddenly becomes one of the best players at holding serve? Things get scary. Quickly!
   
   Since Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic has been holding serve more than 9 out of 10 times. He continues to break serve almost once every three times. Any mathematician will tell you those are winning numbers.
   
   Having started the year with a 6-6 match record, Djokovic has completed the greatest in-season turnaround by a player to finish the season World No. 1 in ATP Rankings history (since 1973).
   
   Brad Gilbert, the former World No. 4, leading coach and now insightful commentator, traces Djokovic’s resurgence to his epic semi-final win over Nadal at Wimbledon. And, in particular, the Serb’s serving performance that day.
   
   “I thought that was his best-serving match in a long time and that match was the impetus to where he is now. His serve has been the huge difference in his game as he’s gone on this run,” Gilbert says. “He’s not serving massively bigger but, like Rafa, he’s a good spot server who hits the corners. He's hitting service winners and winning a higher percentage of first-serve points.”
   
   Prior to Wimbledon, Djokovic was winning 84.4 percent of service games in 2018. But since Wimbledon the Serb had held serve 90.9 percent of the time leading into Nitto ATP Finals. On a full-season basis, only five players have held serve at 90 percent or better in 2018: John Isner, Ivo Karlovic, Roger Federer, Milos Raonic and Nick Kyrgios. (It must be noted that those marks include the clay season, during which it can be tougher to hold serve. Djokovic’s 90.9 percentage rate has been achieved on grass and hard.)
   _______________________________________________
   You May Also Like: Read & Watch: Djokovic Presented Year-End ATP World Tour No. 1 Trophy
   _______________________________________________
   
   Caveats aside, Djokovic’s serving numbers underpinned his remarkable 31-1 record from the start of Wimbledon up to his loss in the final of the Rolex Paris Masters to Karen Khachanov. Gilbert believes that the Serb’s second-half run will continue, if not accelerate, in 2019.
   
   “I think he's about to dominate,” Gilbert says. “The freight train has started and it’s full steam ahead.”
   
   Gilbert was coaching Andre Agassi in 1999 when the American worked his way back from a low of No. 14 in May to win two majors [Roland Garros and the US Open] and finish on top of the ATP Rankings. Prior to this year, that same-season comeback was the biggest by a year-end No. 1.
   
   “Novak’s Wimbledon breakthrough and his 31-2 [match record] turnaround totally reminds me of what Andre did in '99 when he won the French, got to the final of Wimbledon and won the US Open. I think Novak is looking at a monster 2019. I could see him winning Australia and all of a sudden he's in play for his second Djoker Slam.
   
   “He’s tying Federer and Connors with five year-end No. 1 finishes. Beating Sampras' six year-enders, finishing his career with 45 Masters 1000 titles… all these things are possible. But right now I'm sure he's just focussed on finishing the year strong and winning the Nitto ATP Finals.”
   
   Did You Know?
   Djokovic's 23 aces against Nadal in his five-set victory at Wimbledon this year were a career-high for the Serb.

_______________________________________________
"Djokovic is the most complete player of all time. - Nick Bollettieri" #165

Post: #42

The next gen of Tennis is so sad compared to the Big 4. Enjoy this ride while it lasts.

Post: #43

Who's going to be in Melbourne for Aus. Open?

Hope I can see a Jochavich Federer Final. Roger is gonna crush his soul. Just want to see good match actually.

Big 4? I think it's just a big 3. Andy Murray has been long gone for some time now. He only has 3 titles, hardly worthy of being in the big 4.

As a side note - Has anyone recommendations on how to stream the games on demand internationally? I was trying to watch the French Open matches online but I can't find them. Live won't work. I don't have time to watch the whole match but if I can get on demand then I can watch that would be awesome!

Cheers!

Post: #44

What surface do you guys prefer?

I haven't done grass, just cement and clay.

I like the clay if it has been maintained well, prefer the smaller bounce. Bad clay gives lots of bad bounces however.

Post: #45

(11-14-2018 05:11 PM)godfather dust Wrote:  What surface do you guys prefer?

I haven't done grass, just cement and clay.

I like the clay if it has been maintained well, prefer the smaller bounce. Bad clay gives lots of bad bounces however.

I've only played on hardcourt & synthetic grass/carpet. I'd like to play on clay one day as I generally hit with a lot of spin.

I don't recommend playing too much tennis on hardcourts since it's basically painted over concrete. Video related:

_______________________________________________

I've watched this Youtuber's (Andrew) tennis videos as it's always good to watch players closer to your own level. I think he's from eastern US. He did a match against a subscriber/fan some time ago.


Wearing blue shirt:


Having a hit with a nationally ranked female college prospect:


Andrew's most recent tennis video (wearing hat & yellow shirt):


My level is similar to his. The guy has good court coverage & consistency.
_______________________________________________
"Swing high during the backswing, low to generate topspin potential, then high again during the contact & follow-through. It's kind of like a rollercoaster going down, then up." #173

Post: #46

I'm willing to pay up to 200 dollars to get access to the major tennis tourneys on demand in a format like NBA and NFL league pass offer. No luck so far....

I need access to the matches without commercials, scores and I can watch at my convenience. Is that possible?

Post: #47

This is awesome!

I found out how to stream the matches for free online. I can watch the replays now.

https://www.9now.com.au/australian-open-tennis

Express VPN - Australia play with the location until you find one that works with various Aus. locations.

You're welcome

Post: #48

Disappointed Raonic is out, he seemed to be playing really good until his last match.

His net game has improved a lot but the last match he got lobbed a couple times.

Post: #49

I bought some new tennis shoes online the other day, they were on sale but the regular price was around $130USD so I assumed they'd be pretty decent. The thing is, I find them to be pretty uncomfortable, they are only second pair of tennis specific shoes, my first pair was some cheap $40 Nikes so I thought those shoes were just pieces of shit.

Are all tennis shoes this stiff and uncomfortable compared to running or training shoes?