The Official Tennis Thread (12 Viewers)

Jun 6, 2015
11,387
I've always found this hating on some athletes thing a bit odd. It seems to me that some simply can't handle the fact that there can be multiple great athletes. Maybe some see certain athletes as threats to their favorites and for their legacies. Then there's this desperate need for rivalry which sometimes leads to the creation of this good vs bad narrative that isn't usually true either. You can paint a bad picture or a good picture of most athletes. I'm not saying that you can't dislike athletes, but in my opinion quite often people become obsessive with their hating and everything becomes black and white.
 

Cerval

Senior Member
Feb 20, 2016
26,829
I've always found this hating on some athletes thing a bit odd. It seems to me that some simply can't handle the fact that there can be multiple great athletes. Maybe some see certain athletes as threats to their favorites and for their legacies. Then there's this desperate need for rivalry which sometimes leads to the creation of this good vs bad narrative that isn't usually true either. You can paint a bad picture or a good picture of most athletes. I'm not saying that you can't dislike athletes, but in my opinion quite often people become obsessive with their hating and everything becomes black and white.
I agree with obsessive hate, it's stupid. I might have used the wrong word previously when I spoke about Nadal. It's more of a dislike than anything else
 

Pegi

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2019
1,808
Nadal-Kyrgios currently has all the drama and entertaiment a match can have. Kyrgios is constatly bitching on umpire, they're going back n forth and the match itself, is in the 3rd set, score being completely even. There was a stat where Kyrgios had his forehand speed increased 5km after the code violation, just because he was hitting the ball more flat just by being pissed off. funny as hell.
 

s4tch

Senior Member
Mar 23, 2015
27,864
kyrgios is nuts, doesn't qualify for a serious athlete by any means, still one of the most entertaining guys on the tour these days. that's how boring tennis is since the big 3 took over.

speaking of which, the big 3 misses murray. he's just playing mixed doubles with serena. murray still has a very fine hand, such a pleasure to watch. too bad his killer instinct is missing.
 

s4tch

Senior Member
Mar 23, 2015
27,864
i thought i could never watch a full fedal again, but god, was the 4th set exciting. well done federer. he's almost 38, normally he should have retired like 5 years ago, and he's playing his 12th wimbledon final this sunday. incredible.
 

Pegi

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2019
1,808
i thought i could never watch a full fedal again, but god, was the 4th set exciting. well done federer. he's almost 38, normally he should have retired like 5 years ago, and he's playing his 12th wimbledon final this sunday. incredible.
It's really incredible. 2008 final used to hurt me big time but nowdays im kind of fan of all these 3 top guys. Federer was really better in this match and definitely deserved to go through. It's really remarkable that he's almost 38 and playing such a high level. I think he's backhand is better than ever and i think it has alot to do with the fact that he changed from 95sq to 97sq head size on his racquet. Federer just can keep the tempo so high that even Nadal as fast he is, can't get there fast enough so he kind of need to defend more than he probably would like to. Seriously, it almost feels like Federer is playing better tennis at age of 37 than he did at 25 or something, as ridiclous it sounds.

Im really looking forward to the final. Djokovic has the best ground strokes on the tour, he's able to hit straight from the bounce just like Federer is and on top of that, he moves really well. I still believe Federer can challenge him even i think, Djokovic is way tougher challenge than Nadal was. Im just little bit concerned about the recovering for Federer, guy has something like 40+ hours to recover at age 37 against the world number one, who is reigning champion at Wimbledon so it might be too much but let's Be21eve.
 

Prototype

Junior Member
Oct 22, 2009
352
It's really incredible. 2008 final used to hurt me big time but nowdays im kind of fan of all these 3 top guys. Federer was really better in this match and definitely deserved to go through. It's really remarkable that he's almost 38 and playing such a high level. I think he's backhand is better than ever and i think it has alot to do with the fact that he changed from 95sq to 97sq head size on his racquet. Federer just can keep the tempo so high that even Nadal as fast he is, can't get there fast enough so he kind of need to defend more than he probably would like to. Seriously, it almost feels like Federer is playing better tennis at age of 37 than he did at 25 or something, as ridiclous it sounds.

Im really looking forward to the final. Djokovic has the best ground strokes on the tour, he's able to hit straight from the bounce just like Federer is and on top of that, he moves really well. I still believe Federer can challenge him even i think, Djokovic is way tougher challenge than Nadal was. Im just little bit concerned about the recovering for Federer, guy has something like 40+ hours to recover at age 37 against the world number one, who is reigning champion at Wimbledon so it might be too much but let's Be21eve.
Federer used to play with 90'sq and switch to 98sq, after that alter to 97'sq. Rafa alway played with 100sq, Djokovic switched from Wilson 95sq to Head 100sq back in 2009. Sampras and many players from his era played with very small frame, for todays standards, just 85sq. Sweat spot is way bigger and easier to play with bigger racquets.

His BH improved with bigger frame, but not significantly untili Ljubicic came in picture, who also had great one hander BH. So 2017. onward Federer is almost diffrent player, thanks to his improved BH, to bad he cannot be any younger. His movement and speed suffer over the years, hence less and less IO FH utilization in his game. For sake of longevity racquet has been changed to try improving BH side, so he wouldn't have to run around his BH and play constantly IO FH, which was his strength in younger days. It takes time for pro, especially in his age, to dramaticly improve and change one of the groundstrokes along with diffrent/bigger frame.

This year grass is realy slow, but thank god bounce is low which is essence for grass. In 2006-2008 period, Nadal prepare for grass on damn clay !! They make him competitive by making conditions who favor his game, slow and bigger bounce than should be allowed on grass. When bounce once again become very low, he couldnt even see second week of Wimbledon after 2011. And he was still in his prime. And they never changed fu%@g clay
 

Pegi

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2019
1,808
Federer used to play with 90'sq and switch to 98sq, after that alter to 97'sq. Rafa alway played with 100sq, Djokovic switched from Wilson 95sq to Head 100sq back in 2009. Sampras and many players from his era played with very small frame, for todays standards, just 85sq. Sweat spot is way bigger and easier to play with bigger racquets.

His BH improved with bigger frame, but not significantly untili Ljubicic came in picture, who also had great one hander BH. So 2017. onward Federer is almost diffrent player, thanks to his improved BH, to bad he cannot be any younger. His movement and speed suffer over the years, hence less and less IO FH utilization in his game. For sake of longevity racquet has been changed to try improving BH side, so he wouldn't have to run around his BH and play constantly IO FH, which was his strength in younger days. It takes time for pro, especially in his age, to dramaticly improve and change one of the groundstrokes along with diffrent/bigger frame.

This year grass is realy slow, but thank god bounce is low which is essence for grass. In 2006-2008 period, Nadal prepare for grass on damn clay !! They make him competitive by making conditions who favor his game, slow and bigger bounce than should be allowed on grass. When bounce once again become very low, he couldnt even see second week of Wimbledon after 2011. And he was still in his prime. And they never changed fu%@g clay
Could have been straight from 90 to 97, wasn't sure so i just trusted my guts and thought it was 95 because he used it at some point as well. Rafa has always used the Babolat, even tho it's the older version, unlike the painting would suggest. Are you sure about Djoko using 100sq? Im pretty sure he's using 95sq, but i could be wrong. Bigger sweets spot and bigger potential spin yes, control is just better with a smaller frame and that's why some of the players still do prefer smaller frames. For example, im used to 95-97sq, i have never liked the Babo's. I used to have Wilson six one 95 but currently using Wilson Blade 18x20, string pattern being that for the better control.

Ljubicic definitely helped Federer with his BH, just like Edberg had effect on his volleys etc. I wish Federer actually was two-handed BH just because how more of a stability it adds to game. Im glad he kind of fixed his BH, because he definitely suffered big time for years with it. I would not personally suggest anybody using one hander, unless you have some restricted movements and therefore, it's more natural to swing with a one hand. Of course, it's more "majestic" and can provide more power than any groundstroke, but it won't add up for what it loses in all the other areas. Djokovic for example has the best return in the Tennis and if he was one hander, i think it wouldn't be possible. Stan is whole different story then, he has probably the best BH in the game when it's on, but then again he returns way behind the baseline or should say, he isn't actually returning, he wants to hit the ball and once he's able to hit the ball with such a force, it's possible to play like that.

They have been desperately trying to slow the surfaces , not just for Nadal. It has alot to do with the TV-ratings, people don't want to watch points being serve, return and then a winner or even just an aces or failed returns. It of course benefits Nadal, but once again clay season is about 6 tournaments in the spring so i wouldn't really say Nadal is in any way benefitting from the current Grand slams being 75% away from the clay. Oh well, it just happens to be that in Spain, clay Tennis is just too dominant and since Nadal is from Spain, he's been moulded to a clay player since his childhood, which again ain't anybodys fault - it just how it is.
 

Prototype

Junior Member
Oct 22, 2009
352

kappa96

Senior Member
Jun 20, 2018
6,884
Halep was unbelievable today. Serena didn't get near her.
Up until now she had some kind of complex against her. Halep was 1-9 in head to head.
This was a great surprise and me and my country are proud of her. By doing so She became the greatest Romanian tennis player of all time.
 

Pegi

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2019
1,808
Yeah you are right about Djokovic, but didn't want to go into details because many peapole don't know shit about tennis and it's equipments. So i was thinking why bother, many share opinion of his 100sq racquet, so let it be. But you are quite actualy framiliar with sport and play it. So here is the link that confirm what you are saying.

http://tennisnerd.net/gear/racquets/pro-player-racquets/novak-djokovics-actual-racquet/8956
Yes, i like to play myself and thanks for the link. I was wrong about Federer and right about Djoko, so it might make it up for me i guess :ziz: That whole equipment part of the game when they sell the stuff for the people by using top players names, by saying this is what Federer is using or this is what Rafa is using, it's just something i don't agree with. Of course, it's way better for the people to use those market racquets because they've been made way easier to use and as a better fit for a regular players, but it's still something when you sell them with the price as they come for, by using someone's name so it's kind of nasty. For example, Babolat released that duodecima version of that Nadal's racquet, which isn't even the same Nadal is using now and asking something like 200-300 euros for it, which is ridiculous. Oh well, if it gives the feeling of being Nadal while putting those RPM blasts on while wearing bandana, well i guess it worked.

Anywyas, Graz to Halep, was about time.
 

kappa96

Senior Member
Jun 20, 2018
6,884
Presumably alongside Nastase for the men?
I guess so. Old age hasn't been to kind to him.He was caught drunk driving twice , resisted arrest and was sentenced to 9 months and 3 weeks of jail time with suspension, all this in the past year.
Not much of a role model for the young generation but a former great tennis player.
 

JuveJay

Senior Signor
Moderator
Mar 6, 2007
72,074
I guess so. Old age hasn't been to kind to him.He was caught drunk driving twice , resisted arrest and was sentenced to 9 months and 3 weeks of jail time with suspension, all this in the past year.
Not much of a role model for the young generation but a former great tennis player.
Yeah he's always been a bit of a dick but sportsmen from that era are a different breed. Someone like Kyrgios would have fit in just fine in the 70s.
 

DAiDEViL

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2015
62,568
Up until now she had some kind of complex against her. Halep was 1-9 in head to head.
This was a great surprise and me and my country are proud of her. By doing so She became the greatest Romanian tennis player of all time.
Nice one :tup:

Can't stand the Williams sisters, especially Serena.
 

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