Tennis

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Szlia

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In a match that spanned two days (thanks to the british weather) and that I absolutely did not see, Cilic (last year's finalist who just won the Queen's) somehow lost to Pella in five sets after winning the first two... and we are talking about a 28 years old journeyman who, before this event, won only 6 of the 21 Grand Slam matches he played in his whole career. He is at 8/23 now!

Cilic was in the top half of the draw, supposed to face Federer in the semi. He certainly was potentially one of the major hurdles in the swiss' way, but that semi final spot can still be filled by Raonic or, why not, Isner. If they meet in quarter final and the match reaches a fifth set (after 4 tie-breaks obviously), that can last a while...


That upset overshadowed another one: italian journeyman Fabbiano beat an haphazard Wawrinka in three sets. The swiss lead 6-2 in the first set breaker and lost it! I guess he was a bit hangover after beating Dimitrov...
 
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Szlia

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Guys... Gulbis is playing. He qualified for the main draw and won three rounds with as many five setters! The last one against World N°3 Alexander Zverev with a stingy 6-0 in the fifth!

We could have had a Gulbis vs Kyrgios, a feat of shot making, raw talent and pure bullshit, but the australian had an off day and was playing Nishikori and nobody can afford an off day against Nishikori. So we'll get an opposition in style with Gulbis vs Nishikori.

The true surprise guest of the 2nd week though is the 23 year old american Mackenzie McDonald ranked 103. He has no huge feat to his name, but shanked the guys who did the giant killing in his part of the draw. He will have to do some giant killing of his own now as he will face Raonic.
 
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taebin

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Fed started out incredibly strong in the 1st set, but has been spraying them since. Not crisp at all. Anderson is playing decent, but it's really Fed making unforced error after unforced error.
 

taebin

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Well, Roger started playing better, certainly not his best, but Anderson red lined every forehand and just didn't miss. Sometimes it happens. Frustrating because he'll probably come out cold versus Isner or Raonic and lose in 4.
 

Szlia

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Very strange match. I only saw the first three sets and the very end of set five, but still... Federer started brilliantly. Serving well, returning extremely well, mixing things up very well in the few rallies that occurred... Anderson was rushed behind his serves and his returns and just could not deal with that Federer. At the beginning of the 2nd set though, Anderson managed to plant the seed of doubt. He held in a service game that went to deuce and made a string of very good and aggressive returns to break Federer. The swiss broke back soon after, but, from then on, free points on serve felt rarer and rarer, and the confidence and flair on display in the first set almost vanished. He became tentative with his first rally shot and uninspired in the rallies, not swinging freely and in the process allowing Anderson to sink his teeth into the match, hitting big ground strokes.

Still, this so-so Federer found a way to win a breaker (even when wasting his two first set points with wayward forehands) and get a match point in the third and, once broken, get three consecutive break back points... Playing so-so could have been enough to win in straight sets today, but, as it turned out, if you play an average match AND don't capitalize on the few opportunities you get (Federer was also the first to get a break point in the 5th) AND your opponent maintains a high quality performance throughout, you lose. If anything, it's pretty crazy that Federer found a way to extend the match to 13-11 in the fifth while his game deserted him.

You can add this match to the new Federer tradition since his winning come back: losing matches after having a match point. Off the top of my head, in about half his losses he had match points! Yay?


Federer's loss is interesting, because suddenly the B4I dropped to one for Djokovic, Nadal and Isner. The B4I, or Big Four Index, is the number of members of the Big Four you have to beat to win the trophy (a concept invented by me, even if I suppose other use it too). The B4I was 3 for Nishikori, so he knew the draw was not working in his favor. The B4I was and still is 2 for Anderson, so still a tough ask. On the other hand, Isner, who found a way to beat Raonic in only 4 sets (only two breakers), might feel that it's a big opportunity to be at a B4I of 1.
 

Szlia

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Tomorrow we will see a number of articles about all the drama surrounding Serena Williams in the US Open final (again). Hopefully, we will also see many articles about the more interesting story: the incredible level of play of 20 year old Naomi Osaka, who after a semi final were she saved a mind boggling 13 out of 13 break points against Madison Keys (who, like everyone else, could not believe what was happening) just bossed around Serena Williams, out serving her, out rallying her and keeping her composure through all the drama and in spite of the stakes. If this was not a fluke, a magical fortnight, if Osaka is able to keep this level, stay fit and keep her ice cold determination, I expect to see her lift many other trophies.


PS: About break point saved, I am compelled to mention (again?) that 2010 game between Nadal and Garcia Lopez in Bangkok during which Garcia Lopez saved 24 out of 26 break points and won the match because in the third set he converted the only break point he had in the whole match!
 
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Ameraves

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I don't watch tennis, but since this was plastered everywhere I couldn't help but watch the video. It seemed to me that she threw an absolute childish fit, got called on it, and then played the gender card when she didn't like being called out.
 

Zzen

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Serena Williams is a disgusting human being, inside and out.
 
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Szlia

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The break down is this: in tennis, like in many other sports, there is a code of conduct. I am not sure of the exact terminology, but there are minor infractions and major ones. Major ones make you lose the match instantly. This happens from time to time, usually it's when a player throw his or her racket and it hits an official, a ball kid or a spectator. Nalbandian actually lost the final in Queen's against, I beleive, Cilic a few years back, because he kicked one of these little advertisement panel that are in front of the line judges and it hit the judge in the leg, injuring him! Now that was dumb! Anyway, minor infractions are things like swearing, breaking your racket, etc. At the first minor infraction you get a warning, at the second one you get a point penalty, at the third you get a game penalty and I believe the fourth is a set penalty and that at the fifth you lose the match, but I have never witnessed it. Warnings are pretty common, point penalties happen from time to time, usually in long men's matches because the guy forgot he already got a warning and sent a ball flying off the stadium in anger or something... game penalties are really rare. Also it should be noted that the warning you get for taking too much time between points when serving is another beast (though I am not sure about the warning for taking too much time when receiving, but that almost never happens so yeah).

In today's match Serena Williams got a warning early in the 2nd set for a minor offense: coaching. In grand slam tennis you see, there is no coaching. The people in the box can cheer, say well played, but they can't say "Slice more!", "Play her backhand!" or whatever. One of the interesting thing in tennis is that, like in chess, the athlete is alone during the match and has to figure a strategy or adjust the one that has been planned with the coach. It's a rule that is notoriously poorly and unevenly applied. In part, because the refs often don't understand or plainly can't hear what the coaches are saying. Tony Nadal spent the whole match talking to his nephew earlier in his career, Djokovic and his then coach Becker all but admitted that they used code signs during matches, etc. In today's match, Serena Williams' coach, Patrick Mouratoglou was dumb enough to use pretty clear hand signs to convey to his charge that should should play toward the middle of the court to let Osaka create her own angles. The chair umpire Carlos Ramos saw that and gave a warning to Serena Williams.

Williams was more than a little displeased. Not only did she not see her coach's gestures (which btw is irrelevant), but she felt she was accused of cheating which was unbearable to her (she uttered a quote that is destined to become famous: "I prefer to lose than to win by cheating"). Tension was high (also helped by the fact Osaka had won the first set by a resounding 6-2) and some chatting ensured during the change of ends. This anger actually helped Williams as she broke Osaka in the next game, but the resourceful and imperturbable japanese player broke back immediately. This caused Williams to shatter her racket.

The umpire has some leeway to decide what amount to a racket abuse violation. Dropping it is ok. Throwing it is fine unless you do it over and over (players sometime get a soft warning... they are warned that they will get a warning if they go on). Breaking the racket on purpose though is an automatic minor infraction and a second minor infraction is an automatic point penalty. This did nothing to better William's mood. Additional chatter ensued (I think Ramos being somewhat sympathetic to her earlier plight wrongly gave her the impression that the warning was voided?) and when play resumed, Osaka held to love and then proceeded to break Williams again to get ahead 4-3.

At the change of ends, a furious Serena Williams just tongue lashed the umpire during a minute. Demanding apologies, calling him a thief and also a liar I believe, vaguely threatening him that he made a career ending decision, etc. That was a little too much for the phlegmatic portuguese umpire who gave another minor infraction to Williams. Third minor infraction: game penalty. Obviously Serena Williams was not too happy about it to put it mildly, but a call to the supervisor (someone who can correct the umpire) confirmed the decision. Feeling robbed, the 9th time finalist and 6 times champion held her serve convincingly, pushed by a sympathetic crowd. For a moment it felt like the drama could be a turning point in the match, boosting the veteran and destabilizing the rookie. In some alternate universe, Williams broke back a shaking Osaka, clutched the 2nd set and steamrolled her way to victory in the third. In our universe, a cold blooded Osaka played a great rally, fired an ace and two service winners to win her first Us Open title.


I guess you can argue that the initial warning for coaching was a bit harsh considering they are almost never called. You can also argue that Ramos might have used a little more psychology and give Williams a soft warning after the point penalty, reminding her she has to watch her tone and tongue as a third infraction would force him to give her a game penalty (maybe he did not because earlier in the week another umpire, Mohamed Lahyani, got side-lined because he used a little too much psychology with Kyrgios, almost giving him a Davis Cup style pep-talk at a change of ends!). That is fair, but on the other hand, a veteran professional player should be able to understand the situation she is in and not break a racket 5 min after getting a warning, know she better focus on the match rather than on decisions she cannot change and realize nothing good can come out of accusing the umpire of being a thief. Still, some Williams fans are dejected (former player Marion Bartoli who did the commenting on the channel I watched certainly was!). In the end though, the point and game penalty came on Osaka's serve so it is very likely it had no impact on the outcome considering how well she played through the whole final. If anything, feeling slighted fueled Williams as she was heading for an unceremonious 6-2 6-2 loss without it.
 
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Merrith

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The "there is no coaching" rule is pretty laughable though. Literally every player with a coach receives coaching from their box. I didn't see the match so no idea if her and her coach were engaging in something obviously over the line, b/c the rule is virtually never enforced and you rarely ever see a warning for it. She clearly lost her shit after that...and playing the gender card isn't a good look at all, even if she isn't wrong that plenty of men have gotten away with breaking their rackets or swearing at chair umpires over calls/overrules by them.
 

Lendarios

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You never complain to the referee when you are winning. She go her shit pushed in, and found a scapegoat!!! on the referee. She came out like a big baby out of this.

She is the new Kanye; taking the spotlight for herself when it was someone else turn.
 
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Merrith

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She was down 1 set to 0, but wasn't she up a break in the 2nd set when the shit all went down? I only saw highlights but thought she was up 3-1 in the 2nd or something
 

jooka

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Tholan

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The coach was pretty dumb to act like that, and I can understand Serena reaction : she got a minor infraction for something she didn't do.

In my opinion, if the rules state that no coaching is permitted, and got called for that, then it's fair.
 

Gavinmad

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The dude was unquestionably trying to send her signals, whether she saw them or not is irrelevant. If she has a problem she can take it up with her coach, not the ref.