The US Open 2014 thread

[bksballer89]

Rather boring start to the tournament....Not many interesting matches or upsets involving seeded players

BTW tmr Hewitt & Berdych are 2nd on Ashe

 

[Hs0022]

I think Graf would have eventually beaten Seles more consistently again anyways.

That's how some good rivalries work.

For example, Evert won against Navratilova early on, then Navratilova, then they would alternate more or less.

Nadal beat Djokovic for a few years, then Djokovic came back, now they somewhat alternate.

I think Graf and Seles could have been like that.

Or, who knows how long Seles would have peaked. She was still good enough to win 21 titles, including a GS, AFTER her comeback. It's not like she was 1/2 the player she used to be. She was still good.

Maybe she would have played at about the same level by 1995, 1996 anyways.

Two reasons why I doubt Seles as a true champion.

1. If she was indeed a true champion she would have battled the injury to come back and reign supreme again. And she was even babied by the WTA THAT FROZE HER RANKING AS #1, and ranked her as joint no. 1 with Graf.

2. She hadn't developed into a mature body when she hit her peak game and in women's tennis it is still doubtful whether you are going to be fat and slow once you are done growing into your body and she looked like she was bloating up. Graf was a fit machine if ever there was one and could easily make you pay if you were fat and slow ( just ask Davenport who routinely lost to Steffi until she shed weight and Graf got old).

 

[Liberal Icon]

Graf's h2h vs Seles 10-5.

Read up. This should enlighten you. Probably written by a proSeles (but not blind) tennis fan... Still Graf rules.

Monica Seles Stabbing: Steffi Graf?s Legacy | Tennis Frontier

It is comical to see you switch from attacking Serena to Graf and Monica after I had brought you down to your mediocre level. Now you posted this very selectively biased article by Steffi Graf fan to claim what? Let me see , there is a reason why a fan of Steffi Graf would stab Monica Seles because prior to Monica's stabbing no one and I mean no one in WTA including Graf was more dominant on the women's tour. From 1991to 1993 when she was stabbed, she had a 98% win-loss record or 55-1 in Grand Slams. That is dominance. In fact, in 1993 just before she was stabbed she had already beaten Graf at the Australian Open infuriating Graf's fan that led to the stabbing.

Most knowledgeable tennis fans and commentators know that Monica Seles was never the same after two years following the stabbing which was more psychological or mental than her physical abilities. I challenge anyone to claim anybody either on the men or women tour could be stabbed and come back to the same dominance. There is no doubt that Steffi Graf benefited greatly from the stabbing and had the most dominant player from 1991 to 1993 prior to her stabbing not be sidelined, the young Seles into her prime would have continued to dominate the game.

 

[Liberal Icon]

I think Graf would have eventually beaten Seles more consistently again anyways.

That's how some good rivalries work.

For example, Evert won against Navratilova early on, then Navratilova, then they would alternate more or less.

Nadal beat Djokovic for a few years, then Djokovic came back, now they somewhat alternate.

I think Graf and Seles could have been like that.

.

Or, who knows how long Seles would have peaked. She was still good enough to win 21 titles, including a GS, AFTER her comeback. It's not like she was 1/2 the player she used to be. She was still good.

Maybe she would have played at about the same level by 1995, 1996 anyways.

How? There is a reason she was stabbed which we all know except die-hard Steffi fans was a reflection of Seles dominance. That is a maybe but there is no reason to believe without the stabbing Monica would have slacked off.

 

[Hs0022]

It is comical to see you switch from attacking Serena to Graf and Monica after I had brought you down to your mediocre level. Now you posted this very selectively biased article by Steffi Graf fan to claim what? Let me see , there is a reason why a fan of Steffi Graf would stab Monica Seles because prior to Monica's stabbing no one and I mean no one in WTA including Graf was more dominant on the women's tour. From 1991to 1993 when she was stabbed, she had a 98% win-loss record or 55-1 in Grand Slams. That is dominance. In fact, in 1993 just before she was stabbed she had already beaten Graf at the Australian Open infuriating Graf's fan that led to the stabbing.

Most knowledgeable tennis fans and commentators know that Monica Seles was never the same after two years following the stabbing which was more psychological or mental than her physical abilities. I challenge anyone to claim anybody either on the men or women tour could be stabbed and come back to the same dominance. There is no doubt that Steffi Graf benefited greatly from the stabbing and had the most dominant player from 1991 to 1993 prior to her stabbing not be sidelined, the young Seles into her prime would have continued to dominate the game.

Lot of incoherent blah blah. Just wanted to add that the dominance Graf showed was utter because she consistently stayed at the top throughout her whole career (retired at #3), and even achieved the record for staying at #1 for the longest consecutive period. In contrast Serena could not do this and despite the field being very weak in her era lost handily to nobodies in early rounds of slams.

 

[Hs0022]

Anyways back to the topic in hand. Good win for Fed but the third set shouldn't have gone the distance. He needs to close it out when he is ahead.

 

[Liberal Icon]

Lot of incoherent blah blah. Just wanted to add that the dominance Graf showed was utter because she consistently stayed at the top throughout her whole career (retired at #3), and even achieved the record for staying at #1 for the longest consecutive period. In contrast Serena could not do this and despite the field being very weak in her era lost handily to nobodies in early rounds of slams.

You are indeed a joke. Who is more incoherent than you? Someone who moves from one topic to another all within one breath? When the question was on Serena and USO and how without Clijsters and Henin Serena should win and you pivoted to Graf when it had nothing to do with Graf. And you claim someone is incoherent? Do you even understand the word?

From January 1991 until April 1993 when she was stabbed by an equally deranged Graf fan because she was shellacking her favorite, Monica Seles was the dominant women player on the planet. She was # 1 and shellacking Graf, your favorite. In fact she beat Graf the last time in Australian Open in February 1993 before she was stabbed.

Yes Graf consistently stayed at the top because her deranged fan made sure she climbed back to # 1 after stabbing and traumatizing the dominant Monica Seles out of the game for two years until she came back mentally out of the game. It is a shame. It made it possible for people like you to make this nonsensical claim. I am not saying Graf is not one of the greatest players that played the game. I am just saying unlike other great ones like Martina, who did not need a deranged fan send Chris Evert to sideline, Graf was helped a great deal by a deranged German fan.

 

[Hs0022]

You are indeed a joke. Who is more incoherent than you? Someone who moves from one topic to another all within one breath? When the question was on Serena and USO and how without Clijsters and Henin Serena should win and you pivoted to Graf when it had nothing to do with Graf. And you claim someone is incoherent? Do you even understand the word?

From January 1991 until April 1993 when she was stabbed by an equally deranged Graf fan because she was shellacking her favorite, Monica Seles was the dominant women player on the planet. She was # 1 and shellacking Graf, your favorite. In fact she beat Graf the last time in Australian Open in February 1993 before she was stabbed.

Yes Graf consistently stayed at the top because her deranged fan made sure she climbed back to # 1 after stabbing and traumatizing the dominant Monica Seles out of the game for two years until she came back mentally out of the game. It is a shame. It made it possible for people like you to make this nonsensical claim. I am not saying Graf is not one of the greatest players that played the game. I am just saying unlike other great ones like Martina, who did not need a deranged fan send Chris Evert to sideline, Graf was helped a great deal by a deranged German fan.

Graf consistently stayed at the top because she worked hard to maintain her fitness, and was talented as well. She was not lazy or unfocused like Serena who should have been able to get more slams because of the current joke of a field. Seles relied only on her talent to whack the ball and grunt loudly to distract the opponent. If she had the work ethic of Graf she would have reached her so called GOAT destination after she recovered from the stabbing which was little more than a scratch in reality.

 

[Hs0022]

Where is shell gasoline? Anyways Dimitrov gets over the first round hump. Anticipating an explosive clash with Federer in the SF if forms stick to the seeds. This would be a match for the ages because Dimitrov is finally coming to his own. Seems like Nole is gonna sneak in to his own SF somehow, he is crafty.

 

[bksballer89]

A few upsets on the women's side today

 

[Hs0022]

VW pulls out a win. Good to see she still has some fire. Women's tennis has become a joke with choking matches away without any reason as illustrated by Sloane Stephens. The field is mentally weak/challenged. Serena towers above everyone. Should be shocking if she doesn't win her 18th slam.

 

[Liberal Icon]

Graf consistently stayed at the top because she worked hard to maintain her fitness, and was talented as well. She was not lazy or unfocused like Serena who should have been able to get more slams because of the current joke of a field. Seles relied only on her talent to whack the ball and grunt loudly to distract the opponent. If she had the work ethic of Graf she would have reached her so called GOAT destination after she recovered from the stabbing which was little more than a scratch in reality.

No she stayed consistently at the top because a German fan put her biggest rival Monica Seles out and for the rest of the weak field like Sabbatini, Jana Novotna, Helena Sukova, Mary Joe Fernandez, Sanchez-Vicario, Lori McNeil, Natasha Zvereva who were all serving cupcakes. Mentl midgets like Jana Novotna virtually gave a Wimbleton title to Graf after serving for the match at 5-1. After Seles was stabbed Graf had a free rein winning 3 out of 4 GS. and was able to climb back to No.1 for the first time in 22 months because of the dominance of Monica Seles during the time.

Again, you are all over the place taking pot shots at Serena who was sidelined more by injuries than any fitness nonsense. It was media's nonsensical canard that Serena proved false at the Australian Open when the media openly mocked her as fat and lazy. She shocked them by taking the championship. I think you are insane claiming that a 9 inch-knife plunged between her shoulders that required long stay in hospital was only a scratch. Maybe this article will help refresh your warped memory:
espnW -- Stabbing stole Monica Seles' tennis career
"Mentally she was just so tough, she was right up there with Chris [Evert]," Martina Navratilova said of Seles in a recent phone interview. "You couldn't crack her, you never got the feeling she was panicked or pissed off. Nothing. You could not read her body language. Up 6-4, 4-0 or down 6-4, 4-0, she was immaculate, and she lost a little bit of that, not hardness, but supreme confidence. … She lost her edge."
Monica Seles lost a lot more than that.
Once a legitimate threat to break Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles; once a source of constant frustration to Steffi Graf, who is No. 2 with 22 Slam wins; once one of the toughest competitors in all of sports, Seles didn't just have her career altered on that awful day 20 years ago. It was stolen from her."


Yes. It was stolen from her by Steffi Graf's German fan Gunter Parche. Hs0022, shame on you for belittling such traumatic experience of stabbing of a tennis player.

 

[bksballer89]

The first competitive match in the night session at Ashe

 

[nuraman00]

Oh shit.

Bellucci up a break in the 4th.

 

[nuraman00]

Back on serve, 3 all.

 

[bksballer89]

Wawrinka will break here and win 6-3

 

[bksballer89]

5-5 in the 3rd

 

[nuraman00]

5 all.

 

[nuraman00]

4th set tiebreak.

Let's go Wawrinka.

Don't get into a dangerous 5th set.

 

[nuraman00]

Wawrinka is serving about 55% on 1st serves for the year.

He needs to get that higher, it's what's holding him back the most at this point, IMO.