Aussie Open Thread

[cezero]

Thanks for correcting the stats there, I knew something was not right. Murray wasn't back to 100% then so the win couldn't possibly count to many including Cezero who has a tendency to underestimate Fed badly.

Actually, it was 4 sets that Murray won it in. I wasn't discounting it on purpose at all, I was just wrong about it, so I have no problem with people bringing it up.

So let me amend what I said before.

He's won zero hard court majors in almost 5 years, and has beaten Murray once, and Nole and Rafa zero times during that time span in New York or Melbourne.

If he lucks out and gets a draw where he only has to face 1 of those guys in the tournament, maybe he could win another hard court major. The odds of that are pretty slim, unfortunately.

As I said before, I like his chances to make it deep into the 2nd week on grass or clay consistenly a lot more than on hard.

 

[bksballer89]

If Stan plays like this against Novak that SF will be really interesting.

Hoping for Wawrinka/Birdman final

 

[cezero]

I still don't get the hype around Raonic with winning majors. He strikes me as a guy who can win some Masters 1000 tournaments, but winning majors is just not something I see right now.

Huge serve and forehand. Backhand is average at best. He isn't among the top 50 in movement, and his return game is abysmal. He can work all he wants on it, but the movement and return can only get so much better through hard work.

Cilic and Del Potro are the only medium-poor movers in the past 10 years to win a major. They both move better than Raonic, and both of them hit bigger and more consistently off the ground from both sides.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I still don't get the hype around Raonic with winning majors. He strikes me as a guy who can win some Masters 1000 tournaments, but winning majors is just not something I see right now.

Huge serve and forehand. Backhand is average at best. He isn't among the top 50 in movement, and his return game is abysmal. He can work all he wants on it, but the movement and return can only get so much better through hard work.

Cilic and Del Potro are the only medium-poor movers in the past 10 years to win a major. They both move better than Raonic, and both of them hit bigger and more consistently off the ground from both sides.

Concur. 100%.

He lumbers about.

I prefer Pospisil.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Keys vs Serena will be interesting.

I'm having a hard time maintaining media blackout conditions and have only been watching till my bedtime. Then seeing the other results the next morning.

 

[bksballer89]

I kinda wish the Aussie open would go back to playing both semi-finals & finals in the day time. So hard to stay up to watch these matches on the east coast

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I kinda wish the Aussie open would go back to playing both semi-finals & finals in the day time. So hard to stay up to watch these matches on the east coast

Hard on the Best Coast too.

I have to be at work at 5:30 AM so I'm heading to bed around 10 PM.

Not so bad for women's matches but a 5 set thriller for the men.....

 

[Hs0022]

Keys vs Serena will be interesting.

I'm having a hard time maintaining media blackout conditions and have only been watching till my bedtime. Then seeing the other results the next morning.

Blowout straight sets loss to Serena. Too much nerves and expectation.

 

[Hs0022]

Rooting for BerdyPoo vs Sir Murrball!

 

[bksballer89]

Same here.

Hoping it is a Birdman/Wawrinka finals

 

[cezero]

stuck on a field trip with students up in cabins in the middle of nowhere

looks like they won't be streaming the womens' semis on espn3 or watchespn. it's only on ESPN 2 on tv, which just sucks for me.

Probably won't get to watch the mens semis, either.

 

[bksballer89]

You're not missing much right now

 

[Hs0022]

About to be back on serve on the maka-pova match. Can't believe how annoying her shrieking is until you actually sit down to watch one of her matches! How do people stand it? Plus it has to be part of her gamesmanship tactic to throw off her opponent's rhythm. Hope she loses!

 

[backupboo]

This match is boring. I thought it would be more competitive. Rova isn't even fighting. Suspicious. I have seen her play some amazing tennis. Not today. Disappointing.

 

[cezero]

turns out i am able to stream it

just a terrible, terrible match. headcase wta stupidity combined with russian vs russian jitters.jeepers.

 

[backupboo]

This is not the same person that played Halep. Suspicious.

 

[bksballer89]

WTA sucks.

Seriously.

When Serena & Venus leaves, I don't know how much WTA I'll watch. I guess I can watch some Madison Keys as she seems like fun to watch

 

[backupboo]

Mistakes for no reason at all. Really. You play this poorly in the semi's.

 

[nuraman00]

Actually, it was 4 sets that Murray won it in. I wasn't discounting it on purpose at all, I was just wrong about it, so I have no problem with people bringing it up.

Oops. The FED win over Tsonga was the straight sets win in 2014. That was surprising, that it was in straight sets.

Then to follow it up with a win over Murray, was also surprising. Murray might have been recovering from back surgery, but he had also played well in earlier rounds.

 

[nuraman00]

I kinda wish the Aussie open would go back to playing both semi-finals & finals in the day time. So hard to stay up to watch these matches on the east coast

I've been taking naps right after dinner, then waking up when these SF and Finals start, the past few years.

I agree it's not easy to do, and would be easier for people in the US if the Finals were early afternoon events, Melbourne time.