[Peru]

Well someone said Razz was injured, might just be fanboys though.

Also, Asderaki wtf?

[Jay Sosa]

6-0 0-6 6-0 This IS the WTA, remember :)

I'm afraid to agree with you (fear the wrath of Peru) :D

Oh, a Lisicki ad, how fitting

[IISANDERII]

ESPN experts sure knows their shit :)

No it's ok, as Serena will likely say in her press conference, her opponent just played the match of her career.

[Peru]

Serena is at this point at a stage in her career where she doesn't deliver in Slams because she peaks at random times and can't keep that level up. It's a very logical conclusion. (I know I've said mine about a QF, but she always beats Maria no matter what). Experts should be wary of calling her as overwhelming Slam favorite.'

I'm afraid to agree with you (fear the wrath of Peru) :D

ATP still leads my choke/yo-yo stats this slam.

[MIMIC]

Serena was up 5-1 in the breaker? Ugh

[Smellycat]

Simon Reed is a LEGEND! haha

[zero_suit]

Serena lost?! Wow.

If Maria doesn't win this tournament now, I'm going to laugh.

[tycoonheart]

Serena lost?! Wow. If Maria doesn't win this tournament now, I'm going to laugh.

She'll find a way to choke as well.

[Peru]

Serena lost?! Wow. If Maria doesn't win this tournament now, I'm going to laugh.

She plays better with tough matches ahead.. With the field open... I'm so scared.

Ok focusing on other things.. yay! Bagdhatis in good form.

[MIMIC]

Simon Reed is a LEGEND! haha

*thinking about Nadal*

He better be.

[Rafa=FedKilla]

Now the door is open for Julia to win this tournament.

[szaromir]

She'll find a way to choke as well.

Li choked that final in Rome, Sharapova might not be this lucky this time. Though I'm counting the most for Aga vs Petra final, my 2 favorite players.

[darkwing]

what's up with the WTA? Serena lost in the first round?

chokefest

[Peru]

what's up with the WTA? Serena lost in the first round? chokefest

It was avoiding a choke that lead to her losing.

[MIMIC]

Holy shit, Maria DUMPED on her opponent. Double bagel.

[szaromir]

Holy shit, Maria DUMPED on her opponent. Double bagel.

Almost all top seeds annihilated their first round opponents. Only Azarenka and Serena had problems (and Serena didn't come through). Bad karma for withdrawing from Rome I guess.

[ErasureAcer]

I hate Serena so much. Glad she lost.

[Sloane]

What the hell happened to tennis etiquette? Watched a lot of tennis from the late 80s to the mid 90s and back then it always felt like it was a gentleman's sport. Started watching again this year and, ugh, it's almost insufferable. After every goddamn point, everyone clenches one's fist and looks or points either at his/her coach or the opponent, sometimes even exchanging words with them. Instead of just wiping the spot away on a close call like they used to, the players now even mark them with their racket every single time. And don't get me started on the moaning / screaming. The audience seems to have changed a bit too, sometimes cheering at mistakes... I don't know. Have I just seen the wrong matches or has tennis really changed that much?

[Peru]

Don't see any gentlemanness in wiping away a close call. Let an in ball be in. They do wipe away spots when acknowledging it's out, though.

And if you watched tennis in the 90s and missed out on the French crowd jeering, I'm not sure what FO you witnessed.

Obviously the sport has changed, though, the athletes and crowds aren't exclusively picked from the upper class anymore.

[Jay Sosa]

Holy shit, Maria DUMPED on her opponent. Double bagel.

Her opponent played some of the worst tennis I've EVER seen.

Have I just seen the wrong matches or has tennis really changed that much?

First of all the french crowd is (or rather can be) absolutely disgusting, especially when someone dares to show negative emotions after missing 3 set points. They mark the ball for the umpire so that he checks the right one and/or to show the opponent that it really was out. Nothing wrong with that. I welcome that it's not longer a 'gentleman's sport' which imho ist just another word for boring. I even wished that they would stop with that 'quiet please' bs, other athletes have no problem with crowds talking, cheering or booing the entire game so don't be so whiny when someone moves or talks in the goddamn crowd. It makes watching a 5 hour match live so awesome if you have to stay quite and can't leave you're seat except when they change sides...

[Maiar_m]

First of all the french crowd is (or rather can be) absolutely disgusting, especially when someone dares to show negative emotions after missing 3 set points.

Really? Disgusting? It's alive and rowdy, and it loves to play dumb, sure. It's different, it doesn't mean that it's disgusting.

[Jay Sosa]

Really? Disgusting? It's alive and rowdy, and it loves to play dumb, sure. It's different, it doesn't mean that it's disgusting.

They can completely ruin a match for a player, just because he showed emotions. That's disgusting in my book.

[Sloane]

Don't see any gentlemanness in wiping away a close call.

Why not? If it was close, they'd just wipe the spot away and replay the point.

Obviously the sport has changed, though, the athletes and crowds aren't exclusively picked from the upper class anymore.

Not sure that's how it was. Were guys like Boris Becker or Andre Agassi upper class?

I welcome that it's not longer a 'gentleman's sport' which imho ist just another word for boring.

Tennis wasn't boring twenty years ago, and I don't feel the screaming and taunting or whatever makes it more exciting. Whatever, maybe I'll get used to it.

[Jay Sosa]

Why not? If it was close, they'd just wipe the spot away and replay the point. Not sure that's how it was. Were guys like Boris Becker or Andre Agassi upper class?.

Agassi could be an extreme asshole, especially when he felt an umpire made a wrong call.

Why not? If it was close, they'd just wipe the spot away and replay the point.

We would that when we play for fun..but come on, this is a PROFESSIONAL sport with a lot of money involved. When they're not sure they mark the ball to have it checked, don't see the big issue.

[Maiar_m]

They can completely ruin a match for a player, just because he showed emotions. That's disgusting in my book.

I disagree, they love it when players show emotion, they just don't like it when it looks like they want to argue a point. I'm not saying it's not a difficult crowd or even that they are right, and I'm sure some players are easily offended, but then again it's a cultural thing, and I find it good that when you play the French Open, you get a different experience, something that's not as smooth as a Wimbledon baby's ass. The point is - yes, they jeer easily, but they do cheer as easily, even those they've boo'd two minutes before.

[Jay Sosa]

I disagree, they love it when players show emotion, they just don't like it when it looks like they want to argue a point. .

This year alone I already saw them get real 'angry' a few times when someone threw their racket in frustration. At least they didn't continue to boo them. And let them argue a point..do they want freaking robots?

[Peru]

Some of it is part of the charm, and I say that as someone whose favorite has been an object of hate out there for many years (but less so recently). But I get real tired of them booing every call contested.

Players just need to strike back (probably not good advice)

[Sinople]

This year alone I already saw them get real 'angry' a few times when someone threw their racket in frustration. At least they didn't continue to boo them. And let them argue a point..do they want freaking robots?

I find your post a little ironic :P

[Maiar_m]

This year alone I already saw them get real 'angry' a few times when someone threw their racket in frustration. At least they didn't continue to boo them. And let them argue a point..do they want freaking robots?

Nope, they just have a deluded opinion of what spotsmanship is, and that doesn't include disagreeing with the ref or breaking rackets. Again, I'm not saying they're right, I just don't think it's bad. It's part of the FO, and I'm pretty sure players expect that too.

[Sloane]

Agassi could be an extreme asshole, especially when he felt an umpire made a wrong call.

Sure, so would McEnroe and probably a bunch of others as well but I meant mostly their behavior towards their opponent. The fists, and the looks etc everyone does now, I don't know, feels like something out of high school.

We would that when we play for fun..but come on, this is a PROFESSIONAL sport with a lot of money involved. When they're not sure they mark the ball to have it checked, don't see the big issue.

Well, maybe it's not an issue but that's definitely one of the things that's changed, and it isn't like they weren't playing for a lot of money twenty years ago. With all the cheating going on in others sports, I've always liked that tennis felt "fair" or whatever.

[Jay Sosa]

I find your post a little ironic :P

Dude on court is playing to pay the bills and the guys in the stands actually paid money to see them play. Do you also boo a football player that is frustrated when he just missed a decisive penalty kick?

Showing emotions doesn't mean to act like an asshole towards others. If he throws the racquet in the stands or at the other player, fine boo him.

[Peru]

Retiring facing match point deserves some boos, though.

[Jay Sosa]

Retiring facing match point deserves some boos, though.

Absolutely, and like I said, if someone acts like an asshole I'm all for it. But to me it seems the french crowd is hoping for any chance to show how different they are and completely overdo it.

[szaromir]

This year alone I already saw them get real 'angry' a few times when someone threw their racket in frustration. At least they didn't continue to boo them. And let them argue a point..do they want freaking robots?

Did you see the Djokovic-Monaco match in Rome? The crowd also boo'ed Djokovic when he destroyed his rocket.

I also prefer when players' behavior is composed and respecting the audience and the opponent. Shouting c'mon when the opponent hits an unforced error like Wozniacki or Sharapova is just disgusting.

Retiring facing match point deserves some boos, though.

The dude was barely standing. An underhand serve or a quick DF or whatever would have been better, but you can't accuse him of not fighting in that match.

[Peru]

He only got that injury at the very end so it's not like he fought for long.

Shouting c'mon when the opponent hits an unforced error like Sharapova

Picking her as a typical 'cmon'er is odd. Never happens except maybe in very crucial moments of the match.

[szaromir]

It wasn't an injury, it was a cramp (Bogomolov did appear to have an injured shoulder as well?). Cramps vary in intensity and aren't something you can control. Sometimes you can still perform with them (like Razzano yesterday), sometimes it's absolutely impossible to do anything or even focus on anything. I've only got cramps once in my life (in my calf) and it was impossible to make a step.

If by crucial points you mean every other point, then you're probably right, she's not a typical c'moner.

[Peru]

Show me where she cmons a random unforced error.

[szaromir]

Define random? The fact that she even screams c'mon at opponents' UEs is disgusting, most players have the decency not to do it.

[Peru]

If it saved you from losing a set I think most people would go for it. You can show me just any example at all of cmoning an UE, because I can't remember it.

[szaromir]

If it saved you from losing a set I think most people would go for it. You can show me just any example at all of cmoning an UE, because I can't remember it.

Second point in the video. :lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TyUD...eature=related
Before you call it a crucial point - she was yelling those from the first or second game of the match, though I can't find beginning of the match on youtube.

Ah, whatever.all I'm saying is I don't like hysteric demeanor like Sharapova's or Wozniacki's and am a fan of more stoic approach of players like Stosur or Federer, you can like whatever you want.

[Stevie Gerrard]

I don't like her, but I'd hardly call Sharapova hysteric. She always seems very aloof and icy to me (Allez! Up your fucking ass! excepted)

[szaromir]

Yeah, that might be the wrong adjective, but I simply don't like cheering on the opponent's UEs (even if everybody is happy getting free points) and similar tactics.

[szaromir]

Ungur - Federer match is fantastic, Ungur defended two matchpoints and the match just went into 4th set. Ungur is coming up with Federer-esque shots.

[Smellycat]

If Federer somehow..somehow loses this match. The headlines will read: THE UNGER GAMES.

[darkwing]

Ungur - Federer match is fantastic, Ungur defended two matchpoints and the match just went into 4th set. Ungur is coming up with Federer-esque shots.

nuuuh :|

[Smellycat]

Yes!! Federer breaks. Now keep holding.

[Smellycat]

Federer now stands alone with the most wins at GSs!! 234

[Peru]

This Martic character facing Cake slices like there's no frikkin tomorrow.

[Sloane]

Yeah, that might be the wrong adjective, but I simply don't like cheering on the opponent's UEs (even if everybody is happy getting free points) and similar tactics.

Just watching Bartoli, and she does it every single time. The fist, the screaming, sometimes even again before she serves or when they change sides just to make sure her opponent definitely sees it. Some annoying shit. I guess I should stop watching. :jnc

[Peru]

Bartoli has always been a mental case. She celebrates as if she's won a slam when winning a point several breaks behind.