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2021 ATP/WTA Thread

UDontKnow

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Napoleon

Napoleon 8600

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1 hour ago, HoustonFrog said:


Osaka is the worst. It’s like she doesn’t understand how she gets paid. Media is part of the deal in every sport ever, and tennis is easily the best paying sport for women.


Osaka understands that she makes $50 MILLION per year from her sponsors. And that has NOTHING to do with post match press conferences.

Osaka is a rock star and she knows it. If the French Open presses on this, she'll just skip the tournament or tank in the first round. She doesn't need the French Open. They need her MUCH MORE than she needs them.

I love her. She's the brightest star in women's tennis.

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shadow_operative2.0
shadow_operative2.0

I have TC with DirecTV & then ESPN+ for 3 of the Slams (TC covers French). This is the best site for finding just about any random match...  https://www.jokerlivestream.org/joker-tennis-live-

Napoleon
Napoleon

You’re reading too much into this.  Rafa hated everything about the September/ October 2020 RG and I am fairly certain that he didn’t drop a set. And that was after losing to Schwartzman on clay

shadow_operative2.0
shadow_operative2.0

The limp is funny.   

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HoustonFrog

HoustonFrog 368

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Osaka understands that she makes $50 MILLION per year from her sponsors. And that has NOTHING to do with post match press conferences.
Osaka is a rock star and she knows it. If the French Open presses on this, she'll just skip the tournament or tank in the first round. She doesn't need the French Open. They need her MUCH MORE than she needs them.
I love her. She's the brightest star in women's tennis.

She can do whatever she wants. Anybody can. But she should suffer the consequences just the same (maximum fine), and it sounds like the FO plans to do that. If she withdraws from tournament, there’s plenty of women to take her place and win a GS. Her worth is defined by winning GS, seems silly to throw one away.
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Napoleon

Napoleon 8600

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1 hour ago, HoustonFrog said:


She can do whatever she wants. Anybody can. But she should suffer the consequences just the same (maximum fine), and it sounds like the FO plans to do that. If she withdraws from tournament, there’s plenty of women to take her place and win a GS. Her worth is defined by winning GS, seems silly to throw one away.

She sucks on clay. 

She’s pretty shitty on grass too. 

Pulling out of the French Open would only shorten her time in France by a few days.

It’s like a Ferrari owner pulling out of a rally race. 

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Napoleon

Napoleon 8600

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Sebastian Korda just beat Italian Cecchinato in Parma.

He's 20. He's the first American to win a title on European clay in 10 years. He's dating a 23 year-old hottie who is the daughter of Pavel Nedved of Juventus fame. So both kids have Czech dads and have known each other for years. Not too shabby.

Korda's two sisters have won tournaments this year on the LPGA tour this year. What a family of jocks!

Korda will soon be the top ranked American male tennis player. Maybe even by the end of this calendar year, depending on what they do with the scoring.

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Napoleon

Napoleon 8600

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Didn't watch a second of the men's final in Paris, because I just don't watch ND when it's a foregone conclusion.

I think that there was a tournament in Germany this past week for the men. I'll look it up right now...

MARIN CILIC beat the #3 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets in Stuttgart, Germany (I presume on grass.)... a town where a friend of mine from my Spanish classes in Buenos Aires lives, and where I will visit most likely next year, when Oktoberfest starts up again, and where I can stay with a different friend who lives two blocks from the tent park location.

A total f'ing KONTA won a WTA tournament in Nottingham, a town where my brother got a worthless masters degree.


There is a Twitter account named: "Did Marin Čilić Win?" And it just so happens that...

 

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Napoleon

Napoleon 8600

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38 minutes ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Bianca out in straights to Cornet. I don’t think anyone can accurately predict what the hell her career will look like.  

I predict that she is sponsored by ACE bandages or whatever that tape shit is. 

That’s what I predict for her career. 

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Napoleon

Napoleon 8600

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21 minutes ago, perfectchaos007 said:

Win a handful of slams and you too can get wildcards to events you have have no business playing in late at the end of your career. 

Anyways Sabalenka kinda sucks on grass I guess. Losing to Maddy keys 🔑 indicates that 


How many of the Top 10 are skipping Wimbledon?

Osaka?
Barty?
Halep?

Any word on those ladies?

I'm 97.34% certain that Osaka is training for the Olympics this year and then probably the US Open, but the others have injuries to deal with.

EDIT: It looks like Barty & Halep are both going to be back for Wimbledon.

...and then there's this:

https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2173127/watch-this-bencic-s-berlin-hot-shot-a-contender-for-shot-of-the-year

Screen Shot 2021-06-16 at 5.11.32 PM.png

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Hefeweizen

Hefeweizen 5307

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Barty and Halep both are fitness fanatics so I'd expect them to bounce back fast.  Osaka, who knows?  

Sabalenka's game doesn't fit grass at all imo.

Hot take: Fed has no shot at Wimbledon but someone unexpected will beat Novak in a QF or SF round, leaving the final to be someone like Medvedev or Zverev.

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Napoleon

Napoleon 8600

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On 6/17/2021 at 2:21 PM, perfectchaos007 said:

Naomi withdrew from Wimbledon. Probably a smart decision to focus on Tokyo considering she doesn’t have a shot at winning Wimbledon anyway 

Naomi wasn’t playing Wimbledon 3 weeks ago. 

She was going to be ousted early, tank early, or withdraw from the French Open, skip the grass season, and focus on the Olympics from the moment she released her statement about the press 3 weeks ago. 

There was never a doubt that this was the plan the entire time. I believe that it was stated on this site 3 weeks ago on this thread or the French Open thread.

When the people at The Tennis Channel or the people on The Tennis Podcast act shocked and then want to take turns discussing it, you realize that they have time to fill because this Wimbledon announcement doesn’t need more than 10 seconds of coverage.


 

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Napoleon

Napoleon 8600

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Loved this interview with Liudmila Samsonova.

She was born in Russia, but moved to Italy when she was 1. She grew up in Italy and played for Italy as a junior, but felt a ton of pressure and switched to play for Russia. She talks about it in the interview, but she's a total mix. She is definitely Italian who taps into her Russian side when she wants to go all Ivan Drago on an opponent.

Her English reminds me so much of the way Argentines speak English (Italians raised speaking Spanish) when she means to say "That/It was a lot.", but instead she says 

"That/It was too much." 

That just brings a huge smile to my face. The tendency to directly translate "demasiado" in Spanish, ???? in Italian, into "too much" is both wrong, and so endearing.

Champions Corner: Samsonova goes 'boom boom' in Berlin breakthrough

2021 bett1open champion Liudmila Samsonova explains why her decision to play for Russia helped her find her tennis identity and pull off a stunning title run in Berlin.

By Courtney Nguyen - WTA Insider

Liudmila_Samsonova_-_2021_bett1open_Day_

Liudmila Samsonova's run to her maiden title at the bett1open was one for the ages. The 22-year-old Russian, who has spent most of her life in Italy, was still chasing her Top 100 debut when qualifying began in Berlin. She proceeded to reel off seven wins to advance to her first WTA final, where she rallied from a nervous start to defeat No.12 Belinda Bencic, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 to win the inaugural event.

With the win, Samsonova became the first qualifier and lowest-ranked player to win a WTA 500 event since Tsvetana Pironkova won Sydney in 2014.

Samsonova's strong serve and powerful baseline game paved her way past a flurry of the tour's best players of the season. She came into the tournament with just three Top 50 wins in her career and proceeded to add five to her tally. In addition to a win over Ana Konjuh in the final round of qualifying, Samsonova defeated No.41 Marketa Vondrousova, Charleston champion No.32 Veronika Kudermetova, No.28 Madison Keys, No.16 Victoria Azarenka, and No.12 Bencic. In total, Samsonova's average rank of opponent in the main draw was an astounding 25.8. She averaged 9 aces per match, culminating in a 14-ace performance in the final.

Samsonova spoke to WTA Insider after her win - and celebratory dunk - to piece together the keys to her improvement over the last three seasons and why it all led to a dream week that left her stunned.

[HIGHLIGHT VIDEO ON THE LINK]

WTA Insider: Congratulations on winning your first title. What are you proudest of this week?
Samsonova: For the fight, for sure. How I fought every game, every match, every day. That's it.

WTA Insider: Of your seven matches this week, which included wins over Ana Konjuh in qualifying, and then Marketa Vondrousova, Veronika Kudermetova, Madison Keys, Victoria Azarenka, and Belinda Bencic, which match meant the most to you?
Samsonova: Maybe the semifinal against Azarenka. That gave me a lot. And the first round of the main draw against Vondrousova.

WTA Insider: How did you come to pick up a tennis racquet?
Samsonova: It was my mom. My dad is a sportsman. He was playing table tennis. But the place where I was living it was very hard to try some sports. It's a very small place in Italy. So my mom one day on the internet searched for tennis schools and she found a club. That's how I started to play. I was six years old.

WTA Insider: What did you like about tennis?
Samsonova: Competition, for sure, and the adrenaline that you feel. The emotions.

WTA Insider: Did you play any other sports?
Samsonova: I was doing a little bit of figure skating and ballet. When I was 10 years old, my dad said OK, now you have to choose: are you going to do ballet or tennis? 

I chose tennis. At that time, when I was 10, I saw I could be famous all over the world if I play tennis (laughs). So that's why I chose tennis, I think.

[TWEET LINK]

WTA Insider: Throughout the week, you've been doing a lot of your press conferences in Italian. I understand that you grew up in Italy since you were one?
Samsonova: I grew up in Italy since I was one years old. My parents are Russian. I played for Italy from when I was 16 to 18 years old. 

When I started to play for Russia, a lot of pressure came off. It was a natural thing. I don't know how to explain it. It was like nobody cares about me so I can play for myself. 

WTA Insider: Italy has such a passion for tennis. Is that why you felt so much pressure?
Samsonova: Yes, for sure. A lot of attention. I was not ready for this.

WTA Insider: And you don't feel like that playing for Russia?
Samsonova: I'm the last one [in the rankings] (laughs). They don't care about me.

Liudmila_Samsonova_-_2021_bett1open_Day_

WTA Insider: How would you describe your junior career?
Samsonova: I didn't play too good in juniors. I could do more, I am sure of this. I could play better. I had some moments in my life during that period that were tough for me. I was young and I didn't have the [maturity I have now]. Everything was a little bit confused. 

For me, the professional tour was better. I liked more the transition. 

I didn't feel pressure, I didn't feel anything. I was 19 years old, I wasn't Top 10 or Top 20 in juniors. I could just grow up and improve my game. That helped me a lot for sure.

WTA Insider: You said in your press conference that you learned after the match that you would be receiving a wildcard into the main draw of Wimbledon. 
Samsonova: I found out five minutes ago. It's too much. A dream for me.

WTA Insider: Why do you think everything came together for you this week? Before Berlin, you had three Top 50 wins. This week you tallied five.
Samsonova: My game here was going too good. My serve, my first shots were easier for me. I was so confident because I saw they worked. I thought ok, if these kind of players can't beat me, I can do good. But for sure, the surface helps me a lot.

WTA Insider: Are you naturally comfortable on the grass?
Samsonova: Three years ago, when I was playing on grass and I didn't have this serve and I didn't have this power and aggressive game, I was not feeling this way. So I think it's the work that paid off. 

Liudmila_Samsonova_-_2021_bett1open_Day_

WTA Insider: What has been the key to your improvement over the last three seasons?
Samsonova: For sure that I start to know who I am, what type of player I am. Because in the past I didn't know what I had to do. Sometimes I win playing one way, sometimes I win another way. So for sure it's a lot of mental work. This is the most important thing.

WTA Insider: So what type of player are you?
Samsonova: I am a very aggressive player.

WTA Insider: Generally speaking, Italian women's tennis has been about physicality, variety, lots of touch and feel. Russian tennis, generally, is more big-hitting, "boom boom" tennis...
Samsonova: Boom boom! I am boom boom (laughs)!

WTA Insider: Did you feel like maybe under the Italian system, coaches tried to get you to play a way that wasn't natural to you?
Samsonova: Yes. Not too much, but they tried to change me. They tried to do something different. 

But since December when I changed my team, I really understand what I have to do on the court. They're pushing me to play an aggressive game, to come to the net. And I said, ah, I like this. I feel it. That's what I am.

WTA Insider: You'll be in the Top 100 on Monday and you now have a WTA title under your belt. How does this impact you going forward?
Samsonova: Something is going to change for sure. The goals are going to change, the tournaments are going to change. I have to reset and rethink things. 

Liudmilla_Samsonova_-_2021_bett1open_Day

WTA Insider: Getting away from tennis, how would you describe your personality?
Samsonova: I'm very curious. I love to improve. I like to ask questions, learn new things, and try new things.

WTA Insider: What's the most used app on your phone?
Samsonova: Instagram. I'm like a stalker (laughs). I like to see other people. I don't post much.

WTA Insider: Would you rather read a book or watch a movie?
Samsonova: Movie. I don't know if I have a favorite movie. I've been watching more series lately. I'm watching Orphan Black.

WTA Insider: Do you have a favorite musician?
Samsonova: I love Eminem. 

WTA Insider: What's your favorite food?
Samsonova: I love sushi. 

WTA Insider: Since you grew up in Italy, I have to ask: What's your favorite Italian dish?
Samsonova: Pasta. Maybe amatriciana. 

WTA Insider: How do you plan to celebrate your incredible week?
Samsonova: I think I'm going to celebrate tomorrow with my team because I'm going to London and I'll see them there. Today I'm going to eat a really big dessert for sure. 

Nobody can say anything (laughs).

[TWEET LINK]

...THE END

https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2175765/champions-corner-samsonova-goes-boom-boom-in-berlin-breakthrough

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Napoleon

Napoleon 8600

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9 hours ago, Hefeweizen said:

Her face has a Chewbacca thing going on.

 Thiem would have been  lucky to make it past his first match.  He has zero confidence right now.  Amazing that soon after his first slam.

I must have a thing for Chewbaccas. 

One more time…

F075D135-0216-4CAF-A1A2-D3E93B84F9C8.jpeg

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perfectchaos007

perfectchaos007 6596

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Speaking of hot Brits, I hope Katie Swan qualifies for Wimbledon (she just has to beat journey woman Rodionova tomorrow to qualify). She was a girl that grew up in Kansas and had a fun rivalry with Cici Bellis on the junior circuit (they are the same age). Hard to believe those ladies are 22 years old now. Miss Swan pictured below.

 

78nsmipi28v41.jpg

Edited by perfectchaos007
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gsoda3

gsoda3 3236

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what is it with the women's game where they can be playing so well and then just suddenly lose it and get bageled and breadsticked?  maybe i was just young but i don't remember this happening growing up watching steffi and martina.  you guys who follow the wta, do you have any theories?

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shadow_operative2.0

shadow_operative2.0 15824

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Well, the easy answer is none of the new crop are all-time greats like Steffi or Martina.

Krejcikova will likely never make a Slam semi again. Ostapenko is one of the craziest players on tour. Iga can really only play on clay. It’s just where we are, no stars with momma dead & Naomi all fucked in the head. 

I dig it though, bring the chaos. Only have to watch the last two rounds of any men’s Slam. 

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Napoleon

Napoleon 8600

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3 hours ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Ostapenko v. Kontaveit for the Eastbourne title, Kerber v. Siniakova for Bad Homburg. 

Sad to see Li’l Giorgi retire. I hope that this doesn’t affect her Wimbledon, because she looked impressive against Sabalenka. 

Siniakova’s cuerpo makes me feel all squishy inside. 🥰

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