Oz Open Tennis 2009

I think he realised that he's not going to be considered the best player ever if he isn't even the best player now

mynah wrote:The Australian Open has always struck me as very dull for a Grand Slam event, apart from the occasional flurry of excitement involving at least one Serb.

Is he on the run again?!?!

Speaking of on the run, did you hear Olivia NJ's dead boyfriend has been spotted working as a deckhand?

mynah wrote:The Australian Open has always struck me as very dull for a Grand Slam event, apart from the occasional flurry of excitement involving at least one Serb.

Maybe it's because I'm here following it as it happens (not in the middle of the night) but I'm amazed by the excitement the Australian Open consistently throws up. The only thing that's been missing in recent times is a five-set final and we got that last night.

There's always someone who pops up with some incredible tennis to challenge the big stars. This year it was Verdasco, the year before it was Tsonga, before that Gonzales, before that Baghdatis.

Unless you're talking about off-field action. But I don't remember the last time any fights broke out around the lawns of Wimbledon.

The Don99 wrote:Does anyone else feel that Federer comes across these days as a less sympathetic figure? He used to be quite likeable, but now his hand has slipped off the number 1 spot he's starting to get a bit annoying. The comment on Djokovic was - I think - uncalled for. And the comment about people making Murray a favourite for the Aus Open was again unnecessary.

I also thought Federer's final press conference was not very gracious. He pretty much indicated that he lost it - nadal did not win it - by blaming his poor serving. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7863797.stm). We all know that Nadal played an unbelievable game and thoroughly deserved his victory. Everything Federer threw at him he took and came back with major answers.

The way he was snarling after every close line-call shows Fed isn't as easy-going as he was when he was on top. At one stage I was calling him "mini-McEnroe" (perhaps a slight exaggeration).

But the fact of the matter is that Federer lost it. Obviously Nadal had to hold his nerve, but that fifth set wasn't a case of Nadal raising the bar (as he had at other times in the match) and was really a case of Federer leaving a big brown stain in his underpants.

Federer's never been one to tiptoe around the truth. He blew it, he knows it and he said it. There's no point in mouthing platitudes just to be considered gracious.

Nadal however does deserve bonus points for sportsmanship. He looked like he wanted to apologise for beating Federer.

What a match!!! Certainly not as good as last year's Wimbledon final but great match nonetheless.

Some of the rallies were mind boggling to say the least. And they demand equal compensation for women?

It looks like Nadal never gets tired. Supremely fit!!! Always ready at any position to return at almost impossible angles.

Feel extremely sorry for Federer but then Nadal was decidedly better than him yesterday. His inability to break Nadal on so many occasions was probably what cost him dear. His first serve was also not as good what it used to be.

"He looked like he wanted to apologise for beating Federer."


Well, actually, he _did_ apologise.

SG wrote:Feel extremely sorry for Federer but then Nadal was decidedly better than him yesterday. His inability to break Nadal on so many occasions was probably what cost him dear. His first serve was also not as good what it used to be.

Acutally, until that last game it was 6 breaks a piece in the match.

He lost it late in the 3rd when he didn't break and then played an appalling tie breaker.

Nadal however does deserve bonus points for sportsmanship. He looked like he wanted to apologise for beating Federer.

Spot on, Hass.

Nadal is one heck of a ambassdor for tennis, both in terms of the talent as well as his sportsman spirit.

He lost it late in the 3rd when he didn't break and then played an appalling tie breaker.

I meant that he had more opportunities to break Nadal than Nadal had but somehow couldn't do it which probably cost him dear.

I saw that 3rd set tiebreak. Probably was the turning point of the match. Federer was apalling in it, especially his serve.

SG wrote:

Nadal however does deserve bonus points for sportsmanship. He looked like he wanted to apologise for beating Federer.

Spot on, Hass.

Nadal is one heck of a ambassdor for tennis, both in terms of the talent as well as his sportsman spirit.

Absolutely.


Fed isn't too far behind either

Each member of the Top 8 ranked Men is from a different country. Spain, Switzerland, Serbia, UK, Russia, USA, Argentina, France.

Compare that to the women, where the Top 8 are all from Serbia, USA or Russia.

Each member of the Top 8 ranked Men is from a different country. Spain, Switzerland, Serbia, UK, Russia, USA, Argentina, France.

Doubt it ever happened before.

SG wrote:

Each member of the Top 8 ranked Men is from a different country. Spain, Switzerland, Serbia, UK, Russia, USA, Argentina, France.

Doubt it ever happened before.

I'm pretty sure it happened in Hewitt's day - possibly without a Frenchie.

there is 1 unfortunate thing with Nadal....

The way he plays the game it will be impossible for him to win a grandslam after the age of about 25-26

Fun fact of the day: Navratilova won 59 Grand Slam titles (singles, doubles, mixed doubles), the first in 1974, the last in 2006. She appeared in 85 Grand Slam finals.

2nd Fun fact of the day: Australia now has no men ranked in the Top 100, in Singles.

We do have three women ranked in the Top 100 (singles), and three women ranked in the top 12 in doubles, but no one gives a darn about doubles.

OP Tipping wrote:2nd Fun fact of the day: Australia now has no men ranked in the Top 100, in Singles.

We do have three women ranked in the Top 100 (singles), and three women ranked in the top 12 in doubles, but no one gives a darn about doubles.

Except the subis...

"Except the subis..."

And Australia when the Woodies were around and we had nothing else...

SG wrote:

Nadal however does deserve bonus points for sportsmanship. He looked like he wanted to apologise for beating Federer.

Spot on, Hass.

Nadal is one heck of a ambassdor for tennis, both in terms of the talent as well as his sportsman spirit.

Apart from his Mediterranean good looks, he's pretty boring and un-charismatic, though.

Henry wrote:

SG wrote:

Nadal however does deserve bonus points for sportsmanship. He looked like he wanted to apologise for beating Federer.

Spot on, Hass.

Nadal is one heck of a ambassdor for tennis, both in terms of the talent as well as his sportsman spirit.

Apart from his Mediterranean good looks, he's pretty boring and un-charismatic, though.

FFS Trev ...You could at least try and make it hard for us to call you a farquen pooftah

I'm comfortable enough with my hetrosexuality to say when a man is good looking.

OP Tipping wrote:"Except the subis..."

And Australia when the Woodies were around and we had nothing else...

Phurt - we had Rafter into The Poo into Hewitt.