Tennis

[MuggsyB]

Men?

There were 2 this year.

Borg, Edberg, Wilander, Soderling, Bjorkman, Enqvist etc….

Oh...right.  There was Swedish dominance for awhile.  But Borg retired before those other guys.

[shoothoops]

Has there ever been a Scandinavian QF in a GS tournament?  Maybe it's me but it's extremely disappointing that USA men's tennis has been basically non-existent since Roddick.  And frankly Roddick was obviously nowhere near American greats the generation before.  Any theories on what we're doing wrong?

It also gives you an opportunity to enjoy more aspects to the sport. Women’s Tennis, doubles, mixed, juniors, college, etc….and it also can broaden your interest of more than just the top handful of Men’s players.

Isner for example went 10 straight years ranked in the top 20, which is a pretty big accomplishment. He advanced to the finals of 3 big doubles events this year with 3 different partners. (Sock, Hurkacz, Schwartzman)

[shoothoops]

Recently turned 18, Coco Gauff becomes the youngest player to make a WTA  Grand Slam Final since…………..Maria Sharapova in 2004.

She will play her doubles semifinals with new top 10 American singles player Jessie Pegula, against fellow Americans Madison Keys and Taylor Townsend.

She will then meet World number one Iga Swiatek the next day for the Roland Garros singles title. (Gauff also graduated high school while in Paris)

[MU82]

Recently turned 18, Coco Gauff becomes the youngest player to make a WTA  Grand Slam Final since…………..Maria Sharapova in 2004.

She will play her doubles semifinals with new top 10 American singles player Jessie Pegula, against fellow Americans Madison Keys and Taylor Townsend.

She will then meet World number one Iga Swiatek the next day for the Roland Garros singles title. (Gauff also graduated high school while in Paris)

Swiatek is a machine. I hope it's a good final.

[MuggsyB]

Swiatek is a machine. I hope it's a good final.

She's very solid on both wings.  Coco will have a big challenge. 

[MU82]

Looks like NBC, at least in the Charlotte area, won't start showing the Nadal-Zverev match until 11 a.m. ET.

Jerks.

[MuggsyB]

Looks like NBC, at least in the Charlotte area, won't start showing the Nadal-Zverev match until 11 a.m. ET.

Jerks.

On Tennis Channel live now. 

Very strong start for Zverv.  Thwacking winners all over the place.  Hopefully he cools off. 

[MuggsyB]

11 winners in 6 games for Zverev.  He's absolutely cracking the ball right now and serving at a crazy high percentage.  15/16 first serves. 

[MU82]

On Tennis Channel live now. 

Very strong start for Zverv.  Thwacking winners all over the place.  Hopefully he cools off.

Unfortunately, I do not get Tennis Channel.

I just read that NBC will be offering its telecast on delay, so now I might have to try to avoid seeing any updates so it doesn't get ruined for me.

Oh well, it was my decision to not pay for every streaming service under the sun.

Thankfully, ESPN has the other 3 majors.

[MuggsyB]

Unfortunately, I do not get Tennis Channel.

I just read that NBC will be offering its telecast on delay, so now I might have to try to avoid seeing any updates so it doesn't get ruined for me.

Oh well, it was my decision to not pay for every streaming service under the sun.

Thankfully, ESPN has the other 3 majors.

I'll likely miss the meat of the match.

Zverev just choked away his break! 

[shoothoops]

The loooooong term NBC Contract is inching closer to the end (2024) for French Open.

NBC will never go against Today Show ad money. And they never decided to show all matches first ball last ball on peacock.

Their coverage is tape delay, weekends, holidays, and anything that happens live during their air time. The rest is Tennis Channel and TC plus.

I would suggest TC Plus as an option but it is ideally for people that are interested in more than the top few players at slams a few days a year. (so basically me)  It’s 12 months, not month to month and its shows all tour events and matches outside of 3 slams and other tennis things. The app connection quality has occasional challenges.

You don’t get TC with TC Plus. It’s often International Feed matches, and some matches are without broadcast pxp. So it varies.

Another advantage with the ESPN app is I can and do watch entire college baseball, college soccer, college basketball, seasons, along with other pro and college sports, with their app for $7 extra a month. It rarely has technical issues.

Tennis Channel is mostly for people that still have DirecTV or cable, and, that is at least to me, still an eye brow raising amount of people. We were slow to switch to streaming only years ago. Apparently we weren’t that slow.

The other issue is that Sinclair also owns 22 Sports Regional channels. Their many year rumored direct to consumer app is now rumored for this Fall, $16-20 a month for only one market of sports regionals for those that need it for NHL, MLB, NBA. But it is not likely to include TC.

There have been MLB teams this season (and NHL) that have played 3-4 games a week on national networks and all games on things such as TBS, MLB Network etc all blacked out every time. Only Sunday night baseball, apple, peacock games not blacked out.

Regional Sports Network ad money is good so Sinclair and those pro leagues don’t seem to care that access is more and more limited to see the games. And contracts are deep into the 2030’s. 

Some TC people and opinions vary greatly depending on the person. Some on air people completely get it. Others are defensive defend at all costs. Some execs and EP’s there have extremely out of touch defensive argumentative head in sand positions.

It isn’t difficult to acknowledge the app is bad, needs fixing, needs month to month flexibility. And TC needs better distribution.

ESPN may not promote tennis enough, and switched to 3 slams only, but what they do have, they cover well. Hope they scoop up the French after 2024.

[shoothoops]

Gauff/Pegula over Keys/Townsend 6-4, 7-6 in yet another fun, close, well played doubles match.

Gauff is now in both the singles and doubles finals at Roland Garros four years after she won the French Open Junior singles title.

In that French Junior tourney Iga Swiatek made the French Open Junior doubles final with long time Gauff bestie and doubles partner Caty McNally.

[MuggsyB]

incredible drama to end this 1st set.  Nadal saves 4 set points in the TB.  At 4-6 he's getting hit off the court and hits this ridiculous whipping forehand crosscourt passing shot.  Finishes the tb with another spectacular forehand pass up the line.  Incredible stuff with Rafa taking it 10-8.  Zverev absolutely threw away the set twice.  Vamos Rafa!!

What a shame I have to go-to work soon.  😞

[MU82]

incredible drama to end this 1st set.  Nadal saves 4 set points in the TB.  At 4-6 he's getting hit off the court and hits this ridiculous whipping forehand crosscourt passing shot.  Finishes the tb with another spectacular forehand pass up the line.  Incredible stuff with Rafa taking it 10-8.  Zverev absolutely threw away the set twice.  Vamos Rafa!!

I couldn't resist so I had to keep refreshing the score. Happy with what I saw! Sounds like Rafa did what he had to do, and did it with his usual aplomb.

[MuggsyB]

I couldn't resist so I had to keep refreshing the score. Happy with what I saw! Sounds like Rafa did what he had to do, and did it with his usual aplomb.

Absolutely incredible point when Zverev served at 6-4 in the breaker.  Sasha was rolling early but then hit a  bunch of unforced errors and also double faulted.  He was up 6-2 in the breaker but Rafa.....well is Rafa.  No one could have won that point at 4-6 other than Nadal. .  The get before the "did that just happen?" flick passing shot was amazing as well. 

[MU82]

Sad ending to what was looking like another classic Rafa match at Roland Garros.

Despite his mistakes, Zverev was playing very well. That injury looked extremely painful. Rafa couldn't have handled the situation with more class.

One thing that struck me was how much smaller Rafa is than Zverev, who towered over him.

Anyway ...

Another French Open final for the King of Clay. One more win to #22!

[MuggsyB]

Sad ending to what was looking like another classic Rafa match at Roland Garros.

Despite his mistakes, Zverev was playing very well. That injury looked extremely painful. Rafa couldn't have handled the situation with more class.

One thing that struck me was how much smaller Rafa is than Zverev, who towered over him.

Anyway ...

Another French Open final for the King of Clay. One more win to #22!

What a shame. 

[MU82]

What a shame.

It was a shame that it ended that way.

But looking at the big picture and being pragmatic ...

If Rafa wins Sunday, when folks are looking back at the careers of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer years from now, nobody with a brain is gonna say, "Rafa won 22 majors, but he might have had only 21 if Zverev hadn't hurt his ankle in the 2022 semifinal." I mean, there's no asterisk next to 21 because Djokovic was a vaccine denier and had to miss the Australian Open, nor are there asterisks about the many injuries that kept Rafa from winning even more majors.

The fact was that Rafa won the first set and was in good position to win the second, too. (At least as good position as Zverev, as it was headed to a tiebreaker.) I rather doubt Zverev would have won the match.

Hoping for a great final, with our guy winning!

[MuggsyB]

It was a shame that it ended that way.

But looking at the big picture and being pragmatic ...

If Rafa wins Sunday, when folks are looking back at the careers of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer years from now, nobody with a brain is gonna say, "Rafa won 22 majors, but he might have had only 21 if Zverev hadn't hurt his ankle in the 2022 semifinal." I mean, there's no asterisk next to 21 because Djokovic was a vaccine denier and had to miss the Australian Open, nor are there asterisks about the many injuries that kept Rafa from winning even more majors.

The fact was that Rafa won the first set and was in good position to win the second, too. (At least as good position as Zverev, as it was headed to a tiebreaker.) I rather doubt Zverev would have won the match.

Hoping for a great final, with our guy winning!

You just hate to see someone get injured in a GS semi.  It doesn't change that 22 and 14 are in play. 

I believe Rafa is 154-3 in five set matches on clay. 

[MU82]

I was hoping Cilic would win because I thought Rafa would crush him.

I will admit that I didn't know who Casper Ruud was until a couple days ago, but I guess Ruud used to train at Rafa's academy and idolizes Rafa. He looked real good against Cilic, but Cilic was toast by midway through the second set.

[MuggsyB]

I was hoping Cilic would win because I thought Rafa would crush him.

I will admit that I didn't know who Casper Ruud was until a couple days ago, but I guess Ruud used to train at Rafa's academy and idolizes Rafa. He looked real good against Cilic, but Cilic was toast by midway through the second set.

It's gotta be nice for Casper and the Norwegians but I will be rooting for Rafa to drop the hammer with zero mercy.  As I've stated many times, Rafa's complete dominance on clay is probably the greatest single achievement in sports in my lifetime.  And that's not hyperbole.  Imagine having a best of five sets record of 154-3 in the same era with two other players that are thought of as top 5 ever?  It's not like he's  been throttling chumps for 18 yrs.  And the fact is, if he finishes Ruud on Sunday, he will be two clear of Djokovic.     

[MU82]

And the fact is, if he finishes Ruud on Sunday, he will be two clear of Djokovic.   

Would love that!

And he'd be able to needle Djokovic about it.

[MuggsyB]

I didn't realize Swiatek is only 21. I just don't think Coco can out hit Iga on this surface. 

[shoothoops]

Nerves understandably got the better of Coco today. And, that happens to everyone in every sport. Her execution was significantly below her current level, and it was mostly unforced. Tactically there could have been a few minor tweaks but it was mostly nerves. She’ll be fine. 

Opportunity was there in the first set especially as Iga was solid but not elite. Iga improved as match went on in 2nd set, and that is when Gauff started settling in more, but sill not playing anywhere Gauff’s good level.

Credit to Iga for playing solid tennis with flashes of great at times. I think Coco would like to start the match over. She’ll get another opportunity as soon as tomorrow in the doubles final w/Pegula.

[MU82]

I didn't realize Swiatek is only 21. I just don't think Coco can out hit Iga on this surface.

I was rooting for the teenage underdog, but she could barely stay on the court for an hour with the best player in the world.

Swiatek is simply better at everything than Gauff is, and I always appreciate excellence in sport. It was an effen clinic, especially in the second set. A pleasure to watch.

Swiatek is efficient but also capable of spectacular shots. Has the baton officially been passed from Serena to Iga? All the others had better improve a lot, and quickly.