collapse

* Recent Posts

Dallas bars tonite by madtown AL
[Today at 10:41:55 AM]


Kam Jones 1st Round Mock - The Ringer by Uncle Rico
[Today at 10:41:43 AM]


2024 Coaching Carousel by Uncle Rico
[Today at 10:41:06 AM]


2024 NCAA Tournament Thread by Uncle Rico
[Today at 10:40:35 AM]


Chicago bars for Fri game by Galway Eagle
[Today at 10:35:41 AM]


2024 Transfer Portal by PGsHeroes32
[Today at 10:14:22 AM]


Katz has MU in Final Four by Scoop Snoop
[Today at 09:51:44 AM]

Please Register - It's FREE!

The absolute only thing required for this FREE registration is a valid e-mail address.  We keep all your information confidential and will NEVER give or sell it to anyone else.
Login to get rid of this box (and ads) , or register NOW!


Author Topic: Tennis  (Read 105327 times)

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Tennis
« on: August 18, 2020, 10:43:43 AM »
The USTA has reported its first positive test out of 1400 tests for the two upcoming tourneys in NYC, non-player, but within the Long Island bubble.

The Cincinnati Western & Southern Open is being played at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in NYC this year w/o fans. (Starts Saturday) And then the U.S. Open will be played at the same place after.

Thus far, 81 of the top WTA 100 Women players are committed to playing the U.S. Open (subject to change until it starts). And 91 of the top 100 ATP Men's players (subject to change) are committed to play the U.S. Open.
« Last Edit: August 18, 2020, 10:48:07 AM by shoothoops »

Not A Serious Person

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1144
Re: Tennis
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2020, 05:16:15 PM »
Nadal is not playing.  Staying away
Western Progressives have one worldview, the correct one.

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2020, 05:59:11 PM »
Interesting tidbits:

90% of the bubble is already in the bubble. Upon bubble entry, must test negative twice on two tests 48 hours apart.

8 players renting houses within the bubble, the rest are staying at the bubble hotel.

Seeded players (1-32) men and women each get their own suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium since they will not have more than 15 minutes access to lounge and locker room. (Also reduced down to 30) Players only. No team.

Vastly reduced capacity down to 50 from several hundred for dining.

40 Hotel Ambassadors will monitor the bubble in 20 person shifts.

Massage and Training tables outdoors.

They have 500,000 masks.


4everwarriors

  • Registered User
  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 15995
Re: Tennis
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2020, 08:00:31 PM »
Gonna bee tough ta smuggle inn prostitutes, aina?
"Give 'Em Hell, Al"

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2020, 07:04:58 PM »
Guido Pella's physio (Juan Manuel Galvan) was the one positive test. Despite testing negative Pella will isolate and still be U.S. Open eligible. Pella's coach Jose Acasuso was also a negative test but will isolate as well. Qualifier Hugo Dellien also works with the same physio and will isolate. All other tests negative as the bubble nears 100% occupancy.

(U.S. Open Doubles Draws came out today.)

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2020, 10:53:14 AM »
Useful signage gesture here:


shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #6 on: August 23, 2020, 04:02:04 PM »
Mask protocols:


shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2020, 10:37:29 AM »

JWags85

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 2978
Re: Tennis
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2020, 10:59:28 AM »
Watched a bit yesterday. Found it amusing that with all the bubble and mask protocols, players still must tap rackets instead of shaking hands, and they don’t engage the umpire. Seems a bit excessive, but better safe than sorry I suppose

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #9 on: August 26, 2020, 11:38:08 AM »
Watched a bit yesterday. Found it amusing that with all the bubble and mask protocols, players still must tap rackets instead of shaking hands, and they don’t engage the umpire. Seems a bit excessive, but better safe than sorry I suppose

Yep. Masks required by all, everywhere when not playing, even just walking around. No lines judges. No fans. There is a bubble hotel and 8 players are renting houses within the bubble area. (Serena, Djokovic, etc...) Ball persons are not allowed to touch players towels, equipment etc...I have long been a proponent of players managing their own towels etc..

They have a nice set up for various games and activities at the BJK Center, which is a big place.  Each seeded player 32 gets a suite at the 22k Arthur Ashe Stadium to lounge, physio etc...

They are also using Hawk-Eye-Live technology. Previously Hawk-Eye has been used many years.  For those that don’t know it is the replay system technology that calls ball in or out etc...and is used for challenged replay. The Live version expands on that where every call is a verbal in or out loud or soft based on how far in or out it is. It has worked very well. Very accurate. It isn’t perfect but it is more accurate than humans. It can even call foot faults.

So if you watch this week, what you are often hearing is a machine, unless it is a chair umpire overrule.

The Cincinnati Western & Southern Open, played in NYC this year for the Pandemic, is the first tournament to use the Live technology for a tournament. The U.S. Open will use it as well. The Chair Umpire can overrule. So far it has gone well. Expect other tournaments to adopt the technology soon after this experiment. World Team Tennis has been using Hawk-Eye-Live for about three years now.

This of course means potential job loss for a few hundred lines officials, a close knit group popular with many players.

Hopefully the technology of at least the replay version will be adopted by clay court tournaments. They have long been reluctant to use replay. That is long overdue in my opinion.

Cincy event is a high level tour event and a good practice run for the up coming  U.S. Open.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2020, 11:46:30 AM by shoothoops »

MU Fan in Connecticut

  • Registered User
  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 3436
Re: Tennis
« Reply #10 on: August 26, 2020, 12:00:24 PM »
I drove by the stadium in Cincy two weeks ago and assumed it was canceled this year.  Little did I know it was on, but not in Cincinnati.

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #11 on: August 26, 2020, 12:32:36 PM »
I drove by the stadium in Cincy two weeks ago and assumed it was canceled this year.  Little did I know it was on, but not in Cincinnati.

Yep, one year only. It will be back next year. Unfortunately the nearby Mason, OH Applebee’s is no longer there. It’s a tennis joke because due to convenience many players would eat at the nearby Applebee’s at all hours out of convenience. They embraced the small town outer burb/exurb compared to the hustle bustle of many tour stops. They put on a good tournament. They are running the NYC version too with some help from the U.S. Open people. 


MU Fan in Connecticut

  • Registered User
  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 3436
Re: Tennis
« Reply #12 on: August 26, 2020, 01:12:47 PM »
Yep, one year only. It will be back next year. Unfortunately the nearby Mason, OH Applebee’s is no longer there. It’s a tennis joke because due to convenience many players would eat at the nearby Applebee’s at all hours out of convenience. They embraced the small town outer burb/exurb compared to the hustle bustle of many tour stops. They put on a good tournament. They are running the NYC version too with some help from the U.S. Open people.

I miss my local tournament: The Volvo International/Pilot Pen International/Connecticut Open that was 10 minutes down the expressway from my house.  It was held in between the Cincinnati Open and the US Open.  It always had a mixed bag of players depending on which ones liked the week off before the US Open and which liked a warm up tourney just before.  Morphed from a men's tournament to women's then both simultaneously, then back to women's.  Ended after the 2018 tourney when they couldn't get enough sponsorship money for 2019.  You would always see players in downtown New Haven.  My daughter volunteered twice (for high school required volunteer hours) and they gave plenty of free-bees to volunteers that included match passes. 

cheebs09

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 4516
Re: Tennis
« Reply #13 on: August 26, 2020, 02:00:42 PM »
Yep, one year only. It will be back next year. Unfortunately the nearby Mason, OH Applebee’s is no longer there. It’s a tennis joke because due to convenience many players would eat at the nearby Applebee’s at all hours out of convenience. They embraced the small town outer burb/exurb compared to the hustle bustle of many tour stops. They put on a good tournament. They are running the NYC version too with some help from the U.S. Open people.

I’ve been to that tournament many times. I highly recommend it. You can see a lot of good tennis up close. The facility is great now that they expanded with both men and women playing at the same time.

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #14 on: August 26, 2020, 02:08:35 PM »
I miss my local tournament: The Volvo International/Pilot Pen International/Connecticut Open that was 10 minutes down the expressway from my house.  It was held in between the Cincinnati Open and the US Open.  It always had a mixed bag of players depending on which ones liked the week off before the US Open and which liked a warm up tourney just before.  Morphed from a men's tournament to women's then both simultaneously, then back to women's.  Ended after the 2018 tourney when they couldn't get enough sponsorship money for 2019.  You would always see players in downtown New Haven.  My daughter volunteered twice (for high school required volunteer hours) and they gave plenty of free-bees to volunteers that included match passes.

New Haven, Yale, sure. It used to be big time for men and women as the first main combined pre U.S. Open tourney. Lots of big names played there (and the few Vermont years) Volunteering is a great idea/memory, great access up close to the tennis, the people, lots of perks too. Great opportunity for pizza sampling as well in New Haven. 👍

In recent memory, a few things.....Cincinnati has become big, sweet spot of two weeks prior to U.S. Open. Similar to golf, some, many skip the tourney immediately before or after a major. And the week prior to Cincinnati is the Canadian Open. (men and women alternate between Toronto and Montreal annually) These are both big tour events with big money. (Almost $3 million each)

The men moved down to Winston-Salem, NC the week before the U.S. Open. College tennis is big in the state especially at Wake Forest where they have been recent national champions. The Women started a new tourney in a public park in the Bronx last year. We'll see how that goes

But don't sleep on the Oracle Challenger Series New Haven stop. It is first week of September. It's new/recent. There you will find a mix of up and coming future stars, steady ATP/WTA tour players outside the top 50 or so, maybe a few higher ranked players looking for match play, or veteran names that still want to play.

For example, Jen Brady (UCLA) played New Haven Challenger last year. She is having a breakout season this year. She has wins in 2020 over Sharapova, Barty, Muguruza, Svitolina, Gauff, Bouzkoba, Riske, Teichmann, etc....and she won the new Kentucky tourney. She improved her ranking to 40 and she will likely get seeded at the U.S. Open.

Whitney Osuigwe also played. She just turned 18. She was the number one ranked World Junior. She was the first American to win the French Open Juniors in 28 years. She has been training at IMG Academy since she was little. Her dad coaches there. Astra Sharma won a National Title at Vandy, also played


Then you have a veteran such as a Lauren Davis who has made the round of 32 at both Wimbledon and the French Open multiple times each.

It's a nice mix. Former Oracle CEO Mark Hurd played college tennis at Baylor. He understood the need for the transition to the ATP/WTA tour. So Oracle has been pumping a lot of money into tennis. Jim Courier's company runs the events very professionally, way better than past minor league type of events.

Larry Ellison, Oracle Founder, bought the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and tour stop for $100 million in 2009. It has since become the best non slam/major in tennis. He has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on stadiums reconstruction, amenities etc...some players half joke it sits above the French Open in order and preference for players. Almost half a million fans annually and almost half a billion $ for their economy there. So even at the Challenger Series level, New Haven is worth checking out prior to many players heading out to the "Asian Swing" of the tour in Sept/Oct.



« Last Edit: August 26, 2020, 04:08:17 PM by shoothoops »

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #15 on: August 26, 2020, 02:16:41 PM »
I’ve been to that tournament many times. I highly recommend it. You can see a lot of good tennis up close. The facility is great now that they expanded with both men and women playing at the same time.

Yep, it's good, a big event, with most top Men and Women players playing. Good money there and good ranking points too. It is the only big Midwest ATP/WTA tour stop. Crowds are also much easier to handle than the always very crowded but fun U.S. Open.

Each place has its uniqueness for different reasons. Cincinnati is certainly a good choice for anyone seeking to see the highest level of tennis up close. The Applebee's was infamous because you would see the likes of Roger Federer and so many others just grabbing a bite there of all places. Graeter's has been popular there as well, and of course Skyline for some who work the tour. The nearby amusement park is popular with tour player/workers and their families. I had friends that lived in Mt. Adams, and other parts of the area Dayton, Columbus, that would visit when I have been there.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2020, 04:05:52 PM by shoothoops »

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #16 on: August 26, 2020, 09:21:38 PM »
Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the semifinals of Cincinnati in solidarity with other athletes from across the sports landscape. She is the favorite to win the tournament. Discussions ongoing now that more might join her.


https://twitter.com/naomiosaka/status/1298785716487548928?s=19
« Last Edit: August 26, 2020, 09:37:35 PM by shoothoops »

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #17 on: August 26, 2020, 10:09:20 PM »
Busy busy tennis.

Anerican Doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan announce their retirement effective immediately.

Playing together .....1,108 wins, 119 titles, 179 Finals, 39 ATP Masters 1000 Titles, Olympic Gold, World number 1 for 438 weeks, Year end number one ranked doubles team 10 times, 16 Grand Slam/Major Titles, 30 Grand Slam/Major Finals, Davis Cup Team Champions, 25-5 Record all time at Davis Cup,  ATP fan favorite team 15 times.  ....and many more.

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #18 on: August 26, 2020, 10:29:59 PM »
Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the semifinals of Cincinnati in solidarity with other athletes from across the sports landscape. She is the favorite to win the tournament. Discussions ongoing now that more might join her.  16 year old Coco Gauff has also been an outspoken, well spoken leader on the issue as well.


The Tourney will pause play for Thursday and resume Friday:

https://twitter.com/CincyTennis/status/1298820185902772230?s=19

https://twitter.com/naomiosaka/status/1298785716487548928?s=19
« Last Edit: August 26, 2020, 10:33:45 PM by shoothoops »

HutchwasClutch

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 2305
Re: Tennis
« Reply #19 on: August 26, 2020, 11:05:45 PM »
Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the semifinals of Cincinnati in solidarity with other athletes from across the sports landscape. She is the favorite to win the tournament. Discussions ongoing now that more might join her.


https://twitter.com/naomiosaka/status/1298785716487548928?s=19

Really hope she reconsiders this decision. What a void this will leave. Such a prestigious event too.

JWags85

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 2978
Re: Tennis
« Reply #20 on: August 26, 2020, 11:29:33 PM »
Busy busy tennis.

Anerican Doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan announce their retirement effective immediately.

Playing together .....1,108 wins, 119 titles, 179 Finals, 39 ATP Masters 1000 Titles, Olympic Gold, World number 1 for 438 weeks, Year end number one ranked doubles team 10 times, 16 Grand Slam/Major Titles, 30 Grand Slam/Major Finals, Davis Cup Team Champions, 25-5 Record all time at Davis Cup,  ATP fan favorite team 15 times.  ....and many more.

I didn’t realize they were still playing. Absolute legends, best to ever do it, but they’ve clearly lost a step. Haven’t won a major in 5+ years I believe.   Both top 30ish in all time earnings, despite neither being higher than 120 in the world as singles players. Just remarkable

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #21 on: August 26, 2020, 11:54:04 PM »
I didn’t realize they were still playing. Absolute legends, best to ever do it, but they’ve clearly lost a step. Haven’t won a major in 5+ years I believe.   Both top 30ish in all time earnings, despite neither being higher than 120 in the world as singles players. Just remarkable

They are 42. Bob had hip surgery a few years ago, after having terrible pain and limited movement and he sat out a while.

 Mike then teamed up with American Jack Sock to win both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open as well as the year end championships in 2018.

When Bob was ready, he teamed back up with Mike for a comeback. Mike broke the all time record for individual Grand Slam doubles titles with 18 with Sock. Bob has 16. They kept playing together to get Bob to 18. Todd Woodbridge and John Newcombe had 16 and 17. They weren’t able to do it. But they have the most as a team and many other records.

Had Mike kept playing with Sock, he could have won more. Jack Sock is an exceptional doubles player and mixed doubles player.

Interestingly enough the book on them early in their career is they made lots of Grand Slam finals but lost in finals. They more than overcame that over time. Staggering stats.

Both were superstars at Stanford winning individual and team singles and doubles National Titles. As kids their parents would not let them play each other. They would take turns defaulting to the other in tourneys.

They stopped playing singles knowing if they focused on doubles they could have a long successful career and they have.

Very high level character people as well. They also play several musical instruments and have a band. Really brought lots of positive attention to doubles which often deserves more attention.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2020, 11:57:18 PM by shoothoops »

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #22 on: August 27, 2020, 12:00:59 AM »
Really hope she reconsiders this decision. What a void this will leave. Such a prestigious event too.

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

-Arthur Ashe

Hards Alumni

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 6583
Re: Tennis
« Reply #23 on: August 27, 2020, 06:40:24 AM »
Really hope she reconsiders this decision. What a void this will leave. Such a prestigious event too.

Its sports.  We aren't talking about Nobel prizes here.

shoothoops

  • All American
  • *****
  • Posts: 1801
Re: Tennis
« Reply #24 on: August 27, 2020, 08:47:52 AM »
Really hope she reconsiders this decision. What a void this will leave. Such a prestigious event too.

Osaka has experienced quite a bit of racism, in Japan, the U.S. and elsewhere.

She is the highest paid Women's athlete, (she made almost $40 million last year) she doesn't need the money, and, she has a big platform. 9 or 10 of the highest paid Women's athletes are tennis players. The Cincy tourney responded to Osaka by pausing play for a day. Osaka and Gauff have been effective outspoken leaders.

As much as I like sports, there are some things in life that are bigger than sports and come first.