Australian Open 2015 Tennis thread

kithnou · January 19, 2015

Ok.The Australian Open starts right now here in Melbourne. The 1st Grand Slam tournament of 2015. Lets keep the chat going in here for the next 2 weeks!

kithnou · January 19, 2015

Top half of the men's draw weak, bottom half loaded. Bottom half playing Day 1 Monday. Nadal, Federer, Murray....

kithnou · January 19, 2015

1st game on the new Margaret Court Arena delayed because a ball kid decided to christen the new court by throwing up...lol...

kithnou · January 19, 2015

Ana Ivanovic out 1st round. God bless women's tennis.

McBain · January 19, 2015

Tennis used to be ace.

Bruce Wayne · January 19, 2015

McBain said:
Tennis used to be ace.

Aye, I've gone off it quite a bit lately. The womens game is so often horrendously uncompetitive (and they all play a similar style), and the mens is dominated by the same players, who all tend to play the same way (Federer excluded). It's all gotten a bit dull unfortunately.

I mean no doubt the players are incredibly talented and all that, but I find watching a mens match a bit like it must be to play Nadal. It's just relentless.

I liked it more when there was some real difference, both in the style of play but also in who excelled where. Now you get the same players winning the French as you do Wimbledon (often playing the same way ffs). I've no doubt it's probably a golden age in terms of ability, but as a spectacle it doesn't do it for me.

kithnou · January 19, 2015

As did football, as did most sports before money/gambling ruined them Still appreciate the sport though.

Great first day so far

kithnou · January 19, 2015

Bruce Wayne said:
Aye, I've gone off it quite a bit lately. The womens game is so often horrendously uncompetitive (and they all play a similar style), and the mens is dominated by the same players, who all tend to play the same way (Federer excluded). It's all gotten a bit dull unfortunately.

I mean no doubt the players are incredibly talented and all that, but I find watching a mens match a bit like it must be to play Nadal. It's just relentless.

I liked it more when there was some real difference, both in the style of play but also in who excelled where. Now you get the same players winning the French as you do Wimbledon (often playing the same way ffs). I've no doubt it's probably a golden age in terms of ability, but as a spectacle it doesn't do it for me.

Absolutely agree with that. However haven't most sports gone that way?
Same teams win the Premier League every year and most years bar big upsets,like we had in 2 Grand Slams last year in the tennis.

The slams are special

Bruce Wayne · January 19, 2015

Aye, quite possibly. I grew up in the Sampras/Agassi era and loved the contrast in styles, even personalities, between the two. Of course they won most of the tournaments between them, but the contrast made it interesting.

It hasn't really had that imo since Federer began to decline. His battles with Nadal were epic in their brutality, but I don't really enjoy watching Nadal play Djokovic or Murray, even as I can appreciate their supreme ability. A bit more variety would be ace.

The womens game was the same. The best time, for me, was when Henin was at her best as she provided something different. It's all much of a muchness otherwise.

kithnou · January 19, 2015

Bruce Wayne said:
Aye, quite possibly. I grew up in the Sampras/Agassi era and loved the contrast in styles, even personalities, between the two. Of course they won most of the tournaments between them, but the contrast made it interesting.

It hasn't really had that imo since Federer began to decline. His battles with Nadal were epic in their brutality, but I don't really enjoy watching Nadal play Djokovic or Murray, even as I can appreciate their supreme ability. A bit more variety would be ace.

The womens game was the same. The best time, for me, was when Henin was at her best as she provided something different. It's all much of a muchness otherwise.

Yep agree with all that. I started following the game in the Wilander/McEnroe/Edberg/Becker days and then saw the Agassi/Sampras era.

Not the same variety now. Boring baseliners one the same as the other. Racquet technology, and more so string advancements, have killed the game as a spectacle.

Once Federer retires we are in trouble. Only Dimitrov has a similarly endearing game to watch.

The women? I loved the Evert/Navratilova/Graf/Seles days. Awesome stuff. But too hit and miss these days.

McBain · January 19, 2015

Bruce puts it eloquently, my feelings exactly.

It feels like the game has lost it's true personality. A quick look at the rankings and I've only heard of 5 of them.

There's a Japanese guy in the top 5! Highest American at 21 - Isner. Bar Raonic and Nishikori it's a bunch of bland European no-names belting it out for most Unpronoucable.

Tennis players used to be massive, McEnroe, Borg, Conners, Sampras, Agassi, Stich, Noah, Edberg... even later players like Safin, Hewitt, Ivanesivic, Rafter, Kafelnikov, Muster and Courier... all players who could play out of their skin in huge games. Like Heavyweights slugging it out.

I do hope the next generation are more interesting.

Ivan Lendl though. What a player he was.

kithnou · January 19, 2015

McBain said:
Bruce puts it eloquently, my feelings exactly.

It feels like the game has lost it's true personality. A quick look at the rankings and I've only heard of 5 of them.

There's a Japanese guy in the top 5! Highest American at 21 - Isner. Bar Raonic and Nishikori it's a bunch of bland European no-names belting it out for most Unpronoucable.

Tennis players used to be massive, McEnroe, Borg, Conners, Sampras, Agassi, Stich, Noah, Edberg... even later players like Safin, Hewitt, Ivanesivic, Rafter, Kafelnikov, Muster and Courier... all players who could play out of their skin in huge games. Like Heavyweights slugging it out.

I do hope the next generation are more interesting.

Ivan Lendl though. What a player he was.

Great post. Hard to disagree with any of that.