2018 French Open

Shadowlight

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Just underway and Venus lost!! ONE DOWN.

Two huge questions loom. Will the basically unbeatable Nadal win yet another unprecedented French Open? Federer opted out for the second straight year and can't say I blame him given his age and the need to prepare for Wimbledon.

And will Simona Halep finally break through with her first Grand Slam? It won't be easy as Caroline Wozniacki finally got over the hump at the Aussie. And look out for swift Elina Svitolina who beat Halep in Rome on clay in the title match a couple of weeks ago.
 
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Don Wassall

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Serena must be over 200 pounds currently. I turned on the Tennis Channel late last night to see her wearing a grotesque skintight black outfit. Her booty rivals that of any NFL sumo, but of course any announcer making fun of her appearance and ridiculous outfit would be immediately given the Roseanne Barr treatment.

Brutus lost the first set only to win the second and third and make it to the third round. It'll be beyond pathetic if she rolls over the White competition and wins.

1527795382-Ash-Barty-Serena-Williams-960x540.jpg
 

BeyondFedUp

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Hopefully someone will just run that fat tub o' lard all over the court and send her packing really soon. She's not the player she was even before maternity leave. She's probably the most repulsive female in the history of sports.
 

CrazyFinn

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The fact that this obese negress has a legit shot to win the French Open is not a testament to her greatness, but rather the sorry state of women's tennis where not a single challenger has emerged to Serena over the past 5-6 years.

She won again today and will face Sharapova in the next round, which is an automatic win for her. I think Sharapova shouldn't even take the court, given the way she has been completely dominated in this non-rivalry.

Serena is 36 years old, hasn't played in almost a year and a half after giving birth, and as Don accurately indicated, is close to 200lbs. How the younger, fresher players keep coming up short is unbelievable to me.

We have joked in the past that the sisters will be playing well into their 40s and likely keep winning, and it's not a joke anymore, I can really see this nightmare continue for a few more years.
 

Flint

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I don't watch tennis anymore. Has the women's game changed? It used to be the women were in some ways more interesting then the men to watch because they would have long volleys. How is it not possible to for the younger players to run the old lady ragged?
 

Shadowlight

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If Serena manages to win it will be yet another INDICTMENT on the level of competition in women's tennis. My hunch is the BULK takes a tumble here in Paris. I say that realizing the peril of dismissing her. Ha. And to top it off Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys are still alive.

Not a scientific study but my sense is that most women on the tour are not as dedicated as women from an earlier era. Sure they practice hard and "workout" but mentally too many of them are "thinking" about men beyond a normal level and deliberating which one will end up being their groom. And most of them are "surrounded" by men whether it be coaches, fitness experts or trainers as they luxuriate in the whole male dominated scene where men pamper them 24/7.

But back to Serena. To say she lacks decorum is an understatement. The fact is given her bulky girth there is very little that can be done to make her look "passable." And yes there are some abnormal men who find big bulky chicks "sexy" but for the rest of us sexy does not compute on any level. Her best bet is to wear conservative longer dresses but with the self awareness of a gnat she "triples down" on trying to look sexy which only makes things even worse.

This cat suit she is wearing is so unappealing it makes it difficult to eat and watch her play at the same time.

I was surprised Svitolina got bounced which once again makes you question her mental toughness. For crying out loud she has been dominating the clay circuit and then folds like a tent at the big one.

I am watching Wozniacki as I type and she is struggling in the first set. Hopefully she finds her zone and gets back on another roll.

I'll be rooting hardest for cute Halep but she continually worries me.
 

Shadowlight

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Well my prediction wasn't half bad as Serena pulled out of her match with Maria which sends Maria into the quarterfinals. Halep won today and she will likely face Kerber in the quarterfinals.

The bad news is a listless Wozniacki lost.

Will anyone challenge steam rolling Nadal? Right now it doesn't look like it. I am not a Nadal fan but cripes he has been unstoppable here for ages now. Not sure any of the young pups can rise up and knock the king off his perch?

I knew Maria has been beaten like a drum by Serena in recent years but I did not realize that Maria has not beaten Serena since 2004. Fourteen long years!! That was the year Maria won that EPIC Wimbledon over Serena in the final as a 17 year old. One of the greatest moments in tennis history!!!!! The cameras could not GET ENOUGH of Maria back then. I remember that whole scene and had a chance to watch Maria play that late summer. The BUZZ and EXCITEMENT surrounding her was off the charts. By the time she played at the US Open all eyes were on pretty Maria and for good reason.
 

NWsoccerfan

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I saw an article on Serena pulling out of the competition today. I often wonder if things like this have anything to do with PED use and perhaps someone gave her a "tip" that a random test is coming and best pull out with an "injury". Do they randomly test women's tennis players? I thought I remembered something a few years back about Serena locking herself in her room and refusing to come out after drug testing officials showed up to conduct a random test.
 

BeyondFedUp

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It's good that she's out no matter what the the reason. We can only hope the same for all the Majors and lesser tournaments in one way or another. Hopefully, she'll go on an eating binge while she is recovering and gain even more weight.
 

Shadowlight

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It is unlikely that Serena pulled out because of PEDs as tennis has arguably the strictest drug testing policy among all sports. For instance the difference between the drug policies of tennis and the NFL is a country mile.

It could be she could play despite the injury but being less than 100% didn't want to suffer a loss versus Maria her arch enemy. ( They do not like each other). She is coming off a pregnancy and probably suffered a strain after being dormant for so long. Whatever the case I am glad she is gone.
 
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If Serena manages to win it will be yet another INDICTMENT on the level of competition in women's tennis. My hunch is the BULK takes a tumble here in Paris. I say that realizing the peril of dismissing her. Ha. And to top it off Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys are still alive.

Not a scientific study but my sense is that most women on the tour are not as dedicated as women from an earlier era. Sure they practice hard and "workout" but mentally too many of them are "thinking" about men beyond a normal level and deliberating which one will end up being their groom. And most of them are "surrounded" by men whether it be coaches, fitness experts or trainers as they luxuriate in the whole male dominated scene where men pamper them 24/7.

But back to Serena. To say she lacks decorum is an understatement. The fact is given her bulky girth there is very little that can be done to make her look "passable." And yes there are some abnormal men who find big bulky chicks "sexy" but for the rest of us sexy does not compute on any level. Her best bet is to wear conservative longer dresses but with the self awareness of a gnat she "triples down" on trying to look sexy which only makes things even worse.

This cat suit she is wearing is so unappealing it makes it difficult to eat and watch her play at the same time.

I was surprised Svitolina got bounced which once again makes you question her mental toughness. For crying out loud she has been dominating the clay circuit and then folds like a tent at the big one.

I am watching Wozniacki as I type and she is struggling in the first set. Hopefully she finds her zone and gets back on another roll.

I'll be rooting hardest for cute Halep but she continually worries me.

Stephens, Keys, and that other one, Taylor Townsend...all those Great Black Hopes seriously run together in my mind. I'm not even trying to make racist humor, they really do run together. Can't remember who's who. Same thing with all those black cornerbacks in the NFL draft...they all ran together and I don't even really pay attention to the position because White players are completely banned from it.

Probably has something to do with how black people like one kind of music (rap) and vote for one party (Democrat), while with White people, some of us like country, some go for rock, some enjoy classical, and some are into heavy metal. And in politics, we're Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, independents...we're a very diverse people.

I'm ranting, but it's a sad state, the way the sport is nowadays, especially with American players. No players like Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Chris Evert anymore. Also one of my favs from back in the day was Amanda Coetzer, a South African (White, of course), who was always fun to watch because she's so short.
 

Don Wassall

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Halep defeats Kerber in three sets after losing the first one. I didn't have a strong favorite in that one but lean toward Halep finally winning her first grand slam event.
 

Shadowlight

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The Finals are all set. Nadal will be going for his 11th French Open title which sounds make believe. Thiem has beaten Nadal on CLAY but he is still a huge underdog. Thiem has some pop and might make this competitive but I am afraid the freight train named Nadal will carve another groundbreaking record into the history books. Not a fan but can't deny his greatness.

And then we have the Halep vs. Stephens battle. Like some bad joke just as the Williams sisters could be heading for oblivion up pops another black American to fill the void. Stephens was impressive in route to her first grand slam at the US Open. When she is on she is difficult to derail. Unfortunately she is very athletic which only adds to the over all misery. And it make one wonder where are the white American girls? Stephens played another non white American Madison Keys in the semifinals.

It strikes me that often, see English and French soccer as examples, that once blacks get a foot hold white players start to thin out. A very distressing trend that points to whites giving up and exiting stage left.

Then there is Halep who will be making her third French Open final. Not nearly as big and strapping as Stephens, Halep has to rely on guile and grit to win rather than brute force. But Halep is a pocket rocket with a lot of athletic jolt in her tightly wound body. But can she overcome her demons? She can get very emotional and is prone to tightening up on the biggest stages. Her temper has been better of late but she has a vicious one when it gets unleashed. Her record in majors so far is 0-3.

Naturally she has hired a psychologist and at least to this point in the tournament she seems a bit more relaxed. Will that winning attitude carry over to the finals? I sure and hell hope and pray it does but this cutie pie has yet to get over the hump (number one ranking be damned) so a win here will be magnificent. A loss will only tighten the noose further.

Tennis players are probably the most attended to athletes on the planet. They have their coach and various other instructors. A training specialist and a physical therapist. Hitting partners. A diet specialist. They have loads of gofers and cling on types. Many employ psychologists and other mental heath gurus. Plus the fawning fans who swoon at the mere sight of them. The male players routinely have gorgeous girl friends or wives. They are all pampered and too many often yell at their coaches during matches.

That said they are also arguably the best athletes in all of sports and the stress and mental energy not to mention endurance needed is off the charts. And the sport has given us Roger Federer the man with the elegant touch.

When Wozniacki defeated Halep in the Australian Open final I was disappointed but I could live with it. Needless to say if Stephens beats Halep here at the French I WON'T be able to live with it.
 

Don Wassall

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I watched the beginning of the women's final before going out today and Stephens was dominating the first set. When I got home an hour ago and saw there was no posts on this thread I figured Stephens must have won. But I was pleasantly surprised when I turned on the Tennis Channel several minutes ago, just in time to see the repeat showing with Halep at match point! She won it in three sets after losing the first one. Her first slam title after losing in the finals three previous times. Great win for Simona.
 

Shadowlight

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Before I get to Halep ( I watched her entire finals match yesterday which they might replay right now since the Nadal match ended in three sets yesterday) a word about Nadal and the state of men's tennis.

Absurd is the only way to describe Nadal as he just completed winning his unprecedented 11th French Open title. His dominance is hard to fathom as he swats away younger players with apparent ease.

I think the extended Nadal/Federer dominance could end at any time now. I suspect there will be a changeover as soon as Wimbledon. I am not sure if the transition will take another year or two as established players squeeze in a couple of Grand Slams or if some of the young players quickly jump into the spotlight? Nadal is younger than Roger so he has a better chance of winning more majors including the French yet again. At best Roger has one more major in him but even though he looked great at the Australian Open he is 6 months older going into Wimbledon and father time is going to only make things tougher on him.

Tennis magazine ( which only comes out 6 times a year now) had Simona Halep on the cover of their May/June issue. Inside was an article by the distinguished tennis writer Peter Bodo in which he mentions her "jackrabbit quickness" and "preternatural stamina," both key factors in her monumental win.

Resigned to the fact that Stephens was going to pummel Halep after winning the first set and up 2-0 in the second announcers McEnroe and Mary Carillo were ruminating about the 14 year old black American girls player who captured the French Juniors title. A depressing set of events although even though they are pumping this young girl up with Venus Williams comparisons it is too early to crown her the next coming.

Meanwhile Halep remained tough and kept battling and it paid off. She broke Stephens serve and it seemed that some of the air came out of Stephens as Halep kept up her intensity. By the time Halep secured the second set I wondered if Halep's superb fitness would wear out Stephens. Halep also started hitting some higher balls just to change up the pace as it seemed Stephens was zoned in. The combination of Halep's relentless play and her change ups threw Stephens off her game as she wilted with a rash of unforced mistakes.

Stephens is very athletic and has great speed and court coverage. She also has a more powerful forehand than Halep although she doesn't have a Serena type serve. But Halep with her darting quickness and superb agility just kept coming at her and eventually chopped the tree down.

Halep has improved her serve and has become a better offensive player. In the past she was content to just hit everything back and play backboard defense. But that only gets you so far. Halep is still not a finished product. She still needs to work on varying her game with drop shots, lobs and coming to the net. Now that this humungous monkey is off her back will she be able to gather steam? Still hard to say because she lacks that finishing power shot so many of the top players possess but the good news is Halep's game has shown incremental improvements and if this upward slope continues I expect her to continue to be in the mix and hopefully win more Grand Slams.

I won't mince words this was a HUGE win. Halep, who I refer to as "pocket rocket" because of her terrific court coverage and dynamite ability wrapped up in a smaller body finally crossed the finish line. Halep's win will go down as one of most important anti caste moments of the year hands down. I am really happy about it and to boot Halep is my favorite current female player. On her way to the title she had to fend off athletic Gerber and two time rising star Muguruza who Halep quickly disposed of in two sets.

Stephens will be around for a while because she has the talent unfortunately. She did however show poise and class in her loss which is something that never comes to mind when you think of Serena.

So a GREAT DAY in tennis and at this very minute NBC is replaying the third set of the Halep match.
 
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Shadowlight

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This is what summer means to me this time of year when it comes to sports. Apart from the upcoming NBA (and NHL) draft it is full steam ahead with baseball, three more golf majors (US Open this weekend) and Wimbledon followed by the US Open (tennis), which unofficially closes out the summer. This summer also includes the World Cup.

Wimbledon is my favorite tennis tournament. It has a history and nobility you just can't beat not to mention tradition.

Meanwhile Simona Halep is being cheered on by many tennis fans as the popular cutie finally wins her first major. Around 20,000 people gathered in Bucharest to celebrate her victory. One big party as her country has deemed her a hero. Who says tennis is a "minor" sport? Caste operators who would rather focus on the NBA 24/7.

Below is a mini tribute to her French Open win and at the bottom a neat huge Nike ad that is now seen in NYC. No she will never forget her first Major win. No one ever does.

http://baseline.tennis.com/article/74592/baseline-player-week-simona-halep

And the Romanian star says goodbye to her fans at the end of the celebration. See below. Not in English but you get the idea.

 
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