Australian Open

[Don Wassall]

The Verdasco-Nadel semi was incredible, five extremely close sets that took 5 hours and 14 minutes to play! Will be interesting to see what Nadal has left against Federer. He's such a fierce competitor that it will likely be a lot.


You have to marvel at the conditioning and talent level of the top tennis players. Other than maybe biking and marathons and iron man type competitions it's difficult to think of a sport where competitors have to exert themselves continuously at the top of their gamefor that length of time. If tennis was a "black thing," I'm sure we would hear claims that tennis players are the world's best all-around athletes.

 

[j41181]

Tennis will be virtually white in the foreseeable future. This sport has long proven and shown that WHITES are some of the world's best all-around athletes.

The stupid liberal sports media just won't acknowledge that.

 

[SeaJim]

Tennis will be virtually white in the foreseeable future. This sport has long proven and shown that WHITES are some of the world's best all-around athletes.

The stupid liberal sports media just won't acknowledge that.

On the men's side, yes. On the women's side, not until Serena is injured or retires. Venus is pretty much done, or at least past her peak. The Russian and Eastern European babes are nice to look at and good but choke when they play against the linebacker Serena. I hope Safina's dexterity can persevere.

 

[foobar75]

The 2009 Aussie Open has been a pretty good tourney. On the men's side, we got 4 whites in the semis, as media darlings Tsonga, Monfils, and Blake were all eliminated earlier. On the women's side, the worst case scenario of an all Williams final did not happen, but sadly looks like Serena Williams has it wrapped up, as I don't believe Safina has the tools to compete with her. That match has 6-2/6-2 written all over it.

But the upcoming Nadal/Federer final could be another classic. I fully expect to stay up and watch the whole thing live.

Edited by: foobar75

 

[SeaJim]

...media darlings Tsonga, Monfils, and Blake were all eliminated earlier. ...looks like Serena Williams has it wrapped up, as I don't believe Safina has the tools to compete with her. That match has 6-2/6-2 written all over it.

...

Close the final was 6-0, 6-3 in Serena's favor. I am disappointed with Safina. Why are these women choking....is Serena that good?

Re the media darlings, I think Tsonga could pose a threat over the next few years. Monfils and Blake don't have the goods IMO. Blake, similiar to Venus, is passed his peak (again IMO).

 

[Don Wassall]

Close the final was 6-0, 6-3 in Serena's favor. I am disappointed with Safina. Why are these women choking....is Serena that good?

Re the media darlings, I think Tsonga could pose a threat over the next few years. Monfils and Blake don't have the goods IMO. Blake, similiar to Venus, is passed his peak (again IMO).

Serena Williams is a physical freak, a linebacker in a female tennis player's body as one poster aptly put it. She should be among the first athletes mentioned when the topic is steroids use, but somehow she is immune from such speculation in the media. She is freakishly big and strong and when she is on her game, serving well and hitting accurate bullets, she is pretty much unbeatable. Fortunately she is often not on her game or she would have more than 10 major titles. In fact, she was almost knocked off twice earlier on in this one, and she should have lost in the quarterfinals when she was losing and sucking wind badly from the heat, when lo and behold the roof was closed after the first set to save the day for her.


Safina's serve wasn't effective, and she was kind of lead-footed, at least in this match. The only girls that might havemade it closewere Henin and Sarapova, and one is retired andthe other injured.

 

[OldSchoolBoy75]

A little off-topic, but whatever happened to Jennifer Capriati? I remember she was some tween prodigy in the late '80s and early '90s and then I never heard about her again. I followed tennis to a certain extent in the '80s and early '90s when we had players like Agassi, Graf, Seles, Lendl, Becker. I'm not on the up-and-ups with it today, mainly because it's "if it ain't the Williams sisters, it ain't sheet".

 

[Quiet Speed]

OldSchool, I'm no expert on Capriati's career. She did make a comeback after a hiatus and much trials and tribulations. She had a good but brief run, winning some Grand Slams in the early 2000's. I think she last left the tour because of injury. I don't recall her ever announcing retirement. Of course, her career is probably the model of what not to do with a promising youngster. Too many expectations and burdens heaped upon what was really a child at the beginning of her career.

 

[j41181]

Fellows, NADAL has beaten Federer in 5 SETS!!!! It was a great match, but I knew RAFA would end up the winner. The guy has "inhuman endurance," he plays like a machine. He is only 22 YEARS OLD, and has 6 GRAND SLAMS to his name!

I have a feeling he will OVERTAKE Pistol Pete, and Roger in terms of Grand Slam Titles when all is said and done. He is only 22 years old and has 6 Grand Slams, WOW!!!!

Congrats, to RAFA! I know Roger still has a chance to win a few more Grand Slams, but as long he does not face Nadal in the finals. Rafa has beaten Roger 5 TIMES in 7 Finals meetings, and has won their last 3 meetings. Rafa OWNS Federer!

 

[indianwhite]

Great win by Rafael Nadal, but I wanted Roger Federer to win, that's quite a shame. I agree with you (j41181</span>) that Roger can still win more Grand Slams, by not facing</span> Nadal in the finals. Nadal does indeed own him.

While I may not agree he will overtake Sampras and Federer in terms of Grand Slam titles, that's still a possibility</span>. Nadal did prove though that whites can be superb and phenomenal athletes, something he just displayed in this match.

Edited by: indianwhite

 

[Don Wassall]

Nadal is the uncontested number one at age 22; who knows how far his current run will take him? He now must be considered a decent shot to win the Grand Slam.


One of the few good things things Martina Navritilova

said in her relentlessly Caste commentary was when she called Nadal an "animal." He is a beast in all the good meanings of the term.Edited by: Don Wassall

 

[SeaJim]

...One of the few good things things Martina Navritilova

 said in her relentlessly Caste commentary was when she called Nadal an "animal."  He is a beast in all the good meanings of the term.

Hmmm, would she say the same about Blake, Monfils or Tonga?

Only saw the 1st few games in the first set and it appeared it was all Roger. Will watch full match today. Good, at least there is a new rivalry on the men's side. Just wish could say the same about the women. Right now it is all Serena.

 

[darthvader]

I disagree with the opinion that nadal owns federer. If the results were constantly similiar to the beating that serena gave safina then an argument can definitely be made. But in their matches one point or one shot makes up the difference. But for federer to really overtake nadal at this point has to bulk up just a little so that his groundstrokes become stronger which is nadal's game. Nadal's strength is his freakish endurance which elevates his ground game to super levels and at the same wears down his opponent. Federer either has to bulk up or shorten the points whenever he plays nadal. Sampras's strengh was shortening the points which is why he was able to neutralize agassi all those times they played against each other.

 

[Quiet Speed]

Another display of terrific tennis even though the 5th set was anti-climatic. Nadal's brilliance is undeniable. Some of those counter-punching winners he hit were unbelievable. Roger had some stellar moments as well. All in all, I must say, Fed's play was puzzling. His passivity on second serve break point situations is a mystery. And it carried over to some rallies. Sometimes it seems he is his own worst enemy as opportunities are wasted. That's why I'm in agreement with darthvader, the situation is not as dire as it seems if he make some adjustments. Also consider he played head to head for four sets with Rafa having a sub-par serving night.

Again darthvader is right on about bulking up. Agassi definitely altered his legacy after he became more solid physically. At one point in the Chris Evert- Martina Navratilova rivalry the bulked up Navratilova was dominating - thirteen consecutive wins. Evert countered with weight training, remaining feminine I might add. She was able to blunt the steamrolling Navratilova.

 

[Don Wassall]

It was another brilliant display of tennis and athleticism. Dick Enberg did a great job of play by play; Patrick McEnroe almost seemed to be pouting because he was demoted from play by play to color man for the match; he was overly critical and rarely acknowledged the quality of the play.


I'll give Enberg props too as he was the only ESPN announcer to refer to the men players as men. Chris Fowler, Mary Carillo, Brad Gilbert and the rest referred to them exclusively as "guys." I was half expecting the tournament to be changed to the women's event and the guys' event. I can't stand how men, from birth until death, are now referred to almost exclusively by the one-term-fits-all "guys."

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Don, about the guys thing, I agree. In my everyday speech, Itry to refer to men as men, specifically when they are white. Blacks can be the guys, males, dudes, whatever.

 

[GWTJ]

For me, the match turned in the 4th game of the 5th set. Roger was serving down 2-1 but on serve. He was up that game 30-love and missed an easy winner. Instead of 40-love it was 30-15 and Nadal broke him. He faded quickly after that.

Federer needs to be more consistent. He had some unforced errors at bad times and some double faults that were killers. For the second match in a row between these two, Nadal was the more consistent hitter.

Also, Nadal isn't doing this by luck. He uses angles better than anyone, is in superior condition, he is mentally strong, he makes few mistakes and plays extremely well in the big points.

So i'm just going to enjoy his game and see if Federer can put together a better match next time they meet. Edited by: GWTJ

 

[Don Wassall]

Maybe Nadal will be the one who ends up with the most career majors. Everyone assumed it would be Federer, but Roger may not even top Sampras' 14 the way Nadal is playing. At just 22, the five year difference in age is huge.

 

[Don Wassall]

Federer was really crying at the post-match ceremony. He couldn't even talk. This is one occasion where I don't mind seeing a man cry in public, not when it's that heartfelt and genuine.It's gotta be really tough for a great champion to lose first Wimbledon and then the Australian Open while still in his prime.

 

[Poacher]

Federer was really crying at the post-match ceremony. He couldn't even talk. This is one occasion where I don't mind seeing a man cry in public, not when it's that heartfelt and genuine. It's gotta be really tough for a great champion to lose first Wimbledon and then the Australian Open while still in his prime.

Must be very frustrating for Federer to have come this far and have a single player stand in his way. I feel bad for him. I'm hoping that Andy Murray can emerge and give Nadal a hard time. We'll see. Were it not for Nadal Fed would have what, 17 or 18 slams by now.

 

[foobar75]

Great final indeed. When two great white men go at it like that, it really doesn't matter who wins, although I was rooting for Federer just so he can get that record over with. Although, I also agree with some here that Nadal could indeed pass them both. (Sampras, and Federer if he gets there).

What an amazing physical specimen Nadal is. He's a superb athlete on top of simply being the best tennis player in the world at the moment. It's truly great to watch him play as he shows all the caste-clowns that whites do not lack anything in the world of sports.

 

[GWTJ]

Maybe Nadal will be the one who ends up with the most career majors.  Everyone assumed it would be Federer, but Roger may not even top Sampras' 14 the way Nadal is playing.  At just 22, the five year difference in age is huge. 

It's so hard to predict. A player may come along soon who has Nadal's number. If this player can knock Nadal out of a couple of tournaments, Federer could still reach 15 Majors. Another factor is injuries. Who knows how they will play a part in this. I'm not ready to concede that Federer will never win another Major just yet.

 

[Bart]

I was watching that match and there's no question Williams would have lost if it had continued to be played with the roof open, just as Djokovic wilted and had no chance of coming back against Roddick once the heat began to get to him.


It was unfair to closethe roofin the middle of the match. It should have been one or the other for the entire match.

Kuznetsovaexperienced some of that White privilege we always hear about. No way in HELL would they have closed the roof if it had beenKuznetsova getting obliterated by the heat. NO WAY!! Can you imagine how the press and the Williams family would have cried RACISM? It would have been deafening.

 

[jaxvid]

I didn't like the crying. He lost, man up. Tennis is got a wimpy enough rep without the guys crying too.

 

[guest301]

Federer was really crying at the post-match ceremony.  He couldn't even talk.  This is one occasion where I don't mind seeing a man cry in public, not when it's that heartfelt and genuine. It's gotta be really tough for a great champion to lose first Wimbledon and then the Australian Open while still in his prime. 

My sentiments exactly. This is a mental thing with Federer now and I hope he overcomes this. He's still young and very close to his prime and should go well past Sampras record of 14 titles.