Tennis

AngryGerbil

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Another advantage of not reading newspapers most days it seems, the BBC and a couple of other websites seem quite calm related to that in their pundits thinking on average she has a good chance of hitting the world top 10 but stopping well short of saying she's going to be a superstar. She seems a nice enough lass from the odd interview I've seen, hopefully she doesn't get ground up and/or corrupted by the media machine too quickly.
They actually talk about tennis in your papers. Be happy about that!

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I am such a sap when it comes to tennis. I love the game. I love it for itself, and so if a good player falls and a new person rises...I am totally okay with that. Peace out Rog. There can only one ... BROSEF! There can only be a handful of 'the best' at any one time and they will never endure. Not forever. Those on top fluctuate throughout the years and it is this whole ebb and flow that I like to watch. It is the long term meta-game of 'tennis' as a life that I appreciate. Everyone just wants their time in the sun. Just ask Andy Murray right now.

But because of these things, it means I pretty much am always rooting for the favorite. It makes my tennis analysis moot in the eyes of the on-court technicians; of which I most certainly am not. Just ask my undefeated brother-in-law. And just ask me. I like reading Szlia's analysis because it is so different from my own. I am not capable of seeing what he sees and I appreciate what he can show me.

Anyway, I was interrupted many times today but I made every effort to watch every minute of tennis as my life would allow. I missed most of the first match between Djokovic and Del Potro. I saw a good bit, but not quite %50. I saw probably %75 of Murray and Janowicz.

My god, if Juan can just stay healthy I can not see why he can't win slam after slam. Maybe not the way Roger or Rafa can, but Del Potro is a great player when he is healthy and he moves so well when he believes he can. So many times he seems to be afraid of his own size in a way that Djokovic is not. And you know, I think it showed today. What I saw was two of the better practitioners of this art, with similar physiques, going head to head. And I saw that the Serbian is simply a more able and more fit hominid than the Argentine is. Del Potro has everything that Djokovic has with one exception; the 'Gumby' factor.

Murray started slow but it sort of seemed obvious to me that he was always on top of the situation. I never felt like he wasn't really in control. That being said he needs to sharpen the fuck up...right now. You got Nole up next in two days Andy, brother, and you're on Center Court at Home. It's A-game time my friend.

Janowicz was fun to watch. He has talent for sure. If he can take this whole experience as a success and not a failure, I don't see why he can't just get better as a result of it. His drop shots and net game were well played. If he becomes a Polish (my own heritage) net player that can win Wimbledon some day, I will buy his t-shirt.

Overall, I am going to pick Murray. Yep. I think he can and will do it, this time. Maybe not ever again....maybe not ever, ever. But I think he will win it, just this once.

On the women's side I am an asshole for saying that I have long (over a year) be a fan of both Lisicki and Bartoli. It's lame to claim, "I was there man! I was there from the very beginning!" but I have to. Sabine will win. Marion's unorthodoxy will be exposed in the end, as much as I might personally appreciate it. There is something almost erotic (!) about Bartoli's energy level which makes me want to root for her, for sure, but I think Sabine will be more accurate and powerful and will cut Marion to pieces.
 

shattuck_sl

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just popping in to say Lisicki is hot, Del Potro is awesome (and hopefully back), and I'm taking Djokovic in the finals over Murray. Janowicz looks like the next big superstar in tennis, though I said the same about Berdych and Ferrer a couple years ago and it hasn't really happened yet
 

AngryGerbil

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On the women's side I am an asshole for saying that I have long (over a year) be a fan of both Lisicki and Bartoli. It's lame to claim, "I was there man! I was there from the very beginning!" but I have to. Sabine will win. Marion's unorthodoxy will be exposed in the end, as much as I might personally appreciate it. There is something almost erotic (!) about Bartoli's energy level which makes me want to root for her, for sure, but I think Sabine will be more accurate and powerful and will cut Marion to pieces.
Well so much for all that bullshit I said. Lisicki was not ready for the big show, not at all. Congrats to the pig nosed girl from France though. She is the goofiest little tennis player I've ever seen.
 

Pinch_sl

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I don't think I've heard many people say that Del Potro moves well. Perhaps he does for a tall lanky guy, but he still looks uncoordinated and lumbering quite frequently and it costs him points.
 

Szlia

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I saw nothing today as I was at a movie festival that always starts with the last week-end of Wimbledon... I skipped films last year for Federer vs Murray, but I won't for Murray vs Djokovic doing 87658764 strokes rallies from the back of the court (unless I catch some of it between two projections and get riveted for some reason). I hope I'll get to learn the details of what happened in this thread!

Today, Bartoli won for the ladies, but so did Bencic for the girls. The N?1 seed from Switzerland also won the French Open, which means, according to the data previously parsed for this thread that we can expect to see her in the Top 30 in a not so distant future.
 

AngryGerbil

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Perhaps he does for a tall lanky guy, but he still looks uncoordinated and lumbering quite frequently and it costs him points.
This is what I mean, yes. But you will see moments of brilliance where he is not lanky or uncoordinated at all. When he's just perfect and you're like, "Where the hell has that been all this time?? Do that more."

Finals at Wimbledon! Super Bowl Sunday! I can't think of a single person I know in real life who is watching this right now.Possiblymy brother in law, if my sister will let him. I need to move to a tennis town.

As much as I like Djokovic, it is almost impossible not to root for Andy today. I think he'll do it. Let's go!

*edit* Murray won the first point. It's over!
 

Neki

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As well as Murray is playing at the moment, Djokovic is making it easier for him with a surprisingly large number of unforced errors and double faults. He seems rattled.

Murray is 2 sets to 0 up at the moment and strong favourite from here on but never count the Serb out. Many times have I seen him come back from 2 sets down and win.

Game on!
 

Tarrant

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Murray is 2 sets to 0 up at the moment and strong favourite from here on but never count the Serb out. Many times have I seen him come back from 2 sets down and win.

Game on!
thanks for that strong bit of unknown commentary.
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Murray is looking deflated, making mistakes needs to get his crap togther.
 

Neki

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Wow, this 3rd set is nuts. Break after break after break

Murray was 2-4 down and now is serving for the championship!
 

Fazana_sl

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The pressure the poor bastard has been under since he popped up as a talent after Henmans 4 semi final losses, grats to the British* winner of Wimbledon!

*Would of course have been choking Scottish git if he had lost
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Talking of which, fuck off Mr Salmond.