Weeks 22-23 - Roland-Garros, France - clay

Julia Carrot · All-time great

RE: Weeks 22-23 - Roland-Garros, France - clay

JonH · All-time great

Vandenburg wrote:
Some great ties coming up. My predictions

Thiem-Park will take out Novak in 4 sets

Nadal to take out that token spaniard in 3 sets

Cilic to take out Fat Stan in 4 sets

Murray to take out pokemon in 4 sets including a bagel.

Cilic is an interesting one, got to MC and Rome quarters and seems to be picking his game up with some strong wins this fortnight. Jonas Bjorkman is coaching him I notice. I actually agree with your predictions above let's see how it pans out.

adz1983 · Intermediate Club Player

I was there this weekend. We had tickets for Suzanne Lenglen Court. The Mladenovic v. Rogers match turned into a thriller. In true fashion the stadium was packed... apart from the corporate seats closest to the court which gives the impression on TV that the court isn't full. Why not let people in, to seat in those seats whilst the great and the good enjoy their champagne and lunch? Either way the 3/4 full stadium still provided an electric atmosphere.

JonH · All-time great

Being fair to the French, Wimbledon tends to have a similar issue around quarterfinals and semis time where the matches scheduled nearer to lunch seem to lose a lot of the Corporate guests to a preference for Lobster and Pimms over the tennis

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Julia Carrot wrote:
Bob in Spain wrote:
Ticketing issues at RG. Don't go there please. It will bring back my nightmares.
OMG I remember, that was pretty unbearable reading - did someone come to your rescue with tickets or was that another event ?

That was the year. Ken Skupski got me in on the Tuesday and Dom helped me out with a ticket for the Weds.

Spectator · All-time great

And people wonder why (apart from rejoicing in the successes earned by their talent and hard work) we love our doubles players! Such good eggs.

-- Edited by Spectator on Tuesday 6th of June 2017 11:02:32 AM

indiana · Tennis legend

Supporting, chauvering, laundering etc etc gets pay back

Vandenburg · Futures level

Cannot stand these silly WTA matches, while we wait for the real thing. How anyone can take the womens' tennis seriously is beyond me. Might as well not be seeded, is like a mine field. Spoke to my friend whom is a bookmaker and said that WTF was just causing them nightmares in the last half a decade, as anyone can beat anyone, the standard is so poor. It is so common to see silly scorelines like 6-0 0-6 6-0.

Would be best for the mens' matches to be one court today, and the two womens' matches to be on other, because at this rate the nadal and djoker matches will be on at same time, but they arrange them not to be, so at least one of the womens' matches on right now gets some viewing figures.

The fact is that given the choice viewers would rather watch an unseeded mens' match than a top seeded womens' match.

Of course, THE WTA would lose their **** over this and go all Germaine Greer/Emma Watson on us! Because they cannot handle the truth. I feel we are being made to suffer just so we provide equality to the opposite sex.

-- Edited by Vandenburg on Tuesday 6th of June 2017 02:18:23 PM

DF · Tennis legend

Vandenburg wrote:
Cannot stand these silly WTA matches, while we wait for the real thing. How anyone can take the womens' tennis seriously is beyond me. Might as well not be seeded, is like a mine field. Spoke to my friend whom is a bookmaker and said that WTF was just causing them nightmares in the last half a decade, as anyone can beat anyone, the standard is so poor. It is so common to see silly scorelines like 6-0 0-6 6-0.

Would be best for the mens' matches to be one court today, and the two womens' matches to be on other, because at this rate the nadal and djoker matches will be on at same time, but they arrange them not to be, so at least one of the womens' matches on right now gets some viewing figures.
The fact is that given the choice viewers would rather watch an unseeded mens' match than a top seeded womens' match.
Of course, THE WTA would lose their **** over this and go all Germaine Greer/Emma Watson on us! Because they cannot handle the truth. I feel we are being made to suffer just so we provide equality to the opposite sex.

-- Edited by Vandenburg on Tuesday 6th of June 2017 02:18:23 PM

Yet more rubbish!!!!

Vandenburg · Futures level

DF wrote:
Vandenburg wrote:
Cannot stand these silly WTA matches, while we wait for the real thing. How anyone can take the womens' tennis seriously is beyond me. Might as well not be seeded, is like a mine field. Spoke to my friend whom is a bookmaker and said that WTF was just causing them nightmares in the last half a decade, as anyone can beat anyone, the standard is so poor. It is so common to see silly scorelines like 6-0 0-6 6-0.

Would be best for the mens' matches to be one court today, and the two womens' matches to be on other, because at this rate the nadal and djoker matches will be on at same time, but they arrange them not to be, so at least one of the womens' matches on right now gets some viewing figures.
The fact is that given the choice viewers would rather watch an unseeded mens' match than a top seeded womens' match.
Of course, THE WTA would lose their **** over this and go all Germaine Greer/Emma Watson on us! Because they cannot handle the truth. I feel we are being made to suffer just so we provide equality to the opposite sex.

-- Edited by Vandenburg on Tuesday 6th of June 2017 02:18:23 PM
Yet more rubbish!!!!

I think you'll find most people agree with me, womens' tennis is in a very poor state, and is only really upped by them by being hot or attractive. With all the attention Bouchard receives both her actual results and personal life, you'd think she'd be a top 10 player, and I was shocked when I realised the other day she had been lingering in the 40-60 mark for some time.

indiana · Tennis legend

Arguably rather more interesting than Rafa winning 6-0 6-1 6-0 and 7 of the top 8 men's seeds reaching the QF.

Do I like top men's singles tennis best ? - Yes. But we did have quite an interesting discussion recently about the state of flux in women's tennis just now ( certainly added to by some big players, eg. Serena, Vika, Petra, Maria, not having been there for various reasons ) and the variation in winners as against one or two dominant players, be it in men's or women's tennis, and there are certainly a variety of views.

In my opinion Slams are contributed to greatly by both the men and the women and the richer for having both play the part that they do.

We will all have personal preferences, but just like with other sports that are not for me, but I know enjoyed by millions, I just kind of let my non preference get on with it since in no way do I have to watch it.

Vandenburg · Futures level

Thiem is such a ball basher, and someome that can only really play on clay.

He has no slice, no chip,no drop shot.

On faster hard courts and grass where you have less time to rev up the ball bashing groundstrokes he is poor.

When Evans took him down in Sydney was a prime example of this.

the addict · Tennis legend

Vandenburg wrote:
Thiem is such a ball basher, and someome that can only really play on clay.

He has no slice, no chip,no drop shot.

On faster hard courts and grass where you have less time to rev up the ball bashing groundstrokes he is poor.

When Evans took him down in Sydney was a prime example of this.

Perhaps he learnt from that match ( although it was 3 sets). He reached the last 16 in Melbourne, and QF in Acapulco and Indian Wells, and has beaten Paire, Simon (twice), both Zverevs, Monfils and Chardy - all on HARD courts

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Vandenburg wrote:
Some great ties coming up. My predictions

Thiem-Park will take out Novak in 4 sets.

You predicted the outcome correctly, but the scoreline was a bit off: Thiem has just seen off Djoko in straight sets: 7-6(5) 6-3 6-0, while Rafa despatched Carreño by 6-2 2-0 retired. Djoko injured or Thiem just too good? Either way, it would now seem to be Andy's best chance of lifting the French Open title...

TMH · Futures qualifying

Stircrazy wrote:
Vandenburg wrote:
Some great ties coming up. My predictions

Thiem-Park will take out Novak in 4 sets.
You predicted the outcome correctly, but the scoreline was a bit off: Thiem has just seen off Djoko in straight sets: 7-6(5) 6-3 6-0, while Rafa despatched Carreño by 6-2 2-0 retired. Djoko injured or Thiem just too good? Either way, it would now seem to be Andy's best chance of lifting the French Open title...

Nah.

His best chances have been when he was actually in great form. He seems to be getting back to a higher level this week, but he's still far from the level he was at this time last year and Nadal is in ominous form. I suspect Nishikori may prove to have too much for him today.