Week 35 & 36 - US Open New York, USA - Hard

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

RE: Week 35 & 36 - US Open New York, USA - Hard

flamingowings · All-time great

AliBlahBlah wrote:

There were spikes for every controversy - and, God!, after the total shambles of this USO that's a lot of spikes in 'interest'.
Cornet's outfit change
Kyrgios' umpire coach
The US Open counter-factual statements about the Lahyani situation
The farce over implementing the heat rule for the ATP players
The new stadium not being fit for purpose, exacerbating the conditions, and thus being virtually unplayable at times leading to...
Multiple dramatic retirements
The disgraceful crowd reaction in the Keys/Suarez Navarro semi final
The courts having been 'tampered' with to favour Americans
Sharapovas scheduling
The womens final palava
The disgraceful crowd reaction at the womens final
The US Open counter-factual statements about the womens final
And so on
Each one nothing to do with the quality of tennis or sport, but each salacious bit of drama, each bumped up viewership to a record number for the tournament overall.

This is what they want. This is what they'll try to enforce, and their bottom line argument for it is now strengthened. This is what sells tickets the commercial reality that those pulling the strings want and look further to exploit.
That's ultimately more important than whether you happen to like Serena Williams or not, because it's the upcoming battle for the future soul of tennis.

I am now so often at complete odds with the prevailing direction of thought of the forum that I find myself inhibited, and exhausted.

Otherwise, reviewing the Japanese papers over the last two days, they have decided that Naomi Osak is wonderful, and have rather fallen in love. Sport, sumo apart, very, very rarely makes the lead pages of the Japanese press. However, Osaka can be found on almost every one, and well covered inside too. Even the almost wantonly dour, industrial economic paper, Sankei Shimbun, which has been loathe at time to have ANY picture on their covers, had a picture and story (they are Osaka based, which might have helped).

It's been wonderful to see, and inspires the hope and belief that when Naomi next gets to Japan she is going to get a massive hug of love from the nation, which might go someway to salving the wounds of the fallout from the final.
Japan, having suffered three months of devasting natural disaster after disaster could use a lift, and I can't really think of a better way for sport to contribute than in Naomi's fabulous game and impossibly endearing personality.
A tennis player everyone agrees it's OK to like!

May we have a decade of incontrovertibly likable players at the top of their games at the top of the game Osaka v. Ash Barty v. Kvitova Slam finals; I'd be ecstatic.

I do want to point out that every year, a large number of players retire during the course of this slam. It's definitely not just this year.

Kei is also big in Japan... wink and very happy that Japan have decided to love Naomi - so have I this year.

indiana · Tennis legend

Inhibited ? Why ?

Say what you think, especially if it's often different.

the addict · Tennis legend

JonH wrote:
450 dollars or what 375 pounds a day isn't much to be honest, not for a high profile role like that. Not sure that money is worth the flack and the pleasure of Serena destroying his career.

Someone said he should be consulting lawyers. It's a bit like elan musk and his comments Re that diver Chap in Thailand. Folks like him and Serena have a responsibility to realise people do their best and should be respected accordingly.

450 dollars a day ? For someone at he top of their profession ? That is disgraceful - just consider what the players are earning in those matches.

JonH · All-time great

the addict wrote:
JonH wrote:
450 dollars or what 375 pounds a day isn't much to be honest, not for a high profile role like that. Not sure that money is worth the flack and the pleasure of Serena destroying his career.

Someone said he should be consulting lawyers. It's a bit like elan musk and his comments Re that diver Chap in Thailand. Folks like him and Serena have a responsibility to realise people do their best and should be respected accordingly.
450 dollars a day ? For someone at he top of their profession ? That is disgraceful - just consider what the players are earning in those matches.

agreed - presumably he only gets paid on event playing days. Let's say he works 25 weeks a year, 175 days a year perhaps. He's earning maybe £60k a year, which may sound a lot too many folks but is way behind the top players and for someone at the top of their profession as you say

flamingowings · All-time great

Btw -Ben Rothenberg is pushing an agenda of BO3 men's matches and Courtney - well. She has written some terrible things about Schiavone. We often call Ben Rottenberg on another forum.

indiana · Tennis legend

I think AliBB makes a lot of very good points re the US Open and WTA loving drama and controversy and it is certainly something to be concerned about when it overshadows err tennis and the likes of Osaka and Ramos get caught up in it and clearly suffer.

However, there will always be some things that just hsppen during a Slam so maybe beware of putting it all down to that apparent movement ( though fair enough to produce a list and suggest thst there is a bit much there ). Some though no doubt will be as a result of simple incompetence or just pretty random.

flamingo wings mentions retirements. I would mention Cornet's outfit change. Yes she can be a bit of a drama queen but wasn't seeking it here and as has been said the umpire just went with the rules in applying a warning. The general uproar came from outside and I believe the US Open simply said the rule needed looked at. Sensible and not hyping it up. It was something that just happened.

Even the women's final during the match itself was actually an unplanned sequence of events that happened. But the big issue is how they were responded to by the US Open and WTA.

hoots · Intermediate Club Player

I note in an article on the WTA site[still backing Williams to the hilt] that they refer to her throughout as Serena and Naomi Osaka as just Osaka. No bias or favouritism there then!!

indiana · Tennis legend

I see that Carlos Ramos is officiating at the Croatia vs USA Davis Cup SF tie. Maybe he can penalise some of the American men to shut Katrina Adams, the USTA President and CEO ( and Chairperson of the US Open ), up about sexism and by implication sexism by him.

Whatever inconsistencies among umpires and whatever others do or don't do there seems no evidence that Ramos is sexist in his officiating ( no doubt some have been looking for such evidence! ) and she is out of order.

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

I wonder how different the situation would have been if Serena had won the first set. Would she have behaved in the same way? I doubt it. I simply think she couldnt handle loosing, it was taking her out of her comfort zone and needed to blame someone else. The paltry fine vs her prize money is also a joke, they need to do bans or ranking point deductions.
How many new players does she inspire by her behaviour vs how many existing players does she tell this is a reasonable way to behave. Im firmly in favour of rugby refereeing vs football refereeing...any consistent or sustained abuse of an official should be treated with zero tolerance. They are relatively lowly paid (volunteers sometimes) doing a difficult job to facilitate sports participation...they absolutely do not need to be abused especially in these days of social media and online trolls.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

I agree with your sentiments completely. I do think players more readily accept strict application of the law when sports are overtly confrontational with physical contact and injury being part and parcel of playing the game. Rugby is as it is in part because a significant proportion of the rules are there to protect the players and not to would result in chaos. Similarly sin bins in League and Ice Hockey allow for a meaningful real time penealty to be imposed.

The challenge comes when there are high stakes financially but the chance of severe physical injury minimal, Tennis and Football being prime examples. Here part of being successful in the game is manipulating the officiating, the media even the players associations and national governing body who in the case of a mega star like Serena may also benefit in some way.

I do think some positive things have come out of this, Naomi Osaka has been immense in her level of performance on court and off it. The Japanese now have a mixed race, female sporting superstar which may open up a broader audience in the Far East and inspire girls in that part of the world who may not have picked up a racket to do so. Well played Naomi

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Wednesday 12th of September 2018 03:01:17 AM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Good points, Born2Win.

Based on media reports, I see that Ramos has seemingly handled himself well, deflecting the attention on himself and simply stating:

"I'm fine, given the circumstances. It's a delicate situation, but 'à la carte' arbitration does not exist. Do not worry about me!"

And that "Umpires are considering refusing to officiate matches involving Serena Williams, such is the level of discontent over the treatment of Carlos Ramos during and after the US Open final." as they "were already unhappy with the haphazard organisation of this years US Open" and the lack of support being given to them. Supposedly, some say they won't officiate SW until she apologises. As you say, BorntoWin, your sport has to be run properly in order for it to be respected, and yet the lowly officials who run it in a match situation are given no respect by the very people who should support them.

I also see that Billie Jean King has got herself in hot water by stating/implying that Naomi Osaka is rather quiet and submissive and not the sort of role model for 21st century women.

On a lighter note, the way Naomi handles idiot and ill-informed questions (about all topics, and she has many) is just wonderful - I love this one:

twitter.com/i/status/1037879605921816578

Michael D · All-time great

Yes, once the WTA circus rolls out of the US again, as it is now doing, I think Naomi will find she has picked up a large number of new fans, and not just in Japan either. In the meantime, unless she does some back pedalling and apologising that I have yet to see, Serena might still have huge levels of respect for her massive achievements against the odds - and they are that whatever else one thinks about her - but I think she may find that levels of goodwill regarding her are slipping. I thought it was ironic that in the end at the US Open itself, since neither the WTA, USTA, nor Serena could put things into perspective properly, it was left to Novak Djokovic to do so after his final, and to an extent Naomi herself with her comments at the time and the day after.

It's unfortunate that the player whose record she is chasing is the bigoted, homophobic Margaret Court, since she is the one player I wouldn't mind Serena eclipsing, but that's another subject...

christ · Futures level

Michael D wrote:
... the bigoted, homophobic Margaret Court,...

I thought that Ms Court's take on Serena was quite good, actually.

"We always had to go by the rules," said Court, in quotes reported by The Australian.

"It's sad for the sport when a player tries to become bigger than the rules.

"Because the young player outplayed her in the first set, I think pressure got her more than anything."

-- I guess that you can be bigoted, homophobic, and sensible.

Michael D · All-time great

'The games top umpires are considering forming a union because they believe Carlos Ramos was hung out to dry by the authorities during and after the US Open womens final despite upholding the rules in sanctioning Serena Williams.

Many officials were also left angry with the fact that the International Tennis Federation took nearly 48 hours to defend Ramos, on Monday afternoon, by which time the Womens Tennis Association (WTA) and United States Tennis Association (USTA) had supported Williamss claims of sexism after she was given a game penalty for her behaviour during her defeat by Naomi Osaka.

Umpires are not allowed to speak out publicly under the terms of their contracts, and are employed by grand slams and mens and womens tours, which means many are reluctant to say anything for fear of losing their jobs. However, one senior figure told the Guardian that privately there was widespread concern about how the USTA and WTA had rushed to support Williams which had led to vitriol and abuse on social media for Ramos.

There is a lot of unhappiness in the umpiring community because no one is standing up for officials, the senior figure told the Guardian. Umpires keep asking: What if it was me in that chair on Saturday? There is a widespread feeling that Carlos was hung out to dry for nearly 48 hours and that no one is standing up for officials.'

www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/sep/11/tennis-umpires-union-serena-williams-us-open-final-carlos-ramos