Week 6 - Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia Hard

Tennpar · Strong Club Player

RE: Week 6 - Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia Hard

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Tennpar wrote:
Wow, just wow, re Serena
Her fitness, movement and ball striking. And then topped by her mental strength & desire. Looking happy & confident. Looking forward to the semi v Osaka.

Absolutely ! She looks in grand shape.

Tennpar · Strong Club Player

junior wrote:
Pretty offensive t shirt from Serena, "best athlete" she can't run 200 yards
If she wins this beating Halep, Osaka and Barty then women's tennis really is dooooomed

-- Edited by junior on Tuesday 16th of February 2021 09:49:55 AM

Junior, you're a hard guy to please.

Why not let Serena have her moment, she's not gonna 'doom' your tennis for too much longer? biggrin

scottie1 · Futures level

Williams played well, hope Osaka beats her next round. I have never liked Williams since her threatening umpire tactics at the USA open when playing Stosur repeated again when playing Osaka. Venus is a class person Serena less so.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

I've definitely warmed to Serena over the past couple of years, and would like to see here take '24' at some point, but it has depended on who's left in the latter stages as to whether I'd personally have liked her to win a particular recent slam title. IF she can beat Naomi, then this year will be as good a time as ever as far as I am concerned. She was superb today.

The semi finals starts at 3am UK on Thursday, and I assume Serena vs Naomi will be the first match given where they were in the draw.

junior · Intermediate Club Player

Serena has had 20 years of moments, and equal amount of moments of controversy, insulting, bullying, threatening, players, opponents and umpires all alike. Probably about time she shunted off

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Yet, still playing great (or effective, if you prefer) tennis, maintaining interest and ratings, and inspiring young players. Plus, while at the time, Osaka would obviously have much rather won her first slam in different circumstances (thankfully backed up more normally a few months later), but that one particular moment of controversary has done a lot for Osaka's global reputation, and almost certainly her subsequent enormous endorsement deals.

Her continued presence in the latter stages still allows a platform for others to make a name for themselves, and if she does reach 24, or indeed 25, then that will clearly be a massive, historical moment for the sport. I used to kind of think it might be a 'bad look' her coming back and potentially cleaning up straightaway, but she's still slamless in her 10 attempts post motherhood, so that hasn't happened, and I hope she sticks around for a couple more years yet, and achieves whatever she wants from the sport.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Quarter finalist Karolina Muchova is another player said to have a muscle strain.

Bagel · Lower Club Player

junior wrote:
Pretty offensive t shirt from Serena, "best athlete" she can't run 200 yards
If she wins this beating Halep, Osaka and Barty then women's tennis really is dooooomed

100% agree. Do you remember the charity 10k she took part in and cheated by catching a taxi? Graceless both on and off court!

-- Edited by junior on Tuesday 16th of February 2021 09:49:55 AM

junior · Intermediate Club Player

I didn't know that haha, looked it up and they used some fun terminology on the web report, "defaulting" the charity race, and "vehicular assistance" haha

Social player

Bagel wrote:
junior wrote:
Pretty offensive t shirt from Serena, "best athlete" she can't run 200 yards
If she wins this beating Halep, Osaka and Barty then women's tennis really is dooooomed

100% agree. Do you remember the charity 10k she took part in and cheated by catching a taxi? Graceless both on and off court!

I mean, you really have to be working overtime on a pretty relentless agenda of animus towards a player to shoehorn this in at every opportunity; to re-amplify this after so long.
You also have to not care about being completely wrong, and, well.. you did it! Congratulations?

The event was organised, hosted by, and run for the sole benefit of Serena's Charitable Foundation, which gives 100% of it's profits to causes dear to the player.
The big draw was the chance to see and meet Serena - and Venus.
Sign up was higher than anticipated.
Serena wasn't supposed to be running at all, Venus was the one supposed to be running that year. Serena ran the previous year.
Serena was scheduled to be at the finish line handing out blankets, drinks, medals etc and encouraging people over the line.
So many people attended that organisers, and Serena herself, worried that she would be spread too thin and people would hardly get to see she was there.
They therefore decided to have Serena join in with the runners at the start, for general encouragement and so more people could interact with her.
She would then stop a at some point before half way, and then get a car to take her to the finish line in order to be ready in good time to carry out the duties there in full.
Which is what she did.
As was discussed with other organisers and third parties prior to the start of the race.
Venus did participate, and complete, the run, as intended, and as Serena had the year previous.
Serena was offered a medal but refused it because she hadn't completed.

Any and all of which you would have known, or could have found out for yourself had you not just been looking to affirm your confirmation bias and perpetuate salacious tabloid-style muck-spreading.

I look forward to your whataboutism by way of reply.

junior · Intermediate Club Player

Can't say I care all that much about her charity event, the best athlete t shirt is relatively offensive as she's barely a "passable" athlete in my opinion. Just takes advantage of women's tennis in the way that if/when they're not smacking the ball out all they can do it gently hit it to the middle and she crushes them. There are absolutely no women athletes capable of doing things that Novak, Rafa, De Minaur can, and not because of gender/biomechanical differences.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

If you don't care about the charity event, then you shouldn't have used it to accuse her of cheating.

junior · Intermediate Club Player

Need to learn to read in English a little better Coup, I'll definitely say she cheats in tennis but I didn't say about the charity event

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Hmmm Im detecting an underlying tone here from Serena haters. Im assuming its the same people that come away with the All Lives Matter rhetoric. I sincerely hope Im not right.

At the end of the day its up to the other players to play their own game against Serena. Both Sabalenka and Halep should have beaten her had they played their own game in my opinion, but her presence and standing as a champion is what carries her through. I would like to see her get the 24, shes been magnificent for tennis on so many levels. I do think Osaka is in the zone though and if she plays her A game will have too much.