Tennis: US Open 2012

OUCH!!

Victoria Azarenka advances to semifinals by beating defending champion Samantha Stosur in a third-set tiebreak. Still unsure how I feel about tiebreaks in the final set. I like to play it out a little longer, although not 70-68. Maybe go to, say, 10-all and then play a tiebreak to decide it.

 

Hewitt probably still finds it challenging. And it's not a bad payday, even if you lose early. I'm guessing it's not too much more complicated than that.

But he would still make a fun story because he's a colorful guy.

 

When you've been to the top of the mountain, it's hard to get excited about reaching the third round. And he's got more money than he'll ever spend, so that can't be the driving force.

I understand loving the game, but his game is so physically grueling it just makes me wonder.

 

I spent a majority of the holiday weekend at Flushing. Saw Azarenka's match, saw Federer, saw Serena, saw Murray, saw Roddick.

Serena is far and away the class of the tournament. Federer's match was somewhat of a blowout, Tomic tanked the third set vs. Roddick. Easy to get up and go get a drink or see someone else on a smaller court during those matches, but just the way Serena just systematically fucking demolished her opponent (7 unforced errors) was just amazing, and I say that having never been a big Serena fan.

 

Are you sure he's swimming in money? I have no idea --perhaps you do -- but there are many athletes who have made more than him who have gone broke. I'm not saying Hewitt is broke, but he might not be set for life, either.

 

I'll take his career earnings and retire right now, thank you very much. He can buy a second home right next to Mitt Romney.

If he was foolish enough to squander that large of a wad, well, he's just a fool.

 

When Serena decides to concentrate and focus she's one of the best ever. As I mentioned earlier this summer on the Wimbledon thread the difference between Serena and Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert is that Serena has had far more off days over the years when she just wasn't there mentally.

She SHOULD win the tournament. But I said that last year and she lost to Stosur in the final, so I wouldn't rate it a lock just yet. She demolished both Azarenka and Sharapova at the Olympics. Will she have the same focus this week? Who knows?

 

Heavens no. If we think matches last too long now with too many boring baseline rallies, that will only make the problem worse. What we need are a handful of really good serve-and-volley players on both the men's and women's sides.

 

Yeah, what fun was it watching Vilas and Harold Soloman rally in dirt at Forest Hills? Dreadful.

You want Lendl v. Wilander for 7 hours? Or McEnroe v. Borg? You need contrasting styles (and personalities) to heighten interest.

Mens tennis has gotten a tad lifeless because its just baseliners. Even Isner and Roddick with the huge serves stay back after a first serve. I want to see more Ivanisevics, Beckers, Edberg, Sampras (although he was the epitome of lifeless off the court and sometimes stayed back as well.)

 

It's the new racket technologies where guys just hammer the crap out of the ball.

 

and its over... http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen12/story/_/id/8341151/2012-us-open-juan-martin-del-potro-sends-andy-roddick-retirement