The Australian Open (of tennis) 2013 is a thing!

And it starts next week and I am going to the middle weekend. That's quite good.

Djokovic has a bye to the finals. To the big dog go the spoils, so fair enough. I'm likely to watch none of these matches due to being wrong:

Djokovic d. Querrey
Berdych d. Malisse
Nishikori d. Ferrer
Dimitrov d. Janowicz
Del Potro d. Istomin
Murray d. Monfils
Haas d. Belucci
Federer d. Kohlschreiber

Djokovic d. Berdych
Dimitrov d. Nishikori
Murray d. Del Potro
Federer d. Haas

Djokovic d. Dimitrov by some embarrassing scoreline like 6-2 6-3 6-2
Murray d. Federer

Djokovic d. Murray

I know Kei is busted up but that part of the draw is terrible and someone has to get out of it and I KNOW it will be Ferrer but come on!

why do they put my exams on at the time of the australian open and roland garros every year. it's just so fucking selfishhhhhhhhhhhh

same as every year, if serena doesn't win i'll break things. venus better not flop to voskoboeva because i want that fun 3r w/ sharapova.

remember rafael nadal?

Now, the sheilas.

Azarenka has a bye to the SF (U-Rad or Arvidsson in round 3? FFS!), at which point she will be liquefied by Serena. Good! Now both Ree and I have turned 30, I have warmed to her a lot, because she kills annoying players I can't stand. Hoping for Sharapova's collarbone injury to be mild enough to get her through scrubs and 40-year old Venus (if she makes it that far, but it would also be quite lovely for Near Peak Venus to rise and kill Maria.), but severe enough that Bartoli will get by her even though her form is unknown. It could happen, but then she'll only lose to A-Rad who pwns her.

I won't see any of these matches either.

Azarenka d Vesnina
Errani d. Pavlyuchenkova
Williams d. Peng
Petrova d. Stephens
Li. d. Zheng
Radwanska d. Hantuchova
Bartoli d. Kerber
Sharapova d. Cibulkova

Azarenka d. Pavlyuchenkova
Williams d. Petrova
Radwanska d. Li
Bartoli d. Sharapova

Williams d. Azarenka
Radwanska d. Bartoli

Williams d. Radwanska 6-0 6-0 or something.

Hmm, turn on my TV and watch Del Potro being pasted by Hewitt wtf?

Obviously, given that it's an exho tourney and everyone was prob told to let Hewitt win (maybe, idk), Del Potro wins the battle that really matters: who is hotter. Oh my, Juan Martin, you are looking lickable even with all that hair on your face.

All predix are obvious and boring:

Azarenka d. Vesnina
Pavlyuchenkova d. Kuznetsova
S.Williams d. Wickmayer
Stephens d. Petrova
Li d. Pironkova
A.Radwanska d. Ivanovic
Kerber d. Bartoli
Sharapova d. Cibulkova

Azarenka d. Pavlyuchenkova
S.Williams d. Stephens
Li d A.Radwanska
Sharapova d. Kerber

S.Williams d. Azarenka
Sharapova d. Li

S.Williams d. Sharapova

Djokovic d. Wawrinka
Berdych d. Goffin
Ferrer d. Nishikori
Dimitrov d. Almagro
Del Potro d. Cilic
Murray d. Monfils
Gasquet d. Tsonga
Federer d. Kohlschreiber

Djokovic d. Berdych
Ferrer d. Dimitrov
Murray d. Del Potro
Federer d. Gasquet

Djokovic d. Ferrer
Murray d. Federer

Djokovic d. Murray

Did anyone else catch A-Rad double bagelling Cibulkova in the Sydney final? Hilarious and embarrassing. Domi was such a moron. Every so often the camera panned to Aga with this expression of utter, disbelieving contempt on her face.

Yeah, I watched the first set and up to 6-0 1-0, then went to the gym. By the time I'd actually arrived there it was 6-0 5-0 and she'd closed it out by the time I changed. I know Aga Stans (and I'm still kinda one) will say she forced some of those errors, but Domi when in Shitbulkova mode doesn't take a lot of forcing. That she could upend some seeds so easily and then implode so spectacularly is impressive, but just makes me more pessimistic for Petra :(

Also on looking at the draw again I really hate so many sections of it. I mean, HOW CAN YOU HAVE A SECTION WHERE one of Hantuchova, Jankovic and Ivanovic is mroe or less guaranteed to get out of it? RETIRE ALL OF YOU.

Ferrer gets some talented people in his quarter but they're all injured or morons or weaklings! Those matches won't be any fun to watch. And he drew the easiest 5-8 seed too. Lucky guy! Having said that, I like how his consistent achievement annoys people, so why not. Nole carving up his field will be kind of boring too but Fed's section should be great fun.

Pessimistic for Del Potro even making the QF on basis of today but maybe he'll play himself back in and serve a bit better.

lol Dimitrov lost before I even managed to turn on the tennis.

RIP forever, Verdasco's hotness

So I was massively hungover yesterday and fell asleep at like 9pm so the first AO match I ended up watching was...Zhang Yuxuan vs. Zheng Jie. Yuxuan is decent for someone ranked in the 300s but Jie is just so sloppy these days.

Everyone's sleeper pick Grisha lost R1. Straight sets. So good at dealing with expectations. So much fight.

Second straight match Barty's won the first set and then been absolutely crushed. I really can't see what's good about her game. Domi's pomes are ridiculous.

GODfin lost from 2 sets to 1 up on FeVer :(

Can't believe Stosur actually won a match against someone she lost to last time. Chang :(

Rogowska/Safina, USO '09 remains the single worst professional match I have ever watched so WTF I'm doing watching Rogowska again I don't know. She's still terrible. I can't believe she's played eight Slam MDs just because of her nationality, she should have played ZERO.

LOL @ Hantuchova getting breadsticked by Latisha Chan :D

Kuznetsov won the first set off Monaco despite choking a 5-2 lead...

Dolonc wins despite hitting the worst second serve I've ever seen while serving for the match (a shank that literally landed in the crowd). Can someone ensure that Rogowska is never permitted into a Slam again?

So there's something I've never seen before - Hewitt challenging the call on a serve after it bounces off the net and lands close to the line. He was right, too.

Oh god Rogowska/Safina, I had forgotten that monstrosity. What was the bigger mystery there - how Safina won, or how she nearly lost?

As much as I hate sharing thoughts with Jim Courier, he is correctly pointing out that Tipsarevic has foot-faulted twice on second serves in the deuce court by his back foot creeping too far to the left.

Chan d Hantuchova 6-1 1-6 6-1

^^LIFE-GIVING SCORELINE

Ridiculous QF out of that section please, not Serbian pls.

Ladies and gentlemen, behold Yulia Putintseva:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_63gPctanLk

I see Petra deigned to win a match. She's lucky that Fran is on a faster and more terminal downward slope than she is. How many games does she win off Robson now.

Watched Mrs. Krumm trashing a woeful Nadezhda last night, 6-2 6-0 - only Krumm's third Slam win of her comeback. Also watched Lisucki embarrassing herself with a meltdown against Wozniacki - she was 3-0 in the third set and then literally could not hit a ball in court for six games. It was hilarious and awful.

Really good results all round to wake up to. Wins for Berankis, Hsieh, and a bunch of WTA children - Putintseva, Gavrilova, Beck, Muguruza (14-12 in the third), Mladenovic (11-9 in the third) and Vekic (very decisive over Hlavackova, 1 and 2). Up middle finger to Oudin, as ever.

When I went to bed Rhyne Williams had won the first two sets off Funky Flo. Wake up, final score 2-6 3-6 6-2 7-6(12) 6-1 to Flo. 1) V happy, 2) THAT 4TH SET TB LOOKS INSANE.

Bellucci flopping to Kavcic is a bout #smh though.

Kumkhum a set up on Arvidsson! :D

REALLY hope the Vekic/Wozniacki tilt is on at a decent time for me in the next round. Would love for Vekic to make a name for herself with a win. I would put money, now, on Vekic having a better career than Wozniacki, but I have no idea if she's ready yet.

Putintseva seems AMAZING

Lol @ Lisicki, went to bed after the 1st set, NID

Serena ankle roll :'( With Petrova out, her draw is now even easier though...

From 0-3 to 4-3, Wozniacki won 18 of 21 points off Lisicki unforced errors, usually by the second or third shot of the rally. It was really, really embarrassing for her.

Quite enjoying Monfils/Dolgopolov. That running volley from Dolgo at 7-7 in the TB <3

and an epic point to win the set, finished off with an angled drop-smash :D

yeah loving this

Kumkhum won!

COME ON KUMKHUM

Kumkhum's coming

Wow, Haas/Nieminen at 6-6 in the fifth...Haas DFs on BP.

Oh wait that was actually b2b DFs, lulz.

Earlier Nieminen saved a MP with a S&V...

Oh Tommy, it was 4-2 last I checked

Nieminen closes with

- a 70mph second serve that Haas fails to return
- And then two aces

holy fuck that Monfils get

why is everyone wearing yellow

lol, dumb drop shot and DF and Monfils is broken back immediately

Tomic won - yay! I suppose. Of the endless reasons to find this bloke annoying, his resemblance to Brendan Fevola heads the list.

Monfils is playing some amazing shots, which only makes moronic garbage like that third-game service loss the more inexpilcable and infuriating. Also would whichever of the Foxtel commentators is wetting himself every time Monf hits a winner, kindly desist before I throw the remote at him?

Saw Kvit monster Schiavone in sets 1 and 3 (sat out set 2 on the lawn) - in the first set she lost 9 points in five service games including a break, and six of them were double faults. Also caught Sloane Stephens (whose name if not skin tone suggests Days Of Our Lives more than tennis) absolutely annihilating Selma Hayek, sorry Selina Halep, and showing amazing speed, power and precision. One to keep an eye on?

That Monfils service game. FFS.

And then he comes up with a pass like that to break back.

Tomic press conference - he still has 'wooden' just about perfect, and the way he wobbles his head from side to side, mouth open, it must be tempting to throw a ping pong ball at him. He also nods a lot, which doesn't work that well when you can't hear the question.

Some of his pronouncements make you wish Sir Humphrey was sitting on his shoulder to imperiously cut him off with a well-timed 'Thank you, Bernard...'

Monf wins against Dalgo's serve after making a complete fart of seriving for the match...was it ever going to happen anyhow else?

I still can't work out my feelings on Tomic. Well, that's not strictly true, I think he's an arrogant dick. But his game is so pretty to watch, and I'm kinda really impressed by how he responded to the career/life tailspin he ended last year in by, y'know, working hard and buffing up and stepping his game up a level.

Comical stuff from Monfils attempting to serve for the match. First point, he's at net and Dolgopolov has a sitter, so Monfils...IMPERSONATES A PLANE :speakles: Dolgo drills him, deservedly. He's broken to love, finishing with a DF.

Dolgo obv gets broken in the next game, GSM.

Love every match Kimiko wins... Donna Vekic was, er, one week old at the time of this... A few months later Kimiko retired first time around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiBWF44m6aE

Oh I'd LOVE for Date-Krumm to play Vekic, how awesome would that be? (Apart from a player I support would have to lose.)

She'll have to stick around a bit to play someone born AFTER she retired - was that the end of 1996? Or after the USO? The highest-ranked girls born in 1997 are still only ranked in the 600s (Françoise Abanda, Belinda Bencic, Nadia Podoroska - maybe one of them will get a WC somewhere, Bencic already played Venus last year...)

Tomic looks like the same pusher to me, we'll see

Wouldn't read too much into Tomic thrashing (L) Mayer. Mayer is fucking dreadful and has the most ridiculously ornate swings that seem to take six years, and hasn't got any special power or placement to compensate. He's what some people think of when they think of clay court players in a disparaging way. I expect him to beat Brands handily but he won't get more than a set of Fed.

Curious about Tomic-Federer... thinking of 19yo Philippoussis upsetting Sampras at same stage all those years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hfTDuISM4U

Was just about to post that!

Just when I think, ah yes, relatively sane scheduling, a roof, etc etc.. the Australian Open's got it all.. then I remember, ah yes, it has the worst officiating (though this is obviously not on the level with the ladies' doubles final last year, ugh).

absolutely catastrophic choke by stosur to lose this match

absolutely hilarious, so glad I caught the end of it. The shanks! The DF on MP! Failing to serve it out twice! Zheng was playing really well by the end though, I LOVE Jie.

Waking up into one of those moments of simuldrama is a shock to the system. I woke up about 20 minutes ago and I think set points or match points have been saved in about five separate SEWTA matches.

First points I saw: Jankovic hitting BH DTLs with authority, just like in the old days. Was I still dreaming? No, she was still losing to a qualifier. Missed five SPs on Koehler's serve - three on basic-ass flop returns, one on a hilarious Koehler shot that was heading way out but clipped the net and fell in. JaJa still won the TB.

Apparently Pervak choked 3 MPs against Watson.

Latisha missed a SP against Ajdeeeeee but is a double break up in the second.

Youzhny lost to...who or what is a Donskoy?

I hadn't heard of him until this tourney. He won a ton of challengers last year.

I've not been able to watch a single point today because blahhhhwork, but LOOOOOL Stosur. <3 JZ!

awful for Brian Baker to be wheelchaired off - apparently not the ACL (thankfully) but the same thing Petkovic has? Those two should comfort each other.

LOL. My tennis tweeters tell me that apparently Serena actually told Latisha once "That's a black name," Latisha said "Yeah, I know" and Serena was like "That's cool!"

HILARIOUS CHOKE! I fell asleep at 5-2 as I have been up since 4am (argh) even though I took today off work (wish I could have changed the day when I saw the schedule, as if most of the televised courts were going to be competitive..) but then saw the last game. Zheng is just so so so awesome so she deserves some credit but only some.

Oh my god LOL @ that Ivanovic BH

She's about to get breadsticked by Latisha

oh dear that ivanovic hindrance, this is a bad match for women's tennis and should not be on TV

ivanovic hits a serve way wide and thinks it's an ace what is going on

Ivanovic's BH is so bad and her ajdeeeeeeeeeeees so desperate

Oh my god these BH-to-BH moonball exchanges that Latisha keeps winning

Djokovic wins the first set 6-1 over Harrison in 18 minutes. I think he won 8 points.

#depth

Venus/Maria 3R actually happening, yay. I'll just hope Venus can avoid the double bagel.

Lolololololololol @ Stosur 5-2 to 5-7 in the 3rd, ending on a DF. The gift that keeps giving :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTYUaj7VgBY

- on the OFFICIAL AUS OPEN YOUTUBE, so cruel
- slo-mo replays as well

You know it's been a boring day when the most notable upset is Morita beating Beck. Happy for Krumm and Berankis getting to R3, happy for Granola losing, amused by what looks like a huge Putintseva choke.

Safarova/Jovanovski was terrrrrrrrrrible. Lucie trying to hit a moonball, and netting it, was probably the nadir, though her DF down SP - both serves were closer to the baseline - wasn't much better. Stephens/Mladenovic wasn't much better, down SP Mlad whacked a sitter FH miles into the tramlines.

OK. Federer is wearing NEON PINK TRAINERS everyone.

Julie Coin ‏@juliecoin
Roger c'est quoi ces chaussures?!
from Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine Reply Retweet Favorite More

Federer's still a pretty good tennis player, huh.

nikolay looks even more miserable out there than usual

It's not really living up to the hype, this match.

Monfils hands back his 5th set break with B2B DFs. Oh Gael.

Who are these people who thought Davydenko would actually be a serious threat to Federer? And why did they think this?

Also who are these people who thought yellow was a good colour on Monfils and why did they think this? Okay, he usually looks good in any colour, but.. not this fluro monstrosity.

Gael, you look like a pine-lime splice, you ninny.

I didn't think Kolya would threaten Fed, but I thought the match would be closer/more exciting than it was because of his Doha form.

Monfils has served so many DFs today, and then 0-30 and two points away from the match, boom boom two aces.

Lu crumbled after missing that chance. Gael to serve for it. Who knows what will happen here.

A double-fault on MP, obviously.

AND THEN ANOTHER ONE LOL OMG

Gael Monfils is secretly Stosur tonight.

What is this game

What. is. this.
lol x-post

ANOTHER DF on MP?

DF, Ace, DF, huge unreturnable serve, DF.

AGAIN WHAT IS THIS

Oh, women's tennis. That was excruciating. Well done you moron.

Finally wins. I hope he's happy with himself. DFs on 4 straight MPs, I have NEVER seen anything like that. What kind of fuckery was that.

Simon Cambers ‏@scambers73
Almost faints, tanks a set, recovers, double-faults on 4 straight MPs and wins 8-6 in 5th on sixth MP. Just your normal Gael Monfils match

LMAO at that final game. Oh Monf we've missed you.

Final score for the scoreLiNa lulz: 76 46 06 61 86

How many games will Petra win tonight, and how many UEs :( I am really not looking forward to this.

someone needs to get to the bottom of why everyone is wearing yellow. It's not just the adidas players.

First look at Petra's disco tennis outfit. Uh, I quite like it? The dark colour around the middle makes her look bigger around the middle than it is, but the colours by themselves are nice and she looks really pretty!

Monfils match sounds nuts. McEnroe once double-faulted three times from 5-4 40/0 vs Ashe at the Masters, but that was only a first set.

(Last update brought to you by WoodenRackets.com, home of the more mature tennis enthusiast)

Petra trying to serve for the set. 4 DFs so far.

GOOD GOD THIS MATCH IS SO BAD

xposts Sports fashions have their own trends and seasons - certain colours are just "in". The yellow isn't as bad as the nuclear/bile green everyone was wearing a couple of years back.

God these two. how many DFs has there been now?

Lot of seemingly really late calls on that baseline.

Robson blows 6 BPs and Petra finally takes the set with two aces.

Oh look, a rally.

Robson DFs three times attempting to serve out the second set, including on the last two points. THIS MATCH CONTINUES TO BE SO BAD.

The difference on serve in that second set was that Robson didn't try to hit every erratic ball toss. Kvitova was getting into Ivanovic territory there.

Kvitova broken back in the third set thanks to her 12th, 13th and 14th DFs.

What is this match.

Robson has hit 10 DFs now, oh look Petra just hit her 15th.

BARK PETRA. FUCK'S SAKE.

How did Petra even win that game.

How is it that the one shot where players have NEAR COMPLETE CONTROL OVER is the one that NO FUCKING WOMAN not named Serena can even hit properly?

Kvitova flames out first three rounds each slam this year and out of the top 15. You heard it here... probably after thinking it several times yourself.

Oh Sam Smith, talking about a tie-break records of the two players at 6-6.

Never in doubt that Robson would fail to serve it out

This match has gone 2 and a half hours. The ball has been in the air for what, two minutes?

I'm probably going to watch one of these two women get flayed alive by Stephens aren't I.

OH MY GOD THAT VOLLEY PETRA WHAT. MY EYES

She was ticked off with the umpire for fucking up that call. FOCUS PETRA.

Great return, Robson to serve for it again

Finally does it. 11-9. Really impressive resilience from Laura.

Petra, just go away and reflect on your life and your choices.

Impressive yes, but if that is the future of women's tennis (and I guess if Petra is the present) then... bleurgh. How many games would either of them have won against Serena? Probably fewer than Cleansing White Mug did today (2).

I don't think anyone would argue either of these women played at even 20% of their level today. Also, I think Robson will be a top 10 player, but I'm not convinced she'll be a multi-Slam champ or anything yet.

Petra playing at more than 20% of her level hasn't happened in so long. Maybe 2011 was just one mostly-wonderful fluke never to be repeated and THIS, Ivanovic-style, is what we're left with.

Not seen anything yet unfortunately. Petra has always seemed always way too laid back 'normal' unambitious sort. She's happy w/her slam, it seems.

Well done Robson, to even get a Brit girl in the top 10 would be wonderful.

"GSM Makarova 7-6... 6-7 3-6 6-4"

Good umpire.

Maybe he had PTSD from Makarova nearly blowing a 5-0 lead in the third set.

Zheng losing to Goerges is a disgusting result. Jie served for it :(

Kerber/Keys was an interesting match to watch, Keys' inexperience told at the start and end but I'm still on the bandwagon that she'll be a future multi-Slam champ.

Venus avoids the double bagel.

seems like the bagels have led to a louder Sharapova

This is just sad. Scrapping for games - POINTS - against fucking Sharapova. Is this what it's come down to?

And is this what I've come down to? I have to cheer for Serena to make the final just to avoid another Ma$ha Slam.

Embarrassing. Sharapova treating Venus's serve like it's Misaki Doi's.

I can't watch this. It's making me too sad. :(

all these years into an incredible career and still just no signs of any corrections to venus' major weaknesses. that 2nd serve. such unbelievably shaky groundstrokes leaking errors. no plan b. so embarrassing.

Beyond The Baseline ‏@SI_BTBaseline
Sharapova routing Venus 5-1. Better battle is one currently waged between Sharapova's fans and the Rodionova sisters on Twitter.

^^still correct. Bit disappointed Anastasia's rising above their hateful comments but Arina continues to troll them.

The saddest thing isn't really Venus's FH, it's always been...flawed. But she's SO SLOW now. From basically the fastest player on tour to this flat-footed mess.

wow venus hit like 5 forehands in the court in a row on that point, before finally hitting it in the net! improvement!

Venus Williams, 1997:

Q. You said that you don't plan to be on the Tour very long. Why would you say that? What makes you think you might not play that long?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I can't see myself playing through pain and injuries, year after year doing the same thing. I can't see it. I can understand it would be hard to quit, especially when you're on top of things and you're the best. I'm not going to stay there that long because I don't want to say that I spent all my youth on tennis and didn't do anything else.

http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=14274

Q. You started serve and volleying in the second set. How come you abandoned that when it worked for those couple points?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Because I didn't want to do that anymore.

Q. Even though you were effective at it; you won those two points?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

lol

some things never did change

ARGH I pay for Rod Laver Arena tickets and they give me Azarenka playing anybody, Serena probably going to lose maybe five points to Doi.. though Berankis/Murray is a decent get. I'll probably spend most of the day on show court 1. BAH.

er, not Doi, Morita. FFS, saw the mention above and the schedule and my heart sank.

https://twitter.com/bobbychin/status/292205813022482432

lol

Ed I'd be tempted to take a look at some of the juniors if you can - Ana Konjuh is meant to be amazingly good

whos this jaime hampton

damn has 2 set pts on azarenka

n/m now hampton popped a vertibrae & is sweatin (wooo)

idk if it's Hampton's back that's gone wrong as her throat. she hit some terrrrible DFs to lose the first set and choked two SPs in the last game...

I can't believe Hampton served it out. Especially starting with those dropshots!

omg really, i had walked out of the rm for a min

welp, that was fun

hamptons gonna be in traction for her post match press conf

:((((( So sad. Some of the desperate winners Hampton hit were amazing, so uncomfortable when every one of them made her double over in pain. Meanwhile, Vika remains classy in the post-match i/v:

Beyond The Baseline ‏@SI_BTBaseline
Azarenka jokes about Hampton hitting winners w/ injury. "I'm like, can I have a back problem?" It went over about as well as an anvil.

Hey Vika, some injuries are actually legit, unlike yours.

ugh Delpo, what are you doing?!

Chardy is really zoning and crushing forehands left and right, while Pony just looks so passive out there. :(

@AmyFetherolf Azarenka on Hampton: "I didn't really feel she was hurt much."

goddamnit Delpo :( :(

oh hell Cilic is losing to bloody Seppi too. :/

Hello! I very much enjoyed the day sesh. Hampton won a shitload of fans today. SHe showed how to do Azarenka - don't let her turn into a relentless grinder, feed her a bit of slice, a bit of junk and serve out wide on the deuce court.

Murray/Berankis had WTA-level serving (120km/h second serves? Andy Radwanska!).

Tried to get into Stephens/Robson but it was completely packed and no way of getting in so went home. Also every court with French players was packed out - who knew there were so many French people everywhere.

man this stephens-robson match is fun

Oh Pony :( I like Chardy, but that was a disappointing upset. And Cilic lost to Seppi? Wide-open quarter for Murray now.

Tomic seems to have have Vanilla Ice stripes shaved into his hair especially for this match. I hope Fed shits on him from a great height.

Absolutely incredible defence from Federer,

fantastic match

Tomic would only lose these first two sets to Djokovic and Federer, and even then he wouldn't lose them all that often

This match is actually living up to the hype. Tomic is bringing it. He played at a ridiculous level at the end of that set and the start of the TB - and yet Federer somehow magicked his way into taking the set. Had to pull out all the stops to do so. Does the New Tomic actually continue to fight now?

BTW, this is pretty amazing - junior Duck Hee Lee, who won his R1 match, is...deaf. http://bradenton.patch.com/articles/deaf-tennis-champ-inspires-at-eddie-herr-tournament

Feel like Federer still has another gear, but... strangely Tomic has been the better on most of the big points. Just Federer is getting so many big points he eventually takes them.

LOVE YOU FED SO MUCH

I'm a little stunned by how good this match is

Incredible rally from Fed to break. It does feel like Tomic has played way too well to be down two sets and a break. He's played ridiculously well on BPs etc but as Ed says you can only offer so many chances to Fed.

this is about as well as fed can play at 31. Not much different from Wimby final Fed

in retrospect, pissing Federer off may not have been the best move for Bernie

I was thinking people who paid $120 for this night session to get this and doubles probably weren't getting value, but still, the first two sets of that were extremely good.

Hmm, everyone may have known it was over after the second set but Tomic shouldn't have.

Krumm and BoJo at 5-5 in the second set...

Wow, Fed's hairline is getting very recede-y.

Maybe I should have stayed to watch Mrs Krumm but I didn't want to miss that.

Krumm yelled "shut up" at the Serbs in the crowd, finally broke BoJo after missing so many BPs

Ugh. Failed to serve out the set.

Lost the TB :(

Jovanovski = scrub Azarenka with the same turbo-grinding game and awful noises but that kind of game is too much for Krumm's high-risk flat shots :(

Meanwhile, apparently Monfils and Simon have just played a 71-shot rally. LOL.

There was a 41, and a 35 in the same game. Then a 45 later in the first set. I can't even.

Jovanovski used to be a useless BBB. I don't like her.

Simon/Monfils is just...wilful stalemate.

Anyway, your women's last 16 exists!

(1) Victoria Azarenka vs. Elena Vesnina
(10) Caroline Wozniacki vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova
(3) Serena Williams vs. (14) Maria Kirilenko
Bojana Jovanovski vs. (29) Sloane Stephens
(6) Na Li vs. (18) Julia Goerges
(13) Ana Ivanovic vs. (4) Agnieszka Radwanska
(5) Angelique Kerber vs. (19) Ekaterina Makarova
Kirsten Flipkens vs. (2) Maria Sharapova

Bit of a yawn really, all obvious winners except Woz/Kuz, which I think Sweta will win.

I'm amazed Monfils has the patience to play a 71-stroke rally. Simon I can believe.

weren't simon and monfils the two guys who had that ridiculously long rally that's on youtube?

answer: yes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8iunyDh4ms

RT @RD_Tennistalk: Simon is now playing on 0 legs and Monfils is playing on 0 brain. Advantage: not sure.

Ah, I guess I don't really know Gael Monfils' game that well. Had him pegged as a sod-this low-percentage swinger. It's hardly Eddie Dibbs and Harold Solomon though, is it? #oldguymemories #wheresmecocoa

Monfils can be, he has the tools, but the story of his career is more a frustrated wail about why a guy with all those tools is loping around 5 miles behind the baseline looping slow shit in the air and/or clowning around in more ways than anyone could ever imagine. Then one of his showman touch shots or blazing winners happens out of nowhere and everyone loves him again.

His extreme sexiness plays a part in everyone loving him :(

Monfils has hurt his hand and is now slicing every FH, Niculescu-style.

That last game was torture. Poor Simon is fighting like hell out there even though he really should be retiring right now. I'm surprised his legs haven't fallen off yet.

Also, this is prime Monfils boneheadedness - letting a fifth set break go despite playing a guy with no legs, one arm and a raging cold.

This match is making even Hawkeye have a nervous breakdown.

date krumm :(
robson :(
del potro :( :( :( :( :(
azarenka :(
serena hitting 2nd hardest serve of all time, giving a bitch face after hitting it and then not being able to suppress a smile :)

RT @theljubicic: #Ivanisevic who is playing after these two just wrote me: " this two should be arrested after the match" :-)))

ohhhhh shit, you just knew that pass was coming and yet it was still amazing

monfils annoys me so i was rooting for simon but then i remembered he said some shit about wta equal pay so now i'm rooting for monfils

Simon at least has the excuse that he should have retired two sets ago. Monfils...what is he doing out there.

That was a great FH from Simon.

Oh god that netted BH slice from Monfils.

omfg this match

NOOOOOO why does this match have to continue ;_; ;_;

Monfils, you are a moron

i only joined the match at like 3-3 in the 5th & yet i'm unbelievably bored of it but can't quite look away

Simon is the only French man who has any guts. His game is boring, but it's stably boring. I'm in bed no longer watching this as it would be rude to my hosts to be yelling at the screen.

Why can't I stop watching this nonsense?

Simon can't serve over 80mph any more, not even exaggerating. He'll serve for the match again!

RT @SvetlanaK27: i feel that i will wake up and see this match will be still on

He's serving at 80mph and winning. -_-

I can't believe Gael missed that. I mean...I can. But what.

Lol finally. God that match was torture.

I can't believe I watched two whole sets of that.

Anyway, your men's last 16, at last.

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (15) Stanislas Wawrinka
Kevin Anderson vs. (5) Tomas Berdych
(4) David Ferrer vs. (16) Kei Nishikori
(10) Nicolas Almagro vs. (8) Janko Tipsarevic
Jeremy Chardy vs. (21) Andreas Seppi
(14) Gilles Simon vs. (3) Andy Murray
(7) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. (9) Richard Gasquet
(13) Milos Raonic vs. (2) Roger Federer

Nishikori/Ferrer probably the pick of those...Kei's game seems to be quite effective against Ferrer's. Tipsy's been taken to five sets twice so you have to think Almagro has a chance there...

First set of Nishikori v Ferrer was actually fairly even (despite the scoreline) but after that he really fell away

Murray playing against a wounded Simon and then either 21st seed Seppi or Chardy should leave him with an easy run through to Fed

some great stuff from wawrinka so far. up a double break against nole!

Djokovic now broken four times in about half an hour (having broken Waw at the start of the 2nd). I know he can start slowly but this is looking semi-serious.

FIVE STRAIGHT BREAKS

Wawrinka is 100% en fuego

Smashing it

story of Stan's career, sadly

meh this is so typical of both of them really. Stan never zones longer than two sets and Nole plays best when he's losing. :/

this is definitely some subpar Nole though

Sounds like the same kind of things he was pulling at the US Open SF w/out gusty winds as an excuse.

xpost Yeah Djokovic's FH has been misfiring a lot today, which Stan did really well to exploit earlier by never giving him a chance to hit a BH.

now they're holding serve haha

Stan's backhand <3

Holy shit that BH just broke the K off the KIA sign on the net. O_o

Fifth set! That TB was fucking incredible.

wow, just back and wow so unexpected!

Nail-biting stuff..,

and it goes on..

This has become a bit of a stalemate, with neither player making much headway into each other's serve.

yeah Djoko might bore himself to victory

deuce!

holy shit @ that mp save

Fucking gutsy stuff!

rip stan

Djoko does it but 4 or 5 classic points in that game!

Every single time. Incredible stuff.

It's kind of ridiculous how Nole doesn't even seem tired right now.

Huh, I was away with the boyfriend so I knew I was gonna miss everything, thought it would be all fine and boring. Woke up in our country cottage this morning and so it had passed. Entire train/bus journey back to London spent following what sounds like the Match of The Year on Twitter. Sigh.

No one should blame Molina for that call, players shouldn't ask umpires for advice. The umpire is gonna back up the original call because otherwise they would/should overrule.

Yeah Vav should've challenged, but it wasn't really the umpire's fault he didn't. This match had way too many bad calls though.

jovanovski is an elite screamer

almost as much total length per scream as azarenka, almost as much volume as de brito

Jovanovski's scream is awful.

I missed Sweta/Woz :( but at least I got to see Serena bagelling Discount Ma¢ha. Pity there weren't two of them but it'll do.

Woz/Kuz was good fun.

Serena has nothing to lose against Sloane :D

I liked how Jo Durie casually remarked midway through the second set that Kirilenko was playing at her peak level.

Serena to disrespect Sloane even harder in the QF?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtbnZviyRjw

#sodisrespectful

Who's a servebot? Federer has never faced a break-point this match, and only once has Raonic even got to 30. Gutted I missed the Vav/Djok match because I was on the way home. Cranky bits on the Internet say there was a bad umpiring decision? I'm sure it's overblown, what were they referring to?

I think it was 6-6 in the fifth set, with BP on Novak's serve. Vav hit a shot that was called long, he asked the umpire to confirm the call, which Molina did. Replays, however, showed that it was in - meaning that if Vav had challenged, he would have broken and had a chance to serve out the match. He didn't, Novak held, 10 games later it was over.

But as Lex explained, wasn't really Molina's fault Vav didn't challenge - he shouldn't have been asking the umpire anything in the first place.

Also, I think he wouldn't have won the pt - it would have been replayed. And Nole probably wins that. Blame the line judge for getting wrong, mostly

I didn't see it either (think it was 4-4 and BP) but wasn't Waw out of challenges at that point? Going by reports here.

Yeah, sounds like a line judge error. Line judges are pretty bad. On a crucial point like that, why would you listen to the umpire if you already think the linersperson who has (ostensibly) the best view is wrong to begin with? Nutso.

well, most players do it, and it's just as silly in most cases, but most cases aren't usually on such a crucial point.

all QFs set!

(1) Victoria Azarenka vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova
(3) Serena Williams vs. (29) Sloane Stephens
(6) Na Li vs. (4) Agnieszka Radwanska
(19) Ekaterina Makarova vs. (2) Maria Sharapova

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (5) Tomas Berdych
(4) David Ferrer vs. (10) Nicolas Almagro
Jeremy Chardy vs. (3) Andy Murray
(7) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. (2) Roger Federer

Most interesting/unpredictable: Li/A-Rad, Nole/Berdprych
Least exciting to watch: Ferrer/Almagro
Goooooo: Sweta, Silliams, Oh Na Na, Katya M, Nole, Ferru, Murray, JWT

I didn't see it either (think it was 4-4 and BP) but wasn't Waw out of challenges at that point? Going by reports here.

Yeah i think i was wrong earlier, it prob was at 4-4. I do remember he had one challenge left at the time - I guess he thought he might have needed it later on? anyway, that match had a ton of bad calls, incl. at least three occasions where a point had to be replayed because a linesman called a shot out and then corrected themselves. Stan was unlucky, maybe - story of his life really. :/

FUCK OFF FUCK OFF FUCK OFF :(

rooting for radwanska because god knows nobody needs another li/sharapova match

judging by this, no one needs another Li/Radwanska match any time soon either

out of nowhere Li is suddenly playing amazingly

major choke time
i need entertainment

jesus christ that return was outside the doubles alley

the purple patch is over, obv

but she wins anyway and then has the crowd in the palm of her hand in the interview. Li Na <3

ok who is this man claiming to be Almagro

cliff plays slomo analysis of almagro's serve. "so you can see this form makes this serve one of the most effective in the history of man." cuts to live and almagro immediately aces. lol

and ferrer finally wakes up

oh dear, almagro

almagro looked so good for a while there

ferrer's always bored me

what looks on paper like a pretty spectacular comeback has actually felt p routine and rote.

(i haven't seen much of this so far, but i think everyone i have seen has been wearing yellow. what's with that? it works with the blue but is otherwise not hugely easy on the eye.)

Berdprych putting up minimal resistance so far.

DF on SP. 6-1.

Nole played very well but this is pathetic from Berdych.

Better in this set. Berdych coming to net a lot. Hasn't choked (yet).

Choking now.

Somehow didn't choke! Despite getting one first serve in out of about 10 points. Saved four BPs, three in style.

That big swinging forehand that nearly span sideways when it landed was pretty amazing. How Djokovic can run like that after a 5-setter I don't know but if he keeps doing it, he's obviously going to win.

After all the excitement about Berdych actually managing to serve out the second set, what's happening now = LOL.

I don't really know why Berdych stopped coming to the net in the third set. That was how he won the second.

Lol this scoreline

My money's on Djoko, 6-1 in the 5th.

Fin.

Incidentally, Gasquet's defeat at the weekend was the 15th time he's played a Slam last 16 match...and the 14th time he's lost it #wussquet

Seriously? That amazing Friday at Wimbledon in 2007 when he beat Roddick (same day as the Baghdatis-Djokovic epic and Bartoli beating Henin) is his only Slam QF?

Yes!

Those 15 last 16 appearances in full:

Wim 05 - l. Nalbandian 46 67 06
US 05 - l. Ginepri 36 63 76 46 06
US 06 - l. Hewitt 46 46 64 63 36
AO 07 - l. Robredo 46 26 63 46
Wim 07 - d. Tsonga 64 63 64
AO 08 - l. Tsonga 26 76 67 36
Wim 08 - l. Murray 75 63 67 26 46
US 10 - l. Monfils 46 57 57
RG 11 - l. Djokovic 46 46 26
Wim 11 - l. Murray 67 36 26
AO 12 - l. Ferrer 46 46 16
RG 12 - l. Murray 61 46 16 26
Wim 12 - l. Mayer 36 16 63 26
US 12 - l. Ferrer 57 67 46
AO 13 - l. Tsonga 46 63 36 26

A litany of wussing out. The amount of scorelines that fall away after tight opening sets...Tsonga was a WC in 2007 (I don't know why?), too.

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/hewitt-the-ace-in-the-commentary-box-20130123-2d6et.html

Loving Chewitt the commentator

1st time ive seen stephens - nice 4hand damn; wish she was playing someone other than serena

sloane gets a break!

serena mayve just sprained an ankle & sloanes serving for the set!

fuck injuries fuck everything

such an easy draw for serena, fuck everythinggggg

serena's hitting 80 mph first serves and sloane's timing is all off

sloane's gotta smarten up and move serena around a little, mix up the pace and spins

her 1st serve was killing sloane 1st set

Serena busting rackets.

OH SNAP

Ugh redfoo

DOUBLE MATCH POINT

Serena out

Sloane!

happy 4 sloane; even pre-injury she was def holding her own altho i just think theres no way serena doesnt close out that 2nd set if she didnt tweak her back

that said, sloane still deserved a lot of credit, played great

thanks serena, i'm gonna fail tomorrow's exam over this shit i h8 u

it'd be kinda nice if it was a Na / Stephens final but my money is probably on a repeat of last year's shriekfest :(

WHATTTTTTTTTTTTT

aaargh fuck AUS timezones, watched the first set of Vika/Sweta (not as bad as it could have been) but just couldn't stay awake

so annoying, looking at the serve stats it looks like Serena could barely do anything, why get injured a) against an opponent I've been proclaiming overhyped, lol (and I still hold to that), b) at a time when you are the only thing preventing an Azza/Shazza title? why? why? credit to Sloane for closing her out, thus establishing her superiority over the likes of Hantuchova.

Q. Could you tell us what you think of her as a player and how far she's going to push on from here.
SERENA WILLIAMS: She's a good player. She runs fast and she gets a lot of balls back. That's always a plus to have in your career.

LOL, we've changed our tune from gushing over how great she'll be :D

Q. How much better did you play today than you did in your fourth round match?
SLOANE STEPHENS: I mean, it's definitely it's really tough, because people say that like you don't have tough matches, like if you play someone that's like your age.
But it's definitely harder playing like Laura Robson or Jovanovski, someone who is your age, rather than playing someone like if I played Vesnina. Like it wouldn't be like you don't feel as much pressure playing Vesnina, but you feel a lot of pressure playing someone who is your age, who you're close to.

^^Oh is this why Vesnina whomped you 2 and 2 last week?

Capriati is such a mess on Twitter.

Allez Jo!

I feel like I've seen that set a hundred times.

Shudder to think what kind of player Tsonga could be if he had an attention span.

Tsonga playing inspired tennis right now, and maintained his aggression so well through the 4th set breakfest. But I've seen him play at incredibly high levels before and still lose...

losing..

sigh :( :(

That was an excellent match though - Fed was super sharp towards the end.

Tsonga playing inspired tennis right now, and maintained his aggression so well through the 4th set breakfest. But I've seen him play at incredibly high levels before and still lose...

― lex pretend, Wednesday, January 23, 2013 11:42 AM (38 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yup :(

I was surprised that I wasn't cheering harder for Jo. I think I've subconsciously given up on him.

Federer was terrific though, hardly any Federror.

match of the tournament, presumably

I think Fed and Murray owe us a five setter.

It's the only SF I can't pick a winner.

Women's SFs on at the most inconvenient times, and the night match is the total snooze of Djokovic/Ferrer :(

Good match, bit of junk in parts - Tsonga missing some shots he should have made, Federer serving pretty poorly. Sadly, I fear that Tsonga is a lost cause, oh look, he's working with Roger Rasheed. Tsonga doesn't need a fitness coach, he needs a brain. Maybe a brain transplant.

Seriously, I predict a career-killing injury within eight months, tops.

match of the tournament, presumably

Nah, Djokovic-Wawrinka was better.

Sadly, I fear that Tsonga is a lost cause, oh look, he's working with Roger Rasheed. Tsonga doesn't need a fitness coach, he needs a brain. Maybe a brain transplant.

THIS. Roger Rasheed is terrible - I just think about how Monfils could have been so much better when he was younger if he had had a different coach, but now it's just too late.

Unsurprisingly, the US media is pushing hard on the Sloane Stephens = future #1, multiple slam winner angle.

commentators & journalists will never learn not to hype up sharapova. 6-0 6-0 vs Doi = FAVOURITE FOR THE TITLE AND BACK TO HER BEST

absolute lol @ that pathetic match

hope li wins the title now... *shudders*

i'm just gonna pretend this is an ATP-only 2 weeks event

What a fun thread

Li-Sharapova was a fine match

Li just kicked butt

sloane just got breadsticked :(

FUCK YEAH LI NA!!!! I managed to sneak in part of the second set on the TV in the lunch room at work under the guise of waiting to talk to someone who was in there (well I did have to, but the fact that I could watch Li Na made me more patient than usual).

My guess is this will be the most one-sided crowd in a Slam final in aeons. 99% pro-Na.

YES! YES! YES! YES! YESSSSSSSSS! FUCK YEAH LI NA

Such an amazing result to wake up to. SO MUCH LIFE TO BE GIVEN SO EARLY IN THE MORNING

I LIVE

I AM ALIVE

WIN IT ALL, NA!

Wait what, Vika ADMITTED to getting a MTO for "nerves" in her post-match interview? Betwee the bad pedicure and this, she continues to redefine Extremely Injured. She is the worst.

Hahahaha according to tennisforum, Serena unfollowed and blocked Sloane on Twitter after their match. I'm not even going to check if that's true, I hope it is.

Deadspin OTM on the way the media have reported on their relationship btw http://deadspin.com/5978136/can-anyone-think-of-another-reason-sloane-stephens-is-considered-serena-williamss-protege

the azarenka press conference was a thing to behold - she was squirming like a worm on the hook. SO good.

rare to see the tennis press actually go in on a player like that - I guess that'll happen when the latest American golden girl is the victim though.

Azarenka is just a walking PR disaster though, every stereotypical dislikeable thing about women's tennis rolled up in one package.

Surprisingly close game between Ferrer and Djokovic, Ferrer's already got three games. Djokovic is one game away from 2 sets, mind you.

Ferrer now 2-15 in Slam SF sets. His last ten have gone 26 26 16 62 16 46 26 26 26 16

My guess is this will be the most one-sided crowd in a Slam final in aeons. 99% pro-Na.

1% = Redfoo

And idiots, naturally. I was training my eyes for Azarenka fans when I was watching and.. there weren't any? She had one woman in my section yelling out "Come on Victoria!" and she was a massive bogan who probably likes whoever #1 is (guh), the rest of the time the stadium exploded any time she lost a point. So her fans are.. that woman, and all the bitchy queens on TF, right?

Aerial shots of Murray revealing the beginnings of a disappointing bald patch.

Federer holds from 0-40 down, avoids the double break.

More tennis in that gane with Fed serving 2-4 down than the entire Djokovic/Ferrer game.

First set Murray. Federer can't seem to hurt Murray with service winners, Murray is striking the right balance b/w aggression and defence atm.

Awesome.

Good luck breaking that, Roger.

Its iron solid from Murray, please keep it and dismantle Fed (yes yes hes so great but if its for the greater good)

I wish Murray would take more of his BP chances, he's in all of Fed's service games but has only broken once. Let Fed stick with you and it may come back to bite you...

Can see Murray being broken, again yeah you'd say Fed would use his vast experience and make it count.

oh my god at that Murray wack!

Great BH DTL...

Two awful, wild FHs in this TB...

balls!

Great rally ending with a FH winner, phew.

lol @ that meek fed BH

yeah thanks goodness for appeals

Some strong FHs - hasn't lost confidence in it despite the errors early in the TB.

this man

Fed, made of magic dust

omg

WHAT was that smash though?! So short, begging to be whacked away.

What a hot mess. Feels wrong that this is one set all.

Sure both sets were one decisive blip but Murray's general level was so much higher even in that set.

It felt like Murray should have won the first set with a double break and should have broken at least once in the second set. As I said you can't let chances go begging against Fed because he is so good at sneaking sets when they get tight.

This is what Murray is missing, still, despite slam and all. xp

Annoying blips n' all there is a reaction but Fed is on deuce, hanging on

Murray misses another BP at the start of the third. A pattern in this match.

Seemed like Murray was going for the Sampras slam-dunk with the high ball at 5-5, until he realised it was *too* high and couldn't time his jump. Ended up in Fed's hitting zone like a flubbed volley.

i thought andy murray was against bananas.

BOMBSHELL: Murray wins a break point

lol

Fantastic and solid service game to back that up.

I think the difference in Murray now is that before, he would have backed off (or just crumbled) after screwing up the second set. Now he just seems more aware he only lost it because of one silly blip, he was the better player, and he's still playing confidently and going for his shots.

Awesome FH for two set points

With another ace!

Closes the set with an ace!

Why does Murray have mashed up bananas on his sleeves?

The response to losing that 2nd set was brutal and decisive. So great to see this, two years ago I would've been tearing my hair out by this point.

I don't hate Murray but every time they cut to his box and I see Ivan Lendl, I kind of do hate him by association.

Ruh-roh. 0-40.

Lendl was before my time so I've no opinion either way. KNow he was disliked, that's about it.

meanwhile Murray is about to be broken

fuck!

Two big serves...then FH error.

Michael might get his wish for a five setter after all..

The only time I would have cheered for Lendl would have been if he were playing Becker.

Bad shot selection by Fed: break point back

Breaks back!

Immediate break back. This is a great mental performance by Murray.

BH just catching the line for a break back from Fed

wow at that Fed FH not near making it

Hahah it's the Murray rodent face. Amazing BH DTL though.

banger of a Murray BH to win three games in a row

oh dear..

Rides the drama out to hold for 4-4.

OK Murray did really well to get himself together to win the game after the arg with the umpire.

Incredible lob!

awesome, and for 0-15, Fed needs a strong comeback here

meek FH for 0-30

Ruh-roh for Fed, easy FH into the net and 0-30...

But recovering for a game point.

You'll be able to point to that kill shot that went right back at a non-moving Murray as the point Fed definitely lost this match.

Fed wins but the one that led to the game point Murray wanted to challenge but has now run out of them.

Why is Andy still grumbling about the decision from two games ago.

Federer's dropshots have been so inadequate today.

He is keeping the umpire on his toes I'm guessng, no challenges remaining now. xp

0-40...

Breaks to love with a terrifically worked point!

To serve for the match!!

Yes what a terrific last point

Fed charges net off nothing in desperation, Murray passes with ease. 15-0.

Fed retrieves some great Murray BHs, and Murray sends a BH slice long. 15-15.

Big serve, 30-15.

Fed fighting all the way: 30-30

Federer being über-aggressive and ends it with a smash, 30-30.

Amazing Fed BH DTL. 30-40.

awesome BH for break point

gone long with a great return from Fed!

LOL. Big serve but Murray misses the next FH. TB!

this is a test for Murray now

mini break for Fed oh dear: 2-0

Fed just pounding the FH as hard as possible now. Gotta get the first serve in, Andy.

and he does for 2-1

2-2, unforced from F

Fed 4-2 as they change ends, aggression paying off..

banging return - think we're going to a 5th

*tearing my hair out*

Murray's second serves are Niculescuesque.

Murray served like that times in the Berankis match. And yep, he got broken in that match a few times.

Still favour him to win.

McEnroe just made a joke about Azarenka's medical timeout, which the US media has been pushing super hard (as they are in love with Sloane Stephens, obviously).

Fed shanked BH gives Murray the immediate break in the 5th.

Racing to 3-0

lol dropshot for 3-0

Another inadequate dropshot from Fed. WTF is this anticlimactic level all of a sudden.

what a travesty of a 5th set this is, we should not be here..

Murray gifts Fed a hold. Not over till he breaks again.

PEAK MURRAY there.

0-30, come on..

Oh OK is Fed just gonna hit himself out of this game.

run out of puff here. Two MPs

BAM return. MPs.

Well it should've never ever gone to five. But he always held himself at ease despite losing two tie breaks.

Anticlimactic end, but good match.

good

Good match, except for all the ridiculous drop shot fails on Federer's part. He got lucky to take the very few chances he had given how deep Murray's general rally ball was.

Ben Rothenberg ‏@BenRothenberg
"Just checking each other out," says Federer on what happened between he and Murray at that point. It is a Friday night, I guess. #ausopen

Scoreline kind of reminds me of Lendl's victory over Becker at '92 USO (winning sets to 2/3/4, losing two breakers), which was the only time in six attempts Lendl beat Becker at a Slam. So, y'know, parallels.

Win or lose the final, Murray can't go higher in the rankings until March. Djokovic will be No 1 until at least the end of Miami. Which means that if Murray wins, we'll have the first Slamless* ATP No 1 since Rios in 1998. I wonder if the media would then go on about how men's tennis and the ranking system are broken the way they did in the Safina years...

*ie, not currently holding a Slam

Lendl lost his next two slam finals after winning his first. Wonder if Murray will mirror that. xp

They shouldn't go on about that bcz Safina was shit.

yeahhhh i'm not sure that's a very good comparison

it's a comparison of the criticisms, not of the players.

It's the same maths that could make Djokovic #1 while holding 0 Slams as made Safina #1 while holding 0 Slams. Djokovic doesn't get any more points for having won Slams in the past so that's irrelevant. Safina doesn't get fewer points for losing one-sided matches so that's irrelevant. If the criticism is "a player who does not currently hold a Slam should not be #1", it's the same situation.

The criticism was more "a player who has never won a Slam shouldn't be #1", wasn't it? Djokovic wouldn't get thrown under the bus because he's actually won multiple Slam titles; like, if Kuznetsova suddenly went on a tear and worked her way to #1 with a bunch of Slam final appearances and titles at other big tournaments, people would likely be applauding her return to Slam-winning form rather than complaining that any rando could be on top of the rankings.

The criticism was more "a player who has never won a Slam shouldn't be #1", wasn't it?

But then you're basically arguing that a player who has won Slams in the past should automatically hold extra points in perpetuity (thinking about the maths of the rankings here). Which is a bit weird imo.

The first widespread grumblings about Slamless No 1s (I don't remember the Rios years) started in 2000-01, when Hingis remained at No 1 forever despite not holding any Slams. I'm not really sure how Hingis being No 1 in 2000 or Davenport in 2004 (a year when Lindsay didn't even make any Slam finals) is any more legitimate than the Safina/Wozniacki years. It may be more intuitive but the maths is the same.

Ok, not watching the args too closely but if Djokovic becomes a slam-less #1 this Sunday its no biggie, given there are so many other ranking tournaments than slams in a calendar its logically natural possibility. Besides all that, Djoko's current state of play and form would make it a laughable criticism as you'd think another slam would be around the corner. You'd make him favourite for the French right now.

With Safina this was never ever the case. xp = you have points built up from past wins I assume and these either increase or decrease given how you do in tournaments to come, no?

given there are so many other ranking tournaments than slams in a calendar its logically natural possibility

this is the case on the WTA as well.

Points from the past 12 months count towards your ranking. They all drop off after 52 weeks.

I mean, I'm not arguing Safina and Djokovic are equivalent players, obviously. I'm saying that the ranking situation would be the same. And if the criticism is of the ranking system, then...it's the same. Safina losing embarrassingly or Djokovic winning past Slams or being a more serious contender for future Slams - these are all irrelevant because none of those things are measured for ranking points. If you think they should be, go ahead and argue that!

ok I know lol US vs UK and all but is "maths" really not plural?

I think the argument isn't that Slam winners hold "extra points" as much as it is Slam winners have backed up their existing points with past results; there was no doubt the Hingis was a dominant player in the past whose star was being eclipsed, ditto Linday, whereas everyone knew Safina and Jankovic were massive headcases that were wholly unpredictable once they stepped onto the court and Wozniacki is a backboard with little to no offensive power who can get blown off the court with the correct tactic. I think winning a Slam would have been a signal to some ppl that the "fatal flaws" (for lack of a better phrase) in their games had been overcome, making them "true champions" (again, for lack of a better phrase) as opposed to ppl on top of the rankings.

IOW, the argument is that the ranking system being what it is allows lesser players in a weaker/less consistent field an opening to game the system by playing a ton of scrubs to build up ranking points, which was very clearly the Wozniacki strategy and why everyone turned on her.

The situation between Safina and Djoko would be the same but then are you saying Djoko should be criticised and er questioned about it as Safina was? xp

lex's argument is that Safina shouldn't have been penalized for being a spectacular headcase in a system where a pendulum swing allowed her to get to #1 without winning a Slam. I mostly agree with that argument but I completely understand why someone who has won multiple Slams in the past would be viewed as a more legitimate #1 than someone who hasn't.

That's all totally OTM in terms of assessing the players! But it's the same system enabling (ex-Slam winner who doesn't hold a Slam) to be No 1 as it is enabling (weak non-Slam Champ) to be No 1 as it is enabling someone like Djokovic to be No 1.

I think all the ranking system criticism has always annoyed me because no one ever talks about what precisely, mathematically, the problem is, and what they would change.

The root of the Hingis/Davenport issues was the switch from divisor to additive rankings, which penalised players who played less (like Venus). I can see arguments for both systems, because under the divisor system there was less incentive for players to support tournaments.

From 2004-10 the WTA tour pretty much fell apart with its top players suffering constant injuries, taking extended breaks etc. Wacky results => wacky ranking; there was no legitimate system that could have solved that, mathematically.

The Wozniacki years: as Dan says she gamed the field by targeting weaker Premier tournaments with big point hauls but relatively weak fields. The flaw here is that tournaments' tiers are determined by the amount of money they can put up rather than the actual field they attract. I don't really know what the situation is here, the WTA's Roadmap is so jacked up. I mean New Haven was one of those weaker events that Wozniacki vultured, but a few years ago it WAS a legitimately strong event.

The situation between Safina and Djoko would be the same but then are you saying Djoko should be criticised and er questioned about it as Safina was? xp

I'm probably arguing that Safina SHOULDN'T have had that much criticism - any criticism should have been directed at the people making the ranking system in the first place. And should have been specific, not based on "gut feeling" or "public perception".

*solution not situation

tbh I loved the chaos of the WTA rankings and found the Woz reign was super annoying because it was painfully clear she was gaming the system and couldn't reliably beat the 9-14 women ranked below her

OK can see it now, thx. xxp

It really helped her that Serena was out for a year, Kim was essentially part-time and Ma$ha hadn't rediscovered any post-surgery consistency

I'm really, really hoping Li Na can undercut Azarenka if only so Redfoo ends up making a song made out of Vika sobs

I mean, I'm not arguing Safina and Djokovic are equivalent players, obviously. I'm saying that the ranking situation would be the same. And if the criticism is of the ranking system, then...it's the same. Safina losing embarrassingly or Djokovic winning past Slams or being a more serious contender for future Slams - these are all irrelevant because none of those things are measured for ranking points. If you think they should be, go ahead and argue that!

― lex pretend, Friday, January 25, 2013 10:03 AM (28 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lex i think anyone with a brain acknowledges a ranking system is necessary but is aware of its limitations. if murray wins the AUS and still isn't #1, it'll be the same situation - we'll say gee he probably deserves to be number 1 given the fact that he's won the last 2 slams, made the finals of wimbledon, and won the olympics. and then we'll subjectively say that we probably don't have a huge problem with hobak at #1 since he's still playing well and is one of the best players ever.

djp otm

Hey look at that, Ana Konjuh, who Lex was hyping upthread, won the junior girls singles & doubles. She just turned 15. Good for her.

Li is a bit of an error machine but she's already up a break.

Poll on the TV coverage asked who you were cheering for: 83% Li, 17% Azarenka. I guess it is Australia day which brings out the inner racist in some people.

Vika's tactics: loop lots of junk forehands near the baseline. Because Wozniacki proved that having a shit forehand could be a feature, not a bug. SQUASH HER NA!

This set would have been 6-2 if Li hadn't been a moron and fluffed an easy put-away earlier.

Instead, it continues much like Azarenka's painful stint as #1.

Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)

well this is concerning.

I think she deserves a medical time out for that.

This is bad.

Horrible.

Oh dear. I woke up just in time to see Li choke for the first set, win it anyway on a DF, go into error mode in the second set and then kill her ankle :(

Lovely first point back, though.

ok this stand and deliver approach might work :)

"Azarenka wouldn't want to win it like this"

oh reeeeeeally

well now.

I hope we get lots of disappointed shots of Redfoo's stupid fucking face. How are people in the row behind him supposed to see the court with his hair in the way? He's worse than those cunts who wear ostentatiously large sombreros

spoke too soon :(

she had her on toast at the net at 30-40, aaaaargh

redfoo should be sent to the locker room for ten minutes to get his hair taped down

You guys I am going to cry.

BOSS SECOND SERVE.

Even hobbled, Li has all the tools to win this match. I mean, Azarenka can't serve at all, and her much-vaunted backhand isn't even as good as Li's.

COME THE FUCK ON LI NA!

far to may unforced errors though - two break points

Stuck in a hotel room that apparently doesn't hv a sports channel showing tennis. :/ Updates here and on twitter are kinda killing me! Is li na ok?

too many too

Yeah Li is fine, she won't lose because of the injury.

total garbage from Li in the last two games. Third set to come.

omg!! I want to slap Li Na jesus that was horrible

:(

ok good to know abt the ankle tho - I'd just hate for Vika to win by retirement.

Break back point for Li - really in her hands, if only she'd cut the horrible errors and actually got down to constructing points and the like.

breaks back - crazy match, who knows blah blah

Li holds and now a fkn fireworks display.

"love how we laugh at austerity with a fireworks display"

...

Li gets another knock, then med timeout and now she is giing A problems in her own serve for a break point

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VIKA you LEGEND!

Give the crowd the finger!

One day, some umpire is going to get tough, and call hindrance and sod the consequences. REMEMBER SELES. Oh wait, Seles was likeable.

Aza wins as Li couldn't cut out the errors and yes I stopped posting like a maniac bcz I lost heart.

till tomorrow then.

Couldn't post much during the match what a bizarre and dramatic final though. Vika resilient as ever, Li just had to battle too much - opponent, injuries, innate idiocy. I kind of feel like the fireworks were the most indefensible thing? Like...seriously, third set of a Slam final, you can't do that!

Don't they, every year?

Azarenka still looks like David Cameron.

You know I was just thinking this fireworks display is every year huh?

You can shut it out of your mind cuz its so wrong.

Really its horrible, between this and he US open scheduling its taking your slam for granted. Maybe Sao Paulo or Shanghai could stage it sometime.

Sure, if they have a roof, and people to watch, respectively.

Every time there's a fireworks display, a player gets injured. Usually rafa but since he wasn't here...

Every time there's a fireworks display any activity involving tennis of any kind, a player gets injured.

Fixed.

READY.

Nothing to say so far really. Would be funny if this ended in straight sets.

murray looks really sharp. couple early BH errors from novak but he's hitting it pretty clean too

both players hitting the ball very hard

couple really pretty inside-out backhands from murray.

oh man what a point

Great point. Encouraging that Murray came to net...

novak's lucky to have pulled that game out. 3 errors and andy really should have passed him on deuce after that second swinging volley

who is that next to azarenka lol

Well, maybe not if he just keeps getting passed.

xp Redfoo from LMFAO ie her bf :( He's sampled her screech in a new song :(

oh dear

uh oh 15-40

great defense from andy so far. so much novak error

Oh so we're into the "epic points" section of the match already, that's nice

FUCKING HELL that point!!!!

oh what the hell andy hit it to the open court! great point

huge point from murray

Murray nails when saving BPs, anyway

aaaand we have our first failed drop shot of the match

amazing defense from andy

Game for TB

game point

Murray hasn't put Djoko under anywhere near as much pressure in his serves, not that will translate into the TB

what a banger for 2-0

djokovic picking the wrong time to ramp up the errors

weird slice FH from andy there

so Murray 4-0. Djoko has gone walkabout although Murray is not letting up at all

novak looks terrible all of the sudden

Murray way more aggressive in the TB than he has been throughout the set

Horrible unforced error from D for 5-1 Murray

6-1!

what if murray just rolls him in straights?

Wins the first set: Lex is right here, Murray has that mix of conservativism to progression right down.

No idea where the weird, impatient errors came from for Nole in the TB - as out of nowhere as Murray suddenly playing aggressively. Opposite of the SF - Murray looked the worse player all set but somehow snuck out the TB...

Murray sending out a msg by coming into the net in the first point of the 2nd

0-40 but Murray is playing awesome now

lol sorry game Murray

djokovic maaaay not want to drop this game

Man Murray is a sponge Djoko can't get past him for three break points Murray

WTF has happened to Nole's FH? It's just, like, died

Unforced error from Murray and Djoko does well at the net in the next to save all three BPs

lol that little hop on that volley

I think he's come back alive

what a point and game from Djoko!

D had two BPs for 4-2 in the 1st. It didn't happen and think he only one maybe two other chance in that set. That was a similar deal for Murray, see what the reaction is over the next few games.

haha novak smiles after the ball kick

lol @ ball kick

then the racquet slam!

btw, that was a pretty impressive kick on the run with his off foot

Kind of a weird match, this - some amazing points but no momentum shifts, kind of at a permanent stalemate

This is an inversion of the 1st (or the half where I saw) where its now Murray who is having more of a sniff on the return.

but yeah not an amazing rally/point for a lil while, intensity fallen off apart from a couple of games.

You kind of feel if either would be more aggressive consistently and land a few big shots they could really take control

That was a bit more like it, one point had some good exchanges near the net.

I keep remembering that Azarenka won yesterday, not Li, and getting annoyed >:(

Great pass from Murray...

Brutal point from D, can hear that grunt for miles.

Shut the door well there

D blowing up in his chair: 6-5 Murray

Nice approach from Murray. come on..

Bad time for DF: 30-30

Great response from D always in control.

A 2nd set TB!

Amazing that these are the two best returners in the world but they can barely conjure up even many BPs let alone a break...

Won't be as easy for Murray this time: 2-1 D

oh no, the feather makes murray DF ;-)

ah bugger 5-2

aww what exchanges. Magnificent from D to eek that out

awful slice from Murray for 1-1 set all

LOL @ that woeful BH slice halfway up the net on SP

that seeme kinda like the 1st as in Murray had more of the upper hand in the games, the BPs in the set but then Murray made the DF and that opened the door for Djoko to win.

also is this match actually going to last a year

don't mind if it lasts long as long as we have MORE DRAMA PLZ

its like they're trying to make things happen for about a point or two on return and then either give up or the guy serves an ace.

LOL that BH swinging volley

I think he was bored, no biggie, saves to 15.

Anyone else thinking 'Nadal plz come back fit and well k thx'?

"You can feel his feet from here" must be the most baffling thing the commentators have said so far

1-1 on the lol dropshot front.

this is terrible

30 straight holds. I can't even remember the last BP. Start of the seond set maybe?

yes.

All the good points seem to be played at really non-dramatic moments.

I think there have been a few 0-15s but then the server has been v good at shutting the door and stringing 3 points quickly

that was surely the first 30+ shot rally in a while

well well now, jinxed that: 0-30

Haha here we go with the BPs

3 BPs, but D has earned all of these..

break after nearly 3 hours!!

A BREAK OF SERVE AT LAST

and that ball on tip top of the net

Djoko wins 6-3.

what was murray complaining about to the ref?

blowing off steam to get hmself ready.

no good bcz its now deuce

awesome from Murray

bit of danger, then dug that ball out beautifully

You never once thought Murray was in danger of taking that half-chance

two BPs for D here, end times etc

and Djoko makes his half-chance happen.

Nole just growing in strength and pulling away....

Even though its early in the 4th it looks like it'll be over soon.

and now D is making those dropshots come off

barely an hour after asking ourselves whether we'd be here all day it looks like we'll be allowed out early to play in the winter sunshine: 3-1

Unbelievable defence from Nole...

brilliant fkn demon defending from Djko for BP

DF it is

DF for the double break. NID

Djoko was always the better player today, although there was one point where Murray could've sneaked if he had broken at the start of the 2nd set.

That is reaching though. D was excellent.

Even now Murray can't take advantage of 0-30

Easier said than done with Djoko playing like that.

wow @ that net cord.

Nole hasn't missed an overhead all day...usually a weakness

And so he recovers form 0-30 again for CP

Wins!

Doesn't even merit Nole nudity :(

Actual nudity might happen if he wins the calendar year slam

Not feeling mad or angry that Murray has lost bcz he has a slam, its a good feeling.

Yeah knowing he has the USO makes this a lot easier to take.

worst hardcourt slam final since wood rackets

Fuck off verbose corporate sponsors

ppl went on w/ 'oh its the start of a new era' as Rog is old and Rafa is injured and perhaps gone for good. If that is so then GOD HELP US, there is NO CONTRAST between these two so I know I'm comparing this to Rog-Rafa who served such awesomeness at Wim three years straight but there is no way they'll get close to that if it carries on like this.

Needs Rafa back in good shape i think.

I don't dislike the Murray/Djokovic match-up as much as some, but it's no way as thrilling as Federer/Nadal...certainly this match was no classic. Still, I think it's good enough to keep the perception of an ATP golden age going for a few years yet. The problems start when we have to turn to the generation beneath these two because there is NO ONE apart from maybe Tomic.

worst tournament

yeah we've been spoiled for a good 7-8 years now but tennis has needed some young blood for a minute - murray and djokovic are 25, which is OLD, normally there would be some obvious future grand slam champion knocking at the door but idk who that is

There isn't a single teenager in the ATP top 250 - that's pretty bad. Apparently Patrick McEnroe was bemoaning this during the final and saying none of the younger players impressed him at all. By contrast the future of the women's game is finally starting to look up.

Roll of honour!

Men's singles: Novak Djokovic
Women's singles: Victoria Azarenka
Men's doubles: Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan
Women's doubles: Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci
Mixed doubles: Jarmila Gajdosova & Matthew Ebden
Boys' singles: Nick Kyrgios
Girls' singles: Ana Konjuh
Boys' doubles: Jay Andrijic & Bradley Mousley
Girls' doubles: Ana Konjuh & Carol Zhao

i used to pay so much closer attention to tennis
back in like 2007 or so i once predicted the QFs, SFs and F of the girls' junior event correctly (back in the days of brengle and milevskaya - wtf happened to these girls). now? i've never heard of ana konjuh :/

Konjuh's only just turned 15, she's pretty new, but she swept the Eddie Herr and Orange Bowl in Dec. I've read some serious hype about her being the real deal. She and Vekic could make a formidable Croatian Fed Cup team in a few years.

Brengle and Milevskaya are still going (ranked 189 and 395 respectively) but they're just ITF journeywomen, even though Brengle got every US WC going for years.

From an Orange Bowl news report last month:

But the star turn of the week belonged to Ana Konjuh, who pulled off the remarkable feat of winning the 18s title while still 14. The powerfully built Croatian player overwhelmed No. 2 seed Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-2 and now is eyeing life in the professional ranks. The power in her game is obvious, but she also revealed a variety of strokes, including drop shots and sliced backhands, and that suggests she is equipped for the hugely demanding environment of the WTA Tour.

http://msn.foxsports.com/tennis/story/orange-bowl-juniors-taylor-townsend-wins-doubles-ana-konjuh-laslo-djere-120912

thx for the info

i wanted milevskaya to make it. never seen her but i like the name 'ksenia milevskaya'

and it's a slight reminder of the wonderful evgenia linetskaya <3 <3 <3 <3

Aw, I'm kinda happy for Jarka winning the mixed. I guess the extra space on the doubles court gives her groundstrokes a bit more space to actually land within the court. Bless her, she's a trier.

Watched a bit of the boys' singles final and it was an okay match but at this stage nothing that suggests Kyrgios will win senior slams. Nothing intense going on there for mine.

New WTA rankings:

1. Victoria Azarenka (1)
2. Serena Williams (3)
3. Maria Sharapova (2)
4. Agnieszka Radwanska (4)
5. Na Li (6)
6. Angelique Kerber (5)
7. Sara Errani (7)
8. Petra Kvitova (8)
9. Samantha Stosur (9)
10. Marion Bartoli (11)
11. Caroline Wozniacki (10)
12. Nadia Petrova (12)
13. Ana Ivanovic (13)
14. Dominika Cibulkova (14)
15. Maria Kirilenko (15)
16. Roberta Vinci (16)
17. Sloane Stephens (25)
18. Lucie Safarova (17)
19. Julia Goerges (18)
20. Ekaterina Makarova (19)
21. Varvara Lepchenko (20)
22. Yanina Wickmayer (24)
23. Venus Williams (26)
24. Klara Zakopalova (22)
25. Su-Wei Hsieh (27)
26. Jelena Jankovic (21)
27. Tamira Paszek (30)
28. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (23)
29. Yaroslava Shvedova (28)
30. Sorana Cirstea (29)
...
32. Kirsten Flipkens (43)
38. Bojana Jovanovski (56)
40. Heather Watson (50)
43. Laura Robson (53)
50. Svetlana Kuznetsova (75)
52. Sabine Lisicki (36)
53. Francesca Schiavone (48)
55. Daniela Hantuchova (44)
77. Kimiko Date-Krumm (100)
81. Madison Keys (105)
93. Donna Vekic (111)
101. Yulia Putintseva (122)
129. Vera Zvonareva (95)