French Open 2016

[CDu]

The French Open hasn't gotten much love on DBR so far. Perhaps that's because two of the most popular players had to withdraw. But the top 3 seeds on the Men's draw through to the semis. Djokovic is up a break over Thiem in one semi, while Murray and Wawrinka are on serve.

It's been a tougher week on Djokovic/Thiem's side, as those two have had to play each of the last 4 days due to excessive rain. It will be interesting to see if the winner experiences any residual fatigue in the final. They will have a day of rest before that match, but that's a lot of tennis crammed into 6 days.

[throatybeard]

Both European slams* are standard morning viewing on the Tennis Channel at my house, and the Aussie for the insomniac (me).

My father was visiting and he doesn't watch tennis except when I'm in his house turning it on. He's all "Ben, Serena Williams is gonna lose!" I said "no Daddy, I've seen this exact match two or three dozen times. She'll barely survive the second set and then obliterate the Slavic girl in the last set, like 6-2."

We went to buy him a battery for his watch. My cell phone later reveled Serena won the last set 6-1.

* - Brexit hasn't happened yet rite?

[Troublemaker]

It's been a tougher week on Djokovic/Thiem's side, as those two have had to play each of the last 4 days due to excessive rain. It will be interesting to see if the winner experiences any residual fatigue in the final. They will have a day of rest before that match, but that's a lot of tennis crammed into 6 days.

Yeah, Djoker could really use a 5-set match from Stan & Andy today. Otherwise, the winner will be more fresh than him for the final.

My father was visiting and he doesn't watch tennis except when I'm in his house turning it on. He's all "Ben, Serena Williams is gonna lose!" I said "no Daddy, I've seen this exact match two or three dozen times. She'll barely survive the second set and then obliterate the Slavic girl in the last set, like 6-2."

You got a chuckle out of me, there. Incidentally, I think Muguruza poses a threat in the final.

[CDu]

Djokovic making quick work of Thiem through the first two sets, 6-2, 6-1. If he can finish this match in 3 relatively easy sets, that will be huge for him physically in terms of catching up a little on rest compared with the Murray/Wawrinka side (which has played basically a standard schedule). In the same time period, Murray and Wawrinka have completed just one set and 1 game in the 2nd set.

[CDu]

Oof, and just after I posted that, Thiem and Murray both break and consolidate the break. So now Murray is looking to go up 2 sets to 0 on Wawrinka and Thiem looking to stretch his match to 4 sets.

[CDu]

Djokovic with serve to end the match here. Murray has made slightly less quick work of Wawrinka so far, but is up 2 sets to 0 on serve in the 3rd.

[throatybeard]

You got a chuckle out of me, there. Incidentally, I think Muguruza poses a threat in the final.

She's Muguruθless!

[CDu]

Is there a more maddening player to watch than Wawrinka? He has shotmaking capabilities on par with anyone in the world. But it seems like sometimes his head just isn't in it. The contrast between him and a grinder like Murray is stark.

But when Stan gets it rolling, he's unbelievable. His shotmaking display in last year's final was breathtaking. Just wish we could see the good Stan more often.

[CDu]

Murray vs Djokovic in the men's final. Should be a good matchup, as it was last year. Djokovic tries for his 12th Grand Slam title and completion of the career slam. Murray looks for a third grand slam title and 3/4 of the way to the career slam (with 5 finals appearances at the Aussie but no titles). Not a bad career for a guy with the misfortune of playing in the era of three of the all-time greats.

[Blue in the Face]

Incidentally, I think Muguruza poses a threat in the final.

Good call. Not sure what exactly Serena was thinking on that final point, but it probably didn't matter.

[Troublemaker]

Good call. Not sure what exactly Serena was thinking on that final point, but it probably didn't matter.

Thank ya. Nice lob on match point by Garbine.

She's Muguruθless!

Indeed. MuguRafa!

[OldPhiKap]

Good call. Not sure what exactly Serena was thinking on that final point, but it probably didn't matter.

Odd ending, agreed.c But Serena was bested fair and square.

[throatybeard]

She's Muguruθless!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

[Green Wave Dukie]

You got a chuckle out of me, there. Incidentally, I think Muguruza poses a threat in the final.[/QUOTE]


Impressive indeed. Who do you like in the Men's final? Time for Novak to win his first French?

[Troublemaker]

Impressive indeed. Who do you like in the Men's final? Time for Novak to win his first French?

Yep. Novak in 4, methinks.

[CDu]

After a jittery start (broken in his first two service games) Djokovic fought back to dominate the match thereafter. He now holds all four grand slam titles currently (the Djoker slam?) and obviously completes the career slam, is just two slams shy of #2 all time and 5 shy of #1. It will be fun to watch to see if he can complete the true Grand Slam this summer/fall.

[Green Wave Dukie]

Yep. Novak in 4, methinks.

Excellent predictions Trouble.

As for me (even as a Fed fan), I gotta give major props to Joker. I didn't follow tennis for about 20 years, but it sure seems now that Joker is not only winning, but the word 'dominating' might not be a stretch, and he's doing it when Fed, Nadal, Murray, Stan and a host of young up and comers are all competing at a high level. Obviously Roger and Rafa not at the top of their games, but 4 grand slams in a row is MIGHTY impressive no matter how you slice it.

And I am super-excited about having tickets to go to the US Open for the first time ever. Praying Fed is healthy and playing Labor Day weekend. If he announces its his last one (which would not surprise me), and Novak is going for a calendar year slam (see previous parenthetical expression), and everyone is healthy, ...it should be quite the event.

[CDu]

I feel bad for Murray. The guy has been one of the top 5 players in the world for nearly a decade now. In any other era, he would have spent some time at #1 and would likely have won 6-8 grand slams. But he happened to play in an era with three of the best ever. So he instead has 2 majors, 8 other finals appearances, and a place as an afterthought in the era.

[cato]

I feel bad for Murray. The guy has been one of the top 5 players in the world for nearly a decade now. In any other era, he would have spent some time at #1 and would likely have won 6-8 grand slams. But he happened to play in an era with three of the best ever. So he instead has 2 majors, 8 other finals appearances, and a place as an afterthought in the era.

I also feel bad for him, but at least he has broken through more than once. He also won gold against Roger in London. I think he'll be more than an afterthought.

[snowdenscold]

A bit late responding, but I always like to chime in on these tennis threads:

Women:

Feel bad for Serena, as she's come so close to Stefi's 22 3 slams in a row now, and can't seem to close the deal. She went through a similar spell in her pursuit of 18 to tie Evert/Navritilova and once she finally accomplished that she rattled off 4 in a row. However, she's older now, and in her previous dry period she was losing early in tournaments, rather than semis and finals. Hopefully she can rally back and take Wimbledon here in 4 weeks!

I heard one person say she's entered Roger Federer land - where she can consistently make the semis and finals, but not win anymore. However, that analogy isn't that great, since Federer keeps running into Djokovic, who is otherworldly right now. Fed's played great in W'14, W'15 and USO'15 but Novak's even better. Serena's opponents are hardly of the same caliber.

Now, for Muguruza, definitely congrats to her. I believe she'll be a contender for multiple slams in the future - definitely not a one-slam wonder unlike many others we've seen. During 2008-2012, we have seemed to have a glut of them (including 4 first-time winners in a row at one point!). Thankfully at least Azarenka, Li Na and Kvitova were able to pick up a 2nd slam later on but at the time it seemed we couldn't find anyone to consistently win. Now we've had 3 first-time winners in a row, but I don't think this will be the last for Muguruza (I know Bartoli and Pennetta retired almost immediately after winning, but I wouldn't have given them high hopes for a 2nd one if they'd continued playing. And Kerber, while decent, is not likely to be named a top-3 contender at any major)

Men:

Soooo happy that Novak finally got his career GS! I've really warmed up to him the past several years. Plus, after seeing him so extremely close 4 times in a row it obviously was an enormous relief (I know one year was a semi loss, but it was that 5-setter vs. Rafa that was considered a de facto final, where he accidentally touched the net cord and it probably cost him the match... brutal!).
The guy is on fire right now. Poor Murray* though, what a terrible time to be born. Who would have thought we'd go from discussing Rafa potentially passing Fed all time as recent as FO '14 (#14) to now talking about Djokovic in that conversation instead just 2 years later (got his #12). I know he just turned 29 and things will probably be slowing down, but the man's won 6 out of the past 8 majors. Incredible. I think Federer is the only other person to accomplish that feat? Laver got 5 out of 6 on two different occasions, and obviously those 5 years in the "pros" cut into his GS potential there.



* At least Murray got a cool song from those Scot ex-pat ladies at the Australian Open.
Sung to the tune of Winter Wonderland:

There's only one Andy Murray
There's only one Andy Murray
We all go insane
For the boy from Dunblane
Walking in a Murray wonderland

There's only one Andy Murray
There's only one Andy Murray
He's a born and bred Scot
He's the best that we got
Walking in a Murray wonderland