Well? I LOVE the sport. Such an overlooked sport when people mention how "hard" a sport can be. RIDICULOUS schedule, matches that can go on for hours and days, the ability to keep that strength AND stamina going for ages is really something to behold, and the best are ALWAYS playing the best. I'm looking forward to the Federer/Nadal final (who isn't?!). Greatest rivalry in modern sports, IMHO. So, anyone else a fan? Ever played (to a certain level or just as a hobby)? Your favourite players/surface/events are etc?
There was a comedian who talked about turning on women's tennis and masturbating to the grunts. Ever since I've been a tennis fan.
Disappointing Miami Open final today. 1 because Rafa is my favorite player of all time and 2 because I wanted more rallies/a closer match. Tickets for the final were jacked up 5x once they found out it was Nadal-Federer. Nosebleeds were going for $500, courtside for $2500
Tennis is not big in my area. I have only played it a couple of times in my life. I always enjoy watching this beauty play:
Most tennis snobs I've talked to prefer Federer over Rafa because Fed has a more traditional approach to the game. But that's exactly why I love Rafa - he's completely unconventional.
Federer has beaten Rafa 3 times this year but Rafa still pwns him 23-14 career. Clay season coming up, can't fucking wait for Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros.
Men's tennis? Meh. Women's tennis? All day. They are better to look at and they have longer rallies. A lot of the men's games are nothing but aces or just a week return followed by a slam.
My youngest daughter is sorta transitioning out of competitive cheer and into tennis. She tried out for the 7th grade team and was cut, but she'd never played before. Now she's a bit discouraged but I'm trying to keep her positive. Maybe get her a couple of lessons and go hit some balls with her at the school courts. Hope she stays with it.
My father was an avid tennis player. Him and his friends had 'The Cup'. Totally small and and trivial, but they would literally fight for it. Nothing golden, just bragging rights to have it, and he had 6-7 friends who would play for it. I know, nothing special, but if you held the cup, you were the champ. Even at 12 years old, I refused to hand it over to his friends as I saw it as my birth right after my father died.
They don't have longer rallies, and you're still stuck in the Sampras era. He was boring, I won't lie. But today's players don't play like that.
I prefer Rafa for his aggressiveness and his passion. EVERY SHOT you can hear the effort he puts into it. His game is waaaay more exciting that Roger's, too. He goes at it full bore, kinda like a Mike Tyson/Pacman of Tennis. He is the Manny Pac to Fed's Mayweather.
I might actually go to Madrid as it's a city I've been meaning to visit for way too long now. Best month to go?
Yep, in all fairness Federer is having a blinding season/year so far. Seem's to be back to his old ways.
Unfortunately the way, as these guys get older people will pay to see them play. I saw Federer play at the O2 in London, I was fricking nosebleeds but I can always say I saw the greatest of our time play.
Not an expert, but it seems to me as if men are on a much higher level in tennis, even technically. Women's longer rallies, as you put it, are mostly due to them playing, well, worse imo. Also the difference of playing max 3 sets to a max of 5 seems extreme to me. Hot summer, cold winter, nice inbetween. So spring or autumn I'd say. April, Mai, June, September, October.
I agree with everything you said. Still prefer watching the women. Same could be said for beach volleyball. The men are more talented and better strikers. But there's no way I'm watching them over the women. Unless it's Goose and Mav going up against Slider and Iceman.
In general racket sports the male female phsyicality divide at the top level is ridiculously noticeable. Same in Squash and Badminton.
Golf is probably the only sport that has a successful women's league that I can't watch. The talent gap is just too much. Not surprising given the strength differences, but it bothers me when I watch it. You're 200 yards out and hitting a 3 wood? Yawn. The men are hitting a 6 iron and throwing darts at the flag from that distance. I'd love to play a round with plenty of the women of the LPGA though. Some fine looking ladies in that league.
He's hitting the backhand earlier now. It used to give him problems because it's a one-handed backhand and by hitting it late, it would just flop down on stronger returns/volleys, particularly on the forehand of the lefty Nadal. Fun fact - Rafa is actually right-handed. His uncle put his racket in his left hand when he was 3 years old because he thought it would give Rafa an advantage against other players. 14 majors later it looks to have paid off Watch when he signs tennis balls at the end of a match. He always does it with his right hand.