Tennis thread

[forre]

Originally Posted by spyretto

Having said that, tennis is an extremely volatile sport, so always expect the unexpected. That's why it's so exciting.

Totally agree. I have regrets that I didn't go today for the evenig programme. It's when you can buy tix for the evening matches if there are places at the stadiums. I'd love to take a few pics with Monfils. The guy is going to be big. He's highly entertaining!

[spyretto]

He's has had a very bad season until last week where he picked up form. He has great potential but has a tendency to get injured easily. He lost 8 straight matches at some point earlier this year. And he'll have to close this one vs Chela and Chela is a very gutsy player.
So watch this space for a complete turnaround here.

[forre]

spyretto, Chela has never won a 5 set match at Roland Garros. He's tired by now and doesn't have the crowd support. I don't think it'll be a turnaround.

[spyretto]

You were right, Monfils is on fire. He'll be facing Nalbandian next who's short of matches this season and out of form so there couldn't be a better time to face Nalbandian. And if he beats him he could go a long way. Big if though.

Stepanek "affectionately" referred to as "the alien" is out, lost in 5 to French qualifier Vasselin
So after thrashing Gonzalez he's out to a qualifier
Richard Gasquet also out, so the biggest hope for the French this year is Monfils.

Tomorrow Serena should normally have a really hard time vs the gutsy Venezuelan Sequera, if he doesn't deliver she's in for a big shock.

[zebu]

Originally Posted by forre

Gaston Gaudio for zebu

merci beaucoup!

[spyretto]

A relatively boring day at the office today apart from Hewitt's fantastic comeback but I was at work and missed 4 sets...damn! But I'll watch it now...The camera loves Mrs Hewitt.

Glad to see Markos finally playing well too..go Markos!

[forre]

I seem to pick the wrong arena each time. Today I saw Williams - wahoooo! LOL. The girl is great. I mean, she's highly entertaining. Then it was Mauresmo, then rain, then Mauresmo. I was close to predict correct and if I did, I'd have won something. They asked who will win (I said Mauresmo), in how many sets (I said in 3) and how many games (I said 6-3, 5-7, 6-4). That makes 31 and the girls finished after 29. Damn, I was close!

Anyway:
Serena Williams

It was actually a very funny day. I didn't have a ticket for today, so I went to see how much the "private" ticket costs. The guy wanted 70 euro. I thought it was all right as the official price is 53. No big deal. Great seats, Centre Court! During the rain, I was up at the arena taking pics and bumped into a couple. We talked a bit and after they offered me tix for Susan Lenglen for tomorrow for the official price. Great! Now I got 2 tix but I need only one. LOL. Anyone want to join me tomorrow?

Forre's schedule for tomorrow:

Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) vs. Gilles Simon (FRA)
Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[4] vs. Michael Llodra (FRA)
Marion Bartoli (FRA)[18] vs. Elena Dementieva (RUS)[13]
Michaella Krajicek (NED) vs. Serena Williams (USA)[8]

[taty994945]

I'm beginning to like Hewitt. He's a bit of a dickhead but he's got heart. Nikolay Davydenko is cool as well, I hope he goes far.

[the unforgiven]

Originally Posted by forre

It was actually a very funny day. I didn't have a ticket for today, so I went to see how much the "private" ticket costs. The guy wanted 70 euro. I thought it was all right as the official price is 53. No big deal. Great seats, Centre Court! During the rain, I was up at the arena taking pics and bumped into a couple. We talked a bit and after they offered me tix for Susan Lenglen for tomorrow for the official price. Great! Now I got 2 tix but I need only one. LOL. Anyone want to join me tomorrow?

lucky day! people offered you some tickets? that's so nice
I bet they weren't french lol yeah I have a bad opinion of my fellows

anyway, I've missed everything today (damn sh*tty exam!)
I've heard on the radio that Davydenko was playing right now
I love the guy, he's so talented

[spyretto]

Monfils the choker...lost the tie break from 4-1 up
Volandri also made a great comeback from 1 set down to beat Ljubicic...and I liked it a lot cause I also predicted it after the 2-1

[the unforgiven]

Monfils blew his opportunity to win the match at the end of the 3rd set bleeeeh!

[spyretto]

He had loads of opportunities after that too...he blew every one of them

Today I watched different matches...what's the point of watching Federer and Henin thrashing some poor opponents. I watched Youzhny who was fantastic against Ferrero, then Volandri superb against Ljubicic -not easy to break Ljubo's rhythm, you know, but he did it.
Now I'm watching Safina vs Schiavone and that is a PROPER womens match..the best I've seen in this tournament alongside Sequera's match in the second round.
Safina's personality is so much like Safin, its uncanny. So we may have lost Safin but I hope he hold on to Safina

It was actually a very funny day. I didn't have a ticket for today, so I went to see how much the "private" ticket costs. The guy wanted 70 euro. I thought it was all right as the official price is 53. No big deal. Great seats, Centre Court! During the rain, I was up at the arena taking pics and bumped into a couple. We talked a bit and after they offered me tix for Susan Lenglen for tomorrow for the official price. Great! Now I got 2 tix but I need only one. LOL. Anyone want to join me tomorrow?

I'd take the plane and back if I could afford it
Anyway, where do you normally buy tickets from? Can you book them in advance at the original price? Because that's what I was told. With Wimbledon it's not the same, you have to go and buy tickets on the day...more or less at the same prices though.

Matches that I think will be good from tomorrow's schedule:

Amelie Mauresmo (FRA)[5] vs. Lucie Safarova (CZE)[25]
Time for Amelie to be tested, I think. But haven't seen Safarova recently, she was all over the news early in the year but not sure about her current form so I will have some reservations. Mauresmo is always capable of digging a whole for herself and diving in though

Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) vs. Igor Andreev (RUS)
Both have firepower, if Andreev doesn't stamp his authority early we might be in for a very close match.

Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)[3]
Cibulkova is very compact, Kuzne has mental issues when she goes ahead and a problem in closing matches so it might be a close one if Cibulkova holds her own.

Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)[14) vs. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN)[20]
Lleyton made a great comeback to form but Jarkko can play. I don't expect this to be straightforward for Lleyton

A. Medina Garrigues (ESP)[24] vs. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)[12]
Garringues is the favourite for me...she's fantastic on clay. Daniela is the darling fav so we see if she can stop Garringues. I don't think she will.

Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) vs. Oscar Hernandez (ESP)
The old-timer Swede is the master of turnarounds and Oscar a solid claycourter, that has the potential of making an interesting match

[Alezito Volkova]

Igor Andreev Vs Nicolas Massu 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5

Igor Winner .. ! Russian

Offtop:
Roger Roger Roger

[the unforgiven]

Originally Posted by spyretto

He had loads of opportunities after that too...he blew every one of them

I couldn't agree more
it's a pity though, cuz I really think he could have done something today

[spyretto]

He's a show player, he plays for the crowd, not the win. He'll make some great shot, take the advantage then smash 2 balls into the net...very frustrating.
Even his injuries is an act. He has quite a reputation.
The Brit commentators were frustrated with him. They were like 'what the fuck is he on now" Imagine if you were his coach, most frustrating job in the world
As I said before: great potential, good to watch but totally frustrating.

PS. The Russians are so great to watch when they get it going. Safin the muttering giant, Igor Andreev the powerhouse. Davydenko the machine, and of course Mikhail Youzhny the military salute guy, what an underrated great player. They should be a lot higher than they are. Only Youzhny has had a good season so far...

forre, I like Court 1 for tomorrow...look at the matches, if Nieminen holds against Hewitt should be a very good lineup:

Women's Singles - 3rd Rnd.
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)[3]


followed by
Women's Singles - 3rd Rnd.
Shahar Peer (ISR)[15]
vs. Katarina Srebotnik (SLO)[17]



Men's Singles - 3rd Rnd.
Carlos Moya (ESP)[23]
vs. Juan Pablo Brzezicki (ARG)



Men's Singles - 3rd Rnd.
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)[14]
vs. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN)[20]

As for Serena, all this fuss about how indimidating she is, lets see if she beats Safina next. It won't be easy...

[forre]

spyretto, Yep, the programme looks good but I can't go tomorrow. I got things to do. I saw the last set of Safina's today. You were right, along with the S. Williams, they were the best matches for me (I mean the ones I saw).

People were booing at Dementyeva. The girl had a nerve to put 2 dauble faults on her serve in a row. I was bored to death and left the match to get coffee. Dementyeva was the dissapointment of the day for everybody at Susan Lenglen court.

[taty994945]

I feel a bit sorry for Ferrero. He used to be the claycourt master back in 2003--2003 but now he is only average. I still love watching his forehand though, the way he whips the racquet through the ball, fantastic shot. I also miss Magnus Norman. He had a fantastic forehand too. In the 2000 final I felt the crowd was too supportive of Kuerten. French crowds can be cruel, lol.

[forre]

taty994945, Get over them. There are new kinds on the block.

A few pics from today:
Llodra
Dementyeva
Davydenko
Safina

[Alezito Volkova]

roland garros is the second gran slam ???

and The first was open australia true ???

[spyretto]

Mauresmo is finished for this tournament. No mind games or tricks can save her now. She's trying to find excuses to seem justified in the eyes of the French crowd
Pathetic but expected.

The sooner she goes out of the top 10 the better for womens tennis