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  1. #16
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    Can someone please explain to me what Ms. Szavay had in her game today that gave Venus Williams so much trouble?

    My Girl won yet another match (to my surprise) I say this because Maria doesn't slide into her shots and pretty much treats Clay Courts in the same manner as a hardcourt. The whole point of playing on Clay is the ability to slide into your shots.

    Has there ever been a Winner of the French who never learned to slide into their shots? We've had at least two Finalist that were Serve & Volley Players, John McEnroe & Stefan Edberg.

    Well people are talking about Dinara Safina, Serena Williams, Jelena Janovic, Ana Ivanovic and even Elena Dementieva but no one is talking about who I think will either Win the Tournament or at least be in the Finals, Svetlana Kuznetsova. I think she had some very impressive wins during the Pre-French Warmups. Don't be surprised to see this lady finally pull it together.

    Actually it wasn't much of a surprise to see Venus go out today given other than one time she made it to the Qtrs, every other attempt at the French was no more than what she accomplished today.

    I'm going to quickly jump to the ATP and say for anyone who watched the Nadal / Hewitt Match, OMG !!! Talk about Tennis Clinic. All I can say is, when Rafa wants to use you to make an impression, you are in trouble.

    Go Maria !
    .
    The only acceptable loss is when your opponent was better than you on that given day.
    It is never acceptable to lose when your opponent was not.

  2. #17
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    These are today's completed matches


    These are tomorrow's matchups - Who do you think will prevail?







    .
    The only acceptable loss is when your opponent was better than you on that given day.
    It is never acceptable to lose when your opponent was not.

  3. #18
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    i can't predict any big upsets. i am curious if Serena will win in straight sets.

  4. #19
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    Is it possible that only Myself and LT are the only members on TennisW that are watching the French Open? Does anyone else know there's a Grand Slam happening now? I wait for these Slams to here opinions from people on who's playing good and who doesn't have a chance and my friend LT is the only person that's providing some feedback.

    I'm very disappointed about this. Maybe the French isn't everybody's thing. Maybe it's Wimbledon you all like. As a Tennis Instructor, watching how points are constructed are the greatest thing in the World to illustrate to Students.

    Hey I'm sorry for the tone of my writing, I guess I was hoping that with all the members it appears we have, there would have been some activity during this period but you can't make anybody do anything and I know that.

    Sorry Folks,
    Coach

    .
    The only acceptable loss is when your opponent was better than you on that given day.
    It is never acceptable to lose when your opponent was not.

  5. #20
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    Well well well -
    When they talk about Defending Champions these days, it sure doesn't mean a whole lot especially on the WTA side of the fence.

    The Women's Defending Champion Ana Ivanovic (8) lost her bid to repeat to Victoria Azarenka BLR (9) Final Score 6-2 6-3 I guess you can call it an upset given Ana was ranked #8 and Vicky is ranked #9 but come on already What the heck is going on with Ana? Can someone please explain it to me?

    While that was going on, Dinara Safina RUS (1), the Nadal of this Tournament, simply spanked or should I say embarrassed Aravane Rezai FRA by only allowing her one game. I suppose Dinara was being generous given this is the French Open and she's French. Final Score 6-1 6-0
    The only acceptable loss is when your opponent was better than you on that given day.
    It is never acceptable to lose when your opponent was not.

  6. #21
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    um, Rafael Nadal Robin Soderling! wtf!!!
    Last edited by Lawn Tennis; 05-31-2009 at 01:21 PM.

  7. #22
    i know, what happened to rafa?
    I think people are figuring out his game now.

  8. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by aliciasace View Post
    i know, what happened to rafa?
    I think people are figuring out his game now.
    many people predicted that he would not last as long as somebody who plays the game like say Pete Sampras. perhaps he's worn himself out. i kinda doubt it though. he's a fighter.

  9. #24
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    My wife made me laugh today when she said, "So now are people going to be asking the question, where were you when Nadal lost the French in 2009?" This of course comes from a woman who thinks John McEnroe should run for President.

    She couldn't understand my mixed feelings of disappointment and sheer joy for Robin Soderling. The joy is obvious but the disappointment comes from knowing that should Roger Federer win the French as a result of Rafa no longer being in the mix, it will be in my opinion, a somewhat hollow achievement.

    The only time I saw Roger Federer play the type of match Soderling played today against Nadal, was when Roger played Andre Agassi in the finals of the USO.
    Roger was on fire that day and for 3 of the 4 Sets, so was Andre Agassi. Actually aside from Federer, Agassi played so good that day that no other person other then Roger could have beaten him.

    My point is, in order for Roger to redeem himself, he must defeat Nadal. I probably stand alone when I say this but I can not see Roger Federer playing the type of match Soderling played today. I've yet to witness Federer play with that type of commitment. Even in Madrid, where he recently beat Nadal in the Finals, Nadal did not play even close to his normal level and I considered that display nothing less than a very tired Nadal, having played far too many matches.

    The problem with winning all the time is you are expected to return and defend. People I also laughed when I began listening to the Commentators figure who would benefit from Nadal's loss today and not one of them mentioned Robin Soderling. Well it seems to me that if you are good enough to take out the best there is, you have instantly become a Contender for the Thrown.

    People are already saying it looks like Roger Federer will finally get his French title and I'm thinking wouldn't it be crazy if Soderling beats Federer in the Finals?

    Robin Soderling, you did very well today and I would be proud to use this match as a demonstration to young Players what can be achieved when you work hard and are committed to the goal at hand.

    Congratulations
    The only acceptable loss is when your opponent was better than you on that given day.
    It is never acceptable to lose when your opponent was not.

  10. #25
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    do we have a case of 'rock paper scissors'? Roger can't beat Nadal. Nadal can't beat Soderling. Soderling can't beat Roger. however the commentators did remind us that Roger beat both Soderling and Nadal on clay just a couple weeks ago. honestly, i think Soderling will have a tough time beating Murray.
    Last edited by Lawn Tennis; 05-31-2009 at 10:25 PM.

  11. #26
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    Coach,

    i really don't think you're being fair to Roger and his ending of Nadals clay court record. Yes I know the air is thinner, but hear me out. I don't think Roger had lesser quality opponents. Del Potro would've given Rafa a heck of a battle. Moreover, any player wants to dispatch their opponent as quickly as possible for many reasons. Similar to what Roddick is doing right now at Roland Garros, I believe Federer employed the same game plan in Madrid. So this was part of his reward for ending the game in straight sets. Also, Federer's match against Del Potro was a later match. So actually Nadal had more time to recover. Let's not forget that this final took place on clay in Spain! Please reconsider your point of view.

    Regards,
    LT

  12. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lawn Tennis View Post
    Coach,

    i really don't think you're being fair to Roger and his ending of Nadals clay court record. Yes I know the air is thinner, but hear me out. I don't think Roger had lesser quality opponents. Del Potro would've given Rafa a heck of a battle. Moreover, any player wants to dispatch their opponent as quickly as possible for many reasons. Similar to what Roddick is doing right now at Roland Garros, I believe Federer employed the same game plan in Madrid. So this was part of his reward for ending the game in straight sets. Also, Federer's match against Del Potro was a later match. So actually Nadal had more time to recover. Let's not forget that this final took place on clay in Spain! Please reconsider your point of view.

    Regards,
    LT
    Juan Del Potro is steadily becoming a seasoned Player and soon enough I will consider him a Contender for a Grand Slam, however at this time, far too many factors have to come into play before Juan wins a Slam title with guys like Nadal, Federer, Murray & Djokovic around.

    Juan was victorious over Rafa 1 out of 5 times, which was their last meeting in Miami. Even though he did beat Nadal on a Hard Court, it was in a Tie Breaker in the 3rd Set. All other meetings were in Straight Sets won by Nadal.

    Point is, right now Rafa has way too much game for Del Potro regardless of his recent victory. Last year when Roger played Nadal in the French Finals, his Net approach was too slow and exposed. Nadal passed him as if Roger were 3 ft tall. It appeared as though Roger had no game plan against Nadal.

    They've played so many times together that they know each other's game very well and Nadal knows what it takes to beat him now. Roger would have never played the type of match Soderling played today. Sorry but Roger is far too passive. He is hitting way too many slice backhands instead of aggressive Top Spin punishing backhands like Soderling did today.

    Another tactic that Roger uses is, he tends to camp in the Ad Court Corner trading backhand to forehand with Nadal with Nadal just bangs one up the line, forcing Roger to scramble.

    I firmly believe Federer is afraid of Nadal and plays him with too much reserve. Even though he knows not to play the match in a passive manner, that's just what he does.

    If you record matches, watch whatever Matches you have with Nadal & Federer and compare it to what you saw today.

    .
    The only acceptable loss is when your opponent was better than you on that given day.
    It is never acceptable to lose when your opponent was not.

  13. #28
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    Jelena Jankovic SRB (5) blew yet another opportunity to hoist the French Open Trophy losing today to unseeded Sorana Cirstea ROU, who's been playing incredible Tennis for 19 yrs of age.

    There's something to be said about going out and playing your game when you are expected to lose. Why play tentative when you're the underdog. Personally I feel badly for Jelena Jankovic because she's a good player that has no real weapon other than consistency. Her forehand is no more powerful than the norm, her serve is more towards the weaker side therefore she lacks the ability to getting free points off the serve especially on Clay that tends to slow the ball down. Although Jelena touts her down-the-line Backhand as her Signature shot, I noticed when she gets tight, she loses confidence on executing that shot.
    So all she's left with is her ability to run down balls

    I've said before and will say again, to be none as a Counter-Puncher only means you are willing to allow your Opponent to dictate the points while you wait for either an opening or an error. I appreciate the Player that goes after the ball and forces play. That's where the dynamics lay in the game, the real drama of the Sport. Those are the Players that make the game exciting.

    Jelena Jankovic is not that Player. She's all about hanging back and retrieving balls until you make an error or she gets that occasional opening. Well today, that wasn't good enough against a Player who she should not have lost to.

    Sorana, at 4-4 in the 3rd was broken giving Jelena a 5-4 lead serving for the Match. This is a former #1 Player in the World serving for a place in the Qtr Finals of a Grand Slam against a 19 yr old. Jelena is the veteran fully capable of producing enough to win four points and could not execute. This is unacceptable in my opinion.

    I have no idea who her Coach is but they have some serious work to do on this young woman or she's going to experience these types of letdowns many more times. Jelena has been knocking on the door of winning a Slam for a few years now but can't get it done. I think it's time to change Coaches because she's too good of a Player to call it quits and too good of a player to allow these events to take place when she's that close.

    Sorana did not beat Jelena, Jelena beat herself and as my Signature states, this is what you don't want to happen.
    The only acceptable loss is when your opponent was better than you on that given day.
    It is never acceptable to lose when your opponent was not.

  14. #29
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    everyone thought we would have a grueling match between Federer and Monfils. now it is expected for Roger to go all the way. watch Del Potro knock him out But seriously i will guess that Federer and Gonzalez meet each other this weekend.

  15. #30
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    Well I hate to say this but I would have been floored to see Monfils take Roger out but there was that possibility after the way he dismissed Andy Roddick.

    However when you look at the Match it speaks loudly that Roger is not isolated from the Blogs that talk about the Tournament. He reads & hears the buzz and he looked very much like a man who wanted to prove that although he's no longer #1 in the World, he is still Roger Federer who had some serious bumps in the road last year that caused his ranking to dip. Fortunately for Roger, he didn't allow his ranking to dip so much that he dropped any lower than #2 or it would have been a much harder road at Roland Garros.

    Ok here's the tail of the tape.

    I picked Svetlana Kuznetsova in the beginning to win the Tournament. She may not win against Dinera Safina but I'm guessing you'll certainly see her in the Finals giving my pick a serious chance. Oh yeah and what does that say about Serena Williams who has been boasting that "Everybody Knows who's the real #1" ? I guess everybody does know, it's still Dinera Safina until Serena proves otherwise. God I hate boasting of anykind

    I'm somewhat upset that Maria Sharapova didn't pull through but really when you consider that she's been out of match play for over a year, she did an excellent job. It was truly one of those "Every Match is a Blessing" situations with Maria. Look for her to do serious damage in London this year where she's most comfortable.

    And finally should Robin Soderling surpass Fernando 'Gonzo' Gonzalez, look out ! This guy could go all the way even against Federer. I would not bet against him.



    .
    Last edited by Coach; 06-03-2009 at 05:58 PM.
    The only acceptable loss is when your opponent was better than you on that given day.
    It is never acceptable to lose when your opponent was not.

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