2009 Australian Open

[Mango]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Even though he lost I think Roddick has turned the corner in his career in this tournament. He's once again committed to fitness and is motivated to win. I would like to see him reclaim the 3rd spot and challenge the top two.

Agreed. I was reading that he dropped a bunch of pounds and I think his new coach really has him motivated. I think Blake is definitely on the decline, so it's Roddick's year to be top American. Ginepri, Blake, and Fish will likely be fading, although I could see Blake remaining top 25 because of his hard court style of play. I'm looking forward to see what Donald Young can do.

[GirlySports]

holy crap! I wake up to go to work and Nadal-Verdasco are still going!
4-4 in the 5th, just past the 5 hour mark!

[Machiavelli]

Yeah, I watched the entire match until I had to go to school. Now I'm watching live score updates. Verdasco has been playing great.

[transplant99]

1 AM in Australia...and they are still going!! Nadal with a shot to break and win.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

Yeah, I watched the entire match until I had to go to school. Now I'm watching live score updates. Verdasco has been playing great.

How are you going to stay awake at school!?

[Machiavelli]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

How are you going to stay awake at school!?

I'm not

[malcolmk14]

Great match, Nadal pulled it out, was clear that he was in better physical condition near the end of the match.

Federer should be happy about the length of that match.

[albertGQ]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

holy crap! I wake up to go to work and Nadal-Verdasco are still going!
4-4 in the 5th, just past the 5 hour mark!

My TV is one of my alarm clocks and I set it to TSN and when my TV went off, it looked like the match was still going on. I turned it off to get another 15 minutes of sleep. Turned it back on when I woke up and they mentioned another dream final of Nadal/Federer.

I have to wake up at 8am on Sunday morning, so I hope I can stay awake for the whole match. Got SB that afternoon/evening too. What a great sports weekend with the Flames game tonight, and the UFC card tomorrow as well

[Philly06Cup]

Another Federer Nadal match. Awesome. Watching these two play never gets old.

I'm secretly cheering for Roddick to play better. He's a colourful character, and his American presence will get us more media coverage for tennis.

[Kidder]

Wow, that was an incredible match. Probably in the top ten of all time.

There was a rally in the second set that I believe was the greatest point I've ever witnessed. Incredible offensive and defensive shots by both players with Nadal capping it off by curling in a scorching forehand down the line (while in full flight) after Verdasco fed a nastly slice into the corner. Wow.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Kidder

Wow, that was an incredible match. Probably in the top ten of all time.

Their was a rally in the second set that I believe was the greatest point I've ever witnessed. Incredible offensive and defensive shots by both players with Nadal capping it off by curling in a scorching forehand down the line (while in full flight) after Verdasco fed a nastly slice into the corner. Wow.

That's a typical point in the men's game today. The players are incredible!

Gilbert mentioned that a player ranked #100 10 years ago couldn't beat a player ranked #1000 today.

[OILFAN #81]

I'm picking Federer to win in 4 and hope he wins to tie Pete at 14 grand slam titles! Go Federer!

With that said I think when it's all said and done Nadal will have the most grand slam titles. He is at 5 already and will win the French pretty much every year and has a good chance as anyone at the other majors.

[Machiavelli]

I guess I'm waking up in the middle of the night to watch the women's final. The Australian Open has definitely screwed up my sleeping pattern.

[Kidder]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

That's a typical point in the men's game today. The players are incredible!

Agreed. But usually we fawn over points that include circus shots and improbable gets. But that point featured over twenty or so amazingly struck balls, not just by the offensive player, but the recovery shots by the defensive player, which were idealy placed and actually swung the momentum of the point that continued back and forth. Nadals forehand winner was just the capper of an unbelievable series.

The mens game is so much more enjoyable to watch now than ten years ago when the serve and volleyers ruled the tennis world.

[Machiavelli]

Oooookay, it would be nice for Safina to at least make some kind of impression in this match. Right now it's a blowout.

[LockedOut]

What a joke for a final's match. Two weeks of tennis to end it like that for the women.

[Philly06Cup]

Women's tennis is a joke. It should be taken as seriously as the WNBA.

[Machiavelli]

Safina looked great coming into the finals. She was just absolutely dominated by Serena, and didn't bring nearly her best game.

It wasn't a great final, but I don't know how you could have followed the entire tournament and say that women's tennis is a joke. Jankovic, Venus Williams and Ivanovic taken out with the early upsets, and some pretty good semifinals.

[Philly06Cup]

I think it's a farce that women's tennis is marketed as on par with the men's game. It's not. The men's game is vastly superior to the women's; longer rallies, harder serves, fewer unforced errors, and way more skill.

Women's tennis is like the WNBA to the NBA -- yet it is treated as a coequal.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Philly06Cup

I think it's a farce that women's tennis is marketed as on par with the men's game. It's not. The men's game is vastly superior to the women's; longer rallies, harder serves, fewer unforced errors, and way more skill.

Women's tennis is like the WNBA to the NBA -- yet it is treated as a coequal.

I remember the exact argument being made not more than 10 years ago.