2021 Tennis Thread

[dash_pinched]

Bianca saves three set points and breaks to get back on serve at 5-5

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Holy slice Batman!!

[Mango]

Love that slice. Like carving a perfectly cooked turkey.

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The first six points of this tie-break have been less than stellar.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

The first six points of this tie-break have been less than stellar.

You're not kidding... Literally every point except Bianca's ace has been a complete gift from one player to another.

[Inglewood Jack]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Watch her play. If anything it's disrespectful to Denis. He's far less casual at least in his approach and seems more focused most of the time, even if he is poor at making in-match adjustments. Bianca's game sometimes just seems like it's "hit it hard and hope."

I honestly see the game completely differently than you do and that’s ok, homogeneous analysis would be a bit boring anyways. But I’m just not a huge fan of the rollercoaster style commentary where our players are both the best and the worst at tennis all in the same match.

I’m willing to accept inevitable dips in play and let them figure it out, as well as recognize when sometimes the outcome is just not in their hands because of the opponent’s current level. Unless we’ve got Big 3 or Serena level players under our flag, the danger of early losses is always going to be a thing. Tennis is hard and the level of parity has never been higher than it is now.

[dash_pinched]

That 5th set point was the one that gave Kontaveit the opening set. The weird thing is it was the first one on Bianca's serve.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Inglewood Jack

I honestly see the game completely differently than you do and that’s ok, homogeneous analysis would be a bit boring anyways. But I’m just not a huge fan of the rollercoaster style commentary where our players are both the best and the worst at tennis all in the same match.

That's a complete misstatement of anything I've said. I simply see the players for who they are. Denis and Bianca are both immensely talented and have big, exciting games associated with big, heavy ground strokes, but their mental games and their ability to adjust to obstacles that arise during a match, be it the conditions, or something that's just not working on the day, or something the opponent is doing that's throwing them off. And that's a very frustrating thing to watch, because the result is that they lose winnable matches on a regular basis.

Bianca was serving for a 3-0 lead in that set and just had a woeful game. If she recognizes the importance of that moment and bears down, maybe this set goes the other way in a hurry. It's a matter of just... beating yourself. In ideal conditions the strength of your game shines through and everything goes to plan, but ideal conditions are not the norm.

And it is early in the careers of all four of the Canadian contenders but it's basically reached the point where we know who Denis is as a professional tennis player, and it seems like we know who Bianca is too. Both are great, but it doesn't seem like they're going to end up taking that next step and achieving the height of their potential.

[Mango]

We all approach watching tennis differently.

I remember the days of Davis Cup group two play at the Corral, or Milos making it to his first 250 final (San Jose, I think?). It been a fun ride for Canadian tennis over the last decade or so. Lots of highs, plenty of lows along the way.

I can’t get too stressed out over it. Got plenty of local pro teams to help me with that

[dash_pinched]

The biggest danger to Canadian tennis is the popularity of pickleball as more and more tennis courts are being replaced by the whack whack and wiffle.

[dash_pinched]

3 games in set 2 and 3 breaks of serve. Both ladies are playing well considering the gusty conditions.

Edit: A hold by Bianca. Noice.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Is Pickleball popular? I honestly had not noticed that at all. Is it an Ontario thing?

It seems like the wind has died down a bit (which is to say it's still windy but not gale force as before) which is helping Bianca a bit.

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Is Pickleball popular? I honestly had not noticed that at all. Is it an Ontario thing?

It seems like the wind has died down a bit (which is to say it's still windy but not gale force as before) which is helping Bianca a bit.

Out here on Vancouver Island, it's very popular. In fact, it's making people mad because of the noise lol.

Pickleball is a relatively new sport with a growing following known for its furious rallies, funny name and signature sound.

“Kind of a hollow twack sound when the ball makes contact with the racket,” said Gary Darrah, manager of park planning and development with the District of Saanich.

Darrah says since the courts were built in 2016, the District of Saanich has received many complaints from residents living in the area.

“We have been fielding complaints for quite some time,” he said. “We feel it’s time to go to council and get some direction on how to approach this problem.”

The Tolmie Park courts — a place that is considered by some as one of the most popular pickleball destinations in the Capital Regional District and where nearby houses are only 22 metres away — have received the most noise complaints followed by the courts at McMinn Park, according to Darrah.

Most of the complaints are related to sounds of the racket hitting the ball, although Darrah says loud talking and laugher generated from the social game have also been noted in some of the complaints.

Saanich city staff are trying to come up with a solution and have recommended several options for council to consider, including one proposed solution that involves the installation of acoustic fencing panels for an estimated $45,000.

https://www.cheknews.ca/district-of-...laints-894944/

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Huh... Like I say I've never noticed it.

So much for the wind dying down. It's back with a vengeance.

[dash_pinched]

Ruh Roh, that's trouble.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Kontaveit down 3-1, should have been 4-0, manages to win four straight games and boom, serving for the match.

[dash_pinched]

Well, Bianca suffers her first loss at Indian Wells. Credit to Kontaveit, you might say she out-Biancaed Bianca today with the angles and slices. Some powerful ground strokes as well, she's going to be a tough out.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I'd say the wind won that match but obviously Kontaveit dealt with it much better overall.

Now we get to see how Denis manages on the same court.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Three facts about Aslan Karatsev:

1. His name is Aslan, which is objectively awesome;
2. His coach is currently wearing a t-shirt that says, in large block letters, "YOUR TATTOOS SUCK", despite himself having numerous visible tattoos;
3. When he's returning he does this thing where he crouches down, points his racket at the server and holds the throat of the racket. Anyone know what the purpose of that is? It seems like it's to help him predict where the serve will go somehow.

[dash_pinched]

Oh my, a swing and a miss by Aslan on set point.

Edit: Two points later, he takes the opening set 7-5