2021 Tennis Thread

[dash_pinched]

Upsets seem to be the order of the day as Hugo Gaston sent PCB packing while Taylor Fritz just eliminated Andrey Rublev in straight sets. Looking forward to Alcaraz vs. Sinner later this morning.

[Inglewood Jack]

when Benoit Fricken' Paire is the voice of reason in tennis, that's when you know players on tour have collectively f***** up

https://www.tennis.com/news/articles...-australian-op

"There is no quarantine anymore in Melbourne if you're vaccinated. Those that are not vaccinated, I don't care about them. If they don't play, all the better for me," he said, speaking to press following a first-round defeat at this week's Paris Masters.

"I don't care about the other players. I'm motivated to have a great season next year. If there are some people who are reluctant to get vaccinated, then they should stay in Europe. It's not my problem. You have to be vaccinated to go to Australia. I am vaccinated and I'm looking forward to playing there. "

"At the US Open, everybody was saying that they were going to go on a strike, that they said that they shouldn't get vaccinated to go to Australia, that they were not going to play. But when the season starts again, everybody wants to play," he said.

[Nadal Fan]

Thiem back in my good books lol. He clarified that he's already vaccinated and is looking to return in December and play in the AO

https://twitter.com/user/status/1455582423429828615

[dash_pinched]

Greek Yogurt forced to retire with an elbow injury which means Alexei Popyrin advances.

[Inglewood Jack]

Originally Posted by Nadal Fan

Thiem back in my good books lol. He clarified that he's already vaccinated and is looking to return in December and play in the AO

I'd still prefer "I got vaccinated and all my fellow players should set a good example too!", instead of "ok ok I got vaccinated alright are you happy now? leave me alone!", but at least he's a step ahead of where Novax is.

[dash_pinched]

Alcaraz just eliminated Sinner in straight sets. What a victory for the kid.

Edit: Of course, they're both kids, it's just that Alcaraz is 18 and Sinner is 20 lol

[dash_pinched]

The upsets continue in Paris today as Giron takes out Schwartzman.

[dash_pinched]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1455973076861079569

[Inglewood Jack]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

Alcaraz just eliminated Sinner in straight sets. What a victory for the kid.

Edit: Of course, they're both kids, it's just that Alcaraz is 18 and Sinner is 20 lol

courtesy of Reddit, a fun ranking by age graph (snek?) comparing Vamos Carlos to a few names we may know. in absence of a young Federer replacement, I may actually be able to fully get behind this kid as long as he doesn't pick up some of the dumbass tendencies of the current early 20's crop.

[dash_pinched]

One of the nicest guys on tour and a heck of a player as well.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1456235437651939335

[Nadal Fan]

Guess who's back......back again. Rafas back tell a friend

https://twitter.com/user/status/1456154579398184962

[Inglewood Jack]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

https://twitter.com/user/status/1455973076861079569

I seem to be using Reddit a lot these days, but here is the lengthy (and disturbing) translation of her post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/tennis/comm...is_weibo_post/

brief snippet

I know I cannot explain this clearly, and even if I say it, it won't matter, but I still want to let it out. I am a hypocrite. I admit I am not a good woman, and am in fact, a very very bad woman. About three years ago, Zhang Gaoli vice president, you retired. You asked Dr. Liu at the Tianjin Tennis Centre to contact me, and asked me with play tennis with you at Kang Ming Hotel in Beijing. After we finished playing tennis, you and your wife Kang Jie brought me to your home. Then you took me into your room. Like what happened ten years ago in Tianjin, you wanted to have sex with me.

That afternoon I was very afraid. I did not expect this to happen - someone helped guard outside, because nobody would believe that a wife would allow this. About seven years ago, we had sex. Then later on after you got promoted to be a member of the Politburo Standing Committee in Beijing, you never contacted me again. I used to bury everything inside me. After all, if you didn't want to take any responsibility, why did you come back for me, and brought me to your home to have sex? It is true that I don't have evidence. It is also not possible to leave evidence. Later on you kept denying, but it is true that you were attracted to me first, otherwise I couldn't have been able to come into contact with you.

[dash_pinched]

Well, that came out of nowhere - It looked like Alcaraz was poised to force a 3rd and deciding set up 5-0 in set 2, but Gaston wins seven straight games to take the match 6-4 7-5. At one point in set 2, Gaston won 16 consecutive points.

[dash_pinched]

This was prior to the Alcaraz collapse, but the French crowd rallied behind Gaston.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1456395838373056512

[dash_pinched]

Semi-finals are set in Paris:

Hurkacz vs. Djokovic
Medvedev vs Zverev

[Nadal Fan]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1456751268530163719

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by Nadal Fan

https://twitter.com/user/status/1456751268530163719

Well, he'll have a chance on Sunday. Hubi Hurkacz got to within two points of upsetting Novak, but the Serb prevailed in the end. Really strange match, Djoker needed a 3rd set tie-break even though he was up 4-1 in set 3.

[dash_pinched]

Also, that win by Novak locks up another season ending #1 ranking for Djoker which is #7 (a new record). Pete Sampras had the previous record at 6.

/Pete did it six consecutive years which is incredible.

[dash_pinched]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1457033486221651968

[dash_pinched]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1457043299563409416