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Post by goran2001 on May 17, 2006 11:46:12 GMT
Alrite lads, had a look around and didn't see a single mention of the great sport we call tennis. So here goes... Given that Wimbledon is only a month away, it's time to start getting the tennis brain in gear again. And no Cully, i won't be backing Henman this year....this year has Rusedski all over it!
On a more pressing note, the toughest of all the grand slams starts in just over a week, the French Open. The mens is pretty much a two horse race, but that said, if Fed and Nadal can repeat the 5 1/2 hour epic they fought in Rome, we're in for a classic.
The women's draw is a lot more interesting, though. At least 7 players in with a shout. Petrova, funnily enough, is the player to beat after 3 titles on clay, including a nice win over Henin-H on Sunday last. She's never gone beyond the semis in a grand slam, could this be her year? Personally i think it's all in Henin's hands- she plays her best, nobody can keep up with her. But she ain't been playing her best for a good while now, and these mystery injuries don't seem to be helping.
Still, smart money says Henin. Emotional money says Pierce (hasn't played since Feb...). Vegas money says Hingis. I-have-more-money-than-sense money says Venus.
My money? Petrova all the way.
And it's open to the floor...
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Post by therock67 on May 17, 2006 12:04:29 GMT
Goran
Would it have killed you to have included some pictures so we could at least see who we are voting for?
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Post by whyohwhy on May 17, 2006 12:09:12 GMT
Pierce as she has a nice grunt
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Post by lyonsee on May 17, 2006 12:11:10 GMT
I'll go for Nadal and Mauresmo. Nadal because he's class and Mauresmo because now she's got a Grand Slam (tainted as it was) under her belt, she may not feel so much pressure anymore. Also, she'll have a partisan crowd behind her.
Wimbledon, Hingis and Federer to make it an all Swiss affair.
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Post by goran2001 on May 17, 2006 12:17:29 GMT
Goran Would it have killed you to have included some pictures so we could at least see who we are voting for? Hey, first post, i'm just getting the feel of things! Rest assured that come Wimbledon a full portfolio of competitors will be made available. Some quite interesting black-and-white, nay, sepia toned pictures of Hingis doing the rounds on the net.. |
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eamo
Ger Loughnane
Posts: 331
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Post by eamo on May 17, 2006 12:29:51 GMT
Eamo votes for Sharapova. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be.
Is the men's really a dead cert? Was Federer not beaten by Nadal last year?
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Post by goran2001 on May 17, 2006 12:34:29 GMT
Mauresmo because now she's got a Grand Slam (tainted as it was) under her belt, she may not feel so much pressure anymore. Also, she'll have a partisan crowd behind her. Wimbledon, Hingis and Federer to make it an all Swiss affair. Not sure about Mauresmo. Lost 2 and 1 to Henin last week in Berlin. Maybe if she avoids Henin in her half of the draw, she definitely has a chance to win it. Whatever about winning Australia, though, winning the French is possibly too much pressure. Swiss whitewash in Wim...i like it. Gotta get my sleeping bag down and dusted and ready for another long night on the pavement queueing for tickets. Gotta also invest in large amounts of painkillers to blot out the overwhelming irritation caused by people dressed in oversized union jack hats and engerland flags. |
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Post by iamthelaw on May 17, 2006 13:02:53 GMT
Not sure about Mauresmo. Lost 2 and 1 to Henin last week in Berlin. In fairness to Mauresmo in Berlin, her 3-set win against Hingis in the previous round had dragged on due to bad light, which might have left her tired for the game against H-H. However as you say, the French Open will mean huge pressure for her, and she hasn't reacted well to pressure up till now. She's always looked good on paper but I don't think she's ever got past the quarters at Roland-Garros? For similar reasons, I'm going for Henin-Hardenne. I know Petrova beat her in Berlin, but I think that H-H was close enough that the added pressure of a Grand Slam will cause that result to be reversed if the two meet at Roland Garros. Especially if they meet in the final, so a lot may depend on the draw still. Would love to see Sharapova have a good run, but think I'll have to wait till Wimbledon. |
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Post by steamboatsam on May 17, 2006 13:26:52 GMT
Henin-Hardon for me
Sharapova and the kleenex will have to wait for Wimbledon
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Post by goran2001 on May 17, 2006 14:47:24 GMT
Good player to put a tenner on might be Kuznetsova. Had a few decent results earlier the year. Hasn't done much on the clay, mind, but she's got a grand slam under her belt. And she's also Russian, seems to count for something these days...
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Post by iamthelaw on May 22, 2006 0:38:30 GMT
Good player to put a tenner on might be Kuznetsova. What do you think, goran20001, any conclusions to be drawn from the Italian Open? Fine win for the unseeded Hingis, but as far as I can see she doesn't seem to have beaten any big clay-players. Safina seems to have had the tougher route, against Clijsters, Dementieva and especially Kuznetsova. Convincing win for Kuznetsova over Myskina, the 2004 champ at Roland Garros, who doesn't look in form at all. Incidentally, would settle for a repeat of the men's Italian Open final, Nadal over Federer in five sets, three of them going to tie-breaks, on the last day in Paris! |
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Post by goran2001 on May 22, 2006 10:16:58 GMT
Yeah, very impressed by Safina's run...don't know where that came out of, to be honest! The win over Clijsters didn't really say much, given that Kim's been out of action for a while. The wins over Dementieva and Kuznetsova were well impressive, though. Safina's done that before, though, and then failed to follow it up. I definitely can't see her doing it at the French. The draw in Rome actually suited her- all big hitters, none of them clay-court players, per se. She comes up against a Schiavone or a Mauresmo and she's in trouble, i reckon. Hingis showed that too- a totally different type of player than Safina had faced, and asides from a second set rally, it was a bit of a mismatch. Safina, like Clijsters, is a player with no plan B. It's all one note stuff- hard hitting, but full of errors. That's why Hingis is still able to mix it- she's still getting overpowered at times, but her court craft is seeing her through. Take the Venus match on Sat as an example.
As for her chances at the French? Well, it's the only one she doesn't have, so you have to take that into account. She really wants the title- and if she gets drawn against someone like Mauresmo, who seems terrified of winning in Paris, you'd have to back Hingis. The only players i see with a definite advantage over her are Henin and Petrova. Sharapova hasn't played, Davenport is out, Clijsters is just back from injury, Pierce hasn't played... It'll be interesting, alright. My outside tenner is still going on Kuznetsova, though!
Myskina seems to have lost the plot a bit, doesn't she? Last year she lost first round...can't see her doing much better this time out.
And the men's...remember, no tie-break in the 5th set at the French! I'm thinking a 16-14 fifth set win for Federer...!
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Post by cully on May 22, 2006 13:22:46 GMT
must say that i'm very much enthused about Nadal's performances of late, thankfully he seems to have grown into somebody who can genuinely compete with federer, it'll make for an interesting summer and a nice distraction from the ridiculous amount of overhyped football which will be forced down our necks.
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Post by Ball Ox on May 23, 2006 16:30:38 GMT
what about the new girl: Clit-mon??
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Post by bandage on May 23, 2006 16:39:18 GMT
what about the new girl: Clit-mon?? Who? |
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Post by Ball Ox on May 24, 2006 12:14:37 GMT
She is related to the German contender: Eats D. Clitoris. PS Can i change my username?  |
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Post by iamthelaw on May 24, 2006 12:19:37 GMT
what about the new girl: Clit-mon?? Mauresmo's hardly new. |
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Post by whyohwhy on May 24, 2006 12:22:59 GMT
I bet her grunt isn't as nice as Mary Pierces though
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Post by bandage on May 24, 2006 12:35:39 GMT
She is related to the German contender: Eats D. Clitoris. PS Can i change my username? Yeah feel free - go into your profile and change it any time. |
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Post by Ball Ox on May 24, 2006 13:27:54 GMT
She has a filthy geebag. Ever try to open a toasted cheese sandwich???
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Post by iamthelaw on May 24, 2006 13:33:15 GMT
She has a filthy geebag. Ever try to open a toasted cheese sandwich??? I think Citizen Billy (or T.A.F.K.A.F.O.R.) is abusing the hospitality of the forum. |
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Post by Ball Ox on May 24, 2006 13:43:03 GMT
Sue me. PS Exalt me there my Karma is negative two. Up Liverpool!!
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Post by iamthelaw on May 24, 2006 14:09:48 GMT
Enter a team for the Fantasy World Cup & I'll exalt you. |
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Post by iamthelaw on May 26, 2006 12:59:57 GMT
Draw is up for the French Open: [ftp]http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/draws/ws/r1s1.html[/ftp]
Great draw for Mauresmo, seeded 1. Would avoid Petrova, Henin-Hardenne and Hingis until the final.
Mauresmo is seeded to play Patty Schnyder (7) in the quarters, if she gets past Venus (11), but should be good enough for either of them. The other quarter in the top half would see Sharapova (4) / Safina (14) play Kuznetzova (8) / Schiavone (9), which would be a couple of interesting games.
Hingis (12) could get a run going in the bottom quarter, where she should face first Dementieva (6) and if she gets past her, Clijsters (2). However the third quarter is the real killer, where 2004 champion Myskina (10) can hardly hope to make past H-H (5) and Petrova (3).
For me, it favours Petrova as well as Mauresmo, as it means she won't play someone who's both a strong clay-court player and an experienced Grand Slam winner in the pressure-cooker environment of a Grand Slam final. That is, she should face the player who best meets those two criteria (H-H) in the quarters, where there'll be less pressure, should then face a player equally experienced, but less accomplished on clay in the semis (Hingis/Clijsters), and in the final should face Mauresmo, who is strong on clay but even more susceptible to cracking under pressure.
So my money stays on Petrova (5-1 with Paddy Power).
By the way I haven't seen it stated anywhere, but it seems Pierce isn't competing, presumably due to injury.
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Post by iamthelaw on May 26, 2006 13:34:17 GMT
Incidentally, Nalbandian is 20-1 with Paddy Power, and is in the same half of the draw as Federer rather than Nadal. Might be worth an each-way bet; on form, it's effectively 10-1 on the semi. Considering Nalbandian beat Federer in the final in Shanghai in November (albeit Federer was just back two weeks from injury) and took Federer to a final set tie-break in Rome (albeit in a best-of-three match), these seem like generous odds.
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