BullsFan22 said:
Didn't Vinci work with Ferrari or one of Ferrari's co-workers/helpers? I know Errani was working with the Spanish doctors and perhaps Ferrari...Anyway, it's pretty funny that a 32 year old, unseeded grinder is pitted against her countrywoman, a 33 year old grinder who is barely seeded and playing her best tennis (I would think). Doping? Probably. I also think women's tennis is going through a bad patch right now. There are maybe 10 women who can produce real good matches, but aren't consistent enough to win the slams regularly like Serena does (did) and the rest are either mediocre, bad, really bad, etc. Serena isn't even half as good as she was 10-15 years, understandable, she was young and tennis is more a young persons sport and she had to contend with tougher competition: Venus, Henin, Sharapova (when she was better, IMO), Mauresmo, Davenport, Clijsters, the Russians, Pierce, Capriati, etc. Now, it's not as many great players around. That's one of the main reasons she bulldozes her way through the draws. The draw she got this year, plus some non shows, injuries and general horrible play from the top seeds, was ridiculous. I kind of thought this would happen, she would be one of the top seeds left in the latter stages of the tournament, and she would be upset by someone who not many people realized was in the tournament.
doping has completely turned the sport on the women's side upside down. We used to have teenagers get thru to the final stages of the tourney. Would you ever see Hingis compete for a major? not a chance. She would have to spend about 3 of her formative years getting in tip-top shape, add some power, but probably have to rely on being a grinder on entout cas, or clay. lose about 5kgs, but add about 100% power, add kick to her serve, have a flat first serve option of twice the speed she came onto the Tour with.
And Hingis prolly took a few things to help, not a serious doping program, but mebbe some recovery drugs, mebbe some cortisone, mebbe some uppers for training hours.
These thirty plus Italians winning thru to the finals, and winning slams. what-, what a, ... what a, w@nk.
Stosur just as bad, she only came on mid to late 20s. Where was she as a teenager? mediocre player who roughed it in the top100.
The Russians and eastern euros? Well, why do they all go to Spain, and come onto the Tour as world beaters when they are 17 and 18? Well, see the Nadal model. *** and yes, this is contradicting the point about teenagers I made above.
p'raps in the womens, it was Arantxa Sanchez Vicario who paved this MO. But I reckon Steffi and MAry Pierce would have had some help, just not the serious serious serious doping of today. mebbe just cortisone and ephedrine. mebbe.
(for non anglophones, mebbe = maybe. phonetics for maybe.)
and MAry Pierce, or was it Pearce, her father was the worst sports parent of all time. All time. If anyone is Australian, there are eastern or central european tennis parents that get a bad reputation here, Dokovic pere, Tomic pere. both pale to Jim Pierce, Earl Woods, Lleyton Hewitts old man, and Venus and Serena Williams father.