Tennis

[sniper]

My post was concerning the 3rd set and score of that match.

If you think that the 3rd set was played legitimately and you can explain Djokovic's dramatic downturn in play then don't comment.

The 3rd set was thrown.

there's nothing more common in tennis than throwing a set once in while if you have a few bad points at the start of the set and want to save/tank energy for the next.

 

[go crazy]

Djokovic didn't throw the entire 3rd set, but I can guarantee you he "threw" the double fault to give Youzhny the set. Did you see how animated he was becoming, and the crowd was getting into it as well. Novak double faults to give Youzhny the set, and it was so anticlimactic, that he didn't even get to celebrate. He just kind of did a mini fist pump and the crowd barely cheered. I don't know if that's cheating or just smart play, but there is zero doubt Novak did that on purpose. That gave Youzhny zero mojo for the 4th set, and it was easy for Novak to close it out.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Djokovic didn't throw the entire 3rd set, but I can guarantee you he "threw" the double fault to give Youzhny the set. Did you see how animated he was becoming, and the crowd was getting into it as well. Novak double faults to give Youzhny the set, and it was so anticlimactic, that he didn't even get to celebrate. He just kind of did a mini fist pump and the crowd barely cheered. I don't know if that's cheating or just smart play, but there is zero doubt Novak did that on purpose. That gave Youzhny zero mojo for the 4th set, and it was easy for Novak to close it out.

At last someone who actually watched the match. I suspect it was to prolong the match for the crowd as he made reference in the post match interview that the crowd got to see a good night time match - it had been stated that the crowds had had no decent night time matches to watch as they were all ending early.

 

[go crazy]

it's funny how these guys challenge each other to charge more and more.
nadal upped the game. djoker and murray followed and became real threats to nadal, and so nadal decided to take it to another level once again.
let's see who's able to follow in terms of fitness.
since Nadal, tennis is no longer about who's the best tenniser.

LOL, only in the clinic can there be varying degrees of doping. So apparently this is all Nadal's fault, and everyone else just had to dope harder to keep up with the super cheater? This is just like all the LA bashing that goes on by everyone on the planet, meanwhile, super doped up other guys like Ullrich, who would have been the dominant rider for that whole time period without LA get a free pass (to some extent). So, just like in rooting for teams, people "root" (or at least offer excuses) for some guys over others, because in their minds, one is the best/worst doper? LOL!!! Cheating isn't cheating, unless you are the least liked cheater.

 

[go crazy]

At last someone who actually watched the match. I suspect it was to prolong the match for the crowd as he made reference in the post match interview that the crowd got to see a good night time match - it had been stated that the crowds had had no decent night time matches to watch as they were all ending early.

I don't know if it's that complicated, or just that Novak was getting bored with this dude who doesn't want to show up for a Quarterfinal in a major. He probably dozed off halfway through the set, realized he was behind, tried to comeback (broke Youzhny), but then couldn't close it out, so he "gave" him the set in the lamest way possible. If Youzhny ripped a winner down the line after fighting the whole point, to win the set, he would have been so pumped for the 4th set. But as it was, it was like letting the air out of a balloon. I don't even know if I'd consider it cheating. But I would consider it total ********.

 

[The Hitch]

there's nothing more common in tennis than throwing a set once in while if you have a few bad points at the start of the set and want to save/tank energy for the next.

Lol hillarious.You clearly didn't watch the match - do research, and unfortunately for you on this occasion it backfires.

Djokovic didnt lose a few points and decide to throw the set. In fact at 4-2 down, in the set he came back from 40-0 down on the Youznhy serve to break Youzhny.

What kind of guy breaks back from 40-0 halfway through a set they are deliberately trying to throw

And to save energy no less? Lolololol.

 

[Clausfarre]

LOL, only in the clinic can there be varying degrees of doping. So apparently this is all Nadal's fault, and everyone else just had to dope harder to keep up with the super cheater? This is just like all the LA bashing that goes on by everyone on the planet, meanwhile, super doped up other guys like Ullrich, who would have been the dominant rider for that whole time period without LA get a free pass (to some extent). So, just like in rooting for teams, people "root" (or at least offer excuses) for some guys over others, because in their minds, one is the best/worst doper? LOL!!! Cheating isn't cheating, unless you are the least liked cheater.

The likeablility factor playes a role when passing judgment on dopers, that's for sure. I fall prey to that myself even though it's illogical at best.

 

[thrawn]

From watching the match it seemed to me that Novak just lost his intensity for the 3rd set. Probably thought he had the match easily won and started thinking about the semi.

 

[sniper]

At last someone who actually watched the match. I suspect it was to prolong the match for the crowd as he made reference in the post match interview that the crowd got to see a good night time match - it had been stated that the crowds had had no decent night time matches to watch as they were all ending early.

there's nothing more common in tennis than throwing a set once in while if you have a few bad points at the start of the set and want to save/tank energy for the next.

Lol hillarious.You clearly didn't watch the match - do research, and unfortunately for you on this occasion it backfires.

Djokovic didnt lose a few points and decide to throw the set. In fact at 4-2 down, in the set he came back from 40-0 down on the Youznhy serve to break Youzhny.

What kind of guy breaks back from 40-0 halfway through a set they are deliberately trying to throw

And to save energy no less? Lolololol.

ok, so he didn't throw anything.
if he had thrown it, it would have been the commonest thing in the world.

i'm starting to have difficulty here knowing what poster is joking, half-joking, serious, or dead serious. The only thing I'm sure of is that cycle chick is dead serious about the throwing.

as far as i can tell, tennis players throw points, games, sets, and matches all the time, whether it's for betting purposes, to fake an injury, for the sake of saving energy, or just to cut your opponent some slack.

but if we want this to be a reference thread for doping in tennis, we're definitely muddying the waters here.

 

[del1962]

From watching the match it seemed to me that Novak just lost his intensity for the 3rd set. Probably thought he had the match easily won and started thinking about the semi.

That is far to sensible an answer, you need to be a bit more creative

 

[thrawn]

That is far to sensible an answer, you need to be a bit more creative

Oh sorry. Here's what I think really happened. Some random hot chick in the crowd kept flashing her boobs at Novak. This made him distracted enough to lose the 3rd set. She was evicted at the end of the 3rd, so Novak regained focus and floored him in the 4th.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Pennetta

Seems Flavia Pennetta has been seeing Nadal's personal doctor for her wrist operation in Sept 2012...

undergoing a surgical cleaning of the scapholunate ligament in her right wrist in order to fix the tendon damage which has dogged her for some time. Flavia is operated on at the Clinica Cima in Barcelona by Professor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, the same doctor as Nadal.

http://www.itfcoachesconference.com/2009/node/55

Rafael Nadal’s personal doctor, Dr Angel Ruiz Cotorro,...

http://www.tennisperspective.com/2013/02/nadals-doctor-preaches-moderation.html#more-9286

sure she,ll rise back to top 10 subito !

 

[the sceptic]

Serena going for another 6-0 6-0 win. lolol

 

[The Hitch]

as far as i can tell, tennis players throw points, games, sets, and matches all the time, whether it's for betting purposes, to fake an injury, for the sake of saving energy, or just to cut your opponent some slack.

based on what.

why would tennis players throw matches at grand slams. The prize money even in the early rounds is huge. The press exposure is huge. The more you win the more money you get, the more press you get the more fans you get the more hot babes you get. Perhaps more importantly ,the better you feel because at the end of the day winning means everything to athletes. That's why Djokovic hulks his shirt up every time he wins. That's why Federer still always falls to the floor when he wins. That's why Nadal punches the air 50 times violently every time he wins a set. That's also why Federer cries every match he loses and why Murray cries every gs final he loses.

in fact, clinic residents should know better than most that many athletes are willing to risk their health, even to die to win.

what rewards do they get if they choose to throw matches or points instead? What possible.motivations do you think they would have to do so at the biggest stages- the grand slams?

 

[robow7]

The joker didn't give anything away on purpose. He would have loved to close that match out in three so he would spend less time on the court and more time getting ready for the next round. It's true when down a bunch, you might give up the set if you're worn out and conserve your energy for the fifth set, but you don't do that after only two sets. Guys might blow off a match in a lessor tourney for a variety of reasons, but you don't do that at a major. And you don't double fault on the final point of a set to take momentum away from your opponent. You do it because it's break and set point and the collar gets a little tight. All this speculation must be coming from those that never played the game at a higher level.

 

[sniper]

based on what.

why would tennis players throw matches at grand slams. The prize money even in the early rounds is huge. The press exposure is huge. The more you win the more money you get, the more press you get the more fans you get the more hot babes you get. Perhaps more importantly ,the better you feel because at the end of the day winning means everything to athletes. That's why Djokovic hulks his shirt up every time he wins. That's why Federer still always falls to the floor when he wins. That's why Nadal punches the air 50 times violently every time he wins a set. That's also why Federer cries every match he loses and why Murray cries every gs final he loses.

in fact, clinic residents should know better than most that many athletes are willing to risk their health, even to die to win.

what rewards do they get if they choose to throw matches or points instead? What possible.motivations do you think they would have to do so at the biggest stages- the grand slams?

agree with everything.

"all the time" was an exaggeration
my point was: it happens, and we don't know when and it's a bit useless if not lame to speculate about it, unless the case is really obvious and damning, which cycle chick's cases weren't.

why would tennis players throw matches at grand slams.

as i said, illegal betting could be one reason. (indeed, perhaps the only reason).

throwing points is a different topic: my (liberal) defiinition of throwing here is to simply not give 100%, and instead take some additional risk in your shots, keep the points short, don't run down every ball. just to save energy for the next game or set.
that could be mere tactics. Here we know that it happens, but it is sometimes difficult to distinguish (on TV) from somebody simply loosing momentum and starting to make unforced errors. momentum is a weird thing. and so is choking, by the way.

like you, I don't believe in throwing in the extreme sense (deliberately missing), unless for illegal betting purposes.

 

[manafana]

some of you musn't play tennis im with hitch here, i can go 2-3 games were i go for line and everythings going in, change ends and suddenly im hitting it out, same with serve something gets in way mentally, thats difference between big 4 and others how few times they lose that consistent play.

Doping in tennis doesnt make you win games as such, wawrinka still had to be good enough to do it (someone i dont think is doping) but it will help him do it all again next week if he needs.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Night Sessions

For his part, Djokovic,.....seized the first two sets against Youzhny with similar ease as the crowd fought back yawns and tried to remain interested.

Bagels, beatdowns and boredom: Ranking the night duds on Ashe

This year, the Ashe night sessions — which ended Thursday with the last men’s quarterfinal — produced 11 bagel sets (there were only four last year), 10 6-1 sets and 15 straight-set victories in 20 matches. Meanwhile, the outer courts — which you can access with just a grounds pass — featured tense and exciting late-night four- and five-setters that will be remembered long after the tournament is complete.

http://tennis.si.com/2013/09/06/us-open-arthur-ashe-stadium-night-session/

Have a look at the list of the night matches on Ashe this year in that article.

That's why Djoko threw in that 3rd set at 4-3 when he could see the crowd getting into it.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

http://tennis.si.com/2013/09/06/us-open-arthur-ashe-stadium-night-session/

Have a look at the list of the night matches on Ashe this year in that article.

That's why Djoko threw in that 3rd set at 4-3 when he could see the crowd getting into it.

I'm a bit confused, what exactly did he gain from throwing the set? It's a very kind act to think of the crowd like that but wouldn't he have preferred to get off court as soon as possible, especially after the test Wawrinka gave him in Australia?

 

[Cycle Chic]

Crowd pleasing

I'm a bit confused, what exactly did he gain from throwing the set? It's a very kind act to think of the crowd like that but wouldn't he have preferred to get off court as soon as possible, especially after the test Wawrinka gave him in Australia?

Djokovic hadn't dropped a set til that match !! not exactly having to conserve energy for the Wawrinka match up.

If anything he needs the time ON COURT not off it.

Like I said - it only took another 30minutes to see off Youzhny and it kept the New York ticket buyers a little happier.

 

[sniper]

interesting.
wawrinka 4-1 down in the fourth, now on a medical time-out, off court.
he just disappeared. Djoker not happy.
wawrinka gearing up for the 5th?
let's see if he throws the fourth.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

Well done Djokovic, fair play to him for throwing two sets to keep the crowd entertained.

 

[Netserk]

Well done Djokovic, fair play to him for throwing two sets to keep the crowd entertained.

I was certainly entertained with the third game in the fifth set

 

[the sceptic]

Did you guys see Novak talking to Stan after the match?

I bet it was something like "hey Stan glad we agreed on me winning this in 5, how much did you bet on paddy power?"

 

[The Hitch]

I bet Roche threw that stage of the Vuelta today to save energy for tomorrow's one.