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Tennis

Page 96 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Aug 31, 2012
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_84219473_federerfirstservevsmurray.jpg
 
Ticker,
nice graphic, kind of surprised you don't see more serves other than the one into the body in the deuce. True, if you get it wrong then you've put it right in their wheelhouse but especially in the deuce, a hard slice into the left hip of the returner, even a two hander can keep them honest.
 
I started to watch that women's final. I turned it off after the first game. Three double faults and Serena hitting the ball out to gift the break of serve to Muguruza. The stuff from the BBC commentators would have been something Paul and Phil would have been proud. I have just come back in and it all played out exactly as per the program. Serena gifts games to her totally outclassed opponent to try and pretend that this is a contest and is not a joke and "somehow" manages to come back.

I now see Serena allowed her to go 0-2 up in the first and then marched onto 5-1 in the second before she remembered not to make it look to easy and started serving some doubles and whacking the ball long a few times.

To entertain myself I went onto the BBC live text feed to see pap the pundits were producing.

John McEnroe after the first game
"Serena Williams appears, so far at least, to be the more uptight of the two. Three double faults in one game? What are the odds of that? It will give Garbine some confidence that is for sure. She will think 'wait a minute, maybe we are both nervous'."

By 3-4 in the first
"Garbine Muuruza could only offer token resistance in that last game as well with Serena's clubbing power gathering it up to love."

(No, Serena was just showing she was a cat playing with a mouse)

At 5-4
"Serena Williams celebrated that break of serve in the last game with a clenched fist and gritted teeth towards her box.
"There are more claws and jaws in evidence as she hammers a smash away for 40-15. She thumps away a backhand winner as Muguruza can only fend a return back to midcourt.
"Williams is ahead on the scoreboard for the first time."

And from James Cracknell (Well if Jonathan - I don't jump on Sundays and Andy Norman is my agent - Edwards can commentate on cycling, why not ?)
"Can't remember last time we had a classic and closely fought women's final at #Wimbledon - this has all the makings of it."
Errr - no James - this has all the hallmarks for a fix

6-4 1 set up
John Inverdale
"Those three double faults at the start of the match are a distant memory now for Serena Williams."
No John, 6-0 might have caused you to ask how did any girl manage to wipe the floor with the other finalists, so she did you all a big favour.

1 set and 3-1 in the 2nd
"Serena Williams is suddenly reading the Garbine Muguruza serve like it is the Hungry Caterpillar.
She knows every twist and turn of the Muguruza tee-off - there are not many, she tends to ping it wide on every one.
"She breaks as Muguruza cuffs long and that may well be the match canned."

1 set and 4-1 in the 2nd
"Serena Williams is straining on the reins, sensing the winners' enclosure is just a sniff away.
She holds to love with her eighth and ninth aces of the match. Her sights are locked on Muguruza with her finger on the trigger."

1 set and 5-1 in the 2nd
"Just over the hour gone and Serena will serve for Grand Slam number 21 next."
No Serena - remember what we told you, give her a couple more games !

Garbine Muguruza nips back the first point.
"Double fault hands her another for 0-30 as Serena's serve gremlins return."

That's it girl, now hit one long and another into the top of the net.

1 set and 5-2 in the 2nd
"Keep the champagne on ice, don't prop up the trestle table just yet.
Garbine Muguruza holds up the presentation with some nihilistic hitting. Just a footnote?"

1 set and 5-4 in the 2nd
"Now, what do we have here?
Garbine Muguruza has climbed back from six feet under and a double break down.
Serena Williams looking jittery. But Muguruza now has to serve to stay in the match. It would be a heck of a waste to do all the hard work and throw that lifeline away..."

Cumon BBC that is taking the mickey big style, Serena just handed the girl three games in a row to give you something to talk about.

And John McEnroe adds
"That is why this crowd is buzzing. They cannot believe a match is still being played. I wonder what both of them are thinking right now?"

I know what I am thinking, it is exactly what I thought when I saw those first three double faults in that first game.

John Inverdale again
"She has done it. Serena is Wimbledon champion for the sixth time. Two more Grand Slam titles to set a record that will go on and on. The queen of Centre Court once more."

Tennis has two big credibility problems. No PED positives and yet it is just like trying to say cycling is cleans now just as the fastest ever ITT is posted, the performances are unreal and the women's circuit is a non-contest.
 
TBF, bbc makes clear how fake their tennis coverage is, with the amount of time they spend fawning over the "celebrities" in attendance. Especially Royals. I tuned into the morning version one day and the commentary team were all giddy about having a "surprise" for the viewers. The surprise being that William and Kate were going to be in attendance. Oh my, the excitement.

urggh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt4_bbK3W4o

And John Inverdale should not be allowed anywhere near a broadcast centre after his comments on Bartoli a few years back. You had one job.
 
Up until this year there had only ever been one other woman who had won a Grand Slam title at the age of thirty-three and that was Martina. With the Wimbledon victory Serena is the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam Title in the history of the sport. She, at the age of thirty-three when most people are in decline seems to be getting better and stronger, and not nary a word is said about how unprecedented and remarkable it all is.

She, at thirty-three is dominating a sport that has more depth than ever before. It beggars belief, but in the tennis world it is just business as usual.
 
Oct 16, 2010
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TheGreenMonkey said:
Serena Williams is a combination of a highly talented tennis player, she and her sister were well regarded in their teens, who has used PEDs to develop that talent to the absolute maximum.
there is nothing in serena's or venus's game that reveals talent.
for talent you gotta look back at players like hingis, justine henin, navratilova.
dopers, sure, but a great touch and feeling for the ball.

that the williams sisters were hyped in their teens says alot about their father.
if you hear/see the guy speak, you know what time it is.
junior doping time.
 
May 18, 2015
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Who is more hilarious, Serena or Froome? Serena is a top fueled bodybuilder in a dress, and Froome is a stick insect on a bike, who can't even ride a bike. Tough call...
 
May 2, 2010
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sniper said:
TheGreenMonkey said:
Serena Williams is a combination of a highly talented tennis player, she and her sister were well regarded in their teens, who has used PEDs to develop that talent to the absolute maximum.
there is nothing in serena's or venus's game that reveals talent.
for talent you gotta look back at players like hingis, justine henin, navratilova.
dopers, sure, but a great touch and feeling for the ball.

that the williams sisters were hyped in their teens says alot about their father.
if you hear/see the guy speak, you know what time it is.
junior doping time.

Serena has a good service technique and ball toss. Can't say the same for most of the top 20. The game's a lot easier if your serve is significantly better than everyone you're playing against.

Still the most obvious roid user on the women's tour though.
 
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thrawn said:
Still the most obvious roid user on the women's tour though.

Haven't seen Slammin' Sammie Stosur then have you?

and to say the sisters have no talent is ridiculous

and to say that Serena is dominating when the depth of quality in women't tennis has never been better is also silly. Bring back a prime Capriati, the Belgian twins, Davenport and others that didn't melt down mentally or could find the service box on crucial serves and I doubt that she would be racking up the majors at the same rate that she is now.

and to say that Serena has never used Ped's is also silly
 
May 2, 2010
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robow7 said:
thrawn said:
Still the most obvious roid user on the women's tour though.

Haven't seen Slammin' Sammie Stosur then have you?

and to say the sisters have no talent is ridiculous

and to say that Serena is dominating when the depth of quality in women't tennis has never been better is also silly. Bring back a prime Capriati, the Belgian twins, Davenport and others that didn't melt down mentally or could find the service box on crucial serves and I doubt that she would be racking up the majors at the same rate that she is now.

and to say that Serena has never used Ped's is also silly

Yep, but Serena's worse.

Women's tennis is severely lacking in depth and quality at the moment. Serena could turn up to most slams unfit and still win.
 
Re: Re:

sniper said:
TheGreenMonkey said:
Serena Williams is a combination of a highly talented tennis player, she and her sister were well regarded in their teens, who has used PEDs to develop that talent to the absolute maximum.
there is nothing in serena's or venus's game that reveals talent.
for talent you gotta look back at players like hingis, justine henin, navratilova.
dopers, sure, but a great touch and feeling for the ball.

that the williams sisters were hyped in their teens says alot about their father.
if you hear/see the guy speak, you know what time it is.
junior doping time.

Hingis, wonderful player.
 
Jul 7, 2014
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The Hitch said:
IMAG1410_zpsvfa0cfxw.jpg


Some people imo need to revise their cleans Federer vs doped Djokovic, Nadal and Murray paradigm. This is a guy who in tennis years is about as old as Basso.

If I played Federer, I would move him from side to side too. Djokovic caught on in the 2nd set.