The 2014 In Between Grand Slam Thread

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 24-10-2014 6:32pm

^ I have been wondering this year about her shoulder. Her serving, especially the 2nd half of the year, has been worse than ever.

Rjd2 · 24-10-2014 8:17pm

I dunno what was more bizarre, the performance of Nadal today or his decision to bother playing this week and especially today

Probably the love of the money. :P

Coric is clearly a talent and beating such a name will generate headlines, but anyone half decent would have taken Rafa.

Rjd2 · 24-10-2014 8:18pm

RosyLily wrote: »

Unlucky for Kvitova not to get through.

Unlucky? Hell no.

She played three matches, won one and lost the other 2 pretty quickly in straight sets. No sympathy at all.

And I love Petra to bits btw.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 24-10-2014 8:27pm

Rjd2 wrote: »

I dunno what was more bizarre, the performance of Nadal today or his decision to bother playing this week and especially today

Probably the love of the money. :P

Coric is clearly a talent and beating such a name will generate headlines, but anyone half decent would have taken Rafa.

He's confirmed he's not playing Paris or London now. Having his appendix out early next month. Does make you wonder why he bothered playing at all once he announced he had the medical issue. You can't imagine he's that hard up for cash.

Rjd2 · 24-10-2014 8:35pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

He's confirmed he's not playing Paris or London now. Having his appendix out early next month. Does make you wonder why he bothered playing at all once he announced he had the medical issue. You can't imagine he's that hard up for cash.

Hasn't he dropped Basel before, maybe he felt they wouldn't pay him so much next time he he cancelled again? Still with his wealth why would he care?

Go play Valencia instead like the rest of the Spaniards. :P

Coric v Goffin is not the semi final I was expecting but I think we will learn more about Coric in that game than we did against Nadal, and yep I know that would have sounded mental not to long ago.

Federer v Dimi has been nice but it hasn't quite taken off like I was hoping. Early days though.

yerwanthere123 · 24-10-2014 9:06pm

RosyLily wrote: »

I don't think the lineup is worse without her. She played terribly and didn't look to be at her best. Halep probably would have beaten her in the SFs if they met and she definitely would have lost to Serena.

I'm looking forward to the semis. Hope the men's tour finals will be as exciting as the women's.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

^ Agreed. She's my fave but this year has been a disaster for her. Clay aside, and one or two half decent hard courts she's willed her way to more wins than she deserved.

I don't think it's certain at all Sharapova would have lost to Halep, she's 5-0 against her, and the last time they played Sharapova hit over 50 errors and still Simona couldn't get the job done.

I know Maria didn't really deserve a place in the semi's at all, but Sharapova-Halep is a much more appealing matchup than Radwanska-Halep imo.

The prospect of a Serena-Halep rematch in the final is very appealing though. Would be incredible for Simona if she could do the double to win the WTA championships on her first try but I suspect Serena will be baying for blood :P

RosyLily · 24-10-2014 11:56pm

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

I know Maria didn't really deserve a place in the semi's at all, but Sharapova-Halep is a much more appealing matchup than Radwanska-Halep imo.

I'd prefer Aga-Simona tbh. Like you said, Halep has lost all her matches with Masha and had been playing well in some of those and still lost. The Aga-Simona record isn't as one-sided so it could prove to be a more interesting match.

The prospect of a Serena-Halep rematch in the final is very appealing though. Would be incredible for Simona if she could do the double to win the WTA championships on her first try but I suspect Serena will be baying for blood :P

Would love to see Halep win it! Hopefully she can do the job again if she were to make it to the final and meet SW.:)

yerwanthere123 · 25-10-2014 8:06pm

Such a shame Woz couldn't get the win over Serena, she pushed her so close. What a comeback for her this year though! She'll definitely be a contender in Australia.

Andy into another final, he'll surely make London now. Goffin keeps his great form going by reaching the Basel final, but I expect Federer will being him back down to Earth.

Rjd2 · 26-10-2014 1:30pm

mickmackey1 wrote: »

Looked like Simona wasn't exactly giving 100% but Ana could barely hit a ball...

Simona seriously regretting every trying at all.

6-3, 6-0 beatdown in the final.

John.Icy · 26-10-2014 3:52pm

I will come back and eat this post if Nadal or Novak at 33 are half the player Federer is at the age.

RosyLily · 26-10-2014 4:09pm

I reckon Nadal will be gone before 33. Too many injuries have plagued him over the years. Djokovic could still be around at Federer's age but less flexible!:pac:

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 26-10-2014 4:37pm

I think Djokovic and Nadal still being around and winning at 33 depends more on who steps up in the next few years. There's loads of potential floating around in the ATP. Federer has only really had Rafa for most of his career competing with him and Djokovic for the last few years.
If there's 5 or 6 of the "younger" players making moves over the next few years it will be harder to stay motivated and keep going at that age, especially if you're not winning.

irishguy1983 · 26-10-2014 6:49pm

John.Icy wrote: »

I will come back and eat this post if Nadal or Novak at 33 are half the player Federer is at the age.

I'd agree - not a chance Nadal will be around at 33. I'd say he barely has another two years left in him. He hasn't completed a full season (played 4 slams even) in quite some time. Think he might still win another 2 slams because I believe when he is 100% he wins.

WaterLily. · 26-10-2014 7:55pm

What a final between Murray and Robredo, heroic effort from Andy! 3 titles in 5 weeks for him as well, what a turnaround

You have to feel for Robredo though, he's let slip 10 championship points against Murray the last 2 times they've played!!

Rjd2 · 26-10-2014 8:11pm

Awesome match, feel for Tommy.

The reaction afterwards from him was fantastic. :P

https://vine.co/v/OhL35hgO9l9

or

[

irishguy1983 · 26-10-2014 8:18pm

WaterLily. wrote: »

What a final between Murray and Robredo, heroic effort from Andy! 3 titles in 5 weeks for him as well, what a turnaround

You have to feel for Robredo though, he's let slip 10 championship points against Murray the last 2 times they've played!!

Good win but tournaments Murray is winning are Mickey Mouse tournaments.

Rjd2 · 26-10-2014 8:47pm

irishguy1983 wrote: »

Good win but tournaments Murray is winning are Mickey Mouse tournaments.

Can't be a grand slam every week.

I think what most including me were worried he had lost his hunger earlier this year, he was so passive in some of his losses. Last few weeks he has been fantastic, today he really wanted the win.

Is he a Slam contender again? Dunno tbh, but nothing wrong with winning good competitions.

Valencia was strong enough this week, Ferrer always a tough nut to rack at home and Berdych was also here.

yerwanthere123 · 27-10-2014 1:43am

Rjd2 wrote: »

Awesome match, feel for Tommy.

The reaction afterwards from him was fantastic. :P

https://vine.co/v/OhL35hgO9l9

or

[

That's amazing

yerwanthere123 · 29-10-2014 11:38pm

Fognini's been acting the clown again, except apparently this time the umpire initially refused to shake his hand!

Floppybits · 30-10-2014 11:10am

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

Fognini's been acting the clown again, except apparently this time the umpire initially refused to shake his hand!

Watched that match and was surprised that the Umpire didn't shake his hand. Fognini was doing his usurl giving out and slamming his racket done. He must have said something to the Umpire in italian and that was the reason for it. Then said on sky sports that another Umpire wouldn't shake his hand a couple ofrom months ago.

RosyLily · 30-10-2014 11:05pm

Murray has qualified for Tour Finals after beating Dimitrov. Looked in good form tbh. Bad news for Grigor though who needed to win Paris to guarantee his place in London.

Raonic, Berdych, Ferrer and Nishikori all in the running for the final 3 spots. Kei and Tomas are guaranteed a place if they reach the SFs. David has to reach the final and Milos has to win the tournament. Safe to say that Berd and Nishi have it though. Can't see Raonic win it so probably Ferrer's to lose now.

yerwanthere123 · 30-10-2014 11:37pm

A good win for Andy. He seems to be getting his confidence back, and he sounded quite positive in his press conference afterwards. Starting to get a little optimistic for 2015.

Would be great if he could beat Novak next, he needs to start beating the big boys on tour again.

CassieManson · 31-10-2014 11:31am

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

A good win for Andy. He seems to be getting his confidence back, and he sounded quite positive in his press conference afterwards. Starting to get a little optimistic for 2015.

Would be great if he could beat Novak next, he needs to start beating the big boys on tour again.

Delighted to see Andy Murray qualify for London. Looks like the "big four" could be back in business by the end of the year!

RosyLily · 31-10-2014 5:31pm

Berdych qualifies for Tour Finals for the 5th straight year. Raonic has to beat Federer to keep his hopes of qualifying alive. That match is currently going on serve, 3-all.

A Raonic loss would ensure Ferrer's and Nishikori's spots.

yerwanthere123 · 31-10-2014 11:55pm

Applications for Wimbledon tickets open tomorrow morning at 9am. Don't forget!

RosyLily · 01-11-2014 1:22am

World Tour Finals places are set. Nishikori's win over Ferrer means Raonic is guaranteed his spot.

Djokovic, Federer, Wawrinka, Cilic, Berdych, Murray, Nishikori and Raonic. Should be a good tournament! Looking forward to seeing what the groups will be.

yerwanthere123 · 01-11-2014 1:51am

Fair play to Raonic for getting in, didn't think he'd make it. I guess we're looking at a Djokovic-Federer final? They literally seem like the only contenders.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 01-11-2014 4:54pm

I hope Federer gets to be #1 again without having won a slam. Just to see what the reaction is.

RosyLily · 01-11-2014 6:16pm

^ Still possible. He'll have to defend his points from last year's Finals and hope Djokovic loses early enough. Davis Cup win will mean a lot to him as well.

Great performance from Raonic. Hopefully he can continue this form to London. Looking likely he'll face Djokovic in the Paris final.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 02-11-2014 6:03pm

Apparently Tsonga, Gulbis and Dimitrov have all refused to be the 2nd alternate for London.

I know there's less than zero chance of the 2nd alternate playing but it's a bit of a joke, especially from the younger 2, that they won't go.

RosyLily · 02-11-2014 6:23pm

Bad form from them, especially the ones who've never played in the Finals. They should go and see what it's like. Might give them more incentive for next year.

Apparently Ferrer has agreed to be the 2nd alternative. I didn't know that you could refuse in the first place.

In marathon news, Wozniacki is approaching the 20 mile. Going really well, 8 min per mile. She should finish after 6 our time.

RosyLily · 02-11-2014 7:15pm

3 hours, 26 minutes and 33 seconds for Caroline Wozniacki.

Not bad at all!! She's qualified for the Boston Marathon so that's something she could aim for next year.

It would almost make you wanna run a marathon.....almost.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 02-11-2014 7:36pm

Great stuff from Woz. Very busy end to her season and a respectable time too

Ferrer is 1st alternate, Lopez is going as 2nd.

yerwanthere123 · 02-11-2014 10:04pm

Aww, Serena was waiting for Caroline at the finishing line

For the sake of their friendship I hope Woz never gets an important win over Serena :pac:

WaterLily. · 03-11-2014 8:55pm

^ That was so sweet! I hope Caroline does at some point!! Serena would just have to get over it, she's won enough grand slams :P

The groups for London have been revealed, very lopsided in my opinion but I guess that's the luck of the draw! Group B is much tougher I think.

A: Djokovic, Wawrinka, Berdych, Cilic
B: Federer, Murray, Nishikori, Raonic

Wawrinka, Berdych and Cilic are all not playing brilliantly at the moment, especially Wawrinka and Cilic is injured (I think?). On the other hand, everyone in the other group are playing well and full of confidence. I can't wait to see how that one turns out.

Johnmb · 03-11-2014 10:07pm

WaterLily. wrote: »

The groups for London have been revealed, very lopsided in my opinion but I guess that's the luck of the draw! Group B is much tougher I think.

A: Djokovic, Wawrinka, Berdych, Cilic
B: Federer, Murray, Nishikori, Raonic

Wawrinka, Berdych and Cilic are all not playing brilliantly at the moment, especially Wawrinka and Cilic is injured (I think?). On the other hand, everyone in the other group are playing well and full of confidence. I can't wait to see how that one turns out.

Yeah, that draw pretty much ends what little chance there was of Federer ending the year as number 1. Djokovic only has to win one match to secure it, and you'd have to fancy him to beat at least one of those others in his group.

yerwanthere123 · 08-11-2014 4:09pm

This Fed Cup final sounds like great fun. Shame I'm missing it.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 08-11-2014 4:33pm

I'd have played Lisicki instead of Petkovic against Kvitova. Courts are very very fast, Lisicki would have stood a better shot. Will be interesting to see of she gets the nod tomorrow.

RosyLily · 09-11-2014 3:47pm

Germany going with Lisicki for the next match. Probably hoping she can blast Safarova away.

Really good match between Kvitova and Kerber! High standard and exciting. Crowd is fantastic too.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 09-11-2014 3:56pm

RosyLily wrote: »

Germany going with Lisicki for the next match. Probably hoping she can blast Safarova away.

Won't matter if Petra wins now.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 09-11-2014 4:07pm

Have to feel bad for Kerber there, what an effort.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 09-11-2014 4:25pm

Switching to the WTF's after that Fed Cup final is like going to watch an U12's football match after watching Barcelona play. ZZZZZZZZ.

yerwanthere123 · 11-11-2014 4:26pm

WTF's completely flat so far.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 11-11-2014 4:28pm

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

WTF's completely flat so far.

It's not surprising really. Everyone was so excited about how close the race was in the end for most of them but all you end up with then is 5 or 6 of them being wrecked before they even get to London.
I suppose it all works out in the end if you end up with the 2 best players of the year in the final but it's not making for a great spectacle.

yerwanthere123 · 11-11-2014 4:30pm

Indeed, I thought from the start that this was probably just going to be a Federer-Djokovic charge to the final.

Was half thinking of going over to them a couple of months back, kinda glad I didn't now!

WaterLily. · 13-11-2014 2:37pm

^ I was the exact same! My friend had a couple of tickets for the Tuesday and I seriously contemplated going with him but in the end I decided not to and to be honest I'm so glad I didn't! Both matches were 6-1 6-1 :eek:

Floppybits · 13-11-2014 9:35pm

Murray getting a tennis lesson of fed here. These finals have been crap. Very disappointing last night as with djokovic and Wawrinka.

yerwanthere123 · 13-11-2014 9:41pm

I never gave Murray a chance tonight, I thought he'd win about five games tops. But damn. A bagel?

Not looking too optimistic for 2015.

Floppybits · 13-11-2014 10:20pm

Well that was a waste of time. Why don't they just go straight to Federer vs djokovic and be done with this farce.

irishguy1983 · 13-11-2014 11:21pm

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/11/atp-finals-roger-federer-novak-djkokovic-straight-sets-andy-murray?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatodaytennis-topstories

Good article - never really enjoyed the WTF.

The 2014 In Between Grand Slam Thread

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