The 2014 In Between Grand Slam Thread

yerwanthere123

New season, new thread!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_WTA_Tour

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_ATP_World_Tour

Lots of WTA action to look forward to over the next week in Brisbane, Auckland and Shenzhen, and in Brisbane, Doha and Chennai for the ATP. And if that's not enough, Melbourne begins 2 weeks from next Monday. New season here we come

yerwanthere123

Brisbane should be the best tournament from week 1, excellent lineup with Serena, Vika, and the return of Sharapova all to look forward to. Qualies are already in progress, with Victoria Duval, Ashleigh Barty and Heather Watson all winning their first round matches. Sabine will be here too, will be interesting to see if she can become relevant outside of Wimbledon.

Laura Robson was supposed to be playing Auckland but has already withdrawn with a wrist injury. Hopefully this is just precautionary for the Australian Open. We'll see the return of Jamie Hapton this week after a long injury layoff. Radwanska was the defending champion but is taking part in the Hopman cup instead. Mona Barthel is here also and is defending semi-finalist points. For the last two years she's started the season brightly before fading away.. hopefully she's been working during the off season, as the brainless ball-bashing game she employs isn't really working.

Li Na is the top seed and defending champion at Shenzhen, I imagine she wont have won't have too much trouble defending that title. Bojana Jovanovski is the #4 seed, I hope she can make a run here, I really like her game. Errani is here also, so her beautiful tennis will be a real treat for the Chinese crowd....

yerwanthere123

Federer is the top seed at Brisbane, and his highest ranked competiton are Nishikori, Simon, Kevin Anderson and Dimitrov. Winning the title here would be a great confidence booster for Fed, but on recent form it's difficult to see what way it'll go for him.

Wawrinka is playing in Chennai, and is the only big name to do so. If he carries his form from last season this title should be his.

Nadal, Ferrer, Murray and Berdych all playing Doha. With Murray questionable it's difficult to see past Nadal taking the title with ease. Although he has just lost to Ferrer in Abu Dhabi so you never know

RosyLily

Stefan Edberg will be working with Federer for at least 10 weeks, starting at the Aussie. Not sure of the exact time frame though. Severin Luthi is still on board.

Excited to see this combo. Stef has been a hero of Fed's since childhood.

yerwanthere123

Also, he'll be playing with a larger racquet next season, which is interesting. Wasn't it a larger racquet that he tried switching to this summer but abandoned after his terrible results?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Did Andy Murray start this 80's trend? Him and Lendl, Sharapova and Connors (short lived as it was), Djokovic and Becker, now Federer and Edberg.

yerwanthere123

Brisbane draw us out Sharapova drawn in the top half... with Serena. Welcome back Maria! The good news is her draw is nice and easy, until of course she meets Serena in the semi's. That's if Sharapova gets there of course, all depends on how rusty she is.

No real first round matches of note, although Wozniacki could face an early exit in the form of Cibulkova. Lisicki - Keys is a potential second rounder, with the winner to face Azarenka. Heather Watson is also just one match away from qualifying. Now if only Eurosport were actually showing these matches

yerwanthere123

Shenzhen R1: Li Na Vs Vera Zvonareva

RosyLily

Good to see Zvonareva back. She's been gone so long I was nearly forgetting about her.

Stosur lost to Bouchard in 3 sets in Hopman. Not a good start to the season for Sam.

yerwanthere123

Doha R1: Nadal Vs Rosol

yerwanthere123

Easy win for Sharapova on her return

yerwanthere123

Hajek def. Alharrasi 6-0 6-0
Kavcic def. Al Mohamud 6-0 6-0
Gojowczyk def. Al-Jufairi 6-0 6-0
Murray def. Zayed 6-0 6-0
Cecchinato def. Al Zeyara 6-0 6-1

Not been a good few days for Qatari tennis :pac:

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Rory and Caroline are engaged So once again all the stories in the papers about them splitting up a while back were a load of rubbish.

http://t.co/gxO7rDDyPY

Of course he's only doing it for the Danish green card so he doesn't have to choose between Ireland and GB for the Olympics

flazio

Was surprised to see that Andy Murray didn't get his expected Knighthood.

yerwanthere123

Sam Stosur now 0-3 in Australia *sigh*

Some excellent lineup's for the first week of the new season. Serena-Sharapova and Jankovic-Azarenka. Poor Sharapova, having to suffer another Serena beatdown in the very first week of the season. Given how rusty Sharapova is and how well Serena is playing, I genuinely believe Serena could double-bagel her if she really wants to. Whichever one Serena plays in the final, Jankovic or Azarenka, both would make for a good match. Jankovic in particular, given her comments about Serena after they last played in Istanbul.

Auckland has an excellent semi-final lineup also, the returning Jamie Hampton to play Venus, and Flipkens-Ivanovic. Ivanovic probably should win this, but she will of course find a way to mess it up. Really hope Hampton can win it, she's got a great game and to win her debut title in the first week of the new year, particularly after returning from injury, would be pretty fantastic.

Nadal not playing his best in Doha, but doing enough to get through. It's amazing how much of tennis is psychological. Rosol played so well in the second set, worked so hard for a break and was then immediately broken as he tried to serve it out. More or less the same thing happened with Kamke yesterday, played really well but broken at a crucial moment, 3-4 in the 3rd. Nadal faces Gulbis today, the only one left who can challenge him. Gulbis has the game, but isn't exactly famous for his mental strength, so I'd say that'll go Rafa's way too.

John.Icy

With the rumored court speed for the AO being faster than it has been for years, I would not be surprised if we see Monfils progresses deep into the draw.

He is playing insanely well atm. Maybe it's just against weaker opponents, but nevertheless, it's so refreshing to see such attacking play, and his court movement is astonishing, he must cover nearly 2 metres or more in some of his final lunges. Stupidly good serving too, in the 80's, unreal. Hope he beats Nadal to confirm he is playing well and tbh I'd be surprised if he doesn't beat him.

yerwanthere123

Yay for Ana, winning her first proper title in since the end of 2010 Massive choke in the 2nd set, was convinced she was going to do the same in the 3rd. Hope this gives her a confidence boost, she's still got a lot to give to the game.

Serena beats Vika, and Li wins Shenzhen, no surprises here. What a massive boost for Serena to get, beating both Sharapova and Vika in the very first week of the season.

yerwanthere123

Janko Tipsarevic pulls out of Australian Open... he won't be missed

Also, just saw this on Twitter:

By playing Hopman and not defending her Brisbane pts, Sloane will be No13 seed in Melbourne, which gives her a much tougher draw than No12.

This is news to me, I didn't realise there was any difference between #12 and #13?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

Janko Tipsarevic pulls out of Australian Open... he won't be missed

Just saw this on Twitter:

This is news to me, I didn't realise there was any difference between #12 and #13?

Well it goes in groups of 4, doesn't it? Like the top 4 are put in a different quarter each, and then they can't meet until the SF. So being 12th you'd be maybe looking at R4 before you meet another seed, 13th makes it more likely you'll meet one earlier. Granted it's not that huge a difference in that range.

yerwanthere123

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Well it goes in groups of 4, doesn't it? Like the top 4 are put in a different quarter each, and then they can't meet until the SF. So being 12th you'd be maybe looking at R4 before you meet another seed, 13th makes it more likely you'll meet one earlier. Granted it's not that huge a difference in that range.

I was convinced it just went 32, 16, 8, as in if the top 16 all reached the 4th round, the #1 seed could meet anyone from #9-16.

So if all seeds reach the 4th round, #1-4 play #13-16, is that correct?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

I was convinced it just went 32, 16, 8, as in if the top 16 all reached the 4th round, the #1 seed could meet anyone from #9-16.

So if all seeds reach the 4th round, #1-4 play #13-16, is that correct?

I'm confused now, I'm not at all sure, other than top 4 being in different quarters. Maybe everyone else is just thrown in randomly then?

John.Icy

Monfils will be sick when he sees later that was indeed out.

Losing of the game right there.

I don't think that rule is very fair. Monfils clearly stopped to see if there was an overrule going to happen. Sure he should have stopped totally but at the end of the day, it was out and he's lost because of it.

yerwanthere123

^ Ah crap, forgot Eurosport were showing that match. Nadal winning Doha was never in doubt, I guess. It's encouraging that he dropped sets to Gojowczyk, Monfils and Kamke, as well as being pushed by Rosol in the second set. This might give the field a bit more confidence when playing Nadal, and with Melbourne rumoured to be playing faster this year, you never know, there might be someone who can hit through him.

Would do anything to see neither Nadal nor Djokovic win Melbourne!

WaterLily.

I hope Murray is in better form for the AO. I really like Nadal (unlike a lot of people here :P ) but I couldn't bare to watch another final with either Nadal or Djokovic in it. I know that is the most likely scenario by a clear mile but I still have my fingers crossed.

I would love Wawrinka or Delpo or Tsonga to surprise everyone and win it! Or of course Murray or Federer I wouldn't mind either, preferably Murray!

gpat14

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

I was convinced it just went 32, 16, 8, as in if the top 16 all reached the 4th round, the #1 seed could meet anyone from #9-16.

So if all seeds reach the 4th round, #1-4 play #13-16, is that correct?

This is correct

E.g. last 16 seeds 1-4 vs 13-16, seeds 5-8 vs 9-12

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

gpat14 wrote: »

This is correct

E.g. last 16 seeds 1-4 vs 13-16, seeds 5-8 vs 9-12

So there is a difference between being seeded 12th or 13th, but really outside the top 3 they're all pretty evenly matched so it won't/shouldn't make much difference in the end.

Just realised Sloane Stephens is defending a lot of points in Melbourne.

yerwanthere123

gpat14 wrote: »

This is correct

E.g. last 16 seeds 1-4 vs 13-16, seeds 5-8 vs 9-12

Thanks. I really should have known that.

gpat14

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

So there is a difference between being seeded 12th or 13th, but really outside the top 3 they're all pretty evenly matched so it won't/shouldn't make much difference in the end.

Just realised Sloane Stephens is defending a lot of points in Melbourne.

Yeah there is, seeded 13 rather than 12 means you'd get top 4 player rather than 5-8 which could be disadvantageous. Not much difference to big 3 as you say

Like the tennis system myself, having 1v8, 2v7 etc every tournament means a sh1tload of repetition really as rankings don't always change that much week to week, and takes excitement off draw, also tennis has different surfaces so it's all round fairer I think

WaterLily.

Hewitt beat Federer in 3 sets to win in Brisbane! Not his number one fan but I am so so pleased he won it! After all his injuries he just keeps on battling and to win at the age of 32 in front of your home crowd must feel absolutely incredible

On the other hand, this does not bode well for Federer... Hewitt played extremely well but Federer just did not seem to have any of the necessary passion or drive. In my opinion we will see a repeat of 2013 or worse for Federer.

WaterLily.

Jesus, no idea what happened there! If a mod could be so kind as to delete all of those posts please!!

MisterAnarchy

WaterLily. wrote: »

On the other hand, this does not bode well for Federer... Hewitt played extremely well but Federer just did not seem to have any of the necessary passion or drive. In my opinion we will see a repeat of 2013 or worse for Federer.

Its early in the season but Federer was rubbish today .
Second time in 16 matches and 10 years that Hewitt beat him ,says it all really,he is losing matches now to guys that he used to routinely dispatch with ease.
I thought Federer looked a bit out of condition too,he doesnt look anyway toned .

yerwanthere123

Tough enough draw for James McGee in Australia, draws Jimmy Wang in the first round, and is also in the same section as Paul-Henri Mathieu. Wang has played all the slams and has a career high ranking of #85, although he's now ranked #174 and has lost in the qualies here in both 2012 and 2013. James has recently reached a career high ranking of #214, so the gap between them isn't that profound. Here's to hoping!

yerwanthere123

James loses 7-6 7-5. Ah well.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Australian Open Thread..... http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=88391057#post88391057

yerwanthere123

How completely random of Pironkova winning Sydney, it just came from nowhere. Really hope this isn't a fluke, I'd love to see her make a surge this year. Regardless, I don't see her doing much in Melbourne, having played eight matches the week before, and especially since she would play Serena in the 4R! A 3R showing would be pretty decent though.

Also great to see Muguruza win her debut title! She's always been one to watch, but missed about half of last season due to injury. Having, like Pironkova, played eight matches the week before Melbourne, it's difficult to see her doing too much there. However, if she can get past Kanepi in R1, she could get a crack at Radwanska in the 4th round.

yerwanthere123

According to this article, Serena will be playing Indian Wells this year!
http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Serena-Williams-Officially-Enters-Indian-Wells-2014-articolo15867.html

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

According to this article, Serena will be playing Indian Wells this year!
http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Serena-Williams-Officially-Enters-Indian-Wells-2014-articolo15867.html

She's on the entry list every year and then pulls out. It's a mandatory event so she technically has to enter it. I'll believe it when she's on the court there.

I bet the rest of the WTA are hoping she doesn't come back to it. It's the only event that someone else is favourite for.

yerwanthere123

She did mention a few a few days ago in a press conference that she was thinking about playing this year. Apparently watching a Nelson Mandela movie has inspired her to forgive and forget, or something like that. Would be pretty cool if she came back. Sharapova wouldn't be best pleased, that's for sure.

yerwanthere123

Lisicki withdraws from Pattaya. Two withdrawls from three tournaments, great start to the new season :rolleyes:

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

^ You have to wonder at this stage if she's just a crock or is she doing something seriously wrong in her training?

yerwanthere123

To me it just seems like a lack of dedication to the game and improving herself. She seems content enough to not play very much throughout the year and then go on a tear at Wimbledon. I guess if she's happy enough to do that, then fair play to her, but I find it difficult to root for her anymore.

It's frustrating. I mean, Lisicki should easily be top ten now, she's got all the tools.

Alfred Borden

Andy Murray ‏@andy_murray 14m
3 things.. I don't smoke grass, I'm not getting married(yet) and I don't want to kill rafael Nadal..

:pac:

WaterLily.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Andy Murray is hilarious. I love reading his twitter, never fails to crack me up

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Wozniacki has ended her partnership with Hogstedt already :rolleyes:

RosyLily

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Wozniacki has ended her partnership with Hogstedt already :rolleyes:

Not even surprised. It's a carousel at this stage.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

It's ridiculous at this point. He was only working with her 2 months. How can you get anything done in 2 months?

yerwanthere123

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Wozniacki has ended her partnership with Hogstedt already :rolleyes:

Sublime

yerwanthere123

WaterLily. wrote: »

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Andy Murray is hilarious. I love reading his twitter, never fails to crack me up

"Hottest member of One Direction?"

"ohhh tough one.. they all get me going in different ways"

:pac::pac:

RosyLily

Wozniacki has now hired Dane Michael Mortensen as her 'coach'. Any bets on how long he'll last?:pac:

yerwanthere123

The rather sudden end to the Woz-Hogstedt partnership suggests they had a massive falling out and just didn't gel well together at all. It seemed ill-thought out from the outset. One of the reasons Hogstedt and Sharapova parted ways was because he wanted to travel less, yet Caroline wanted him to travel with her all the time? It seemed doomed from the beginning.

Although the fact that Caroline wanted him in Doha with her and wasn't content to go without suggests that she's at least trying to turn things around. Who knows how the next guy will do.

Floppybits

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

The rather sudden end to the Woz-Hogstedt partnership suggests they had a massive falling out and just didn't gel well together at all. It seemed ill-thought out from the outset. One of the reasons Hogstedt and Sharapova parted ways was because he wanted to travel less, yet Caroline wanted him to travel with her all the time? It seemed doomed from the beginning.

Although the fact that Caroline wanted him in Doha with her and wasn't content to go without suggests that she's at least trying to turn things around. Who knows how the next guy will do.

Maybe she needs to do what Djokovic, Murray, Federer have all done and hire one of the top ex-players to help her. They were saying during the coverage of the Australian Open that Martina Navratalova is thinking of taking up a coaching role if the right offer and person came along.