French Open 2021

Augme · 08-06-2021 1:27am

I do wonder if advances in sports science and general understanding in that area will make seeing players being able to play to a high level become more common. It's not a sport where strength/power and elite speed have such significant influences, which are generally the areas people take a considerable drop in their 30s. For any sports athlete to compete at a high level you need to be very dedicated in what you do off the court in terms of health and nutrition. This area just wasn't considered as important until relatively recently. There are plenty of other players on your who also operate at a good level at an age you wouldn't expect. Tsonga, monfils and warwrinka spring to mind.

I also think there's a big different between individual and team sports. The mental side of individual sports is much different. How you deal/handle pressure becomes much more important too.

08-06-2021 8:48am

klr87 wrote: »

So 6 of the 8 women will be playing in their first grand slam quarter final, which is a record in the Open Era (i.e., all slams from the 1968 French Open onwards).

The moral of the story is that recent form & competitive matches count. Because the rankings give no weight to the surface on which a result was achieved, or when (52 weeks ago counts the same as last week), the rankings & seedings* can be misleading. Osaka is the obvious case in point.

.

WTA can be summed up as

"Form is temporary, lack of consistency is permanent"

Hector Savage · 08-06-2021 9:26am

Slashermcguirk wrote: »

You could say the same about Wimbledon. There are only 2-3 contenders at French and Wimbledon. US Open and Australia will always be most competitive because majority of players are very good on hard courts. Grass and clay are more specialist. Federer and Djokovic have won 13 wimbledons between the two of them

quote="Hector Savage;117365486"]Why anyone would watch this utter farce is beyond me, the French Open may be interesting in 5 years time (maybe) when Nadal will only by 80% sure of winning it.

[/QUOTE]

Love your username, from Naked Gun 33 1/3 yeah ?

josip · 08-06-2021 10:00am

Augme wrote: »

I do wonder if advances in sports science and general understanding in that area will make seeing players being able to play to a high level become more common. It's not a sport where strength/power and elite speed have such significant influences, which are generally the areas people take a considerable drop in their 30s. For any sports athlete to compete at a high level you need to be very dedicated in what you do off the court in terms of health and nutrition. This area just wasn't considered as important until relatively recently. There are plenty of other players on your who also operate at a good level at an age you wouldn't expect. Tsonga, monfils and warwrinka spring to mind.

I also think there's a big different between individual and team sports. The mental side of individual sports is much different. How you deal/handle pressure becomes much more important too.

I think what will get the thirty somethings is recovery time between games and recovery time from injuries.
If a player takes proper care of themselves and can adapt their style/number of tournaments to suit their age, AND they are lucky with injuries, then I'd agree with your post.
But I think Nadal and Djokovic at their age, are only 1 serious injury/issue away from never winning another slam.

Floppybits · 08-06-2021 11:53am

josip wrote: »

I think what will get the thirty somethings is recovery time between games and recovery time from injuries.
If a player takes proper care of themselves and can adapt their style/number of tournaments to suit their age, AND they are lucky with injuries, then I'd agree with your post.
But I think Nadal and Djokovic at their age, are only 1 serious injury/issue away from never winning another slam.

It is the recovery time and proneness to injury that decide how long a player can keep playing. We see it with Federer at the moment, he was barely injured up until a couple of years ago and now the injuries are creeping in more and more between the back issues and now the knee. Same with the length of matches we see that Federer if he has 5 setter one day and wins that more than likely he will lose the next day.

Rob2D · 08-06-2021 1:34pm

Iga and Bethanie off to a good start in their Doubles again.

HeidiHeidi · 08-06-2021 1:39pm

Rob2D wrote: »

Iga and Bethanie off to a good start in their Doubles again.

Where are you watching that?

I'd much rather that than the women's singles with players I don't know! Although that was a great first match in fairness.

Floppybits · 08-06-2021 2:00pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Where are you watching that?

I'd much rather that than the women's singles with players I don't know! Although that was a great first match in fairness.

Outside of Wimbledon the coverage of the doubles/mixed is shocking. Would love to watch the doubles and it is the game most played by club players.

Rob2D · 08-06-2021 2:02pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Where are you watching that?

Eurosport player. €7.

HeidiHeidi · 08-06-2021 2:46pm

Rob2D wrote: »

Eurosport player. €7.

I've already paid for ITV, so I'll stick with that and just grumble

MisterAnarchy · 08-06-2021 2:49pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Where are you watching that?

I'd much rather that than the women's singles with players I don't know! Although that was a great first match in fairness.

Not a fan of watching doubles.
The players seem to have a chat after every point, its too slow.

HeidiHeidi · 08-06-2021 2:52pm

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Not a fan of watching doubles.
The players seem to have a chat after every point, its too slow.

I find it hugely entertaining. The speeds and reactions are incredible. I'd watch doubles over most men's singles slugfests (esp on clay) any day.

*awaits a pasting!

Rob2D · 08-06-2021 3:42pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I've already paid for ITV, so I'll stick with that and just grumble

ITV is paid???

Saw a bit of Leo Borg playing in the juniors. They seem to be playing lets. Wonder if that rule will ever make the jump to the big leagues. I think it should.

Rob2D · 08-06-2021 3:44pm

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Not a fan of watching doubles.
The players seem to have a chat after every point, its too slow.

Depends on the team, some use signals. But yeah at that level you sort of have to.

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I find it hugely entertaining. The speeds and reactions are incredible. I'd watch doubles over most men's singles slugfests (esp on clay) any day.

*awaits a pasting!

No, you right.

HeidiHeidi · 08-06-2021 3:48pm

Rob2D wrote: »

ITV is paid???

.

I'm watching online, on me holliers!

klr87 · 08-06-2021 4:55pm

Zidansek def. Badosa 7-5 4-6 8-6
Pavlyuchenkova def. Rybakina 6-7 6-2 9-7

Well, the women's singles needed two matches like those. I guess the men won't be too happy having to wait though.

HeidiHeidi · 08-06-2021 6:31pm

I've just tuned in..... I'd have expected a lot more from this game. I certainly wasn't expecting the third set and a break already!

D-F doesn't look like he has a Novak-style turnaround in him, very hangdog look about him.

Hopefully the later match gives more of.... a match!

klr87 · 08-06-2021 8:13pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I've just tuned in..... I'd have expected a lot more from this game. I certainly wasn't expecting the third set and a break already!

D-F doesn't look like he has a Novak-style turnaround in him, very hangdog look about him.

Hopefully the later match gives more of.... a match!

Well, there's certainly some "needle" between Tsitsipas and Medvedev, which usually helps.

MisterAnarchy · 08-06-2021 8:25pm

klr87 wrote: »

Well, there's certainly some "needle" between Tsitsipas and Medvedev, which usually helps.

They cant stand each other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDX6K7t-JcE

HeidiHeidi · 08-06-2021 8:27pm

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

They cant stand each other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDX6K7t-JcE

Video unavailable.

Is there some history there? The ITV commentators were talking about it but I wasn't paying attention, missed the gist of it.

Floppybits · 08-06-2021 8:29pm

Been looking forward to this match. Good start from Tsitsipas.

Floppybits · 08-06-2021 8:40pm

The amount of times I have missed one of those shots were you are just tapping it over the net and you end up hitting to softly and put it in the net.

lostcat · 08-06-2021 9:22pm

Didn't see Medvedev taking a set here, he blew that game at 5-4 big time

klr87 · 08-06-2021 9:27pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Video unavailable.

Is there some history there? The ITV commentators were talking about it but I wasn't paying attention, missed the gist of it.

Going back to their first meeting in Miami in 2018:
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/tennis/daniil-medvedev-stefanos-tsitsipas-french-open-animosity-b939295.html

08-06-2021 10:02pm

Annabel Croft

Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

I think bathroom breaks are an absolute nightmare, a real sport killer. I wish they would just do away with them

Wtf does she suggest - lob a dump down the tramlines?

08-06-2021 10:30pm

silly novelty serve attempt on match point

Rob2D · 08-06-2021 10:33pm

glasso wrote: »

Annabel Croft

Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Wtf does she suggest - lob a dump down the tramlines?

Piss into the commentary box.

Rob2D · 08-06-2021 10:34pm

glasso wrote: »

silly novelty serve attempt on match point

Wasn't even a good attempt at it either.

Floppybits · 08-06-2021 10:35pm

Tsitsipas wanted that more than Medvedev.

yerwanthere123 · 08-06-2021 10:37pm

Didn't get to see anything today bar the last 10 minutes. Zidansek-Pavlyuchenkova is... not the semi final I wanted to see here. Hope Pavlyuchenkova makes it and gets routed by Swiatek in the final.

Hope Tsitsipas makes the final, has the greatest chance of making a match of it against presumably Nadal. I suppose he'll also take some confidence from coming back from two sets down to beat him in Melbourne.

French Open 2021

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