Wimbledon 2023

yerwanthere123

Dopes in the crowd booing Azarenka 🙄 If they knew their tennis they'd no there was absolutely no way Svitolina would've shaken her hand and Azarenka was doing was Svitolina wanted.

Goes to show though how the Russians/Belarusians can't win; Sabalenka was roundly criticised for approaching the net when she beat Svitolina at RG a few weeks back.

Floppybits

2 great ladies matches today. Why was Azarenka booed? She played a great match and was unlucky to lose, not her fault Svitolina won't shake hands.

SlickRic

Another example of how absolutely stupid the average person is.

Svitolina made it clear she'd not shake hands with Azarenka because she's Belarussian. And Azarenka gets booed.

Eejits.

kirk.

Could be tricky for Djokovic this match

Mantis Toboggan

Jaysus hurkacz fairly bottled that!

lbunnae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120827473#Comment_120827473

Those 5 points in a row has changed that haha.

Mantis Toboggan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120827296#Comment_120827296

She's from Belarus.

SlickRic

Choke job.

That had nothing with Novak. He just choked.

Mantis Toboggan

Take the serve away from Hurkacz and he's very average.

But that's a great serve he has.

HeidiHeidi

Could this pair not just play the best of 5 tie-breaks and be done with it?

This match has the potential to go on forever! The only saving grace being that it's mostly 1 or 2 shot rallies! Reminds me of the Sampras days .

Mantis Toboggan

Did superb there to get back and win the game.

Jack Daw

Hurkacz chokes the 2nd set tiebreaker away.The lack of mental strength from the younger generation of players is infuriating.

Girly Gal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120827753#Comment_120827753

The standard in the men's game is absolutely dire, all Djokovic has to do is turn up and stay injury free, he knows all his opponents will bottle it. Ironically the more he wins, the more devalued his slam total gets, he'll soon have won more slams in his thirties than his twenties ( When in his prime), he's actually winning slams easier now than ever, despite not playing to the same level he was before.

The women's game is in a much better position now, much more competive and more enjoyable to watch.

Jack Daw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829076#Comment_120829076

The women's game is excellent at the moment, much more interesting than the mens as you've got a clutch of top players that are competing with each other and all capable of beating each other.Also there is always the chance for an upset in the women's game.

Sadly I think Djokovic is going to dominate for another few years at least, genuinely wouldn't be surprised if he gets close to 30 majors.

Ken Rosewall was getting to Grand Slam finals when he was close to 40 and that was 50 years ago so with all the advancements in training, preparation and sports science there is no reason why Djokovic can't be around until he's 40 aswell.

dublin49

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829076#Comment_120829076

theres a great tournament there if Djock would just pull out,regarding your point about easier now for Djock now ,it is true because 2 of the greatest players of all time are no longer there .I think Djock is an anomaly in that he seems to be able to be fit for all Majors with no wear and tear from 20 years as a pro ,retains his speed and has all that experience allied to an all court game devoid of weakness.He is anything but an aging pro there for the taking.

HeidiHeidi

16 year old qualifier running absolute rings around Madison Keys on court 2.

whiterebel

Older players still retaining the benefits of 5 setters from their younger days. Not only a physical advantage, but definitely Italy a mental one.

It will now start for ND the same as it did for RF - who did you beat for the majority of them?......it never ends. Carlito will probably hear the same in years to come.

HeidiHeidi

Terrible decision by the umpire at the end of the Keys Andreeova match to give Keys match point

HeidiHeidi

This Eubanks fella is like a giraffe!!

lbunnae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829648#Comment_120829648

Why? She had already got a warning? Then the little madam straight up lied to the umpire and no acknowledgement of the crowd after losing.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829722#Comment_120829722

Replay clearly showed she stumbled and lost the racket

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120827296#Comment_120827296

She was booed because people are idiots. Blaming sports players for the actions of their country in things they have absolutely no control over. 🙄

I don't remember British or American players being treated this way during the Iraq war.

Likewise the attitudes of the Ukrainian players has been very poor too. This idea of not shaking hands with your opponent in a game is extremely unsportmanlike. Marta Kostyuk was rightly admonished by the crowd at the French Open for not shaking hands with Aryna Sabalenka. It's shitty behaviour on behalf of the Ukrainian players frankly.

lbunnae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829731#Comment_120829731

She quite clearly intentionally threw the racket and screamed afterward. As has been reported by BBC , Evening Standard ,yahoo sports. That's just 3/3 I have seen

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829753#Comment_120829753

It's really unfair bringing the war into it unless the opponent doing likewise in the first place

HeidiHeidi

Svitolina has made it clear from the start that she won't be shaking hands with any Russians or Belarussians, which is fair enough IMO.

Azarenka nodded in her direction as she walked up to the chair, and Svitolina seemed to acknowledge it. All very civilized.

Then the bozos in the crowd start booing Azarenka. Idiots.

Sabalenka was the one in the wrong when she marched to the net and seemed to wait for a handshake from Svitolina at the French Open.

lbunnae

https://youtu.be/obRFvZX6bks from 3.35 . Maybe I'm going mad but it seems quite clear that she both slipped and threw her racket intentionally into the grass. She is only 16 so probably a good age to learn a lesson at least.

Jack Daw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829753#Comment_120829753

I agree. Svitolina in particular has been a real dose , constantly talking about how much she cares and how awful the war is yet still swanning around playing tennis.If she was the patriot she claims she is surely she'd be back in Ukraine helping with the war effort, Oleksandr Usyk, Vasili Lomachenko and Sergiy Stakhovsky for example all left their professional sporting careers behind and helped with the war effort, Svitolina has done nothing.

whiterebel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120830164#Comment_120830164

I thought it was tough one for the umpire. At normal speed it looked like it slipped, but when it was replayed and slowed down it looked like she chucked it. She had already been warned, so I thought the umpire got it right. Seemed a bit of a madam at the end alright.

lbunnae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120830251#Comment_120830251

She's been donating prize money. Infinitely more useful than anything she could do in a war.

Royale with Cheese

I would say Wimbledon's ban on Russian + Belarussian players last year (and being forced to do a u-turn on it this year) played a large part in the crowd's behaviour. The Brits know best etc.