2021 In Between Grand Slam Thread

whiterebel · 15-08-2021 8:56pm

Farewell at Halle and Wimbledon next year then, maybe the US.

yerwanthere123 · 15-08-2021 9:06pm

Camila Giorgi continues her decent form from the Olympics by winning the Rogers Cup. Weird to see her like, constructing points and stuff. Has she finally learned at the age of almost 30 that just slapping the ball back and hoping for the best probably isn't the best way to play?

klr87 · 15-08-2021 10:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759281#Comment_117759281

Apparently she has been told to play more conservatively and constructively*. She's always had a great record against top players for someone with a much lower ranking, implying her ranking ought to be a good deal higher. That's 3 wins over Pliskova in the last 2 months or so. I'm not sure what was the deal with all the lipstick though.

*Whether she can play as well against someone who really varies the play a lot is another matter.

Girly Gal · 15-08-2021 10:37pm

Very hard to see Federer come back from this, sounds like it'll be next year at the earliest before he attempts a comeback, he'll be heading for 41 and only have played a handful of games in over 2 years. It's a sad way for a great player to end his career, but, it looks like we've probably seen the last of Federer, be very surprised if he doesn't announce his retirement in the next 6 to 9 months or so, but, he's probably holding out hope for a Wimbledon farewell.

Shark7 · 16-08-2021 12:55am

Be great to see Federer back

josip · 16-08-2021 10:21am

I can understand that Federer would like to play a farewell season.

I can understand that his fans would like to see him play one more time.

But let's be realistic, why would anyone expect it to be an improvement on this year?

Many of his fans said he shouldn't have tried to return this year and should have retired a few years ago, closer to the height of his powers.

Nobody took any enjoyment out of seeing him bageled at Wimbledon and I think that whatever participation he'll manage next year will only tarnish our memory of him.

Girly Gal · 16-08-2021 4:29pm

I reckon Federer had planned to retire in 2020, he was probably hoping to win Wimbledon 2020 and have a tilt at the Olympic singles Gold which eluded him throughout his career. If he had had a good Wimbledon and had won the Gold I think he'd have retired, he may even have retired if he'd beaten Djokovic at Wimbledon 19. Then in early 2020 the knee injuries hit and Covid came along, which actually gave him a chance to recover from his knee injuries, that clearly hasn't worked out and he's now back to square one, but, a year and a half older, knees crocked, an unsatisfactory end to Wimbledon for him and not able to even play the Olympics. Even though he's had a brilliant career he still probably feels theirs some unfinished business and can't admit that his career is over.

I think he should retire now, as he will never again be competitive at the top level, but, he has also earned the right to call time on his career whenever he likes, as have both Nadal and Djokovic.

yerwanthere123 · 16-08-2021 4:46pm

No way would Federer have retired if he won either Wimbledon 2019 or 2020 imo, why bow out and let Djokovic overtake you when you're still winning slams? He'll only go when it's patently obvious he can no longer contend at the top level any more, which is pretty much where he's arriving at now. Prediction for next year; he'll play Halle and retire after making the QF's of Wimbledon.

Girly Gal · 16-08-2021 5:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117762917#Comment_117762917

Had he won Wimbledon 2019 or 2020 (if it had gone ahead) or the Olympics 2020 ( had it gone ahead in 2020), he'd have been retiring at the top, on a high similar to how Sampras won the US Open and retired, it doesn't get better than that, winning your last Slam, last match of your career and none of your rivals ever having the opportunity to beat you again, instead he's stuck in a situation where he's no longer able to compete at the top level and when he is able to play is struggling against or losing to fairly average players, not exactly the dream finish to a career.

16-08-2021 7:11pm

Federer would have missed Wimbledon and Olympics 2020 as he was out of action (also with knee surgery - one after Melbourne and had to get a second one not planned)

Girly Gal · 16-08-2021 7:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117763536#Comment_117763536

I know that, I was just saying it was probably his original plan to retire in 2020, he was probably hoping to win Wimbledon or Olympics or at least go close to doing that as he did with Wimbledon 2019 to finish on a high, then the knee injuries and Covid came along to upset those plans and he tried to comeback this year, probably more in hope than anything else, but, as we saw he was no where near competitive as his body is no longer able for top level tennis and is only going to decline further. Time waits for no man.

josip · 16-08-2021 7:34pm

"...Time waits for no man"

And in classic Lord of the Rings style, Federer unties the pony tail to let it all hang down and announces, "I am no man".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrCvgiQGh1o

(Apologies for the digression)

Royale with Cheese · 16-08-2021 8:03pm

I guess if you take Djokovic out of the equation then Wimbledon is the most open of the slams currently given Medvedev and particularly Tsitsipas haven't shown much of a liking for grass thus far. I'd imagine Nadal will go all in for the French again and won't show too much of an interest in the grass court season. If Federer does play next year I'd imagine it will just be as a farewell though, if he made the quarters again he'd have to be happy with that. That's his call. I think he's earned the right to go out this way if he wants, it shouldn't diminish what he's achieved.

pjohnson · 17-08-2021 8:07am

Osaka at it again regarding interviews. Think she just needs to walk away, she can't hack it.

17-08-2021 10:41am

If there are sports psychologists why can't there be press conference psychologists?

Albeit a very niche market.

Maybe some perspective treatment could work - a week in Kabul?

Augme · 17-08-2021 11:55am

The world number two then left the press conference to compose herself, before returning, answering one further question in English and several in Japanese

But according to the resident Osaka experts we have here she can't speak any Japanese? Must be a mistake by the newspaper obviously.

https://m.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/tennis/naomi-osaka-breaks-down-in-tears-in-first-media-appearance-since-pulling-out-of-french-open-40760171.html

17-08-2021 12:40pm

“You’re not crazy about dealing with us, especially in this format, yet you have a lot of outside interests that are served by having a media platform,” Daugherty said. “I guess my question is, how do you balance the two, and also do you have anything you’d like to share with us about what you did say to Simone Biles?”

This set off the waterworks.

It's a crazy situation now where it's a big story about how any reporter asks her a question - whole articles about the "tone" of the question. I wonder how all of this started to get to this preposterous point.....

https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/naomi-osaka-breaks-down-after-appalling-press-conference-question-as-agent-blasts-bully/news-story/4f443325278ef71380316dc8e8a6bb51

Re answering questions in Japanese haven't seen any footage of that.

She has said before that she can understand Japanese but only speaks it with family and friends?

She has in the past answered a few questions but the responses were very simplistic and broken.

July 2021 article here ->

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/yes-naomi-osaka-knows-japanese-221350847.html

"So much Japanese does Naomi speak? According to The New York Times, Naomi’s sister is almost fluent in Japanese, and while Naomi isn’t fluent yet, she understands most Japanese. She told the newspaper that she’s often too shy and too much of a perfectionist to speak Japanese in public, which is why at news conferences, she often responds to Japanese journalists’ questions in English. “I don’t know if you guys know this, but I can understand most Japanese, and I speak when I want to,” Naomi tweeted in 2018. “That applies to my family and friends.”

Sure I speak Russian myself but only on a 1950's black telephone.

Augme · 17-08-2021 5:56pm

As I said, obviously the newspaper report of her answering questions in Japanese was wrong as the boards experts know more.

Girly Gal · 17-08-2021 7:01pm

Tbh I think press conferences before or after most sports events are a waste of time, very little of value gets said, fine in the latter stages of major tournaments ( across all sports), but, a bit pointless in small, unimportant tournaments.

The primary focus of a tennis player should be their tennis. These days media has to be done and while I'd have sympathy for some players who don't like doing media, it's part of the job and has to be done, but, players can't complain about doing media on the one hand and then going on social media to promote their brand, you can't have it both ways. Osaka could easily have nipped this in the bud by doing the bare minimum media work like a lot of players do, but, instead she threw a hissy fit and has made a rod for her own back now, drawing attention to herself and now every bit of media she does is scrutinised.

17-08-2021 7:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117768170#Comment_117768170

Well it's certainly a new development

she hasn't lived in Japan since she was a toddler and obviously doesn't practice it much because her normal modus operandi is to answer questions posed to her in Japanese in English - this has been stated in many newspaper articles

you'll struggle to find any example of her speaking Japanese anywhere up to this date

maybe she has invested some of the lucrative Japanese sponsor money in a few private lessons - it's not as if she can't afford it.

the press conference is online (below) but the Japanese speaking part is not included in it.

I'm sure the "newspaper report" is correct but it's not online for some reason

with all the focus on her at the Olympics and lighting the flame but never speaking the host language in public maybe that spurred her to up her speaking Japanese game!

not that surprising I suppose as was more than a bit of a credibility point for her beforehand.

would actually be interesting to see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-ZJeaIKjKA

17-08-2021 10:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117768459#Comment_117768459

It's a preposterous situation at this stage - it's a bigger story now in terms of media coverage than her playing tennis.

She created it all to begin with and continues to make a big issue of it like the other day with the waterworks and walkout when asked / called out about having her cake and eating it too.

Augme · 18-08-2021 10:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117768497#Comment_117768497

Yes, I'm sure she learn a whole new language in the matter of a few weeks during the olympics.

18-08-2021 10:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117770522#Comment_117770522

Don't be stupid.

She was an expert all along but chose not to ever ever reveal this superpower in public heretofore even when there was huge comment about this fact when she was lighting the Olympic flame for Japan.

Naoimi Osaka is just amazing in so many ways

Augme · 18-08-2021 10:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117770584#Comment_117770584

Well you think she is amazing does explain your obsession with her alright.

18-08-2021 10:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117770599#Comment_117770599

Amazing yes

So amazing

Doesn't even have to play tennis half the season these days on surfaces not to her taste but still in all the headlines

Amazing

Augme · 18-08-2021 1:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117770612#Comment_117770612

She's in the headlines because it generates attention. Because people like yourself seem obsessed with her.

18-08-2021 1:17pm

about as obsessed as you with any comment I make on it 🤣 it seems

Osaka created the story and the media do simply what the media do

It was inevitable

She thought that she could have a la carte media but it doesn't work like that - she's not the sharpest tool in the box really as is pretty evident in her communication

yerwanthere123 · 18-08-2021 2:15pm

Thiem shuts down his season, not defending US Open or ATP finals points. What a disaster this year was for him.

Girly Gal · 18-08-2021 2:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117771664#Comment_117771664

You'd have to wonder is he ever likely to add to the US open win last year. Looked for a while to be best placed to challenge the old guard, but, could well be gone as a GS contender before them.

Augme · 18-08-2021 7:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117771277#Comment_117771277

I personally have no interest in disecting her media interviews or social life l. I only care about tennis performances on the court. It's a shame that isn't the case for everyone though.

2021 In Between Grand Slam Thread

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