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2021 In Between Grand Slam Thread

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Comments

  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,752 Mod ✭✭✭✭yerwanthere123


    I'm assuming most of ye have heard the Peng Shuai story at this stage, but if not...

    Former doubles #1 and 2014 US Open semi-finalist Peng Shuai last week publicly accused a high-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party of a historic sexual assault. The post was deleted within 20 minutes and is subjected to strict censorship on Chinese social media. Peng Shuai has neither been heard of nor seen publicly since. After an initial somewhat tepid statement, Steve Simon has, to his credit, threatened to pull the WTA out of China if the matter isn't resolved satisfactorily.

    Cue tonight, 'Peng Shuai' releases this farcical statement:


    Steve Simon responds with what basically everyone is else thinking:


    Crazy sh*t, I hope the poor woman is alright and the worst hasn't happened. More than likely will resurface after a few months, but f*cking hell.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,990 ✭✭✭Floppybits


    This Peng Shaui story is nuts. The WTA should just pull their events in China and so should the ATP. Was Peng Shaui in China when she made the allegations?



  • Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    All the Chinese events that are on in the Autumn like the "Wuhan Bat-soup Masters 1000" were gone this year anyways (and last year)

    Not sure how that will play out.

    The party guy Zhang Gaoli  was (retired) a very senior politician there so "they" don't want it to be seen that he was completely abusing his power as he obviously was.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,030 ✭✭✭Slashermcguirk


    Djokovic vs Zverev semi final confirmed. Looking like the other semi final will be Medvedev vs Rublev (I wouldnt rule out Ruud though)



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,752 Mod ✭✭✭✭yerwanthere123


    I think so, hence the disappearance. I have no doubt the allegations are true, don't think anyone would lie about this in a country like China. The Chinese actress Fan Bingbing was charged with tax evasion and disappeared for three months. Given Peng's 'crime' is much more serious I fear she won't be let off as easily.

    Don't think anyone, WTA or ATP, would be complaining if this results in both tours pulling out of China. The season should be winding down at that stage anyway, don't think many will miss hopping on a plane to Wuhan after a long and arduous season.



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  • Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    So much for Sinner having a chance against Medved

    He's about to be bagelled in the first set



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,395 ✭✭✭✭Furze99


    Federer, Nadal and Djok - should all see the writing on the wall and retire. Quit while you're ahead at least a bit.



  • Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Come on, troll post of the year

    Why in the world would Djokovic retire when he's aiming to get to 24 slams (most male or female in open era, if he can) and probably has a reasonable chance of doing it



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,752 Mod ✭✭✭✭yerwanthere123


    Djokovic? Who won three of the four grand slams this year? 🤣



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,395 ✭✭✭✭Furze99


    How reasonable? What money would you put on it? He might but he ain't the player of old, wear & tear sets in and that's that.



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  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,752 Mod ✭✭✭✭yerwanthere123


    Stupid scheduling in Turin tonight. Medvedev-Sinner is a dead rubber after Zverev's victory earlier this evening. Don't think the crowd care though, loud cheers for every Sinner winner.

    Didn't get to see the WTA side last night but delighted for Muguruza. Ends the year #3, will be very interesting to see if she can continue where she left off in a few weeks time. Interesting comments post match too, feels as if this year was her best season despite her results at the slams. Seems in a very good place now, and the partnership with Conchita Martinez obviously working very well.



  • Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    He hasn't declined yet to a significant level - he's still currently the best player in the world and has been so far able to adapt his game to remain competitive.

    Retiring in a year when he has won 3 of the 4 slams is just crazy talk

    Djokovic is going to play for another few years at least unless he is run over by a bus or gets some very serious injury

    He's only going to play the slams, a couple of masters tournaments and the ATP Finals so will be keeping it manageable on his body, of which he has already for many years been very careful of

    Whatever about 24, he'll get to 22 anyways at least imo (Wimbledon this year and next year are his most "gilt-edged" slam chances aside from the other ones)

    He's hardly going to stop at 20 Slams when he already has all the other significant records

    It remains to be seen what sort of Nadal comes back but even 22 could be enough to have the biggest slam total at the end

    Post edited by [Deleted User] on


  • Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    not sure what else they could do there as Medved is one of the top 2 seeds and he's also playing the local lad so that match was always going to be primetime there and what the crowd want to see

    Zverev disposed of Hurk easily in any case and that was always the likely outcome



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 669 ✭✭✭klr87


    I watched the women's final live. The atmosphere was great, and apparently it was like that for each evening match. Kontaveit served for the second set, but couldn't get to set point,



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,030 ✭✭✭Slashermcguirk


    Djokovic should retire?? He is world number one, won 3 out of 4 grand slams and reached the final of the other. He won the Paris Masters in the past couple of weeks beating the world number 2. Him retiring now would be utter madness. By all means look at it at the end of next year if his form and ranking plummets but he is still a phenomenal player, he would be crazy to retire now. I would even consider Nadal crazy to retire now until he comes back from injury to see how he performs. I would make Nadal favourite at the French open in 2022 even if he was playing at 70%.

    The other big difference with Djokovic and Nadal is they are so strong mentally and they can physically hang tough in close matches. I think that is different to Federer who is now 40 years old, several years past his peak and he wouldnt in my opinion be as mentally / physically strong as the other two. I still think Fed might have one good run left in him in a slam but it would require a massive effort.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,720 ✭✭✭✭josip


    Federer has 2 problems confronting him for any return/goodbye.

    One is going to be playing enough to regain form. Until he has enough matches under his belt, he remains at risk of being dumped out by a plodder in round 1.

    Even if he regains some form, because of his low ranking he's much more likely to meet a top level opponent early on. Bagels and breadsticks would feature prominently on that menu.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,998 ✭✭✭Girly Gal


    If he ever comes back I can't really see Federer going on any good run, he'll be close to 41 if he does return, after several surgeries on his knees and hardly playing in two years, it's expecting a lot to expect him to be competitive, even if he never got the knee injuries, at 40 or 41 no player can be expected to be competitive at elite level. Even if both Djokovic and Nadal stay relatively injury free I doubt either will be competitive at elite level (top 10 or 20) by the time they reach 40 or 41, 4 or 5 years from now



  • Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Ruud gets through over Rublev in what seems to have been a good match

    But surely won't be able to handle Medved in the semis

    Djokovic vs Zverev probably the more interesting match



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,030 ✭✭✭Slashermcguirk


    Amazing how ruthless the top players are. Djokovic had already won the group so it was a dead rubber this evening. You would think he might lack the motivation but clearly not!!


    He beat Norrie 6-2 6-1 in 66 mins! He is an absolute machine. Zverev will be a very tough match tomorrow though



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,752 Mod ✭✭✭✭yerwanthere123


    Tbf Djokovic could probably show up in a wheelchair and still beat Norrie 😅

    Think I'm actually gonna root for Ruud to win it all now, why not go for the underdog who's held his own pretty well so far. Watch him get bagelled by Medvedev tomorrow now.

    Meanwhile, it's now confirmed that unvaccinated players cannot partake in January's Australian Open. Let the games begin 😎



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,030 ✭✭✭Slashermcguirk


    apparently 40% of the players are not vaccinated. This could be very interesting



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,752 Mod ✭✭✭✭yerwanthere123


    I expect in the end there'll be very few holdouts. At the same time though they'd want to get cracking if it's a two dose vaccine they want. I guess all eyes are Djokovic to see if he'll show up, but I think he will. He wouldn't be that stupid.... right?



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,752 Mod ✭✭✭✭yerwanthere123


    Saw that a few weeks back. Concerning, and hopefully he was exaggerating. Still though, haven't heard of any other extreme reactions from other tennis players, even the sceptics like Sabalenka, so hopefully Djokovic will be rolling up the sleeve asap.



  • Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    who knows, France has a high enough vaccine hesitancy rate so probably had a bigger effect there in the country in terms of numbers of people influenced but athletes seem to be a sceptical lot.

    Djokovic (not alone with a reported 35% novax on atp) is a bit of a contradiction - is into his diet, oxygen chambers etc etc but doesn't trust the science on vaccines




  • Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    it's 200 ATP points per round-robin match

    you'd have to win a whole tournament in some cases to get more points than that, or get to a grand-slam quarter final.



  • Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Djokovic is really going next-level with his volleying lately, especially given the supposed lack of variety in his game in that respect.




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,030 ✭✭✭Slashermcguirk


    Oh I agree but the year end number one ranking already in the bag and he has already broken the weeks at number one record. I would think at this point it’s the big titles that motivate him. Surely it will be near impossible to keep the number one ranking through 2022. He should hold it for a while but he has a lot of points to defend at grand slams etc.


    I just think it’s impressive to be show such focus in a dead rubber match, shows what a professional he is, takes every match seriously etc



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,998 ✭✭✭Girly Gal


    Has it been confirmed if Djokovic has or has not been vaccinated? Regarding Djokovic's diet, oxygen chamber etc, all these were him looking for marginal gains, to either get to the top or stay there, they were done by choice to improve his overall game. The vaccine on the other hand in relation to AO isn't a choice, it's also something that's not going to give him any marginal gain and as he probably sees it a slight risk of an adverse reaction which could lead to his level dropping and at his age that could be difficult to recover from.

    He's already had Covid so probably happy to take the risk ( if he's not vaccinated). What's the situation if a player tests positive now, but, has recovered in time for the AO are they allowed to play or do they still need to get vaccinated?



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  • Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I think that extending the weeks record for as long as possible and the kudos of remaining number 1 is still huge for him

    because of the fact that Djokovic now plays so few tournaments, whenever he loses the no.1 ranking that's it for him as far as the world number 1 ranking goes most likely

    400 weeks would be a nice round number!



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