Here's to a fun, hassle-free and completely uncontroversial tournament... 😬
Women's draw
Men's draw
If you begrudge women getting the same prize money as men (and clearly you do), why not take that line of argument to its logical conclusion? Why does Federer (or Rafa, etc.) get exactly the same prize money for winning a first round evening prime time match on the main show court, as does the winner between (say) the world #94 and a qualifier played first match up in the morning on some godforsaken outer court with about 20 people watching? Or if it's Emma Raducanu playing on Centre Court at Wimbledon, surely she should be getting paid more (perhaps way more) than almost everyone else on that day's order of play, regardless of gender, or the format they're playing, or how long or competitive or their match actually is?
FWIW, I'm a man.
In the example I gave, Australian Open 2021 the ticket prices for the singles finals were set at the men's quarter final stage, when it was not known who would be in the 2 singles finals.
That was the value the organisers judged they could receive for the respective product on the market.
The market value.
What you talk about already exists in the secondary market for tickets where touts and other secondary markets operate for reselling tickets.
In a similar vein if I buy a ticket for the last game in the Six Nations Rugby, the market value is X when they go on sale in advance. That price to obtain that on a secondary market by the time the last game has come around Ireland will be Y if Ireland are going for a grand slam or Z if they are bottom of the table. So due to specific circumstances.
I'm merely pointing out the relative commerciality of remuneration of the Slams and those other few tournaments versus the real-world commerciality of the vast majority which the other tournaments make up and other sports and which is more connected to the real-world workplace basis for remuneration.
If you're a man, woman or dog it makes no difference to me tbh!
That’s hardly the logical conclusion. The prize pot for each section is determined by level of interest and is distributed based on progression.
But the logical conclusion of the state of affairs you defend is that doubles, wheelchair, etc, deserve equal pay too.
Nah each tournament can choose the balls they want as long as they are regulation size. All players get to practice with the balls being used in the tournaments. Wimbledon use slazenger balls, us open use Wilson, not sure what the French use probably Crivits 😀 and the Australian use Dunlop. Players just prefer some balls over others.
I’m pretty sure that’s not the case. If women tried to play 5 sets you’d have players unable to continue due to cramp and possibly even players vomiting on court.
There is no chance any athlete conditioned to play on average 90 minute matches could suddenly start playing 3 to 4 hour 5 setters.
Surely the women could become fit enough to play 5 sets! Bizarre that they still only play best of 3.
The fitness would come over time. Sure you see it in the men's game especially when players come onto the tour. It takes time to build up the stanima to play 5 setters. I always see the 5 setters like marathons that till you play a couple players will struggle till they get use to playing them. This is why the likes of elder pros on the tour would have an advantage over the younger pros when it came to the slams.
The physical fitness could be increased eventually in the women's game I suppose but the quality of the matches would get worse
Already the ratio of winners (W) to unforced errors (UE) is lower in the women's game - i.e. there are more errors compared to winners in the women's game than in the men's game
Analysis found that 41.3% of the men recorded a W/UFE of 1.0 or more, while only 26% of the women achieved this result.
Moving to 5 sets would only exacerbate this ratio as it gets worse the longer matches go on.
I really liked Medvedev until yesterday’s outburst at the umpire. I thought it was really shocking and am surprised there hasn’t been more of an outcry over it. To abuse an official like that who has no option but to sit there and take it in front of the world. I think he should have been disqualified. Novak accidentally hitting the line judge was minor in comparison. Also imagine the reaction it had been Kyrgyios who had behaved like that. It was really disgusting.
The Aussies have made a show of themselves from start to finish of this. Djokovic’s treatment and then the behaviour of the crowd. It would be great if the platers started to boycott it.
As much as it pains me to say it as I believe he’ll surpass both Nadal and Federer as the GOAT he did himself no favours here. All he had to do was get jabbed, end of.
As for the crowd having played the game since I was a young fella the one thing that goes against tennis is it’s up it’s own hole’ness.
An interested and engaged crowd is exactly what the game needs. It needs people not to think it’s boring old tennis that’s only for elite snobs.
Same with golf.
Let people have fun, cheer, boo, etc.. let the game blossom into something other than an old foggey game full of snobs.
Just thinking, if Medvedev had been disqualified yesterday which he should have been, what a complete joke the tournament would have been, no number 1 or number 2 seed. They couldn’t get rid of him as well after what they did to Novak so it’s been quietly ignored though I think I did hear that he was fined.
I’ve played for years as well and I don’t recognize your description. I have no idea how you can say it’s full of snobs.It’s very difficult to play when there’s a load of noise. I don’t think booing is considered good form in any sport.
Djokovic’s treatment..
They couldn’t get rid of him as well after what they did to Novak...
😂
Continuing to pursue this narrative won't make it any more true.
Anyway, thoughts on tomorrow morning? Should be a close one. Medvedev really should win this, but he might be up against the most motivated Nadal there's ever been. Will probably come down to who's feeling the freshest at this stage of the tournament, which given their respective ages should be Medvedev. I dunno, I'm leaning towards Nadal, but I honestly think it's 50/50 between them.
Yeah I like Medvedev but he definitely crossed the line there. When Serena had her melt down in the US Open final and then played the men do this all the time card (and the tennis world suddenly faced an influx of opinion from people who'd barely ever watched a match) I thought absolutely they do not, I had never seen any player male or female talk to an umpire like she did that night. Medvedev absolutely screaming at the umpire would be up there with it though.
Umpire didn't seem too upset by it anyway 🙂
Don't forget the OG Serena one tho - the 2009 US Open semi-final - where she told that little oriental lady...
 'If I could, I'd shove this ball down your throat and kill you'
That varies a bit from "Are you stupid" etc, even if shouted.
The 2018 US Open final one she came out with "liar", "cheat", " but, because I’m a woman" -> it really seemed like "is it 'cos I'm black" was on her tongue, so much so that it didn't even need to be said the implication was so patent.
The 2009 semi-final actually a decent quality match with a bit of a rivalry history and proper intensity to get behind - don't really see that combination anymore on that tour in the era of multiple fly-by-night WTA GS winners.
On the Med - Nadal match I'm going to stick my neck out and say that I see Nadal being well beaten here - maybe 4 sets but could easily be 3.
Medvedev is a consistent player and good defensively.
And much more accomplished overall compared to their last GS meeting in the US Open final in 2019.
Nadal, especially the later career version, likes to rely more on people making mistakes when applying some pressure to a weakness, as opposed to actually really hitting winners - a la Berrettini and his poor backhand.
Med doesn't really hav,e a glaring weakness, has a dominant serve and can be consistent in long rallies and can also hit a decent amount of winners himself if he is smart in his correct shot selection for the opponent.
Nadal will be really be looking to take the opening set as he knows that he has faded in later sets in this tournament.
Didn't know Mathieu was such a big name on the hipster circuit?
Ah usually when somebody says their favourite song from an artist is some random b side they are a wannabe hipster. I think claiming your favourite player was Mathieu is a similar concept haha
I agree Nadal definitely has to win the first set to have any chance, all those injuries and age are catching up with him now, in his prime he could match any opponent for stamina (Djokovic possibly only exception), so was happy playing long points and wearing down his opponent, he has had to adapt his game in the last few years to shorten points as he can no longer rely on outlasting his opponent.
Medvedev really should win, but, it's definitely not beyond Nadal to do it. Also if Medvedev does win it would be the first time in open history that a male first time slam winner would follow up by winning the next slam.
If Rafa gave up that lengthy routine he'd conserve a lot of energy. It's tiresome even watching it.
No wonder players give out about shot clock consistency- starting it 5-15 seconds afer Nadal point ends. When the 3rd game ended there the 60 second countdown started instantly.
Already looks to be game, set and match. Very difficult to see Nadal winning this one.
Medvedev playing a great game at the moment. I think he had this match he moving Nadal around the court, practically doing to Nadal what nadal has done to many opponents. Think Medvedev is going to be man who will domininate the sport.
Looks ominous indeed for Nadal here, Medvedev just rock solid and impossible to hit through. Nadal's forehand pretty feeble today so far, think he'll need a big drop in Medvedev's level to stand any chance.
Nadal has never won a hardcourt GS final having lost the first set.
Medvedev is like a wall everything coming back. I have never seen someone sweat as much as Nadal.
Aww that's a shame, surely all over now. For all his talents I don't think Nadal is getting out of this hole!
Unusual elongated set there where Med's serving level dropped way off
Not a fan of Nadal's pusher slice stuff tbh
But Med asked himself again "What would Novak do?" and came up clutch in the breaker at 3-5 down
He has broken the heart of the dogged grizzled warhorse.
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