Thank god Tsonga put a stop to the Isner marathon stuff before it got silly again.
Got No 1 Court tickets for yesterday, Middle Sunday is so much fun! Kuznetsova/Stephens was a thriller, Sweta just threw everything at her towards the end. Didn't feel like a Sloane choke because there was never any momentum in the match...both players had patches of awful errors that seemed to come at random (ditto their winners).
Lopez was clearly just a bit too fatigued to push Kyrgios like yesterday, he didn't roll over but he was chuntering away to his box from the first game. Ultimately a Lopez without a first serve and volleys isn't a pretty sight (unlike his ass in those obscenely tight shorts). Kyrgios hit a few astonishing BH crosscourt passes.
Vesely/Sousa...by the second set I looked around and literally 10 people in my immediate vicinity were on their phones. Sousa was absolutely atrocious, could barely hit a groundstroke.
Saw some incredible junior drama at the end of the day. First saw 15yo Iga Swiatek when I went to Les Petits As for work last year (biggest U14 tournament in the world, she reached the SF iirc) and she was playing against Usue Maitane Arconada, three years older and basically outhitting her on every point. Came back from 1-5 in the final set but just couldn't get it done, lost 9-7 in the third and was in floods of tears even before she got to the handshake. Sad to see but she's one to watch and will def be winning this sort of match next year.
― the hallouminati (lex pretend), Monday, 4 July 2016 06:03 (seven years ago) link
your last 16s for Manic Monday! I got 10/16 each, not bad, quite happy I picked Doi and Johnson in particular.
(1) Serena Williams vs. (13) Svetlana Kuznetsova(21) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. (27) Coco Vandeweghe(3) Agnieszka Radwanska vs. (19) Dominika CibulkovaEkaterina Makarova vs. Elena Vesnina(5) Simona Halep vs. (9) Madison KeysMisaki Doi vs. (4) Angelique Kerber(8) Venus Williams vs. (12) Carla Suárez NavarroYaroslava Shvedova vs. (28) Lucie Safarova
(28) Sam Querrey vs. Nicolas Mahut(11) David Goffin vs. (6) Milos Raonic(3) Roger Federer vs. Steve Johnson(9) Marin Cilic vs. (5) Kei NishikoriJiri Vesely vs. (10) Tomas Berdych(19) Bernard Tomic vs. (32) Lucas Pouille(7) Richard Gasquet vs. (12) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga(15) Nick Kyrgios vs. (2) Andy Murray
― the hallouminati (lex pretend), Monday, 4 July 2016 06:04 (seven years ago) link
And Kerber is yr first QF-ist.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 4 July 2016 11:47 (seven years ago) link
Hey, A-Rad/Domi has just got good! Domi was so strong on the important points, helped by Aga missing some putaways, often hitting it back to her. The game where Domi tried to serve it out at 5-4 in the second was terrific in places, the really long rally at... deuce? It ended on a sad error but was terrific moving and punching. Aga's retrieved from 3-5 to take the second 7-5.
These two have such a great rivalry right now! Hard to believe Aga once double bageled her in the final at Sydney once. So, so happy to have Domi back as a threat!
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 4 July 2016 12:23 (seven years ago) link
I put a fiver on A-Rad at the start of the tournament. Hopefully I can cash that out if she survives this.
However, more smartly, I put a fiver on Cilic when Djokovic lost!
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 4 July 2016 12:25 (seven years ago) link
Aga/Domi is another nailbiter.
― They could have been Stackridge. (Tom D.), Monday, 4 July 2016 12:55 (seven years ago) link
Holy shit that game at 5-5. I love both of these women so much.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 4 July 2016 13:18 (seven years ago) link
Jeez-o, this is tense.
― They could have been Stackridge. (Tom D.), Monday, 4 July 2016 13:23 (seven years ago) link
I put a fiver on Cilic when Djokovic lost!
Aye, last time Nole opened the door for Fed in a Slam, Cilic promptly shut it. May happen Wednesday.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 4 July 2016 13:33 (seven years ago) link
turn on wimbledon for five minutes and cibulkova/radwanska provides the greatest rally i've seen in women's tennis, ever
― imago, Monday, 4 July 2016 13:39 (seven years ago) link
;_; Aga. But what a way to go.
― They could have been Stackridge. (Tom D.), Monday, 4 July 2016 13:44 (seven years ago) link
can you think of a greater game to win a match, jesus
― imago, Monday, 4 July 2016 13:45 (seven years ago) link
gawd the injustice. One had to lose, the other's gonna be gassed. Cibulkova deserves to make the final rather than face Serena in the SF.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 4 July 2016 13:45 (seven years ago) link
Then there was another one nearly as good!
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 4 July 2016 13:47 (seven years ago) link
that set was right up there with that Kuznetsova/Schiavone epic, oh oh oh and Rubin/Sanchez-Vicario from the 1996 Australian.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 4 July 2016 13:50 (seven years ago) link
yeah i mean i only showed for the last two games and that alone was titanic
― imago, Monday, 4 July 2016 13:52 (seven years ago) link
Here's your stats for the third set, containing 16 games:
Domi: 33W/21UEAga: 18W/6UE
Damn.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 4 July 2016 13:59 (seven years ago) link
Man, I just missed all this.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 4 July 2016 14:15 (seven years ago) link
that rally i was talking about is here in full, if bbc links work overseas: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/36704059
― imago, Monday, 4 July 2016 14:26 (seven years ago) link
Yeah that was pretty nuts!
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 4 July 2016 14:36 (seven years ago) link
If you weren't watching Sveta/Serena just then, poor you.
BEAUTIFUL defence to score a break for Sveta! She'll serve for the first.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 4 July 2016 14:47 (seven years ago) link
And she'll fail, then play will be suspended.
Hopefully it'll be patchy drops and not get in the way of Goffin de-Raonicising the tournament.
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Monday, 4 July 2016 14:59 (seven years ago) link
"cibulkova/radwanska"
this was so awesome. very glad i watched it. almost the exact opposite of the dull match that was happening at the same time with the american whose name i can't remember right now...
― scott seward, Monday, 4 July 2016 15:04 (seven years ago) link
Murray dismantling Kyrgios is amazing
― volumetric god rays (DJP), Monday, 4 July 2016 17:35 (seven years ago) link
great work edwardo, kuznetsova didn't win another game and raonic degoffined the tournament instead
― imago, Monday, 4 July 2016 17:46 (seven years ago) link
Switched on to see a zombified Kryrgios go through the motions. #retireAlready
― xyzzzz__, Monday, 4 July 2016 18:11 (seven years ago) link
What happened to Gasquet? I'm not exactly rushing home for Vesely-Berdych.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 4 July 2016 18:17 (seven years ago) link
Cibulkova/Radwanska = match of the year after Radwanska/Vinci? And at least Domi's QF opponent also went 9-7 today (Vesnina/Makarova was a thriller too, quality not as superlative but incredibly tense - can't believe Vesnina closed it out in the end, first Slam QF for her!)
Gasquet and Nishikori both came out obviously hobbled, obvious Gasquet (against an opponent fresh of a 19-17 fifth set yesterday) threw in the towel first. Nishikori's first set lasted 16 minutes, which is only 6 more than THAT 5-5 game between Domi and Aga.
All these years I've seen Pavlyuchenkova be utterly clueless on grass (including the second set of her R1 here vs Hsieh, she was totally saved by the rain) and suddenly she makes the QF? Not that I'm complaining when Vandeweghe loses.
Goffin losing from two sets up vs Raonic makes me livid, luckily I had the Pouille/Tomic epic to console myself with. Pouille is so good, multiple highlight reel shots. Tried his best to throw it away as well but inevitably Tomic tired first.
Murray/Kyrgios had all the intensity of an exhibition between two mates, which is sort of what it was. Curious that for such a supposed ~bad boy, Kyrgios can be so wholly deferential when he puts his mind to it.
― the hallouminati (lex pretend), Monday, 4 July 2016 19:20 (seven years ago) link
I'm not sure we got the best QFs possible out of that. (Oh yeah, Keys never seems to get major injuries but without fail some minor niggle happens to her at the most ill-timed moment possible? This is a pattern now. Sheer bad luck or psychosomatic?)
Women's QFs:
(1) Serena Williams vs. (21) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova(19) Dominika Cibulkova vs. Elena Vesnina(5) Simona Halep vs. (4) Angelique Kerber(8) Venus Williams vs. Yaroslava Shvedova
S.Williams 5-0 PavlyuchenkovaCibulkova 3-3 Vesnina (Vesnina 1-0 on grass, Cibulkova 2-0 since 2009)Halep 3-1 Kerber (Kerber 1-0 this year)V.Williams 0-0 Shvedova (!!!!)
― the hallouminati (lex pretend), Monday, 4 July 2016 19:25 (seven years ago) link
Williams final would just mean Serena wins, right? still, for nostalgia buffs, you can't beat it.
― scott seward, Monday, 4 July 2016 19:45 (seven years ago) link
Vesely-Berdych not bad, actually. Tomas failed to serve it out and now it's 5-5 in the 4th. Pavic/Venus-J Murray/Soares are 12-12 in the 5th (I guess they've gone back to best-of-5 from the last sixteen onwards in the Men's Doubles) after nearly five hours.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 4 July 2016 19:58 (seven years ago) link
Vesely-Berdych some way above "not bad" now. Berdych has triple match point at 5-6 0/40, Vesely wins 11pts of 12 to level and go five set-points up in t/b. Vesely pushes sitter into tramlines with set at mercy. They switch Hawkeye off due to darkness. Berdych saves another s/p with shot on line (no challenge available). Now a correction / play-two on match point to Berdych.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 4 July 2016 20:18 (seven years ago) link
9-9 in the breaker. 9:20pm and overcast. Berdych claimed he wanted to come off 20min ago.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 4 July 2016 20:20 (seven years ago) link
Vesely takes set with a drop-shot. Now Berdych wants to play the 5th set on Centre.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 4 July 2016 20:22 (seven years ago) link
back tom.
― xyzzzz__, Monday, 4 July 2016 20:28 (seven years ago) link
Didn't know a Berdych match could be that fun. Loved it, excited for the 5th.
Great day. Radwanska/Cibulkova was a NID classic, lol @ anyone with a ground pass not RUSHING to court 3. Serena's 2nd set under the roof was also holy. Doi/Kerber was also far better than that scoreline. SAD FOR DOI :(
Speaking of NID, Murray/Kyrgios was useless as ever.
― uberweiss, Monday, 4 July 2016 20:33 (seven years ago) link
in that match, with the number 10 guy against the unranked guy, the commentator said: "Never underestimate the importance of playing the winning patterns." which basically meant that the number 10 guy could win because he knew how to win. because he had won before. my college dorm room mind was blown off its hinges!
words to live by though. gonna remember that one.
but then the number 10 guy lost. he forgot the winning patterns. plus, it was dark.
― scott seward, Monday, 4 July 2016 20:36 (seven years ago) link
seriously! I didn't even bother watching until Vesely was down 2-5 in the fourth which turned out to be exactly the time to start watching. lol @ Berdych complaining about the darkness the minute he went down in the TB.
he was right that they should have moved it to Centre though.
― the hallouminati (lex pretend), Tuesday, 5 July 2016 10:41 (seven years ago) link
Drama of umpire (who had practically lost his voice) barking CORRECTION on Berdych's baseline call on m/p. And Berdych wasting two minutes of light complaining about darkness at change of ends. I had that on the laptop and the marathon doubles on the TV (suspended at 13-13 after multi-deuce game). What a mixed bag of a Manic Monday. Two retirements, three non-events on Centre but elsewhere a good measure of madness.
― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 5 July 2016 11:00 (seven years ago) link
sorry everyone. but srsly now I know why England had to go around colonising the world, needed SOMETHING to do during rain delays
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Tuesday, 5 July 2016 11:07 (seven years ago) link
this isn't the first time berdych got fucked by the umpires because of the light. happened two years ago as well against cilic so i understand his frustration.
― groovemaaan, Tuesday, 5 July 2016 11:15 (seven years ago) link
Yeah but the time to complain was at 5-5, did he think they were gonna stop mid-TB? Vesely collapsed today anyway for, again, a less interesteing QF line-up:
(28) Sam Querrey vs. (6) Milos Raonic(3) Roger Federer vs. (9) Marin Cilic(10) Tomas Berdych vs. (32) Lucas Pouille(12) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. (2) Andy Murray
Querrey 2-1 Raonic (1-0 on grass, 1-0 at Slams)Federer 5-1 Cilic (1-1 at Slams)Berdych 0-0 PouilleMurray 12-3 Tsonga (5-1 on grass, 3-1 at Slams plus 1-0 in juniors)
― the hallouminati (lex pretend), Tuesday, 5 July 2016 12:53 (seven years ago) link
In the circumstances, pretty happy that Berdych is through (three breaks to Vesely's one in today's deciding set).
NINE breaks of serve in the Halep-Kerber opener; AK takes it 7-5.
― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 5 July 2016 12:54 (seven years ago) link
turn it on for ten minutes and shvedova tanks the first set tiebreak with 4 consecutive UEs from 5-2 up
not the same as yesterday's turn it on for ten minutes experiment lol
― imago, Tuesday, 5 July 2016 13:18 (seven years ago) link
Kerber-Venus SF? Drool!
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Tuesday, 5 July 2016 13:43 (seven years ago) link
Vesely is back on court shortly in his *first round* mixed doubles. They're playing third round matches today too. They're taking a pretty relaxed attitude to the backlog elsewhere, with the outstanding r2 women's doubles not scheduled until 4th on court 8. Putting the brakes on the catch-up could be Serena-Venus-related, I guess. They're due on this evening (r3).
― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 5 July 2016 14:27 (seven years ago) link
I was amazed Vesnina not only went back out for her doubles with Makarova yesterday evening but came back from a set down.
Good to see Halep fight for once but she is so much further away from a Slam title than she was in 2013-14 imo. Her game has been kind of wrecked by the constant chorus back then of "she has to be more aggressive". No, counterpunching worked for her and horrible errors don't have a good enough pay-off!
Wonderful story for Venus. First Slam SF in six years at the age of 36!
― the hallouminati (lex pretend), Tuesday, 5 July 2016 14:42 (seven years ago) link
PEDs are an amazing thing
― k3vin k., Tuesday, 5 July 2016 14:43 (seven years ago) link
Lendl effect paying off for Vesnina :Dhttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/CmnLf-4WgAAL5A0.jpg
― cerealbar, Tuesday, 5 July 2016 16:03 (seven years ago) link
Cilic takes the first set against Federer in tb (4), Raonic-Querrey 64
― willem, Wednesday, 6 July 2016 12:57 (seven years ago) link