# Tennis 2017 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 24, 2017, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085 "2017-01-24T22:37:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/81 "2017-07-16T15:16:43Z")
Roger wins Wimbledon; in straight sets. Title no 8, Grand Slam No 19. Did not drop a set all tournament. Greatest of all time. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/82 "2017-07-16T15:19:22Z")
After those brutal defeats to Djokovic a few years back, I didn’t think Federer had another slam in him and now he has two, this one without losing a set. His late career has been truly astonishing, in its own away as impressive as his peak period. His ability to hang in there, absorb those defeats, consistently reach the semis and finals and then take the opportunity when it presents itself. ---
**Author:** ![abashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@abashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abashed)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/83 "2017-07-16T16:04:29Z")
With due respect to Cilic, I don’t really think he was a worthy opponent for Roger. It would have been more of a contest if Roger had played a fit, on-form Murray or Djokovic, but there ya go! Anyway, an eighth Wimbledon title and an indelible mark in sporting history. Roger has to be one of the greats of all time. Pity Nadal had to be knocked out so early but grass isn’t his best surface. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/84 "2017-07-16T20:03:10Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Roger wins Wimbledon; in straight sets. > Title no 8, Grand Slam No 19. > Did not drop a set all tournament. > > Greatest of all time. It’s definite now. I hope I live long enough to see another like him. I’m glad I’m old enough to remember watching him play. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/85 "2017-07-16T21:42:23Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > After those brutal defeats to Djokovic a few years back, I didn’t think Federer had another slam in him and now he has two, this one without losing a set. His late career has been truly astonishing, in its own away as impressive as his peak period. His ability to hang in there, absorb those defeats, consistently reach the semis and finals and then take the opportunity when it presents itself. Heh. Consider this: even _Federer_ would admit he can’t do now what he did back when, since that’s _why_ he took time off before winning the Australian Open, and then skipped the French Open before winning Wimbledon now, right? That’s smart of him; it’s sensible of him; these championships are the result, or why else is he doing it? So what if he’d started the get-rest-and-skip-clay plan maybe five years ago? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/86 "2017-07-16T23:00:52Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > So what if he’d started the get-rest-and-skip-clay plan maybe five years ago? > > :eek: I don’t know, but I don’t think he’ll be playing clay for the rest of his pro career. It isn’t worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/87 "2017-07-17T17:03:47Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > My thoughts, although I could very well be wrong: > > 1. To quote Fareed Zakaria, it’s not about the fall of America. It’s about the rise of the world. Training programs and athletic funding has improved around the world. We would have never had a guy from Serbia like Djokovic in 1990. > > 2. Bad luck?? We had Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Michael Chang, and Andy Murray. We now have Isner, Querrey, Donald Young(what a bomb he ended up being), and a few others. Is it just bad luck finding great players? > > 3. Foreign players are coming to the US to train? I don’t know if this is true, but I thought it was true for a player like Maria Sharapova. Good points, although I would have thought #3 ought to argue in favour of more US talent being available, either due to players taking that route and becoming naturalised US citizens (a la Navratilova) or simply increasing the level of domestic competition. Then again, maybe these days there is much less of a need to take on the nationality of your adopted country - you can have your cake and eat it, as it were. Federer did have it relatively easy this year, but of course he makes it look easier than it is, and a big reason for his success and longevity (as opposed to Nadal and, it seems, Djokovic) is his style of play and approach to the game. That’s one of the reasons he is the GOAT, instead of Nadal. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/88 "2017-07-17T17:13:07Z")
Well, I was half right :): > [@Is Andy Murray the "new king" for mens tennis in 2017?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-andy-murray-the-new-king-for-mens-tennis-in-2017/777591/6): > > I’m going to make the same prediction here as I have made for the last 2 or 3 years - Federer will win one more Grand Slam this year, and then retire, either immediately or at the end of the season (probably the former). And Wimbledon is probably the one at which he has the best chance, though clearly he’s still got it in him to beat Murray next week. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/89 "2017-07-18T02:14:54Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Given I was growing up when Sampras and Agassi dominated Men’s tennis (and there were other strong players such as Chang), I find the stats about the US decline astonishing. What is being done about it by the US tennis authorities? The LTA must have done something right over the last 20 years to get British tennis from where it was then to where it is now (alleged lack of support for Murray notwithstanding). During the Olympics, they were running clips about the difference between American sports and other countries, especially former Iron Curtain countries. Here in the US, our top athletes are often kids from well-to-do homes whose parents bear the exorbitant cost of training, often while living at home. We also have the benefit of a well-organized and expansive collegiate programs, which is quite unlike other countries. For tennis, collegiate programs serve as quasi-minor league, but also inevitably blocks many potential “stars” from going pro because it’s much “safer” to accept a full scholarship and come out with a 4-year degree than to risk going pro and hoping to be successful enough to make a career of it. Contrast this to other countries, where athletes are hand-selected at a very young age based on their physical attributes and pedigree (e.g. dad was a pro player), and they are most often taken from their homes and rigorously trained in state-paid academies. The state-sponsored programs also support their top athletes by bearing the expenses associated with entering regional ATP tournaments, etc. It’s really a different mindset, one which Americans were slow to embrace. In the 70s and 80s, the USTA’s mission was been primarily to get more people to play tennis; it didn’t really get involved with the development of top players, perhaps because private academies (e.g. Evert, Bolletieri, Saviano, SaddleBrook) were filling that niche. However, as US men’s tennis talent started falling, and women’s tennis began rising, I think we had a mind shift. The USTA recently opened an academy in Florida that will focus exclusively on developing American talent. So we shall see what comes of that. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/90 "2017-07-18T03:25:32Z")
It feels like flop after flop with American men lately. I feel bad for these guys because some of them are actually great players, but none have been able to be consistent top 5 or top 10 players. We’ve watched the following\* not\* make it to the level we hoped they would. Donald Young John Isner Sam Querrey Jack Sock ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/91 "2017-07-19T12:25:56Z")
Some actual levity at snobby ole Wimbledon as some retired women players played a exhibition round robin, between Kim Cljisters, Renee Stubbs, Conchita Martinez and Andrea Jaeger. Portly guy told Kim to serve into Conchita body and Kim and Conchita got him to come out and receive Kim’s serve. Put a white skirt and white jacket on him Here is long clip, skip to the ~13 minute mark for the incident [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/H5ZwUI5sFuw/hqdefault.jpg "Wimbledon 2017 Kim Clijsters gives man tennis skirt for hit at Wimbledon 2017") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5ZwUI5sFuw) ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/92 "2017-07-26T02:43:57Z")
Djokovic might not play the U.S. Open. Elbow injury. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/93 "2017-08-05T14:49:53Z")
Wawinka out for the season…Andy Murray iffy. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/94 "2017-08-12T01:17:17Z")
This run that Shapovalov is on is pretty fun. He could’ve lost any of the matches, so I’m not sure how meaningful it is in terms of how he’ll do in the future, but it’s great entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/95 "2017-08-12T01:19:03Z")
Forgot to mention it earlier, but I watched Alexander Zverev win the Citi Open last weekend – he’s only 20 but he looked terrific, at least by my judgment, and he might be one of the next big things in tennis. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/96 "2017-08-12T03:47:05Z")
It has been a good year for teenagers or recent teenagers with Russian last names from Germany and Canada. And now they get to play each other! I am giving a slight edge to Zverev this time. I bet it won’t be their last meeting. I really had hopes for some Americans this year, specifically Querrey and Sock, but these guys are almost making up for my disappointments. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/97 "2017-08-14T03:50:45Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Forgot to mention it earlier, but I watched Alexander Zverev win the Citi Open last weekend – he’s only 20 but he looked terrific, at least by my judgment, and he might be one of the next big things in tennis. And he just defeated Federer to win the Rogers Cup. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2017, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/98 "2017-08-21T04:00:19Z")
Melanie Oudin, who had that great run to the 2009 Quarterfinals of the US Open, has retired. Injuries, health problems. She did not have the career she hoped for. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/99 "2017-08-29T17:07:53Z")
Sharapova beats Halep in round 1. Seems a little unfair to a #2 seed to face a quality player like Sharapova in Round 1. Murray WDs after the seeds are announced but before his first round match, The top 2 seeds are scheduled to meet in the semis instead of the finals. There ought to be a way to rectify this situation. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085/100 "2017-08-29T18:08:55Z")
I really felt for Halep in that match. That should have been at least a quarterfinal, but what are you gonna do? Sharapova came in unseeded, so those things happen. And I don’t know what you’re gonna do about the top two seeds meeting in the semis, but really, a lot of times the semis have more quality tennis than the final. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-2017/778085.md?page=6)