# U.S. Open \[TENNIS\] **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 29, 2011, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476 "2011-08-29T06:42:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/41 "2011-09-01T03:49:45Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Yeah, I have no idea why they don’t. Isn’t it displayed right there in the stadium? It might just be a cultural thing. The radar gun has a place in baseball lore and I don’t think tennis fans feel the same way about it. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/42 "2011-09-01T03:51:39Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Yeah, I have no idea why they don’t. Isn’t it displayed right there in the stadium? Yes it is. there is a display on the far left side of the court, right next to where the ball-kid stands during the point. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/43 "2011-09-01T04:45:02Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Another thing that bugs me: When there is a full compliment of linesmen, the middle guy right behind the server gets into position (hands on knee with focus) as if he is going to make the call. It is not going to be his call, it is the call of the linesman behind the returner. (Maybe it is just to keep him awake) He can call a foot fault if the server moves his foot across the central hash mark into the other side of the court - I saw such a foot fault in Cincinnati. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/44 "2011-09-01T12:30:16Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Venus has been diagnosed with Sjrogen’s Syndrome. not sure if this link will work with the swedish letters: [Sjögren's disease - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sj%C3%B6gren's_syndrome) . You can google it if it doesn’t. It’s actually spelled “Sjogren,” and not “Sjrogen.” My mother has had this syndrome for years, in conjunction with Scleroderma, an even nastier autoimmune disease. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/45 "2011-09-01T13:30:33Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > He can call a foot fault if the server moves his foot across the central hash mark into the other side of the court - I saw such a foot fault in Cincinnati. Yes I guess that is true, I had not thought of that. I guess that is why (s)he gets into position. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/46 "2011-09-01T14:55:18Z")
Damn, a friend has [Sjögren’s Syndrome](http://www.sjogrens.org/home/about-sjogrens-syndrome), this is a huge loss for women’s tennis. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/47 "2011-09-01T20:55:29Z")
> [@Implicit](#): > > this is a huge loss for women’s tennis. Venus insists she is going to resume playing once she gets used to dealing with her medication. From what I saw, Federer looked really good against Sela. Serena won easily again. No big upsets so far, but Juan Carlos Ferrero just won the fourth set in his match against Monfils. It’s been really tight the whole way: 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-7 (5), 6-4. The Mosquito just knows how to hang in there. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/48 "2011-09-01T21:11:31Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Venus insists she is going to resume playing once she gets used to dealing with her medication. > > From what I saw, Federer looked really good against Sela. Serena won easily again. No big upsets so far, but Juan Carlos Ferrero just won the fourth set in his match against Monfils. It’s been really tight the whole way: 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-7 (5), 6-4. The Mosquito just knows how to hang in there. Monfils making wonderful plays..he lacks focus at times I must say. Ferrero does hang in there. Tomic is getting a spanking now from Cilic. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/49 "2011-09-01T21:15:16Z")
Monfils must have a dinner reservation he doesn’t want to miss. He immediately dropped serve to start the fifth set, nearly got broken in his second service game, and he’s in trouble again here. Ferrero leads 3-1. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/50 "2011-09-02T01:17:07Z")
Wozniacki’s match was a snooze fest. The poor girl, Rus, just couldn’t win a point to save her life. BTW, there was a black commentator, whose name I cannot recall, who asked Johnnie Mac the question that has plagued me for years: “Why do they only give the players 3 balls, when there are 4 sides? The players always pause on that last ball, trying to decide which side to disappoint.” THANK YOU. Oh, and good job, Sloan Johnson, taking down Peer! ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/51 "2011-09-02T01:44:29Z")
If the black commentator is a man, my guess is Mal Washington. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/52 "2011-09-02T03:00:03Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > BTW, there was a black commentator, whose name I cannot recall, who asked Johnnie Mac the question that has plagued me for years: “Why do they only give the players 3 balls, when there are 4 sides? The players always pause on that last ball, trying to decide which side to disappoint.” when there are 4 sides? I don’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/53 "2011-09-02T03:05:48Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > when there are 4 sides? I don’t understand. I assume she means in a stadium court, with fans on four sides. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/54 "2011-09-02T03:32:18Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > when there are 4 sides? I don’t understand. At the end of a match on a show court, the winning player is given 3 tennis balls to sign and hit into the crowd. This means they end up hitting one to each of three sides of the stadium, and leaving one side ignored. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/55 "2011-09-02T13:42:48Z")
Djokovic looks very, very sharp at this point. I’m not sure what to think of his behavior in the 3rd set of his match against Berlocq. I’ve always thought that he has a great sense of humor and enjoy him immensely, but realize that some people interpret it as cockiness. (See his YouTube video parodying Nadal’s video with Shakira for one example.) So even I winced when he did the fist pump after winning the 1,269th point off the dude. I noted that it drew boos and jeers, and I think he probably deserved it. Still, there’s something to be said about a player with a real personality for a change of pace… And then in his post-match interview! I mean, “I played outstanding tennis.” was 100% accurate, but would it have killed him to try and be a teeny, tiny bit modest? Come on, Nole, you’re as cute as a button but there’s something to be said for being a gracious winner. Otherwise, people will continually root for your opponent. P.S. I loved him challenging McEnroe to another match. Other notes: I still don’t love Chris Evert as a commentator, although she’s improved since Wimbledon. And she’s also better than Tracy Austin, whose tinny voice drove me crazy. But I still prefer Navratilova and Carrillo over Evert. And I also love the Patrick/John combo. Darren Cahill does great work, but he’s been relegated to the timeout box. 🙂 ---
**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:** [September 2, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/56 "2011-09-02T15:40:14Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Other notes: I still don’t love Chris Evert as a commentator, although she’s improved since Wimbledon. And she’s also better than Tracy Austin, whose tinny voice drove me crazy. But I still prefer Navratilova and Carrillo over Evert. > > And I also love the Patrick/John combo. Darren Cahill does great work, but he’s been relegated to the timeout box. 🙂 Oh, do I agree about Evert. She just isn’t good at commentating or any other part of tv sports presenting. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/57 "2011-09-02T17:28:08Z")
**PunditLisa** : Honesty about well a player played is a good change of pace in itself. I’m tired of the faux modesty you hear from all athletes after they annihilated an opponent. Novak did exactly that, annihilate his poor punching bag of an opponent and he told us exactly why. That said, I’d much prefer to hear someone talk about how great they are (at least when it’s obviously true) versus how badly an opponent played, if we are wanting truth from the players. It’s still perfectly classy not to bring up how badly an opponent played or how outclassed they were. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/58 "2011-09-02T20:34:45Z")
Sharapova imploded…(12 double faults and 60 unforced errors) Penetta hung in there. Murray is in a dogfight with Haase. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/59 "2011-09-02T20:34:58Z")
So i just heard that Sharapova is out. Crazy year at fhe US Open for the women. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476/60 "2011-09-02T20:40:41Z")
oooh double post about Sharapova!!😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-open-tennis/594476.md?page=4)