Djokovic takes Federer down in five sets, the final set 7-5. Wow!
Poor Roger loses another semi-final after having two match points. He is never going to win another slam, is he? Oh well, we have the memories…
Great 1st semi-final. I wonder if this is going to be another case where the semi-finalist and finalist opponents tag team to take down a giant. That’s how Federer started getting beat. It wasn’t either match singularly, but the two match combination that wore him down.
I was a bit dismayed how lackluster Federer’s play was for sets 3 & 4. Painful. And to have two match points! Ah, well, that’s the way the ball bounces.
It’s tradition, but it acknowledges reality somewhat. There is absolutely no movement in that direction. The women don’t want to play best of five, and that’s really the beginning and end of the discussion.
It’s only recently that the women started getting equal pay at the majors. It’s not going to change back.
And the finals of some other events. But this is generally correct. Most of the other tournaments are best of three.
I am not sure about the “spectator interest” part. The Williamses and Sharapova, to name a few, are very popular. Men’s and women’s tennis are much closer to equal in popularity than, say, men’s and women’s basketball.
No. Not a chance. Serena Williams’ speed and power allow her to dominate the WTA when she is healthy, but they’d be unremarkable on the men’s side. A journeyman would take her apart. She wouldn’t admit that, but she seems to know it. For most of her career - since a journeyman named Karsten Braasch beat both Serena and Venus in one-set exhibitions - she has avoided the question and those matches.
And that’s a very tough loss for Federer. If you can get to match point on Djokovic in the semis you’re good enough to win a major, but he couldn’t seal the deal. We’ll see if Murray can make a dent in Nadal’s game. So far there are hints that Murray is feeling the effects of his previous matches.
Why doesn’t Murray ever get warned on swearing? He drops the F-bomb all the time.
BTY beautiful night for tennis.
Geez… the biggest match in years Woz versus Serena is on the cusp and the silly bar room discussion of the best woman versus the 100th ranked man is STILL going on? Vitas G God rest his soul would be grinning right now…
I’ve never been comfortable with this subject which aside from Martina has primarily been brought up concerning the Williams sisters… I think the connotations are pretty clear and its slightly disturbing!!!
If I were either I wouldn’t comment on nor entertain the discussion… Was this bandied about when Steffi was dominating?? When Tracy A was briefly on top??
As for the big match… Woz can say whatever she wants… this is the big time… and if she wants to even let number one come out of her mouth… this is it… Far as I’m concerned she’s like a boxer who got her title through a drug test infraction or suspension…
That’s the biggest match in years? Why?
I don’t think so any more. As I mentioned up-thread, some of the Masters Series finals used to be best of five, but that changed about 5 years ago. Even the ATP World Tour Final is best of three throughout. The only other best-of-five I can think of was the 18U boys’ championship final at Kalamazoo, but that went to best of 3 this year.
Which is an appropriate lead in to congratulate the Kalamazoo winner, Jack Sock, for winning the US Open Mixed Doubles with Melanie Oudin.
Davis cup is best of 5.
That was already mentioned.
Lauper’s rendition of our national anthem was pretty. well, exxept the butchering of the lyrics, which was truly unfortunate.
First time since 2002 that Federer has failed to win a Grand slam.
He actually had a pretty good year, though. I mean, for him it wasn’t great, but he did continue to reach the Quarters in all tournaments.
Semis at Australia
Final at the French
Quarters at Wimbledon
Semis at US Open
Well, yes, but there’s a huge difference when you’re one the ascending part of the curve vs. the descending.
This is a guy who routinely reached all four finals in a year and won 2 or 3 of them. Its an awful year AFAHIC.
Let’s not forget that Fed is on the wrong side of 30 and very few players win slams at that age. Comparing his slam record at 30 with Sampras is quite interesting. He is almost exactly ten years younger than Sampras. In 2001 Sampras reached the US open final but couldn’t even reach the quarter final in any of other slam. At Wimbledon he was beaten by an exciting young talent called Roger Federer. The next year he didn’t reach the quarter till the US open where he beat Agassi in the final.
I am guessing that is what Federer wants; to finish his career on a high with one last slam preferably against Nadal or Djokovic. Of course both of them are probably better than anyone in 2001/2002.
I think he’ll win one more slam, especially if Nadal or Djoker are injured for one of them in the next couple years.
He wants to play long enough for his girls to remember him playing, too. They are two, now. He’ll probably play another 4 years, at least. He seems like he could last as long as Agassi, who played until 36. That gives him 6 years.
I could have sworn the finals in Miami and a few others were best of five, but it looks like not. So much for that.
Yes, congrats to them! Sock seems to be headed for big things.
Navratilova played a match against Connors in 1992, so I’m going to say yes.
Wozniacki didn’t invent the points system, so I think it’s a little unfair when people blame her for the ranking. It’s true that she is very consistent, but also true that she plays a ton of events. She’s not the best player on the tour, but then again, the other best players have either missed time or just been erratic. I know she’s still going to be #1 after this tournament, but I’m curious to see how the rankings look. Anyway I think she’d be better served to play fewer tournaments so she can take some time to work on her offense.
Yeah. IIRC from the last time I looked this up the list of people who’ve won a Slam after 30 (since the 80s) is: Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi. And that’s it. There are twice as many players who’ve won multiple slams but none after turning 26. (Bjorn Borg, John MacEnroe, Mats Wilander, Jim Courier, Gustavo Kuerten, Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin, Sergi Brugera)