Tennis!

[Dan]

Dokic didn't knock Venus out.

[IAceI]

I'm guessing that might have meant to be "once" at the end. Although the only time they've played and Dokic has won is 2000 in the Italian Open. Not a massive event to say the least.

Also what are Australian's views on Dokic. I know her dad's a bit of a nutjob, he threatened to bomb Australia didn't he? She's obviously not Australian (well lets face it, not many people are.) So she's a Serb-Croat (so Yugoslav) who went to Australia and became a citizen and in tournaments was recognised as an Aussie. Fair enough. Then at the Aussie Open her father said the draw was fixed against her, and I dunno if she backed him - but she certainly didn't disagree with him - and she became known as Yugoslavian again. She's had pretty much all of her success with during her time as a Yugoslav, then obviously everything totally went into meltdown - she left her family and turned up wanting to make a comeback using the Aussie Facilities and be known as Aussie again.

No doubt he father has played a huge role in her life, whether right or wrong, but at the same time it took her a long time to finally breakaway from him and get a new coach. And obviously now things are on the mend both personally and with tennis, so that's a great sign.

[-A-]

Also what are Australian's views on Dokic. I know her dad's a bit of a nutjob, he threatened to bomb Australia didn't he? She's obviously not Australian (well lets face it, not many people are.) So she's a Serb-Croat (so Yugoslav) who went to Australia and became a citizen and in tournaments was recognised as an Aussie.

She's lived in Australia since she was 11, that's enough to be legitimately Aussie IMO.

EDIT: Actually, it seems like she started training in the US a couple of years after she hit it big. Still, her formative years were spent in Australia long before her tennis career started, so I think representing Australia is perfectly legitimate.

Edited January 23, 2009 by -A-

[IAceI]

Not my point. Anyways I'm of the ilk that you are the nationality of your parents/ancestry whatever.

So to me she's Serbian-Croatian. I've not made any mention that her representing Australia is a bad thing though. In fact, I was meant to put in "which I don't disagree with" after saying she'd gone to Australia but that's too little too late. I wanted to know what Australia's make of her - they seem to love her right now - but surely there must be a little concern with how she sorta flip flopped from Australian to Yugoslavian, because they thought her draw (which was made live on TV in the same way all other draws are (seeds put in and non seeds picked at random)) where she got Lindsay Davenport in the first round, was unfair.

So yeah. I have no problem with her representing Australia, although I don't actually see her as Australian as such. I can probably get a list together of a hundred different people in tennis right now who have a claim to be a different nationality based on their parents nationalities and where they were born. But that'd be a waste of my time.

[Mongrel]

Views on her are pretty positive, but that generally rings true for any one who is successful at sport. The knives really come out when sportspeople struggle in Australia (i.e. Hewitt and Dellaqua at the moment).

[IAceI]

I think that's a right shame because Hewitt is synonymous with Australian tennis and probably done a lot of work to promote it and make it what it is today. Take the pitchforks out to Guccione, no one gets by on their serve more than him. Oh wait... Karlovic... and... most people. Still... Guccione, go for him instead.

[Katsuya]

Oh yeh, the fierce Spanish girl with the criminal hair knocked out Venus. Ah well. It's all about the underdogs with the women, it seems.

[-A-]

Stepanek just went to pieces and lost the last two sets 6-0 against Verdasco. Clearly punishment for being such a ladies' man, the cunt

[Mongrel]

He was fucking abysmal, and fuck Verdasco for stealing Ivanovic

[-A-]

Didn't he dump her recently?

EDIT: Yeah, he did. And he also dated Dulko, the bastard.

Edited January 24, 2009 by -A-

[Adam]

Well, after a close set it looks like Andy Murray is sailing through to Round 4. Melzer had three break points right at the start of the second but Murray came back and he has since capitulated. It'll be very good for Murray if he can go into the second week still as fresh as this.

[IAceI]

Assuming Murray comes through against Melzer. Which he will once Melzer's "all or nothing" approach begins to give more errors than it is right now, I think he'll do alright against Verdasco. He beat him in St. Petersburg last year 6-0, 6-3 and then about a weak later beat him something like 6-3, 7-6 but still looked in control. Murray/Verdasco is one of those matches that always seems to go right for Murray. Plus I don't think they're the best of friends ever since Verdasco being 'injured' ages ago and Murray just didn't believe him.

Plus Murray comes off as the sort of bloke that everyone hates in the locker room for some reason.

[IAceI]

Murray sucks and all that. etc. Nah Verdasco was immense and in the face of the media imploding, Murray managed to carry himself with dignity in the post match interview and gave props to Verdasco when it was deserved and didn't make excuses.

I'd also like to say I had a sneaking suspicion Roddick would win. Obviously I didn't anticipate Djokovic retiring but it keeps up Roddick's bizarre streak in Melbourne. His best finish has been the semi finals, achieved in... 2003, 2005, 2007 and now... 2009. So... See you in 2011 Andy?

[FireDoughnut]

2003... a certain sixth seed lost to 10th seed David Ferrer in five sets, in the fourth round. One British newspaper described him as an "immense talent... but fast developing a Tim Henman-like ability to choke."

That man? Roger Federer.

Epic fail on that journalist's part.

[IAceI]

What's the fucking point of these pre match interviews? They are possibly the most useless things in the entire world, the post match interviews probably being the second most useless. Leave it to the press conferences, but before a match - shoving a microphone in someones face and saying "Rafa... red or blue?" "Err I feel red is good but blue I also like yes, I like both, no?" "thanks Rafa and good luck" and shit almost like that. Then the post match interview is ambushing an absolutely knackered European with little grasp of the English language and then asking them almost cryptic questions to which they look confused at and reply with "I feel I play well, I hit the ball in court and win match."

Leave it to the press conferences please. It's just an unnecessary chore. So is listening to Virigina Wade on Eurosport, so fuck if she won a grand slam in 1977 with a wooden racket, I could have beaten her. God I hate analysts sometimes, I'd do a better job :@

Edited January 27, 2009 by IAceI

[Mongrel]

What's the fucking point of these pre match interviews? They are possibly the most useless things in the entire world, the post match interviews probably being the second most useless. Leave it to the press conferences, but before a match - shoving a microphone in someones face and saying "Rafa... red or blue?" "Err I feel red is good but blue I also like yes, I like both, no?" "thanks Rafa and good luck" and shit almost like that. Then the post match interview is ambushing an absolutely knackered European with little grasp of the English language and then asking them almost cryptic questions to which they look confused at and reply with "I feel I play well, I hit the ball in court and win match."

Leave it to the press conferences please. It's just an unnecessary chore. So is listening to Virigina Wade on Eurosport, so fuck if she won a grand slam in 1977 with a wooden racket, I could have beaten her. God I hate analysts sometimes, I'd do a better job :@

I dunno if you get the Australian guy we do; Chris Dittmar? He asks the most inane questions - most of them aren't questions.

Dittmar: Jelana, we love you!

Dokic: Thanks...

At least when Courier interviews someone, he asks good questions.

A shame to see Dokic out last night; she had so many chances against an unconvincing Safina it wasn't funny. I think the Women's is down to three - Williams, Dementieva and Safina. Can't see Zvonerava winning.

Also, Federer absolutely SMASHED JMDP last night. Felt sorry for Del Potro because he's a good player, but wow. The men's draw is wide open - I get the feeling it won't be Nadal-Federer in the final. I can't see Roddick getting past him (unless Fed implodes like he did against Berdych for two sets), but I can easily see Nadal going out to Tsonga. He's going to be far too good for Simon tonight, but he'll be hoping to hell that Verdasco can get past Tsonga.

[gunnar hendershow]

Serena and Kuznetsova are headed towards a third set. The match has been an epic so far.

[-A-]

Fantastic set of tennis from Verdasco and Nadal. Verdasco go the penultimate point in the tiebreaker from a brutal bit of luck - a clearly out shot just hitting the tape and dropping in. Looks like this could be a great match and I'm such a Federer fan I really wouldn't mind Nadal losing, since it could mean another Murray-at-the-US moment.

[FireDoughnut]

Verdasco is playing really well.

What a great service game at the start of the second set.

[Guest Lt Gen Potato Head]

Tennish? But I don't even have a racket!

...as you were.