Tennis!

[Szumi]

I agree completely, naiwf. I could never get into Rafa... the dude's a fucking goat. Seriously, he makes Tevez and Masch look like beautiful butterflies.

Plus, with Rafa out, it opens things up for Lleyton Hewitt to make one last good run at Wimbledon, and makes that quarter winnable for Roddick. He has no excuses for not getting to the semi-finals if his foot is okay after Queens.

[naiwf]

I just noticed that if Federer does indeed claim the title at Wimbledon he will move into 1st place in the YEC race which means he could very well regain the # 1 World ranking by the end of the year if he doesn't have a horrible summer hardcourt season.

[Dan]

Murray has a good fucking chance now.

[Adam]

So now, on paper, Murray should make the final? We'll have to see how that pans out...

[Hornswoggle4PM]

This is pretty much Lleyton's last chance, he's effectively got the draw of a world no. 1 so if he can't capitalise, I'm sad to say it could be over for him.

[Mongrel]

Instead he gets JMDP in the second round (provided he gets past Ginepri). Would have rathered a half-fit Nadal.

[Dan]

Laura Robson just took the first set 6-3 against World number 32 Daniela Hantuchova.

[Adam]

Laura Robson did superbly well today. She was let down only by her high amount of unforced errors and double faults, and if she irons that out of her game in the next few years then she will be a major player. She has great shot selection, seemed to cope fine with the occasion and really gave Hantuchova a run for her money today.

I'm gutted that James Blake is out, but Beck and Lopez put on an epic encounter on Court 18 and Sharapova came through in a competitive match with Kutuzova (I think), so it's been a good start for me.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Looking forward to this year, rooting for Venus as usual on the Women's side of things. I also hate how everybody is making a big deal over this woman who 'grunts' too loudly. How can you say you're going to ban that? If that's the way she plays, I think it's bullshit that you can threaten to ban her from doing that.

Also, still missing Myskina

Edited June 22, 2009 by Scum Fan 4 Life

[Adam]

I don't agree with trying to force them to stop doing it, but I really don't think it's neccessary. There wasn't a single grunt in the Hantuchova-Robson match, but in the Sharapova-Kutuzova match not a shot was played without a massive grunt. I don't think it's neccessary but it doesn't really bother me.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

I understand when some people claim it could put them off a little, but I just hate the fuss people have made over it. Some people play like that in tennis. If that's the way a person plays, I don't feel they should be forced to stop doing it. I cant even remember the woman's name who they're moaning about right now, but I remember reading that she feels if she couldn't make the noises, she wouldn't be herself or play the way she wants to. They've rarely made a fuss over it despite numerous women making a tonne of noise over the years, yet they suddenly decide to do so now because one woman has come along and is a little louder than the rest. I feel it's a matter of time before certain sore losers play her, lose and then use the excuse of 'she was too loud' or some shit, which is just annoying. If that's part of her game, I don't feel she should ever be told or forced to take it away.

[naiwf]

I understand when some people claim it could put them off a little, but I just hate the fuss people have made over it. Some people play like that in tennis. If that's the way a person plays, I don't feel they should be forced to stop doing it. I cant even remember the woman's name who they're moaning about right now, but I remember reading that she feels if she couldn't make the noises, she wouldn't be herself or play the way she wants to. They've rarely made a fuss over it despite numerous women making a tonne of noise over the years, yet they suddenly decide to do so now because one woman has come along and is a little louder than the rest. I feel it's a matter of time before certain sore losers play her, lose and then use the excuse of 'she was too loud' or some shit, which is just annoying. If that's part of her game, I don't feel she should ever be told or forced to take it away.

It's against the rules of tennis. Someone shouldn't learn to play that way in the first place.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

It's against the rules to make a noise? Then it seems 90% of tennis players have broken the rules then.

[IAceI]

Larcher De Brito. She's like 16, but the tabloids are more interested in that than actual tennis anyways.

It's part of the game, they've come up against grunters before and will again. What I dislike is the ones who generally go on about it the most always seem to be these massive Rafa fans as well, who isn't exactly a saint with it at times.

I just don't see people who say they can't watch it because of it. I've managed for years just fine.

[naiwf]

It's against the rules to make a noise? Then it seems 90% of tennis players have broken the rules then.

Excessive noise. You shouldn't sound like you're being raped or ejaculating every time you make an attempt at a grounstroke. I forget which year it was, but the US Open did a piece where they measured a Sharapova shriek at about the same decibel level as an airplane flying overhead towards LaGuardia. THAT is against the rules.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

If it's against the rules, why has nothing been done then? It's a joke that people think they shouldn't be allowed to make noise. It's like saying somebody in football should be red carded because they shout when somebody is going for a header. It's just a joke to me and that's coming from somebody who doesn't care for tennis too much. Let's just ban everybody who makes a loud noise though, it doesn't matter if they're fantastic tennis players.

[naiwf]

If it's against the rules, why has nothing been done then? It's a joke that people think they shouldn't be allowed to make noise. It's like saying somebody in football should be red carded because they shout when somebody is going for a header. It's just a joke to me and that's coming from somebody who doesn't care for tennis too much. Let's just ban everybody who makes a loud noise though, it doesn't matter if they're fantastic tennis players.

The chair umpires don't like to enforce point penalties unless they absolutely have to. That's why Nadal never gets called for taking too long between points, especially when he's receiving serve and he's supposed to play at the server's pace. It's why people like Safin didn't get into as much trouble as he should have for breaking rackets and cursing in Russian multiple times per meltdown. If people who are in the stands are complaining about it, something SHOULD be done since without fans paying to see these events no one's getting paid. The whole grunting phenomenon started with Seles almost 20 years ago and has now reached the point where it's almost impossible to watch and listen to certain people play without your ears bleeding.

It's a joke to you because you don't care for tennis all that much. I'm sure if someone/everyone consistently violated a rule in a sport you're passionate about it would become tiresome if nothing was done about it. To use a football comparison, this is the equivalent of the floptastic dives that a lot of players get away with these days because EVERYONE does it growing up. As someone who doesn't care much for soccer I find it funny how guys act like their legs have been shattered on a tackle . . . until the ref doesn't card the defender and then they just pop right up and go on about their business. It's against the rules, but isn't enforced often enough because it would have to be done literally dozens of times per match in either sport.

Edited June 22, 2009 by naiwf

[IAceI]

He likes Italy, pointing out non-punished diving is a silly thing to do. They're the kings.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

The thing is, your football comparison isn't the same what so ever. What you've described is technically a way of cheating, while someone making noise in tennis isn't cheating (There's more than likely people out there who use it in that way, but I'm sure the majority don't make noise as a way to 'cheat'). The point I'm trying to make is that certain people in tennis make noise as a part of their game and as this girl said, her game wouldn't be the same if she was forced to stop making noise. So you're saying that anyone making a loud noise should be stopped from doing so, thus changing the way they play? And that's FAIR? I've got no problem in admitting I've not got amazing knowledge on tennis, but up until a few weeks ago, NOBODY over here has made a big deal like they have started to now.

Maybe I just see things differently. I'm not saying you're wrong in your opinion, I just don't agree with it and don't feel any person should have to change the way they play because the media has suddenly started crying over it. I've watched Sharapova and haven't ever had a problem with the noise she makes and am I wrong in thinking that when certain players make that noise, it helps them to generate more power into certain shots? Ah well, just more pathetic rules they're throwing out into certain sports nowadays, but that's just my opinion.

[IAceI]

Yes they do. Every Wimbledon the media report more on the grunting than they do the tennis. Last few years its always been Sharapova. It's always mentioned, it's why people kick up such a fuss about it.

France don't care. They never make any mention of grunting, but it's more important than the actual game to the British.

EDIT: The current offender in the limelight;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jIw2oGeTiE

Edited June 22, 2009 by IAceI