Australian Open

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I can tell there's not much of a passion her for professional tennis, but the Australian Open (only from what I've heard; I've seen none of it) has been pretty exciting thus far. Serena Williams has shown she still knows how to play tennis, and is in the final against Maria Sharapova.

But most interestingly, or perhaps most predictably, Roger Feder spanked Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 and awaits his finals challenger. Perhaps one more Grand Slam title for the most dominant athlete of a generation?

Any other thoughts?

[Breakwood]

Federer is amazing. I feel blessed to have lived through the careers of both him and Tiger Woods, two of the all time greats in their respective sports.

[DEAD!]

I've been watching some of the coverage of the Open. Federer is just amazing!! We heard all this talk about how Roddick would challenge him if they met, well, I guess Federer brought the bathtub again. He might have an easier time in the final now that Nadal's out. I can only watch Federer in awe because it seems like he moves and hits the ball so effortlessly.

I'm really surprised at how well Serena played and got into the final. It also helped that Mauresmo fell earlier and that Clisters and Sharapova were on the other side of the draw.

The highlight for me while watching was ESPN got Aussie rules player James Hird on the set on Sunday night, that's only because I'm a big Bomber supporter

[jr79]

The highlight for me while watching was ESPN got Aussie rules player James Hird on the set on Sunday night, that's only because I'm a big Bomber supporter

Stretching things calling him a "player" there DEAD!. Inpatient might be closer to the mark </hijack>

[Alphabet Man]

For some reason I like Gonzalez' chances against Federer in the Final, more than Haas'

[DEAD!]

A couple of former winners won this year.

Federer won the Australian Open men's title, his 10th Grand Slam. The amazing part, he didn't lose a single set! Amazing!

Serena Williams won the women's title. She was unseeded and had been battling injuries the last couple of years. Is she back?

[Jigga]

Amazing performances in the finals. I tried to watch the Federer-Gonzalez match, but only watched the first set. As soon as Federer took that tiebreaker when Gonzalez had him on the ropes, I knew it was a wrap. Serena's domination was downright shocking. Isn't Maria Sharapova supposed to be the #1 player in the world or something.

I wish tennis was more compelling. I wish I cared as much about it now as when my two favorite players, Boris Becker and Steffi Graf, kicked ass and took names. However, seeing Roger Federer win his 10th slam and Serena Williams capturing her 8th (though there is MUCH more competition in the women's ranks), it's still great to see dominant, all-time great champions ply their trades. Maybe Williams isn't dominant now, but at her high point she was the ! Federer, hell what can you say? He's won 6 of the last 7 majors! He didn't lose a single freaking set in the entire tournament...that's just sick!

I just wish an American man would...you know...like win something...sometime. James Blake, Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish? Hello, someone? Please?

[NJTank]

Well Serena might be getting serious about Tennis again and if she does then she will contend for #1 so her performance was not that shocking.

As for American Men nobody can touch Federer right now nobody. Roddick had a good Aussie Open made the semis but then faced Federer.

[ROCHitman]

I've been following Tennis with a passion since I was 7 and began taking lessons.

I watched a good deal of the Aussie Open and even stayed up several nights in a row to watch the biggest matches late in the tournament.

There was plenty of good, entertaining tennis played early in the tournament, but many of the quarterfinal and semifinal matches were walkovers. They were complete one-sided vistories and not entertaining at all.

If you caught the Federer-Roddick, Haas-Gonzalez, Gonzalez-Blake, Williams-Vaidisova Sharapova-Clijsters and Williams-Sharapova matches, then you know what i'm talking about.

Federer will go down as the best there ever was.

We'll be saying he dominated his sport more than Tiger Woods dominated golf.

[DEAD!]

I just wish an American man would...you know...like win something...sometime. James Blake, Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish? Hello, someone? Please?

ummm... GO FISH!?

[Alphabet Man]

I think Federer has to win THE Grand Slam to be considered best ever. But the Grand Slam will come sooner rather than later.

Anybody catch the Roddick press conference after the Federer loss. It was a classic. Question 'how would you rate that game' answer: 'how would i rate it? rate it? oh yeh a 10 for sure'. 'Your performance here is better than on court' 'no '. One of the best at press conferences.

Well thank god the roof was shut for the women's final, so somebody can't shine the god-dang watch into Serena's opponents eyes. Controvery, sparked.

[rmered]

I am not a big tennis fan, but my wife's family is, and for some reason or other we've been around at their place a fair bit recently. (well; they have a pool)

And I just can't listen to Maria Sharapova play tennis.

I was so pleased when Williams won.

And I actually found myself cheering for someone other than an Aussie in the tennis.

Sharapova is a dead set CHEAT.

She deliberately makes that grunting noise to disguise the sound of the ball off the strings, which can help her opponent tell what the ball might do.

And I say deliberately, because when it was hot, and she couldn't be bothered, she didn't do it.

When the game is starting, she doesn't do it.

When she's in trouble, she gets louder and louder and louder.

I hate the hot weather but during the comp I was hoping for a really hot day just to stuff her up.

She's a good looking girl, and probably attracts the fans, but if she was playing a comp in our back yard I would draw the curtains. Just can't stand her.

Well done Williams.

[ROCHitman]

I am not a big tennis fan, but my wife's family is, and for some reason or other we've been around at their place a fair bit recently. (well; they have a pool)

And I just can't listen to Maria Sharapova play tennis.

I was so pleased when Williams won.

And I actually found myself cheering for someone other than an Aussie in the tennis.

Sharapova is a dead set CHEAT.

She deliberately makes that grunting noise to disguise the sound of the ball off the strings, which can help her opponent tell what the ball might do.

And I say deliberately, because when it was hot, and she couldn't be bothered, she didn't do it.

When the game is starting, she doesn't do it.

When she's in trouble, she gets louder and louder and louder.

I hate the hot weather but during the comp I was hoping for a really hot day just to stuff her up.

She's a good looking girl, and probably attracts the fans, but if she was playing a comp in our back yard I would draw the curtains. Just can't stand her.

Well done Williams.

Did your wife's family tell you all this?

I think your making a conspiracy theory up out of thin air here.

She doesn't grunt on purpose.

[rmered]

I am not a big tennis fan, but my wife's family is, and for some reason or other we've been around at their place a fair bit recently. (well; they have a pool)

And I just can't listen to Maria Sharapova play tennis.

I was so pleased when Williams won.

And I actually found myself cheering for someone other than an Aussie in the tennis.

Sharapova is a dead set CHEAT.

She deliberately makes that grunting noise to disguise the sound of the ball off the strings, which can help her opponent tell what the ball might do.

And I say deliberately, because when it was hot, and she couldn't be bothered, she didn't do it.

When the game is starting, she doesn't do it.

When she's in trouble, she gets louder and louder and louder.

I hate the hot weather but during the comp I was hoping for a really hot day just to stuff her up.

She's a good looking girl, and probably attracts the fans, but if she was playing a comp in our back yard I would draw the curtains. Just can't stand her.

Well done Williams.

Did your wife's family tell you all this?

I think your making a conspiracy theory up out of thin air here.

She doesn't grunt on purpose.

IF that were the case, she'd do it every shot.

Or at the very least consistently.

She does it when she feels like it.

Or more likely, when the game is close.

CHEAT.

And the wife's family were cheering for her, so no, it wasn't them.

[ROCHitman]

She grunts when

1. She wants to hit the ball hard

2. She's tired and her energy has dwindled (late in match)

She won't gunt when making a drop shot or lob and she doesn't grunt much early in the match because she can hit winners easily then as opposed to late in the match.

And Maria grunts just as much at 40-0 on her serve as she does at Duece on the opponents serve. A close point or game has nothing to do with it.

There is really just too much going on in a tennis match for a player

to think "do I grunt here or not?".

[rmered]

She grunts when

1. She wants to hit the ball hard

2. She's tired and her energy has dwindled (late in match)

She won't gunt when making a drop shot or lob and she doesn't grunt much early in the match because she can hit winners easily then as opposed to late in the match.

And Maria grunts just as much at 40-0 on her serve as she does at Duece on the opponents serve. A close point or game has nothing to do with it.

There is really just too much going on in a tennis match for a player

to think "do I grunt here or not?".

In my observation, she grunts more, or at the very least, louder, in decisive points.

And she does grunt loudly at drop shots, and that was where I first picked up that she was deliberately making the noises to put her opponent off, and disguise what she was doing.

I can't remember the exact opponent it was against, but it was a night game in the first week.

She did it three times in one set, where she grunted just as loudly, but played a drop shot.

I'm on to her little tricks, even if others are still blinded by her looks.

[DEAD!]

Seles grunts > Sharapova's grunts

[TFoA]

All I know is, Serena's got to be back. She Federer-ed Sharapova.

[Alphabet Man]

She grunts when

1. She wants to hit the ball hard

2. She's tired and her energy has dwindled (late in match)

She won't gunt when making a drop shot or lob and she doesn't grunt much early in the match because she can hit winners easily then as opposed to late in the match.

And Maria grunts just as much at 40-0 on her serve as she does at Duece on the opponents serve. A close point or game has nothing to do with it.

There is really just too much going on in a tennis match for a player

to think "do I grunt here or not?".

In my observation, she grunts more, or at the very least, louder, in decisive points.

And she does grunt loudly at drop shots, and that was where I first picked up that she was deliberately making the noises to put her opponent off, and disguise what she was doing.

I can't remember the exact opponent it was against, but it was a night game in the first week.

She did it three times in one set, where she grunted just as loudly, but played a drop shot.

I'm on to her little tricks, even if others are still blinded by her looks.

And your not the only one that thinks that way. A few others i've spoken to agree, that she chooses when to grunt. Major evidence was that hot day early in the first week.

[HedleyLamarr]

Grunts shouldn't affect a person from hitting the ball.