What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

Tennis anyone?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Priceless
  • Start date Start date
Re: Tennis anyone?

There's obviously bias here, but I think this is the greatest tournament in the world. The atmosphere and the night matches make for some great moments.

It's pretty cool that Timmy Smyczek from Wisconsin made it into the main draw. He's the first--and at this point, probably the only--player I've played a real match against that made the main draw of the Open.
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

MaizeRage said:
There's obviously bias here, but I think this is the greatest tournament in the world. The atmosphere and the night matches make for some great moments.

It's pretty cool that Timmy Smyczek from Wisconsin made it into the main draw. He's the first--and at this point, probably the only--player I've played a real match against that made the main draw of the Open.
Click to expand...
Seriously? Wow. I watched some of his match yesterday online and he hung in there pretty well throughout. I think he had a set point in the third, IIRC. I looked him up and it listed Milwaukee as his current residence. So he lives and trains out of Wisconsin?

EDIT: BTW, when/where did you play Smyczek?
 
Last edited:
Re: Tennis anyone?

There's no reason four American men can't make it to the Round of 16 this year. Roddick got a dream draw considering he fell out of the top eight, and Querrey, Fish, and Isner (if healthy) should be favored in their first three matches. This might/should be the best US Open for American men since 2005.
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

Geez, Roddick really proves himself to be a poor man's Connors. He lights into a lineswoman who correctly called him for a foot fault, getting the night crowd strongly into the match, but still manages to lose the set.
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

Roddick gets a sweatheart draw and blows it. He played right into Tipsarevic's hands.

Fish, Querrey, and Isner still could make the round of 16.
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

Just watching Venus vs Minella. This Mandy Minella is not a bad looking young lady. Almost makes me forget Ana Ivanovic (but not quite). :)
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

Very disappointed that Ryan Harrison lost a fifth set breaker against Sergei Stakhovsky this afternoon after having three match points in the breaker. Stakhovsky played it perfectly, forcing Harrison to hit a winner when Harrison served for the match, which Harrison couldn't do, and then attacking forward and hitting a volley winner to win the match. No one is going to give it to you, so you have to be prepared to hit a winner to win a match.

It was nice of ESPN to pay lip service to how inspiring it was to see the young American play a tough match, but to be honest, it was a second round match against some guy nobody had ever heard of. It's the same of Wimbledon; Isner-Mahut was an amazing match, but in the grand scheme of things, pretty meaningless.

That's what bugs me when people rag on Roddick. If it wasn't for Roddick staying in the top ten much longer than all but the very greats do, American men's tennis would have been on par with Belgium for the past five or so years.

Jason A said:
Seriously? Wow. I watched some of his match yesterday online and he hung in there pretty well throughout. I think he had a set point in the third, IIRC. I looked him up and it listed Milwaukee as his current residence. So he lives and trains out of Wisconsin?

EDIT: BTW, when/where did you play Smyczek?
Click to expand...

I just know he grew up in Wisconsin. It sounds like he mostly trains out of California now, which I suppose you have to if you want to play on that level. I've known some low-level pro guys that say it's literally impossible to effectively train in the Midwest for the type of heat and humidity you face in some of the warmer places that host tournaments.

I played Smyczek in doubles at our sectional Jr. Davis Cup tournament. I think we only played an eight game pro set, and I know we lost, something respectable like 8-5. I remember feeling like we could have won if we had played better, but it was a 3rd place match the morning after we had lost a tough semifinal and everyone on our team just came out kind of flat. He was like three or four years younger than me, which is probably the only reason we had a chance. I did beat his older(and much less talented) brother in a singles match though.

It's just funny that he's made it so far. I would have never guessed it since he was always so small. He's only 5'9" now, which will probably keep from having too much success, but he's made it a lot farther than a lot of other kids I would have expected to make it.
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

Murray has been knocked out, which opens up that quarter for Querrey and Isner. Isner should have a tough match tonight, but as of this moment the U.S. has a great chance to get at least one guy into the semis.
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

Isner knocked out by Youznhy. I still think Querrey makes it out of that quarter to play Nadal.

The Djokovic-Fish match today should be interesting. It's not totally outside the realm of possibility that two Americans end up in the semis, playing Nadal and Federer.
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

Jason A said:
It's not totally outside the realm of possibility that two Americans end up in the semis, playing Nadal and Federer.
Click to expand...
Apparently it was.:rolleyes:

Fish was dreadful. Querrey just lost in a fifth set to Wawrinka. All in all, a disappointing tournament for the American men. Everything lined up very well for them and I expected a bit more.
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

Woz is down a set and a break in the semis.:(

Edit: And now it's over. #7-seed Vera Zvonareva advances to her second straight Grand Slam final.
 
Last edited:
Re: Tennis anyone?

The USTA is going to be trying out a new youth development system similar to USA Hockey. It sounds like the focus is going to be on the 10 and under age group, getting kids to play on smaller courts where they can have more success.

I'm glad to see them try something. The state of US men's tennis has gotten embarrassing on the pro level, and hopefully this changes some things.
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

The Australian Open has begun. DirecTV once again has the AOExperience on channels 701-707. Among the matches tonight, Channel 704 will feature Ana Ivanovic; her match is scheduled for 4AM Eastern.
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

It's another terrible showing for American tennis. Maybe it was just a slow day yesterday, but I thought it was kind of telling that ESPN had to send Mary Jo Fernandez out to the very back no-TV court for Oudin's match because they're that hard-up for well-known Americans in the draw.
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

MaizeRage said:
It's another terrible showing for American tennis. Maybe it was just a slow day yesterday, but I thought it was kind of telling that ESPN had to send Mary Jo Fernandez out to the very back no-TV court for Oudin's match because they're that hard-up for well-known Americans in the draw.
Click to expand...

The only Americans of note that played yesterday were Oudin and Isner. The top Americans play today (Roddick, Venus, M. Fish) but mostly the Mothership has to look to foreign players for stars. Federer, Nadal, Djokovic on the men's side, Wozniacki, Henin, Sharapova, Clijsters on the women's. The days when McEnroe, Connors, Courier, Sampras, Agassi and Chrissy dominated the circuit are done for now.

Today's schedule:
(Rod Laver Arena)
Code: 
  Women's Singles - 2nd Round
  Justine Henin(BEL)[11]	vs.	  Elena Baltacha(GBR)

  Men's Singles - 2nd Round
  Andy Roddick(USA)[8]	vs.	  Igor Kunitsyn(RUS)
			
  Women's Singles - 2nd Round
  Venus Williams(USA)[4]	vs.	  Sandra Zahlavova(CZE)

(Hisense Arena)
Code: 
 Women's Singles - 2nd Round
  Caroline Wozniacki(DEN)[1]	vs.	  Vania King(USA)
			
  Men's Singles - 2nd Round
  Janko Tipsarevic(SRB)	vs.	  Fernando Verdasco(ESP)[9]

  Women's Singles - 2nd Round
  Virginie Razzano(FRA)	vs.	  Maria Sharapova(RUS)[14]

  Men's Singles - 2nd Round
  Ivan Dodig(CRO)	vs.	  Novak Djokovic(SRB)[3]

(Margaret Court Arena)
Code: 
Men's Singles - 2nd Round
  Tomas Berdych(CZE)[6]	vs.	  Philipp Kohlschreiber(GER)

  Women's Singles - 2nd Round
  Andrea Hlavackova(CZE)	vs.	  Victoria Azarenka(BLR)[8]

  Women's Singles - 2nd Round
  Rebecca Marino(CAN)	vs.	  Francesca Schiavone(ITA)[6]
			
  Women's Singles - 2nd Round
  Na Li(CHN)[9]	vs.	  Evgeniya Rodina(RUS)

Not Before:7:00 PM 
  Men's Singles - 2nd Round
  Frederico Gil(POR)	vs.	  Gael Monfils(FRA)[12]

Other notables
Court 3: Mardy Fish(USA)[16] vs. Tommy Robredo(ESP)
Court 6: Bob Bryan(USA)[1] / Mike Bryan(USA)[1] vs. Scott Lipsky(USA) / Rajeev Ram(USA)
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

I caught the end of Ivanovic's loss. And the Hewitt/Nalbandian match was great tennis -- and would be great tennis in a quarterfinal, let alone a first-rounder.

That Verdasco/Tipsarevic match could be a good one.
 
Re: Tennis anyone?

J.D. said:
I have a philosophy I go by...

ABR

Anyone But Rafa
Click to expand...

I also go ABR...Anyone but Roger.

I used to be a fan, but his stunt to show up Roddick at Wimbledon really rubbed me the wrong way. Not a big fan of Rafa either. Wish Andy was a touch more competitive. When it comes to wives, he wins hands down ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top