WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

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jai_in_canada
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

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prasen9 wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 1:25 am Everyone who needs/wants an exception should be able to get that, say with proper medical documentation.
And they can. For physical injury. Those exceptions are stated in the rules, which @vreddy posted.
prasen9 wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 1:25 am Having supported Osaka, there should be no special rules for her.
Giving an exception that is NOT in the rules would amount to making special rules specifically for Osaka.

In other words, I don't see anything wrong with what the Grand Slam committees have done. Osaka and her team, especially PR, on the other hand have bungled this. If they thought that she was such huge super star that the Grand Slams would bow to her, well, they thought wrong.

Btw, most of the support Osaka seems to be getting is from other celebrities, who are likely worried it might be their turn soon. The common person who doesn't have the money or clout is hard pressed to feel sorry for mega millionaires whining about their problems when they themselves have to do things that are difficult and unpleasant just to earn a modest paycheck, and don't have the luxury to get any attention for their afflictions. Their thinking is "I'm struggling and no one cuts me any slack, why is this prima donna queen demanding special treatment. Suck it up and do your job like I am. Or take a break. Or quit."
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

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It’s ludicrous that Petra Kvitova had to play Sloane Stephens in R1 at Wimbledon. The women’s seeding and ranking system is absurd, and really needs to give more weight to former Slam champions in seeding at Slams. That Barty is still ranked #1 is crazy. But it’s far worse that Sabalenka, who has never made it to the QF of a Slam, is seeded 2nd!!
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

Post by PKBasu »

5-time champion and 9-time finalist Venus Williams (USA, 111) is through to the second round, after a hard-fought 3-set win over Dr Buzarnescu. She has a treacherous path ahead, facing in-form Ons Jabeur in R2. If she gets through that, she will likely play another former champion Muguruza (who plays a qualifier in R2, Kherkove, who beat Kuznetsova easily in R1).
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

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Tragically, Serena has had to retire from her R1 match, after she twisted her ankle while leading 3-1. Maybe a medical time-out would have helped. But she played on until 3-3, then fell again, and decided she couldn't continue. The Centre Court does appear incredibly slippery. Djokovic fell at least once yesterday, Federer slipped badly going for a volley, and Mannarino fell and hurt his knee. Something needs to be done about the surface. Perhaps a super-sopper should be used after it rains.
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

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Apparently the grass sweats when the roof is closed causing it to feel like playing on an oil slick. So bad that there are so many injuries already. Roger Federer seemed very likely to.lose against Mannarino. Until poor Adrian was denied a memorable victory due to injury. Serena has looked wobbly on her feet in the best of conditions. She took an undignified tumble or two at the FO too. Wonder if she can now play the wheelchair event to get to 24 and leave the scene?😋 I know, not nice.
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

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^^^ Too late to edit my above comment, but I realize now after a private conversation that my comment about Serena possibly playing the wheelchair draw to get to 24 Slam titles was more mean-spirited than funny. I hope that Serena recovers quickly and is able to compete at the USO. I certainly don't want to see any player injured during a match.
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

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I'd never heard of Lyudmila Samsonova, who received a main draw wildcard after winning the title on grass in Berlin -- where she beat Madison Keys, Vika Azarenka and (in the final) Belinda Bencic. Today she shocked Sloane Stephens, who didn't play badly at all but was outplayed by the power game of Samsonova. She seems to have really worked on her physique -- it is pure muscle, no fat (very different from photos of her from 1-2 years ago) -- and she has a game tailored for grass. She was playing ITF tournaments until a few weeks ago, but did make R2 at this year's AO. (At the FO, she lost in Q1). A rare woman player who is totally focused on grass!
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

Post by sameerph »

Ons Jabeur becomes the first African women to reach a grand slam QF. What a breakthru by her.
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

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She's having an amazing run on grass. Her demolition of Swiatek in the second and third sets was absolutely stunning.
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

Post by PKBasu »

Sloane Stephens, the 2017 champion, played Madison Keys (in a repeat of the 2017 final) in R1 yesterday. It is ludicrous that the WTA doesn't allow for any alterations to the seedings based on past Slam titles. Stephens is always going to be a huge threat in whichever part of the draw she plays in. Yesterday's match against Keys was closer than the 2017 final: it went to 3 sets, and was won via a final set tiebreaker.
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

Post by PKBasu »

Astonishing, and myopic, decision by Ash Barty to retire. She is the current Wimbledon and Australian Open champion, and of course has one other Slam title (French 2019). She will surely come to regret it, although she says now that she began thinking of retirement soon after she won Wimbledon (having achieved the one true goal upon which she had set her heart).
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

Post by Prem »

Shocking decision to retire at 25!!
But, she must have her reasons - injury, family or another sport?
She has played cricket at top level - maybe Big bash or she is a good golfer too…
Feel like she may come back to tennis after a break at trying whatever she is planning.
:goodluck: Ash
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

Post by arjun2761 »

Seems similar to Borg who quit at 26 in a different era.

However, I think Barty is more fickle in her decision making, so will not be surprised if she comes back in a couple of years and will still be young enough to play at a high level.
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Re: WTA Tour/Non-India Fed Cup

Post by PKBasu »

Borg is officially counted to have retired in April 1983 when he was 26, but he effectively retired at the end of 1981 (when he was 25, the same age as Barty is now). Borg played just one tournament in 1982 and a couple in 1983. He effectively chose to retire after losing that epic Wimbledon final to McEnroe, and failing to win the US Open that year -- the fourth time he had lost the final there (twice each to Connors and McEnroe).

But at least Borg had 11 Slams by then, was just 1 short of the official record (compiled by Emerson, mainly in the pre-Open era). Barty is just getting going, having taken one break to play pro cricket when she was barely 18. Borg came to regret it, and I'm sure Barty will too.
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