Hyderabad Open 2005 (Sania, Shikha! ...)

[vishnureddy]

Stop worrying about crowd noise, folks. The state government is paying money for this tournament; let the general public (whose tax money is being used) come in and get something from it. It is a totally unique experiment on the WTA tour, I would say.

So it would continue for the entire event.There were much more people today. The entry points were closed for most of the last two matches and there were atleast a couple of thousand waiting at all times tried to get a look in. Had to settle for outside courts .

I would hope they would make some announcements at the stadium (may be free handouts) on teaching the crowd not to scream during the rallies. If theys till scream, so be it.



Well the chair umpire is announcing the same thing after every other game, Charu Sharma does the same thing after every match and its reported that even Sania Mirza requested the crowd today in the after match interviewJay

[kiran r more]

Great start by Sania.That is significant in many ways. First the media hype has not affected her at all.Secondly,her ankle is good and I am sure will remain good for ever.We can expect some real fire works from her.However, the matches ,now onwards,will become tougher.

All the best Sania.

[BSharma]

Sports etiquette:

I am not advocating ugly behavior by tennis fans in Hyderabad or elsewhere but people are quick to criticize the behavior of fans in India.

Let us look closely at what goes on in other sports and see what has become acceptable behavior by the fans in USA.

- The basketball fans wave all sorts of things from behind the hoop as an opposing player takes the free shot.

- The football (American) fans scream as loud as they can to prevent the opposing quarterback from sending an audible to his teammates.

- The baseball fans shout obscenities at the opposing players during a game.

This kind of behavior is happening all over the world in professional sports. The pro sportsmen and women will have to realize that when fans pay big bucks to watch them play, the fans want their money's worth of entertainment. Many fans view American football, basketball, ice hockey and baseball matches as entertainment. A time might come ( ) when the tennis fans will move in the stands, scream when a player is ready to serve, and boo an opposing player's shots.

[vishnureddy]

Sports etiquette:

I am not advocating ugly behavior by tennis fans in Hyderabad or elsewhere but people are quick to criticize the behavior of fans in India.

Let us look closely at what goes on in other sports and see what has become acceptable behavior by the fans in USA.

- The basketball fans wave all sorts of things from behind the hoop as an opposing player takes the free shot.

- The football (American) fans scream as loud as they can to prevent the opposing quarterback from sending an audible to his teammates.

- The baseball fans shout obscenities at the opposing players during a game.

This kind of behavior is happening all over the world in professional sports. The pro sportsmen and women will have to realize that when fans pay big bucks to watch them play, the fans want their money's worth of entertainment. Many fans view American football, basketball, ice hockey and baseball matches as entertainment. A time might come ( ) when the tennis fans will move in the stands, scream when a player is ready to serve, and boo an opposing player's shots.

Well written Bhushan ji. It's just that we are not familiar with this with the game of tennis

[Nate]

Well the chair umpire is announcing the same thing after every other game, Charu Sharma does the same thing after every match and its reported that even Sania Mirza requested the crowd today in the after match interview

Won't civilized people listen to the requests to conduct a legal match?

Freebies are bad overall. Hustlers get through and genuine and interetsed people like vishnureddy suffer.
Not all people especially those who get through free are interested in tennis and free tickets is not going to generate any tennis interest among them. On the other hand the real tennis followers won't mind paying a nominal admission fee.

[jayakris]

That is exactly what I meant when I said the tennis payers should get a grip and move on. Get used to fans screaming; because you are playing for them. Can't focus? -- well, TOUGH! ... They are the ones paying to see you. If they want to see you screw up, well, that's how it is going to be!

Having said that, it should not be because the fans are totally unaware of the effect of what they are doing. Hence my saying that the tournament should do all they can to tell the fans about it. If they still want to scream, they have the right to. At Hyderabad, the fans may not be paying much, but having a packed house was important for the sponsors and that is why they are let in free. So, the fans' presence has a value. The tennis players should learn to think a little bit more about those who are in the stands - the game will be much much better if they do. SUCK IT UP, if they scream.

If a good basketball player can withstand the screaming and distraction while shooting 5 to 10 important free throws (30 to 40% of their scoring chances), a tennis player can well withstand the screams 10 or 20 times out of the 200 or 300 shots they play in a match. If that causes you to lose 3 or 4 points, well, TOUGH, again!

Jay

[vishnureddy]

hey vishnu, I bet Kirilenko has a good male following in HYD. Can you tell me where I can see the photos you've snapped?
thanks

Erm... maybe yes or maybe no. It's just that the same group of around 10 people (who don't tend to watch other matches) tend to meet every year during her matches and most of them are journalists (so its a good time to meet up with friends) and then when these people start vocally supporting her , the rest of the crowd joins in whoever it may be male or female. All i can say is imo she bears much resemblance to Sharapova in quite a few aspects and is also the best friend of hers on the tour to go on with it.

Here is the link

http://img218.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=1 ... jpg&cols=4

[BSharma]

vishnu wrote:

It's just that we are not familiar with this with the game of tennis.

Tennis has seen uglier behavior during Davis Cup matches especially in South American countries.

I hope that people do not view Jay's and my opinions on this subject to mean that we are encouraging ugly behavior by the fans. Sporting events have moved from the good old days of "pure" amateur sports to professional three ring circus, and players are paid for their entertainment value. Some tennis tournament organizers will bring in a player whose on-court antics rather than tennis skills draw the fans to the stadium.

It is sad that the knowledgeable sports fans (e.g., Vishnu) suffer because of the bad behavior of many other fans.

[Nate]

They are the ones paying to see you.

Normally yes but not in Hyderabad where they are admitted freely. Also normally spectators don't scream during a rally but not in Hyderabad again.

If they still want to scream, they have the right to.

Not when a point is being played. If they scream despite requests to restrain themselves during a point, they are proving that they are UNCIVILIZED and making a laughing stock of themselves.

[vishnureddy]

It is sad that the knowledgeable sports fans (e.g., Vishnu) suffer because of the bad behavior of many other fans.

Actually people seem to be quoting me but i didn't suffer anything. Actually maybe it's good afterall as i seem to be getting oppurtunities to interact with the other players in the outside courts. I only raised that thing as i thought that it may have an affect on the entry field of the future years as i certainly thought it may have played a part in the non-participation of the defending champ

[vishnureddy]

I can't believe they scheduled matches on the C2 . It's impossible to get a clear view of that match for even the coach let alone me with two matches going on on either side of that court.

They did change it to C4

[jayakris]

Nate -- The hyderabad fans ARE indeed paying to see the matches. They pay with their presence, indirectly. The event is free because packed stands were important (probably for the sponsors too). So, just that they are not paying out-of-pocket, does not mean that they are not paying. Anyway, the state government has put in taxpayers' money into this. By all means these folks pay.

I disagree with your use of the term, "uncivilized" .. They are behaving like tennis fans should have been allowed to behave in other places if you ask me. This sport needs to get out of the elitist grip and become a sport that common man goes to enjoy. Because it really is a gladiatorial sport ; the very best one-on-one sport out there (in my view) that requires so much of all-round athleticism.

When golf brings in more fans than tennis, there is a problem. Make this sport what it really should be -- a great SPECTATOR sport, where the spectators can also participate a bit.

Tennis players are pampered way too much with all these etiquette stuff on what the fans should do.

I am sure all of you who play tennis (or have played tennis) at various levels, disagree with me. But I do NOT play tennis, and thus I have a pure fan's mind. Sorry, but if my scream is going to make you hit a rally shot too long, you are not a good enough player as far as I am concerned. I am going to scream. I know my scream is not going to make Michael Jordan miss his 3-point shot; why should it make a tennis player hit it long?

Wish I were in Hyderabad -- I cannot do what I want to do at Indian Wells. I can, at Hyderabad - the only place where I could have done it, apparently. Don't you call me uncivilized! ..

The problem is that EVERYBODY should be screaming together, so the tennis players can constantly play with the noise (like basketball players do - they never hear idividual fans' shouting) .. Imagine constant crowd noise during a 20-shot rally which ends with ridiculous decibel levels? .. WHY NOT?

Jay

[gvhvhg]

Shikha

Sania

who is up next?

[gvhvhg]

Zheng the fourth seed

[gvhvhg]

Shikha suffered a thigh strain in the final set of today's match

http://us.rediff.com/sports/2005/feb/08wta.htm