Tennis Talk 2010

[vallegirl]

Doesn't the winner of the tournament just win a spot in the qualifying tournament? If that's the case, I think it's an interesting idea. It's like a fantasy camp for tennis. The likelihood that the winner of the contest/tournament will actually qualify into the main draw is nearly impossible, but if someone can put together three wins against the other qualifiers, then good for him/her.

[breezybee]

Doesn't the winner of the tournament just win a spot in the qualifying tournament?

Yes. They win a wildcard in to the qualies. I think the French Open is doing something similar. I agree that it sounds fine to me.

[falafaclese]

I was kind of surprised that so many of you hated the idea. I thought it was fine too, and even kind of intriguing. If someone were able to capture lightning in a bottle and make it through to the main draw, it just means that they're undiscovered talent to me. The intricacies of tennis are such that the chances of it happening are infinitesimal, but if it does happen, I don't think it lowers the value of the sport so much as it raises the value of whoever manages to do it.

[vallegirl]

If anything, it could also highlight just how talented the "middling journeymen" and qualifiers of the tour really are.

This is, quite possibly, the greatest tennis essay ever written...and it's about Michael Joyce. Wallace makes the point that, at the time, Joyce was the #79 player in the world...and who among us can say we are the 79th best person at anything in the world?

So, if all these amateurs want to take their shots at the pros and qualify for the qualifying tournament, good for them. Just winning the chance to compete at that level is the reward. Anything beyond that would probably be gravy, since I have to believe it's every serious amateur/casual player's dream to play on a GS court against a pro.

[splat]

Isn't the open qualifying idea essentially cribbed from US Open *golf* qualification?

I'm moderately curious how qualifiers normally shake out. Outside of odd cases like Wickmayer at the AO, is it mostly young up-and-comers who play a limited schedule, or the Jesse Witten-style journeymen of the tennis world?

[chestylarue]

For what it is wrorth- I don’t mind folks winning a tournament to get into qualies. Kind of how the young person who wins the 18 and under Orange Bowl (I believe) gets into qualies.

But if you have a great league player who never considered themselves to be a profesional, or someone who was uber talented in college but decided to go become a vet, or someone who may have grown up poorer and picked it as a young adult but is very talented- could make a great story.

In other sports you can have at times the chance to start a little later (I seem to recall that Rick Fox in basketball never played the sport until he was 14 or 15) but tennis is often where folks start very young if they are to be a professional. It may be neat to have those who were not groomed to be tennis players but are talented have a chance to qualify.

[acre]

I didn't voice any opinions on it initially, but I will say my first impressions were negative. They were entirely based on one article written about Bode Miller(who I don't really have any thoughts on pro or con) and the tone was such that it just felt a little too "reality show" to me, look famous athletes competing in a different sport aren't they just amazing?

But upon sober reflection, merely to be able to enter qualifying I have no problem with. And I strongly suspect that whoever comes through is gonna have a very quick and sharp awakening as to the true amount of talent on the tour. Being a great athlete is just a minimum prerequisite, that and a buck will buy you a cup of coffee(maybe) on the tennis tour.

Could the entrant win a round in qualies? Of course, stranger things have happened and someone could be having a bad day, etc. I just doubt there are many "undiscovered" tennis talents out there - it takes so much work to be able to compete on the tour, even at "journeyman" level. But if there is someone? Well, cool for them, and really just pretty cool in general. Be quite a ride in the unlikely event it comes to pass.

And valle I love that article. Not sure when I first read it, but I have that and another by David Foster Wallace ("Roger Federer as Religious Experience") saved. DFW is a true loss to the writing world, very sad.

[tikigirl]

God, I'm sorry I ever brought up Bode Miller. But until and unless he actually makes it into the USO (as if), why not take the comments to the "other sports" thread. Or Haterade, as the case may be.

[chestylarue]

Sorry tiki. I was just having some fun. I would just like for whoever gets the qualifying to appreciate it and love the sport- and that is my worry for Mr. Miller. But I will never mention him again.

My worry is like LT is that there can be a "tennis is easy- I just larked into it."

But- there may be some folks that do have a real talent and appreciation of the sport that for some reason are not currently on the tour (be it tour level, challegers or futures) for a reason that I don't mind having a shot.

And one reason why I don't mind the qualifying so much in terms of this is that it can be very hard to make a living as a futures or challengers player. There has to be some $ involved- and some players on those levels can barely cover their travel costs. So if there are some players who would have the talent but not the $ to make it on the challenger of futures circuit- I kind of like them having the chance to have a shot. Of course- now I am wondering if there will be any consideration of the cost to compete in the tournament itself.

[lt]

I'm still not liking it. It's not just the Miller aspect of it, although I don't like the reality show spin with that, it's the "see, tennis isn't so hard, look what I did" aspect of it. If it was being done at the Challenger level, I'd be better with it. As it is, it smacks of some marketing ploy that wasn't thought all the way through.

College Football has the walk ons and MLB has the Spring Training tryouts (and neither are easy to be part of) but they're done in a way to protect the professional product. If you do great in your Spring Training tryout you are sent to the minor leagues, not directly to the pros. So if this was something to up the profiles of the Challenger events, that would work for me.

[lt]

In a change from the norm--the ATP site has some of the post match interviews for the South African tournament up on their site. Gael speaks english beautifully. breezy, they have your boy Ferrer and I want everyone to get a good look at Feli's shorts. They are. . . well, you have to see for yourselves.

I was thinking of the people here who mentioned how Feli always seems so filled with strife. Listening to him talk about his match you would honestly think he had lost. It's pretty funny. All three talk about the altitude and I thought Feli made a good point that, in normal conditions, playing a qualifier in your first round is good but not here--because that guy has gotten used to the altitude and you haven't.

eta: My desktop is currently set to change every hour using my 2009 US Open photos. I thought Chesty would like the one that is up now. Look how cute Delpo is here (not to mention Darren). This would be after his semi win:

[breezybee]

In a change from the norm--the ATP site has some of the post match interviews for the South African tournament up on their site. Gael speaks english beautifully. breezy, they have your boy Ferrer and I want everyone to get a good look at Feli's shorts. They are. . . well, you have to see for yourselves.

I saw Ferrer lt. Hair looks a little odd but otherwise ok. I get a kick out of his interviews because he rambles on and on in broken English and when he is done I have no idea what he has just said. Quite honestly, I don't think he does either.

Feli's shorts? I swear my daughter had those same shorts when she was five years old. At least they aren't tucked in to his underwear.

[tikigirl]

Because I am really, really nice, here is one of the ads from the Calvin Klein campaign.

[chocula]

HELLO FERNANDO!!!

Thanks Tikigirl!!!

[Mpol]

Best he's looked IMO. He should wear his hair like that on court. Amd that little in thw way of clothes! OH IF ONLY!