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Post by falafaclese on Jan 22, 2011 15:45:41 GMT
Interesting:
I've been hearing rumors about it over the past week or so, but sort of ignored them, now this video made me start to wonder . . .
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Post by mooncreek on Feb 1, 2011 17:01:53 GMT
So I was on the ATP site glancing at the scores when this jumped out at me from Zagreb:
Goran Ivanisevic is playing! No, he's not another Muster (although I'd be in heaven if he would) - just a one-shot doubles match with Marin Cilic in an effort to get Croatians interested in the tournament. But this is not an exhbition, a real match - they lost the first set in a tiebreak.
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lt
Semi Finals
Posts: 3,223
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Post by lt on Feb 2, 2011 14:43:27 GMT
I'm watching the SA Open (Feli vs. Dancevic) and this tournament kinda cracks me up--Feli is the #1 seed. That's just funny. And the commentators have already mentioned that is seems to be ladies' day--well, duh! Feli is playing.
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Post by breezybee on Feb 2, 2011 15:53:13 GMT
It actually is ladies' day. It's one of the events they have. There are prizes for best dressed and best hat. I did notice some rather large bedazzled hats this morning. I was looking at the hats when I wasn't watching Lopez walk around the court in that manner that suggest he's about to face-plant in to the ground. www.montecasino.co.za/whatson/Events/Documents/ladies_night_invitation.jpg
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lt
Semi Finals
Posts: 3,223
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Post by lt on Feb 2, 2011 16:38:03 GMT
Hey, breezy, your Canadian won! Granted, beating Feli isn't exactly the toughest of tasks but good for Dancevic.
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Post by breezybee on Feb 2, 2011 19:07:46 GMT
I know lt! So far the Canadian boys have taken out the #1 and #2 seeds. I've got my fingers crossed for a Dancevic/Raonic final.
Cute clip from the Cilic/Ivanisevic doubles match yesterday.
Too bad they lost. I want more Ivanisevic.
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Post by harry24 on Feb 4, 2011 16:45:22 GMT
I just read that Safina has hired Sanguinetti as her new coach. I can't remember who else he's worked with. Can anyone refresh my memory? Do you think this is a good move for her?
I just adore her and want her to be happy and successful on court and off.
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Post by breezybee on Feb 4, 2011 17:46:32 GMT
I think he used to coach Vince Spadea. Not positive though.
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Post by falafaclese on Feb 5, 2011 15:43:24 GMT
If I remember correctly, Sanguinetti was a grinder when he was playing. I remember him winning a marathon 5-setter against Paradorn Schrichipan the US Open a a few years ago. I don't know if grinding is what she ultimately needs, it seems like her biggest challenge was finding ways to be aggressive, but maybe some consistency and continued fitness will help her get out of her slump. I think the first order of business is regaining her confidence in her serve. I wonder if she'll keep the abbreviated motion she was using last month? I haven't seen enough of it to see if it looked like it was helping, but a shortened toss has to help, doesn't it?
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Post by mooncreek on Feb 5, 2011 18:00:12 GMT
Sharapova may be rethinking playing for Russia in Fed Cup. France is up 2-0 on them, despite not having Bartoli or Rezai playing. Sharapova lost to Cornet rather easily while Kuzzie lost a three-setter to Razzano.
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Post by falafaclese on Feb 6, 2011 20:18:15 GMT
It looks like the Russians pulled it out. Kuzzie and Pavlyuchnekova won their singles matches today, and then they teamed up to win the doubles.
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Post by breezybee on Feb 9, 2011 0:04:55 GMT
I'm watching Hewitt and Verdasco play doubles together in San Jose. Now if I were picking a mixed doubles partner I have to say that very last on my list would be Verdasco. Almost every single point Hewitt and Verdasco have lost has been due to Verdasco. Really makes me wonder why Lopez plays with him so much. Pretty much anyone else on the ATP would be a better partner.
ETA - I just realized that the sentence about Lopez sounds a bit smutty and I want to assure that I was referring only tennis. Anything else the two of them play at is none of my business. Unless of course they invite me to watch.
ETA#2 - There is something horribly, horribly wrong with Tommy Robredo's shorts. They are just like Rafa's shirt was at the Australian Open and it looks like he's wearing half-melted red fruit roll-ups for shorts. I'm watching his match with Fognini in the hopes that they get in to a wrestling match given their altercation last week.
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lt
Semi Finals
Posts: 3,223
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Post by lt on Feb 9, 2011 14:30:22 GMT
I didn't see the match so I don't know if he was playing particularly bad but he's normally a very good doubles player. When they're playing well, Feli and Fer made a really good team. The difference over the past couple of years that I've seen is that the more Fer concentrates on singles, the less interested (and therefore not as invested in the matches) he has been in doubles. Also, I think his bulked-up size doesn't help him in doubles. Before, he'd race around the court because he was lighter. The increased endurance he has now (which helps him in singles) isn't needed on the doubles court where everything except Davis Cup and some random Slam finals is best of three or super-tiebreak.
But while I like Fer as a doubles player and like the Feli/Fer team I do think the only way Feli is going to remain relevant on the tour is to become a doubles specialist (while still playing singles when he gets into the draw) and finding a permanent partner who is also a doubles specialist.
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Post by breezybee on Feb 9, 2011 17:06:09 GMT
Verdasco was awful lt with Hewitt. I think he usually does well because he is such a strong tennis player. I don't think he's a very good doubles player though. It's a completely different game and to me he plays doubles like he's playing singles. He's just so good it usually works. To me his net skills are very weak but Lopez's are so strong that it makes up for it. Personally, I prefer they play together because that's an awful lot of pretty on one side of the net.
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lt
Semi Finals
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Post by lt on Feb 9, 2011 17:32:05 GMT
That's what I mean--he used to play a doubles game when he played doubles. Good net play, good communication. . .all the stuff that makes a doubles team fun to watch. But that's been sliding away as he's gotten stronger (and bigger). He was just a tiny little thing the first time I watched him play doubles and while I would watch Feli because, well, you know, it was Fer that you watched for the skills. Now he relies on the strength and seems so much more disinterested out there in doubles. He also gets crankier when he plays doubles now. You know when Feli is the one with the smile and support that things aren't going well.
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