US Open Thread

[Dr Awkward]

In the end Clijsters deserved it but I disagree with the people who have been bagging Woz's game. She is a class act, plays hard, isnt mentally weak like most the other female players, is smart on court, and actually has a bit of ability to vary her shots.

Congrats to Tomic, he played really well in the last 3 matches and demolished that guy in the final who was 2 years older than him.

Fed express should wrap up the mens comfortably.

 

[Subaru Impreza]

fair play to wozniacki but for me she has to be one of the weakest finalists i have seen in the womens side of the draw.



Caroline Wozniacki Yanina Wickmayer 6-3 6-3
Caroline Wozniacki Melanie Oudin 6-2 6-2
Caroline Wozniacki Svetlana Kuznetsova 2-6 7-6(5) 7-6(3)

Caroline Wozniacki Sorana Cirstea 6-3 6-2
Caroline Wozniacki Petra Martic 6-1 6-0
Caroline Wozniacki Galina Voskoboeva 6-4 6-0

kuznetsova was an embarrassment and as for the other players well that's just sort of embarrassing in its own way...i suppose that's the way it goes sometimes with draws but she's been a favorite to win every match

, someone as average as she is

 

[Power King]

I'm still a believer of if they want equal pay, play the best of 5 sets.

I'd rather they get paid more to play less.

 

[Ricketts]

Yeah, this was the match-up that I wanted to see the least, because I would bet my big footy existence that fed wins in 3 easy sets.

H2H is 6-0, but their last meeting was a 5 set match, so the gap is definitely a lot closer now.

 

[matt_897]

fair play to wozniacki but for me she has to be one of the weakest finalists i have seen in the womens side of the draw.



Caroline Wozniacki Yanina Wickmayer 6-3 6-3
Caroline Wozniacki Melanie Oudin 6-2 6-2
Caroline Wozniacki Svetlana Kuznetsova 2-6 7-6(5) 7-6(3)

Caroline Wozniacki Sorana Cirstea 6-3 6-2
Caroline Wozniacki Petra Martic 6-1 6-0
Caroline Wozniacki Galina Voskoboeva 6-4 6-0

kuznetsova was an embarrassment and as for the other players well that's just sort of embarrassing in its own way...i suppose that's the way it goes sometimes with draws but she's been a favorite to win every match

, someone as average as she is

Least Wickmayer didn't make it to a final, she beat basically no one, well it's a nice draw for Wozinacki but beating a two-time Slam Champion is always a tough ask and then you could argue a case for Oudin considering who she beat to get to that stage. She beat the amount of player that required to get in the final, it's good enough.

 

[Power King]

H2H is 6-0, but their last meeting was a 5 set match, so the gap is definitely a lot closer now.

Can't see his first ever win occurring in the final of a major.

Just won't happen.

Would allow myself to be punched by barry hall if del potro takes a set off federer.

 

[Dr Awkward]

Personally I dont think its an issue of how many sets they play... thats not really relevant, what is relevant is the quality of game that they provide which is nothing in comparison with the men. I'm a decent amateur player and after watching some of the womens matches up close I think I would give some of players ranked between 50-100 a run for their money. Therefore its just not that good to watch because there no real level of 'admiration' for what they are doing. However some of the top 10 men are just in another world and I cant contemplate the level they sometimes play at so they are worth more money purely from a market-driven "quality of product" perspective.

Its the same as in almost any sport...basketball, golf, soccer...etc the men are better so they get payed better. But for some reason tennis is different... The female players are very lucky I guess.

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

Personally I dont think its an issue of how many sets they play... thats not really relevant, what is relevant is the quality of game that they provide which is nothing in comparison with the men. I'm a decent amateur player and after watching some of the womens matches up close I think I would give some of players ranked between 50-100 a run for their money. Therefore its just not that good to watch because there no real level of 'admiration' for what they are doing. However some of the top 10 men are just in another world and I cant contemplate the level they sometimes play at so they are worth more money purely from a market-driven "quality of product" perspective.

Its the same as in almost any sport...basketball, golf, soccer...etc the men are better so they get payed better. But for some reason tennis is different... The female players are very lucky I guess.

The men get paid more in those sports because there is just way more money in them to start off with, with exposure sponsors etc. Tennis is probably the only sport where women are anywhere near as well known as the men.
Men are stronger than women, no one could deny that, but it doesn't mean that the girls don't put in as much effort as the men, maybe they shouldn't get equal pay due to the sets thing, but I dunno, does it really matter?

 

[matt_897]

Would allow myself to be punched by barry hall if del potro takes a set off federer.

Federer can always have a little off times during his matches these day, I wouldn't be saying that espically the way Del potro playing. Having said Federer should win in straight and might actually take a look at what that is paying at TAB.

Edit: Federer 3-0 is @ $2.50. Jump on it

 

[Power King]

The men get paid more in those sports because there is just way more money in them to start off with, with exposure sponsors etc. Tennis is probably the only sport where women are anywhere near as well known as the men.
Men are stronger than women, no one could deny that, but it doesn't mean that the girls don't put in as much effort as the men, maybe they shouldn't get equal pay due to the sets thing, but I dunno, does it really matter?

At minimum I expect people to realise where female tennis's place is in the sport - on a level far, far inferior to the men.

Regarding the bolded part though, I kinda disagree. Take a male bricky and a female bricky. Both put in equal amounts of effort, but the male is able to lay I dunno 500 bricks within a certain time period, where as the female can only lay 200. Do they deserve equal pay seeing as both have tried their hardest? I know work is different to sport, but it's one aspect I take into consideration when thinking about the topic.

 

[CanonNo1]

I'd say Kim was a dominant force. She was like Roddick, Federer was in his way all the time. In Kim's case it was Henin.

Kim Clijsters was far from dominant. In fact in the seasons 2006 and 2007 she had only made 4 finals on tour and her last slam final was the 2005 US Open - hardly dominating. I'd put her in the David Naldbandian/Andy Roddick category, a very good player - top 5 / 10.

Now could you imagine either of those two players taking 2 years off and coming back. They wouldn't last past the 3rd round and therein lies the problem. Women's tennis is sub standard with little innovation, vast improvement or variety in the game.

Lets compare the top 5 in both

1. Roger Federer ... Safina
2. Andy Murray ... Williams
3. Rafa Nadal ... Williams
4. Novak ... Dementiava
5. Roddick ... Jankovic

On one side you have a players who can play any shot in the game - top spin or flat on both sides, quality serve, single handed forehands/backhands, great volleyers, brilliant defensive players and great tennis minds.

On the other side you have 5 baseliners who plod through 3 sets in a groundhog day esque match - no variety, flat baseline shots from both wings, some double sided on both wings and none who would come to net more than 3 times a match.

I'd argue women's tennis has become unwatchable since the days of Navratilova, Graf, Seles and Hardenne (who was the last player who was actually worth watching).

As another poster said - i'd pay them more to play less.

 

[matt_897]

some double sided on both wings

None of those 5 players are double sided on both wings

 

[CanonNo1]

None of those 5 players are double sided on both wings

mmmhhhh ... You might have me there ...

In other news I'm thinking the Del Potro / Federer match up is not going to be such a walkover. Mind you, the US Open to Federer seems to be what the French Open is to Nadal - home!

Experience and just being that little better will see him win in 4 tightish sets.

 

[Subaru Impreza]

I have a question for you all, what mens ranked player would be able to say beat the Williams sisters ?

Im thinking along the lines of 50 50 contest maybe a man ranked 500 or so could beat the Williams sisters.

THoughts opinions?

 

[watermelonslice]

I have a question for you all, what mens ranked player would be able to say beat the Williams sisters ?

Im thinking along the lines of 50 50 contest maybe a man ranked 500 or so could beat the Williams sisters.

THoughts opinions?

I remember reading something that a few years ago (very hazy on the time), the Williams sisters (or maybe it was just Serena) actually played a competitive match (or maybe it was set) against a player ranked barely in the top 200 in the ATP. The guy ended up belting them.

Err so I'm very hazy on the details. But it definitely happened!

 

[CanonNo1]

I have a question for you all, what mens ranked player would be able to say beat the Williams sisters ?

Im thinking along the lines of 50 50 contest maybe a man ranked 500 or so could beat the Williams sisters.

THoughts opinions?

Bernard Tomic ..... seriously name a number, there'd be no chance of winning.

 

[andrepetz]

I have a question for you all, what mens ranked player would be able to say beat the Williams sisters ?

Im thinking along the lines of 50 50 contest maybe a man ranked 500 or so could beat the Williams sisters.

THoughts opinions?

According to John Isner up to 800 in the world could beat the female no.1

 

[Subaru Impreza]

i reckon williams sisters would have no chance against any man inside top 500 personally.

From what I have seen of mixed doubles tennis, it seems like the women can return mens 1st serves pretty ok.

Would be interested to see who would win if it was say Bernard Tomic V Serena Williams. Id pay to watch that match

 

[Dr Awkward]

Tomic is actually not a great match up for Williams because of the way he plays but even so he would absolutely smoke her. Seriously it would be like 6-1 6-1 or something. If you go to the Aus open and watch them up close you get a real good idea. Sometimes the tv camera doesnt do the mens game justice. And we are talking about Williams here who actually plays like a man. If you were talking about one of the more 'feminine' female players like say Wozniacki then it would far easier.

In regards to pay, to that guy who said "they should get paid the same because they put in the same effort"... thats just crap. I can put in "that effort" if you want, I'll train 6 hours 7 days a week, then should I get paid? No. Because I'm not good enough.

On that basis players in the A-league should get paid the same as the premier league or WNBL players get paid the same as NBA players.

 

[drink]

i reckon williams sisters would have no chance against any man inside top 500 personally.

From what I have seen of mixed doubles tennis, it seems like the women can return mens 1st serves pretty ok.

Would be interested to see who would win if it was say Bernard Tomic V Serena Williams. Id pay to watch that match

oh please! At tennis he would crush her. At a fist fight though my money would be on SW! She'd shove the ball down his f$%&ing throat!

 

[mdc]

I remember reading something that a few years ago (very hazy on the time), the Williams sisters (or maybe it was just Serena) actually played a competitive match (or maybe it was set) against a player ranked barely in the top 200 in the ATP. The guy ended up belting them.

Err so I'm very hazy on the details. But it definitely happened!

I remember watching that, and it was definitely Serena, at the time where it was "accepted" she would have no competition on the women's circuit soon enough.

Anyway, she was up against some no-name dude ranked in the 200's, and he smoked her something like 2 and 2 without raising much of a sweat.

From personal experience, as a junior (around the age of 13/14) I had the opportunity to regularly hit with and occasionally play against a girl who was ranked something like no.4 in Victoria for her age group and later went on to the AIS. I, on the other hand, was an okish Pennant 4 player at the time training once a week. It was a reasonably even match-up.

So yeah, it's just a tad strange to me that women get equal coin.

 

[Hodges]

Cmon Del Potro! Hope he can pull one out of the bag tonight, would be a huge victory.

 

[Hawks1523]

FedEX will take this in 4, winning the first set 6-2.

 

[gaelictiogar]

Personally I dont think its an issue of how many sets they play... thats not really relevant, what is relevant is the quality of game that they provide which is nothing in comparison with the men. I'm a decent amateur player and after watching some of the womens matches up close I think I would give some of players ranked between 50-100 a run for their money. Therefore its just not that good to watch because there no real level of 'admiration' for what they are doing. However some of the top 10 men are just in another world and I cant contemplate the level they sometimes play at so they are worth more money purely from a market-driven "quality of product" perspective.

Its the same as in almost any sport...basketball, golf, soccer...etc the men are better so they get payed better. But for some reason tennis is different... The female players are very lucky I guess.

Throughout the ATP/WTA pyramids mens events attract far more money than womens for the simple reason that there is a bigger audience. EG Fed V Del P will blitz the Ladies final on ratings and draw in huge ad revenue etc.

The only time when the women are paid the same is when WTA are piggybacking ATP. In effect Fed, Nadal etc are earning millions for the women. Totally unfair but that is political correctness.

However the top male stars are far more attractive to sponsors etc because more people are intgerested in them and they end up earning for more anyway. I mean just what were the ratings for Clijsters V whoever she was?

 

[Kaan]

Fk sake anyone elses Foxtel keep stuffing up?