Tennis 2016

[Real ale Madrid]

Kicking off 2016 with a reminder that James McGee plays 1RQ at the Australian Open soon. Play has just started and McGee is up 2nd on Court 5. He plays WR228 Calvin Hemery of France.

[Real ale Madrid]

James McGee is through to the Final Round of Quals at the Australian Open. He took to the Court around 11.00pm Irish time last night and despite a difficult start came through to beat WR110 Radu Albot of Moldova 1-6,6-1,6-2. McGee now goes up against Daniel Brands WR154 from Germany for a place in the main draw – that match is due on Court 9, 2nd, after a 1.30 am start Irish time – so roughly 3am.

[Crosby87]

Is anyone really surprised about this match fixing thing? Of course it goes on. They said it includes one female US Open Winner. So that chick that won the one year a few years back everyone else got eliminated or was hurt.

Serena did it again yesterday, I couldn't tell if her bare muscular midriff with sexy belly button piercing was the cats meow or too manish.

[Real ale Madrid]

McGee beaten in final Quals by Daniel Brands 76 64 - who went on to beat WR54 Estrella Burgos of Dominican Republic in R1.

Seeds tumbling out so far - Wozniacki, Errani, Petkovic, Stephens, Stosur, Palvyuchenova, Schmedova, Williams V, Halep, Begu, Turserenka, and Garcia all out of womens draw after the first round. In the mens; Rafa Nadal gone, along with Anderson and Fognini today and, Paire and Karlovic yesterday.

As for the match fixing thing, I see tweets and results etc every day - people barely winning a point in the first set - going on to win 0-6, 6-1, 6-2 , people losing tie breaks 7-0 etc - its rampant in the lower levels of Tennis where id imagine if you are toiling for years since you were young and getting nowhere - the thought of an easy 5k or 10k must be enormously tempting. I would have thought it would be less prevalent in the upper echelons where the top 50 ranked are very well off and anyone consistently in the top 100 over a period of time would also be doing well. I would have thought the drugs issue would be a bigger deal at the atp level - below that well I would think anything goes, snooker has been successful in working with the Gambling industry in catching cheating and it must be even more tempting in that environment - so there is no excuse for Tennis not to be doing everything it can.

[Crosby87]

They should move the Aussie open back a month. its no good....the players are sill nursing injuries from the previous year...the tourney is no good. too soon. Out goes Nadal.

[Crosby87]

Yes....

[Real ale Madrid]

It was a historic night for Irish tennis overnight as 15 year old Georgia Drummy became the youngest Irish player ever to Qualify for the main draw at a major.

Drummy with a Junior WR of 220 beat 115WR Helen Abagail Atwick who is also 2 years older than her 62 76 in final qualfiers - and will take part in the main draw (64) on Monday.

Well done to her.

[Crosby87]

That's interesting. She looks lean and mean...maybe add some muscle weight as she gets older.....

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/georgia-drummy-qualifies-for-junior-australian-open-2016-1.2505302

[swinfordfc]

McGee beat Ryan Harrison in round 1 of atp challenger event in usa - playing an austrian next!

[Real ale Madrid]

McGee beat Ryan Harrison in round 1 of atp challenger event in usa - playing an austrian next!

Plays Nick Meister next - an American who beat him in the SF of this event last year!

[swinfordfc]

Plays Nick Meister next - an American who beat him in the SF of this event last year!

And lost to him again even though he won the first set 6-4!

[Real ale Madrid]

And lost to him again even though he won the first set 6-4!

Stayed up to watch it - he was brutal.

[swinfordfc]

Stayed up to watch it - he was brutal.

No chance of breaking the top 100!

[Crosby87]

Do you realize that Serena was -800 and Kerber was +550. Damn. I thought about betting it I swear. Serena didn't get tested at all. It would have been too easy. Danggummit.

[Real ale Madrid]

James McGee is in the 100k event in Dallas this week - through to R2 after a win v WR150 Dennis Novikov last night 57 61 64 - plays 2. Seed Kyle Edmund of GBR tonight - he is WR about 88 - tough task but not impossible.

[Real ale Madrid]

MCGee beaten 63 64 - served at 80% but made a glut of unforced errors. Better than last week I thought.

[BonnieShels]

Sharapova's press conference today was about a failed drugs test.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/35750285

[Real ale Madrid]

Drugs in Tennis?

Preposterous.

[BonnieShels]

Poor Rafa is getting nervous.

[Acornvilla]

Alright lads, may as well revive this for that day that's in it! Expecting a Murray win, Raonic will have to play the game of his life to stand a chance.

Felt Kerber was desperately unlucky in the women's final, she played brilliantly, but just couldn't compete with that serve, it's nice to see how much she's improved this year thou, playing with real belief now, well capable of bagging another slam at some point. Now that Serena has equaled the record, I reckon a bit of the pressure is off and she'll manage to get over the line in the US and bag her 23rd GS title.

On an aside, I watched a USTA final between Nishioka and Tiafoe last night, the quality was unbelievably high, easily ATP 250 level. The little Japanese man is like a combination of Nadal and Djokovic, one to look out for in the future. Tiafoe odly reminds me of, the male equivalent of what Serena is, unbelievable raw talent, big serve, huge power, but needs a lot of work mentally, with the right guidance, could be brilliant.


As far as the Irish are concerned. McGee has stagnated somewhat this year since coming back from injury, losing a couple of times in the last round of qualifiers for challengers, which is a shame, but also, really not good enough, for the aspirations he holds. Saying that, he has almost no points to defend for the rest of the year, so we'll likely see him back around the top 200 at some point, and then hopefully he can push on.

Sam Barry seems to be competing at challenger level more regularly now, and might manage to squeeze in to the top 250 in time for the US Open qualifying which would be a great achievment for him, and a good sign of things to come. I still don't know a whole lot about him thou, because he's played so much ITF stuff, even thou he's been around for years, you wouldn't get to see him play as others.

Big Dave O'Hare, lost a challenger final last night. Reckon he must be pushing about the top 150 in doubles now, could also make us open qualifying at this rate. Have only watched him a few times, reckon he will be a far more successful doubles player than poor ol' James Cluskey ended up being, but I don't think he's all that great either, made an awful lot of errors from the baseline last night, and was probably the weakest performer of the 4 in last nights final.

There's a random tennis round up, havn't a clue what the girls have been at, but interested to hear if you know what any of the other Irish have been up to!

[Real ale Madrid]

Signed Lohan from Waterford - Final 4 NCAA this year as a sophomore. Won an ITF event a few weeks ago. Looks to be easily the most talented Tennis player this country has ever produced. Still two more years of college to go.

Edit - nice roundup of the lads Acorn - still think McGee has a big year in him! Barry is a streaky player - good on his A game - atrocious if not. I haven't seen enough of O'Hare but he has been to 3 or 4 challenger finals this year , won. 25k ITF event and won a challenger at the back end of 2015 - his results are pretty impressive and consistent

[pineapple stu]

Bump!

So it's Venus v Serena and Nadal v Federer in the Australian Open finals.

Surely there's never been an older finals quartet?

[Real ale Madrid]

Whatever about the women's final - the Federer / Nadal final was magnificent.

I just love the way age has taken 5% of the power but none of the guile and class especially from Federer - and what we were left with was a classic game of tennis - that didn't last 5 plus hours long and had no long 20 + shot rallies until late in the 5th when the tension was at its highest. If only every Sunday morning was like that!

[KrisLetang]

Who's going to replace these players when they retire? It seems like the young up and coming people never take that next step. I wonder if there will be a lack of story lines like in golf?

[BonnieShels]

Delighted Fed won. But tennis leaves me cold these days. Too much to wonder about Nadal and his ilk.

[Real ale Madrid]

Delighted Fed won. But tennis leaves me cold these days. Too much to wonder about Nadal and his ilk.

Same as most sports these days. Love Murrays attitude to the scandals, says all the right things, have always loved Federer's style, I'd have massive concerns about Djokovic and flat out don't believe that Nadal is clean.

[DannyInvincible]

Same as most sports these days. Love Murrays attitude to the scandals, says all the right things, have always loved Federer's style, I'd have massive concerns about Djokovic and flat out don't believe that Nadal is clean.

Concerns about Djokovic's ability or attitude?

[Real ale Madrid]

Concerns about Djokovic's ability or attitude?

about him being a clean athlete.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111904787404576532854267519860

[KrisLetang]

How Boris Becker lost it all.

http://nypost.com/2017/06/21/how-playboy-tennis-legend-boris-becker-lost-it-all/

[tricky_colour]

How Boris Becker lost it all.

http://nypost.com/2017/06/21/how-playboy-tennis-legend-boris-becker-lost-it-all/

What an idiot!!! Must have his brains in his tennis balls.

[KrisLetang]

Kerber, Konta and Halep already gone. Women's tennis is in brutal shape.
Maria did look nice in that outfit tho. Not my type really.

[Real ale Madrid]

Sharapova in another battle now against Timea Babos of Hungary. Had to turn the TV down the screeching out of the two of them. It's 3-3 second set and Babos took the first in a breaker .

Meanwhile here is an interesting article about Meldonium

http://deadspin.com/i-doped-like-maria-sharapova-and-it-was-actually-pretty-1798352480

[bennocelt]

Sharapova in another battle now against Timea Babos of Hungary. Had to turn the TV down the screeching out of the two of them. It's 3-3 second set and Babos took the first in a breaker .

Meanwhile here is an interesting article about Meldonium

http://deadspin.com/i-doped-like-maria-sharapova-and-it-was-actually-pretty-1798352480

Noticed a lot of that screeching during wimbledon, very distracting. do the authorities not care anymore about this, as its a big turn off

[KrisLetang]

That was a very strange article from a strange chick IMO.

So Woz loses to Makarova and all she wants to do after the match is bitch and moan about Maria playing on center court over her. Caroline. You stink. Get over yourself.

[Real ale Madrid]

I can understand the frustration by clean athletes being overshadowed by the cheats.

[KrisLetang]

She has weird shoulders.

[KrisLetang]

Baby girl for Serena.