Ok then - back to the tennis!
Quick prediction - Bouchard to beat Sharapova! Off to sleep
Footage of Eugenie in a bikini surfing was not half bad.
Ok then - back to the tennis!
Quick prediction - Bouchard to beat Sharapova! Off to sleep
Well the Canuck bombed, along with the Romanian. A little surprised.
I'm still looking at a Masha-Serena final with the US to prevail.
I'm impressed by Katya Makarova's run, she's come a long way and can be a real danger on the tour, but it's a few months too early.
Wow - disappointing night - apart from Nadal going out that is. Listening to Murray / Kyrgios on the radio ( yeah ) . Murray seems on top.
Halep was awful. Sharapova says she turned it around after the first round when her dad called to yell at her.
If both Williams win will Serena throw it to Venus?
Why would Serena throw the semi to Venus - knowing that in all probability Venus would lose the final ?
James McGee goes into action in Maui mid afternoon today in Hawaii - late tonight Irish time.
James Cluskey and James Serretani (USA) are also in action in rd1 of the doubles - they take on the US pair of Jared Donaldson and Stefan Kozlov.
To do her a favor at the end of her career.
Spuds I noticed Hingis is playing doubles and mixed dbls, could she make a comeback in singles? Too old?
Real Ale, as Crosby says, to throw her a bone. They've done it before. It's a stretch, but it happens very regularly. Example, a good solid tour player who was playing in the 1st round of a $10k, meets a young qualifier who desperately needs the points. Her mother offers the prize money plus to pay for the hotel (2 nights worth), plus a bit of coaching/hitting. Solid tour player drops the match in 2 sets, plays doubles with the kid and covers her costs with a profit. That's an easy one.
Crosby, she came back to coach a number of players, but then got the fever and played doubles (ostensibly to coach/mentor). Hard to say if she's fit enough for singles, she is still one of the most brilliant players in history (and I believe she did it largely without any doping) and if it wasn't for her mad mother and her "beliefs"/methods, Martina would be a veyr healthy and happy woman. As it is, she's a wee bit messed up.
Venus just seemed to freeze when the match was in her hands. Pretty shocking finish to the match from her POV. Serena was amazing, Cibulkova played her best and just couldn't get through her. Way too much of a power disparity.
Stan showed just why he won last year, looking very good, didn't watch the Djokovic match, but unsurprising result.
In other news I watched McGee and Cluskey, McGee won out easily against a young lad and plays Odesnik next. It's a pretty average challenger draw this week, so he has the possibility of going deep. Will probably lose now that I've said it
Cluskey was useless, looked like he's never played tennis before in his life, serving was awful, vollying was awful, he was passed or made an error almost every time he went to the net.
Glancy lost 7-6,7-6.
Cibulkova's only a small girl. She has most of her power in her lower body (I am being polite), but Serena is a tank. Veus, I didn't see the match, but looking at the stats breakdown, she just wilted, shocking!
Odesnik.......interesting player. Quite a story and quite a character. Was scapegoated by the tennis authorities and when he blew the whistle was smeared by most players, regardless, will be a test.
Cluskey is a strange one, I think it's all confidence with him. Daniel Glancy, has the looks, skills and strength, just needs a break!
More Irish updates:
Glancy beaten as per above in Sunderland F2 Event, partners Pirmin Henale of Germany in the QF of the Doubles after a L16 bye.
Peter Bothwell and his doubles partner Ewan Moore (GBR) are straight into the semi-finals of that tournament after a L16 Bye and a W/O in the QF.
F3 Event in Fucherolles France - Sam Barry has already won 2 rounds of doubles with his Spanish Doubles partner - Artenundo Martinavarr. They play the Dutch top seeds in the semi finals. Barry plays his first round singles game today.
Another addition to Sunderland, Amy Bowtell is on court, a set up and 3-3 in the 2nd. Poor field apart from Amy, one Polish player, a Brit Tara Moore and a Belarussian. Though top seed is a face familiar to us all, my old mucker Marta Sirotkina! She's looking to pick up some easy points after a busy 12 months, she came back from a silent doping ban, got engaged and nobody wants to sponsor her. A pity as she had massive potential after we got her training in DCU.
Never even checked the Women's events - are they any others apart from Amy we should know of ?
I am setting up a Twitter account to post these types of updates over the next few days. I put up details when I do it - will call it IrishTennisUpdates or something radical like that.
In GB most futures events are run side by side, it makes good sense and business - something the Europeans don't seem to get usually. Apart from Amy, at pro level we have nobody doing anything, though I hope things will change. And the Fed Cup is on in a couple of weeks, I'm caught between going to Talinn and Budapest that weekend, Ireland are in Estonia but the Group 1 teams are pretty useful.
Real Ale, if you put up a twitter account I am sure all the Irish mob will jump on board. Tennis Ireland is decent, but they have little clue on how to commercialise or grow with SM.
Set up the twitter handle tonight - @TennisUpdateIRE .
On the court Sam Barry had double disapointment in France today losing in 3 tight sets in the singles and losing in the Doubles Semis also.
Amy Bowtell completed her win the 10k event in Sunderland.
So the Venus / Serena scenario has not materialised - womens semi finals overnight and Stanley v Novak in the morning on the wireless while at work. Looking forward to sitting down with some strong coffee at the weekend mornings to watch the finals. I hope it's Serena / Maria in the womens - don't care who wins the Men's semis.
Last edited by Real ale Madrid; 28/01/2015 at 8:43 PM.
You've been twittering like a mad yolke already
Amy's in a QF today at 11.00 against a decent Czech, but she has the weapons to reach the semi's.
Bookmarks