The Tennis Thread

[Rocsteady]

Set my alarm for this, I'm probably the only one streaming but managed to find an OK one, if anyone has something better then hook me up plz.

http://live.batmanstream.com/streaming/ ... 38411.html

Let's do this Andy. Expecting Djoko in 4 but you never know.

[Skippy]

Dear Murray,

Stop losing your serve first thing when starting a set,

Thanks

S

[Skippy]

DEAD. This is over already

[Rocsteady]

Well this is going well

[Hypes]

Ouch

[Skippy]

Well done Murray, you held serve. Pride of Britain

[PES Fan]

Djokovic is just simply too good.

It's going to take a young up and coming to stop him as I do not see any of the other top four players doing it.

[Imrahil]

Well that is the advantage of being number 1.

It's never going to be fair is it unless both semi finals are played at the same time and nobody would want that.

There's a massive difference between 2 matches played one after the other and 2 matches with a whole 24 hours between them.

The extra day recovery (one extra sleep for the body to mend itself) for an intense sport like tennis is huge. Especially when 5-setters are involved.

Was this moaning going on last year when Djokovic played Wawrinka on the Friday in 5 sets? Whilst Murray played Berdych on the Thursday.

You still get a days rest, which is better than nothing. The players know the schedule before the tournament begins. It might not be right, but it definitely shouldn't be used as a excuse if Murray loses because it was in his favour last year and he still didn't get the job done.

Who's 'moaning'? Bit of a silly comment, all we're doing is discussing the point in hand. It was unfair just as much a year ago, regardless of the result.

One player is at a distinct disadvantage fitness-wise and it makes a big difference to recovery time, compared to the likes of Wimbledon where it's fairer. Whether a superior player can overcome that due to being better at tennis is irrelevant. They shouldn't have to overcome it in the first place.

No, I'm saying it's funny that this debate has popped up now when it's been the same for 20 years or so and it is not going to change. The players also understand it as at the end of the day the more people who see them play it is better for them. Otherwise they'd be the first ones to moan to the ATP about this schedule.


It's two of the biggest matches in the tournament and they want as much exposure around the world as possible. Starting at 8.30am will get them that rather than starting at 3am.

Also US open did try to make it fair and move the final to the Monday. Guess who opposed that? The players did.

The debate hasn't popped up now. It's been discussed at length for years regarding unfair semi-final/final scheduling.

Regardless of whether players feel they should toe the official line or not, it's a valid issue to discuss and I don't think there's any doubt one player is physically at a disadvantage, doesn't matter if there are examples of the disadvantage being overcome in the past.

Just saying 'it's the way it is, quit moaning' isn't really adding much.

So what are you suggesting?

The US open and Australian open are trying their best to get the European audience to tune in as that's where the majority of tennis viewers are. As well as cater for their own audience by having the match at 7.30pm local time. I'm happy with them starting at 8.30am for the semi finals. The players are fit enough to play two games in three days. It's not a big disadvantage as you are making it out to be. Some of these players play in four or five straight days in certain events.

Just like the World Cup and European champions have done for decades by having two semi finals on two separate days. It even happens in Rugby. It gets you a bigger TV audience. If there was a big disadvantage don't you think organisations like FIFA, UEFA, ATP and Rugby would have changed it. I'm certain it happens in the cricket World Cup too.

I'm suggesting exactly what I've been saying in my previous posts. That it's a clear disadvantage for one player, that could be easily rectified, and therefore a ridiculous aspect of the sport.

Also, those other sports you mention typically have far more days till the final (World Cup is 4 or 5 days if I recall) so an extra day has far less impact, plus being a team sport different players can pick up the slack throughout the tournament. Tennis is entirely different with the amount of high-intensity individual work done every other day over a 2 week period. I completely disagree with you that it isn't a clear disadvantage. Wimbledon refuse to do it out of fairness to the players.

Tbh there's a 1001 issues with various sports that can be discussed, but I've always seen this particular issue as a slamdunk no-brainer; it's purely done for commercial reasons - there's not a single sporting aspect of their reasoning for not playing on the same day. Which as a sports fan I detest.

Wimbledon and fairness shouldn't even be in the same sentence. They've made players play four days straight at times because of their refusal to play on Sunday, which a lot of players have asked for.

It's one day extra. These players are used to playing four or five days non stop. Kerber has played 3 games in 4 days whilst Serena has played 3 in 5 days. She had the odds stacked against her as Serena has been unbeatable for the past year yet still won.

If Murray loses it won't be because he's had one day less rest. It will most likely be due to the fact Djokovic is just too good for him, which is no shame as he is unplayable at the moment. It's hard to see someone taking two sets off him at the moment let alone three. The odds are stacked against Murray due to the form of Djokovic not due to one days rest.

Of course the same can be applied to other sports. Australian and US open are two of the more commercial grand slams. They rely on the sponsorship and TV revenue as the stadiums aren't as full as lets say Wimbledon. Wimbledon is usually full every day, where as you can't say that about the two other grand slams. And the big TV corporations usually dictate the schedule for the above two tournaments.

I disagree with pretty much all that. Not much more I can say really, we're going round in circles.

But, some info you may be interested in, the US Open have actually recently made a decision to follow Wimbledon and French Open to switch the semis back to the same day. US Open 2016 will give both players equal recovery days before the final from now on (barring freak weather - although once the roof is completed, fair scheduling won't be an issue).

So all that's left now is the Aus Open as the only slam practising this policy. Now the US have fixed this sporting anomaly, hopefully the Aus Open will follow suit over the next year or two and catch up to speed.

[PES Fan]

It would be interesting to see whether there is a statistical correlation between having the extra day and the eventual winner. Too lazy to gather those stats myself of course...

Good results in the finals so far but fully expect Murray to lose today.

From 2010 for Australian open

Federer played second and won the final in 2010

Djokovic played first and won the final in 2011

Djokovic played second and won the final in 2012

Djokovic played first and won the final in 2013

Wawrinka played first and won the final in 2014

Djokovic played second and won the final in 2015


So basically the last six years it is hard to say as the dominance of one player. Djokovic playing first or second isn't going to make a difference to him when he is in the final. I'd have a look later for the stats before 2010.

[Rocsteady]

Essentially when it's Djokovic playing it doesn't really matter. Great shot from Murray to seal that game.

[Drumstick]

Murray appears to be upping his game

[Drumstick]

More play like that please Andy

[Kanbei]

Too many unforced errors.

[Corazon de Leon]

Did they just trade breaks? Livescore's tennis checker isn't great and the "pub" I'm in has BBC News on for Terry Wogan.

[Skippy]

Did they just trade breaks? Livescore's tennis checker isn't great and the "pub" I'm in has BBC News on for Terry Wogan.

Yeah, it's 4-4 with Murray on serve

[Corazon de Leon]

Murray needs this set and he needs to work hard as strawberry float if he wants to unseat Djokovic here. I'm gutted I can't watch this.

[Imrahil]

I guess losing the first set 6-1 isn't the end of the world, stamina-wise. In a way it's better than losing 6-7 and getting shagged out.

[Hypes]

strawberry float 40-0 and losing the next 6 points.

[Denster]

Stayed up to watch it.


Novak should be done in straight sets here. Murray played much better in that second set but errors at key times cost him. Those two missed volleys at the net in particular. Got to put them away against Djoko.

[Rocsteady]

Second set gone, break point gone and the match gone. Disappointing really. Djokovic stands alone at the top of the game.