OT: US Tennis Open: The old vs. the ancient.

[wire chief]

We know Venus is up there in age, and some official has apparently decided that the 1st day is a not-yet-senior-tour-players match-up. She gets Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm, who's got to be at least 42.
Anyway, on the strength of her summer, Venus sits at #19 in seeding.
It seems odd to say that the odds makers show respect by putting her at 25-1 to win it all, unless you look at the rest of the top 18 and notice that the odds for several are even worse.
Realistically, it is hard to embrace high confidence that she can play at a high level for 7 matches,
but I'll go way out on a limb and say she beats Kimiko.

Younger sis is the favorite at 4-2.

Rafa & Del Potro are scratches, for health reasons.

 

[EricLA]

Should be an interesting tourney. So many players on the women's side have stepped it up lately as Azarenka has faded and Serena has shown she's human way more often than she used to. I get that Serena is still the favorite, but there are at least 7 others who have a legit realistic shot, and that's not including the crazy dominoes that may fall into place like they did for Bartoli at Wimbledon...

 

[wire chief]

Not totally freaky, as Bartoli DID make a final a few years back also.

 

[Beemer]

Actually I'm glad to see adults going for the titles. For a long time it seemed like only 14-15 year olds were winning everything, at least on the women's side.

 

[Boxerpups4me]

I'm glad this thread came up. It reminded me of when I was 13 years old and developed a huge crush on Jennifer capriati and loved watching her play tennis. apparently she has had some tough legal issues lately though

 

[wire chief]

Day one ran to form, in that no one in top 20 was defeated. My Venus came through in 3 sets.
Serena & Roger highlight today. ESPN at 1 and at 7.

 

[Beemer]

Day one ran to form, in that no one in top 20 was defeated. My Venus came through in 3 sets.
Serena & Roger highlight today. ESPN at 1 and at 7.

With Nadal out Roger just might add to his # of Grand Slam wins, it all depends on how well his body holds up I suppose.

 

[wire chief]

Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia is well known to tennis fans. She's in the Open as the 12th seed.
Well, she just became the biggest casualty of the day. American Catherine CeCe Bellis, a wildcard ranked about 1200
was just overpowering enough in 3 sets. CeCe is just 15. Yes, that's right, 15. Bears watching, no?

 

[wire chief]

The organizers are being respectful to Venus. they are putting her on Arthur Asch for the night venue tomorrow. I'm happy.

 

[wire chief]

Serena took care of business pretty handily, at 6-3, 6-1. Her opponent was American Taylor Thomson, an 18 year old who won the Aussie girls in 20012. Despite that, the USTA made her sit later in the year for weight reasons. Now Serena herself is a substantial physical presence, but we don't think much about that, I believe, because after 17 Major titles, who would say it's a negative?
But Taylor is a case beyond Serena, and I wonder about long term speed and stamina. The young woman can play, but could use a dose of
our Steph's svelteness.

 

[wire chief]

Serena will play about 1:30 vs. her 2nd American foe, Vania King.
Polish A. Radwanska, though highly ranked for some time and seeded 4th here, has never done well at our Open.
Nothing's changed as she was dumped by an unseeded foe.
Venus got through her 2nd round last night, beating #78, a Swiss lass, who made the 2nd set interesting.
Next for Venus is Italiana Sara Errani, wearing #12. That's tomorrow. Sara is #1 in doubles.
Our 15 yr 0ld is out on court 17 vs. a Kazakh in the late afternoon. Let's hope ESPN will give her attention.
Venus & Serena play doubles a few hours after Serena's singles.
The 3rd most famous American, Sloane Stephens, has been erratic for a while, and got bounced.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Serena took care of business pretty handily, at 6-3, 6-1. Her opponent was American Taylor Thomson, an 18 year old who won the Aussie girls in 20012. Despite that, the USTA made her sit later in the year for weight reasons. Now Serena herself is a substantial physical presence, but we don't think much about that, I believe, because after 17 Major titles, who would say it's a negative?
But Taylor is a case beyond Serena, and I wonder about long term speed and stamina. The young woman can play, but could use a dose of
our Steph's svelteness.

Serena has an incredibly defined, muscular phsyique. Taylor is not nearly that defined.

But Taylor could possibly just have a bigger physique, naturally. Courtney Paris has a naturally bigger frame. It did not stop her in college. In the pros, she stepped up her conditioning, but even now, she is by no means traditionally thin. And she still had a very successful year.

Of course, for USTA, one would think Taylor's junior tennis prowess, record, GS titles, etc. would have been enough.

 

[wire chief]

One could read the frustration of Venus & Serena that they couldn't pull off a straight set doubles victory, mindful of patterns of rest for singles. They brooked no such lapses in set 3, racing to a 6-1 finish.

Ms. Bellis, our 15 year old attraction, couldn't take round 2, losing to another up & comer.

Venus returns to singles about 1:30 vs. Sara Errani, her 1st seeded opponent, then she and little sis together again about 6:00.

Roger and Sharapova are the evening's featured matches.

 

[EricLA]

Serena has an incredibly defined, muscular phsyique. Taylor is not nearly that defined.

But Taylor could possibly just have a bigger physique, naturally. Courtney Paris has a naturally bigger frame. It did not stop her in college. In the pros, she stepped up her conditioning, but even now, she is by no means traditionally thin. And she still had a very successful year.

Of course, for USTA, one would think Taylor's junior tennis prowess, record, GS titles, etc. would have been enough.

Agreed. I watched the game last night between Kanepi and Stosur. I think most would agree Stosur looks like the most fit woman in all of tennis. Kanepi, not so much. Thick and certainly lacking definition. The match went 3 long sets with Kanepi winning it in the 3rd in a tie breaker. Point being players may not look terrifically fit, ie. with defined musculature, but if they have the stamina to play their game for 3 long sets, they are certainly fit enough to be taken seriously on the WTA circuit...

 

[RadyLady]

Thank you for these update, wchief!

 

[wire chief]

I can't watch another minute. Damned disease.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Venus is getting "served"... geesh! I've been saying it for a while now, she needs to keep the racquet in her bag. 5-zip first set

 

[DaddyChoc]

playing much better in the 2nd set, up 3-zip

 

[VAMike23]

Not often you see a match that alternates 0-6 and 6-0 set scores.....!!

 

[DaddyChoc]

and the odds are against Venus when losing the first set 6-0

 

[wire chief]

Too much for her, as Sara squeaked through., Venus just completed her 7th set in 24 hours...and hasn't fallen over on the ground.
The sisters are through to the 3rd round of doubles.
Serena gets her third (though recentlynaturalized) American tomorrow. Varvara Lepchenko is ranked 58th. Can't remember any female Uzbeks before. Anyway, about 4pm, depending how quickly Novak dispatches Sam Querry.
Venusgets a full day's rest.

 

[wire chief]

Wow! Aleksandra Krunic, a qualifier, just bounced the Wimbledon champ in 2 and is in the round of 16.

 

[wire chief]

The sisters play Sunday, about 12:30. Serena into the round of 16.

 

[Zorro]

Sharapova is very nice to look at, but the only way I can watch her is with the sound off. Am I the only one who is bothered by the mindless screaming of her and so many otherplayers? Is it really necessary? Is it either encouraged or discouraged by the authorities? Players used to seem to get by just fine without it, before Monica.

 

[wire chief]

David Ferrer just went down to Simon of France, which now clears the court for the sisters.