Australian Open 2024 [Men] - Grand Slam

[tented]

 

[Vince Evert]

Dear, dear me. Why didn't Alexei win 1 of the set points when he had Djokovic 0-40 down and 4-5 in the third, with the match at 1 sets each ? He had Djokovic on the ropes there and then. You wonder what a loss like this is going to mean to his overall playing future. The stage was set for Popryin to progress to another level in his development but i fear his going to fall by the wayside... Damn...

 

[Vince Evert]

Likewise, thompson had his chances to win the 4th and to tie two sets each in his second rd against Tsitsipas. Damn...

 

[Vince Evert]

are those extended vid's appearing outside of AU for you ?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Dear, dear me. Why didn't Alexei win 1 of the set points when he had Djokovic 0-40 down and 4-5 in the third, with the match at 1 sets each ? He had Djokovic on the ropes there and then. You wonder what a loss like this is going to mean to his overall playing future. The stage was set for Popryin to progress to another level in his development but i fear his going to fall by the wayside... Damn...

Is Novak's mini melt down with a Heckler in this video? he turned around and said Come here and say that? I couldnt hear exactly what the heckler was saying to Novak, Novak said it wasnt a great atmosphere to play in, Nick K in commentary said " Just give me the word Novak and I'll escort him out myself" Novak needs to go and hug his tree that he has befriended in the Melbourne Botanical Gardens and maybe sing Kum Bay Yah to that tree

 

[tented]

are those extended vid's appearing outside of AU for you ?

Yes, I see them in the US.

 

[Vince Evert]

Is Novak's mini melt down with a Heckler in this video? he turned around and said Come here and say that? I couldnt hear exactly what the heckler was saying to Novak, Novak said it wasnt a great atmosphere to play in, Nick K in commentary said " Just give me the word Novak and I'll escort him out myself" Novak needs to go and hug his tree that he has befriended in the Melbourne Botanical Gardens and maybe sing Kum Bay Yah to that tree

I didn't see the incident - When about's , was it in the 4th set?. The heckler must've had too much to drink. Anyways i agree with Nick K and Djokovic's remarks (even though they're my two least favourite tennis players). Grand Slam Tennis these days is like a carnival atmosphere so i guess this means more and more hecklers who don't necessarily understand the game are going to be or act silly, to put it mildly.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I didn't see the incident - When about's , was it in the 4th set?. The heckler must've had too much to drink. Anyways i agree with Nick K and Djokovic's remarks (even though they're my two least favourite tennis players). Grand Slam Tennis these days is like a carnival atmosphere so i guess this means more and more hecklers who don't necessarily understand the game are going to be or act silly, to put it mildly.

Well if it was that bad and drunk he would have been escorted out okay by security, Please Novak has been on the tour for how long he has to be able to block out noise and one heckler quite frankly lol! I have been at GS and tournaments and witnessed worse, Novak is a tad 'precious' he didnt like playing in that kind of atmosphere? Yes Nick K has now become Novak's bestie, lol! tennis commentators here in Sydney also agree with my comments btw.Novak has always wanted the crowd to be on his side and liked, well in life that always dosent happen. Stopping and calling out at a Heckler dosent endear him quite frankly,.a tennis journalist was the one to say he needs to hug that tree in the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne and stopping carrying on lol!

 

[Fiero425]

I didn't see the incident - When about's , was it in the 4th set?. The heckler must've had too much to drink. Anyways i agree with Nick K and Djokovic's remarks (even though they're my two least favourite tennis players). Grand Slam Tennis these days is like a carnival atmosphere so i guess this means more and more hecklers who don't necessarily understand the game are going to be or act silly, to put it mildly.

Things started going downhill w/ classless & obnoxious fandom in '75 or so after Evert & Connors won their majors! The tennis BOOM began, getting fans who didn't even play the game involved! People started to take lessons, got into tennis fashions, & watched matches on TV started by the "Battle Of The Sexes" w/ BJK & Riggs in '73! In the mid 70's I actually had more tennis clothes than regular fare! My favorite TV event occurred in the FALL taking the top 4 men & women competing in a WITC Chp. at Sea Pines Plantation in South Carolina giving 1 pt. per victory in singles, doubles, & Mx. doubles! BJK won the Inaugural event by taking the MxD's w/ Stan Smith! Evert & Borg won the singles respectively! Each match was telecast 1 per weekend spanning 11 weeks IIRC in the Spring the following year! Very entertaining!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Some interesting match ups,
C.Alcaraz (2) vs L.Sonego
H.Rune (8) vs A. Cazcuz WC also the reason he plays tennis because of Rafa Nadal, you have to give him 'Brownie Points' for that alone
Medvedev (3) vs Vowel Dude
T.Paul (14) vs J.Draper ( they met last week in Adelaide and Jack dismissed him in straight sets, though Jack was overcome with heat in his last match that went 5 sets and threw up on court in one of the boxes)
Dimitorv (13) v T.Kokkinakis

 

[Moxie]

Dear, dear me. Why didn't Alexei win 1 of the set points when he had Djokovic 0-40 down and 4-5 in the third, with the match at 1 sets each ? He had Djokovic on the ropes there and then. You wonder what a loss like this is going to mean to his overall playing future. The stage was set for Popryin to progress to another level in his development but i fear his going to fall by the wayside... Damn...

I got up in the middle of the night, just long enough to see that big fight with Tsitsipas/Thompson at the end of the 4th, then Popyrin's attempt to go up 2 sets to 1. In fairness to Novak, he saved all of those set points. Popyrin didn't blow them. It was a huge fight for that 3rd set, and the Aussie fought hard, with the support of the crowd. No one has mentioned, though PMac did, that Djokovic was low-energy in the match, and had a handkerchief he kept going to...maybe has a cold? He also did start shaking out his wrist a bit, again, in the bit I saw.

 

[Moxie]

Likewise, thompson had his chances to win the 4th and to tie two sets each in his second rd against Tsitsipas. Damn...

I only saw the end of the match. Quite topsy-turvy. Thompson had real chances to keep the match going, and Tsitsipas made some absolute brain-farts of blown shots. It's a shame Thompson couldn't extend. I think there are still concerns about Tsitsipas's back/neck? Not to mention his brain. Thanks for the highlights!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I got up in the middle of the night, just long enough to see that big fight with Tsitsipas/Thompson at the end of the 4th, then Popyrin's attempt to go up 2 sets to 1. In fairness to Novak, he saved all of those set points. Popyrin didn't blow them. It was a huge fight for that 3rd set, and the Aussie fought hard, with the support of the crowd. No one has mentioned, though PMac did, that Djokovic was low-energy in the match, and had a handkerchief he kept going to...maybe has a cold? He also did start shaking out his wrist a bit, again, in the bit I saw.

Apparently Novak has a cold, I saw the shake of the wrist also when he was in the gym before his match
BTW there is a huge out break of COVID in Melbourne at present, my GF and her husband have come down with it also a few engineers that work with my husband in Melbourne have also come down with COVID

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I only saw the end of the match. Quite topsy-turvy. Thompson had real chances to keep the match going, and Tsitsipas made some absolute brain-farts of blown shots. It's a shame Thompson couldn't extend. I think there are still concerns about Tsitsipas's back/neck? Not to mention his brain. Thanks for the highlights!

Stef is still using that 'step up' serve, protecting his back.

 

[Moxie]

Apparently Novak has a cold, I saw the shake of the wrist also when he was in the gym before his match

He's dropped a set in each of his early rounds. A cold, you can get over. And apparently injury doesn't stop him at the AO. (Or anywhere?) Brad Gilbert was trying to make an argument for Djokovic's section here being the toughest of the draw. (There are Americans in it, I will mention.) Even Pat McEnroe said, "I don't know about that."

 

[Moxie]

Stef is still using that 'step up' serve, protecting his back.

You said this before. Can you explain "step-up" serve, and how it protects the back?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

He's dropped a set in each of his early rounds. A cold, you can get over. And apparently injury doesn't stop him at the AO. (Or anywhere?) Brad Gilbert was trying to make an argument for Djokovic's section here being the toughest of the draw. (There are Americans in it, I will mention.) Even Pat McEnroe said, "I don't know about that."

Of course you can get over a cold, every time he pats his wrist the commentators carry on like it is the end of the world for Novak lol!
Maybe the sun has got into Brad Gilberst brain, Novak of the top seeds the first 4, has the easiest draw, even Don Fabio said the same, remind me when Novak has had a hard draw?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

You said this before. Can you explain "step-up" serve, and how it protects the back?

Stef does alternate the 'step up serve' and the platform serve I have noticed recently
A 'step up serve' does allow you to have a higher contact point, your not fully loading on your foot
A 'Platform' serve gives you more stability and accuracy in placement, personally speaking I prefer the Platform serve, due to its stability.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Play suspended everywhere hopefully it is just a quick shower

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Showers are getting heavier and all the 3 roofs are now being closed