The Gays & Tennis part 48 Australian Open

thanks OP how bizarre. Tennis threads seem to get stopped around the 300 post

so Pavlyuchenkova rallied to win the 2nd set in another tiebreak

Nadal vs. Kyrgios is interesting so far

no fireworks/arguments

both seem a bit nervous as there have been plenty of uncharacteristic mistakes

but also plenty of great shots

[quote] thanks OP how bizarre. Tennis threads seem to get stopped around the 300 post

We’re lucky compared to others. The moo cow threads are paywalled after 30-50 posts. Then they have to go to new pastures. Udderly disappointing to them I’m sure.

Thiem is gay

Why do you think that, R5?

Just look at his face

Sasha /Rublev match is just ripper. Both of them are just ripping the ball out

Pav double break up. Can she do it this time or will she again choke like the first set?

Kyrgios walked onto the court tonight teary-eyed and wearing Kobe Bryant’s LA Lakers shirt. MARY!

R10, Don't make me cheer for Nadal

to be fair Kobe was a big fan of tennis. He met a lot of the top players over the past several years

even Wawrinka posted a selfie with him today

Go, Pavlyuchenkova!!! She really wore Kerber down!

The Russian I like won and the Russian I don’t like (Medvedev) lost. Nice.

Uggh I have become so much blind in my hatred for Nadal that today I have to cheer for this bratty MARY .

Zverev through to a QF !!!!

I really hate Lleyton Hewitt. Whyyyy is he commentating or in the stands for every match?

Here’s hoping Nadal wins.

Do you think Kyrgios happened to have a Lakers jersey with him in Melbourne? I know he’s a basketball fan but I also assume he didn’t.

Kyrgios surely met Kobe before. He's been to Lakers games even though his favorite team is the Celtics. It wouldn't surprise me if he had a jersey of all the top basketball players from various teams. Bball is his favorite sport

Extremely impressive performance from Sasha, Rublev was good but no match for Sasha's power and precision. In the post-match interview on the court he thanked his family, his team and especially his girlfriend. No mention of Melo though

Stananimal and Pav were also great but very inconsistent . At the end both of them managed to blast off their respective opponents from the court.

Since when Basketball has become so popular in Australia and Switzerland?

Terrific match. Nick is one of the only ones who can really push the big 3 like that, and make them feel threatened (look at the celebration when Rafa came through, he doesn't reserve that for anybody but Federer and Novak).

It's still Djokovic's slam to lose, but Nadal looked really good tonight. Very aggressive behind the backhand.

Damn, I was hoping Nick would take out Nadal. Now it's up to Thiem who can't seem to beat Rafa in best of 5 matches.

No one can beat Rafa in 5 sets other than Nole. Unless he just has of off day. I so want Rafa to win this. Don't think he will. But I can't stand Nole. If Fed wins, I am fine.

I wish Sascha would cut his hair.

Has anyone commented on Thomas Muster's cryptic remark about Thiem after they parted ways: "There are houses which look nice from the outside . . . but you rarely know who lives inside"? Is he just saying that there was a personality clash? Is he implying there's not much going on in Thiem's head?

Stan W is the only hope we have of a non big 3 win, looking at the QF draws. The one he seems to have the biggest trouble with is Federer (perhaps because of the Swiss connection), but I don't see Fed beating Djokovic in the SF on the other side of the draw anyway.

Zverev and Raonic can't do it. Tennys Sandgren is lucky to have made it this far already. Thiem can maybe beat one of them if he peaks hard enough, but can't get through both Nadal AND Novak in best of 5 on hard.

The truth is Zverev is the most talented of the youngsters (with the exception of Tsitsipas) and he usually wins against them (with the exception of Tsitsipas).

His atp cup crisis was weird, because he was bashing a good De Miñaur till his head collapsed. Now he seems more relaxed (the fact that nobody expected anything of him right now must be a factor) and he is even closing his matches fast instead of complicate his life like he used to do.

He'll have his chances against Stan (unlees Stan is in god mode pointing to his head all the time).

Thiem has chances against Nadal too if he really believes in himself. The key is not letting Nadal break his serve in the first games. He needs to put pressure on Rafa.

I want a non big 3 winner, but frankly i prefer a Nole-Federer semifinal

My arms do you like?

Kyrgios needs a better second serve. Nadal just gobbled them up.

Nick is irrelevant out of Australia

I love Rafa, R26, but I think it's Theim's year. Rafa will win the French, but I'd like someone else to win this.

Itll be Djokovic, unfortunately. No point in contemplating what will happen in the mens tournament.

Del Potro having knee surgery today in Miami

Yikes, I didn't know that del Potro was having trouble with ordinary activities like walking up stairs.

I didn’t realize the porcine Raonic was still around.

what gives Thiem a chance against Nadal is that he almost always tees off on his groundstrokes. Thiem is 1 of the most consistently hardest hitting players out there and when he's not hitting himself out of a match, it's tough to defend against him. He was impressive in his straight set win over Monfils. That match could be good practice for Nadal who also obviously has amazing defense.

I actually felt Kyrgios held back too much on his groundstrokes. It was good that he's unpredictable and mixed up his shots but he surprisingly didn't go for outright winners all the time when the opening was there. I think it was his undoing. In the matches he's won against Nadal, he kept Nadal on the back foot a lot. We saw some of that last night but not enough

Thiem showed he could hit Nadal out of the court in that amazing first set on the US Open a couple of years ago. And that match was a 5 set thriller.

Everybody seems to think he is Nadal's natural heir on clay, but the truth is his biggest result is on hard courts so maybe it's a good idea to win his first GS on hard courts too.

Anyway, Nole is still the big favourite. Raonic on a good serve day could be a nightmare, but till now Nole was able to defeat him 9 times only droppin two sets, and Djokovic is playing very well

Raonic is in his best form in ages. We'll see how well he's playing when he takes on the tour's best returner in Djokovic

The problem for Raonic is that Nole is serving very well. Djokovic is an amazing returning, so unless Raonic first serve percentage is really high his chances are small

Thiem has the game to beat anyone but he's too inconsistent.

Zoning Stan can beat anyone, except maybe Roger. Stan has a good shot at the final.

If Stan really is in the zone then its definitely a good thing for him that Roger is on the other side of the draw.

so Kenin is the 1st into the SF with a competitive win over Jabeur. Nice contrast of styles but Kenin was too consistent

Jabeur looks like she could be a relative of Conchita Martinez

Barty def. Kvitova in straights. Very close 1st set including the tiebreak

so it'll be Barty vs. Kenin in SF #1

R43. Exactly

Meanwhile Petra moron Kvitova just gifted an easy match to that Cabbage faced Barty

Why was basketball on ESPN2 and the Open was pushed to ESPNNEWS and the ESPN APP. Even though I pay for ESPN, I can never watch on the APP. It always tells me I'm not authorized.

Oh, it appears ESPN is still 24 hour Kobe coverage.

R46, are you paying for ESPN or ESPN+?

I pay for ESPN and ESPN2 through my tv subscriber, which means I should be able to log in online and stream their programming. Whenever something gets pushed to ESPNEWS & ESPNAPP as they note on the screen, I can never watch it online. I'm not expecting anyone her to solve it for me, it was more me bitching that I turned on expecting to see the Open, but found a basketball game that wasn't even close.

you can go online and watch it through espn3.com they show the AO matches on the 2-3 biggest courts for free. Outer courts you have to pay for espn+

The match is on now, at ESPN 2

Tennys Sandgren seems like a guy who's probably rude to the ball kids.

I'm still annoyed at Berrettini. He had 4-3 in the 5th set and 0-40 on Sandgren's serve but didn't break and ended up losing. Sandgren could have lost in round 2. ugh

He has a grinder's game but not enough on his shots to bother Federer unless Roger starts to get sloppy out there

Federer's draw is so disgusting. Djokovic will be the first seeded player he plays against if both of them reach semis.

Why does Sandgren look like he just rolled out of bed, mowed the yard, and then showed up on court? He isn't even dressed appropriately for playing in a public park.

poor Genie. The wildfire ashy air must still be in her lungs. She lost 1-6 2-6 to Alexa Glatch in the opening round of Newport Beach challenger today

and on cue Federer has gotten error prone

Roger is struggling . LOL Agenda driven Johhny Mac seems more upset than Mirka Federer.

So is the guy from the double wide really a trumptard?

Then I’m torn, I hate Federer but I don’t want deplorable to win 🤷🏻‍♀️

yes he's a deplorable

LMFAO Federer just got audible obscenity then tried intimidating the lineswoman and female chair umpire that he didn't say it. This is unusual for him. Diva is OUT hunties!

Did they say he said something in German?

When was the last time an American reached AO semis?

now Federer's taking an injury timeout that requires him to leave the court

they usually only do that with men if it's in the groin area

the chair umpire is pretty

funny Federer isn't denying he said but he questioned how the lineswoman and chair umpire knew he said it

is he becoming a politician now?

Very pretty.

And just like that deplorable loses all momentum. Such bullshit.

She is definitely very pretty. Sort of Ariana Grande-ish. She's getting lots of air time now. Roger is back pouting under the seats.

[quote] the chair umpire is pretty

I was thinking the same thing. She’s like a non-duck like Penelope Cruz.

So beneath Federer especially against Sandgren. I abhor when he get pissy because he’s losing control as R57 correctly pointed out.

her last name is Volubic so she's obviously from Serbia/Croatia/Montenegro

lol Fowler just asked John what he remembered about brother Patrick's surprise run to the SF here. He mentioned it because if Sandgren wins he'll be the lowest ranked American since then

Brad then chimed "didn't Patrick need a couple guys to pull out so he could get in the draw too?" John said "that I don't recall"

hilarious

Funny.

so Sandgren has a nagging knee issue and Federer has something going on

gonna be an easy SF for Djokovic

The judge's name is Marijana Veljovic and she's Serbian. She's been causing some stir among straight male tennis fans for some time now.

Roger is toast.

For the love of god Chris Fowler, just die!

Its his back. Roger can't bend down.

[quote] Its his back. Roger can't bend down.

Well that’s going to affect our sex life. No dildo for you tonight.

[quote] Its his back. Roger can't bend down.

Well that’s going to affect our sex life. No dildo for you tonight.

Mirka is a lesbian

omg this match has everything lol

during the tiebreak changeover Sandgren was leaning over his player area and the ballkid started running out so their legs got caught up

Federer saves 3 more match points, 6 in total.

LMFAO

Injurer saves 7 match points but scrub Sandgren buckles under the pressure. Set ends with Sandgren sailing an overhead long

Association of tennis pussies

Funny how Federer is running like a rabbit now but earlier on he was doubled over in pain and receiving a LONGER medical timeout than the allotted time (which he was not given a violation for)...... when you couple that with the swearing and arguing, this is a very ugly performance from him today. Djokovic-esque.

haha Injurer def. Sandgren in 5!

Sandgren hilarious choking loss

I have never cheered for Federer but I was cheering so hard for him during this one.

HOORAY! The Deplorable lost after holding seven match points! The pain!

Q. How come Sandgren is only ranked 100th?

A. See his play on first three hundred match points.

Bunch of association of tennis pussies. can not even defeat a dead horse .in slams

WTA is far better than this. If Serena is not playing well then she gets her ass handed over by some no-name Chinese woman .

meanwhile in ATP even Top 5 players can not defeat an injured player. If it were football, John Milliman and Tennys Sandgren were boo off the court

[quote] If Serena is not playing well then she gets her ass handed over by some no-name Chinese woman

I’m not Chinese.

our hopes rest with Raonic (lol), Wawrinka, Zverev (DL anti-fave) and Thiem to prevent big 3 from hogging this AO too

once again most of the tougher unseeded and lower seeded players drew the challengers of the big 3 and knocked them out. Nadal did have to deal with Kyrgios for a tough 4th rounder (for a change) but his first few rounds were pathetically easy

I never liked Joker-vich!

I never liked big 4

I wonder if Murray had never gotten injured, would he still be consistently reaching the SF and F of big events too? He was always the most vulnerable

Federer is like Houdini in this tournament with his great escapes. He survives 7 match points against Sangren. BUT Fed is injured. He's dealing with groin issues. Djoker or Raonic will take him out in the semis.

I'm not that impressed with Barty. I can't believe she's #1. Kvitova gifted her the match. Typical.

Go John and Martina! Martina also penned an open letter to rename the court and condemn Court's homophobia.

And she wonders why she lost so many sponsors

Well it's unlikely a healthy Roger would beat Novak, so ... to the surprise of no one, it looks like Novak in the final.

Federer was just getting his excuses in before his beatdown.

What swear words did Federer say?

He said fuck twice (as in "fuck this guy").

Can’t believe that the sleaze ball Djokovic just fake cried during his postmatch on-court interview, and actually wore a KB on his jacket. He is such a cynical, manipulative cunt. No wonder people can’t warm to him.

The green kit with matching shoes really suits Djokovic.

Having said that... COME ON STANIMAL! Win it all!

Thanks R101.

Yeah, I thought the crying looked fake too R102. Plus, his people have had a whole day now to source him a Lakers jersey, and all he could manage were some shitty letters and numbers ironed onto his green jacket? That's some cheap ass tribute.

The Stanimal turns me on. I feel like he'd be rough and verbally abusive in bed. And, I'd really like to smell his pits straight off the court.

God I hate Djokovic. Such a shameless maudlin cunt.

Sandgren looks like such a hillbilly.

R102, I missed the end part of the match as I went to sleep. Did he really do that or you making this up? And I thought Nick Ktygois was the biggest drama queen ever by acting like a Kobe Mary yesterday. Please, don't make me root for Nadal because at this point he is the one who seems like the nicest guy after Dominic Thiem

R102, I missed the end part of the match as I went to sleep. Did he really do that or you making this up? And I thought Nick Ktygois was the biggest drama queen ever by acting like a Kobe Mary yesterday. Please, don't make me root for Nadal because at this point he is the one who seems like the nicest guy after Dominic Thiem

Federer served at a higher speed in the fifth set than in the first four sets, I need whatever they gave him during his (very timely) break for my next match.

Federer should have taken the L from Millman or Sandgren. Now he is gonna be humiliated by Djokovic.

R107, I kid you not. Djokovic very purposefully put on a sport jacket with the letters KB, a heart and various numbers either ironed or sewn on. He was almost immediately asked about the KB tragedy, to which he responded with what to me sounded like carefully prepared commonplaces (I’ve sat through so many vivas that I can smell a well rehearsed spontaneous answer from a mile away), which ended with a pause before mentioning “his poor daughter”, at which he moved away from the mic and covered a quivering lip as his eyes welled with tears. Well, actually we were made to think tears were on the way as he said “sorry” and rubbed his eyes. He’d had problems with his contact lenses during the last set, so I suspect he just made the problem do double duty. Think Eve Harrington sincerely thanking Margo Channing level of insincerity and media manipulation.

Roger always gets pissy when a match isn't going his way, especially against a lower-ranked player.

Went to bed last night with Roger in meltdown and wake up this morning and cannot find a fucking replay on the app! My mother wanted to play it at the office and can’t find it either and now she is convinced that Roger used his pull to keep it off the app to save himself the embarrassment. Anyone else find the replay?

[quote] I never liked big 4

Thank you, darling.

Let's be honest, Nole was going to destroy Roger anyway. Right now he is better than Federer on hardcourts and it's obvious that Roger was nowhere near his best form even before Millman

Mirka should be ashamed of his husband's behavior

R113, I think that Federer-Sandgren match is going to be replayed on ESPN2 this afternoon at 2 p.m.

Goran Ivanisevic and Conchita Martinez have been elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame

Tennys Sandgren deserves to lose, the f'ing redneck.

At least he is not a kobe Mary

So much toxic hate from supposedly 'enlightened liberals'. About tennis!

Sad.

R121: Yeah sure, very toxic calling bigot to a bigot.

The truth is Margaret Court only cares about tennis to spread her homophobia and bigotry

R121, Give them a break. They have not yet recovered from Nov 2016 . So they have to pile on somebody. Be it Tennys Sandgren or Margret Smith court

R121, that’s projection on your part. Opposing gay rights isn’t an innocuous political difference. It’s an expression of hostility to basic human rights. It needs to be opposed.

Wow, we have a couple of Trumpsters here to spread the love for Margaret.

If she cared about tennis it must hurt that nobody consider her for being the goat even with the most GS, but i really think she doesn't care at all, her only goal is to spread her hate

R121 = Trump

for those who missed Federer's audible obscenity and intimidation attempts/arguing check this clip

it's from 1:21 to 2:25

Thiem team or Nadal team?

Wawrinka team or A. Zverev team?

Thiem team and A. Zverev team

Having said that neither of them will happen. because both these twinks are mentally not ready yet. These two may give their respective opponents tough 5 sets fight. But they will not be able to finish the Job

Really hoping Thiem can keep his form up. He can actually attack Nadal's serve, especially the 2nd serve. It'll depend on his consistency

I don't care who wins between Wawrinka and Zverev but I just hope 1 of those 3 stops Nadal from reaching the final.

We really don't need ANOTHER Nadal-Djokovic slam final. It's beyond ridiculous and tedious at this point

Kunt team or Help team?

Mugurutha team or Alphabet Soup team?

I get that many people don't want another Djokovic-Nadal final, or another GS championship to go to the Big 3, but I feel differently. What makes tennis interesting to me are the rivalries. I never got tired of another Evert-Navratilova final or Sampras-Agassi final, and oh what I would have given to see another Seles-Graf final or McEnroe-Borg final. So for now I've been really enjoying the longevity of the Big 3 because I know I'll be sad when it ends. Just my two cents.

So explain how into a 5 set match Federer’s serve is faster than his initial serves in the match.

That doesn’t raise flags for anybody??????

He’s fucking old.

That’s what I read above, don’t know how true it is, but if it is, cmon!!!!!

That’s bullshit!

Does he get tested?

R132 I enjoyed it at first but over 10 years of this is more than enough. It wouldn't be so bad if other players occasionally broke up their stranglehold but Wawrinka only did it 3 times and Cilic once. Del Potro got in there before we knew this was going to be a thing. It really makes the ATP look bad that no one else can break through. I don't want the big 3 to be injured or retire. I just want the younger guys to start beating them.

I agree with R132. I do not think that it makes the ATP look weak if it has the greatest, most popular players playing right now at the same time. Wanting it to end is like wanting the Renaissance to end.

True these 3 are the best but it definitely will make the ATP look weak if all 3 are doing this around and past their 40s. A transition has to happen at some point.

R133 My guess his serves were faster because his body loosened up, he was able to bend his knees, and/or put his back into the serve a bit more. Whatever his injury was earlier in the match was probably treated with an OTC pain killer, and maybe some tape/wrap.

Halep's kicking the Estonian's ass! To me she is the favorite, not Barty.

not a Halep fan but she played very well. Kontveit ended the match with 15 winners to 15 unforced errors but got only 2 games. That's almost never seen in matches. Halep just got back so many balls and was taking the ball early.

impressive from Muguruza. Pavlyuchenkova came out swinging in the opening set. She went up a break on 2 different occasions but Muguruza broke back both times. I thought Muguruza might fall apart after not finishing off the set at 5-4 when a netcord changed the momentum in Pavlyuchenkova's way. Instead Muguruza just buckled down and won it 7-5 then the 2nd set 6-3.

If Pavlyuchenkova keeps up this form and improved fitness she might finally hit the top 10 this year

Halep vs. Muguruza should be entertaining in the SF

Clearly Conchita puts a spark in Muguruza. They won Wimbledon together when Sumyk was on paternity leave. The two spent two months in San Diego at Conchita's house before going to Australia.

Rooting for Sascha to take out Stan!

Stan team

I'm for Stan the (very horny) Man.

Wawrinka is a great player but I don't get the physical attraction some of you have for him. He's kinda ugly and has a weird body. Besides his butt and quads I don't think his body is that appealing

What do you consider weird bout his body, R145?

his upper body is weird. He's broad but not really muscular. Arms are pretty thin. Just not my type at all.

He's boxy. He looks portly with a shirt on but has a toned body actually underneath. He also must've had severe acne as a teenager.

Stan is frustrating because he plays like a beast against everyone, and then practically fellates Federer on court if he has to play him.

For me Stan is only about his ass (outside of his ability).

In another life, Stan would be an overweight, cantankerous bus driver with a bristling mustache and terrible body odour. But, he has some kind of animal magnetism so that I'd probably still want to fuck him then too.

ESPN just made a special statement about the Martina/McEnroe brouhaha. In the meantime, Sascha Zverev narrowly avoided a bagel in the first set.

Sascha needs to stop chewing on his gold chains and focus. If not, it'll be considered a monumental choke.

He definitely needs to focus on the game and not the chain.

Stan fan!

Flopos in the house y'all!

It's really nice to hear John McEnroe took part in the protest with Martina. Always nice to have straight allies

I wonder if any of the others were asked if they wanted to take part or not

Both are bisexual

Zverev has returned and takes the 2nd set. Now Wawrinka's forehand has gone off

quality of the match is very low for last few games

R151 lmfao classic DL post

Wawrinka blister on his finger

bit of an unfair schedule

tomorrow both women's SF then night match is Federer vs. Djokovic.

The following night is men's SF #2

so (most likely) Djokovic will get a full extra 24 hours rest

[quote] so (most likely) Djokovic will get a full extra 24 hours rest

Those boobs have to be fully rested before they go out.

This is nothing new. This has been going on since 1995

I don't want to see Zverev in the semis.

How many of you plan on going to Indian Wells this year for the BNP Paribas Open? I'll most likely drive from LA on Friday and spend the day watching the matches.

The break point Zverev won to go up 3-2 was great, patient tennis. This is what I expect of him.

R106, If you meet Theim there then squeeze his ass for me

R167 I watched a Theim practice session with Kei Nishikori last year. I tell ya, his tokhes is even better in person. Even the old lady next to me remarked about his ass.

What did she say, R168?

wow Zverev now up 2 sets to 1

R169 I'm paraphrasing but she said she liked his bubble butt.

Stan is useless.

Thank you, R171.

My boyfriend finally did it

Flopos no more!

it is fascinating how quickly Zverev has turned his serve around. He was double faulting up a storm at the ATP Cup just 2 weeks ago now it's reliable again

So happy for Sasha. Finally some happy news from ATP

Now that he's reached a GS semi, I wonder if the former Flopos will revert back to his arrogant, condescending, dismissive self in his press interviews.

Conchi is munching Mugu’s carpet, I bet. That was a funny little protest by Mac and Martina. Imagine being the Tennis Australia flunkey who has to try to ‘reprimand’ the two legends for their naughty behaviour.

Is Massu munching on Thiem's hole then?

Domi was looking good until there.

nice break back by Thiem

thank goodness he didn't hurt himself when he rolled over

Wow at Thiem

1st set Thiem! He was clubbing the ball

What's the quality of the game like? I'm just following the Google score tracker

for the most part high quality. Very athletic points and Thiem is smacking the shit out of the ball. Yes there are going to be errors. Nadal and Thiem both messed up a bit towards the end of the set. Thiem is putting pressure on Nadal to hit decent second serves or else they get disrespected. So far Thiem hasn't had very long patches of errors

Thiem is not missing

What a dumb mistake by Rafa.

Fuck me, Thiem up 2 sets to none (7-6, 7-6)! Can he actually take down Nadal in 5 sets at a Slam? This isn't over yet, but I'm cautiously optimistic.

Thiem 2 sets up!!!!!!!

wild tiebreak lol Thiem goes up 4-0 then Nadal levels to 4-4 then Thiem gets the last 3 points. Set ends on lucky netcord for Thiem

in both sets so far Nadal was up a break but couldn't hold onto the lead and then Thiem surprisingly was consistent enough to win both tiebreaks. Nadal faltered on his 1st serve in the 2nd set giving Thiem the chance to attack

can Thiem keep up his level for 1 more set? Big question.

It’s interesting to see Rafa, Roger and Serena get the yips in crucial moments more and more as they get older. It’s happening to all of them. Nadal absolutely tanked both sets in moments when he had the set in his hands.

Let's hope Nadal continues to tank, if R192 isn't exaggerating. I want to see Nadal gone.

Aaaaannnd shit, Nadal wins the 3rd set 6-4. Come on, Domi! One more set!

Nerves got to Thiem and he choked away the 3rd set. He's gotta regroup quickly for the 4th.

R192, you would think that, with experience, you'd get the yips less, but Chris Evert explained it this way. She said that, as you get older, you realize that your chances of winning Grand Slams get fewer and fewer, so you get more prone to nerves.

Rafa holds to start the 4th. Why the fuck is it that Thiem can only break Rafa after Thiem himself has been broken? He needs to get into Nadal's service games more.

R197, I think Thiem just heard you. He stepped up the aggression and broke Rafa early in the 4th. Okay, now he's gotta consolidate that break.

And fuck, Thiem just blew his break lead. It'd 5-5 in the fourth. Come on, Thiem!!!!!

And Nadal is gonna take it. He usually does if you cant close the door on him.

Byebye OCD freak!

Congrats to Thiem!

Some real, small ball, pussy-play from Rafa. He deserved to lose and feel bad about it. He gifted away games and key points.

I hope Thiem wins it all!

Thiem wins 7-6 in the fourth! We have a guaranteed younger player in the final since Zverev is the other semi-finalist. Finally some excitement on the ATP! I hate Nadal, but I respect him. He made Thiem work for this win. Good for Thiem to stay with Rafa and finally take him out in a Slam. It's been a long time coming.

It's interesting because one semi is the old guard (Fed, Djoker) and the other is the young guns (Thiem, Zverev). I kind of hope one of the young guys takes the prize, but Djokovic is going to be very hard to beat.

At least the final wont be both big 3 older players. Even if Thiem/Zverev lose in the final it continues to show they can make a push to play for the big titles. If it had been a Nadal vs Djokovic final it would have reinforced the overall dominance and stranglehold they have where young guys cant even make finals.

Djokovic will be no.1 again after he wins AO.

I am so happy guys. I can tell you how happy I am . But more than anything I am relived. This ATP nightmare is over

This most likely will end with Djokovic taking the title but at least more change is happening. Very, very slowly.

R206 Happy for what? Nadal and Djokovic will still win all 4 GSs this year.

Dominic Thiem is 7-2 against Big Three in the past 12 months:

3-0 vs Federer (W Indian Wells, Madrid, YEC)

2-1 vs Djokovic (W Roland Garros, YEC; L Madrid)

2-1 vs Nadal (W Barcelona, AusOpen; L Roland Garros)

Dominic Thiem is the GOAT.

He’s just become the first player in history to win a baseline rally against Rafael Nadal despite falling on his ass in the middle of it.

Dominic Thiem is the GOAT.

He’s just become the first player in history to win a baseline rally against Rafael Nadal despite falling on his ass in the middle of it.

Thiem is only the second player ever to beat Nadal in 5 consecutive years (2016-2020)

(Djokovic has a 6 years streak 2011-2016)

Neither Roger nor Misery has this accomplishment

Cynic that I am, I have to ask: how many of you "the ATP is so boring" people are really Fed fans who don't want his record challenged?

I just watched the highlights of Thiem beating Nadal (I will be saying that all day!) because I would have had a heart attack watching live. Thiem is very impressive. His winners are spectacular. Also, he plays excellent defense and is very fast around the court. You could see Rafa's frustration that Thiem sent so many balls back. I think Thiem wore Nadal down with (a) his screaming winners and (b) his excellent defensive play. Yay Thiem!!!!

I think Nadal was distracted by Thiem's ridiculous frosted hair.

Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem went 1-5 combined at ATP Cup. They are now facing each other in Australian Open semifinal.

The five players that beat them at ATP Cup won a total of 2 (two) matches at Australian Open. Flashback to 2019 when Pouille reached SF after losing all three matches at Hopman Cup and in R1 in Sydney.

And Thiem, who has SF too, wasn't exactly flying at the start of this season either -- lost 2 of 3 matches at ATP Cup.

R216, finding your form in a Slam is far more important that the other events you list. That's what the Big 3 do consistently and the next generation needs to emulate.

in regards to Stan's attraction and body.... i personally do find him handsome despite his face skin issues, he has good facial bone structure and pretty eyes if you look at them upclose in photos... along with his butt, he has some of the greatest abs in the sport as well... total brick wall of muscle....

i'm picturing after the thiem/nadal match them side by side showering and those asses,.. alabaster ass with naturally tanned ass! NICE!....

would love to know if either are total exhibitionist in the locker room or not? and if these two are "shy" then who are the players who let it all hang out? literally!....

Raonic lets it all hang out...

speaking of Raonic, i would just like wrap my thighs around his calves and hump those like a dog! lol!..

Really hoping Muguruza can save us from a snooze fest Barty/Halep final

R218 I don't think Fognini is too shy based on this:

How much of a chance does Kenin have against Barty? She does have one win against her(in Canada I think) but it was close.

Not a Nadal fan, but in his press conference he said he did not play badly. He thinks Thiem is just really hard to play against and that Thiem played well. He also said he likes Thiem and his attitude and similar fighting spirit (I'm paraphrasing). I'm glad Nadal acknowledged he was simply beaten by the better player on the day. Good for him.

R222.. too bad fognini seeing rafa coming towards him didn't ON PURPOSE drop that towel and then us seeing rafa pat his ass minus the towel instead!..oh to be a fly on the wall of their locker rooms!

Kiki Mladnevic iis also in doubles final . Both Gf/Bf doing very well in this Grand Slam

In women's doubles the top 2 seeds are in the finals . . Hsieh/Strycova(1) vs Babos/Kiki(2)

My arms did you like? No more to see them at AO this year.

R226 Kiki and Domi broke up in Novembre

WEIRD thing about nadal's arms... they look muscular and ripped when in action or when he's doing a pumped motion after winning a great point and celebrating, but otherwise, when he's on the changeovers and everywhere else is arms looks very average and not remotely muscular? why is that? yes, i know arms in motions and flexing will make everyone's arms look better, but truly muscular arms, built arms one would think they would look that way when doing nothing, when down by their sides....

also, one would think the way that nadal plays his abs would be incredible beyond ripped, but their not, he even has a little layer of fat around his lower back? and of course he also has no chest either....

odd to me.

R204, Thiem at 26 is hardly a young gun, other than in comparison to the big 3. 26 in tennis years is middle age, or at least it used to be.

Things changed a lot in the last decade. In the 90's at 26 you were in the middle of your career, in some cases (Courier for example) your best days were in the past. Right now career's last long and most players have their break older.

I remember in the 90's were not so rare to have teen players on the top 100 and most of them were not even child prodigy material or considered future top players. Right now a teen player is something quite rare.

Stan won all his GS at an age were in the past most players were thinking on retirement

Hsieh and Barbie were awesome in their match today, right now they are easily the two best volleyers on the womens tour. I hope they take the title over Mladonna and Blahbos.

Kenin was pushing a lot in her QF, I have to think Barty's big serve and more aggressive forehand will pull her through. Plus she already beat her in a slam, and unlike Jabeur Barty can run forever. Actually Ash is low-key one of the fittest girls on the tour.

Muguruza / Halep is an interesting one. Halep looks stronger right now but I haven't seen Muguruza this determined in years. Why on EARTH did she drop Martinez in the first place? Stupid to waste some of your best years with Sumyk when you have real tangible results with someone who actually speaks your native language too? Dumb

Former top 8 player (and perennial wig-snatcher at the slams) Ekaterina Makarova has announced her retirement. She won a bunch of doubles slams and a gold medal (plus #1 ranking too), and was always dangerous in the big events.

Makarova looks lot like Laura Dern (specially in that HBO show)

I also see a bit of an Anjelica Huston (in her older years) resemblance.

I don't get how anyone can hate Nadal? I like Thiem and glad to see him in it though!

Speaking of hate Barty has a potential of becoming most hated player on WTA tour after Serena

R237 really, why? She seems really sportsmanlike and friendly. She doesnt grunt on court and conducts herself in a great manner.

R237 Barty is ridiculously popular. Wtf are you talking about?

R230, as I understand it, athletes don't develop muscles they don't need, because muscles add weight. They need to be fast and flexible, not bulky. Nadal, in particular, has had problems with his knees and earlier in his career lost weight to take stress off them.

R236 I don't really like Nadal's play style or OCD tics but he definitely seems to be one of the nicest players on tour

r241 he is nice, not only to the other players but to the staff, especially the lower ranked staff. The only time I ever saw him get upset with someone is when someone goes after him personally. In a match, the only time he has pushed the bounds of propriety is when he has bristled at penalties and anyone who dares to hold him account for time violations.

I actually had hoped he'd win it as both he and Roger have one slam where they have one it only once. Roger can be a bit much, so if one of them has to be the GOAT on the numbers, I'd prefer it to be Rafa.

A couple of comments on Thiem. I think Muster's comments have to do with his arrogance, not his thinking ability. Even when he was younger, I heard many people commenting about his utter conviction that he was right when he was losing badly, and everyone else was to blame or just wrong. He grinded this out today and played well, but Nadal was off. He didn't play badly, as he said, but he always does better on the big after tournaments under his belt. I'll be curious to see if Thiem can get through this.

And Thiem's hair is very 80's Eurotrash.

R240 is correct. Tennis players don't develop huge arms (Nadal being an exception) because lots of bulk requires more energy to swing them around and adds tightness, which could hinder serving flexibility. Most players -- Federer, Theim, etc. - have somewhat thin arms. Full, strong glutes, thankfully, add to explosiveness on the court.

R237: What? Barty is loved. People who liked old style tennis and hate brainless ballbashing love her, and she is a very likeable girl

R213 not at all. I'm sick of ALL the big 3, including Federer. I'm SO HAPPY Thiem took out Nadal. It's just a shame Djokovic and Federer still made the SF

overall Thiem played well but Nadal still had his chances. I'm just glad we don't get an all big 3 final now

I don't mind a big 3 winner, but i want new faces in the last rounds and i would love a new GS champion this year.

I think what happened today will be common this year, in fact with a different draw i'm pretty sure Federer wouldn't be in the semifinals either.

and yes as someone else pointed out Thiem is not "young." He's part of what we at DL have called #LostGen along with Nishikori, Raonic and Dimitrov. The guys who were supposed to be the immediate heirs to the big 3/4 and supplant them. While they've had an occasional big result, nothing materialized into a slam win yet. Thiem obviously has the most potential of that bunch. Question is will he do it before Zverev and the other #NextGen guys

He is not a lostgen either, he is four years younger than Nishikori and three than Raonic. He is in the middle between the lost gen and the next gen

R249: #HalfGen. Does Medvedev fall into this midway category as well?

Newport Beach challenger:

Ryan Harrison on the comeback lost to #377 Michael Redlicki in straights

No, the nextgen started with the players born in 1996. If my memory doesn't fail Chung was the first winner on the next gen finals.

Anyway, it's obvious they need a new name because Medvedev and Sinner are not members of the same generation of tennis players for sure

Nadal was PISSED at the female umpire. He was almost as diva-ish as Federer was the other day.

He was mad she kept firm to the time rule. At 6-6 in the tiebreak after changing ends he went to serve then wanted a towel but she wouldn't let him. He was JUST at the changeover. Why did he need it?

Nadal is a nice guy but he's very entitled in thinking everyone needs to wait for him. Part of the reason why we now have a clock running between points is because of players like him and DJokovic

Bublik is magnificently bulging atm😻😻😻

Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias are expecting their 3rd child. They had twins not too long ago

shocked to see a celeb couple still together 18 years on and still young

for those of you who commented on my comment R230 about nadal's arms. i'm NOT saying he should have big arms or be bigger, that was NOT the point of my post.... i was saying it's odd to me that his arms when in use can look muscular but when he's not doing anything, his arms look very average and thin.. usually when someone's arms is as muscular (well for a tennis player that is) as nadal's are when in action, you would still see some muscularity/definition and so on when at rest and nadal's arms do not... that is the point was trying to make.

Since Nadal is now married, he and his wife won't wait long to get pregnant. Once his child is born, I think he'll retire. Maybe not immediately, but within a year or two. Rafa loves kids and he'll want to spend time at home with them and working with his children's tennis camp. He's earned the luxury of retiring. Plus, he can well afford to do so.

Tennis fans should check out the Tennis Podcast. It’s weekly but daily during majors. They know the sport and have an enjoyable chemistry

R252, here are the players who qualified for the first NextGen finals. Medvedev barely made the cut.

Jesus, the body language of Kenin is just fucking nasty. Is she aware this is televised around the globe? The way she acts towards the ball kids is atrocious and embarrassing.

So she and Sandgren were the last AO singles players left to represent the USA...

She stomps around the court and doesn't seem to have much self-awareness. She also weirdly pulls her visor so far down her face, kind of like Vera Zvonereva who she looks a great deal like. She also has an old school crazy tennis dad.

They both are lesbians!

Kenin should marry Pierre-Yves Hardenne.

Kenin is 1 of those players whose entire life has revolved around training, practicing and playing. She doesn't have good social skills at all. Her parents were pushing her since she was little. Her dad had a website about her before she was 10.

Kenos has reminded me of someone for weeks but I haven’t been able to place it. It just came to me.

Isn’t her face a dead ringer for Lina Blair’s half way through The Exorcist?

Kenin doesn't exactly have the most charming personality. But I give her credit for beating Gauff with everyone cheering against her, and now holding her own agains Barty with the same situation.

Why does it seem metaphorical that Kenin was born in Moscow and resides in Florida?

Barty is TIGHT

If Kenin wins I hope she gets her ass handed to her on Saturday! Super bratty!

omg I cannot believe Kenin is into the AO final

Barty was a mess

just when I was thinking we were guaranteed to get a slam champ vs. slam champ final...

we now might have ANOTHER 1st time slam winner.

I don't think Kenin would beat Halep or Muguruza but who the hell knows

If Kenin actually becomes a slam champion this weekend that would be sooo sad.

What is Jim Courier wearing to do the after match interview? All black when it's 100 degrees? Was he unaware that he is working on television?

Kenin is hardcore.

R274 well you know black is a slimming color

Sofia !! So happy for her. I am so glad she took out that obnoxious, overrated Bratty

What I find most surprising about this match that it was Sofia who is ranked 15th in the world. Never been to a Grand slam quarterfinal, let alone a semifinal was much more consistent and mentally tough in critical situations than Barty who is no.1, has won a grand slam, has won many big tournaments in the last few months, had massive support of the home crowd.

Alas if Petra Kvitova had half of the mental toughness of Sofia then we would have a Kvitova/Garbage final on Saturday instead of a Sofia/Help. final

Sofia !! So happy for her. I am so glad she took out that obnoxious, overrated Bratty

What I find most surprising about this match that it was Sofia who is ranked 15th in the world. Never been to a Grand slam quarterfinal, let alone a semifinal was much more consistent and mentally tough in critical situations than Barty who is no.1, has won a grand slam, has won many big tournaments in the last few months, had massive support of the home crowd.

Alas if Petra Kvitova had half of the mental toughness of Sofia then we would have a Kvitova/Garbage final on Saturday instead of a Sofia/Help. final

This result is shocking! Kenin is fierce as hell.

Kenin-Halep was a pretty epic R2 last year at the #AusOpen. Simona leads the h2h 1-0.

Sofia leads 1-0 vs Muguruza.

I pity these players, it's like 95 degrees out there.

Gramps is gonna die tonight against Nole.

Australia's Channel 9 reporting that Tennis Australia has confirmed that Federer does intend to play tonight against Novak Djokovic

21yo Kenin is the youngest AusOpen finalist since Ana Ivanovic (who was barely 20) in 2008. Maria Sharapova, who won that final, was also 20.

21yo Kenin is the youngest AusOpen finalist since Ana Ivanovic (who was barely 20) in 2008. Maria Sharapova, who won that final, was also 20.

Sofia Kenin will make her top 10 debut at #9

Osaka and Kvitova, finalists here in 2019 in a match that also decided the world number one, will drop to #10 and #11...

Sofia Kenin will make her top 10 debut at #9

Osaka and Kvitova, finalists here in 2019 in a match that also decided the world number one, will drop to #10 and #11...

OP Please make a new thread as this is going to be paywalled soon

omg this set

Muguruza served at 5-4 got broken I think at love.

Halep had 6-5 and 15-40 on Muguruza's serve they went to a tiebreak.

Muguruza goes up 3-0 then Halep 4-3 then Muguruza 6-4 then Halep 7-6 then Muguruza finally 10-8

Muguruza has the bigger game but Halep is mentally stronger. Halep lost that set when she lost her temper.

7 of the last 11 Slams have produced a new major champion.

2019 US Open: Andreescu

2019 Roland Garros: Barty

2018 US Open: Osaka

2018 Roland Garros: Halep

2018 Australian Open: Wozniacki

2017 US Open: Stephens

2017 Roland Garros: Ostapenko

new thread for when this is payrolled

very impressive mental toughness from Muguruza! She really could have lost both sets and until this tournament she surely would have. Her toughness that brought her 2 slams before seems to be back

Thanks R291, such a icy handshake

I thought Muguruza would struggle in the heat but she seems fitter. Her movement is back to where it was a few years ago too. Whatever work she's done with Martinez, it's paying off

AusOpen Women's Singles Final.

[14] Sofia Kenin vs. Garbiñe Muguruza

Exactly what everybody was expecting. 😅

Muguruza is the first Spanish since Conchita Martínez to reach the AusOpen Women's Singles final.

1998.

Just last week she pulls out of quarterfinal match in Hobart due to a serious injury

Barty's presser had a special guest.

Nick Krygois is officially a vegan now

[quote]"I don’t eat meat or dairy anymore. That’s not for my health, I just don’t believe in eating animals." —

AUSTRALIAN FIRES INSPIRE PRO TENNIS PLAYER NICK KYRGIOS TO GO VEGAN

SofiaKenin gets 2 hugs from Dinara Safina for reaching the AO2020 women's singles final!

is Federer no longer injured? He's come out in good form. Djokovic is inconsistent to my surprise

An dhere I was expect that Roger would eat either bagel or bread stick

this is a pretty wild first set 2. All 3 matches today up and down opening sets

Kyrgios' brother is quite muscular. I'm surprised Nick hasn't gotten in better shape himself. I wonder if his new dietary change will affect his results this year

Retire already grandpa. Stop embarrassing yourself!

There's something very "off" about Federer this tournament.

I was waiting for that icy moment at the net, and there it is.

The Australian coverage on Channel Nine just showed one of their commentators interviewing Thiem. They showed him a picture of Thiem and Zverev taken maybe a year or so ago, and asked "What do you think when you see this image?" Thiem got flustered, laughed, and said "Two beautiful men."

Roger and Granny V are playing wheelchair doubles at Indian Wells!

I can’t stand Novak. His baseline game is tiresome.

Why did Barty bring a baby to the press conference? So extra.

R310, Novak is the new Lendl. He grinds you down from the baseline. Still, I think of the Big 3, Novak is the best of them all except for maybe when Roger is in the groove. Although he's still won Slams, Rogers best days are many, many years behind him. Part of his and Nadal's 2017-2018 success was Djokovic's mental walkabout. Nadal was lucky with draws last year. As we saw at this tournament and the 2018 US Open, though, when he's forced to go through a tough draw it wears him down (except probably at Roland Garros where he rules).

No one knows how the resumes all three of these tremendous players will sort out in the end, but if I had to guess, Djokovic takes the overall Slam title and is probably crowned GOAT. He'd particularly seal the deal if he has the most AND wins another French Open or two. But that's just speculation. Until then, I'm just going to enjoy how great all three of them are. Well, except for Nadal. I just can't stand the guy, despite how much I respect his tennis.

Today's 1st set:

First 12 games: Federer 25 winners, Djokovic 6 winners

Tiebreak: Federer 1 winner, Djokovic 4 winners

Today's 1st set:

First 12 games: Federer 25 winners, Djokovic 6 winners

Tiebreak: Federer 1 winner, Djokovic 4 winners

From "All Top 10 seeds reach the 3rd round!!!" to this Woman;s final.

Against Federer, Djokovic has won their last six Grand Slam matches, as well as the last 10 of 12.

Since 2014, Djokovic is 3-1 in Slam matches against Nadal, his only loss coming, of course, at Roland Garros in 2014.

It's odd to me that the Aussie Open is Nadal's worst GS, with just one title. I would have thought it would have been Wimbledon or even the U.S. Open.

Novak's green t-shirt is such an eye sore

AT LEAST, after the match on the court interview, novak was "classy" enough to admit he knew that federer was injured, and worn out from his previous battles, and not at his best, so i give him props for that...

novak is like the impenetrable wall out there, like evert was in her heyday. ..

Muguruza's come back is a bit unexpected. It wouldn't be surprise me if she had a great RG, she is one of the best at clay when she is on the mood and even on pretty bad seasons she was able to reach the second week in Paris, but on hard courts GS she always underperformed

Neither of the women’s semis were shocking if you pay any attention to the sport. Mug only loses to Halep on clay and Barty has no killer extinct.

42 different female players reached their first Grand Slam final since Venus reached her first one. The youngest and oldest of those 42 players were born 33 years apart.

And Kenin is the 4th Grand Slam finalist (also Osaka, Vondrousova and Andreescu) who hadn't been born yet when Venus Williams reached her first Grand Slam final.

Kenin/Muguruza is the first Australian Open women's final without a Top 10 player since 1979 (Barbara Jordan d. Sharon Walsh).

Yikes, r324, I had no idea who Sharon Walsh was so I had to google her and, according to Wikipedia, "Walsh enjoyed a long career by modern standards, playing her first Grand Slam singles event in 1969 and her last Grand Slam doubles match in 1990."

Muguruza isnt currently a top 10 players but she has spans where she plays like one. Both these women are fighters on the court but I actually think Kenin will win.

I think Kenin has a great shot to win as well. She’s very consistent, a better mover that Muguruza and she has spin shot variety which will likely throw Muguruza off.

Road to the finals (by ranking not seed):

Kenin:

def. #154 Trevisan 6-2 6-4

def. #142 Li 6-1 6-3

def. #35 S. Zhang 7-5 7-6(7)

def. #67 Gauff 6(5)-7 6-3 6-0

def. #78 Jabeur 6-4 6-4

def. #1 Barty 7-6(6) 7-5

Muguruza:

def. #155 Rogers 0-6 6-1 6-0

def. #53 Tomljanovic 6-3 3-6 6-3

def. #5 Svitolina 6-1 6-2

def. #10 Bertens 6-3 6-3

def. #30 Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-3

def. #3 Halep 7-6(8) 7-5

R327: The problem for Kenin is if Muguruza has a good day she has absolutely no weapons to defeat Garbiñe.

Yes, she is consistent and fearless and all you want but she will depend of Muguruza not being at her best

If Muguruza comes out returning serve well it will be over quickly. Kenin doesn't have a big serve

The way Muguruza's playing this tournament, Kenin'll be lucky if it lasts longer than an hour.

I like Mugu, she's cute.

I thought Kenin would lose to Barty --quickly-- yet here we are. I won't count her out. I'm still grateful to her that she knocked Gauff out so I'm rooting for her.

This seems like a parody of DL Rafa-speak, but it’s the real thing:

“He have been playing very well, I think, no? Playing very aggressive, great shots. Even from difficult positions, he was able to produce amazing shots.

“So nothing to say. Just well done to him.

“I think he’s playing great. He’s playing with a lot of energy, aggressive, determination. So well done for him.

“I honestly didn’t play a bad match, no, no. My attitude was great, I think, during the whole match. Good, positive, fighting spirit all the time, giving me more chances. That’s what I tried, no?”

^ it sounds authentic. Nice.

Yeah he says ",no?" a whole lot. Is that a spanish thing or just Rafa?

I wonder if Zverev will feel relaxed tonight knowing he's not the favorite. I hope Thiem wins as he has the best chance to defeat Djokovic

How’s your Spanish, R334?

Rafa's always been pretty good about giving credit where it's due. The Punisher was en fuego last night and outplayed him -- that's all there is to say about it.

[quote] How’s your Spanish, R334?

Quite good actually. It was my minor, and I’ve lived in Latin America and Spain.

My post was a comment on DL tennis threads making fun of the way Rafa speaks English rather than of the way Rafa speaks English.

Did I see that Clijsters is playing Indian Wells?

My bet is on Sasha. He seems to be more hungry to reach the final

Thiem looks content to be in the semis

Besides Thiem has trouble closing sets and matches throughout this tournament. Even against Gael Monfils against whom he dominated the whole match.

I think the outcome of this match will totally depend on Thiem's attitude

R341 yes. I hope Andreescu, Azarenka and Clijsters all come back. It's a shame they couldn't have been at this AO. I always love having all the top players around.

I hope Murray can come back too

Del Potro probably won't be back (if at all) until at least the summer. How long does knee rehab take?

Andreescu should not be back untill Madrid Masters

Andreescu should not be back untill Madrid Masters

Can't get over the Nole hate on here. He's my fave. Just incredible that he found a way to take on Roger and Rafa when no one else did. It's just amazing to me. And I lover Roger and Rafa, too.

I do miss Andy, though.

Tennis is better without agenda driven Andy

What was Andreescu's injury?

Ankle. and shoulder/upper arm. It a lingering injury since last year'sIndian wells due to overplay. That is why I don't want to come back before Madrid Masters. Her greedy family will force her to play more and she will again get injured just before French open

Jamie Muwwey.

If Domi wins tonight. I will give party to each and everyone of you guys

So who do you all want to see in the finals against Djokovic? Personally, I’m team Thiem today.

I think Thiem would provide a tougher challenge but who knows

Thiem already with a shitty start to get broken

Thiem = Gay

Thiem rights the ship by breaking back and holding

Thiem team--Zverev's sneer and arrogance is way too off-putting.

Re Djokovic , R346, it's easy to dislike his constant glowering at the crowd, his angry fist pumps, and that he's so tightly strung ready to snap at any moment and rage at another ball kid, umpire, or bystander. His primary emotion seems to be anger and his primary motivation to control everything, including the crowd. His attempts afterward to woo them with that nauseating "tits out" gesture seem so false, along with calculated theatrics around things like the crocodile tears for Kobe. Then there's the whole Gimelstob issue, and how he continued to support him despite all evidence pointing to Gimelstob's guilt. No wonder Federer can't stand Djokovic.

A Zverev v. Djokovic final would = Dick and Dicker.

I sometimes think you have to be little bit of dick to be at the top and have killing instinct . Domi is too soft

ok Thiem back to being a mess. Loads of errors

Sasha is running away with this match. He is mentally fatigued. Not enough desire to reach to the final . Sasha want it more

By he I meant Thiem

Zverev throws in a loose game now with 2 double faults

when Thiem hits a very deep and/or wide angled shot to Zverev's forehand, he usually wins the point.

Fowler is obsessed with Thiem's young-looking dad

lots of breaks so far in this match

1 set all

Thiem is showing why at 26 he is where he is, without the emotional maturity to be a multi-Slam champion. You have to be an Agassi, Connors, or McEnroe with incredible instinct for the game to be able to scream and whine through a match and pull it out. Thiem's on-court antics aren't interfering with his focus but show his mental weakness.

How old is Wolfgang Thiem? He is fuckable.

Wolfgang's 46.

Dear ESPN,

Why do you subject tennis fans to Chris Fowler. He is the Mouth That Roared. He can never shut up. He has no good insights to offer. He belabors his points, and argues with actual tennis experts. Jason Goodall is far more pleasant to listen to and has much better insight. Please replace Fowler with Goodall ASAP.

Love,

All Tennis Fans

^Should be question mark after the first sentence above

And I, r363, am obsessed with Thiem’s arse. It very much looks like Adidas has had to purpose-tailor his shorts, with special darts running down his glutes to contain all that delicious sumptuousness.

Thiem is starting to look gassed to me. I think maybe the Nadal match took too much out of him.

Thiem had 3-1 and 30-30 on Zverev's serve. He lost his momentum and had to save off set point to hold for 5-5

such a rollercoaster match with these 2 nuts

Djokovic must be thrilled at the mental lapses

Thiem's got a dodgy stomach.

Thiem takes the 3rd in a tiebreak

can he do this in 4?

Thiem has a shot now. He had to take that 3rd set, and he played a good tiebreak to do it. He was on the edge in the 3rd after losing his break. Good comeback.

I really agree with two earlier comments: Thiem seems to lack that killer instinct, and there's a reason why a player hasn't won a GS before the age of 26. I have a trivia question -- sorry, I don't know the answer but maybe someone on this thread will -- what is the most GS championships that a player has won after winning his/her first GS at age 26?

Look, I know many of you dislike Zverev, but I adore his arrogant German sneer and his long, lean legs. I also think he has the best on-court hair on the tour. Love the way those sideburns curl out beneath his bandana. It's perfectly sunkissed and tousled. He's likely going to lose this match the way he's playing tonight, but in terms of hair, he shits all over Thiem.

R377 Fucking Ljubicic shits all over Thiem's terrible hair.

How did Sascha go from having a bad case of the yips on his serve to getting all his first serves in?

^^ at R376, I should have written "at age 26 or older"

Djokovic is going to eat Thiem alive.

Thiem team!!

I love Thiem's Austrian accent, so sexy.

Interestingly, both Zverev and Thiem have 2 out of 5 win/loss ratio against Djokovic in their careers.

So happy for Dominique Gay Thiem ! My boy finally did it

And an Austrian accent usually is not sexy, R383, but coming from Thiem it is.

McEnroe was doing the interview... Ugh

I turned off the volume faster than any of Zverev’s serves tonight. Last time I saw John McEnroe interview Zverev, I threw up.

Jo withdrew from all his February tournaments, his ranking will drop *a lot*. Lucas also not ready to comeback

I think german accented english kind of sexy.

At the start of fourth set Sasha told his box in Russian that they only want money . I did not hear full conversation

At the net.

At the net.

They love each other so much

I wish Sasha had a hand on one of THiem's cheeks.

Which cheeks?

Garbage's top 10 wins:

2018: 2

2019: 3

Australian Open 2020: 3 (#3 Help , #5 Svitolina, #10 Bertens)

Newport Beach Challenger

3rd round:

Krueger def. (1) Fritz

Istomin def. (2) Tiafoe

Galan def. (3) Kecmanovic

Are we just randomly adding threads now? I don't see that this one got paywalled, nor is there any mention of it in part 49...