Rome Clay Courts Tennis Final

[DGS49]

In a way this is sad. Djokovich and Nadal yesterday played in a Masters final that constituted the oldest combined age for the combatants in top level pro tennis history. And the two of them played in the youngest final fifteen years ago (I forget the details). Add Federer into the mix and you have fifteen relatively boring, repetitive, predictable years in Men's tennis.

Which is not to denigrate their level of play, not at all. The stroke-making that these two guys were doing yesterday, and the returning of "un-returnable" shots was a thing to behold. They combine artistry with athleticism in a way that few sports and few individuals have ever done.

But damn, I wish some other people could rise to the top.

 

[Hang on Sloopy]

In a way this is sad. Djokovich and Nadal yesterday played in a Masters final that constituted the oldest combined age for the combatants in top level pro tennis history. And the two of them played in the youngest final fifteen years ago (I forget the details). Add Federer into the mix and you have fifteen relatively boring, repetitive, predictable years in Men's tennis.

Which is not to denigrate their level of play, not at all. The stroke-making that these two guys were doing yesterday, and the returning of "un-returnable" shots was a thing to behold. They combine artistry with athleticism in a way that few sports and few individuals have ever done.

But damn, I wish some other people could rise to the top.

To me clay is illegal. It is a surface for women and juniors only.

 

[konradv]

In a way this is sad. Djokovich and Nadal yesterday played in a Masters final that constituted the oldest combined age for the combatants in top level pro tennis history. And the two of them played in the youngest final fifteen years ago (I forget the details). Add Federer into the mix and you have fifteen relatively boring, repetitive, predictable years in Men's tennis.

Which is not to denigrate their level of play, not at all. The stroke-making that these two guys were doing yesterday, and the returning of "un-returnable" shots was a thing to behold. They combine artistry with athleticism in a way that few sports and few individuals have ever done.

But damn, I wish some other people could rise to the top.

What happened to the American men? Top U.S. player, #32!

ATP Singles rankings

 

[konradv]

In a way this is sad. Djokovich and Nadal yesterday played in a Masters final that constituted the oldest combined age for the combatants in top level pro tennis history. And the two of them played in the youngest final fifteen years ago (I forget the details). Add Federer into the mix and you have fifteen relatively boring, repetitive, predictable years in Men's tennis.

Which is not to denigrate their level of play, not at all. The stroke-making that these two guys were doing yesterday, and the returning of "un-returnable" shots was a thing to behold. They combine artistry with athleticism in a way that few sports and few individuals have ever done.

But damn, I wish some other people could rise to the top.

To me clay is illegal. It is a surface for women and juniors only.

I learned on clay. I love it.

 

[Hang on Sloopy]

In a way this is sad. Djokovich and Nadal yesterday played in a Masters final that constituted the oldest combined age for the combatants in top level pro tennis history. And the two of them played in the youngest final fifteen years ago (I forget the details). Add Federer into the mix and you have fifteen relatively boring, repetitive, predictable years in Men's tennis.

Which is not to denigrate their level of play, not at all. The stroke-making that these two guys were doing yesterday, and the returning of "un-returnable" shots was a thing to behold. They combine artistry with athleticism in a way that few sports and few individuals have ever done.

But damn, I wish some other people could rise to the top.

To me clay is illegal. It is a surface for women and juniors only.

I learned on clay. I love it.

Just seeing who was awake. Though clay is my least favorite to watch, the shot making is a real thrill to watch.

I love seeing players be able to slide on that crushed red brick to a return.

I love golf so Wimbledon has always been my favorite tournament. Especially seeing return of serves. Agassi had the most graceful return on serves I ever saw on those unpredictable grass bounces

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

Men's tennis in general is suffering from a lack of diversity among the men.
I mean how long do you want to see Nadal vs Djokovich vs Federer in a circular tag contest that's gone on
for decades now? I know I am bored by it, anyway.
There are promising men filling in (Sinner, Tsitsipas, etc.) but they are still not ready yet to challenge the big
boys.

For me the women's side of the game is in much better shape now and, especially on clay, their lack
of deadly power is an advantage.
Serena Williams is an impediment ready to be pushed out of the way, thank God,
and younger faces like Swiatek, Osaka, Barty, Sabalenka, Anisimova, Gauff provide new faces at every
tournament to keep things interesting.

I await the French Open this year. It should be entertaining. Chercheze le femme!

 

[konradv]

Men's tennis in general is suffering from a lack of diversity among the men.
I mean how long do you want to see Nadal vs Djokovich vs Federer in a circular tag contest that's gone on
for decades now? I know I am bored by it, anyway.
There are promising men filling in (Sinner, Tsitsipas, etc.) but they are still not ready yet to challenge the big
boys.

For me the women's side of the game is in much better shape now and, especially on clay, their lack
of deadly power is an advantage.
Serena Williams is an impediment ready to be pushed out of the way, thank God,
and younger faces like Swiatek, Osaka, Barty, Sabalenka, Anisimova, Gauff provide new faces at every
tournament to keep things interesting.

I await the French Open this year. It should be entertaining. Chercheze le femme!

Seven American women have a better ranking than the top U.S. man!

WTA singles rankings

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

These things are cyclical and hopefully the men's side will catch up but I fear that the problem is systemic
as males are being coached in a cookie cutter fashion. Men's coaching suffers from group-think and a
one size fits all approach.
So my hope for rapid improvement looks pretty dim.

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

Serena Williams era appears to be over and even on a site where tennis nerd predominate
no one seems to care.
She lost opening match in Rome (straight sets) and then took a wild card into Parma where she beat a 17 year old ranked in the 500s before losing her next match to Katerina Siniakova, a Czech doubles player ranked about 58, in straight sets.
Not good for someone the wokes were calling the best athlete period, male or female,
just a few years ago. Crazy, yes. But actual people actually said that.

And as I said, there seems to be no general reaction to this rather humbling loss.
Paris comes up at the end of the month and another early round loss to a lesser player
will force many to acknowledge the imperious Serena Williams has fallen very low indeed.

Wimbledon and the US Open should be more kind to the aging out of shape prima donna
but once the other top players smell blood in the water Williams will never regain her
psychological edge.
It couldn't happen to a more entitled bad sport.