Asterisks and the Grand Slam: US Open 2020

[Janik]

I think that's right, but it's overlaid by the cumulative effects of it being the 5th or 6th match in ten days. If Williams had met Azarenka in the fourth round would you have expected a similar outcome?

I'm not really seeing why Azarenka would be expected to be fitter than Williams. Vika has had a horrendous time with injuries over the past 5-10 years, plus her own significantly emotionally tiring experiences around parenthood.

There is also the point that Azarenka, for all she had lost 10-in-a-row against Williams, has always been one of the more durable opponents. Even at their respective peaks, she was one of the few with the game to actually go against a full flow Serena with a modicum of realistic hope.

[Janik]

Oh, and Azarenka is unseeded, because of those injuries. It was pure luck of the draw that she met Williams in the Semis. It could equally well have been round 1! Likewise Pironkova in the QFs. It won't be perceived as this, but almost as big a victory for Azarenka on the path to the final was taking down 5th seed (and countrywoman) Sabalenka in R2.

[Nefertiti2]

https://twitter.com/rumireports/status/1304917652108767232?s=21

[Janik]

Zverev is crushing Thiem right now. If this continues in the same vein it will take a lot of getting over.

[Tactical Genius]

I'm not really seeing why Azarenka would be expected to be fitter than Williams.

Because she is 7 years younger.

There is also the point that Azarenka, for all she had lost 10-in-a-row against Williams, has always been one of the more durable opponents. Even at their respective peaks, she was one of the few with the game to actually go against a full flow Serena with a modicum of realistic hope.

Nah, the only player who could go up against a full flow Serena Williams was a full flow Venus. Everyone else got a severe battering.

Anyway, Naomi Osaka is probably my favourite athlete right now. The democrats would do well to speak to her about social issues.
Unfortunately Cop-mala and Bigot Biden would rather discuss the virtues of Wet Ass Pussy with Cardi B.

[Janik]

And now Thiem is serving for the title...

[Janik]

Hmm, broken. Just like Thiem broke Zverev when Zverev served for it at 5-3.

Zverev was also two sets and a break up, and then lost his way then as well. So both have blown major chances of an, um, major.

It will be decided by a final set tie-break. Which is probably the only way one of them is going to get over the line!

[Janik]

The baggage that whoever loses this is going to carry... (Thiem had the breaker under control... and now has let it slip)

[Janik]

It's Thiem time! What a relief it's over.

I'll deal with TG's history re-writes later in the week. If I have time. Let's just say batterings of Azarenka, once she had got into her early 20s and developed properly as a player, were thin on the ground. Plenty of wins for Serena yes, but post 2012 it almost always was hard, hard work to get the W. It was never anything like the same as the utter lock Serena had on Sharapova. And he appears to have forgotten about Justine Henin as well...

[multipleman78]

Zverev served for it at 5-3, loses his serve and sits down at the change of ends. The DJ, if there is one, starts playing Under Pressure by Queen and Bowie. Talk about adding insult to losing your bottle.

[Satchmo Distel]

Graf and Navratilova had more weeks at No. 1 than Serena, and that stat is likely to be permanent now (Serena will never regain No. 1). And I agree with Janik that Henin had Serena's number for around a year or so. OTOH Serena had some personal setbacks that few other No. 1 players have had had to endure.

[ad hoc]

Simona Halep has just won the Rome tournament (albeit against an injured Pliskova in the final who retired in the 2nd set). AFAIK she's now won both tournaments she;s played in since tennis began again (Prague I think and now this). Apparently there are 3 clay court tournaments for women that are seen as some kind of majors - Rome, Madrid, and of course Roland Garros. She's now completed the set and seems very happy about that.

Shame she wasn't at the US Open, but I totally understand anyone's decision not to go there