Tennis 2023

[selectivememory]

New season already underway down under with a few normal tournaments and a new combined team event, with the Australian Open starting in two weeks. Djokovic is allowed back in the country, though as it stands I believe he'd still be barred from entering the US if unvaccinated, but that could change at any time.

I have far more interest in the WTA at the moment. A very deep and varied field with a lot of very likeable players. I only hope that there are some serious rivals to emerge for Swiatek at the top of the game, because that's the one thing that's kind of lacking at the moment.

As for the ATP, just hoping for the younger guys to win more than one major between them this year.

[selectivememory]

Swiatek-Hurkacz is a killer mixed doubles team.

The format needs to be significantly tweaked, but I'm really in favour of this combined event. A lot of good vibes; very nice way to kick off the season.

[selectivememory]

Oh, Naomi Osaka's pregnant. Said she's not retiring though, so should see her again at some point next year.

Alcaraz also missing from the Aussie Open with an injury, which is a shame. Got a horrible feeling Djokovic is gonna win it barely breaking a sweat.

[selectivememory]

Emma-Coco round two match-up to look forward to. First meeting I think; both looked decent today.

[rjd2]

I thought you meant Coco Vandaweghe who is likely to lose her first round match and is a bit of an afterthought these days.

A shame because she fell of quite quickly and the female tour could do with a proper heel to spice it up somewhat.

[selectivememory]

I quite like Collins and Sabalenka as heels, although they seem nice enough off court.

Niemeier not a nice first round draw for Swiatek. Such a talented player, will be ranked a lot higher by the end of the year I reckon. Iga projected for a R3 match-up with Andreescu though, which I'd love to see.

[selectivememory]

Is that Murray's best single match win since all the injury issues started up years ago? Doubt he'll go deep in the tournament after such an epic opener, but still, taking out Berrettini is no small thing.

[selectivememory]

Written him off too many times in the past to do so again, but Nadal really a shadow of himself lately. Struggling a lot since that Wimbledon semi run last year.

Coco-Emma has been fun. Very error-strewn, but super aggressive tennis, both really going for it.

[buntyman]

Coco-Emma has been fun. Very error-strewn, but super aggressive tennis, both really going for it.

Yeah really entertaining match. Wasn't expecting much from Raducanu but was quite impressed. Kept hitting it slightly too long at the crucial moments at the end of the second set but there wasn't much between them.

The Murray/Kokk match today should be a cracker. Hard to call it, will be tough against the braying home crowd

[selectivememory]

Hmm. Bautista Agut is the only seed left in Murray's quarter of the draw. Fritz, Ruud, Zverev, and Schwartzman all lost today. Fair to say he'll never get another chance like this to make a deep run at a major. Hope the Berrettini match didn't take too much out of him.

[selectivememory]

Lol never mind. He's playing well but two sets down to Kokk.

[selectivememory]

This is wild even for an Andy Murray match. If he somehow wins it he's not going to get off court until after 4am local time.

[lankyguy95]

Murray breaks in the fourth.

[selectivememory]

Now the longest match of his career lol. After he spent nearly five hours on court in the first round as well.

[Indomitable Spirit]

Murray walking between points

[selectivememory]

What a win though.

[lankyguy95]

What a man though.

[Indomitable Spirit]

The post-match interview where he revealed he has a small knob was quite lovely

[selectivememory]

What a man though.

Indeed.

This point was especially insane:

https://twitter.com/gasparlanca/status/1616071810537369601?t=tZrKJxoRLMF3HU-up_jeXw&s=19

[rjd2]

Amazing effort but not sure how much further he can go. Unless he is playing an absolute bum highly unlikely he will be in any condition to win his next game.

That is what is such a shame about Andy, he is still pretty good but because of the low ranking its nearly always really strong players from his first match in a slam.

Nothing that interesting today, Saba and Garcia handled two tricky games on paper comfortably enough, surprised to see Fritz lose but not so much Zverev who is coming back.

[selectivememory]

Bautista Agut next. Be very surprised if he wins that one too.

Garcia did well against Fernandez; was maybe a closer match than the score suggests. Draw is nice and open for her now. Sad to see Ons lose with such a whimper, but it was a tough draw.

[rjd2]

Agut not great these days and also needed 5 sets earlier but nonetheless it's going to be very gruelling which is the last thing Murray needs so even if he were to graft his way through that match he could possibly be dead for any 4th round match!

[lankyguy95]

The point is he's proved he's able to win five set matches again. And back to back against talented players who are at an age where they should be in prime fitness.

If there was a way to regenerate Murray from seven years ago to make mincemeat of this newer generation, I'd love to see it. As it is, this is pretty cool too.

Seriously, what a staggering comeback.

[lankyguy95]

Murray lost the first set 1-6 and is a break down in the second. Cannot wait for this comeback.

[lankyguy95]

And of course he goes and wins the second.

[selectivememory]

Was watching the Garcia match, but full attention on this one now. This is ludicrous though. He can't do it again can he?

[pigamus]

The point is he's proved he's able to win five set matches again. And back to back against talented players who are at an age where they should be in prime fitness.

If there was a way to regenerate Murray from seven years ago to make mincemeat of this newer generation, I'd love to see it. As it is, this is pretty cool too.

Seriously, what a staggering comeback.

Yeah, you feel like this is his tournament now whatever happens. Jimmy Connors didn't win the US Open in 1991 but no one gives a shit about that do they?

[lankyguy95]

You'd think I'd learn by now but every time I think he's done for, he comes back again.

[selectivememory]

Some banging last 16 ties set up on the women's side. Swiatek-Rybakina (who shouldn't really be meeting this early in a major, but Rybakina didn't get any points for her Wimbledon title, so we are where we are), Gauff-Ostapenko, Pegula-Krejcikova, and Bencic-Sabalenka. And Garcia, Azarenka and Pliskova are all still in contention. Should be a good second week.

[selectivememory]

Iga gone. Rybakina looking like she's in her Wimbledon title form.