Tennis: US Open 2018

[Uberpecker]

Why? It's good exercise.

That's your witty comeback? Moving goalposts as exercise?
Anyway. Let's leave it that and enjoy the rest of the match.

 

[Cloned]

Ehhhh such a letdown today.

 

[kihei]

Grand Slam #14 for Nole, tying him with Sampras.

Rafa is chasing Roger but now Nole is chasing Rafa. 51 Grand Slam singles titles among them. Wow. We have been so lucking to watch these guys play.

 

[Fighter]

Not a great final to be honest. But what's important to me is that Nole is back! There were maybe some doubts after Wimbledon still, but no more, especially since the US Open isn't exactly is favourite GS...
DelPo did what he could, but his biggest effort was not even enough to snatch that second set, it says a lot about this match...
This 14# GS puts an end on the discussion if Sampras can be rated over Nole: no chance whatsoever now (for me not even before this win btw...).
Feds, Nadal and Nole are the three best tennis player of all time and we are blessed to see them all in this era.

 

[Hadoop]

Grand Slam #14 for Nole, tying him with Sampras.

Rafa is chasing Roger but now Nole is chasing Rafa. 51 Grand Slam singles titles among them. Wow. We have been so lucking to watch these guys play.

Here's hoping Djokovic eventually passes Sampras. Would love to see Roger/Rafa/Nole be 1/2/3 all-time when their careers are over.

 

[kihei]

Here's hoping Djokovic eventually passes Sampras. Would love to see Roger/Rafa/Nole be 1/2/3 all-time when their careers are over.

Me, too. Something like 20, 20, 18 would be ideal. Here's rooting for Nole to get that big #15 in Australia.

 

[Fighter]

Lost any respect for NY audience. Unknowledgeable, biased, unfair.

In 2015 final it was MUCH worse.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

The exchange between Nole and Del Po just before the ceremony in the dark just epitomizes how much respect they have for each other.

EDIT: Gotta change it to #14 and counting...

 

[Hadoop]

The exchange between Nole and Del Po just before the ceremony in the dark just epitomizes how much respect they have for each other. He was basically consoling Del Po.

Indeed.

And btw time to update your signature again

 

[Vamos Rafa]

Every audience has a favorite. It's about things like cheering after unforced errors, missed first serves and screaming during rallies. As well as booing a deserving women's champion. Just gutless.

What's wrong with cheering after an unforced error?

 

[Uberpecker]

What's wrong with cheering after an unforced error?

It's considered bad form by the spectators. A knowledgeable audience cheers for a high quality match first and foremost and only then for their favorite. Similarly, players are expected to aim for clean points which is why they apologize to the opponent e.g. after hitting the net and getting lucky. It's a question of tennis tradition and sportsmanship.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

It's considered bad form by the spectators. A knowledgeable audience cheers for a high quality match first and foremost and only then for their favorite. Similarly, players are expected to aim for clean points which is why they apologize to the opponent e.g. after hitting the net and getting lucky. It's a question of tennis tradition and sportsmanship.

Booing after the match is over is bad. But you want your guy (or girl) to win so you shouldn't feel bad when the opponent commits an error. Sportsmanship should be there but it doesn't have to include pretending to cheer for both players.

 

[MsMeow]

Really hoping some of the next generation players step it up and start challenging these guys.

 

[Uberpecker]

Booing after the match is over is bad. But you want your guy (or girl) to win so you shouldn't feel bad when the opponent commits an error. Sportsmanship should be there but it doesn't have to include pretending to cheer for both players.

It's tennis. There are certain conventions which may seem idiosyncratic judged from an outside perspective and compared with other sports. Why should a player apologize if he gets lucky? Why is there controversy about e.g. Federer using an unorthodox, yet rule-conforming return of serve? But those unwritten agreements are part of the character and tradition of the game. Violate them and you risk getting shunned or called ignorant.

And those rules make sense, if you take into account the attractiveness of the game and not just who beats whom.

EDIT: In short: Cheering for an unforced error means essentially cheering for a bad match, deliberately or not.

 

[Uberpecker]

Not a great final to be honest. But what's important to me is that Nole is back! There were maybe some doubts after Wimbledon still, but no more, especially since the US Open isn't exactly is favourite GS...
DelPo did what he could, but his biggest effort was not even enough to snatch that second set, it says a lot about this match...
This 14# GS puts an end on the discussion if Sampras can be rated over Nole: no chance whatsoever now (for me not even before this win btw...).
Feds, Nadal and Nole are the three best tennis player of all time and we are blessed to see them all in this era.

Yeah, Rafa vs. Thiem would've been more deserving of being the final. And yes, it's great to have Novak back.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

It's tennis. There are certain conventions which may seem idiosyncratic judged from an outside perspective and compared with other sports. Why should a player apologize if he gets lucky? Why is there controversy about e.g. Federer using an unorthodox, yet rule-conforming return of serve? But those unwritten agreements are part of the character and tradition of the game. Violate them and you risk getting shunned or called ignorant.

And those rules make sense, if you take into account the attractiveness of the game and not just who beats whom.

EDIT: In short: Cheering for an unforced error means essentially cheering for a bad match, deliberately or not.

I can understand your "it's tennis" argument but I also don't have problems with people calling tennis a sport for thin-skinned pansies. It's the only sport I know that can't handle booing and crowd "hostility." But yeah, it's tennis.

I also don't see it as cheering for a bad match. Just cheering for a win for the player they are rooting for. Two different things, IMO. If you don't want to see crowd favoritism, then pray for a championship match between players from overseas.

I cheer for Rafa, as you know. I watch a Rafa match diffently compared to a match between players I don't necessarily cheer for. The Thiem-Rafa match was great but while watching it, I was cussing every time Thiem would score a point, either by a winner or an unforced error. After the match, I didn't care how great a match it was. I was just happy my guy won.

 

[YEM]

cheering for unforced errors is poor form, just is

It's the only sport I know that can't handle booing and crowd "hostility."

I guess you're not a golf fan, the pros have spectators removed for being harsh

 

[HanSolo]

Wow, just caught up with the women's final drama. Won't comment on Serena cause what more needs to be said, but watching Osaka crying and apologizing for winning in a match that was supposed to be her dream come true. f*** man, that bummed me out so much. Felt so bad for her.

Every fan in that crowd should feel ashamed for booing her.

 

[Uberpecker]

I can understand your "it's tennis" argument but I also don't have problems with people calling tennis a sport for thin-skinned pansies. It's the only sport I know that can't handle booing and crowd "hostility." But yeah, it's tennis.

I also don't see it as cheering for a bad match. Just cheering for a win for the player they are rooting for. Two different things, IMO. If you don't want to see crowd favoritism, then pray for a championship match between players from overseas.

I cheer for Rafa, as you know. I watch a Rafa match diffently compared to a match between players I don't necessarily cheer for. The Thiem-Rafa match was great but while watching it, I was cussing every time Thiem would score a point, either by a winner or an unforced error. After the match, I didn't care how great a match it was. I was just happy my guy won.

Ok, well then I don't know what to tell you. Tennis is widely considered the most mentally taxing of the big sports, and if anyone thinks it's for thin-skinned pansies, they are in error to such a degree that I don't even know where to begin. Let's leave it at "very wrong".

The rest of your argument is mostly a strawman, so I can't really say much, just that I never argued against an audience being partial, I passionately root for certain players myself. But cheering after an UE on court is simply ignorant and obnoxious.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

Ok, well then I don't know what to tell you. Tennis is widely considered the most mentally taxing of the big sports, and if anyone thinks it's for thin-skinned pansies, they are in error to such a degree that I don't even know where to begin. Let's leave it at "very wrong".

The rest of your argument is mostly a strawman, so I can't really say much, just that I never argued against an audience being partial, I passionately root for certain players myself. But cheering after an UE on court is simply ignorant and obnoxious.

I'm a fan of other sports so my behavior translates to any of them. I don't need to change my tune because "it's tennis." I mean I would probably hide my emotions while watching in person to blend it with the crowd (not this weekend's USO crowd). But being happy about an UE is just the same to me when my team's opponent commits a fielding error in baseball, scores an own goal in hockey or soccer, or commits a turnover in basketball or football.

And by pansies, I'm not talking about the players necessarily because they are the ones that deal with the physical and mental stress this sport brings them. Just the community in general. I love this sport but I separate myself from the purists of this sport because being affected by the cheering of UE is just appalling to me.

In short: Your whole argument is just "It's a tradition in tennis." Which is fair, I'm not knocking you on that. My argument is cheering and booing are part of sports in general. I hope you find that fair as well. But again, the booing while Osaka was being presented as the champion was uncalled for. And she didn't have to apologize.

As for golf, yeah...I don't watch that shit. Shrugs.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Really hoping some of the next generation players step it up and start challenging these guys.

I was hoping Shapovalov's ousting of Rafa last year would be a precursor to a tour win or two, but no dice yet.

Still early though!

 

[Uberpecker]

I'm a fan of other sports so my behavior translates to any of them. I don't need to change my tune because "it's tennis." I mean I would probably hide my emotions while watching in person to blend it with the crowd (not this weekend's USO crowd). But being happy about an UE is just the same to me when my team's opponent commits a fielding error in baseball, scores an own goal in hockey or soccer, or commits a turnover in basketball or football.

And by pansies, I'm not talking about the players necessarily because they are the ones that deal with the physical and mental stress this sport brings them. Just the community in general. I love this sport but I separate myself from the purists of this sport because being affected by the cheering of UE is just appalling to me.

In short: Your whole argument is just "It's a tradition in tennis." Which is fair, I'm not knocking you on that. My argument is cheering and booing are part of sports in general. I hope you find that fair as well. But again, the booing while Osaka was being presented as the champion was uncalled for. And she didn't have to apologize.

As for golf, yeah...I don't watch that ****. Shrugs.

BIG difference whether you do it in front of the TV or on court. I cheer for UEs when I'm at home or at a bar all the time.

On court is different, since players are affected by the behaviour of the audience much more than in most other sports. Break the players' concentration e.g. during serve and their game can suffer badly. Unfair audiences can easily destroy a game if they wanted to and have been known to swing momentum in matches in a decisive way, which just shouldn't be the case, even if it sounds like a fan's wet dream.

By the same token great audiences can elevate the quality of both players' game by e.g. cheering for winners and being relatively quiet after UEs while still favoring one of the players. It's not just tradition, it has an actual impact.

We agree on the Osaka thing.

 

[me2]

Worth noting that earlier in this tourny we saw an ump "coaching" a player during a match (kyrgios).

If Kyrios pulled what Williams pulled, would anyone bat an eyelid if he got the same punishment? We'd all be saying "Learn to control yourself Kyrios, you earned that." and "well done umpire, you don't have to take that crap".

 

[Vamos Rafa]

BIG difference whether you do it in front of the TV or on court. I cheer for UEs when I'm at home or at a bar all the time.

On court is different, since players are affected by the behaviour of the audience much more than in most other sports. Break the players' concentration e.g. during serve and their game can suffer badly. Unfair audiences can easily destroy a game if they wanted to and have been known to swing momentum in matches in a decisive way, which just shouldn't be the case, even if it sounds like a fan's wet dream.

By the same token great audiences can elevate the quality of both players' game by e.g. cheering for winners and being relatively quiet after UEs while still favoring one of the players. It's not just tradition, it has an actual impact.

We agree on the Osaka thing.

I will always appreciate the physicality that tennis players possess. But their inability to deal with a hostile/unfair crowd will always turn me off whether it's a tradition or not. I guess that's what separates them from other athletes. Nobody likes to get booed or cheered against but just don't complain about it. It rarely happens anyway. It mostly happens when one of the players is from the country of the current tournament. Stop acting so surprised or shocked when the crowd plays a big role.

 

[Uberpecker]

I will always appreciate the physicality that tennis players possess. But their inability to deal with a hostile/unfair crowd will always turn me off whether it's a tradition or not. I guess that's what separates them from other athletes. Nobody likes to get booed or cheered against but just don't complain about it. It rarely happens anyway. It mostly happens when one of the players is from the country of the current tournament. Stop acting so surprised or shocked when the crowd plays a big role.

You're entitled to your preference, but I will say this: It's inherent to the sport, not the players. Different forms of athletic performance require different types of mental focus and therefore different environments. The same atmosphere may be energezing when playing American football but destructive while doing e.g. high level gymnastics.
Many Pro-Tennis players are European or South-American and among those quite a few have been playing football (soccer), sometimes at a relatively high level, like e.g. Thiem or Nadal. Now, an American football crowd in the NFL for example, as loud as they may be, are simply a piece of cake in terms of hostility compared to a European football crowd, where there's things like constant chants, hooliganism and people throwing stuff on the field.
So those players know much worse than what they experience at any tennis tournament, yet they are still distracted when it happens during tennis matches. Tennis with a football atmosphere simply wouldn't be the same sport.