Tennis

[The TJT]

VIDEO GAMES: Rafael Nadal might downplay his chances against Roger Federer in the French Open final, but the 20-year-old Spaniard talks tough when it comes to video games.

"I don't think he can beat me in PlayStation," Nadal said. "I don't think he trains enough for that."


**************
Nadal leads Federer 5-1 head to head, having won all 3 encounters this year.
He is on a winning streak of 59 claycourt matches, a modern era record.
He is the defending FO champion.

Federer is one victory away from completing a career grandslam(winning all 4 GS's), still missing French Open. If he wins, he as well completes a non-calendar-year grandslam.
He has won all of hes 7 grand slam final appearences.

Should be quite interesting final.

[TRB_MetroidTeam]

Excellent info Tommi!!! Thanks!!!

[The TJT]

My pleasure.

Vamos Rafa!



Nadal's interview here. I really like this interview, no?

Q. What lessons do you draw from this tournament? Do you remember the lessons you drew from last year's tournament? What can you tell us about that?

RAFAEL NADAL: I didn't have much time to think about that. I'm not going to think about what I did well, what I did bad. What is important is that my attitude was always positive. I had a winner's attitude. What is positive is maybe that I was not playing at my best level, but I still maintained an excellent attitude. And if you play with a good mental attitude, even if you are not a hundred percent, you can win because, in fact, you win more with your heart, with your will power than with anything else.

[Chad]

I was rooting for nadal all the way, but federer really let him have it with tons of unforced errors. Wish agasi could still play :)

[Phil Lamat]

Agassi has just been defeated this afternoon by Tim Henman 6/3 6/4 in Queens tournament ; I'm afraid he's getting old now ...

I was for Federer yesterday, he's a more complete tennis player.
I would be very surprised if Nadal reach, let's say, semi-finals in Wimbledon.

[TRB_MetroidTeam]

My preference still is Federer. But seems Nadal had a nice day at that final.

[The TJT]

Agassi announces retirement date

The 36-year-old American has won eight Grand Slam singles titles in his career and is one of only five players to win all four Grand Slam events.
(In open era of tennis, since 1968, only Rod Laver and Agassi have won all four majors...On the men's side)

"This Wimbledon will be my last and the US Open will be my last tournament," said Agassi, who has won 60 ATP titles since turning professional in 1986.

[The TJT]

Andre Agassi said goodbye to Wimbledon on a quiet but dignified note, losing in straight sets to Spain’s Rafael Nadal, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-4.

Giving away 16 years to the 20-year-old Nadal, Agassi was gradually worn down after a gruelling opening set played in extreme heat.

When he lost the tiebreak in that first set, squandering a 5-2 lead, it seemed increasingly unlikely that in his 14th and final Wimbledon the 1992 champion could progress beyond the third round.

After snatching the first set the young French Open champion stepped up the pressure, breaking serve in the first and seven games of the second. As the match wore on, Agassi found it harder to run down Nadal’s angled shots and cope with the Spaniard’s raw power.

The final set was just as one-sided as unforced errors crept into the popular American’s game. Agassi departed, after two hours 14 minutes, as he had arrived, to a standing ovation from the Centre Court crowd.

Nadal played really well (on grass)imo. Agassi in tears in the exceptional on-court farewell interview.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/5136604.stm

[Chad]

noooooooooooo, this time i wasn't rooting for nadal! oh well, one more shot at the open, maybe a miracle for the old man. at least he won't have to beat sampras.

[The TJT]

maybe a miracle for the old man.

He's 36 now, now that is old, dude!

Navratilova is what, something like 90 years old now and still going strong in the doubles matches. Hey, after he retires, maybe Andre could start playing mixed doubles with that big nosed German wife of hes, I hear she won a tournament or two in the 20th century.

[LN2]

it just shows how lesser quality of skill level there are in the doubles IMHO.

Yes, she has great skills for her age...and most are great doubles players.

...but take any of the top 20 players and team them up and train them for doubles and they would easily kick everyone's butt.

they don't participate though cuz why risk losing $500,000-$1 ,000,000+ for singles money over a measly $100k or $200k winning the doubles?

go back 30 years, most of the top players also played doubles because the money for singles wins wasn't astronomical like it is today compared to the doubles purse.

you also didn't have the physical endurance aspect like you do today also.

very few can endure playing through the entire singles and doubles tournaments.

[The TJT]

To Rick, there are some top players who play doubles. For example Venus is playing at Wimby. Hingis won AO mixed with Mahesh Bhupathi, a doubles specialist...I think that pairing is pretty much best imaginable. Doubles specialists are even better at doubles play than top players would be, even with lots of practice. For example, they have great volleying skills, something that not all top players have. Of course it would be best if all top singles players would take part. Imo they should have one week before/after grand slams to play doubles only, so that your singles performance wouldn't be disturbed.

Back to games:
Flash tennis game
Choose "the game" sheet, choose your player, Ana Ivanovic(wow) or Daniela Hantuchova, use arrows for control. Took me some minutes to get the counter down and actually win a point After first win you can do it again fairly easy.

[The TJT]

The comeback queen, Martina Hingis after her superb win over Svetlana Kuznetsova:

“She played really well in the first set,” admitted Hingis. “Then she made several errors but they weren’t unforced. I forced them. She had to try to hit winners and we were like a game of video Pong – the ball hit the palette and kept coming back.”

All clear - no miss for Swiss-miss

[LN2]

Tommi, you support my point though....

Navratilova was paired up with Hinges for women doubles for years.... and won almost everything.

Martina is good(mainly cuz she does have an awesome net game..great reflexes)...but paired with who was the top women's player then that was also trained for doubles was too much for all others.

There are a few that play..but not many. It's just too much physical demand for most. Most that play doubles are players who normally never make it past the second or third rounds for the singles.

...and many top players if they make it to the semis...drop out of the doubles...if they lost in singles early, then they play out the doubles.

[Chad]

In a match where he had a decent advantage against Pavel, having only lost once, Andre (down 4 games to 0 in the third set) comes back incredibly to win 5 straight games and the set with an inside out tie break winner. Then Agassi goes on to win in the first round of the US open 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-2. Just 6 more matches :)