🎾 The Tennis Thread - Part 5

[Iceman]

Serena got that last penalty because she wouldn't stop. She went and played and came back and wouldn't stop. She told the umpire that he would never be on "her court" again. He gave her a lot of leeway. She didn't care and just kept going.

Yeah, this is proof that she has got too big. These are ugly words from her and she is revealing that she believes that she deserves special treatment over the likes of Osaka who is also just a guest on her court. Maybe Serena’s future games should be played in a neutral venue like the Arctic as if we are playing on her court that doesn’t seem fair to other women players.

 

[Bim]

How does it go from a game to forfeiting the whole match? Shouldn't it be at least a set taken first?

No clue. Maybe they consider a fourth violation just too much, and put an end to things quickly lol

I admit, to me Serena's comment about it being her court made my eyebrows raise. I get that during matches, athletes are intense and feel passionate about stuff, but as a professional you also have to learn to keep a cool enough head to avoid getting yourself into more trouble. At the end of the day, my heart aches for Osaka. That bitter experience will be one with her for the rest of her life.

 

[Dark Raven]

No clue. Maybe they consider a fourth violation just too much, and put an end to things quickly lol

Well I suppose thinking about it, if you're already in the 2nd or 3rd set and you're a set down, and you get a set deducted, you'd automatically lose the match if you're a woman since they have to play best of 3 sets. It would only work in the first set, or if you're a set up in the 2nd, so that it would be levelled.

It would work with the men though depending on how many sets the other player has. If they already have 2 though and you get a set deducted, you'd automatically lose the match. But if you have one or two sets already and the other player is trailing, then it could work. But it's probably too complicated to have all these qualifications which is why they don't do that at all.

 

[Aximili86]

Haha, looks like the umpires are considering unionizing in the wake of this, centralize a little power. Sounds like by rules he's not allowed to talk to the media and defend the calls made, so they're looking at other avenues.

All this cartoon stuff is beyond ridiculous, too. Look at some of this other guy's work on google images, the exaggerated art is par for the course. His royal family & politicians stuff looks particularly brutal, they're all white.

 

[Brutikus]

All this cartoon stuff is beyond ridiculous, too. Look at some of this other guy's work on google images, the exaggerated art is par for the course. His royal family & politicians stuff looks particularly brutal, they're all white.

We are living in the age of outrage.

 

[Dark Raven]

Haha, looks like the umpires are considering unionizing in the wake of this, centralize a little power. Sounds like by rules he's not allowed to talk to the media and defend the calls made, so they're looking at other avenues.

All this cartoon stuff is beyond ridiculous, too. Look at some of this other guy's work on google images, the exaggerated art is par for the course. His royal family & politicians stuff looks particularly brutal, they're all white.

I bet the show Spitting Image would not be acceptable today. That completely satirised everyone and exaggerated all their features. They always took shots at the royal family and all the politicians and celebrities.

 

[jmc]

Now the umpires are talking of boycotting her matches. This just keeps getting more and more absurd.

Tennis umpires reportedly considering boycott of Serena Williams matches

Tennis has to make a decision here, they either have to tell pull Serena in line and tell her she's not bigger than the sport, or risk losing people to the sport because they're playing favouritism, and worst of all, not supporting the umpires who are as vital to the sport as the players. No player, no matter how good they are, no matter how many championships, gold medals or world cups they have won deserve to be treated differently from their peers. If it's rule for the number 100 player in the world, it's a rule for the number 1.

 

[Aximili86]

Yeah. Loving that they're going public about backing the umpire and setting it straight that there wasn't bias, but boycotting her is pretty lame. Just all stay together and don't stand for this crap if she tries it again, don't refuse to be a part of her games.

 

[Iceman]

Only just seen the Men's final. Congrats to Djok who is always there ready to take advantage when one of the big 2 fail. I was really rooting for DP though.

 

[Iceman]

How does it go from a game to forfeiting the whole match? Shouldn't it be at least a set taken first?

In women's tennis when you lose an extra set it's nearly all over anyway.

 

[Dark Raven]

Yeah, this is proof that she has got too big. These are ugly words from her and she is revealing that she believes that she deserves special treatment over the likes of Osaka who is also just a guest on her court. Maybe Serena’s future games should be played in a neutral venue like the Arctic as if we are playing on her court that doesn’t seem fair to other women players.

In 2009, didn't Serena Williams get disqualified for saying threatening words to a lineswoman in a US Open semi-final match against Kim Clijsters? After being foot faulted, she told the woman she was going to take her racket and ram it down her throat. Then the officials were called out, and Williams immediately lost the match.

So it's not that she's only now getting too big for her boots. Even nearly 10 years ago she already was like that.

 

[RockSP]

Lol @ "too big for her boots". She lost her temper and said something she shouldn't have. Like a million other tennis players.

 

[terry78]

Women, amirite.

 

[Aximili86]

Yeah, Dark. She's just an ultra-competitive hothead with questionable sportsmanship skills. That's nothing new, or particularly unheard of, basically the norm among a lot of these people right at the top. Not just in tennis, either.

Only difference being, black woman, so people get more "zis is outrage!" when she's called on it. Always kind of amazed me how much she gets help up in a role model in a behavioral sense (one thing to celebrate a black woman becoming so iconic in tennis, that's great, but in terms of how she conducts herself), this ain't her first rodeo with this.

 

[Bim]

In 2009, didn't Serena Williams get disqualified for saying threatening words to a lineswoman in a US Open semi-final match against Kim Clijsters? After being foot faulted, she told the woman she was going to take her racket and ram it down her throat. Then the officials were called out, and Williams immediately lost the match.

Yeah, she was. I believe she said she said she was " going to shove this f***ing ball down your f***ing throat.” while pointing her racket at the lines woman. Ouch lol.

So it seems men do get punished more for losing their temper/smashing rackets, according to this article: Do women tennis players get punished more? Think again

And in tennis news, the Davis Cup semis were played this past weekend. The final will be between Croatia (who beat USA) vs France (who beat Spain).

 

[Aximili86]

No amount of data's going to change that segment of the population's mind on the sexism thing, Bim. Doesn't matter to them, it's a buzzword situation.

 

[Bim]

If it makes you feel better, i'm a female and quite clear regarding this issue lol.

 

[Dark Raven]

Yeah, she was. I believe she said she said she was " going to shove this f***ing ball down your f***ing throat.” while pointing her racket at the lines woman. Ouch lol.

So it seems men do get punished more for losing their temper/smashing rackets, according to this article: Do women tennis players get punished more? Think again

And in tennis news, the Davis Cup semis were played this past weekend. The final will be between Croatia (who beat USA) vs France (who beat Spain).

I'm not sure what the law is like in the US, but in the UK if you make these threatening words or gestures and the person fears for their safety, that actually constitutes assault, not the physical contact itself (which is considered battery).

The lineswoman may have felt threatened by Serena, even though others may have said worse things to other people before. It depends on the individuals involved.

 

[Iceman]

The strange backing for Serena in this situation has disappointed me more than what she actually did. It has made me stop wanting her to win.

 

[Another_Fool]

We are living in the age of outrage.

So you legit are dismissing the offense taken by people of color over that cartoon? You don't have a shred of empathy to even maybe understand a little that Serena was drawn up like the old Jim Crow cartoons or that Naomi Osaka was drawn up as a white blond? You think we just like getting outraged? I think you should really step back and rethink how dismissive that was. Seriously. Think.

 

[Bim]

Seems we havent updated this thread with some of the latest news:
- Rafa pulled out of Paris and Novak is the new world #1.
- Khachanov played a solid match to defeat Novak in the Paris Masters final, thus winning his first ATP Masters tournament.
- Rafa had an abdominal injury which was the cause of him pulling out of the Paris Masters, so considering things he decided to end his 2018 season and take advantage of the timing to have ankle surgery for a little something that had been bugging him occasionally for a while now, so he decided to just remove it and not have it be an issue in the future with hopefully enough time to heal for next season. Saw on his facebook just now that surgery went well.

So let's see how the ATP Finals go! Looks like Novak has the momentum going.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Men's Tennis may be in a lull when Roger, Rafa and Novak retire. Those three emerged when Sampras, Lendl and Agassi retired, who themselves emerged when Borg, McEnroe and Connors were at the tail end of their careers.

 

[Bim]

I just hope some of the up and coming talents can breakthrough and win me over. I remember when Agassi retired, i had a bit of a tennis crisis until i found Nadal and started rooting for him and that got me fully involved again lol. I think Thiem might be one of those guys for me, i just think he's so talented and on the brink of something big.

 

[Iceman]

Seems we havent updated this thread with some of the latest news:
- Rafa pulled out of Paris and Novak is the new world #1.
- Khachanov played a solid match to defeat Novak in the Paris Masters final, thus winning his first ATP Masters tournament.
- Rafa had an abdominal injury which was the cause of him pulling out of the Paris Masters, so considering things he decided to end his 2018 season and take advantage of the timing to have ankle surgery for a little something that had been bugging him occasionally for a while now, so he decided to just remove it and not have it be an issue in the future with hopefully enough time to heal for next season. Saw on his facebook just now that surgery went well.

So let's see how the ATP Finals go! Looks like Novak has the momentum going.

Glad to hear the op went well and look forward to his return.

 

[Iceman]

Men's Tennis may be in a lull when Roger, Rafa and Novak retire. Those three emerged when Sampras, Lendl and Agassi retired, who themselves emerged when Borg, McEnroe and Connors were at the tail end of their careers.

There’s a big opportunity for someone to start picking up a bunch of wins as soon as these big guns finally bow out.