Tennis Talk 2023: Vol 16 (Lyon, Geneva, Strasbourg, Rabat)

thoughts on Patrick in full panic mode ever since Simona was charged with the blood passport irregularites? he seems rattled and scared

Bronzetti served for the title in both the second and third set and will still end up losing.

Ended up with silver instead of gold

She actually won in the end after all. Unlike in the second set, where she also had a multitude of chances to break again at 5-5, she was helped by Grabher double faulting when bp down at 5-5 in the final set.

Could you not have written this sooner? Now I wasted an excellent joke on this, which obviously fell flat due to the information being correct.

*incorrect

Darren still belives in Simona btw.
True love
https://twitter.com/darren_cahill/status/1660179213901504515

Hey hey now, I did say "will end up losing", not "did end up losing"

May 27, 2023 -- 3:04PM, edy wrote:

Bronzetti served for the title in both the second and third set and will still end up losing.

nope!

but then there was no follow-up, acknowleding that it didn't happen like that.

May 27, 2023 -- 3:25PM, SamuelMertensBertens wrote:

Darren still belives in Simona btw.True love https://twitter.com/darren_cahill/status/1660179213901504515

yeah. it's 'toglou and his team that caused all this. Simona didn't come up with it by herself

it's like if I wrote "Hey, there's three gunmen outside my apartment violently knocking on my door. Things not looking good for me ..." here and I don't write anything more, you're gonna assume that they killed me unless I later write "Phew. They had the wrong address. I opened and asked who they were looking for, and since I was not that person, they left"

'toglou was happy with contamination because it would be a 2 year ban and it would all blow over eventually. but with the blood doping charge it's a firm slap down to the contamination theory. all of a sudden Patrick is posting lots about it on Twitter. he scared!

Now instead WTA stole my joke.
https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1662463482741284866
(posted five mins after my comment)

Patrick you going down!

May 27, 2023 -- 3:32PM, SamuelMertensBertens wrote:

Now instead WTA stole my joke.https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1662463482741284866(posted five mins after my comment)

Oh hi WTA social media team! We are all huge fans! If you ever need someone to add to your staff, I also know someone from the UK who would do a most splendid job.

Just call me maybe and I'll put you into contact with them.

oh and please answer my pm where I suggest walk-on music.

will there be a proper ceremony in Strasbourg or another Kostyuk/Gracheva affair?

edy do you think 'toglou caused it? just iyo, what do you think?

THIS IS SVITOLINA STYLE!!!

no handshake, but a wave with the racquet.

where will Elina be ranked after winning this? in top 150?

two titles for Ukrainians since the full-scale invasion. Both against Russians.

they said top 200, wonder where she will land

https://live-tennis.eu/de/wta-weltrangliste-live

191

thanks. wonder where she'll be after reaching RG F

in her bed

she played Marti Trevisan round 1. Trevisan retired the other day

Podoroska is in the RG draw.

May 27, 2023 -- 3:46PM, wisewords wrote:

she played Marti Trevisan round 1. Trevisan retired the other day

Tactical tank no doubt.

plays*

oh well. can still cheer for Svitolina. this is Svitolina style era!

nice flowers for Anna. gonna be interesting to see what Elina says about her in her speech (if she says anything)

this could get super emotional for her.

funky trophy!

wtf, Blinkova speaking French!

Anna Blinkova with the super French fluency babyface

she did congratulate Elina.

must have grew up at a French academy as a teenager or something

yeah. it's whether Elina acknowledges her and also whether she mentions the war etc I'm not interested in seeing

can probably acknowledge her. It doesn't do as much damage as photo where they shake hands.

the organisers seemed to love Blinkova's French speech

throwing Gael under the bus.

"Gael didn't teach me much"

awww Elina

woah, donating all her prize money!

no mention of Anna. expected it tbh

I thought it was a fairly friendly wave though.

yeah. Anna isn't in charge of the war etc. a bit moronic to aim her anger towards her

this guy in the glasses needs to know his role. speech going on too long

wow. that gave everyone a fright

edy have you ever been to this tournament? seems a good one to go to

The Ukrainians have probably collectively agree to not shake hands with any Russians at all, regardless of the Russian individuals stance.

poor Anna having to do pics by herself as a runner up. she's dealt with it all well tbh

May 27, 2023 -- 4:08PM, wisewords wrote:

wow. that gave everyone a fright

I first laughed hard at this, then thought loud unexpected sounds might be particularly scary for Ukrainians these days.

yeah. wasn't the best

May 27, 2023 -- 4:09PM, edy wrote:

The Ukrainians have probably collectively agree to not shake hands with any Russians at all, regardless of the Russian individuals stance.

probably the same policy when it comes to acknowleding them at speeches.

If it's a Russian they are generally friendly with, the Russian will probably be briefed on it in private too.

omg tor Koln

I mean

Was thinking Werder was playing Köln.

no. Bayern Munchen were winning the league up until this goal

edy sing the Anthony Modeste song

May 27, 2023 -- 4:06PM, wisewords wrote:

yeah. Anna isn't in charge of the war etc. a bit moronic to aim her anger towards her

it's not about the player in most cases. It's about what signals it sends, not wanting photos to be used for propaganda. Sure it's little harsh on the Russian player who hasn't done anything wrong, but in the bigger picture I fully understand the way the Ukrainians go about this.

you're German you should know it

May 27, 2023 -- 4:14PM, SamuelMertensBertens wrote:

May 27, 2023 --  4:06PM, wisewords wrote:yeah. Anna isn't in charge of the war etc. a bit moronic to aim her anger towards herit's not about the player in most cases. It's about what signals it sends, not wanting photos to be used for propaganda. Sure it's little harsh on the Russian player who hasn't done anything wrong, but in the bigger picture I fully understand the way the Ukrainians go about this.

yeah I agree. just felt a bit more sorry for Blinkova than if it was someone like Kudermetova or Potapova then I wouldn't care about them not being able to have the pics etc

Modeste, Modeste, Anthony Modeste!

OMFG TOR BAYERN MUNCHEN

Dortmund are choking the league. this is crazy

this is crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

edy this is insane I can't believe they're choking this

The Rekordmeister always wins

Dortmund's only hope is if Koln somehow score

Schalke officially relegated.

omg tor!!!

omfg disallowed

Bochum safe.

Bayern won the league. this is insane

omg tor Dortmund but it's too late

Stuttgart will play the relegation playoff.

this is too insane. Dortmund's title dreams in tatters after failing to beat Mainz on the final day.

The Rekordmeister win the league on goal difference.

I'm still stunned. Roger Federer failing to serve out Wimbledon vibes

3. Liga also had a crazy finish today in terms of which two teams followed Elversberg into promotion and promotion playoffs respectively.

Situation before the game day:

1. Elversberg 71 pts +39 goal difference
2. Freiburg II 70, +18 (but rules say they can't be promoted as main Freiburg's U23)
3. Osnabrück 67, +20
4. Wiesbaden 67, +19
5. Saarbrücken 66, +24
6. Dresden 66, +20

For the longest of times, Osnabrück was behind 0-1 with Wiesbaden, Saarbrücken and Dresden all winning. Wiesbaden looked like getting promoted directly, Saarbrücken to follow in the playoffs. It's 90+4 and Osnabrück gets the equaliser. That goal doesn't change anything yet. A few seconds later the Wiesbaden game is over and people storm the field. Commentator of the simulcast is already all like "Oh gosh, I'm getting Schalke vibes here" (Schalke once thought they had won the league, everybody was celebrating, only for HSV keeper Matthias Schober to pick up a pass from his own man against Bayern and Munich converting on the indirect free kick - putting Schalke through a valley of tears).

So either way, Osnabrück not only scored the equaliser at 90+4, but also at 90+6 the winning goal, pushing Wiesbaden down to the playoffs and finishing off any promotion hopes for Saarbrücken.

The Schalke thing was season 2000/2001

In pleasant 3. Liga news: Markus Anfang and Dynamo Dresden did not get promoted.

you're not a big fan of Dynamo Dresden?

cool story about the 3. Liga final day finish btw

Not a big fan of Markus Anfang.

failed Werder manager?

Yes, the one who made Werder underperform heavily in their promotion season before he was ousted due to sloppily faked vaccine certification.

wta @WTA
Wildcard to Champion in Strasbourg:

Elina Svitolina: 2023
Angelique Kerber: 2022
Samantha Stosur: 2017 & 2015
Maria Sharapova: 2010
Stefanie Graf: 1997

May 27, 2023 -- 5:58PM, edy wrote:

Yes, the one who made Werder underperform heavily in their promotion season before he was ousted due to sloppily faked vaccine certification.

weird to think Angie Angie won that 12 months ago, now she has a lil bebeh

Kostyuk with some comments on her R1 opponent Sabelenka.

what did she say?

oh I forgot to link
https://twitter.com/ukrtennis_eng/status/1662515548264050694/photo/1
https://twitter.com/ukrtennis_eng/status/1662515548264050694/photo/2