Post by Tish on Jan 19, 2006 9:39:02 GMT 3
Found a news article with a bit of comic relief enjoy....
Off Topic: Not enough time in my day to A) Watch all the tennis
B) Sort out my Ipod , C) Devote some attention to TGFR....Will talk soon over and out from the Zombie
Bitter rivalry poised to liven up slumber party
Have your say, email The Forum theforum@theaustralian.com.au
January 19, 2006
KAROLINA SPREM is obviously a heavy sleeper. She arrived for her 11am appointment with Lindsay Davenport in her nightie. A mauve type thingy that cascaded from the bust.
The Croatian did well in the first set considering she probably had no time for breakfast nor a warm up, but she faded in the second.
Davenport, the No.1 seed, looked much sharper than in her first-round encounter against young Australian Casey Dellacqua. Davenport was buoyant after her latest win. She expected the resistance from Sprem that she encountered but was pleased that she was able to win the points she considered critical and structure rallies as she wanted.
No sense of the exhaustion that overwhelmed her in last year's final, when she could barely drag herself through the match against Serena Williams.
She has had her eye - make that a glimpse - on the progress of Martina Hingis who could confront her in the semi-finals.
Davenport doubted that it was the power game that forced Hingis into retirement.
"She always found a way around it before," Davenport said. "People have always said that kind of thing about her.
"More than anything the girl finds a way to win and a way to make her opponent feel uncomfortable.
"I'm sure she has a way to negate power still. We'll see.
"If she gets through to play Mary (Pierce) that will be a really, really interesting (third round) match and another great test for other players and the fans to see exactly where Martina is at," Davenport said.
So far the progress of Hingis has been the most interesting theme and Sprem's dress yesterday - one also fancied by Maria Sharapova - was indicative of a tournament that is really yet to wake up.
Commentator Jim Courier tried to trigger the alarm clock in the Little Lleyton-Robin Vik match by declaring the first "come on" would herald the true start of the tournament.
But it wasn't the rollick that Courier had anticipated as Hewitt was forced to drag himself to victory over five sets, not classically but grimly, not swiftly but bravely.
So the tournament has tossed and turned but never sat bolt upright.
The charge of the bright brigade ended in round one. Out went Andy Murray, Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet.
Mark Philippoussis sleep-walked through his match against Sebastien Grosjean. Venus Williams thought it March and not January and left on the first afternoon.
Of course, Andre Agassi isn't here. Anything he says would normally be treated as solemnly as a papal announcement. Marat Safin didn't come. Now, there's a man who could wake the dead.
And we miss Rafael Nadal's precocious style and a temperament so volatile he is only allowed to play on days of a total fire ban.
Ivan Ljubicic, who yesterday beat Little Leyton's Adelaide conqueror Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets, has a theory on the heavy injury toll before the season-opening Grand Slam.
"The question is what could be done about it. There is no secret that the courts and the balls and the game itself has been slowed down dramatically over the last five to 10 years. The rallies are longer and longer and the tennis is becoming more physical," Ljubicic said.
The seventh seed and vice-president of the ATP player council, also pointed to the recent regulation that 18 rather than 14 of a player's best results count towards the ranking system.
In short, the season is too long for a game that has become abrasive on body and soul.
By late afternoon Serena Williams had won her second-round match. She played with a verve and certainty missing against Li Na in her opening match that stretched to three sets.
That was won on the sheer will of Williams not to concede. She played badly, competed desperately.
It is possible we are judging the first three days too harshly because they have been tame compared to last year's tournament. That has been chronicled without question as one of the great Grand Slam tournaments.
But it does need a kick along. History says it will come tonight when Hewitt faces the Argentinian Juan Ignacio Chela, fined for spitting at the Australian in their ugly confrontation last year.
Hewitt's coach Roger Rasheed has boorishly promised retribution if there is a repeat performance by Chela.
Let's hope Hewitt can hold his tongue and Chela his saliva. The tournament needs a wake-up call not an all-in brawl.
Off Topic: Not enough time in my day to A) Watch all the tennis
B) Sort out my Ipod , C) Devote some attention to TGFR....Will talk soon over and out from the Zombie
Bitter rivalry poised to liven up slumber party
Have your say, email The Forum theforum@theaustralian.com.au
January 19, 2006
KAROLINA SPREM is obviously a heavy sleeper. She arrived for her 11am appointment with Lindsay Davenport in her nightie. A mauve type thingy that cascaded from the bust.
The Croatian did well in the first set considering she probably had no time for breakfast nor a warm up, but she faded in the second.
Davenport, the No.1 seed, looked much sharper than in her first-round encounter against young Australian Casey Dellacqua. Davenport was buoyant after her latest win. She expected the resistance from Sprem that she encountered but was pleased that she was able to win the points she considered critical and structure rallies as she wanted.
No sense of the exhaustion that overwhelmed her in last year's final, when she could barely drag herself through the match against Serena Williams.
She has had her eye - make that a glimpse - on the progress of Martina Hingis who could confront her in the semi-finals.
Davenport doubted that it was the power game that forced Hingis into retirement.
"She always found a way around it before," Davenport said. "People have always said that kind of thing about her.
"More than anything the girl finds a way to win and a way to make her opponent feel uncomfortable.
"I'm sure she has a way to negate power still. We'll see.
"If she gets through to play Mary (Pierce) that will be a really, really interesting (third round) match and another great test for other players and the fans to see exactly where Martina is at," Davenport said.
So far the progress of Hingis has been the most interesting theme and Sprem's dress yesterday - one also fancied by Maria Sharapova - was indicative of a tournament that is really yet to wake up.
Commentator Jim Courier tried to trigger the alarm clock in the Little Lleyton-Robin Vik match by declaring the first "come on" would herald the true start of the tournament.
But it wasn't the rollick that Courier had anticipated as Hewitt was forced to drag himself to victory over five sets, not classically but grimly, not swiftly but bravely.
So the tournament has tossed and turned but never sat bolt upright.
The charge of the bright brigade ended in round one. Out went Andy Murray, Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet.
Mark Philippoussis sleep-walked through his match against Sebastien Grosjean. Venus Williams thought it March and not January and left on the first afternoon.
Of course, Andre Agassi isn't here. Anything he says would normally be treated as solemnly as a papal announcement. Marat Safin didn't come. Now, there's a man who could wake the dead.
And we miss Rafael Nadal's precocious style and a temperament so volatile he is only allowed to play on days of a total fire ban.
Ivan Ljubicic, who yesterday beat Little Leyton's Adelaide conqueror Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets, has a theory on the heavy injury toll before the season-opening Grand Slam.
"The question is what could be done about it. There is no secret that the courts and the balls and the game itself has been slowed down dramatically over the last five to 10 years. The rallies are longer and longer and the tennis is becoming more physical," Ljubicic said.
The seventh seed and vice-president of the ATP player council, also pointed to the recent regulation that 18 rather than 14 of a player's best results count towards the ranking system.
In short, the season is too long for a game that has become abrasive on body and soul.
By late afternoon Serena Williams had won her second-round match. She played with a verve and certainty missing against Li Na in her opening match that stretched to three sets.
That was won on the sheer will of Williams not to concede. She played badly, competed desperately.
It is possible we are judging the first three days too harshly because they have been tame compared to last year's tournament. That has been chronicled without question as one of the great Grand Slam tournaments.
But it does need a kick along. History says it will come tonight when Hewitt faces the Argentinian Juan Ignacio Chela, fined for spitting at the Australian in their ugly confrontation last year.
Hewitt's coach Roger Rasheed has boorishly promised retribution if there is a repeat performance by Chela.
Let's hope Hewitt can hold his tongue and Chela his saliva. The tournament needs a wake-up call not an all-in brawl.
Dreams unwind but still it's a state of mind,..I know - Dreams unwind but still it's hard to find - Stevie Nicks...“Marat Safin is a self-tortured genius. He's off the wall with tremendous physical talent. “John Mc Enroe
