Anyone for tennis

[grippedchimp]

I recently got into tennis. It's part of the reason why I lost a stone in weight lately (along with walking an awful lot and not eating mountains of rice). It's a terrific sport and my favourite one too.

The best parts of my game would be my backhand (on good days it resembles Roger Federer's), my serve (a bit slow but has good side or top spin) and my drop shots. My weak points are my forehand, topspin usage and volleys. I'd like to be a good serve/volleyer though.

My fave male players are Pat Rafter (come back!), Goran Ivanisevic (he's fun) and Tim Henman. My fave females are Venus Williams (the power), Jennifer Capriati, Martina Hingis and Daniela Hantuchova. The latter of these girls you may not be too familiar with, but she was voted WTA's sexiest player. I personally fancy the pants off her. Those legs. Wouldn't mind giving her a tickle. But you decide for yourself.
http://danielahantuchova.freeservers.com/photo.html

Anyway, any tennis players out there?

 

[Neutron]

I Want To Be...

The cream filling in a Williams sister oreo cookie.

Tron

 

[giggledude]

I used to play well enough on a local level, then got into umpiring and have called matches for 16-year-old girls who later got into majors and once for a former Wimbledon champion. I never had a lot of power, but had good lobs and passing shots, and when I was on could hit with really effective sidespin.

The decline of the Agassi-Sampras show has been a great blessing for me. Henman seems like the last Edberg; I really wish he were a winner, but he just doesn't seem to have the mentality for it. It would be nice to see Kuerten back on top; Hewitt is easy to respect but hard to like. I don't generally care much for the Spanish Armada, but do like Moya and Ferrero.

The women usually produce more entertaining draws than the men (notable exception - last year's US Open). Hantuchova should do really well in the next couple of years. Justine Henin has a compelling history and a lovely game, but lately she always looks as if she were suffering from stomach ache. Capriati was such an inspiring story, but she's really tarnished her image acting up and getting kicked off the Fed Cup team. I don't dislike Venus, but prefer Serena of the sisters.

 

[grippedchimp]

Henman must have a killer instinct. He's part of a dying breed of serve/volleyers (Rafter, or to a lesser extent, Todd Martin, Greg Rusedski and Pete Sampras), which is the most taxing but most exciting style of play, I feel. Upcoming players generally have strong forehands, stick to the baseliners and are generally clay-court experts. Examples like Xavier Malisse, David Nalbandian, Hewitt, most Spanish players and others. I quite like Marat Safin's style. If only his temperament was better.

I quite like the women's game. Henin is superb. I've always liked players with strong backhands like myself. I'd like to see Kim Clijsters and Jelena Dokic do well, and they're still young. Miss Kournikova has a rather good game, but she really should ditch that media attention. It's distracting.

Anyway, here's looking forward to the US Open.
Easy, Tron.

 

[giggledude]

Sampras and Rusedski really belong in a separate group with Ivanisevic, Krajicek and Philippoussis. Rafter and Henman are the last two members of the Edberg school of using the serve to get into net, with Henman's game a little closer to Edberg's style, largely due to the occasionally iffy forehand and a much smoother backhand. The others really rely on the serve to win the point, setting up the volley as a formality. It was really painful to watch Henman at Wimbledon this year, but then the hopeful example would have to be Virginia Wade, although this was what seemed to be the destined year. Safin ought to be the sort of #1 Sampras was. He certainly looked like a young Sampras when he won the US Open over the aging Sampras in 2000, but he seems to be waiting for his own coronation, and we're all waiting for Major #2.

I feel sorry for Dokic, who has one of those creepy fathers, but she's no Mary Pierce. She's another one who has not done herself any favours, getting into a terrible dispute about possibly representing Australia, to such an extent that even the mediation attempts of the sainted Evonne Goolagong couldn't smooth things out. That Kournikova is easily the richest tennis player in history is so sad. Henin had a bad loss this week on which to enter the Open, but she should get through to a quarterfinal with Serena, which she might be able to win, as Serena has not sparkled since getting the #1 ranking.

 

[BigJim]

Nice pics Chimp. Shame she wasn't barefoot in them, but nice pics anyway. I do have a few barefoot pics of Anna Kournikova, but sadly, none of them are decent sole shots.

 

[grippedchimp]

I suppose this is the nearest thing you'll see Daniela being barefoot.
http://www.hantuchova.host.sk/2001Eastbourne14.jpg
From what I gather, she's gonna play Venus Williams in the pilot pen tournament. Yikes.

I'm exhausted. Just played tennis this morning with my mate. And for any of you Eastenders fans, "he was givin' me the runaraaaaaand!"
Oh yeah, Hingis lost to the same player who dispatched Justine Henin this week. Good to see Greg Rusedski get a "seeding" at Flushing Meadows. He did beat the 3 top players in the last fortnight, didn't he?

 

[BigJim]

I tried to use that link, but the photo got as far down as her stomach and then froze. 🙁 Ah well, it was a nice thought.......

 

[grippedchimp]

Keep on trying, my fellow limey. You could always do that right-click and "Save Target As" business...

 

[giggledude]

Rusedski never recovered from losing to Todd Martin in the US Open a few years ago when both the fourth and fifth sets looked to be in the bag. It was very much like this year's Australian Open final, in which Safin went ahead and then just stood around waiting for the coronation. I thought Rusedski would go deeper than he did at Wimbledon, but at least getting bumped up into a seed took him out of Hewitt's early draw. It's probably about time for Tommy Haas to put up an apearance on the second weekend.

 

[grippedchimp]

Hmm, this thread is in time for the US Open, no? Still, comprehensive wins by Henman and Rusedski. Safin, as much as I love his style of play, should sort his head out. He nearly lost in the first round, and he has to play Kuerten in the next round. Bummer.

Dokic lost quite badly, but I'd like to see my honey Daniela Hantuchova go far. However, she's destined for another Grand Slam quarter-final clash with Serena. D'oh.

 

[primetime]

is it just me or did tennis get real boring? no more colorful characters on the men's side. no Conners, no McEnroe, no Becker, no one. Agassi is entertaining, but it is only a matter of time before he retires. i remember asking my friends if they knew who Lleyton Hewitt is, and they looked at me with a glazed look. then i asked them if they knew who the #2 player in the world is. hell, i had that glazed look too. the men's draw just isnt as entertaining as it used to be.

but the women are fun to watch. Serena and her sister Venus are kicking ass and taking names. i like Serena better, and i am a fan of Jennifer Capriati as well. it seems like the women have more personality than the men. no wonder their popularity grows. can anyone stop the Williams sisters?????

 

[BigJim]

No it's not just you, it really is getting boring now.

 

[grippedchimp]

Hey giggledude, so much for Agassi and Sampras fading away, so don't count your blessings before they... d'oh. Venus and Serena slug it out... again. You can't stop 'em, sista. And primetime, I think Goran Ivanisevic is the most colourful player in the men's tour. Sure, he ain't consistent, but he's a good laugh. I'd like to see him back from injury soon.