tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757702474597183495.post5939245352470075031..comments2023-09-20T10:27:39.247-05:00Comments on Savannah's World: The Rear View Mirror - 2014Savannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079111598976360942noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757702474597183495.post-25515117794172847832014-12-11T14:58:43.786-05:002014-12-11T14:58:43.786-05:00Karen, you make a good point. My lack of player kn...Karen, you make a good point. My lack of player knowledge and my disinterest in many matches probably does hinder my ability to enjoy the current WTA. <br /><br />On the other hand, sometimes all it takes is one match, one player, to get you hooked. I remember that back in 2004, I hadn't watched any tennis at all for something like 10 years. By chance I tuned into the U.S. Open on TV during an Agassi match. I'd heard of him but had never seen him. He was returning - I forget who the opponent was - and it took about 30 seconds for me to get hypnotized by his intensity. That one match revived my interest in tennis after it had slept for so many years. <br /><br />Before then, as a teenager I actually watched more women's tennis than men's. The players I liked most were the obvious ones - King and Navratilova, then later on Graf and Seles. After Seles got hurt and Graf retired I lost interest. Or it might be more accurate to say I switched my interest to basketball, which I had started to play a lot of. <br /><br />These days I actually do tune in fairly often to women's matches via streaming. But I just don't get enthralled that often. Sometimes a match will grip me when I don't expect it to, like Madison Keys beating Kerber this year, or Duval beating Stosur, or in 2011 when Stosur unexpectedly put together the match of her life in beating Serena. But there is no player today outside of Serena and Halep who I pay consistent attention to. Someone like Kvitova is the definition of erratic. Imagine if the ATP was made up only of head cases like Tsonga and Gulbis and that would be the picture to me of too much of the WTA. <br /><br />One thing that especially bothers me about the WTA is that too many women are pure baseliners with one-dimensional games. It's a problem on the men's side too, but it's not as bad over there. On the women's side, players like Azarenka and Sharapova seem allergic to the net. One thing I liked about Li Na was that she was truly awful at net for a long while, but she obviously worked her butt off and got a lot better there in the last couple of years before she retired. I can't imagine Sharapova ever bothering to do the same. If you play only on the baseline it is just so much harder to construct a point. And players who don't construct points are boring. This goes for both men and women, but the sad fact is I simply see less point construction in the WTA. I like Halep because she does know how to build a point. To me she is similar to Nishikori. Those sorts of players, I will watch, men or women. Randy Burgesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16460408574767042265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757702474597183495.post-70790690356015131902014-12-11T12:19:35.128-05:002014-12-11T12:19:35.128-05:00I don't think it will be as prohibitive as peo...I don't think it will be as prohibitive as people think. I recall when the ATP had Masters Series TV, people shelled out a lot of money just to watch the men play. In those halycon days you were entertained. never mattered who was playing. I know I for one paid a lot of money just to be able to watch tennis. The WTA has been doing a much better job of focusing on every single player and they are to be commended for that. They have used social media to highlight players and the players themselves have really taken to showcasing us their personalities, which then draws the casual fan into the game. If I have to pay 20 or 30 per month just to be able to watch a stream at any hour of the day or night, no matter where I am, I think I could live with that because the downside to that is constantly watching the Champions Tour or constant repeats on Tennis Channel. <br /><br />Speaking of ... I love that they have been showcasing the best of 2014, both on the regular Tour and the Slams. They deserve kudos for that. Overhead Spinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13838462340734632101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757702474597183495.post-66692648305390092862014-12-11T09:32:55.037-05:002014-12-11T09:32:55.037-05:00Thank you Karen! I don't know anyone who is mo...Thank you Karen! I don't know anyone who is more dedicated to women's tennis and has been for a long time.<br /><br />The problem with women's tennis is seeing the matches. For many years ESPN has been the main venue for both casual and serious fans to see women play. It's part of basic cable here in the States and when there's a big tournament - a Slam, IW, Miami, Rome they cover it. And when I say cover it they focus on American men and sometimes American women and male international players. That means that as far as the average fan is concerned women's tennis is defined by Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Simona who? Garbiñe? How do you even say her name? That is why someone like John McEnroe who should know better rolls into the broadcast booth and spouts inanities for the entire match and gets away with it. I mean he didn't even know Venus had been diagnosed with Sjögrens for pete's sake and she's an American.<br /><br />I'm hoping this new deal will allow people to do what you ask, tune in and watch a women's match. What I'm concerned about is the cost. If it turns out to be prohibitive I'm afraid that the viewership for women's tennis won't get any better.Savannahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15079111598976360942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757702474597183495.post-51979832934975182102014-12-11T07:42:50.488-05:002014-12-11T07:42:50.488-05:00As a big fan of women's tennis, people can'...As a big fan of women's tennis, people can't just tune into a match and expect to be entertained, especially if you know nothing of the player. The thing about the WTA is that you have to become a fan of the women's game. You have to watch almost every match, read up on the players, follow them on social media to find out what it is about their games that you like. I have been blogging about women's tennis since 2009. I watch almost every single player that I can. I don't go around watching players who everyone hypes. For example, before Halep became the people's darling, I was a fan of hers since junior days. Same with Svitolina, Muguruza etc. People who do not watch the women's game every day become disappointed when they tune in to some hyped up player and expect to be entertained. That is not only unfair to said player, but unfair to the women's Tour as a whole. I challenge everyone this year to tune into a WTA match. Don't even think about who is playing, just watch. You may be surprised at what you see. Overhead Spinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13838462340734632101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757702474597183495.post-1331921536686796082014-12-10T18:33:43.076-05:002014-12-10T18:33:43.076-05:00Ćorić has the potential to be a big deal if he'...Ćorić has the potential to be a big deal if he's managed properly.<br /><br />If you can before Brisbane try and catch Zverev. He had a good run in Hamburg making the semi final where he got trounced by Ferrer. He beat Youzhny, Giraldo and Kamke, not a bad run for a 17 year old.<br /><br />As for the women I'm afraid you're on point. I like what I saw of Duval too and I'm glad she's back practicing. It's going to be interesting to see how she's managed this year too. <br /><br />I think that the new media deal the WTA signed is great but if the product does nothing but inspire yawns it's all for naught.Savannahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15079111598976360942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757702474597183495.post-9657037739591634332014-12-10T13:42:39.850-05:002014-12-10T13:42:39.850-05:00P.S. - Oops, that comment of mine just now should ...P.S. - Oops, that comment of mine just now should have said "if Radwanska was really playing great or just taking advantage," not "Azarenka." Randy Burgesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16460408574767042265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757702474597183495.post-76329780238969433982014-12-10T13:39:48.096-05:002014-12-10T13:39:48.096-05:00Don't agree that Fed as a slamless #1 would ha...Don't agree that Fed as a slamless #1 would have indicated a double-standard vis-a-vis the likes of Woz over in the WTA. Several differences: First, Fed has multiple majors in his pocket whereas Woz and Safina had none (if you don't count Safina's doubles win at the US Open, which I had to look up to be sure of). Second, I think there was in fact some tut-tutting about the possibility - I know for sure that the question was raised about what it would mean - so he wasn't going to get a total free pass. And third, I think we all knew it was never going to happen unless Djokovic had a mental breakdown and started gorging on pasta again or broke his ankle or whatever. <br /><br />I do agree about both Dimitrov and Ćorić. Dimitrov, I just wonder about. His succession of hot shots in Stockholm was unreal. But you don't win titles with flash and no stomach. His win over Murray at Wimbledon seemed more about Murray not being all the way back then about Dimitrov showing he has it. I just don't get him. <br /><br />Ćorić on the other hand has been impressive. I know Nadal was sick when Ćorić beat him, but even so, the kid was 17 at the time! And he had beaten Gulbis the match before that. And yes I hear Gulbis had something wrong with him too . . . but even so. Ćorić seems like he might have something. Then again I thought the same about Nick Kyrgios and he seems to have vanished from the face of the earth. Maybe that's just temporary and he'll be back. I don't really know much about him, other than he loves name-dropping and snappy purple jackets. <br /><br />I do wish the WTA were more watchable. It's probably just me getting old. I don't know what came over me, but a couple of days ago I went and downloaded the full match from January of Azarenka getting toasted by Radwanska. But what I realized as I watched was that Azarenka was so far off her normal form that it was impossible to tell if Azarenka was really playing great or just taking advantage. I should love her touch and her creativity, but I'm left cold. Outside of Serena and Halep, and now and then Kvitova, I am unsure of who in the WTA I'd really want to watch play a full match. Let alone root for. Well, I did like Duval; maybe she will make progress now? Randy Burgesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16460408574767042265noreply@blogger.com