TENNIS: French Open - rounds 1 and 2
Jun. 2nd, 2018 09:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feather_ghyllI've watched quite a lot of tennis, or had it on, at least.
Day three: I had Muguruza and Kusnetsova on in the background, but it started raining and there was a replay of Nadal’s match before I had to go. In the evening, I got a glimpse Mahut vs. Del Potro after Serena. It was a weird match, overshadowed by physical woes. Mahut was battling a fever, went for it and won the first set, but then Del Potro, recovering from injury, got going and Mahut had nothing left. I heard the phrase ‘lucky loser’ bandied about a lot.
Day four, and there were still first round matches being played. I don't understand the French Open's scheduling, it starts sooner, it has no roof and is prone to wearther. I saw Zverev the younger come through a five-setter, ditto Dimitrov, although it was with much thanks to his opponent’s (lack of) conditioning. I was enjoying watching strongman Thiem, he seemed to have more than his opponent in the first, and then we moved to watch Cameron Norrie get overawed by his first time on a French Open showcourt. That's a little harsh; he improved. The question nobody has answered for me is who he supports in the rugby.
I like the fact that we’re getting women and men commentating on matches regardless of whether they’re men or women playing. John Inverdale still gets things wrong.
Day five was mainly about the Williams vs Barty match. Serena on the comeback after giving birth and not playing much tennis, Barty on the up and a top 20 player. She played aggressively and did not seem likely to lose her serve, and so beat a less consistent Serena in the first. Well, Serena Williams, grand slam champion supreme was not having that, she shrieked and revved herself up into winning the next two sets, and though Barty played well, it became a top 20 player against a great player, and the usual results ensued. I don’t know if the ladies lockeroom will be terrorised yet, although if a player can play herself into form, it’s Serena.
Norrie did not disgrace himself, while Edmund did what his ranking would suggest and won into the third. Who knows what version of his opponent (Fognini) he’ll face there?
Day six: I watched the fifth set of Zverev’s comeback, although with several breaks of serve, many twists and great rallies, it was more up and down than that. I’ll wait and see how far he makes it through and whether he can win players who ought to be tougher more easily. For instance, Thiem is getting through more easily so far. I saw a bit of Djokovic’s match, where he improved his level a lot. (As with Serena, the question is whether he can maintain that.) It then rained when I returned to the TV set.
Day three: I had Muguruza and Kusnetsova on in the background, but it started raining and there was a replay of Nadal’s match before I had to go. In the evening, I got a glimpse Mahut vs. Del Potro after Serena. It was a weird match, overshadowed by physical woes. Mahut was battling a fever, went for it and won the first set, but then Del Potro, recovering from injury, got going and Mahut had nothing left. I heard the phrase ‘lucky loser’ bandied about a lot.
Day four, and there were still first round matches being played. I don't understand the French Open's scheduling, it starts sooner, it has no roof and is prone to wearther. I saw Zverev the younger come through a five-setter, ditto Dimitrov, although it was with much thanks to his opponent’s (lack of) conditioning. I was enjoying watching strongman Thiem, he seemed to have more than his opponent in the first, and then we moved to watch Cameron Norrie get overawed by his first time on a French Open showcourt. That's a little harsh; he improved. The question nobody has answered for me is who he supports in the rugby.
I like the fact that we’re getting women and men commentating on matches regardless of whether they’re men or women playing. John Inverdale still gets things wrong.
Day five was mainly about the Williams vs Barty match. Serena on the comeback after giving birth and not playing much tennis, Barty on the up and a top 20 player. She played aggressively and did not seem likely to lose her serve, and so beat a less consistent Serena in the first. Well, Serena Williams, grand slam champion supreme was not having that, she shrieked and revved herself up into winning the next two sets, and though Barty played well, it became a top 20 player against a great player, and the usual results ensued. I don’t know if the ladies lockeroom will be terrorised yet, although if a player can play herself into form, it’s Serena.
Norrie did not disgrace himself, while Edmund did what his ranking would suggest and won into the third. Who knows what version of his opponent (Fognini) he’ll face there?
Day six: I watched the fifth set of Zverev’s comeback, although with several breaks of serve, many twists and great rallies, it was more up and down than that. I’ll wait and see how far he makes it through and whether he can win players who ought to be tougher more easily. For instance, Thiem is getting through more easily so far. I saw a bit of Djokovic’s match, where he improved his level a lot. (As with Serena, the question is whether he can maintain that.) It then rained when I returned to the TV set.
