TENNIS: More Australian Open
Jan. 27th, 2023 07:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feather_ghyllOn Saturday, I watched Magda Linette get through to her first fourth round at a slam against an opponent I thought was someone else for a while (blonde ball-strikers being numerous in women’s tennis). Congratulations to Linette, but I was left thinking ‘THAT was the night match?’
On repeat, I saw Andrey Rublev play at a very high level that Dan Evans couldn’t touch, and then an exhausted Andy Murray faced Batista-Agut, who is the type of player who is going to keep coming at you, right up there with you, a terrible opponent for him. It was striking that despite beating an Australian in the previous round, the crowd absolutely loved Murray through an abject first set and a much better second set, where he outplayed Batista-Agut at some key points and wrested the tiebreak. Murray was somewhere in the middle for the rest of the match, although when Batista-Agut won the third set, it looked improbable that even Murray could pull if off again, however many flashes of stubborn brilliance he showed. However, if Batista-Agut’s next opponent was fresher, I fancied their chances.
I could have watched the replay of Djokovic vs Dimitrov, but, frankly, I had better things to do.
Sunday: I caught the end of Tsitsipas gathering himself together (or releasing his wrist, he said) to beat Sinner after a four-hour long five-setter. Not yet, Yannick Sinner, although apparently Tsitsipas had a point to prove to the latest generation (not that he’s that much older, but he has been established for longer.)
So I got to watch Azarenka vs Zhu (who was interesting being in her late 20s, an habitué of the lower half of the top 100, but playing like someone who had already beaten two seeds, thank you very much.) And Zhu opened up better, Azarenka wrestled back, but not for long. The Chinese woman had slightly more weight of shot and a killer backhand. She won the first set, but Azarenaka, former champion, imposed her will and game in the second.
The third set was a real, and most enjoyable, tussle. It was break after break after break, until Zhu held her serve for once, and maybe it was realising she was two games away from a victory, but she dropped off and Azarenka, who had so much more experience at this type of thing, was there when she faltered and, despite some tense points, would not falter again. It’s the first time she’s got through to a QF since becoming a mother (finally! She’s been threatening for years.) But she’d be facing a well-rested Jessica Peugla.
I then learned that Swiatek was out, but when you say the current French and US Open champion lost to the reigning Wimbledon champion, it’s less shocking. Rybykina does have the weapons.
I caught a bit of another player who’s got weapons – Jelena Ostapenko – beating the touted Coco Gauff (showing up the young American’s forehand, still.) It looked as if Ostapenko was playing a little smarter and with more shape – had she finally learned to be more consistent?
Monday: more a day of absorbing headlines about new young things coming through on the men’s side, while Sabalenka was still in on the women’s side. Well, I watched the champions tiebreak between Rubleve and Rune, but it sounded like Rublev was already talking himself into losing against his QF opponent before they’d even played. Okay, said opponent was Djokovic, but he was injured (and I don’t know whether he was in imperious mode), but you can’t talk yourself out of winning before you’ve set foot on the court.
More headlines as Azarenka beat Pegula (!), Sabalenka was the highest seed standing (but not the most decorated at Slams), and I realised I haven’t really talked about the resurgence in US men’s tennis.
On Wednesday, I caught a bit of Djokovic vs Rublev, and okay, now I see why Djokovic owns real estate in Rublev’s head. Korda had to retire injured, meaning Khachanov was the last Russian standing and would be facing Tsitipas, while Paul was the last American standing and the most surprising men’s semi finalist.
Rybikina had had too much for Ostapenko, and now Azarenka, while I had to eat my words, because Magda Linette was the surprise female semi finalist. Apparently both she and Sabalenka had found some composure to play well, although Sabalenka was the more experienced and, as it turned out, too powerful, so she’s finally through to a final. Rybikina has a touch more experience – not a bad final in one respect, although one is Belarussian and the other a Muscovite who switched allegiance to Kazakhstan (hopefully both Azarenka and Linette will build on their great runs in the rest of 2023.)
And today, I caught a bit of Djovovic’s third set as he swept away Paul with his brilliance. His opponent will be Titsipas (who could have won in three but won in four sets). Has the Greek really added enough to his game to compete with Djokovic in this state?
On repeat, I saw Andrey Rublev play at a very high level that Dan Evans couldn’t touch, and then an exhausted Andy Murray faced Batista-Agut, who is the type of player who is going to keep coming at you, right up there with you, a terrible opponent for him. It was striking that despite beating an Australian in the previous round, the crowd absolutely loved Murray through an abject first set and a much better second set, where he outplayed Batista-Agut at some key points and wrested the tiebreak. Murray was somewhere in the middle for the rest of the match, although when Batista-Agut won the third set, it looked improbable that even Murray could pull if off again, however many flashes of stubborn brilliance he showed. However, if Batista-Agut’s next opponent was fresher, I fancied their chances.
I could have watched the replay of Djokovic vs Dimitrov, but, frankly, I had better things to do.
Sunday: I caught the end of Tsitsipas gathering himself together (or releasing his wrist, he said) to beat Sinner after a four-hour long five-setter. Not yet, Yannick Sinner, although apparently Tsitsipas had a point to prove to the latest generation (not that he’s that much older, but he has been established for longer.)
So I got to watch Azarenka vs Zhu (who was interesting being in her late 20s, an habitué of the lower half of the top 100, but playing like someone who had already beaten two seeds, thank you very much.) And Zhu opened up better, Azarenka wrestled back, but not for long. The Chinese woman had slightly more weight of shot and a killer backhand. She won the first set, but Azarenaka, former champion, imposed her will and game in the second.
The third set was a real, and most enjoyable, tussle. It was break after break after break, until Zhu held her serve for once, and maybe it was realising she was two games away from a victory, but she dropped off and Azarenka, who had so much more experience at this type of thing, was there when she faltered and, despite some tense points, would not falter again. It’s the first time she’s got through to a QF since becoming a mother (finally! She’s been threatening for years.) But she’d be facing a well-rested Jessica Peugla.
I then learned that Swiatek was out, but when you say the current French and US Open champion lost to the reigning Wimbledon champion, it’s less shocking. Rybykina does have the weapons.
I caught a bit of another player who’s got weapons – Jelena Ostapenko – beating the touted Coco Gauff (showing up the young American’s forehand, still.) It looked as if Ostapenko was playing a little smarter and with more shape – had she finally learned to be more consistent?
Monday: more a day of absorbing headlines about new young things coming through on the men’s side, while Sabalenka was still in on the women’s side. Well, I watched the champions tiebreak between Rubleve and Rune, but it sounded like Rublev was already talking himself into losing against his QF opponent before they’d even played. Okay, said opponent was Djokovic, but he was injured (and I don’t know whether he was in imperious mode), but you can’t talk yourself out of winning before you’ve set foot on the court.
More headlines as Azarenka beat Pegula (!), Sabalenka was the highest seed standing (but not the most decorated at Slams), and I realised I haven’t really talked about the resurgence in US men’s tennis.
On Wednesday, I caught a bit of Djokovic vs Rublev, and okay, now I see why Djokovic owns real estate in Rublev’s head. Korda had to retire injured, meaning Khachanov was the last Russian standing and would be facing Tsitipas, while Paul was the last American standing and the most surprising men’s semi finalist.
Rybikina had had too much for Ostapenko, and now Azarenka, while I had to eat my words, because Magda Linette was the surprise female semi finalist. Apparently both she and Sabalenka had found some composure to play well, although Sabalenka was the more experienced and, as it turned out, too powerful, so she’s finally through to a final. Rybikina has a touch more experience – not a bad final in one respect, although one is Belarussian and the other a Muscovite who switched allegiance to Kazakhstan (hopefully both Azarenka and Linette will build on their great runs in the rest of 2023.)
And today, I caught a bit of Djovovic’s third set as he swept away Paul with his brilliance. His opponent will be Titsipas (who could have won in three but won in four sets). Has the Greek really added enough to his game to compete with Djokovic in this state?
