Tennis Thread

[ozgod]

Tiafoe followed up the Nadal upset by beating Rublev in straight sets and is the 1st American male to reach the Semis at the US Open since 2006.  That was Roddick who lost to Federer in the semis.  Roddick was the last US male to win a grand slam doing so at the 2003 US Open.  It has been awhile for the US to actually have a male tennis player playing at an elite level. 

Tiafoe will play the winner of the match happening right now between #3 Carlos Alcaraz and #11 Jannik Sinner.

He definitely has the personality to be a genuine star and his back story is a solid one with his parents emigrating from Sierre Leone during their civil war in the 90's.  After coming here and ending up in Maryland, Frances dad helped build a junior tennis center and then worked there as a maintenance worker, which led Frances and his twin brother Franklin to fall in love with the game (I don't think Franklin plays professionally anymore, though he used to).

Just woke up and checked ESPN at 2.20am, they're still playing, starting the 5th set.

[Goldstar88]

Tiafoe followed up the Nadal upset by beating Rublev in straight sets and is the 1st American male to reach the Semis at the US Open since 2006.  That was Roddick who lost to Federer in the semis.  Roddick was the last US male to win a grand slam doing so at the 2003 US Open.  It has been awhile for the US to actually have a male tennis player playing at an elite level. 

Tiafoe will play the winner of the match happening right now between #3 Carlos Alcaraz and #11 Jannik Sinner.

He definitely has the personality to be a genuine star and his back story is a solid one with his parents emigrating from Sierre Leone during their civil war in the 90's.  After coming here and ending up in Maryland, Frances dad helped build a junior tennis center and then worked there as a maintenance worker, which led Frances and his twin brother Franklin to fall in love with the game (I don't think Franklin plays professionally anymore, though he used to).

Just woke up and checked ESPN at 2.20am, they're still playing, starting the 5th set.

Looks like Tiafoe will be facing Alcaraz on Friday. I was watching the match and only made it through the 3rd set which was a little after 1am… Will be pulling for Frances.

In the second-longest match(over 5 hours) and the latest-ever finish in US Open history, No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz beat No. 11 Jannik Sinner to move on to the semifinal round.

The match ended at 2:50 a.m. ET, as these players just would not quit. It came down to the fifth set where the 19-year-old Alcaraz finally closed it out for a final score of 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3, and he just laid on the court in awe that it was over.

[Moranis]

Another 5 set classic from Tiafoe but unfortunately he was on the losing side as Alcaraz took him down.  Alcaraz will play Ruud for not only the title but also the #1 ranking.

Also this was the first time since the very first US Open in 1881 that none of the 4 men in the semis had ever been there before.  That is amazing in and of itself.

[footey]

Another 5 set classic from Tiafoe but unfortunately he was on the losing side as Alcaraz took him down.  Alcaraz will play Ruud for not only the title but also the #1 ranking.

Also this was the first time since the very first US Open in 1881 that none of the 4 men in the semis had ever been there before.  That is amazing in and of itself.

Obviously Djokovic absence a major factor why this happens.

[Goldstar88]

Another 5 set classic from Tiafoe but unfortunately he was on the losing side as Alcaraz took him down.  Alcaraz will play Ruud for not only the title but also the #1 ranking.

Also this was the first time since the very first US Open in 1881 that none of the 4 men in the semis had ever been there before.  That is amazing in and of itself.

Well, Frances certainly won me over with that run.  Farthest an American has gone at the US Open in nearly 20 years. Beating Nadal and then Rublev in straight sets was really impressive. He is super likable, his story is moving and I hope that he can build off of this run going forward. Tiafoe played well last night, but unfortunately, he ran into The Terminator..

I got a chance to watch Alcaraz live last year in the 4th round of the US Open and it’s amazing how much he has changed physically in one year, going from 18 to 19 years old. Him and Nadal are just built differently than the other tennis players.. John McEnroe was calling the match last night and said that Carlos is the fastest player that he’s ever seen step foot on a tennis court. Many current players have also mentioned that he hits the ball harder than anyone else on tour. The combination of speed and power is just devastating. He’s going to win a lot of majors.

[Moranis]

On the women's side Swiatek is looking like she has no equal right now (except on grass).  She has double the points of the 2nd ranked player right now. First women since 2016 to win 2 majors in a year and first time a women has won 7 tournaments in a year since Serena did it in 2014. Still just 21 so she could be around in her prime for a very long time and her dominance on clay is approaching Nadal levels (she lost 1 set at the French and lost just 4 games in the Finals there).  Her 37 straight victories earlier this year were mostly in clay court season. She needs to get better on grass to have a shot at being an all timer, but she definitely has the skill set and confidence you need to be that great.

[Goldstar88]

On the women's side Swiatek is looking like she has no equal right now (except on grass).  She has double the points of the 2nd ranked player right now. First women since 2016 to win 2 majors in a year and first time a women has won 7 tournaments in a year since Serena did it in 2014. Still just 21 so she could be around in her prime for a very long time and her dominance on clay is approaching Nadal levels (she lost 1 set at the French and lost just 4 games in the Finals there).  Her 37 straight victories earlier this year were mostly in clay court season. She needs to get better on grass to have a shot at being an all timer, but she definitely has the skill set and confidence you need to be that great.

Just need Ash Barty to come out of retirement so that Swiatek can have a rival. What a shame…

[Roy H.]

Sounds like Roger Federer is going to retire after his next tournament.

[Donoghus]

Sounds like Roger Federer is going to retire after his next tournament.

Man, prime Federer was such a machine.  So good.

[Goldstar88]

Sounds like Roger Federer is going to retire after his next tournament.

Yep. Just sucks that injuries robbed him of the last few years of his career. No one has ever played the game as beautifully as Roger did.

"As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries," Federer said. "I've worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body's capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear.

"I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career."

This is a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything the tour has given me," Federer said. "But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on Earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible."

[gouki88]

Sounds like Roger Federer is going to retire after his next tournament.

Man, prime Federer was such a machine.  So good.

Maybe not the best in terms of tournaments won (not far off though!), but none have ever been as pleasing to watch for me. Was to tennis what Bird was to basketball for me - pure beauty.

[Donoghus]

Sounds like Roger Federer is going to retire after his next tournament.

Man, prime Federer was such a machine.  So good.

Maybe not the best in terms of tournaments won (not far off though!), but none have ever been as pleasing to watch for me. Was to tennis what Bird was to basketball for me - pure beauty.

Yeah, he was must watch.  Like Prime Tiger.

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

I’m excited for tennis post Big3. Alcaraz and Tiafoe are exciting, and I’m sure there are plenty of others that can entertain us. I thought this US Open was great, even though Nadal lost early.

[Moranis]

Djokovic easily makes the final of the Aussie Open.  him not winning at this point would be a pretty tremendous upset as he has now won 27 straight matches at the Australian Open and 9 straight over Tsitsipas his opponent in the final.  If he wins it will be his 10th Aussie and 22nd overall (again tying him with Nadal for most all time) and he will go back to #1 extending his record for most ever weeks at #1. 

It also makes that whole debacle last year more into focus on just how many titles Novak missed out on by not getting vaccinated.