Any tennis fans out there? **SPOLIER** What the phuck happened at

[joeybee12]

Indian Wells?

Just saw the score--Davenport beat Sharapova 6-0 and 6-0.

No story, just the score and the headline!

[MuseRider]

1. YAY

I saw her play yesterday (I missed today) but was not paying a lot of attention. She looked good. I am glad to see her doing well and Sharapova is a formidable opponent. I did not know it was Indian Wells though. I love tennis but often do not pay attention to the smaller tournaments.

[joeybee12]

2. Yeah, but, come on--love and love...I can't imagine anyone beating

Sharapova like that.

I am also glad to see Lindsey do well...I just think maybe Sharapove must have gone on the court with a cast on both her legs! The core is inexplicable!

[MuseRider]

4. Well yes

we agree on Lindsey. Must have been one of those days for Sharapova, everyone has them now and then. I like her, she is fun to watch and I would really have expected her to beat Lindsey.

[joeybee12]

6. I thin it might have been more than just one of those days...

...but I can't find anything on it.

Anyway, what do you think of Kim Clisjters--she looked pretty good today.

[MuseRider]

7. Did not see her play.

I like her alot and I am glad she is back even though she is having to start from such a low ranking. I think she will be back up pretty soon. I miss Hennin Hardene (I have no clue how to spell it and am too lazy to look it up right now). When she plays it is just a thing of beauty to watch. I am so glad the women have upped their game to match the power of the Williams sisters. It makes it so much more fun to watch, it got boring for a while. Do you know what is up with Jennifer Capriatti? I know she had surgery. I do not like her but hate to see her have to lay out.

I just looked at the web site for this tournament. Did you know that Lindsey beat Sharapova in 49 minutes? Damn.

[joeybee12]

8. I actually think you spelled Justine's name correctly!

I'm glad there's a lot of parity in the game these days.

Do you know why they didn't give Kim a ranking at all when she started her comeback? They pretty much put Serena back to #1 when she came back.

I like Jennifer, but she makes me crazy--before last year's WS, I was saying she was the Boston Red Sox of tennis.

No, haven't heard anything about her comeback--it was shoulder surgery at the beginning of the year--that's probably a long recovery.

[MuseRider]

9. There is a rule

I don't know if it is new or not that if you are out your ranking continues to go down and down but if you are out for 6 months or longer you get to start with no ranking (or something like that). I guess I was confused, Kim must have been out over 6 months and they were discussing how Justine may not be so her ranking will be low. I heard part of it and that is what I took from what I heard.

What's up with the men these days? I think I saw that it was going to be Agassi/Hewitt and Rodick/Moya(?)and I can't remember the rest. I was very surprised to see Safin win Australia. I did not think he had another one in him with that temper.

[joeybee12]

12. It's now Roddick/Hewitt in one semi, and Federer and someone else

in the second. Agassi injured his toe and pulled out of his match with Hewitt.

I, too, was surprised that Safin won the Australian Open--I thought that it might have signaled him turning a corner in his career, and settling down. Guess not--he's lost early in tournaments since then.

[MuseRider]

13. Federer/Canas

I have come to really like Federer. Canas I have seen but don't remember much, looks like I should have paid more attention.

Poor Andre. I really have always liked him for some reason, even when he was a brat and usually I have no patience with brats. I have had a lot of fun watching him all these years.

Do you know if Todd Martin retired?

Safin, who knows :shrug:? That temper of his and his desire to party outweighing his desire for smashes don't mix well.

I hope to see some of the quarters today, if not I will check back here if you think there will be a thread on it. I never venture into the sports, maybe I should during the opens since I do not care for sports but adore tennis.

[joeybee12]

14. I like Riger, too--I especially like watching him play...there is so

much power in the men's game right now that it's very refreshing to see finese as well.

I believe Todd Martin announced at last year's US Open that he was retiring after it.

I doubt there'll be much interest in tennis in this here sports forum--often when I post stuff about it, there's no replies! Glad there's someone else out there who is interested.

Heading to the gym before it gets too crazy, but I have to ask--do you think Roddick is just a flash in the pan? After winning the US Open, he has gone downhill dramatically. Well, he did do well at th beginning of last year, and I really think you had to see he was definitely #2, but he's slipped, and I don't know if he'll get it back. He's got a temper, also, that seems to get the best of him.

[MuseRider]

15. No I don't

but I could be very wrong, I often am. Partly I am partial to him because he is only a little older than my boys who played tennis and he is just such a cutie with only a little tendency to be egotistic. I think he is just always so excited. Yes, a little temper and a tendency to be dramatic (French Open leg cramps) but still I think he is a lot more stable than Safin seems.

Brad Gilbert is so good with him and I think he really is a lot like Agassi in the way he plays, was before Brad. Agassi was always either good or he stunk it up. I think Andy will be here for a long time. I saw a tiny bit of his match with someone a few days ago and he looked like his finesse game was on, beautifully placed shots.

Dunno, I sure hope he stays good.

[joeybee12]

16. Did you know that Andy fired Brad after last year's US Open?

BIG mistake--Brad helped him to focus and improve on parts of his game--he really started getting better during the year he had Brad.

I think it was a second round match last year at the US Open when Andy lost it. He was killing the guy, but a call went against him, and it was obviously a bad call, but Andy couldn't let go of it. They kept showing him on the sidelines during changeovers making smartass comments to the ump. Constantly! He just couldn't let it go. There was no danger of him losing--it happened in the second set (he went on to win in straight sets). He even made a smartass comment after the match was over. I'm a firm believer that for the most part bad calls and good calls even out--walk away from them and continue with the match. Seen him do it a couple times.

[MuseRider]

17. NO!

I had no idea he fired Brad. HUGE mistake, that guy is genius IMO. I do not play, I took years of lessons and was a terrible player but loved it never the less so I can't speak from tournament experience, only from my observations. Maybe there is less in Andy than I thought. I loved him at first, then got a little cocky, then he seemed to focus in and go back to being a nice guy. Hmmmph, maybe he will be a flash in the pan. I hope not. A few more years might mellow him out and he may come around.

I heard that they are hoping to have cameras go directly to the line judge so real calls can be made, hopefully by the US Open. That might help a little with the tempers and the bad calls that become such HUGE deals.

Have you read Brad's book? I gave it to my sons when they were doing high school tennis and were pretty serious about it so I read it when they were done with it. A very good book for many things, not simply tennis.

It looks like I need to try to pay more attention to what is going on. Life, you know....still I do love watching tennis. Such interesting dynamics between players and the level of skill just blows my mind. Love it.

[joeybee12]

18. No, I ahven't read Brad's book--maybe I'll see if it's at the library...

Don't feel bad--a friend who is a really big fan of Roddick didn't know he fired Brad until I told him. Like you said, big mistake. I think Andy can be a hot-head, which, looking at another way, means he's intense. Brad was good at him keeping that level of intensity, without letting it dissolve into just unfocused and unmangeable anger.

[MuseRider]

19. He has written a couple

this is the one I was talking about "Winning Ugly : Mental Warfare in Tennis--Lessons from a Master".

I think the team of Gilbert and Reyes was phenomenal for Agassi and Roddick reminds me of young Andre. Perhaps he is not quite as close in temperment as I thought so it did not work. Maybe with maturity, who knows. I would hate to see him sink and give up.

I really miss Patrick Rafter and Googa.

I also really like, don't laugh-my boys laugh at me, Dominic Hrbaty. He is probably doing the best he ever will but I love to watch him.

[joeybee12]

22. Well, I love Dominic's name--ddi you see the women's final today? SPOILER

Kim won in 3 sets. Wish I had seen it to see if she really was back in top form or if Lindsey had an off day.

[MuseRider]

23. I saw part of it.

Kim looked great. Lindsey started off very strong then Kim came on, raised her game and took the first set. She really looked good but I was not sitting here watching, just caught bits. I was surprised, I really thought Lindsey would beat her since she had been on such a roll and Kim is just getting back. Good for Kim.

[joeybee12]

24. Just read a little about it--apparently Kim has beaten Lindsey the last

6 times--sounds like her game is really suited towards playing against Lindesy's type of game.

Men's final is set--won't spoil it for you.

Good night--feel like I've got a scratchy throat and am crawling under the covers.

Or, Dobrou noc--I leave for Prague on Wednesday!

[MuseRider]

25. I hope you are feeling better today

especially since you have to leave for Prague on Wednesday! Pleasure or business?

I saw the first set and tie break of Roddick/Hewitt at about 2AM and fell asleep after Hewitt won the tie break for the first set. I see this AM that Hewitt won and it is now Federer/Hewitt. Gonna have to go for Federer here although I like both. It would be nice for Hewitt but Federer is just such a NICE guy.

[joeybee12]

26. Thanks--I had a good night's sleep. My throat is a little sore, but

much better.

It's pleasure, pleasure, pleasure! I can't wait--three weeks. I'll be in Prague the longest, and then make my way to Cologne, Brussels, Bruges and Amsterdamn. I think I'm under the weather because I've been excited about this for so long that I've worn myself out!

Didn't see the match, but if I recall correctly, the last couple times Andy and Leyton played, Leyton won easily, so maybe Andy is starting to improve again. And yes, I'll chere for Roger--such a nice guy, as you say.

[shance]

3. Wish I knew. . Is it showing on anything but the Tennis channel?

???

[MuseRider]

5. One of the ESPN's

I don't have the Tennis channel, wish I did though. I caught it during the day yesterday but I think it is also on at night, it looks like it will be on tonight at 9:30 Central. The quarterfinals.

[Awsi Dooger]

10. By far the best player I've ever seen double bageled

We should have located Maria, and comforted her.

[joeybee12]

11. Define "comforted."

Oh wait, I have an idea. :evilgrin:

[tishaLA]

20. I watched the majority of it

Davenport was just ON! Simply amazing--one of her best displays. I really hope she doesn't retire after this year. She was hitting the lines and just slamming the ball. You know how hard Sharapova hits the ball? And how hard Davenport usually hits it? Well, imagine Davenport hit it even harder than usual and placed it exactly. And then imagine Sharapova not having a great serve...

The result is 6-0 6-0

[joeybee12]

21. **SPOLIER** Did you see today's womens final?

I didn't--Km Clijsters won--wondering how Lindsey looked, if she wasn't as good, or if Kim really is back in full form. Went 3 sets!