Posted on 06/27/2005 12:55:08 PM PDT by beyond the sea
Sharapova saunters into quarters, joy for Lopez
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050627/sp_nm/sport_tennis_wimbledon_dc_1
LONDON (Reuters) - Russian defending champion Maria Sharapova enjoyed a sun-soaked stroll into the Wimbledon quarter-finals Monday.
French pair Amelie Mauresmo and the revitalised Mary Pierce also coasted through to the last eight on a frantic day of action with all 16 fourth-round singles matches being played.
Second seed Sharapova prevented Nathalie Dechy joining her French compatriots with a 6-4 6-2 victory on Court One, her fourth consecutive straight sets win.S
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I liked her also. One of my first memories of Wimbledon was when she beat Chris Evert to win it for the second time.
Yes, that's right, I had forgotten.
I actually got to play a little with her here in Pittsburgh in the summer of '74 (I think). We had that silly 'team tennis' team called the 'Pittsburgh Triangles'. The coach was a really nice guy, Ken Rosewall.
Evonne was a very sweet girl. And I must admit that I had a crush on her, she being just four years younger than me..... as she showed me no mercy on the indoor courts in East Liberty (Pittsburgh). Oh yes, those were the good old days. She was very pretty and gentle in real life.
Maybe next year.
;-)
p.s. I really think she should try to learn to mix up the speed of her first serves. Venus loves the pace and that's all Maria gave her. If she would learn to mix up her game a little ....... a lob or a nice drop shot, or just an off-speed forehand or backhand, I think she'd be unbeatable. But she goes for the gusto all the time. Maybe she'll learn in time.
That was a shock. I didn't think Venus could beat Maria. She's still the best and will win it next year.
Because she always likes to keep up that "all out" tempo, slowing it down every once in a while could throw off her game as much as her opponent. But in my mind, in order to be nearly unbeatable (as she should be), she must work on mixing up her game a little. She is way too predictable now.
Martina Hingis was a genius on the court for her age, mixing her shots beautifully. It's too bad she lost interest. She was an artist. Maria NEEDS to learn a little of that kind of thing. If she did she would hardly ever lose.
I don't want to see Maria be one of those athletes gifted with a great body for tennis, yet not have the "brains" to learn to beat people with wise strategy. That would be a damn shame.
I agree - and Martina Hingis was my favourite player. I would love to see here return because she is still young and could win many more majors.
I'm happy our American Venus won.
There were some unexpected things being displayed by Venus.
Did someone finally teach Venus how to play tennis or did all her injuries force her to learn about topspin? She also has learned it seems that hitting at only 75% pace as a change up is a good thing. Good for her.
Both William sisters have suffered physical problems mostly due from hitting everything at 120% most of the time.
I'm glad we have Venus back healthy enough to get herself some titles again.
You're so right. Venus employed much more variation than I ever saw her do before. I of course was rooting for Maria, but as I said in post 123, she must start to change her pace a little or it's always going to be hard to beat the very best.
For instance, there is no need for her to always hit her first serve so hard. Many players, including Venus, are not crazy about "off-speed" stuff on the first serve. Maria needs Martina Hingis to come a teach her little strategy..... a little "head games" ...........or maybe Chris Everet.
Try to find it if you appreciate intelligent tennis and the history of the game.
I've owned that one, read it, and passed it on.
Was good for it's day, but few were even using the first oversized large aluminum Prince with the green throat yet when that book was written.
Rackets like Aurther Ashe's fiberglass head racket was the rage. Graphite was just starting out with the blue and green Yamaha rackets and a white graphite racket called the World Player (tiny heads).
A 1975 book is ancient history about a time and game that doesn't exist anymore.
I was a baby starting out with Jack Kramer autograph, Dunlop Fort and Bancroft wood rackets.
Everything was different then, and around 74-76 you had the beginning of the tennis boom, which has long ago died here in the USA.
About 15 years ago you had at least ten local tennis clubs open.
Now there are maybe 5 and two of those are closing soon.
Americans like instant gratification and you can't get that with tennis.
Takes you 3 years if you practice 5 days a week 5 hours a day to begin to know what you are doing in tennis.
It is a high skill game and pretty much is dying out in the USA.
This tennis girl is a lot prettier than that last one, I-forget-her-name..
Granted technology has changed the game drastically, but I still see the need for thinking on the court, especially in the women's game.
Personally, I think they ought to raise the net one inch to take the dominance of the serve away from the game. But that will never happen. Watching the men play is a joke with the serve being the most important part of the game.
Yes, it's a bummer that kids don't love tennis like back in the 70's. That is when I was playing the game more than ever.
What happens when )and if) the net is raised? It would necessarily slow down the serves. The angle the server has to get the serve inside the service line would be slightly smaller. Do the geometry. Thus the flat serve would be harder to serve in. I think the serve speed must be decreased, allowing longer rallies. A slightly higher net would do the trick. But it will never happen. It's all power now, and power is not very entertaining. That's why women's tennis is so much more entertaining than t\he mens........... the women don't serve quite so hard........ thus longer more entertaining rallies.
Gotta go now.
The only sex symbol on FR who is skinnier than Ann Coulter :)
That is so funny! I know a couple of guys (tennis players also) who I hope are not reading this post.
You mean Anna K? Hell if everyone is leaving Anna for this new one I will step up to the plate, leave my wife and kids and become her "man".
This new one is nice though, the more pics I see the more beautiful she becomes.
God makes some pretty girls...
There is another illegal thing that some people do, foot stomping.
Let's say you are playing doubles. As your partner is about to hit cross court, your opponent that "isn't" being hit the ball will extend their leg and just stomp to make noise with their foot on the ground hoping to cause a mistake.
I couldn't believe they did that, so I do it back to them now against their team on major points and I get a look of astonishment, but what can they say to me, hey only I can do that?
I swear, I don't know what you are watching! In the mens' game, there are so many points that go no further than an ace or a failed return, that the game is absurd.
Here's a weird and odd thought for you (I know it will never happen)............ get rid of the two serve rule and make the players put the first one in. Think how that would change the game. Imagine that. ;-)
Why in the world did they construct the game in the first place azllowing the players to FAIL every time on the first serve, just as long as they succeed on the second one. How lame!
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