Sam Stosur
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 12:15 am
Not surprisingly, I was very gratified to see Sam Stosur play her cute little Australian ass off and beat the younger Williams sister. I have seen Samantha play before, but I had never seen the aggressive, ballsy style that she displayed today. Also, unlike a lot of today's top players, she seems content to allow her play to speak for itself, not dressing like some kind of street walker to draw attention.
Well done.
And I was also happy to see Serena exposed as the ungracious street punk that she is.
Due to recent minor surgery I was forced to spend much more time watching television last week than I normally would. And since the USOpen was the only interesting thing on for much of that time I watched a short ton of it.
I firmly believe that the players on the Mens' side today are better than anyone ever was in the past. With all due respect to Laver, Newcomb, Gonzales, Connors, etc., they could not have competed against these guys today. Certainly, they were the product of their respective times, but the strength, quickness, consistency, and shot-making that is common today is unprecedented. The "Serve and volley" that was dominant until the 70's would be suicidal today. These guys can hit passing shots as quick as light.
What wins tournaments now (majors) is a combination of superior defensive skills, quickness, an ability to keep the ball in play, an outstanding serve, and a bit of shotmaking. The best players are able to take many of their opponents' best shots and just get them back. The lesser players are mentally worn down by this - a shot that they thought was a sure "winner" comes back at them, time after time. They become impatient and go for too much, and miss easy shots. One can only hope that Isner learns from his experience here. I think he is at least equal to Murray on a skill basis.
Personally, I think I would have preferred that Federer win this (after Roddick), but either Rafa or Djokovich will be a worthy champion. I'm looking forward to watching the final.
Well done.
And I was also happy to see Serena exposed as the ungracious street punk that she is.
Due to recent minor surgery I was forced to spend much more time watching television last week than I normally would. And since the USOpen was the only interesting thing on for much of that time I watched a short ton of it.
I firmly believe that the players on the Mens' side today are better than anyone ever was in the past. With all due respect to Laver, Newcomb, Gonzales, Connors, etc., they could not have competed against these guys today. Certainly, they were the product of their respective times, but the strength, quickness, consistency, and shot-making that is common today is unprecedented. The "Serve and volley" that was dominant until the 70's would be suicidal today. These guys can hit passing shots as quick as light.
What wins tournaments now (majors) is a combination of superior defensive skills, quickness, an ability to keep the ball in play, an outstanding serve, and a bit of shotmaking. The best players are able to take many of their opponents' best shots and just get them back. The lesser players are mentally worn down by this - a shot that they thought was a sure "winner" comes back at them, time after time. They become impatient and go for too much, and miss easy shots. One can only hope that Isner learns from his experience here. I think he is at least equal to Murray on a skill basis.
Personally, I think I would have preferred that Federer win this (after Roddick), but either Rafa or Djokovich will be a worthy champion. I'm looking forward to watching the final.
