Roddick, Sharapova Exit Unceremoniously at Australian Open

“Andy Murray has won all four matches with Jurgen Melzer”

make it 5 muzza. make it five!

lots of guys have some streak going on.

Wawa 9 straight matches
federer 14 straight matches
Djoko 7 straight qtr final in a GS
federer 27 straight qtr final in a GS
nadal 24 straight matches in a GS
Li Na 9 straight matches.

Well, it is now crunch time. Qtr final of a grand slam, you get the best players.

berdych vs djoko
federer vs wawa

lets see what qtr final line up we will get tonight. CRUNCH TIME! CRUNCH TIME.

January 23rd, 2011 at 11:43 am

I feel sad for Roddick. He really has not found his best form since he got sick last summer; yes he did reach the finals of Brisbane but then Soda outplayed him there. I did not not see the match versus WaWa, but Roddick clearly wasn’t near his best, his serving esp., according tomhis presser. And he has been playing a little too passively. Hope he comes around for USO hardcourts.

Also, Go Murray and Go Milos!

January 23rd, 2011 at 12:15 pm

Yes Jane – I do not know if you know this, but you mentioning Raonic on this thread matches the number of times (1 – yeah… one!) he was mentioned in yesterday’s thread, and there were over 320 comments. As I posted there, the invisible Canadian is going to become a LOT more visible this year.

IF (And given how Ferrer returns, it is somewhat of an if) he can get past the Spaniard and should he meet Rafa next it should be very interesting. They have met once (last year in Canada) and Rafa won 6-4, 6-4, but had trouble with him. Milos said he learned a lot from that match and he would be better prepared should they meet again.

I’m predicting mens’ tennis in Canada is about to get a HUGE boost, and Danny Nestor can share the national load he has carried for over a decade.

:)

January 23rd, 2011 at 12:34 pm

More days more clear that Nadal still sick but he force his body, better retire soon.

January 23rd, 2011 at 12:39 pm

Farley – Rafa is holding 3 of the 4 majors and is 4 wins away from doing something only one man did nearly 40 years ago. He is #1 in the world by a huge margin. I think he need not retire just yet!!! But maybe you are just being a funny guy and I am humorless.

January 23rd, 2011 at 12:43 pm

At a crucial moment in the Schiavone/Kuznetsova match, the commentators interviewed Roger Federer. I got to watch two small screens with distracting blue and yellow streamers around them. Plus, I had to listen to four people chat, often totally ignoring the drama unfolding below. (To his credit, Federer tried to be silent once or twice uring actual play.) Later, Brad Gilbert complained about the fans not “getting into it” enough. News Flash Brad: Maybe they were completely focused on the tennis match. Try shutting your mouth during play and you, too, along with the rest of your buddies, can focus on it. I am so sick of all of the constant chatter, yet I don’t like using the mute button for obvious reasons. Someone, somewhere, please invent a remote that mutes the microphone, not the rest of the sound. Surely it is possible! I would pay extra per month for the ability.

January 23rd, 2011 at 1:25 pm

Carolyn that would be a brilliant invention! Do hope someone is listening!

January 23rd, 2011 at 1:48 pm

Carolyn, i can often find free online streaming with little-to-no commentary. I cherish this. :)

January 23rd, 2011 at 2:00 pm

Me too on the streamin…., others enjoy BG, I don’t. BG comes across as too much of a Nostradamus. However, each sings there own song on who they like commentating, so respect. Pmac, Cahill, Jmac, Courier, Cliffy are more in tune with Man players, just my shot of tequila.

January 23rd, 2011 at 2:08 pm

Depends who the commentator is. Unbearable, certainly, if it’s someone like Andrew Castle – who, horrifically, has broken out of his BBC stronghold and invaded the Eurosport studios, although I haven’t seen him recently, perhaps there has been a spontaneous uprising and he’s been lynched.

Margot, you’re familiar with this twerp. One day, just before beginning of AO, Rusedski,the creature Castle, and Annabelle Croft were discussing Andy Murray and what he needs to do to grab that elusive slam. The Castle impersonation (I decline to believe he’s actually real) was blithering on about moving up extra steps on the way to achieving a slam. “I mean,” he said humbly,”I never managed to win a slam”. He made it sound like a confession of failure, even disgrace. Rusedski stared at the impersonation as if he couldn’t quite believe that it existed even in the precarious form it apparently did. Unfortunately, he didn’t say anything.

But some commentators are good and contribute hugely to our enjoyment – we’re lucky at Eurosport to have Frew Macmillan, for instance, who’s a gem, incredibly knowledgeable, wry, witty, and above all interested to convey what is actually happening on the court.

January 23rd, 2011 at 2:34 pm

it s also interesting how much into federer wilander is and on the other side gilbert and cahill into nadal!!! i mean they don´t even try to disguise their preferences even though they are the experts of eurosport and espn!!!
but i think wilander is fairer! he clearly likes nadal too and wants a fedal final …gilbert wants fed to lose the next round ;-)

January 23rd, 2011 at 3:00 pm

Carolyn: fully agree! I’d actually PAY for a tennis channel without commentating – or just sparse commentating when something really special happens, not 24/7 chattering about facts any real tennis fan 1) already knows, or 2) can see with his/her own eyes, like most of them do.

January 23rd, 2011 at 3:15 pm

Dick Enberg is terrible. Everyone else on ESPN I can tolerate (even BG — who is my next least favorite).

They really need to just lose Enberg. Last night, he was talking about how rare it was for Federer to miss a volley. After that second set, how could be make that comment?

He’s over the hill. Cut him!

January 23rd, 2011 at 3:28 pm

brad gilbert has always been a huge nadal fan & it is so obvious. watching matches so far djokovic looks gr8 as does berdych. federer(my fvt), imo, looks shakey. simon was a tuff match & we all knew it would be, but malisse & especially robredo, federer looked shakey & warinka looks really good. on paper federer looks gr8 against warinka, but the way both r playing warinka looks the stronger of the 2. i hope, federer can elevate his level of play. i really think it is important for federer to make it to the finals because if he continues to lose in qtrs he will not win another major, imho. also cilic @ 6’6″, w/his grd strokes should @ least challenge nadal, but i think mentally he will shrivel up as do the rest of them. my pick for the finals based on what ive seen, djokovic vs nadal & nadal wins in 4. (thats my realistic pick, but if i had my dream final it would be federer vs nadal & fed wins it in as many sets as it would take). unfortunately its the real world that counts not the dream world

January 23rd, 2011 at 3:42 pm

i def. think that the better the opponent the better federer will play even though its a close match…he will be there and i can truly imagine a 5 setter with wawrinka fed not necessarily playing badly but superb…it ll depend a lot on wawrinka if he can bring it to fed and keep the current form he showed vs monfils and roddick

January 23rd, 2011 at 3:57 pm

and if he brings the form be sure federe will not play badly either…remember the simon match…they both played outstanding tennis that night

January 23rd, 2011 at 4:00 pm

jane and other Nole fans, (in case you haven’t seen this yet):

“But the weather forecast for the coming days is for cool and overcast conditions as the quarterfinals matches are played. After that, the big showcase matches will be at night, out of the heat and in front of the sort of evening crowd that Djokovic loves. It is a little detail like that, getting the rub of the green every now and then, that can make all the difference at a major championship.”

January 23rd, 2011 at 5:10 pm

kimmi: it will indeed be the “wee small hours” here but it’s good to know u will be watching and cheering for Andy for me and I hope jane will be too
No not too many worries re Meltzer for Andy and am sure he can make it 5 in a row :) :) :) :) :)
Ones after are more worrying, but hey -one match at a time!
Come on Andy, weave that magic! And get out of that sun nice and quick!

January 23rd, 2011 at 5:14 pm

I guess I can understand how some of the fans on this site can feel towards roger and rafa, I want the jets to lose so badly!

January 23rd, 2011 at 6:10 pm

Kimberly,

Those are fighting words, me likes the Jets :-).

January 23rd, 2011 at 6:27 pm

stu, i did see that, thanks. Wasn’t sure how much i liked that article’s emphasis on “luck” but i suppose whatever works is fine. :)

January 23rd, 2011 at 6:40 pm

Grendel, I’m so glad you mentioned Frew McMillan, who is my favorite commentator. The dry humour goes with the flat S African delivery, and even with his appearance, which I remember well – that old fashioned cap – from the days when he and Hewitt were an unbeatable doubles pairing.
Having had some kip this evening I think I can make it through the Murray match. Fred Perry was reigning US Open champ when I was born, so I have to pace myself nowadays. I can still stay awake at night OK, but it’s recovering that’s the problem!

January 23rd, 2011 at 6:51 pm

Frew McMillan is so biased toward Federer & so disrespectful to Nadal he’s a joke.

January 23rd, 2011 at 7:11 pm

Leo,

“Frew McMillan” was a doubles specialist, one of the best in his era, so naturally he is going to like a guy with variety in his arsenal.

January 23rd, 2011 at 7:44 pm

They are all rather biased, although I can’t think of any that I have listened to who are biased for Nole. LOL. Wilander seems to like and respect him. Cliff Drysdale is, I swear, in love with Roger, waxing poetically about his back muscles one time even. Ha! J-Mac seems to appreciate both Nadal and Fed.

January 23rd, 2011 at 7:59 pm

Go Raonic. His meeting with Ferrer should be great.

Melzer may give Murray more trouble than he was expecting.

Gilbert is a huge blowhard but I find him amusing.

Cilic is a wonderful player and this is a big chance for him to show what he can do.

January 23rd, 2011 at 8:36 pm

i

January 23rd, 2011 at 10:31 pm

i agree. enberg should be returned to the musuem. 20 years ago or so the NFL broadcasted a gamw w/o announcers. the ratings were a little higher than usual but the public preferred having a play by play and color commentary. i would take any announcer over phil simms. had to endure 3 hours of him during the NFL/AFC championship game. unfortunately the steelers won. go packers.

January 23rd, 2011 at 10:42 pm

Just to clarify: Most of the commentators have some good insights and their good and bad days. I just object to the constant chatter, reminiscing, interviewing, socializing that goes on at the expense of the tennis being played. Many tennis fans dislike it to the point of hitting the mute button; casual viewers don’t get most of the references. Quiet during the point! Is that so hard?

January 24th, 2011 at 1:11 pm