Tennis

[MU82]

Were fans excluded from the tournament if they weren't vaxed?

Spectators for the 2022 Australian Open were required to be double-vaccinated, just like the players and tournament officials.

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/sports-news-australian-open-2022-novak-djokovic-gets-call-from-serbia-thanks-fans-for-support/408743

Australia took Covid very seriously. It didn't even lift its ban on unvaccinated people traveling into the country until July 2022.

[lawdog77]

Spectators for the 2022 Australian Open were required to be double-vaccinated, just like the players and tournament officials.

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/sports-news-australian-open-2022-novak-djokovic-gets-call-from-serbia-thanks-fans-for-support/408743

Australia took Covid very seriously. It didn't even lift its ban on unvaccinated people traveling into the country until July 2022.

Thanks for the Australian info, I was too lazy to look. What about the US Open, though? Wasn't it a government ban on unvaxed foreigners?

[MU82]

Thanks for the Australian info, I was too lazy to look. What about the US Open, though? Wasn't it a government ban on unvaxed foreigners?

I can't remember ... and I'M too lazy to look!

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Thanks for the Australian info, I was too lazy to look. What about the US Open, though? Wasn't it a government ban on unvaxed foreigners?

Yes. The CDC required full vaccination to enter the country.

[shoothoops]

957,387 US Open Attendance for 2023.

+8 %

2nd highest Women's Final rating since the broadcast left Network television in 2014.

[shoothoops]

New year. New dates for the WTA San Diego 500 next year.

Feb 23-March 3rd, 2024.

This is one week before the Indian Wells and Miami Open Sunshine Double. Therefore, it should help deliver a strong draw.

This year's San Diego Open has 3 Americans in the Final Four.

Danielle Collins already has wins over the World number 10 and 16 players. (just 5 errors v World number 10) And, she is helping to prolong the retirement of CoCo Vandeweghe, as they advanced to the Doubles Final.

[MuggsyB]

Nadal conceded in an interview that Djoker is the GOAT.  He essentially said numbers are numbers.  However, when you look at their head to head numbers Rafa is 11-7 vs Novak in Majors and 5-4 in Major Finals.  I will admit to being a Rafa guy but if nothing else it's really, really, close. 

The level of dominance on the dirt by Nadal imo is among the greatest accomplishments in the history of sports.  I will accept Rafa statement for now but I don't think the man is done.  Do not be surprised if he makes one more run at the  last three Majors of '24.

As a side note I also think that Federer is the most talented of the B3.  I recall certain matches where Fed's A game was at a ceiling no one else could reach.  He also blew at least 2 or 3 Major titles vs both of them respectively.  That said he was never as consistent or as mentally strong as Rafa or Novak.  His backhand in particular could break down.  Between Nadal and the Djoker I don't see how anyone could be stronger mentally, in any sport, but I think what may give Novak the infinitesimal edge is his flexibility on the return of serve. 

[JWags85]

Nadal conceded in an interview that Djoker is the GOAT.  He essentially said numbers are numbers.  However, when you look at their head to head numbers Rafa is 11-7 vs Novak in Majors and 5-4 in Major Finals.  I will admit to being a Rafa guy but if nothing else it's really, really, close. 

Thats heavily slanted to the Clay however.  Novak leads 5-3 in Majors on all other surfaces.  Further, Nadal hasn't beaten Novak off of the clay in LITERALLY a decade.  Nadal is the best clay courter of all time by a mile and its Novak's weakest surface.  Novak has won more Aussies than Nadal has won the other 3 majors combined.  Hell, he's one off of that at Wimbledon too. 

Ive always found Rafa to be a classy guy but his recent comments on Novak in recent years have seemed pretty petty and bitter.

[shoothoops]

Emiliana Arango, first Columbian to reach a WTA 1000 quarterfinal. (Mexico) Dubs over Potapova, Stephens, Townsend.

[MuggsyB]

Thats heavily slanted to the Clay however.  Novak leads 5-3 in Majors on all other surfaces.  Further, Nadal hasn't beaten Novak off of the clay in LITERALLY a decade.  Nadal is the best clay courter of all time by a mile and its Novak's weakest surface.  Novak has won more Aussies than Nadal has won the other 3 majors combined.  Hell, he's one off of that at Wimbledon too. 

Ive always found Rafa to be a classy guy but his recent comments on Novak in recent years have seemed pretty petty and bitter.

What comments are you referring to?

[shoothoops]

Emiliana Arango, first Columbian to reach a WTA 1000 quarterfinal. (Mexico) Dubs over Potapova, Stephens, Townsend.

50th WTA 1000 Round of 16 for Vika Azarenka since the format began in 2009. Only Kvitova, Radwanska, Wozniacki, have more.

[shoothoops]

Former Hinsdale Central Red Devil, Caroline Dolehide, in her 8th year on tour, has advanced to her first ever WTA Final, and it's a 1000 in Guadalajara, Mexico. (she moved to Florida is a teen)

The 25 year old is 111th ranked, 19th ranked American, she has defeated 3 Americans along the way. She will play the winner of Maria Sakkari and Caroline Garcia in the final.

The doubles specialist will be ranked in the top 50 in singles, at minimum, next week.

[shoothoops]

19 year old Springfield, MO native Ashlyn Krueger won the title in Osaka. Improves ranking to 76, breaking the top 100 for the first time.

Well deserved, Maria Sakkari wins her first WTA 1000 title in Guadalajara.

17 of the World Top 100 Women's Singles players are American.

Asian Swing is back, including in China, after a 4 year absence. 7 events. Concerns over the well being of Peng Shuai sparked the boycott.

WTA Singles and Doubles Finals, Cancun:

Top 8 Singles and Doubles teams to play the annual round robin:

Already qualified in singles:

Sabalenka
Swiatek
Gauff
Rybakina

Gauff/Pegula have already qualified in doubles.

[shoothoops]

Ningbo, China WTA 250 Champion:

Ons Jabeur.

..............

Tokyo, Japan WTA 500 Champion:

Veronika Kudermetova. (well earned)

..............

Beijing, China 1000 ongoing this week.

After winning her tour leading 14th match in a row, Coco Gauff becomes the first teenager to win 45 matches at 1000 level events since the format was introduced 14 years ago. She surpassed Belinda Bencic for 2nd most 1000 wins in a season by a teen, and she is tied with Bibi Andreescu for the most.

[shoothoops]

A deal has been reached to keep the WTA/ATP Cincinnati tourney in Cincinnati for the next 25 years.

125 year old event, same location since 1979.

$260 million in renovations split between owner ($130 million) local, state, (around $50 million) other, funding.

Charlotte had proposed and approved some public money ($65 million) for a $400 million complex in its River District.

The event, a Masters 1,000 event, (which is big words for 1 of 9 biggest just below a slam) will move to a 2 week schedule beginning in 2025.

The event is owned by the investment firm of Ben Navarro. Navarro also owns several tennis facilities in South Carolina, including the WTA Charleston professional tour stop.

His daughter Emma won the NCAA Singles title at Virginia and is an emerging top 50 WTA player.

Long live the Mason, Ohio Applebee's. (RIP, iykyk)

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

A deal has been reached to keep the WTA/ATP Cincinnati tourney in Cincinnati for the next 25 years.

125 year old event, same location since 1979.

$260 million in renovations split between owner ($130 million) local, state, (around $50 million) other, funding.

Charlotte had proposed and approved some public money ($65 million) for a $400 million complex in its River District.

The event, a Masters 1,000 event, (which is big words for 1 of 9 biggest just below a slam) will move to a 2 week schedule beginning in 2025.

The event is owned by the investment firm of Ben Navarro. Navarro also owns several tennis facilities in South Carolina, including the WTA Charleston professional tour stop.

His daughter Emma won the NCAA Singles title at Virginia and is an emerging top 50 WTA player.

Long live the Mason, Ohio Applebee's. (RIP, iykyk)

This tournament was always going on when we were driving out to Cincinnati to move the daughter into Xavier for the school year.  It was one of the benchmarks after 10.5 hours of driving to see a parking lot full of cars and a full stadium of people watching a late afternoon match.

[shoothoops]

This tournament was always going on when we were driving out to Cincinnati to move the daughter into Xavier for the school year.  It was one of the benchmarks after 10.5 hours of driving to see a parking lot full of cars and a full stadium of people watching a late afternoon match.

Yep, that and seeing the rides at Kings Island next door I'm sure.

It's like a fork in the road a little bit towards Dayton or Columbus.

The long time legendary hangout was Applebee's, for anyone and everyone. Very unique on tour.

It's a good location for weekend road trips for Midwesterners. I also know some tennis people that will travel there from the coasts more often than New York because it's easier, less crowded, less stressful. Many players have liked the quiet family friendly atmosphere compared to some of the other tour stops. And it's a good tennis weather time of year, warm and humid.

Xavier has their outdoor courts on campus and they play indoor at Eastern Hills which is about 5 miles SE.

There's also still the Winston Salem event and Charleston in the Carolinas.

[MU82]

Nice. It would have been fine to have it here, but I like when cities can keep the sporting events that have become a fabric of their communities. So good on Cinci.

[shoothoops]

Asian Swing:

WTA South Korea 250 Singles champion: Jessie Pegula.

(world number 4, has 2nd most 2023 match wins. Gauff, dnp, is 4th.
.................
WTA 250 Hong Kong Singles Champion: Leylah Fernandez. (Back in the top 50)
.................
WTA 500 Zhengzhou Singles Champion: Quinwen Zheng.

Big for Q as she wins her biggest event this far on home soil. And it came at a challenging time, shortly after her coach (Wim Fissette) abruptly left her to rejoin Naomi Osaka for next season.  She has moved into the world top 20.
..............
ATP Shanghai Masters 1000 Singles Champion:

Hubert Hurkacz over Rublev. Strong tourney for Sebi Korda.

...............

[shoothoops]

Former USC All American Dick Leach passed away at home in Laguna Beach. He also coached the Trojans to 4 NCAA Team Titles, while coaching 68 All Americans over 23 seasons. He was an owner/partner at 4 clubs in SoCal. Irvine, Westlake, Big Bear, Ojai.

Today his grandson Jagger committed to TCU. Number 8 player in 2025 class from Sarasota Florida, originally from Laguna Beach/Irvine.

Jagger is the nephew Rick Leach. Rick was a 4 time All American in singles and doubles at USC, winning two national titles. And he is a 5 time Grand Slam Doubles winner and a Davis Cup winner. He is the son of Jon Leach, a former USC All American and professional doubles player. He is also the son of Hall of Famer, former World Number 1, Lindsay Davenport.

[shoothoops]

After winning the Japan Open in Tokyo, American Ben Shelton, will move to a career best World Ranking of 14. Four Americans are now ranked in the World Top 15.

[lawdog77]

Former USC All American Dick Leach passed away at home in Laguna Beach.

Was he in the movie Stand by Me?

[JWags85]

Was he in the movie Stand by Me?

Was actually thinking he was named after a popular medieval STD treatment, but that was a much better reference 

[shoothoops]

Tough one for Karolina Muchova, who will miss the WTA Tour Finals with a wrist injury. She had a great season. Maria Sakkari will fill her spot as she was the 9th ranked player in the 2023 season.

Sabalenka
Swiatek
Gauff
Rybakina
Pegula
Jabeur
Vondrousova
Sakkari

[shoothoops]

Former ATP World number 33, American Jenson Brooksby, has been suspended by the ITIA for 18 months for 3 whereabouts failures within a 12 month period.

This is the International Tennis Integrity Agency.

What is a whereabouts? This is a specified group of players that must produce their exact whereabouts and exact address 365 days of the year to be available for performance enhancing drug testing. All players are subject to in and out of competition testing 365 days a year. And testers are known to show up at all hours unannounced. But only a select pool of players have the extra step of this detail.

He essentially avoided the test 3 times in a year.