The Official Australian Open Thread! (2 Viewers)

[Beckiki_S]

You know what's really funny?

Lleyton Hewitt and Nadal wearing the same outfit!

If they don't say something about it in the after match interview i'll cry... i'm sick of hearing about bec cartwright after every single match.

 

[rhapsodic]

i'm sick of bec cartwright, period


it looks like hewitt's going to advance into the the quarter final....

 

[Cyan_phoeniX]

Hewitt won. yay. That Raphael guy was good though. nice match to watch.

I have a question. it is probably common, but it is buggin me. Why does the score not constantly go up by 15? why does it go 15, 30 then 40? Is there something behind that?

 

[Crazy Horse]

Hewitt won. yay. That Raphael guy was good though. nice match to watch.

I have a question. it is probably common, but it is buggin me. Why does the score not constantly go up by 15? why does it go 15, 30 then 40? Is there something behind that?

It was a good match to watch as for you question...

There's a reason for everything--not necessarily a good reason, but a reason just the same. Tennis scoring has its origin in medieval numerology. The number 60 was considered to be a "good" or "complete" number back then, in about the same way you'd consider 100 to be a nice round figure today. The medieval version of tennis, therefore, was based on 60--the four points being 15, 30, 45 (which we abbreviate to 40) and 60, or game.

Furthermore, many claim the 15-30-45-game progression was changed to 15-30-40-game long ago, because the 45 was thought too cumbersome to announce in French.

There's a common misconception that the equally puzzling "love," or zero, derives from the French l'oeuf, "egg," or, by extension, goose-egg or zero. Actually, it comes from the idea of playing for love, rather than money--the implication being that one who scores zero consistently can only be motivated by a true love for the game. Tennis originated in the 12th or 13th century in France, where it was called jeu de paume ("palm game"). It seems to have derived its present appellation from the French habit of called "tenez!" before serving.

Hope this explains it a little...

 

[Orange Juice]

so... anyways...
safin gets fined 1000 bucks i think for blowing up yesterday... i thought he kinda deserved it... plus 1000 isnt much since they earn double everytime they win...
and i hope safin wins cuz i put money on him!

 

[LMF^^]

Ah Nadal, close but lack experience and composure, I love hiz forehand.
Gotta give it to Hewittz fightin spirit, I guess he really deservez the title of the little Aussie battler.

 

[angelduck]

so wished Nadal had of won though, i completely missed Safin throwing his racket, what was it all about? Why did he get fined?

 

[rhapsodic]

the racket was bent and twisted by the time safin was finished with it...

 

[blackfriday]

nadal will be no. 1 when federer retires (in a long time of course). damn he was a good player.

 

[LMF^^]

nadal will be no. 1 when federer retires (in a long time of course). damn he was a good player.

You mean IS a good player.

 

[blackfriday]

oops meant to say: he was playing well in that match vs. hewitt.

 

[mizz_smee]

i rekon that in a few years, once he has more experience, nadal will be better then federer. His tennis is awsome... especially considering it is not his best surface, i can't wait to see what he does in the French open on clay i hope he makes it this year without injury.

As for hewitt... i don't want him to win. i was so pissed of when Nadal lost it in the 4th set. And i didn't see the 5th coz i was out but someone told me that Nadal got treatmeant for cramps? dunno if it is true or not.

Safin blow up was great... been waiting all tournament for it. I thought it was enough on the court and then he bashed it against the drink thing and made it even better... but i don't think $1000 really made a difference considering he has already won $150,000 for making the quaterfinals...

 

[max]

i rekon that in a few years, once he has more experience, nadal will be better then federer. His tennis is awsome... especially considering it is not his best surface, i can't wait to see what he does in the French open on clay i hope he makes it this year without injury.

As for hewitt... i don't want him to win. i was so pissed of when Nadal lost it in the 4th set. And i didn't see the 5th coz i was out but someone told me that Nadal got treatmeant for cramps? dunno if it is true or not.

Safin blow up was great... been waiting all tournament for it. I thought it was enough on the court and then he bashed it against the drink thing and made it even better... but i don't think $1000 really made a difference considering he has already won $150,000 for making the quaterfinals...

Yeh, lol.
I've been posting before about Safin's somewhat fragile mental game, but i think that fines should either be on a sliding scale (based on tournament winnings) or non-existent. Instead perhaps match bans or torture by lashings.
:gridnod:

 

[mizz_smee]

Yeh, lol.
I've been posting before about Safin's somewhat fragile mental game, but i think that fines should either be on a sliding scale (based on tournament winnings) or non-existent. Instead perhaps match bans or torture by lashings.
:gridnod:

match ban i think is a bit drastic
but seriously like he cares about $1000
it just means instead of getting $150,000 he gets $149,000
at the least if he loses today...
like u'd care i rekon it should go on your winning in that tournament
like 5% or something like that

 

[max]

...which still isn't much.
Fines won't do much to the player unless it's in excess of 50% (depending on the offence)

 

[Sweets]

Elena
Nastysa
Rafy

 

[ramanij]

Nadal will be better than Federer if he develops the rest of his game like the backhand and serve the problem with him now is he is too one dimensional

 

[Atotoi]

WOW!

i watched the Sharapova-Kuznetsova game today, i love watching Sharapova play - she's so hot!
Hehe her squeal is absolutely hilarious too, i was surprised to hear her talk at the end however, like i knew she lives in California, but her American English was impeccable!

What else cracked me up were the commentary, the old men were trying to pass off these subtle comments like "great physique" and "good posture".....yehhhhh sure McAvaney!

The "ultra-slow motion" clips were yet another subtle perving device, like the huge frontal view close-up of her thighs, to which the commentators were in awe of her muscles.. pfft

Anyways, Sharapova won, so thats all that matters...her opponent seemed quite slow, and relied more on skill than speed... however she did look as if he came from a coal mine in the Ural mountains compared to Sharapova's looks!

 

[blackfriday]

you might need to sit a little further away from the tv

 

[jm1234567890]

Hewitt and Molik all the way!!!