tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948801468516043822.post7257428270581250550..comments2023-07-25T10:37:32.127+01:00Comments on Tennis Is Served...: Why I've fallen out of love with the French Open (Pt 1)...Zafarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11909444215193865334noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948801468516043822.post-16215028464151955872008-12-23T01:47:00.000+00:002008-12-23T01:47:00.000+00:00Hey freakyfrites...Thanks for your comments and go...Hey freakyfrites...<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your comments and good wishes! <BR/>Hope you are enjoying the holidays.<BR/><BR/>Yes I quite forgot (how could I?) - the booing - the somewhat distasteful side of French Tennis.<BR/><BR/>They are as you say, merciless when it comes to making their sentiments known.<BR/><BR/>I remember that Sharapova didn't help her cause when she adopted that that aloof 'hit me with your best' air of defiance - but there still was no justification for the way they dealt with her.<BR/><BR/>And in Nadal's case, well, I really find it quite ridiculous - he's perhaps the most sporting player out there.Zafarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909444215193865334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948801468516043822.post-8068792131706604842008-12-22T02:06:00.000+00:002008-12-22T02:06:00.000+00:00Oh, and happy holidays! I'm looking forward to rea...Oh, and happy holidays! I'm looking forward to reading your blog in 2009.freakyfriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11849509797502704715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948801468516043822.post-18879953152630976202008-12-22T02:05:00.000+00:002008-12-22T02:05:00.000+00:00Hey there, Top Spin!My top (and only) reason for n...Hey there, Top Spin!<BR/><BR/>My top (and only) reason for not liking the French Open: the CROWD!<BR/><BR/>I despise how tough the crowd can be on players - they're merciless and unsportsmanlike. Remember that Grosjean match a couple of years ago (was it against Rafa?) A minor dispute with the umpire and the Frenchman caused the overwrought crowd to disrupt play for about five minutes. And after that they cheered all of Rafa's double faults. And then there was the crowd's treatment of Maria Sharapova when she lost to Dinara Safina last year. The girl was booed off the court! For what? Playing a damn good match? Wanting to win too much? That really soured me - it's understandable when the crowd gets a bit over enthusiastic about a home-town hero, it's baffling when they berate a top player after she's put forth every last bit of effort in a match. <BR/><BR/>Sorry to ramble on, it just makes me so mad. Don't even get me started on the whole Serena Williams/Justine Henin "talk to the hand" incident. The crowd acted the villain as much as the Belgian did in that one. <BR/><BR/>Oh, and then when they aren't booing people for playing tennis, the crowd goes AWOL. Those luxury boxes are more empty, for longer periods of time, than any other Major tournament's. <BR/><BR/>Perhaps I'm being unfair to the tournament's history and to the players who try so hard to win it. I just think the crowd needs an etiquette lesson (and this isn't French-bashing, either! I lived in Paris for a year and found everyone to be just as nice as any other big-city denziens.)<BR/><BR/>Okay, now I really will stop blabbering.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for this post!freakyfriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11849509797502704715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948801468516043822.post-27485926433733153152008-12-20T14:02:00.000+00:002008-12-20T14:02:00.000+00:00Well seeing as I'm going put forward some of my re...Well seeing as I'm going put forward some of my reasons in my next post, I won't say too much now.<BR/><BR/>I will set the record straight about one thing though: it's got nothing to do with Nadal or his style of play: his emergence is very welcome.<BR/><BR/>I also agree with you that its a very different atmosphere to the other Slams. All of which makes it slightly more disappointing...Zafarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909444215193865334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948801468516043822.post-58986139425291108062008-12-20T12:10:00.000+00:002008-12-20T12:10:00.000+00:00WHAT?!?! Nah mate, I'll have to disagree with you ...WHAT?!?! Nah mate, I'll have to disagree with you on this one, old chap!! On the contrary, watching RG for the past 2 years has brought about my newfound respect for the Red Dirt of Paris. The atmosphere is very different to the other Slams (I would say that the US and Aussie appear to have similar atmospheres) as well as the tennis.<BR/><BR/>OK, there haven't really been the epics compared to the other 3 Slams (one could mention many more from them - further proving your point) but Federer-Monfils was pretty exciting and thrilling. As was Matthieu-Nadal '07. And yes Rafa has been destroying literally everyone who steps in front of him for the past 2-3 years. Has Nadal got to the same level that Federer was at during 2005, where he could win Wimby without playing his best tennis? People tipped Almagro to be the next clay sensation and also one to test Nadal, he got whupped 6-1 6-1 6-1!!<BR/><BR/>I am <B>SOOOOOO</B> looking forward to another year of exciting tennis! This season (on paper at least!) should be very interesting...watch my post in the next couple of weeks, on the eve of the Aussie Open, with my thoughts.2Handerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05694468226012362282noreply@blogger.com