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Post by bangkokbobby on Sept 6, 2016 7:08:13 GMT
I have no idea how much Serena or any of the other players weigh...not even going to guess. But I will say, those height and weight measurements are generally done when a player joins the tour. I don't know if the WTA does it themselves or it's reported from the national tennis associations of the various players' countries. The point is, it's often done when they are still teenagers and then never gets changed. As for height, I think she's taller than 5'8". I'll guess maybe 5'9 1/2" or 5'10". She's not as tall as Venus (6'1") or Sharapova (6'2")...but obviously is built much more powerfully. more pics and video on my blog: 2016 US Open Day 8: Ana Konjuh, Karolina Pliskova Advance With Upsets Of Agnieszka Radwanska and Venus WilliamsAna KonjuhAs much as I’ve touted potential future #1s in Garbine Muguruza, Simona Halep and Madison Keys, there are other up and coming players who could join them…or even beat them there. Two of them scored impressive wins on day 8 of the 2016 US Open. Croatia’s Ana Konjuh, an 18-year old who won the US Open junior title when she was 15, showed she is ready for the big time with a 6-4 6-4 win over #4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska. Although 4 and 4 isn’t a blowout, it was clear who the better player was on this night. She served big, hit scorching winners and actually pushed Aga around at times, which is extremely difficult to do given the Polish star’s defensive wizardry. There is a maturity to Konjuh’s game that suggests she might have the consistency that some other young guns still need to find. Karolina PliskovaOne of those young guns that can be erratic at times is Karolina Pliskova. However, a recent title at Cincinnati (where she beat world #2 Angelique Kerber) might just be the turnaround that gets her moving back into the top 10. She is now the highest ranked player from the Czech Republic, overtaking 2-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. Pliskova will meet Ana Konjuh in the quarterfinals after a thrilling come from behind win over future Hall of Famer Venus Williams, 4-6 6-4 7-6 (3). While the women’s top half draw quarter everybody will focus on (justifiably) is the Serena Williams versus Simona Halep showdown, I think the Pliskova versus Konjuh match could have major fireworks. For sure, these two big hitters will unload some explosive serves and sizzling groundstrokes. So yes, by all means watch Williams and Halep…but take a peek at Pliskova and Konjuh, too. 10 KAROLINA PLISKOVA d. 6 Venus Williams, 4-6 6-4 7-6 (3) 1 SERENA WILLIAMS d. Yaroslava Shvedova, 6-2 6-3 5 SIMONA HALEP d. 11 Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-2 7-5 ANA KONJUH d. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4 6-4
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Post by bangkokbobby on Sept 7, 2016 3:46:38 GMT
more pics on my blog: 2016 US Open Day 9: Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber First To Advance To Women’s SemifinalsCaroline WozniackiAngelique Kerber making it to the semifinals of the 2016 US Open…okay, that I could see coming. But Caroline Wozniacki, the former world #1 who has slipped to world #74, being there to meet Kerber in the finals? That is quite the surprise. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been. This is the Major that has seen Sunshine have her best results, reaching the final in 2009 and 2014. Although she lost those finals to Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams respectively (no shame in losing to those two), she clearly comes alive in NYC. Now, to be fair she didn’t get much of a challenge in the quaters from Anastasija Sevastova, blowing out the error prone Latvian, 6-0 6-2. This is one match after taking out an error prone Madison Keys in the fourth round. I’m just getting around to forgiving Caro for beating my favorite player Maddie. But seriously, it’s highly unlikely that Wozniacki will get 30 or more unforced errors from Kerber, who beat last year’s US Open runner-up Roberta Vinci, 7-5 6-0. So just waiting for Angie to beat herself won’t work in the semis. Can Caro find that extra gear to go for her shots against the current world #2? She will have to or Angie will make her third Major singles final of the year (to go along with the Gold Medal match at the Olympics). 2 ANGELIQUE KERBER d. 7 Roberta Vinci, 7-5 6-0 CAROLINE WOZNIACKI d. Anastasija Sevastova, 6-0 6-2
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Post by bangkokbobby on Sept 7, 2016 21:19:04 GMT
Sebastian KordaBy the way, while Jessica Korda's little sister Nelly won on the Symetra Tour last week, this week her "little" brother has won his first two matches at the 2016 US Open in the Junior division. I say little, but every time I see pictures of him he looks like he's still growing. Might end up 6'4" or 6'5" by the time he reaches adulthood. As you all know Jessica's dad (well, Nelly and Sebastian's too) is Petr Korda, a former Australian Open champion in tennis. Their mother was also a professional tennis player.
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Post by bangkokbobby on Sept 8, 2016 3:12:06 GMT
more pics on my blog: Karolina Pliskova, Serena Williams Advance To 2016 US Open SemisKarolina PliskovaOk, Karolina Pliskova. Your turn. After Simona Halep tried…and failed…to take out the world’s best tennis player, Serena Williams, in the 2016 US Open quarterfinals, it is now time for the streaking Pliskova, who came into Flushing Meadow off a big title in Cincinnati, to get her chance to unseat The Queen. Despite blowing through Ana Konjuh 6-2 6-2 in the quarterfinals, the task of taking on Serena will be a very steep climb. Karolina does not move around the court as well as Simona Halep, who to her credit at least pushed Williams to a third set before Serena put her away, 6-2 4-6 6-3. But Pliskova does have a huge serve and big forehand. I don’t know if that will be enough against the world #1. That said, it was enough in Cincinnati against world #2 Angelique Kerber. Karolina is coming into her own as a player, fulfilling the promise many see in her. But I’ll have to see her beat Serena for me to believe she can really do it. 1 SERENA WILLIAMS d. 5 Simona Halep, 6-2 4-6 6-3 10 KAROLINA PLISKOVA d. Ana Konjuh, 6-2 6-2
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Post by mr3putt on Sept 8, 2016 4:08:26 GMT
Instead of watching the Blue Jays gag three in a row to the Yankees...I switched over to watch Serena....pretty arrogant she didn't acknowledge the crowd when she entered the stadium.
That one game in the 2nd set was amazing.
Ya...Sebastian seems like he's growing taller each day....amazing how all three kids are excelling in their respective sports.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2016 6:32:01 GMT
Most dominant ever.
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Post by 18majors on Sept 8, 2016 23:00:28 GMT
Ya...Sebastian seems like he's growing taller each day....amazing how all three kids are excelling in their respective sports. Petr and Regina are proof that Tiger Mom's aren't the only way to go.
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Post by mr3putt on Sept 8, 2016 23:38:21 GMT
Ya...Sebastian seems like he's growing taller each day....amazing how all three kids are excelling in their respective sports. Petr and Regina are proof that Tiger Mom's aren't the only way to go. The Smiling Buddha has played golf for 49 years....his mother who is still alive has never seen him hit a ball......that's why he's a 7 cap hacker and not a baller.....Tiger Mom must have bypassed the Smiling Buddha's neighborhood.
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Post by bangkokbobby on Sept 9, 2016 4:34:58 GMT
more pics on my blog: Karolina Pliskova Advances To 2016 US Open Final With Dominant Win Over Serena Williams, Will Face New World #1 Angelique KerberKarolina PliskovaAmerica probably hates me because I beat Venus and Serena – Karolina Pliskova Well, I can’t speak for all Americans, but I sure don’t hate Karolina Pliskova. Then again, I’ve always had a soft spot for Czech players dating back to Ivan Lendl and Hana Mandlikova. Only Madison Keys ranks above Petra Kvitova among active players in my fandom. My current favorite doubles pair is Team Bucie, American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Czech player Lucie Safarova. So I’ve had my eye on Karolina Pliskova long before her run to the final at the 2016 US Open. Her 6-2 7-6 (5) win over world #1 Serena Williams is a surprise. Any straight set win over Serena would be, no matter who is on the other side of the net. The point is, to hardcore women’s tennis fans…like myself…Pliskova did not come out of nowhere. She has always been known as a huge server. On this night, she actually outserved Williams, who is often said to possess the best serve ever in the women’s game. But if you saw Karolina blow through Garbine Muguruza and world #2 Angelique Kerber a few weeks ago in Cincinnati, you saw a player who has come into her own. Serena WilliamsI called Serena the world #1. While at the moment I write this it is still true, it will no longer be so once the rankings are updated on Monday. Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion, Wimbledon runner-up and Olympic Silver Medalist will be the new world #1. With Angie’s 6-4 6-3 win over Caroline Wozniacki in the other US Open womens’s singles semifinal, she will do no worse than runner-up at the US Open and could add the title to her impressive 2016 resume. However, Pliskova handled Kerber easily in Cincinnati. Of course, there wasn’t the pressure of winning a Major in that final. Angie has dealt with and overcome the weight of a Major final. Karolina Pliskova seems like a laid back, chill kind of young woman. Still, we’ll see if she keeps her composure as well as she did against Serena. 10 KAROLINA PLISKOVA d. 1 Serena Williams, 6-2 7-6 (5)
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Post by bangkokbobby on Sept 11, 2016 6:04:13 GMT
more pics on my blog: Angelique Kerber Wins 2016 US OpenAngelique KerberAngelique Kerber put an exclamation point on her rise to the world #1 ranking with a 6-3 4-6 6-4 victory over Karolina Pliskova to win the 2016 US Open. The 28-year old German star adds to a career best year with her second Major title, following her Australian Open win at the beginning of the season. The title at the US Open earns Kerber the first place prize of $3.5 million USD. In addition to Angie’s breakthrough in Melbourne and her rise to #1 in Flushing Meadow, she added a Silver Medal at the Olympics along with runners-up at Wimbledon, Brisbane and Cincinnati. It all adds up to Kerber joining her idol, Steffi Graf, as a world #1 from Germany. Angie is also the first German to win the US Open since Steffi Graf’s 1996 crown. She also joins Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles as the only left-handers to top the WTA singles rankings. Angelique KerberKarolina Pliskova gave a great effort, pushing the championship match to 3 sets after dropping the opening set. But in the end, the steady, relentless defense from Angie just would not crumble on this day. It was probably a mistake for Pliskova to choose to serve first after winning the coin toss. It was a very nervous first game in her maiden Major final. The rising Czech star also missed some easy putaways. However, maybe that’s because playing a master of defense like Angie, who gets shot after shot after shot back, makes opponents rush their strokes. The bottom line is that there was no doubt who the best player on the court was on this day. On Monday, when the WTA rankings are updated, there will be no doubt who the new Queen of Tennis is…at least for now. We’ll see how Serena Williams responds to losing her #1 ranking. We’ll soon find out if Maria Sharapova comes back in January of 2017 or has to sit out longer. What form will Victoria Azarenka be in when she returns from giving birth? Don’t forget that Vika beat Angie in the final at Brisbane and Serena in the final of Indian Wells…not to mention winning the Indian Wells/Miami double. I take nothing away from Kerber, but a healthy Sharapova and Azarenka does shift the balance of power in the women’s game. That’s something to ponder for next year. There is no more dispute about who the best player of 2016 is. Even if she doesn’t win another match the rest of the year, that title goes to Angelique Kerber. 2 ANGELIQUE KERBER d. 10 Karolina Pliskova, 6-3 4-6 6-4
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Post by bangkokbobby on Sept 13, 2016 4:28:48 GMT
more pics and video on my blog: WTA Top 5 Rankings 9.12.2016; Angelique Kerber 2016 US Open Champion’s PhotocallAngelique KerberAll Hail The New Queen! With the release of the new WTA rankings following the 2016 US Open, Angelique Kerber is officially the new world #1 in single. She also takes over the top spot on the money list as well. It’s been an unpredictable year in women’s tennis. Back in January, I could never have envisioned Victoria Azarenka out of the game, expecting her first child, Maria Sharapova on suspension for a substance I had never heard of before but apparently is all the rage in certain countries or Serena losing her #1 ranking to Angelique Kerber. But all of that has happened. And there is still a fall season leading into the Tour Championships still to be played. Who knows what else is in store? I can’t wait to see. PRIZE MONEY (includes singles, doubles and mixed) 1. Angelique Kerber, $8,565,772 2. Serena Williams, $7,675,030 3. Karolina Pliskova, $3,281,028 4. Simona Halep, $3,146,587 5. Garbine Muguruza, $2,894,412 SINGLES RANKINGS 1. Angelique Kerber, 8730 2. Serena Williams, 7050 3. Garbine Muguruza, 5830 4. Agnieszka Radwanska, 5815 5. Simona Halep, 4801 ROAD TO SINGAPORE – SINGLES 1. Angelique Kerber, 7801 2. Serena Williams, 7050 3. Simona Halep, 4259 4. Karolina Pliskova, 3877 5. Agnieszka Radwanska, 3701 Sania MirzaDOUBLES 1. Sania Mirza, 9730 2. Martina Hingis, 9725 3. Kristina Mladenovic, 7105 4. Caroline Garcia, 7080 5. Elena Vesnina, 5780 ANGELIQUE KERBER, Champions Photocall and Media Tour with Stan Wawrinka
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Post by bangkokbobby on Sept 25, 2016 12:23:02 GMT
more pics and video on my blog: Caroline Wozniacki Wins 2016 Toray Pan Pacific OpenCaroline WozniackiBuilding on her improved play over the summer, Caroline Wozniacki won her first tournament of the season at the 2016 Toray Pan Pacific Open. The former world #1, a semifinalist at the US Open earlier this month, took out Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the Tokyo final, 7-5 6-3. After being down 5-7 0-5, Osaka rallied to 3-5 in the final set but couldn’t quite pull even. Still, Caro was full of praise for the up and coming Japanese/Haitian player, who will turn 19 next month. Wozniacki, only 26 herself despite feeling like she has been around forever, had a strong run to the title, defeating Belinda Bencic, Carla Suarez Navarro and #2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska. Although it wasn’t too long ago that some were writing Sunshine off as past her glory days, with the tour in a state of flux at the moment, if Wozniacki can continue to play as she has this summer and into the fall, the Danish star could still be a Major threat moving forward. CAROLINE WOZNIACKI d. Naomi Osaka, 7-5 6-3
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Post by bangkokbobby on Oct 2, 2016 4:04:26 GMT
more pics and video on my blog: Petra Kvitova Wins 2016 Wuhan Open; Team Bucie Takes Doubles TitlePetra KvitovaEvery time I think I’m ready to give up on the potential of Petra Kvitova, she has a week like this where not only does she win, she dispatches top competition like the #1 player I have long thought she could be. En route to her 2nd Wuhan Open title, she had a showdown with new world #1 Angelique Kerber, taking her out 6-4 in the third set of a instant classic. Once Petra is feeling confident, watch out. She went on to mow through Simona Halep (6-1, 6-2) and Dominika Cibulkova (6-1, 6-1) for her 18th career WTA singles title. And there’s the rub for me. Petra KvitovaAt 26 years old, Petra Kvitova will be entering the 2nd half of her career next year. 18 titles is a lot, but I look at two of my other all-time favorites, Kim Clijsters and Maria Sharapova. Masha has 35 titles (including 5 Majors) at 29, and that includes missing huge parts of several seasons with injury…not to mention her current suspension. Kim Clijsters won 41 titles (including 4 Majors) despite retiring early, having a child, coming back and then retiring young again (Kim is only 33 now having retired a few seasons ago, younger than Serena Williams). Both Clijsters and Sharapova were world #1s. As much as it hurts me to say this, because I’m such a big Kimmie and Masha fan, Petra Kvitova is more talented than both of them. But unless she plays like she did this week in Wuhan on a more consistent basis, she won’t come close to matching their achievements. Why does that matter? It doesn’t. She can keep on as she has. It’s just as a fan of tennis, when you see somebody with this kind of special ability, it’s only natural to want to see it fulfilled. Think of it this way, at 26 and healthy, Kvitova was seeded 14th in Wuhan. 14th! She was seeded lower than Cibulkova. At this point in her career, there is no reason for Petra to be seeded or ranked (16th) that low. Team BucieDon’t get me wrong, I am thrilled to see Petra win again. I’m always thrilled to see her succeed, just as I am always thrilled to see my current favorite doubles team, Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, win another championship together. Seeded 5th, Team Bucie took out the 3rd seeds, Sania Mirza and Barbora Strycova, 6-1 6-4 in the final. Fresh off their US Open title (their 3rd Major doubles title together), Safarova and Mattek-Sands will be heading to Singapore for the WTA finals, despite only playing seven events together this season. 5 LUCIE SAFAROVA/BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS d. 3 Sania Mirza/Barbora Strycova, 6-1 6-4 14 PETRA KVITOVA d. 10 Dominika Cibulkova, 6-1 6-1
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Post by bangkokbobby on Oct 4, 2016 4:46:44 GMT
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Post by 18majors on Oct 4, 2016 23:27:27 GMT
As a Sharapova fan since 2004, I understand why she intends to come back and play in 2017. She certainly doesn't want to leave the sport during a suspension.
It's never easy for star athletes to say goodbye; not Michael Jordan nor Tiger Woods. Pete Sampras retired right after he won 2002 US Open, but even he came back for Champions Tour.
In a way, retiring for stars is like death for common people; it's inevitable but no one wants to face it.
My best hope is that Maria wins at least 2-3 more slams so that her career won't be defined by her drug suspension. In the meantime knowing that her biological clock is ticking as far as marriage and children are concerned.
Many people aspire to search for fame and fortune; but in the end a normal people having a happy normal life may actually have the upper hand.
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