CAMELOT FANTASIES

Quote from: Emma on September 17, 2014, 05:05:39 pm

Hallo and aloha. Dear lovers and losers. How are you all? I am sad to announce that our dear Summer has finally left us for the year or so it seems. Oh well. I do like Fall.

So have you been following any tennis lately? I am completely out of it at the moment. No tennis since the US Open and with the exception of Shanghai, Paris and WTF, I am very unlikely to pay any attention.

Not sure where Andy is or what's he's doing in the meantime. But the following article has surfaced on the net. Apparently the upcoming 'yes' or 'no' vote to Scotland's independence has lowered Andy's popularity almost by 12%. A bit predictable, innit. I mean what else can you expect from nationalists countries like England, Wales etc.?

See, this is not a problem for me because I most definitely don't care where Andy was born. Nor do I associate any feelings to my own country for that matter. My mom used to say, where you are born doesn't matter in life; what matters is what you become. But alas, a lot of people have a lot of growing up to do. Disgusting stuff I must say.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/andymurray/11096757/Scottish-independence-campaign-causes-11.9-per-cent-dip-in-Andy-Murrays-popularity-south-of-the-border.html

So this then brings the ultimate question, where's Anikh's stand in all this? Now that I've given my view on this, perhaps he'll side with supporting Andy? Ha ha. Or what about our dear baron? He's a bit of suspect here in my honest observation. I mean despite his lukewarm support of Andy from time to time, he already had so many problems with Andy. Doesn't mind taking a shot at Andy in the name of fun but how likely will that be in case of Federer? I mean I have yet to see him making any kind of fun of the god almighty Federer.

que pasa emma darling.


to be honest i am like lost without Andy and Rafa.

i need to see them in the game ASAP.

Here, here. The others just don't do it for me. I can't even get behind Berdych who's still playing like crap.

Quote from: thetruth on September 18, 2014, 05:05:58 pm

Agreed. Many Fed fans around the web were ecstatic with the removal of Nole, but tennis is a sport, and as such it has to be played on the court. I never take any match for granted because tennis players are people too, and sometimes you wake up and feel like crap and can't shake the feeling. So, until two players get on court, it's best not to assume a win is a given.

Cilic was playing lights out, but I wasn't sure Federer would be able to lift his game that significantly after that showing against Monfils. Monfils gift-wrapped that match, but when he played at a decent level he was killing Fed. Cilic was bursting with confidence, so I thought that would be a tough match regardless. 

Also not surprised about the TV ratings in the US either. They only promote Rafa, Fed, and Djokovic. You can't expect the rest of the unheralded tour to fill the seats when you barely mention them, so...And even as a Serena fan it was hard to watch another stroll in the park final. I never thought Woz had a chance and apparently many others didn't think so either.

Monfils did gift-wrap the match, didn't he? And then he went on to worship Federer even more in his presser. That Cilic match must have been quite the eye opening for him especially when he realized that he too had a couple of match points against Federer and could have sent Federer home in straight sets just like Cilic. But then again, that's Monfils for you. Love him or hate him - he is who he is.

As to the women's final, as you said yourself - no match is given and by that definition, I don't see how the final between Serena and Woz was given. If anything, in the last few meetings Woz had taken a set off Serena and Woz has beaten Serena in the past though just one time. So judging by all that and the way Wozi was playing it was never that given. I do think Wozi is too cozy and chummy with Serena. I mean she systematically destroyed Sharapova in the same tournament and we all know  Sharapova too is a very powerful player. What Serena did in that match was to mainly overpower Woz and I personally thought Wozi could have dealt with Serena better but she was mighty nervous from the getgo.  Perhaps the thought of the crowd and Serena both overpowered her and she wasn't able to put out her best on that day.

In any case, that wasn't the reason the rating was low. Agassi never had any hold on Sampras as far as the USO was concerned and yet, that never held off the TV rating or the audience in the stadium.

I don't think Nole gets any special treatments that Fed and Nad gets at the US Open. In fact, even Nadal didn't get any special treatments there either until the USO Organization realized that Nadal too has become very popular since 2008 all around the globe that they felt the need to oblige as well.  It used to be all Federer since 2003.

Back to the women's final again - I just get the feeling Serena is not as popular in the US as, say, Venus is.

That was a pathetic display from Monfils, an experienced player, and an insult to the sport. The gushing was over the top. I don't understand that. If I am going to compete in anything I'm not going to do it just for kicks. If I put the time in I expect results, and when it comes time to compete I'm going to do my best. That doesn't mean that I have to win or be number one, but I have to feel good about my effort, and I have no respect for anyone who goes out there and is lackadaisical about their job.

Monfils is a disgrace to the sport, IMO. He followed up that pitiful performance by showcasing a similarly lukewarm performance against Joao Sousa. I think I'll pass on his matches from now on, he'll only make me angry.

The reason I felt that Woz wouldn't do much in that match was due to the emotional aspects. Although she had played Serena well, this wasn't a regular tour event, this was the big one, a major; a place she hadn't been in a long time. Her results before she went on her big run had been tepid at best, but once the Rory thing was over she was getting herself back together. Still, I think it was too soon to be tested in a match of this proportion. There was so much on the line, not to mention that Rory had won golf's equivalent of the USO recently, and I think that may have put undue pressure on her as well.

Sharapova? Most of her comebacks come against inexperienced players. Caroline finally wised up to having to play her aggressively and allowing her to self-destruct. If you keep getting the ball back Maria will keep trying to hit it harder, which in turn causes her to commit more errors. Serena has more variety, more skills, more tenacity, and more athleticism than Maria, so I wasn't surprised that Caroline beat Maria, I expected it.

True. The ATP and its affiliates focused entirely upon Federer for years; to the exclusion of the other players. But, Nadal, even without their prompting was able to garner a lion's share of fans around the world. So much so, that even they took notice. Now, many journalists are getting on board and finally giving Nadal his due. He's earned it, whether one is a fan or not. For years they have disadvantaged both Nadal and Djokovic and IMO this has weakened the tour rather than strengthened it. There are four recognizable stars in the world who have fans all over the globe and to put all of their eggs in one basket was foolish, and it's biting in the butt now, but I believe they wanted Federer to stand alone at the top of the heap, when in reality it should have been concerted effort to showcase all of their stars. It backfired.

AW MAN. THIS IS MY ORIGINAL POST WHICH I TRIED TO ABBREVIATE, LOL! NO POINT IN WASTING KEYSTROKES.

ALERT!ALERT! DUPLICATE!

Oh my. I saw this a while ago. I don't know why I didn't share it at the time. I love this clip and shared it with all of my family and friends. EPIC is the perfect word for it. Amazing speech.

Is he great or what? I do take a bit of pride in the fact that he's a fellow Canadian. 

I love the way he talks about his childhood especially about his father who wanted to be a comedian but thought of it as a very unrealistic goal and how his mum was depressed and Jim had to take care of her from time to time. Very touching and moving story and yet he describes all those heartfelt memories with such depth, ease and fun. And just when he would get serious, he'd crack a joke and say, "did you think I was going to get serious?" Ha ha. Such lovely and funny moments. Incredible human being. Respect.

Am glad you enjoyed it again and shared with your family and friends this time. I may want to watch it again with friends this Saturday. It's a beautiful thing to watch and I just want to spread it out. 

That was a pathetic display from Monfils, an experienced player, and an insult to the sport. The gushing was over the top. I don't understand that. If I am going to compete in anything I'm not going to do it just for kicks. If I put the time in I expect results, and when it comes time to compete I'm going to do my best. That doesn't mean that I have to win or be number one, but I have to feel good about my effort, and I have no respect for anyone who goes out there and is lackadaisical about their job.

Monfils is a disgrace to the sport, IMO. He followed up that pitiful performance by showcasing a similarly lukewarm performance against Joao Sousa. I think I'll pass on his matches from now on, he'll only make me angry.

The reason I felt that Woz wouldn't do much in that match was due to the emotional aspects. Although she had played Serena well, this wasn't a regular tour event, this was the big one, a major; a place she hadn't been in a long time. Her results before she went on her big run had been tepid at best, but once the Rory thing was over she was getting herself back together. Still, I think it was too soon to be tested in a match of this proportion. There was so much on the line, not to mention that Rory had won golf's equivalent of the USO recently, and I think that may have put undue pressure on her as well.

Sharapova? Most of her comebacks come against inexperienced players. Caroline finally wised up to having to play her aggressively and allowing her to self-destruct. If you keep getting the ball back Maria will keep trying to hit it harder, which in turn causes her to commit more errors. Serena has more variety, more skills, more tenacity, and more athleticism than Maria, so I wasn't surprised that Caroline beat Maria, I expected it.

True. The ATP and its affiliates focused entirely upon Federer for years; to the exclusion of the other players. But, Nadal, even without their prompting was able to garner a lion's share of fans around the world. So much so, that even they took notice. Now, many journalists are getting on board and finally giving Nadal his due. He's earned it, whether one is a fan or not. For years they have disadvantaged both Nadal and Djokovic and IMO this has weakened the tour rather than strengthened it. There are four recognizable stars in the world who have fans all over the globe and to put all of their eggs in one basket was foolish, and it's biting in the butt now, but I believe they wanted Federer to stand alone at the top of the heap, when in reality it should have been concerted effort to showcase all of their stars. It backfired.

AW MAN. THIS IS MY ORIGINAL POST WHICH I TRIED TO ABBREVIATE, LOL! NO POINT IN WASTING KEYSTROKES.

ALERT!ALERT! DUPLICATE!

Ha ha TT, tell us how you really feel about Monifls. 

Anyway, I agree. He's a bit of a disgrace or maybe a lot. He had the match in his hand and could have had one of  his biggest wins and yet he squandered it. Quite unfortunately though, this is the case with most players of this era. They are all more or less mental midgets. This is exactly what makes the era a very weak one. It was to Nadal's full credit that he made a place for himself and later Nole. Otherwise I can't imagine what the tennis world would have been like with Federer still winning everything in sight and all the forums being possessed by Federer fans. It's the likes of Nadal, Nole, Murray that keep the interest alive for fans like myself and a few others.

Monfils could have easily had this win by now had he not worshiped Federer so much. Of course the support Federer gets from his fans is always a difficult thing for his opponents to overcome but the likes of Nadal, Nole, Murray and now Nishikori, Cilic and even Berdych and Tsonga to lesser extent have no difficulty with it, clearly. And that's how it should be. While rest of the players do have more than enough talent, they really lack the mental strength of it. Nothing is conquered without it.

Re: Woz - I do agree that it was too soon for her after the Rory break-up and had she not faced Serena in the final, perhaps she could have won the title too but it was not meant to be, alas. I did support her with all my heart as I've always been a great fan of Woz.

And while I am not really a fan of Serena, I do agree she's far more complete than Sharapova. But all that H2H and other related stuff aside, surely Serena getting her #18 would have been a much bigger deal to the Americans; therefore, the rating should have been higher? Somehow I am fairly sure that would have the case for Federer had he made the final. I don't think we would have heard the end of it any time soon or ever. 

Serena is more popular than Venus, but not according to the commentators. In fact, if you check them both out on social media you'll see that Serena eclipses Venus in every outlet. There is very little press on Venus, but the commentators would have the fans believe otherwise. They don't like Serena and didn't like Venus either until Venus began to lose, then they could tolerate her better. Remember how they used to call them both unfocused and lazy, but have been forced to eat their words considering their longevity in the sport.

Recently, Navriltilova accused Serena of being on drugs during her Wimbledon episode. When do they do that? Make baseless accusations that could damage a player, and let's not forget Chris Evert's "open letter" to Serena about how she was disrespecting the sport.

They don't like Serena because she is unapologetic, or should I say "uppity"? Venus, OTOH is more docile. Mystery solved.

I am actually neutral to both sisters. I remember in my CNN days in the late 90s, when both sisters had just turned pro, Venus was more popular as she was more successful than her sister at that early stage of their career. But since Serena has taken over her sister and won many more Slams than her sister, she's definitely more popular than Venus now. Serena, though, has her on court antics and not the good kinds. Her outburst at the AO not so long ago is a prime example and it wasn't particularly pretty. And there are few other incidents as well and perhaps that's why she's a less popular figure for the women commentators especially in the US.

One of the reasons Andy (even Tsonga is more popular than him I am afraid but then again I can't explain Fognini who's an utter tool oncourt and yet a lot of fans dig him) is least popular among top players is because of his on court behaviour. While he'd never act like Serena as she did with linepersons, referees, ballboys etc., the fact he berates himself on court and shouts at his box, does diminish his appeal and his popularity as a player. Federer used to be very angry at the early stage of his career however, once he started winning a lot and the fact that he idolized Sampras a great deal who was cool as cucumber, made him cool off a lot. But I don't see that either Serena or Andy doing that - reasons why Serena thinks they are a lot alike. They like being who they are even when sometimes they are wrong. I do like Serena's bubbly personality however and I accept the way Andy is though I am sure Andy would benefit much more if he cools off and not let anything bother him. Having a complete control over your emotion is the hardest thing perhaps but it's so worth it.

Quote from: thetruth on September 22, 2014, 05:15:49 am

Oh my. I saw this a while ago. I don't know why I didn't share it at the time. I love this clip and shared it with all of my family and friends. EPIC is the perfect word for it. Amazing speech.

Is he great or what? I do take a bit of pride in the fact that he's a fellow Canadian. 

I love the way he talks about his childhood especially about his father who wanted to be a comedian but thought of it as a very unrealistic goal and how his mum was depressed and Jim had to take care of her from time to time. Very touching and moving story and yet he describes all those heartfelt memories with such depth, ease and fun. And just when he would get serious, he'd crack a joke and say, "did you think I was going to get serious?" Ha ha. Such lovely and funny moments. Incredible human being. Respect.

Am glad you enjoyed it again and shared with your family and friends this time. I may want to watch it again with friends this Saturday. It's a beautiful thing to watch and I just want to spread it out.

Jim Carrey is such an inspiring figure. I've read a lot of press on him over the years. He suffers from something, I can't remember what it is (I'll look it up later) yet, he uses much of his available energy helping others. I love the way he puts things into perspective. He's such a warm and endearing fellow. I must admit to loving his soft and vulnerable side more than his comedy.

No, I take that back, he is equally gifted in all of his endeavors.

Have you ever seen Doing Time on Maple Drive? It was a made for TV movie before Jim Carrey made it big. It's a drama about the "perfect" family who isn't so perfect after all. In a twist of fate Jim was cast in a dramatic role. Watching this movie makes it hard to believe how he would later be come to known as a comedic actor.

And yes, Jim's words were so powerful and really hit home with me. It's a lesson that I need to focus on, persevere with, and never give up. That clip really hit home.

Quote from: thetruth on September 22, 2014, 06:48:55 am

That was a pathetic display from Monfils, an experienced player, and an insult to the sport. The gushing was over the top. I don't understand that. If I am going to compete in anything I'm not going to do it just for kicks. If I put the time in I expect results, and when it comes time to compete I'm going to do my best. That doesn't mean that I have to win or be number one, but I have to feel good about my effort, and I have no respect for anyone who goes out there and is lackadaisical about their job.

Monfils is a disgrace to the sport, IMO. He followed up that pitiful performance by showcasing a similarly lukewarm performance against Joao Sousa. I think I'll pass on his matches from now on, he'll only make me angry.

The reason I felt that Woz wouldn't do much in that match was due to the emotional aspects. Although she had played Serena well, this wasn't a regular tour event, this was the big one, a major; a place she hadn't been in a long time. Her results before she went on her big run had been tepid at best, but once the Rory thing was over she was getting herself back together. Still, I think it was too soon to be tested in a match of this proportion. There was so much on the line, not to mention that Rory had won golf's equivalent of the USO recently, and I think that may have put undue pressure on her as well.

Sharapova? Most of her comebacks come against inexperienced players. Caroline finally wised up to having to play her aggressively and allowing her to self-destruct. If you keep getting the ball back Maria will keep trying to hit it harder, which in turn causes her to commit more errors. Serena has more variety, more skills, more tenacity, and more athleticism than Maria, so I wasn't surprised that Caroline beat Maria, I expected it.

True. The ATP and its affiliates focused entirely upon Federer for years; to the exclusion of the other players. But, Nadal, even without their prompting was able to garner a lion's share of fans around the world. So much so, that even they took notice. Now, many journalists are getting on board and finally giving Nadal his due. He's earned it, whether one is a fan or not. For years they have disadvantaged both Nadal and Djokovic and IMO this has weakened the tour rather than strengthened it. There are four recognizable stars in the world who have fans all over the globe and to put all of their eggs in one basket was foolish, and it's biting in the butt now, but I believe they wanted Federer to stand alone at the top of the heap, when in reality it should have been concerted effort to showcase all of their stars. It backfired.

AW MAN. THIS IS MY ORIGINAL POST WHICH I TRIED TO ABBREVIATE, LOL! NO POINT IN WASTING KEYSTROKES.

ALERT!ALERT! DUPLICATE!

Ha ha TT, tell us how you really feel about Monifls. 

Anyway, I agree. He's a bit of a disgrace or maybe a lot. He had the match in his hand and could have had one of  his biggest wins and yet he squandered it. Quite unfortunately though, this is the case with most players of this era. They are all more or less mental midgets. This is exactly what makes the era a very weak one. It was to Nadal's full credit that he made a place for himself and later Nole. Otherwise I can't imagine what the tennis world would have been like with Federer still winning everything in sight and all the forums being possessed by Federer fans. It's the likes of Nadal, Nole, Murray that keep the interest alive for fans like myself and a few others.

Monfils could have easily had this win by now had he not worshiped Federer so much. Of course the support Federer gets from his fans is always a difficult thing for his opponents to overcome but the likes of Nadal, Nole, Murray and now Nishikori, Cilic and even Berdych and Tsonga to lesser extent have no difficulty with it, clearly. And that's how it should be. While rest of the players do have more than enough talent, they really lack the mental strength of it. Nothing is conquered without it.

Re: Woz - I do agree that it was too soon for her after the Rory break-up and had she not faced Serena in the final, perhaps she could have won the title too but it was not meant to be, alas. I did support her with all my heart as I've always been a great fan of Woz.

And while I am not really a fan of Serena, I do agree she's far more complete than Sharapova. But all that H2H and other related stuff aside, surely Serena getting her #18 would have been a much bigger deal to the Americans; therefore, the rating should have been higher? Somehow I am fairly sure that would have the case for Federer had he made the final. I don't think we would have heard the end of it any time soon or ever.

I hate to bash players, but he gets on my nerves so much. What bothers me most is his weak mind. He is, IMO, every bit as talented as Federer, so why is he worshiping him? Anyway, I'll let up on him as it only wreaks havoc on my own high blood pressure.

Agree here too. Before Nadal, Federer was sleepwalking through the tour. Partly because of his incredible skills, but partly because of the reverence being thrust upon him. The media deified this guy to the point where many felt it was OK to lose against him.

In the early years Federer never even had to get out of first gear. Thanks goodness for Nadal, Nole, and Andy, who showed that Federer the player, was also human.

Had those pathetic displays continued I surely would have given up tennis, as I am not into non-competitiveness in sports. That's how I let my own aggression out, so they need to give me something to root about.

I must say to Federer's credit, that he did rise to the challenge and find another gear. Nadal was good for him because it showed him that he wasn't infallible, and they have given us some great battles over the years, so good on him for still fighting.

Tennis is not that huge in America. You'd be hard pressed to find many who watch it, know it, and follow it like forumites do. Practically no one in my circle watches it, or knows what's going on. Plus, much depends on which TV station you watch and whether or not the USO is advertised. Most of my comrades who do watch it, say they happen to catch it when it's on.

In America the focus is on MLB, Football, Golf, Nascar, and the NBA. Tennis, on media outlets is listed as Other. So, I'm not surprised by the ratings since it's viewed more as a niche sport.

I like Woz too and think she is headed in the right direction. For the first time I think she may win a major title. If she does it will be great for tennis.

que pasa lady TT, princess emma, and the others.

Andy is off to a great start. he removes his first adversary from the facilities. somdev devvarman was a legend in colleg here in america.



and rafa is back. he guns down tsonga in an exo.