ESPN Tennis Conversation

Sheliared

None of the players today have the game or mental attitude to get 13 singles, 12 doubles, 2 mixed doubles, 2 doubles Olympics gold, plus other titles like Serena. Who!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
15 Hours ago

Sheliared

Garber you are a ridiculous. How many times do Serena need to keep the US female tennis players in the top of rankings. I have never heard such stupidity and bias opinion about this woman. Maria is a Russian who a captialize of the US experience. You are a TRAITOR to any Black American and ESPN need to get rid of you. Serena had never loss in the 1st round of any major. D.A.M.N. Y.O.U. You are as 'SMART AS A BOX OF ROCKS AND AS TWICE AS STUPID'.
15 Hours ago

Jonathan93557

go away, racist, ignorant woman who clearly shows her bitterness for all white people every time you comment, err.... post an insult. You are an embarrassment and a reason why there is racism in our country. It would be one thing if you actually said something factual (without the dictum) but you simply can not. ESPN needs to get rid of YOU on these boards.
362 Days ago

Denese0052

Garber! You have a lost of nerves talking trash about Serena. Everyone has a bad day. Serena losing in the 1st round at Roland Garros happens to everyone. Maria Sharapova lost in the 1st round to Maria Kirlinko in 2010, was a bad day for Maria. Maria Sharapova lost to Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon in 20011, she lost to Victoria Azarenka in the finals at the Aussie Open in 2012, She lost to Victoria Azarenka at Indian Wells, does that mean Maria Sharapova cannot be trusted? As much as I don't like her. Things went well for Maria after Serena lost to Razzano. You damn well if Serena had not lost, she would have won the French Open. Give credit where credit is due. Serena was 47 and 0 in grand slam entry. Stop hating.
3 Days ago

HuskerWeaponry

Serena can still get back up there, but she's gonna have to lose some lard. And, she needs to tell Venus to shut up and retire, enough of her already!
5 Days ago

Sheliared

You need to SHUT UP. Stupid # 2. I can't wait for next year or after the Olympics. I hope the WS retire from single competition and lets see if those other players like Christine, that Lep girl, Melanie, Bethany and the rest will do .
15 Hours ago

fiord7

serena uses her slam trophies as door stops maria creates a shrine and prays to hers.
5 Days ago

Jonathan93557

fiord, You sort of highlighted the problem with Serena (although I don't think you meant to do so). Her attitude is sort of easy-come, easy-go. For several years she just shows up at majors and expects to win. She if over-confident and as she said herself, tennis is not that big a deal to her. Yes, Maria might actually light a few candles in front of her trophy but it's because she still has the fire and wants it more.
362 Days ago

Evert4Life

Does that mean Maria appreciates her accomplishments while Serena takes hers for granted (door stops!??) I'm confused. LOL
3 Days ago

Denese0052

@Doug5085 Maria Sharapova had steriods injected in her shoulder. You know damn well she had a bad shoulder that wan't going to heal unless her doctor feel good made her feel good.
3 Days ago

MzDolphin

Gerber, want to know how you can learn to write? Ask Frank DeFord.
5 Days ago

el angel del tenis

really i hate this guy it so ugly and the worst he insult the beautifull maria pobre hijo d putttttta
5 Days ago

XGameOfThrones

Silly. Put the pressure where it belongs. Those who Can't Be Trusted to win consistantly or at all (especially GS's) during the prime of their careers (ages 20 - 28) are Caroline, Victoria, Radwanska, Ana, Petra, Jelena, Bartoli, Li, Stosur, Vera, and anyone in the top 15. Serena doesn't need to win another match and at 31if she beats any player in the top 10, it should be considered a a big upset - but because she has been so good for so long many take what she does for granted instead of acknowledging how incredible it is (same with Fed). When any of these folks get to 13 (or even 7 like Henin, Venus), call me.
5 Days ago

fiord7

reese it might be a slow decline but during their decline they could still win a slam or two and wrap things up and that would be good enough. they are playing for the love and perhaps history. deal with it. because when they are gone rating will fall and many people will stop watching tennis. even the serena and rodger haters - the drama will be gone.
5 Days ago

Evert4Life

Garbers advice: get a bigger chip on your shoulder. Seriously? Serena!?? That's the only thing about her that's bigger than her mouth (I resist the urge to menion another body part). The reality is that Serena's attitude and off/on commitment to her sport is now catching up with her. As the competition improves she cannot rely on aging natural talent or bully tactics to carry her to Grand Slam finals. Just ask Federer- who has been supremely committed to his craft. Serena may still have streaks of greatness- goodness knows she has skills- but the reality is that father time has the last laugh here.
5 Days ago

Evert4Life

Dunno why you all seem to hell-bent to think I'm raggin on Serena. Sure, I think she has a lousy attitude and is getting older. However, I give her the props she deserves for her talents and accomplishments....that's somehow not good enough?
3 Days ago

Jonathan93557

evert, Don't waste your breath. The Serena lovers will never listen to any reason or logic, especially those that are , how should I say "of a different ethnicity" They [tend] to look at everything as race issue (sadly) when for a lot of us, our critique of Serena is strictly about her tennis.
362 Days ago

fiord7

what last laugh everett if she was always getting to finals and loosing or always loosing in early rounds then you could talk, but look at her tally. what she has acheived in tennis is of historic proportions. look at safina now that is a sad story. sharapova is pushing 26 and only 4 slams do you think she can get up to 13? yeah i thought so you dont have an answer.
5 Days ago

Evert4Life

PS...I also must take exception with the comment about attitude not winning championships. We can look back to the US Open final for all the proof we need.
5 Days ago

Evert4Life

Let's watching the rankings and see. I'm not at all being "one sized" about this. If I felt either had a shot at overtaking or dominating today's players then I would say so. Reality tells a different story. Age is age and has nothing to do with who we are talking about. Moments of greatness, yes. Number one, no.
3 Days ago

Charmbar

You are being difficult and thats what one size fits all people do. Serena and Fed will not be no. 1again? You are so wrong about that. Attitude did not lose Serena the US open her serve, errors and listless playing she came with did. Natural talent does not age, the body does. If that was the case why did it take 4 yrs to win another major by Sharapova. Why this so called young 'skill' chick have not beaten old 'natural talent' Serena in 8yrs?
4 Days ago

Evert4Life

Thanks for the alternate points of view Chumbar. When Serena and Venus first arrived on the scene it was hardly their finesse game that earned them titles or acclaim. 10 years down the road, the girls today hit harder and are more athletic than they were 10 years ago so the simple fact is that Venus and Serena can't rely solely on physical strength or shot making to win. I will completely agree that today's women's game is a mess- if that was the point you were trying to make- and that there are no group of dominant players and that the rivalries are lacking. I can't disagree either that Serena's ongoing distractions helped compensate for her boredom with the game. I will have to completely disagree with you that talent doesn't age. Sure the natural skills remain, but, the consistency erodes, timing becomes less precise and the body slows. Simple scientific facts there. And, again you make my point by picking on my Federer analogy. Serena and Federer will both have continued moments of glory because of the champions they are. However, neither will be #1 again and the chances of either winning a major again are slim and getting slimmer.
5 Days ago

Sheliared

I will always stand by an American instead of some foreigner. Now Maria shoulder was career threatening, but Serena had a life threatening illness and still beat the brakes off of Maria and Victoria. Maria have gotten beat downs from many more lower ranked players. She barely won the FO because Sara had her on the hook, but loss focus and let her off.
15 Hours ago

Evert4Life

So because the racquets are longer, the string is engineered....does that mean that today's players aren't really as good we think they are? I'm all for stacking your arguement against the GOAT discussion. :)
3 Days ago

MzDolphin

Wrong! Equipment is better. Tennis does not regulate equipment. So you have folks playing with longer racquets, engineered string, everything". Serena's game has improved with age. Venus, not so much. Sharapova's hasn't either. McEnroe said it best "timing is everything. She got lucky. Sharapova is the tallest woman on tour at 6-2, even taller than most men on tour. Yet she rarely comes to the net.
5 Days ago

Charmbar

What competition improve? Are you saying the competition now is better than the prime days of Capriati, Davenport, Venus, Serena, Clijsters, Henin, Mauresmo, Hingis, Dementieva, Kuznetsova, and many more. From like 1998-2006. When we use to have high quality semis and finals (most of them 3 setters), there were chokers but it was still nail biting where either player could win give or take a few points. Where women would actually come to the net more, finesse playing and it wasn't all about power. Now because off all the power hitters matches are riddled with errors. - Ask Federer what? that even though he's "supremely committed" to his craft he is fighting hard to win another championship. All that commitment and still can't win. So maybe Serena is on to something by committing most of the time to tennis and the other times to other things to avoid boredom. Not bad for a 'so called' part time player having 13 majors, heck some would give up a lot to win 1 after they've eat and drink tennis most of the young lives, ask Dementieva and many others - Serena's "attitude" don't win championships? it's her game and athleticism that wins it. - "aging natural talent"? natural talent does not age. Serena is still a force and it has nothing to with age, Federer is and can still be a force and it has nothing to with age. Now if Serena loses in the 1st round of Wimbledon and US Open (her game is weened on those surfaces) then I would be concerned. All it comes down to is both (Federer & Serena) lowering their errors and keep their serve together they can still give beat downs & win championships and it has nothing to do with age.
5 Days ago

vikki good

I can't believe you guys are still talking about this crap. Do you really expect for Serena to keep winning majors this late in her career. I say she will win 2 maybe 3 more majors on the downslope of her career. Go tell Roger to win another major. I don't see you guys talking about that. Serena is a dangerous threat whether she wins another major or not. She has the good to take people off their throne (Maria). Sorry guys, but Maria won't be #1 for much longer because Azarenka has no love for her and wants her place back at #1 and she will get it to. Maria got real lucky at the French, that's all there is to it. Did she even play anybody worth while? I don't know, i forgot. You see, when you can't remember a good match you tend to forget, however, you guys all remember Serena first round loss. Go figure.
5 Days ago

fiord7

and if that is all serena wins two or three more that is all she needs to push her to 15 and that is good enough. but you know what when she gets there she may want 3 more to get up to 18. if it were not for that lung embolism she would be already at 16. you guys forget she just came back at last year us open. the story is still being written.
5 Days ago

Charmbar

I am still waiting on Djokovic fine for breaking/shattering the sponsor's chair he sits on with his racket. Heck was he even fined for racket abuse? If we all are honest with ourselves and take off our biased, hateful, hypocritical glasses we would see had Serena done what Djoker did she would have been ostracized, fined, accused of continuing to ruin the sport and these boards would be off the chain with all the disgusting comments about her and her family. All the unsportsmanlike things Djokovic has done earlier (up to 2010) in his career are all forgiven now that he had a good one year (2011). Serena not so much.
5 Days ago

vikki good

you comment is right on the money. Azarenka never even gets warned when she attempts to smash a racket. She can't even do that right.
5 Days ago

MzDolphin

Exactly. Remember in that infamous US Open, it was the warning for racket abuse in which Serena merely bounced, didn't even abuse, her racket that set up the default on the foot vault.
5 Days ago

joepah51

Serena will have to prove herself at W. Losing to a struggling Razzano isn't going to intimidate anyone. And AO wasn't too impressive for her So W is her chance to get back in the competition, and set the standard for Olympics and USO
6 Days ago

Charmbar

She doesn't need to prove anything to anyone anymore. She's done that enough through her career. Whatever she wants to do here on out in her career is up to her.
5 Days ago

calivikegal

Serena leads the head to head against Sharapova...when is the last time she has beaten her? Garber is so anti-american. Who else will carry the American torch? Mchale? King? Stephens? As far as I know, Maria Sharapova is Russian, and not an American. How about trying to support your country or become a Russian citizen.
6 Days ago

gsquirrel88

Nadal's only loss at the French did not come against Novak in the final. It was against Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009. If Nadal's only loss had come in a final, his total career french open games played would be a multiple of seven, not 53 games.
6 Days ago

jil888

Serena loves a comeback and as one of her fans I will be rooting her on. I think Wimbledon is just the right place for her to make a run at the final.
6 Days ago