Australian Open 2023

walshb · 27-01-2023 2:27pm

FFS, where are the male tennis talents? Nole must be 50 at this stage and still 5-1 on to win title number 10 at Melbourne.. joke.

Girly Gal · 27-01-2023 5:14pm

Men's tennis is probably at its lowest ebb in a very long time, it would be good for men's tennis if Tsitsipas won, but, doubt that will happen. It's a damning indictment that barring injury, Djokovic and Nadal are likely to share the first 3 slams of the season, with Alcaraz looking likely to be the only serious challenger.

Hoping Rybakina wins, as she didn't get any credit for winning Wimbledon last year and has been virtually ignored since.

Royale with Cheese · 27-01-2023 5:24pm

Djokovic will win easily on Sunday, he'll win Wimbledon at a canter. If Nadal can get fully fit then I'd have him favourite at Roland Garros but if not then it's Djokovic winning that one again. Alcaraz has a shot on the hard courts, a real shame he's missing at this tournament as his presence is badly needed.

yerwanthere123 · 27-01-2023 5:59pm

It is a real shame Alcaraz couldn't partake, genuinely think he's good enough to challenge Djokovic in Melbourne. Hopefully he's back soon.

yerwanthere123 · 28-01-2023 1:48am

It's a really interesting matchup later this morning and I'm really looking forward to it.

Rybakina is the favourite but is surprisingly 0-3 against Sabalenka. I don't think Rybakina will be bothered by that, one of the wins was in 2019 when her talents were still in chrysalis, and she's a much better player now than in 2021 when the other two meetings took place.

Rybakina has the experience of a grand slam final and she's already taken down the dominant world #1. This is totally unchartered territory for Sabalenka, someone who a lot wondered would ever break through at grand slam level after so many early career flops. As recently as Wimbledon 2021 she'd never even made a QF.

I think I want Rybakina to win, it would be a super way to back up the Wimbledon title a lot assumed would be the sole grand slam of her career. She's been treated disgracefully since winning Wimbledon, plus I'd like the solidity that the last four slams being won by two players would offer.

I'd equally be happy for Sabalenka to win, she's a consistent year-round force and clearly has the talent to merit a slam title. Also, it'd be a nice response to the Wimbledon debacle.

Hoping it's a great match, the last two women's finals in Melbourne were duds.

Prediction? Rybakina in three.

Furze99 · 28-01-2023 11:13am

Not inclined to follow this year at all. When you have a Russian (now Kazak) playing a Belarussian for a trophy and the Serbian nationalist pro Russian antics of yer mans camp - professional tennis has lost it's moral compass for me in the present circumstances. Propaganda puppetry.

yerwanthere123 · 28-01-2023 11:20am

Who's winning now? Feels like a coin flip. Rybakina's serve wasn't quite as potent in the second set, think a lot will depend on whether she finds it again.

Will be interesting to see how they'll gloss over Sabalenka being from Belarus if she does win though. There'd usually be a reference to "everyone watching back home" or something like that.

Itssoeasy · 28-01-2023 11:32am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120168486#Comment_120168486

Thats why I want Rybakina to win because after her winning Wimbledon and not getting the points I felt that wasn’t fair on her, and as you say it’s as if she didn’t win, yet we all saw it.

Itssoeasy · 28-01-2023 11:54am

Sabalenka goes up 4-3 in the final set.

Itssoeasy · 28-01-2023 12:01pm

5-3 15-15 in the final set.

Itssoeasy · 28-01-2023 12:04pm

5-4 Sabalenka. She’ll be serving for the Australian open title, so let’s see if she can hold her nerve.

Itssoeasy · 28-01-2023 12:15pm

And she does win on the fourth championship point.

yerwanthere123 · 28-01-2023 12:15pm

A nervy service game, but she got over the line. Delighted for Sabalenka!

squidgainz · 28-01-2023 12:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120169057#Comment_120169057

She was fully aware there'd be no ranking points , didn't have to play.

Robert Nairac · 28-01-2023 1:17pm

It was one of the best womens matches I have seen.

Girly Gal · 28-01-2023 1:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120169212#Comment_120169212

That's not the point, she has virtually been ignored and given little credit for winning Wimbledon, if Ons Jabeur had won that final she would have been rightly lauded for it, Rybakina deserved the same. Getting to the AO final backs up her Wimbledon win, it shows she isn't a flash in pan

HeidiHeidi · 28-01-2023 4:03pm

Just finished watching the game - what a great match!

A proper ding-dong battle from start to finish, right up to the last point i wouldn't have bet on who would win in the end - it's a testament to the standard of play that I barely even notice the shrieking and howling by Sabalenka, which usually sends me reaching for the remote.

A fantastic final, which I suspect the men will struggle to rival!

yerwanthere123 · 29-01-2023 3:39am

Is there any conceivable chance Tsitsipas actually wins the final? I think he's got the talent but not the mental strength to get over the line.

Djoko leads the h2h 10-2 and won their last nine consecutive matches. Plus he's already beaten Tsistipas in a grand slam final, and in the most mentally damaging way possible. Even if Tsitsipas were to win the first two sets again the lingering doubt from RG21 would no doubt present itself. On the flip side, Tsitsipas is by far the toughest opposition Djoko has faced so far, but I dunno... this match feels like a formality.

tiegan · 29-01-2023 8:15am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120172042#Comment_120172042

Oh I do hope so!! But you're right it does feel like a formality. Been the most disappointing men's grand slam ever - Djoko playing at another level compared to the rest of them, I feel somewhat guilty that I root for his oppo every chance I get🤔 - as someone mentioned earlier the two Murray matches were the standouts of the tournament for me.

HeidiHeidi · 29-01-2023 10:09am

Oh dear......

This is not going to end well. And I fear it's going to end awfully quickly.

dominatinMC · 29-01-2023 10:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120172042#Comment_120172042

Short answer is no.

Whilst Tsitsipas has plenty of talent, he also has a lot of weaknesses in his game. BH is prone to errors and his return is poor. Djokovic will expose them all day long, and win in straights

Floppybits · 29-01-2023 10:46am

No chance for Tsitsipas in this match. No strapping on Djokovics hamstring either. This will be done in 3. Djokovic is practically untouchable at the moment and shows no signs of slowing down either.

walshb · 29-01-2023 10:53am

Won’t win if he cannot put points to bed!!!

walshb · 29-01-2023 11:26am

Useless sh1tes these young lads.

Floppybits · 29-01-2023 11:33am

No way back for Tsitsipas now.

yerwanthere123 · 29-01-2023 11:39am

Tsitsipas played his set point horribly, slotting the ball back into court hoping to draw an error. Was never going happen, and here we are.

walshb · 29-01-2023 11:46am

My god what a drop shot

walshb · 29-01-2023 11:47am

Tsitsipas needs to absolutely ram home his break here and go win his 5 service games.

josip · 29-01-2023 12:42pm

22. It's been a very enjoyable couple of weeks.

yerwanthere123 · 29-01-2023 12:43pm

We need Alcaraz back asap 😬

Brief_Lives · 29-01-2023 12:49pm

Incredible stuff from Djokovic....

Robert Nairac · 29-01-2023 1:31pm

Can Novak get to 30 grand slams? Overly optimistic?

TomSweeney · 29-01-2023 1:39pm

Absolute phuerking warrior!

10 AO's and 22 overall, the fact of what happened last year makes this extra special for him, to see him crying with his family there - amazing scenes.

Pure fairytale stuff.

Great to see the BBC/guardian and all the vaccine cultists having an utter meltdown over this!!

TomSweeney · 29-01-2023 1:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120173020#Comment_120173020

Nah, 24 max, 1 more Wimbledon and maybe 1 more AO...

yerwanthere123 · 29-01-2023 1:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120173051#Comment_120173051

Who's had a meltdown? Can you link? I haven't seen anything (so far anyway).

Floppybits · 29-01-2023 3:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120173056#Comment_120173056

I don't know. Think he can win the French Open and if the US lift their silly no vax ban he could wind the US Open.

Girly Gal · 29-01-2023 6:07pm

There's very little on the horizon to trouble Djokovic, with possible exception of Alcaraz, the younger guys don't look up to it, most like Tsitsipas, Zverev have failed time and again and Medvedev has disintegrated since last year's AO capitulation. Outside of a fit or nearly fit Nadal at the FO and the USO ban, there's very little challengers to Djokovic at slam level.

walshb · 30-01-2023 8:04am

You’d have to think Nole can win FO and SW19. 24, and possibly U.S. this year as well. The challenges aren’t great.

Girly Gal · 30-01-2023 10:57am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120176085#Comment_120176085

I think you mean the challenges aren't great. The reality is Covid has been his biggest opponent since 2020, it's cost him at least 2, probably 3 slams, ( Wimbledon 2020, AO 22 and possibly USO 22), he might not be able to play USO this year either. It shows how poor the opposition is, outside of a fit Nadal at the FO, Djokovic is an overwhelming favourite at the other slams. For various reasons his USO record is poor in comparison to the other slams, although he'd probably have at least one or two more, but, for his disqualification and Covid. Men's tennis is in a bad state right now, the top 10 is probably as poor as it has been in a long time.

Augme · 30-01-2023 11:18am

At some stage father time will best him, and with these things you just never know when or how quickly that will happen.

dominatinMC · 30-01-2023 11:29am

I still think Alcaraz has a lot more to offer and will be a genuine title contender at all slams (apart from Wimbledon) and M1000s.

josip · 30-01-2023 4:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120173020#Comment_120173020

...

Girly Gal · 30-01-2023 6:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120176608#Comment_120176608

I agree, but, until he beats Djokovic in a slam, I'd always favour Djokovic to win, same for any other player, they need to be able to beat Djokovic or at least believe they can beat Djokovic at slam level. I think Alcaraz is probably the only young player that believes he can beat Djokovic and Nadal in the slams, I think the rest just hope they can or are waiting for the USO where Djokovic (can't play as things stand). Up until this generation, the older guys were retired by the following generation as they knew they could no longer compete against the younger guys. This generation is so poor that Federer did everything he could to get back from injury as he knew that Djokovic and Nadal were the only true opposition he had at slam level. Mentally they are a really poor generation, they are already beaten before the match begins. Djokovic if he stays fit, could be winning slams at 40.

Slashermcguirk · 30-01-2023 7:35pm

Djokovic for me is the greatest there has ever been. His numbers are just ridiculous at this point. If you even go past his grand slam titles, he has more masters series than anyone else, the most ATP finals titles, only player to win every masters series on all surfaces and he has done that twice. He has three wins over Federer in Wimbledon finals, two wins vs Nadal at French Open. On top of that I wouldnt rule out him reaching 400 weeks at world number one. If you actually look at his opponents that he has beaten in his grand slam finals, he has come through arguably the toughest opponents. I might be mistaken but I think he has beaten Federer in 4 slam finals, he has beaten Nadal in 4 finals, Murray in 5 finals and also beat the likes of Del Potro, Thiem, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Berritini and Kyrgios.

Finally, the other big one for me is that he has a winning record against every single rival over so many years (Federer, Nadal, Murray, Medvedev, Wawrinka, Del Potro, Ferrer, Berdych, Tsitsipas, Tsonga and the list goes on). He also has the largest number of wins vs Top 5 and Top 10 players in his career and by quite some distance and the highest winning percentage on tours. He is now just 7 titles shy of 100 ATP titles.

On a separate note, fair play to Tsitsipas on a great tournament, he is an exciting player to watch and he probably would have won against virtually any other opponent.

The Golden Miller · 31-01-2023 1:52am

Tennis in dire straits. There's something wrong when a 35 year old can win at a canter, no matter how good he is. The "next generation" stone useless, which started with that spoofer Zverev. The rest coming behind just as poor. No stand out player, with the bit between their teeth, to really take it to the old gaurd. Pathetic for the most part.

The next truely great player will come along at some point, and themselves wipe the floor with this "next generation". Hope we don't have to wait too long

Robert Nairac · 31-01-2023 12:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120178125#Comment_120178125

Novak has the AO and Wimbledon sewn up for as long as he wants.

squidgainz · 31-01-2023 12:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120180499#Comment_120180499

I think you are doing a disservice to Alcaraz, he was world number 1 and a GS champ at 19 and still is just 19. Your great man Novak didn't manage that. Alcaraz has shown so far he is more than likely the next great player.

HeidiHeidi · 31-01-2023 12:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120181635#Comment_120181635

What exactly is up with Alcaraz? Will he be out for long?

(I dip in and out of the tennis, and have the memory of a goldfish, so can't remember what's happened to him)

squidgainz · 31-01-2023 12:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120181650#Comment_120181650

Some leg muscle injury but from what I read before he was meant to be playing Australia!

dominatinMC · 31-01-2023 2:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120181650#Comment_120181650

Leg injury, but he's back training on the clay at the moment. Not sure if that means he's skipping the sunshine double or not

Australian Open 2023

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