Austadiums Forum

Thought it was time to start a thread for my favourite sport.
And I'm especially excited this year, seeing as I've secured myself a media pass to the Australian Open!

So...

Hopman Cup: Alicia opens her account with a good win; Serena finally arrives in the country; Djokovic and Jankovic both appear to be hampered by problems that plagued them at the end of last season.

Adelaide: Gasquet pulls out with injury; Ancic pulls out with illness that will see him inactive for two months; Hewitt seems like the favourite for the title (we've all seen a situation like this before...)

Gold Coast: Dellaqua to meet Vaidisova in the first round; Jarmila Gajdsova earns a wildcard into the event.

Sydney: strong field as usual...so when do the withdrawals start...

Melbourne: only really Hrbaty missing from the notable top-100 players.

Hopefully the beginnig of a turnaround in Australia's fortunes. Fingers crossed for some good Fed/Davis Cup efforts. What chance of Hewitt winning a grand slam (let alone Flinders Park) once in his remaining years? Will another male, perhaps the Gooch, make their way up the rankings? How will the Molik/Stosur revival go this year? For the latter, it's not started well.

On a world stage I'm most excited aboutt he ladies singles and the Bryans passing the Woodies.

Finally, can Egan's absence in recent days be explained by a bout of Hopman Cup Fever? He's been known to contract said illness this time of year.

I was at Memorial Drive last year and wish I had a facility like that to watch tennis, facilities, food, ticket prices are infinitely ahead of Burswood. But it was great to see Djokovic and Jankovic in action, Lu for Chinese Taipei was the biggest surprise for me. I was really interested in going, precisely to see the opposition Luczak, Hewitt(who knows) and the Gucc would get. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a tight Davis Cup series. Lu really tested Djokovic, he was good on the baseline, great serve and was competitive. He looked very comfortable and was not overawed by the occasion.

My absence - 4 Sporting events in 3 days plus work. Got to love the Summer festival of Sport...Friday, Saturday and Sunday next week as well.(One is a sh*t sport, so its not pleasurable).

Big article in The West today about Tennis Australia not embracing the Hopman Cup.

Jeffles wrote:Big article in The West today about Tennis Australia not embracing the Hopman Cup.

Perth certainly do...Over 5000 for Chinese Taipei v Serbia when Adelaide battled to get 1000 people to a day at Memorial Drive on a public holiday, with several Australians and Djokovic playing. I suspect that is the reason why the tournament is leaving Adelaide.

Add the enormous media present, which is what keeps the Hopman going.

Hopman Cup officials suspect the national tennis establishment is behind snide references to the Hopman Cup in east-coast newspapers this week as “a WA ego train”, “an overblown sham” and “Frankenstein with a racquet”.

And people wonder why we feel different to the eastern states, with the media that attacks everything we do well. The Hopman Cup in gross attendances is the most successful out of all the tennis tournaments pre Australian Open. The Hopman Cup is seen as ideal preparation because you are guaranteed 3 singles matches.

This Brisbane tournament will grab top players, but there is room for competition as there always has been. Especially when you have Doha and the Middle East in competition with the top players.

Egan wrote:

Jeffles wrote:Big article in The West today about Tennis Australia not embracing the Hopman Cup.

Perth certainly do...Over 5000 for Chinese Taipei v Serbia ,,, Add the enormous media present, which is what keeps the Hopman going.

Hopman Cup officials suspect the national tennis establishment is behind snide references to the Hopman Cup in east-coast newspapers this week as “a WA ego train”, “an overblown sham” and “Frankenstein with a racquet”.

And people wonder why we feel different to the eastern states, with the media that attacks everything we do well. The Hopman Cup in gross attendances is the most successful out of all the tennis tournaments pre Australian Open. The Hopman Cup is seen as ideal preparation because you are guaranteed 3 singles matches. ...

But no-one outside of WA (whose isolation is apparent when they actually turn up to watch this tennis version of twenty 20) takes any notice of it, because everyone with a bit of tennis knowledge knows that's its just a bit of meaningless hit'n'giggle naffiness played at half pace, with no-one getting out of first gear (since when has mixed doubles ever been taken seriously anywhere - its never more than just a bit of fun). They pay appearance fees to get a couple of players we've heard of, but the remaining participants are little more than no-names when it comes to the grand slam tournies. The Hopman Cup is seen as useless preparation for the Open because the standard is ... utter rubbish.

As for the real tennis - I'll be checking the junior results to see how Tomic goes - said to be the next (and at this stage only) big thing in Australian tennis - but he's sill only aged 15.

I am guessing the folk of Perth have a lot in common with those of Dusseldorf Germany, who also have a similar style tournament to the Hopman Cup.

Crowds win out at the end of the day. Look at the players this year and remember it is not about the very best or the very worst, about getting competitive teams, getting a variety of countries.

Juan Ignacio Celo, Marat Safin, James Blake, Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer, Martina Hingis, Serena Williams.

The crowd tells the story, to disregard the event (which I think is something necessary and is a good build up tournament) would be ludicrous, especially as the crowds in Perth are the most consistent and the format and the cup are particularly thought of in good esteem.

Regardless of whether the people in the east think it is equivalent to the sh*t that should not be spoken about...

There is a lot to like about the Hopman Cup. I like watching mixed doubles and I like the idea of players representing their country.

Early 1990s Hopman Cup was quite good to watch. You had loads of top 20 players. Germany would be represented in combinations of Becker/Stich with Graf/Huber. Today, the field is not as good but it's being talked about like it's the fifth slam. Sure the crowds are good but that doesn't mean the event is good. All we want is a bit of proportionality.

Next subject, heat rule. I'm with Hewitt. If you can't take it, too bad.

sandyhill wrote:But no-one outside of WA (whose isolation is apparent when they actually turn up to watch this tennis version of twenty 20) takes any notice of it,

That's most definitely not true, have a look at CNN, BBC, ESPN sportscentre and no doubt other world sport shows - all report on the progress of the Hopman Cup, whereas other tournaments get very little coverage in comparison, maybe a quick mention if a notable player had a good or bad day.
Why that is I don't know as I tend to agree with what you said next.

because everyone with a bit of tennis knowledge knows that's its just a bit of meaningless hit'n'giggle naffiness played at half pace, with no-one getting out of first gear (since when has mixed doubles ever been taken seriously anywhere - its never more than just a bit of fun). They pay appearance fees to get a couple of players we've heard of, but the remaining participants are little more than no-names when it comes to the grand slam tournies. The Hopman Cup is seen as useless preparation for the Open because the standard is ... utter rubbish.

Today, the field is not as good but it's being talked about like it's the fifth slam. Sure the crowds are good but that doesn't mean the event is good. All we want is a bit of proportionality.

The media coverage in Perth deserves a Slam billing. It is broadcast all over the world and is without doubt the biggest international sporting event in Perth, even the Test Match.

Sure it is not the best tennis tournament, but the aspect is that it should not be thought of as a nothing tournament. When the end of the day, commerically and financially it is a very successful tournament.

Got my AO media accreditation pass today.

Meanwhile, great news for NZ tennis with Marina Erakovic knocking out the ASB Classic number 1 seed, Vera Zvonareva on her way to the semi-finals.

Entirely possible she could be playing in the final against Lindsay Davenport.

Haha

Looks like we've lost all the posts where I gloat about my free media seats and going to press conferences and sharing lifts with tennis players and having articles read by millions of people around the world and watching the men's final from the commentary bunker and having a hit on Rod Laver Arena at 4:30am after the men's final!

Well, that just about sums it all up

Finally I get to talk about the Davis Cup tie in Kaohsiung.

It started on the morning of the 12th, waking up early from our hotel to get the train from Taipei Main Station to a suburb just north of the CBD. We took the High Speed Rail from Taipei to Kaohsiung, which went 285 km/h. We took the shuttle bus, although we went on the wrong one, so it was just a scenic tour. We then went on the right one and this guy told us to get off here, I then said we would get off at the next one. We began talking and eventually convinced him to come with us before the tie started at 1:30pm.

He interpreted for us in the hotel and then proceeded to walk into the city for some lunch (cheap, like everything in Asia) and then took a taxi to the tennis venue (again cheap).

7/11 in Taiwan are freaking awesome, the food is amazingly good. So we got supplies at 7/11.

For the next three days, I enjoyed thoroughly watching Davis Cup Tennis. It is SOOOO much better then normal tennis. However I have got an infinite hatred of Waz and the Fanatics and how they are so engrained into Tennis Australia. Paul Handley for the most disgraceful piece of unsportsmanlike behaviour I HAVE EVER seen.

Kaohsiung is so different to Taipei, it has Indonesian district, Burritos in the night market and far less modern. Taipei is incredible with cheap and fast metro rail.

But Taiwan is worth the visit for - food. Strongly suggest the YOMI Hotel in Taipee the biggest TV, three beds, Dove soap for $100 AUD a night.

Anyhow will get some photos eventually of the tennis and other photos of the area's I have visited, when I tell Matt the site is up.

Casey Dellacqua into the 4th round at Indian Wells after a walkover. Still a good effort from her.

Looking forward to seeing the Townsville Ent Cent host the Davis Cup.