US Open 2014: MOTD Day 5 Fri 29/08/2014

Matches for the day. Clash of the seeds has started . so now the points will be adjusted if required.

1. Sara Errani (ITA) [27]
vs.
Venus Williams (USA) [33]


2. Bernard Tomic (AUS) [33]
vs.
David Ferrer (ESP) [4]


3. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [7]
vs.
Dudi Sela (ISR) [33]


4. Tomas Berdych (CZE) [6]
vs.
Martin Klizan (SVK) [33]


5. Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [33]
vs.
Kevin Anderson (RSA) [18]


6. Dominic Thiem (AUT) [33]
vs.
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) [11]


7. Ivo Karlovic (CRO) [25]
vs.
Marcel Granollers (ESP) [33]




My picks:


1. Venus Williams
2. Ferrer
3. Sela
4. Klizan
5. Anderson
6. Gulbis
7. Karlovic

Venus Williams (USA) [33]

David Ferrer (ESP) [4]

Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [7]

 Tomas Berdych (CZE) [6]

Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [33]

Ernests Gulbis (LAT) [11]

Ivo Karlovic (CRO) [25]

Williams
Ferrer
Dimitrov
Berdych
Anderson
Thiem
Karlovic

Look forward to seeing mentor vs the apprentice, Gulbis-Thiem.
Sela-Dimi should be fun, too.

My picks:

1. Venus Williams (USA) [33]

2. David Ferrer (ESP) [4]

3. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [7]

4. Tomas Berdych (CZE) [6]

5. Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [33]

6. Dominic Thiem (AUT) [33]

7. Ivo Karlovic (CRO) [25]

Errani
Ferrer
Dimi
Klizan
Janowicz
Gulbis
Granollers

Yesterday no luck at all and good that I don't bet.  

1. Venus Williams (USA) [33]

2. David Ferrer (ESP) [4]

3. Dudi Sela (ISR) [33] - high risk, high reward strategy which so far didn't pay off

4. Martin Klizan (SVK) [33] - continued, though Berdych looked rather dangerous, haven't seen Klizan in the tournament so far

5. Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [33]

6. Ernests Gulbis (LAT) [11]

7. Ivo Karlovic (CRO) [25]

1. Venus Williams (USA) [33]


2. David Ferrer (ESP) [4]


3. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [7]


4. Tomas Berdych (CZE) [6]

5. Kevin Anderson (RSA) [18]


6. Ernests Gulbis (LAT) [11]


7. Ivo Karlovic (CRO) [25]

Just noticed a super match in the order of play:
On court 11, Fognini-Mannarino...what a contrast of tempers...should be really good!

Errani bagels Venus

....but looks like Venus is about to return the favour!

Just had a look at live scores and spotted Goffin!
A break up against Sousa, R2...he's done so well as he must've played qualies, too.
I know he had a decent unbeaten streak ended by JJ last week, he must be playing really well again. Would be great to see him in R3.

Not easy to make such a good comeback after a long break from this cut-throat competition.

Gulbis-Thiem starting.
Anyone got a decent stream?
All three I have showing women's matches

I use that....it's usually quite good.

http://www.drakulastream.eu/tennis-live-streaming-video.html

Next round Dimi v Goffin...should be a great match!

Thanks , T!!!
Yes, Goffin seems to be in great form, just hope he can survive physically.

Impressive from Goffin! Bare haps for him
It's annoying that a lot of my fave players or players I like and want to go deep are playing each other so early

Ernie-Thiem looking interesting&strange.

Both are natural attackers but playing extremely safely atm, rallying like there's no tomorrow.
Gulbis looks cooked.

Serving in a crucial, long game at 3:3 in the 4th. First serve gone.His FH looking more "organic" than ever!
Come on Earnie !!!

I really do feel that his FH is weaker than before especially compared to his bh which is up there with the best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de0_gYAQ2eI His evolution over the years on that side.

I like Earnie's tennis philosophy and his FH is a part of it. But yes, it did look better before.
When I saw him in Boodles, tbh, I didn't even notice the other hand that much.
He wasn't striking the ball cleanly that often but when he did - it was brilliant.
Like all attackers, it takes him a while to get going.
I like him a lot.

Thiem just took the match to the 5th set, looks like Earnie's injured

This could go away fast
Gulby always has a chance to gain in slams as his slam record is so poor.

luvsports! wrote:I really do feel that his FH is weaker than before especially compared to his bh which is up there with the best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de0_gYAQ2eI His evolution over the years on that side.

Well looks like with his better FH then he was losing more matches than now...according to your link. Difficult to say in these clips as the show the good points but not the UEs.

Bottom line he has a weird FH technique....and that is in my view the main reason why he is not a more regular top player.

Gulbis was clearly hampered. Otherwise he woudl have won in 3. Still needs to work on his FH.

If you just watch his matches, it breaks down a lot more than the BH and for me doesn't get as much power on it as he used to.

noleisthebest wrote:Anyone got a decent stream?

Here in the US you can get live streams straight from the USO site.  I am guessing that will not work in UK?

I was thinking it was almost Federer o'clock as I was getting home but I see I was mistaken.  I have a dinner appointment later, so I will likely miss Roger altogether.   to him, anyway.

They certainly don't work over here in Europe due to TV rights.

I will check those USO links on Monday though as I am flying to Chicago and Dallas the next 10 days.

It looks like Granollers and Karlovic have gone three sets without a break of serve?

Tenez wrote:They certainly don't work over here in Europe due to TV rights.

I will check those USO links on Monday though as I am flying to  Chicago and Dallas the next 10 days.

They should work here.  www.espn3.com also streams USO.  Both sites are fully legit.

Not sure if either of those links will work on the weekends or maybe they will be blacked out while regular TV is showing matches.

I am more likely to watch tennis from the hotel room tv anyway. I find it difficult to follow tennis in the US channels anyway as you have always plenty of breaks and information on all corners of the TV while the match is going on. Always things distracting form the game....I guess one gets used to it.

Tenez wrote:information on all corners of the TV while the match is going on.

I hate that too - especially the ticker tape that they like to run at the bottom of the screen with headlines from other matches.  That keeps moving so I find it very hard to ignore.

It looks like Karlovic broke Granollers's serve midway through the 4th set - the first break of the match.

I have just woken up....as per my good old tried and tested sofa tradition!
And Berd is still going...
Earnie lit
Mannarino through

To my wobbly memory, Granollers had a break of serve in the second set...but still managed to lose it!

summerblues wrote:

Tenez wrote:information on all corners of the TV while the match is going on.

I hate that too - especially the ticker tape that they like to run at the bottom of the screen with headlines from other matches.  That keeps moving so I find it very hard to ignore.

That's what I meant. Watching Wimbledon on the BBC is quite a nice experience in comparison...even if it's newcastle commentating.

Tenez wrote:They certainly don't work over here in Europe due to TV rights.

I will check those USO links on Monday though as I am flying to  Chicago and Dallas the next 10 days.

How long are you staying?

summerblues wrote:
They should work here.  www.espn3.com also streams USO.  Both sites are fully legit.

Not sure if either of those links will work on the weekends or maybe they will be blacked out while regular TV is showing matches.

I can't see any tennis there just American "football".

Go Granollers!  

I do like our prediction game, but the other day I loathed myself for cheering JJ against Lajovic.
Don't know how to find "balance" there at all ...any tips?

noleisthebest wrote:I can't see any tennis there just American "football".

espn3? I am surprised you can see anything there. I thought that was only available in the US.

Tenez wrote:Watching Wimbledon on the BBC is quite a nice experience in comparison...even if it's newcastle commentating.

Tomorrow I am going to watch live, so that should be an even nicer experience

Lucky you!
We are expecting a full report and cheering for Nole, of course

summerblues wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:I can't see any tennis there just American "football".

espn3?  I am surprised you can see anything there.  I thought that was only available in the US.

I only clicked on the link which advertises the channel, can't see word "tennis" anywhere.
You are so spoilt in the US.
we only get decent coverage for Wimbledon and RG.

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:They certainly don't work over here in Europe due to TV rights.

I will check those USO links on Monday though as I am flying to  Chicago and Dallas the next 10 days.

How long are you staying?

Flying back on the 10th in the evening.

Oh...

noleisthebest wrote:You are so spoilt in the US.

Yes, but I think that is partly because tennis is not very popular here anymore.  Live streaming sites are less likely to show events which are popular (presumably because the TV channel that owns the rights to them does not want to leak revenue).

But that works fine for me, I am not complaining

summerblues wrote:

Tenez wrote:Watching Wimbledon on the BBC is quite a nice experience in comparison...even if it's newcastle commentating.

Tomorrow I am going to watch live, so that should be an even nicer experience

Yes, good on you. The atmosphere there is most likely quite unique .

noleisthebest wrote:Lucky you!
We are expecting a full report and cheering for Nole, of course

I only have grounds pass so will not be able to see Nole.  But that is ok with me as I have seen him before and tomorrow I can watch Murray whom I had never seen live before.

Last year I bought the ticket to the Ashe stadium and then I was kicking myself as the matches there were so one-sided that I never even stepped inside the stadium.  So I decided to waste less money this year.  I prefer watching a competitive match between two lower seeds (what you can get in Round 3) to seeing Djokonator maul some hapless soul.  Murray's match could be more competitive as his form has been patchy.

Tenez wrote:Yes, good on you. The atmosphere there is most likely quite unique .

I do like the atmosphere the middle weekend - very festive.

I do not know if it is unique because I had never been to any other slam, so have nothing to compare against

Anyway, have to run to my dinner so I will leave Fed in your and Nitb's caring hands.

Looks like we are finally going to have some good matches in the next round...
Goffin- Dimitrov
Monfils-Gasquet...amd that's about it!
This USO hasn't taken off yet, really almost feels like Memphis, still!

noleisthebest wrote:Looks like we are finally going to have some good matches in the next round...
Goffin- Dimitrov
Monfils-Gasquet...amd that's about it!
This USO hasn't taken off yet, really almost feels like Memphis, still!

Still Winston Salem!

summerblues wrote:
I only have grounds pass so will not be able to see Nole.  But that is ok with me as I have seen him before and tomorrow I can watch Murray whom I had never seen live before.
Last year I bought the ticket to the Ashe stadium and then I was kicking myself as the matches there were so one-sided that I never even stepped inside the stadium.  So I decided to waste less money this year.  I prefer watching a competitive match between two lower seeds (what you can get in Round 3) to seeing Djokonator maul some hapless soul.  Murray's match could be more competitive as his form has been patchy.

Murray looks better live than on TV.
Yes, ground pass is the thing to do these days...such fun in Wimbledon, though I wish I could've seen Fed-Stan  on CC this year...watched a bit of it on Henman Hill instead.
Tickets are horrid for show courts in Wimbledon.
I paid through the nose for C1 this year and barely saw anything due to rain...thankfully managed to schmooze in and see entire Nole-Tsonga from row 3, that was brilliant!
At least in USO you can get the tickets online...I heard it's even legal to get them from touts so long as it's 100m away from the grounds...

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Looks like we are finally going to have some good matches in the next round...
Goffin- Dimitrov
Monfils-Gasquet...amd that's about it!
This USO hasn't taken off yet, really almost feels like Memphis, still!

Still Winston Salem!

It is!
Do you remember how good Toronto was from day one?
I even commented on it from that wonderfulbalcony on holiday...I can't believe it was only 2 weeks ago!

noleisthebest wrote:
First Murray-Kyrgios, then Nole-Monfils!

Order of play is full of good matches in fact, these 1000 masters are pretty good like that as they cut out the first two rounds of slams and you get instant first-class matches from the word go.