So today, 'Safina and Kuznetsova criticized the court assignments. Kuznetsova was on Court 3, while Safina and former No. 1-ranked players Ivanovic, Mauresmo and Jelena Jankovic were also on smaller courts.

“Of course it’s not fair,” Safina said. “Hopefully next match I’ll play on bigger court.”

“I’m fine to put me wherever they want to me put,” Kuznetsova said in slightly broken English. “They don’t have to put me Centre Court. But with the schedule, this is little bit weird thing. … But, you know, in Wimbledon you have to expect anything.” '

 

Safina has some nerve complaining about court assignments!  As bad as Jankovic last year. Memo to Safina (recycled from last year's memo to Jankovic):  Win a major first, then think about complaining about court assignments at Wimbledon! At least Kuznetsova - who hasn't always embraced or enjoyed the limelight - understands a bit about how Wimbledon works.

 

Do these women think they are going to bump Murray from Centre Court, or Roger Federer, or if Nadal was there, from Centre Court?  I mean Venus played a match on Court 1 - which there should be nothing wrong with. And Venus is a 5-time champ! And Safina hoping she gets on a bigger court next time?  Perfect, a great opportunity to showcase what's wrong with the current state of the women's game, and it's no. 1 player!

 

I loved the comment that "former no. 1 Ivanovic" was somehow dissed because she was on a smaller court. Never has there been a no. 1 player (and it's shocking a year ago she was #1) who has fallen so hard and fast after reaching that pinnacle.  Did she or anyone think Wimbledon was going to put 13th seeded Ivanovic against Sara Errani on a show court?

 

Apart from the screaching issue, no one is paying attention to the women's side of the draw. And they're complaining about court assignments!  

All points right on.

 Maybe the jealousy stems from the fact that the young and beautifuls, Sharapova and Dulko, were provided with a greater showcase?  Who can get excited about a new choker, a former and notorious choker, or last year's biggest choker?  All those chokers should do what they do best .....

Missing out on a center court assignment should motivate them to stay in the tournament.  I hope Venus and Serena silence all three.

I wonder how much of that was superstition. You know the deal-- the whole reputation of some courts as 'graveyard courts' where former champions bow out to younger players. It is possible that some of these players are assigning reputations of other courts as significant in their mind, and so their superstitions are coming to light because they have been assigned some court where former champions played their last games.

And that would be such cr*pola.

I have NO superstitions in my life whatsofreaking EVER. There is no bad luck or good luck. There ARE circumstances, preparation, unforeseen events, and intangibles. There is COINCIDENCE. But there is no such thing as luck, or kharma and destiny and all that junk; those are concepts of MAN, and any concept of man that can not be proven to exist should be suspect from the start. Exactly as Sagan once said-- the universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human ambition.

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Carl_Sagan

Go out there and play the match. Control what you can control. Eat the kind of meal that you know your stomach can handle. Sleep in a cool, dark, and quiet environment. Relax and try to relax some more.

Some of them complaining is much ado about nothing and probably the result of nerves.

You get the feeling that since this tournament is the pinnacle of tennis that it takes on a larger importance than it might be due.

And the brits get that honour-- we're out here as long as the grass holds out, running around in our underwear in hi definition, and by the way thanks for building a roof so we can actually get thru the 'fort night' without space shuttle length delays. Contents may settle some during shipment, and all of that.

I thought it was cool that Mary Joe Fernandez was obviously very happy for Melanie Oudin's win. Mary Joe was always talking about the concept of being 'match tough' because you have played hard and played often. The value of playing often comes around when the pressure is on. Oudin's Fed Cup experience came into play today, and....(?)  SHE came to play as well. Jesse got a win and advances; he's gotta be on cloud nine about right now.

One thing that I can say is that Wimbledon tennis in high definition is stunningly COOL. Bondarenko's white bloomers rode up and when the winds blew her skirt up? I partially recovered from the jolt that the reptilian nervous system sent to the mammalian brain, proceded to take my high blood pressure medication, wrote the monthly check to Comcast with a smile on my face,

and then CAREFULLY re-adjusted the colour on the 46 plasma with all due apparent masculine bravado and lust!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Just for the women on the WTA tour? Never have so many owed so much to so few. Yes, you ladies DO LOOK GREAT in white.

Dontcha know there are some ESPN camera guys [using Sony high definition cameras] that are saying to themselves

I LOVE MY JOB!   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpkVt9XTdtg

 

 

 

 

---

Carpe Diem, my friend... all the way to the end:
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/d496d2b51c19e1cd5b

The ball does not know what court it is on, or who lost to whom in 1936.

I have the luxury of not believing that when I die I will be sitting around on some cloud listening to angels play harps.

Well Dinara got her wish. She was playing on Centre Court.  In the #1 tournament in the world, Wimbledon, she was playing on the #1 court in the whole world, Centre Court. As the no. 1 seed. And the no. 1 ranked woman in the world.  And she got 1 game.  1 must be her favorite number!

 

I'll just quote the TV commentators:

 

In the QF match between Safina-Lisicki, "Mercifully we're at match point."

Today's semi: "Embarassing"

 

Kuznetsova flamed out of another major. So did recent former #1s Jankovic and Ivanovic. Sharapova is in the wilderness right now.

 

And the only young teen making noise these days is Michele Larcher de Brito. And the noise she is making isn't coming from her results on tour. It's from her grunting. 

 

Women's pro tennis in 2009!

 

PS - don't let me say I told you so, but, the women don't deserve equal prize money at the majors! 

With regards to equal prize money, the women should give some of it back. I don't care what BJK says - they are not worth it!