Sam Stosur! US Open.

[our obsession]

Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy

Oi Oi Oi!!!!!

Go Sam, well done mate. Cool Sam. Straight sets.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/grand-sam-stosur-wins-us-open-20110912-1k4r6.html

Samantha Stosur has won Australia's first grand slam in a decade, emphatically taking down Serena Williams 6-2, 6-3 in 1 hour and 23 minutes.

 

[dwv]

Well done, Sam! The years of hard work paid off, finally! I hope this brings tennis back to the lime light and encourage most of the kids to take up tennis. The sport really needs a boost in this country.

 

[MarkB]

Yeah, I wondered if she could overcome the dissapointment of last years final at Roland Garros. It doesn't get much better than beating a Williams sister at Flushing Meadow though.

Next stop the Aussie Open (no pressure, Sam). Of all the players she arguably has the best chance of being match fit that time of year (and acclimatised to the Australian summer) and the surface (Plexicushion Prestige) is (apparently) quite similar to the Deco Turf used at the US Open.

 

[Telejazzer]

Well done to Sam. Was driving when I heard the news. Very proud of her indeed!

 

[depreciator]

It's bad news for me. I play tennis in a local comp on Monday nights. There are three or four women there who have an annoying habit of beating me, despite me telling them before every match that they really should take into account the fragility of the male ego. I'd say tonight they'll be so inspired that I'll be in for a real flogging.
Scott

 

[The Fence]

I am lucky to have watched the whole match this morning and a better display of tennis talent and decorum will not be found in a long time...by Sam that is.

I was cheering, nervous, angry(at Williams's antics), motivated, and now very happy for Sam.

She absolutely smashed Williams who had to resort to terrible cheating tactics yelling out before she hit the ball then had the audacity to claim she was the 'victim'...???? her own (US) crowd bood the hell out of her at the time and rightly so.

Sam is a champion who kept cool and showed us she will be in the mix for a few years now.

I am a very proud Aussie and very very proud of Sam Stosur!!

 

[Aaron_C]

I am lucky to have watched the whole match this morning and a better display of tennis talent and decorum will not be found in a long time...by Sam that is.

I was cheering, nervous, angry(at Williams's antics), motivated, and now very happy for Sam.

She absolutely smashed Williams who had to resort to terrible cheating tactics yelling out before she hit the ball then had the audacity to claim she was the 'victim'...???? her own (US) crowd bood the hell out of her at the time and rightly so.

Sam is a champion who kept cool and showed us she will be in the mix for a few years now.

I am a very proud Aussie and very very proud of Sam Stosur!!

Williams is disgusting. I'm so glad she lost, what a terrible human being.

 

[MarkB]

Williams is disgusting. I'm so glad she lost, what a terrible human being.

I missed the game the game (and hence Serena's antics), but to call her "a terrible human being" is a bit ott imo. Serena has built a school in Kenya, raised millions for Breast Cancer, and taken part in a charity tournament to assist Haiti earthquake victims.

Yes she has been known to throw raquets, challenge calls, talk smack to umpires, and generally get a bit hot under the collar (not that she wears collars). Well, in her defence she is ultra-competitive (and ultra-succesful) and was playing the final of the US Open in New York on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 (no pressure for US pride on a day of national mourning, Serena).

At the post match conference, she openly admitted that Sam outplayed her.

 

[Aaron_C]

I missed the game the game (and hence Serena's antics), but to call her "a terrible human being" is a bit ott imo. Serena has built a school in Kenya, raised millions for Breast Cancer, and taken part in a charity tournament to assist Haiti earthquake victims.

So do many other people. Doesn't make her behaviour any more excusable.

 

[MarkB]

Terrible human beings don't go out of their way to help others.

Not in my experience or opinion anyway.

 

[Aaron_C]

Terrible human beings don't go out of their way to help others.

Not in my experience or opinion anyway.

Yes they do. The real money in elite sports like Grand Slam Tennis is the endorsements and advertising rather than the actual championship prize money themselves. All these 'charitable' acts are there to boost that PR to maintain sponsorship and brand image for that person. I'm not saying they're not allowed to - but to confuse that with 'going out of their way to help others' is a bit foolish.

 

[MarkB]

Yes they do. The real money in elite sports like Grand Slam Tennis is the endorsements and advertising rather than the actual championship prize money themselves. All these 'charitable' acts are there to boost that PR to maintain sponsorship and brand image for that person. I'm not saying they're not allowed to - but to confuse that with 'going out of their way to help others' is a bit foolish.

So is it just tennis players for whom you reserve this level of cynism and scorn with respect to their charitable activities?

Or does it extend to all sportspeople?

Or even celebrities in general?

 

[Aaron_C]

It's not cynicism - it's just the way the world works. If I was in the position to play sports at that level I would grasp at every opportunity to get those endorsements - I don't think she or any other athlete is any different.

 

[The Fence]

Mark.....try and get a look at the match....Williams openly cheated by yelling out at the top of her lungs BEFORE she hit the ball.....BEFORE !!!

That, and she and all tennis players know it well, is a massive no-no and totally against the rules.

She was getting a hiding by Sam and she resorted to foul tactics (cheating) to stem Sams momentum.

And then had the audacity to blow up the referee who was doing their job penalising her the point. Sam did not say a word.

That is disgusting behaviour from Williams, and does not in any way relate to her charitable activities.

Watch the match and judge for yourself please....

 

[random]

Really cool , not because it's an Aussie I just really like Sam.
She works that hard , you can see that , really deserves it.

And hey , Williams no less , nice one !

Cheers

 

[MarkB]

I've since seen the incident, and it was very unsporting, but I still would hardly categorise Serena Williams as "a terrible human being".

Stalin was a terrible human being.
Hitler was a terrible human being.
Charles Manson is a terrible human being.
Serena Williams isn't.

It was a game of tennis - Serena broke the rules and had a dummy spit - put it in perspective people. She didn't physically harm, mame, or kill anyone.

 

[dwv]

A bit of an off-topic.

Federer’s in town to play Davis Cup this weekend!

The only thing that irritates me is that they’re not playing at the Olympic park where the “masses” can watch. They’ll have it at the Royal Sydney Golf Club at Rose Bay to play on grass courts (to give them advantage apparently… with RF playing I don’t think they’ll get one). Yes, free shuttle buses are provided from Bondi Junction but it still feels inaccessible especially to most of us living in the west. And they’re wondering why the popularity of tennis is waning here in Australia? This was their chance to boost it especially after Sam Stosur’s win in the US Open and Federer playing here… a lot more young kids could have been inspired! The tie wasn’t even advertised… just saw it in the news yesterday.

Rant off.