Andreescu has superhuman, magical powers

I don’t think Serena would mind. She’d probably take it as a compliment.

It’s nice to hear a woman player come out with some natural language and not just the usual treacly stuff.

If Bianca didn’t know Serena before (and why should she ?) I imagine she does now.

Met both Serena, Venus, as well as many relatives. They are very genuine and nice one on one. On court? Gosh at champions level these folks are no different than Connors, Federer, Lendl, Navratilova…

I’m not saying it’s a war out there in the court, because of course that’s much more serious. But I can say tennis is a gladiator sport. And gladiators do what gladiators do.

For goodness sake, Bianca meant it as a compliment. Does everything have to be taken so literally?

As far as knowing Serena, Bianca said she knows everything about her. She knew that Serena has the same heart tattoo that Bianca has, but Serena’s is on her back. I know a lot about Serena, having read biographies and autobiographies in addition to countless articles and watching dozens of matches. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Bianca is well acquainted with a tennis player who was one of Bianca’s idols when she was young (or in Bianca’s case, younger).

Maybe this is the double standard at work again. Some expectation all wta players are friends and everyone’s lovely and no they play a competitive sport as buddies and go and have Thai food and reminisce with pina coladas afterwards.

Wow. That’s not pro tennis. There should be camaraderie but not everyone gets along (Serena and Wozniacki were friends I think?). Evert is about as forceful as Navratilova out there – she isn’t charitable and she would write op-eds that criticize players. She’d also admit when she was mistaken, which is big of Evert.

But to say these players aren’t critical give me a break. As for Andreescu description gosh, Serena’s so tough on the court! Call her a raging lion! She is!

You don’t win twenty plus slams as a sweet gentle competitor. These players are cap C competitive. From Evert on down.

The ones that aren’t see their rankings dissolve. Check out Bouchard. Competitive fire is extinguished. It went on holiday for half a decade now.

Catherine, must be the double standard. I do think the handshakes at net are more frigid then I tend to see in the ATP tour, but whatever.

The whole sweet niceness thing, ugh. Some players are rumored to be generally very nice and cordial, and reporters say this too – some are better for a quote or interesting to speak with. But to expect competitors to be buddies?

Here’s one – the big three men’s players DO NOT HANG OUT. At all. They attend the same events and share a stage, and that’s it. Maybe play a celebrity doubles or real doubles event together. Nothing more.

Apparently a bunch of top players didn’t like each other until they knew one another a little better and something like mutual respect formed. They have to be really a lot older to be able to look back and think wow we did some great things and have great matches.

That requires a lot of distance and to be removed from active competitor status for a long time. Evert and Navratilova share a stage like you said or maybe a booth to comment on a match. And get along fine there.

Beasts dont cry like babies!. My first thought, seeing no apparent reason for the injury timeout, was she was going to play the Mommy card. Little O, had a cold and she couldnt bear to be away..thats what happens when youre a drama queen..

Last from me on this. Bouchard obviously decided better to be loved than feared. But how’s that really gone for her? Is the social media empire that much better than soaking in the applause at Wimbledon? Was the trade-off worth it?

I bet from the money standpoint yes. The attention side, probably yes. The Kournikova here I come point of view wish I were a better dubs player like you, yes.

But being in the hunt for a world shattering slam title?

In heart of hearts, my guess is “no”. My guess is the attention is a consolation prize and the money is very welcome as Bouchard can rest easy on that front. But I’d guess Bouchard would LOVE to have joined the All England club as a champion.

Who wouldn’t.

Nadal was crying after 2007 Wimbledon final loss! Sobbing! Toni Nadal told him to stop.

Scoop, so true. Tennis warehouse doesn’t sell confidence. It’s a cocktail of many things!

Sorry for blaming Bouchard. I forget how hard she works – she was working very hard to get the mojo back. Things didn’t click as they had, and players had already adjusted to Bouchard’s patterns.

I do take issue with one reporter’s work on Bouchard. They are actually a good reporter (not one of the best tennis writers, but a pretty good reporter overall). The reporter had said maybe Bouchard shouldn’t be so anti practice with WTA players. Once I read it I was shocked because I had just seen Bouchard practice with three or four wta players over a period of two practice sessions.

Bouchard at the time wasn’t playing well, but she was working hard. The reporter may have changed the story published if they had seen Mladenovic celebrating after hitting a serve and unreturnable winner off Bouchard (I’m not used to seeing players celebrating practice points).

Reminds me of another unrelated story. Top hundred pro that practiced against Rio’s, bested Rios easily in a practice set and said I can beat this guy. Played not long thereafter. Guess what?

Lost 6-0, 6-1 or something like that, Rio’s laughing all the way to round two or three or whatever it was.

Scoop, I’ll be gentle on Mladenovic. Yes she was thrilled. But for all I know she hadn’t hit a service winner for weeks before that practice point with Bouchard.

I have no context other than Mladenovic was excited to be hitting a few unreturnable serves. Maybe she was trying out a modified service motion. I wouldn’t know.

I say it because the reporter was knocking Bouchard for “not practicing with WTA players etc etc”. I’m like, about four minutes at the practice court should clear that question up and improve the reporting. It’s easy to get this stuff right.

One thing for Bouchard to say she’s not looking for great friends on tour or any friends among competitors as she had years back. But players all need practice partners and unless they have a dedicated male partner they kind of need each other out there.

Only Giorgi from what I could see refused to play with anyone else. I think McHale was trying to hit with Giorgi but I can’t remember. Giorgi declined.

That was Nadal 12 years ago..20 years old..not 38 years old.

Fed a beast? More like quiet assasin

Funny, Andreescu coach saying she’s among favorites for US Open. The point of saying this – send a memo out to the field? Why?

I always follow Uncle Toni on this stuff. Say you like Nadal’s chances depending on what the draw looks like. Or say if he’s playing like this he’s going to be tough to beat, etc.

I’d never give opponents another reason to beat you. Another reason Nadal, now Federer, preface every match by saying so and so has improved a lot, it will be a good test, they’ll be tough for sure, I expect they will be tough, etc etc. Or my goal is to win Wimbledon but it’s going to be tough etc etc.

Totally different. Not right off the bat, and so early, “she’s one of the favorites.” Everyone reads that and they train twice as hard. Study the tape. Etc.

Yet another reason the big guys are better. They don’t advertise their greatness, and they don’t let their coaches do it either.

Guess they’ll learn the hard way.

Regarding Bianca’s “beast” comment, she was asked in her press conference what she’d said to Serena.

“I started tearing up because she was tearing up. Because I know how she feels. ” (Then a reference to injuries.)

“Girl you are a(expletive, Bianca said she wasn’t going to say it) beast. You are going to bounce back, you’ve dealt with so much in your career. This is just a minor setback for a major comeback I’m sure.”

Monfils v. Tiafoe tomorrow unless Monfils pulls out. Should be a crazed atmosphere.

Giorgi gets crushed again. She has been brutal since D.C.

Yes, agree Hartt, Bouchard a very interesting case study. Settlement or not Bouchard had excellent cash flow, so money is no longer an issue. If it was the only issue, maybe having it, as well as reaching the heights at 3 of 4 slams, for some players that’s a career best and a totally incredible accomplishment. It is.

Bouchard has one career title total, back in 2014. 2014 is also close to her junior days, within 600 plus days, so whatever drive she had as a junior and thirst for dreams etc was still there that year – her first and only title plus the three outstanding results at slams. If we were talking male USA players, Bouchard’s 2014 year would be what most men’s players in the U.S. would be thrilled to be remembered for. Most won’t achieve what she did.

Sure her game had serious holes. She reminded me of Seles with (some) of her angles, her standing way inside the baseline. Her swinging volleys. I thought, sharpen up the angles on those shots, develop some variety on serve in terms of placement, and we’re talking contender. She was NOT Seles, but she showed some things that, refined, would make her a very tough out and increase her chances at slams.

Things began falling apart at the US Open. She played Cirstea and I thought wow, Cirstea really prepared for this match, taking Bouchard’s serve early, punishing her short ball (Bouchard’s groundstrokes were falling short – any player could step in and send that back to the corners). I think they began doing that a lot.

Then of course the accident incident.

Bouchard has shown the fierce competitor. She gets up for some matches. It’s a lot different then how she had been, getting up for every match.

I heard her talk though about wanting to be like Sharapova. Which to my ear is: I want what Sharapova has. Modeling contracts. Loads of endorsements. Huge profile. Fame fortune hooplah etc.

I thought that might create some conflict because ask and ye shall receive. Bouchard had the huge profile almost immediately. Her Wimbledon performance put her right smack in the public eye. Then fame began working differently.

Like Kournikova a player no longer needed on court results for the mega watt star life. Just personality, photogenic way, and a willingness to put all that out for others. And Bouchard said sure, why not. Cultivate a fan base, an Instagram page etc.

Bouchard herself says it. She focuses as much on Bouchard Inc. as Bouchard, G. She can rightfully look back and see that she was the catalyst for Canadian tennis and for a time had results Raonic didn’t have, and there was no one else. Plus, she could tap the North American market.

Anyways, of course I read too much into this. But Joyce is a pretty good coach, trained at the hand of Robert Lansdorp. He knows his mechanics, knows how repetition can hard wire a game.

Bouchard’s game seemed to be coming back. I’m sorry she is a little like someone in their mid twenties going on retirement. They saw that a year on tour makes many players weary – it’s a heck of a lifestyle and it’s also a full time job, with a lot of minor annoyances. If a players not into it then their motivation may not be there

Better to hear it from Bouchard. I have no idea how Canadian press covers her now. Just that I hope she finds some range on her shots, decides that her best tennis is ahead of her.

I hope that for a lot of players.

The opinion I find interesting is that of Sylvain Bruneau. Bianca’s coach, who was the Fed Cup captain for many years. The last time I heard him say anything about Genie he was still optimistic that she could play well again.

Genie worked with Robert Lansdorp for a while and seemed very excited about it. But his ill health means that is no longer possible.

I think you are right about her wanting to be like Sharapova indicated a desire for a huge profile, etc. Stephanie Myles, who generally has been sympathetic to Genie, used to talk about how she loved the WTA parties, getting glammed up. Which is fine to a degree, but needs to take 2nd place to the real work.

One thing I will never forget is the Rogers Cup that came soon after Bouchard’s Wimby final. The hype was beyond belief. Tennis Canada even featured some of Genie’s Army, who had flown in from Australia. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that she would have a brilliant tourney. Then Shelby Rogers (Shelby who, the fans were saying) beat Genie in the first round. Genie was pretty well in tears halfway through the match and said to Saviano, then her coach, that she didn’t want to be on the court. She totally crumbled under the immense pressure. We got a glimpse of the vulnerable young woman behind the confident, almost arrogant exterior. I think that memory is one reason I still have sympathy for her. (And Rogers was very gracious in her on-court interview, handing an extremely difficult situation well.)

The contrast with Bianca, who thrives on the pressure, and successfully came through her own Rogers Cup baptism of fire with, is stark.

Genie made a pit stop between tournaments on Saturday for the big wedding. Golfer Michelle Wie married Jerry West’s son in a ritzy, champagne-filled Beverly Hills atmosphere according to the tabloid rags. Genie is friends with Wie.

Saw the highlights of Bouchard vs Andreescu. Andreescu has some excellent anticipation out there, reminds a little of ARad from recent tennis past, with more MPH on her shots.

Bouchard, some good stuff. Her racquet switch from Babolat doesn’t seem to be going all that well – she wielded the Babolat better. Bouchard looks more sleight than before, not as strong physically and reminds of Hantuchova and Ivanovic when they went lean instead of mean. She should go mean.

Her volley looks better than it was, so the doubles is helping this. Her overhead is still good as well. Her approach shots aren’t right – too much left to chance. Her serve could be a little tighter. Her game doesn’t have the same angles as even 2014, so she must not feel so confident out there. She used to hit angles off the return of serve. Her strategy is a little hard to figure out, but it looks like Just gonna play my game-ism.

So some things are better, some worse. Much work to do. She’s capable and should do it.

I was less impressed with Andreescu this time out. I think players will figure the Andreescu game out but she’ll be fun to watch nonetheless.