2024 Australian Open - Women's Discussion

Who will be WTA singles champion for the 2024 Australian Open?

  • Iga Swiatek

    Votes: 7 15.9%
  • Aryna Sabalenka

    Votes: 7 15.9%
  • Elena Rybakina

    Votes: 16 36.4%
  • Coco Gauff

    Votes: 5 11.4%
  • Jessica Pegula

    Votes: 1 2.3%
  • Ons Jabeur

    Votes: 1 2.3%
  • Marketa Vondrousova

    Votes: 1 2.3%
  • Maria Sakkari

    Votes: 1 2.3%
  • Barbora Krejcikova

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other

    Votes: 5 11.4%

  • Total voters
    44
  • Poll closed .

bluetrain4

G.O.A.T.
Pretty great right? Now I can waste enjoy the entire long weekend watching tennis (MLK day on Monday = day off at my place of work)
Same. And while AO night matches starting at 2:30 or 3:30 am my time can be an ordeal, I still love that there's tennis on from 6 or 7 pm until whenever I choose to go to bed. And, I always end up biting the bullet and staying up and watching some matches until 4-5 am or later.
 

HarveyPitnik

Professional
Unfortunately Muchova and Bencic have no chance - Muchova injured, Bencic a mother
I was wondering why Belinda is not in the tournament, thanks for clarifying that!

I seriously doubt one has to go almost 20 years back to have three or more 16-year-olds in the GS main draw? (And by the way... some people have very selective memory! :p;) )

I guess I check the USO '22 myself... (Must go further back in this. Quickly checking there was 16-year-old "scandalous" Bejlek but the other youngsters in main draw had already turned 17)
 
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flyingboris

Legend
I do. I subscribe to services specifically for Slams and then cancel. I have my ESPN+ ready to go.
I remember being frustrated with ESPN+ during the US Open because exactly the more interesting matches during the opening rounds were not on ESPN+. This year promises to be better, see this ESPN Press release. Key claim: "Every Match Streams Live on ESPN+". Oh how I hope that to be true..

ESPN+ Every match streams live, including:
  • 650+ Main Draw matches (Singles, Doubles, Juniors, Wheelchair & Legends) on all courts live and exclusively from 7 p.m. ET until end of play through championships matches
  • All quarterfinals through championship matches on ESPN+ in English and Spanish
  • More than 1,300 hours of live coverage
  • On-demand replays of all matches
  • VOD classic content
  • Daily highlight show
 
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robyrolfo

Hall of Fame
edit - looks like there were six 16 year olds in the 2005 US Open (Vaidisova, Karantcheva, Mary Gambale, Latisha Chan, Alexa Glatch, Vania King)
Interesting as I have never heard of any of them. I wasn't following tennis too closely back then, but safe to say none of them ever went on to accomplish great things. So much for big prospects...

Agree with all your preferences, subtract Leylah, add Osty. Actually wanting Osty to win is pretty high on my list.

My lady, Muchova is out sick, my other lady Bencic is out preggy.
Wait, there are people out there that actually want to see Caroline Garcia win? I thought everyone agreed that she was a bit annoying?

And can you imagine having Bencic as the mother of your child! Wow, some dude is very, very lucky...

I remember being frustrated with ESPN+ during the US Open because exactly the more interesting matches during the opening rounds were not on ESPN+. This year promises to be better, see this ESPN Press release. Key claim: "Every Match Streams Live on ESPN+". Oh how I hope that to be true..
Yep, this BETTER be true.
 

coolcamden

Hall of Fame
Interesting as I have never heard of any of them. I wasn't following tennis too closely back then, but safe to say none of them ever went on to accomplish great things. So much for big prospects...


Wait, there are people out there that actually want to see Caroline Garcia win? I thought everyone agreed that she was a bit annoying?

And can you imagine having Bencic as the mother of your child! Wow, some dude is very, very lucky...


Yep, this BETTER be true.
Yes brother, I like the Frenchie Frenchie lady. A lot. Until she broke my heart, and would not ever make adjustments, move back to receive serves, play some smart defense occasionally. Like @flyingboris said and I agree, hope she would finally do something amazing.

BSquare is actually from the same hometown in Switzerland as my wife’s family. Tiny little village about an hour train ride from Zurich. And we have been going there almost yearly. She still goes back there at times in the off-season. So she’s extra special in my books.
 

HarveyPitnik

Professional
Wait, there are people out there that actually want to see Caroline Garcia win? I thought everyone agreed that she was a bit annoying?

And can you imagine having Bencic as the mother of your child! Wow, some dude is very, very lucky...
Even if I'd see Garcia as annoying, I would (I mean, I will) root for her like crazy in the 1st round of the beginning tournament.

The father of Bencic's child is indeed a lucky fellow, but at least he has to face the looks Belinda aims at certain countryman with a name Roger... :censored:
 

coolcamden

Hall of Fame
Even if I'd see Garcia as annoying, I would (I mean, I will) root for her like crazy in the 1st round of the beginning tournament.

The father of Bencic's child is indeed a lucky fellow, but at least he has to face the looks Belinda aims at certain countryman with a name Roger... :censored:
Hey, I also look at Rog with lust and adoration too. :love:
 

bluetrain4

G.O.A.T.
I remember being frustrated with ESPN+ during the US Open because exactly the more interesting matches during the opening rounds were not on ESPN+. This year promises to be better, see this ESPN Press release. Key claim: "Every Match Streams Live on ESPN+". Oh how I hope that to be true..
Yep. ESPN+ used to generally have everything available to subscribers up until maybe the quarters - and then some marquee matches would only be on ESPN or ESPN2; a couple quarters, one or both semis, and the final wouldn't be available. Hopefully that's not the case this year. I know that a subset of people continually seem to think ESPN+ is a subscription to ALL ESPN content, but that's never been the case - took me a short while to figure that out the first time I subscribed to ESPN+. It can be confusing since there's all the different tags for content on the ESPN streaming app - ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, etc. and plenty of content has multiple tags. Plus, people with a cable package that has ESPN/2 who subscribe to ESPN+ generally will be able to get almost everything on the ESPN streaming app. I don't have a cable package, so I have to rely on the streaming service. One year, I watched the Wimbledon final in Spanish, since the ESPN Deportes-tagged stream was avilable with ESPN+. Other times, I've had to find a trial subscription or pay for a month of YTube TV, Sling, or Fubo to watch the end of the tournament. I always find a way, but it would be nice if, as the press release claims, all matches are simply available via ESPN+ subscription.
 

flyingboris

Legend
it would be nice if, as the press release claims, all matches are simply available via ESPN+ subscription.
It certainly seems like it. They're very explicit about this in the press release. Apparently it's due to some new contract negotiations, and apparently it's not autmatically the same for all Grand Slams, just the AO for now. Still: progress!
 

flyingboris

Legend
Alright folks, which match are you starting your AO with? I'm thinking 21yo Fernandez vs. 17yo Bejlek. Could be competitive!

Other matches I might check out tonight:
- Krej vs. Mai, just because I haven't seen Krej play in ages
- Cornet vs. Timofeeva, an "old" pro vs. a 20yo
- Samsonova vs. Anisimova, hoping for an Anisimova resurgence
- Bogdan vs. Fruity Jr, curious how Brenda handles a top 100 player

Anything else I should watch?
 
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Moose Malloy

G.O.A.T.
Interesting as I have never heard of any of them. I wasn't following tennis too closely back then, but safe to say none of them ever went on to accomplish great things. So much for big prospects...


Wait, there are people out there that actually want to see Caroline Garcia win? I thought everyone agreed that she was a bit annoying?

And can you imagine having Bencic as the mother of your child! Wow, some dude is very, very lucky...


Yep, this BETTER be true.
When did you start following tennis? Surprised you never heard of Vaidisova, she was kind of a big deal back then, won a tournament at 15, cracked top 10 at 17. Made semis of 2 majors. Huge game, easily could've won 4-5 majors imo. And she was easy on the eyes. Then she met Stepanek.....so many jokes on the board about him back then:)


None of the others were considered prospects. 2 were wildcards. 2 were qualifiers that became great doubles players.
 

flyingboris

Legend
And we're off! Well.. we've been going for a bit, but I just wanted to say it.

Leylah breaks to start the tournament.

Fernandez has quite a bit more pop on her FH than I remember. Meanwhile Brady Bejlek has lots of power and great rally tolerance. Could be a fun match!
 
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flyingboris

Legend
Wow wat a rally for Leylah to save the first break point at 3-2 15-40...

... and next Bejlek manages to break Fernandez with a great dropshot. Awesome game, and we're back on serve! 3-3.
 

HarveyPitnik

Professional
Good entertaining playing to begin the tournament! :D So nice to see something else than stupid serve-banging. Think I'm going to follow the whole match even though it's damn late here...

P.S. Boris needs new glasses. (Starting to really like cute, lil, feminine Sara! )
 

ScottleeSV

Hall of Fame
Looks like Tsurenko could be the first seeded casualty.

I was about to say Sabalenka would be the 'beneficiary' in that segment but thought better of it
 

ScentOfDefeat

G.O.A.T.
Terrible game by Leylah, ugh.
Someone please tell her she's playing for Canada.
It seems to be the only way she'll raise her game these days.
 

HarveyPitnik

Professional
Seems like the fighting is over!? :(

Kamila Rakhimova was the first WTA-side's winner in this tournament beating Emina Bektas 4 & 4.
 

FakeEmpire

Professional
Me: "Ah, let me see some women's tennis while I'm working in stuff I really don't like"
Eurosport: "Here, have some golf"

What.the.actual.hell?
 

fundrazer

G.O.A.T.
Me: "Ah, let me see some women's tennis while I'm working in stuff I really don't like"
Eurosport: "Here, have some golf"

What.the.actual.hell?
Opening night and ESPN here in the States doesn't even start with TV coverage until midnight (2.5 hours from now).

Not too many matches I want to watch tonight though.
 

flyingboris

Legend
Opening night and ESPN here in the States doesn't even start with TV coverage until midnight (2.5 hours from now).

Not too many matches I want to watch tonight though.
They're showing all matches on ESPN+, so if you have access to that you could be enjoying nine matches at this very moment.
 

flyingboris

Legend
Krejcikova is just so damn frustrating as a fan to watch. Has the potential to be up there with Swiatek and Sabalenka yet is so hopeless at the slams now.

She’s fought from a break down in the 2nd to get back into this but yikes.
If you're rooting for Krej, this tenth game of the second set must be torture!
 
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