joshuadearing
Rookie
As I watch the Women's finals I realize how one bad stretch end of first and beginning of 2nd and its over; no real drama or struggle in three sets most of the time.
Best of 5 sets should stay forever
- Thread starter joshuadearing
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Deleted member 748597
Guest
Yes, Bo3 at Slams would ruin men's tennis.
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Deleted member 22147
Guest
It's a surprise to me that someone like Djokovic, who has benefitted so much from the 5 set format, is an advocate of 3 sets in slams.
5 sets should indeed stay.
5 sets should indeed stay.
alexio
G.O.A.T.
plus, trying to fool the mother nature is a stupid idea, i agree
van_Loederen
Professional
there are variants possible, bo3 with 8-9 games or bo5 with 5 games, though i prefer prolonging bo3
joshuadearing
Rookie
Side note I like the 10 point tiebreak at the 5th set; all majors should uniform this.
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Deleted member 748597
Guest
It should just stay the way it is now.
van_Loederen
Professional
^
blah, there's an incentive to make the sport more popular
blah, there's an incentive to make the sport more popular
joshuadearing
Rookie
Please do tell us. How can this best of all sports become more popular? Teams?
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Deleted member 22147
Guest
Changing the scoring system is such a lazy marketing exercise. Pitiful, really.
Hood_Man
G.O.A.T.
Keep bo5 but reduce it from first to 6 games to first to 4. Bo3 doesn't allow for the swings of momentum that bo5 does.
Then when that's done stop making excuses and make women's tennis bo5! I don't give a toss if women aren't as physically strong as men, they're not competing against men! Anything to stop the straight set blowouts where the loser checks out after going a set and a break down.
Then when that's done stop making excuses and make women's tennis bo5! I don't give a toss if women aren't as physically strong as men, they're not competing against men! Anything to stop the straight set blowouts where the loser checks out after going a set and a break down.
van_Loederen
Professional
how?
I agree that grand slams should retain best of 5 set matches for the men all the way through the draw. However unfortunately I think it is inevitable that there will be some movement on this at some point in the future, and that eventually there will be a move towards best of 3 set matches. The Davis Cup had a long, established tradition of best of 5 set matches, and we saw what happened there from 2019.
I think we'll probably first see the US Open bringing in best of 3 set matches in the first 3-4 rounds (which was the case from 1975-1978), and keeping best of 5 sets for the latter stages, and that things will snowball from there.
I think we'll probably first see the US Open bringing in best of 3 set matches in the first 3-4 rounds (which was the case from 1975-1978), and keeping best of 5 sets for the latter stages, and that things will snowball from there.
joshuadearing
Rookie
Similar to the NBA with early round that go quicker but more upsets might happen.
joshuadearing
Rookie
Yeah which I'm probably gonna get blasted for in another thread. How can you look like a weekend warrior and win slams; the answer is WTA.
Forehanderer
Professional
If it aint broke, why fix it. Bo5 should stay in grand slams. I'm already at a stage where watching tennis or any other sport/TV is tiring. If it goes to Bo3, that's the death knell for my TV watching days
GhostOfNKDM
Hall of Fame
I agree that slam finals at the very least should be BO5 on the women's side, but if you're dig is at Osaka (looking like a weekend warrior i.e), I don't know what to say.
She's as solid a player as I've seen over the years on the women's side.
joshuadearing
Rookie
I do not disagree with her skills. But look at a prime Steffi Graf; lean and mean and collecting trophies.
joshuadearing
Rookie
NOTHING in the sport matters other than the Majors; so yeah make them 2.5 weeks and give us long and strong matches.
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Deleted member 22147
Guest
This is an extremely long and complex discussion.
But just for starters, it's largely the actual activity itself that brings about either excitement or disinterest.
If someone were to change the scoring system of rugby, from an allotted time system to a "first to" system, which would say, shorten the match by a third, I still wouldn't watch. It wouldn't change my perception one iota.
People who enjoy watching quality tennis want to see more of it, not less of it. Trying to bring in people who can only stand to watch X amount of tennis is a disastrous marketing exercise because you run the risk of alienating, at least partially, the audience which has contributed to the existing popularity of the sport. And of course, this may only provide a temporary boost within certain demographics.
If grand slam tennis is too long, then why does it receive much more viewership than other forms of tennis which is best of 3? The majority of grand slam tennis is no longer viewable on terrestrial television, so we cannot attribute this to membership only figures. Tennis does not benefit from being the type of sport than can be broadcast at peak hours, and this is because of its innate format and the fact that it is a travelling tour. That is something which cannot change.
Tennis would benefit from having more colourful characters but this is in conflict with the vehicles players are increasingly becoming for large corporations.
I would go as far as to argue that one cannot be a true tennis fan if they want to get rid of best of 5 sets in slams. It is an astoundingly ludicrous proposition, in my opinion.
GhostOfNKDM
Hall of Fame
Why is it that when it comes to women the looks that fit a stereotype to go along with the evident athleticism are so important?
If just being leaner was an advantage athletically, Brady should've wiped the court with her butt..
joshuadearing
Rookie
Correct its about attitude; more people like Kyrgios would bring people in like Agassi did. He made the sport cool af in the 90's now that tennis hacker joker makes it looks like a war of attrition.
joshuadearing
Rookie
Brady is a non skilled forehand bot; end of story; that shows the depth in WTA for me and why I think the weekend warrior will win out there.
GhostOfNKDM
Hall of Fame
Okie dokie.
You must be quite an accomplished individual if you apply such high standards to anything in your life...!
joshuadearing
Rookie
I'm not bad for my UTR and my age; fitness is a bit down since Covid but no where near the dad body of the WTA.
GhostOfNKDM
Hall of Fame
When will we see you on TV?
joshuadearing
Rookie
Back in the 90's when I played NCAA Division 1 in local terrestrial TV. So fire up your time machine mate
GhostOfNKDM
Hall of Fame
Back in the 90's when I played NCAA Division 1 in local terrestrial TV. So fire up your time machine mate
Why did you not go pro?
joshuadearing
Rookie
That sounds like a question from my friends over the years that have never played tennis. Yeah the men's game is very had for a 5'11 dude.
Have a great weekend!
GhostOfNKDM
Hall of Fame
You heard of Diego Schwartzman?
Pretty sure he's shorter than you.
So basically you're saying you were not good enough. That's cool. Just wanted to know what kind of personal background you have for such piercing analysis about Osaka's fitness and the WTA's general standard.
ibbi
G.O.A.T.
There's plenty of best of three tennis now, and is there anything to suggest it is more popular? What about those Tie Break Tens events? Was the Milan event with the shorter sets a big success?
joshuadearing
Rookie
I was not good enough. I have to live with that and even today try to make myself better. Cheers.
LOBALOT
Hall of Fame
One area that tennis was designed to test is a players fitness and preparation. Have they put the work in?
We have taken that test away from tennis already with tie-breakers, injury time outs, wardrobe changes, etc. At least for the majors we need to keep this component of the game.
Changing the majors into a sprint by making them best of three, or changing each individual game into a sprint i.e. best of 4., eliminates this important measure from the sport.
It has already trending toward a serve dominated game with the quick points that follow as it is.
We have taken that test away from tennis already with tie-breakers, injury time outs, wardrobe changes, etc. At least for the majors we need to keep this component of the game.
Changing the majors into a sprint by making them best of three, or changing each individual game into a sprint i.e. best of 4., eliminates this important measure from the sport.
It has already trending toward a serve dominated game with the quick points that follow as it is.
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Deleted member 22147
Guest
We must be watching two different sports.
As far as I can see, tennis, with its homogenised surfaces, has favoured the fittest athletes who base their styles on baseline consistency more than anything else.
GhostOfNKDM
Hall of Fame
Hey look, I'm sorry if I was being uncharitable to you there...
We all have assumptions based on past experience on what an athlete should look like. If I'm being honest, based on my own conditioning, I found the close-up shots of Osaka's mid-section aesthetically unpleasing.
But I'm happy to accept the evidence that clearly she's getting the results she wants.
So rather than presuming the reason for that is because the entire WTA is a ****show, I can accept that perhaps some athletes make certain trade-offs vs others - some may want more muscle mass and others may prefer a lighter, more agile frame.
Unlike in bodybuilding, where they get to 'cut' before contests, I don't think tennis players that put on muscle mass in the off-season have that luxury.
joshuadearing
Rookie
I have changed my opinion; its not like past champions like Connors were a example of lean men. My apologies were all here cause we love tennis in all forms and I hope we continue
GhostOfNKDM
Hall of Fame
That boat has long ago set sail though don't you think.
It's more a TV sport now than a live audience one, and the business model reflects that unfortunately.
Cricket fans know this: the classic 5 day test format brought into play certain elements that a short-format just can't but then in this fast-paced world, who has the time to follow such a long format?
joshuadearing
Rookie
hehhe every Cricket fan I talk to always wants the long game and says the short game is not for real fans... hhehhe
meanwhile I've never watched it but i totally respect people that use their bodies in sport cause that **** is hard.
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Nuclear Warhead Sinner
Guest
Making Slams (including Semifinals and Finals) BO3, is nonsense as it would ruin their crispiness.
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Swingmaster
Hall of Fame
Five sets is good for the Twitter age. By the time the ladies final started trending on Twitter it was already over. When the men’s final starts trending after Djoker or Med does something crazy, people will have time to tune in and enjoy.
van_Loederen
Professional
the Grand Slams are marketed as the biggest events in tennis, and with their bo5 format of course are bigger indeed. make Wimbledon bo7 to make it the ultimate olympus of tennis.
already with (classical) bo5 we are talking about a frikking 4-hours show, naturally suboptimal for spectators.
(classical bo3 might likely be a bit short otoh.)
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Deleted member 771911
Guest
Nothing beats an afternoon or evening of a great five sets tennis match. Nothing.
But it's only really for the true fans. I have been watching one of these epics and a non fan comes in the room and asks me what I am doing and then when I tell them I've been watching a tennis match for four hours, they leave.
Best of three, say with a third set super tiebreak set, would bring more people in.
But it's only really for the true fans. I have been watching one of these epics and a non fan comes in the room and asks me what I am doing and then when I tell them I've been watching a tennis match for four hours, they leave.
Best of three, say with a third set super tiebreak set, would bring more people in.
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Deleted member 22147
Guest
Very poor arguments.
van_Loederen
Professional
^
your argument is poor, suggesting that the made-biggest event by duration is the ultimately biggest. just think about it for a moment
your argument is poor, suggesting that the made-biggest event by duration is the ultimately biggest. just think about it for a moment
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Deleted member 22147
Guest
I think you have reading problems, and I can't really understand your post.
van_Loederen
Professional
^
which part you don't get?
which part you don't get?
LOBALOT
Hall of Fame
I think we are. The athletes are fit as there is a greater focus on that now than it was before and I think teaching of technique has improved so that is true as well. However, it certainly is trending toward a serve dominated game.
LOBALOT
Hall of Fame
Yes I do think it has sailed and agree with you 100% that TV and short attention spans have changed that. I am not arguing that it won't change just that for the benefit of the sport itself it shouldn't.
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