VashTheStampede
Professional
my-add said:
My thoughts exactly. I feel Elena was robbed. The rules really need to change--you can't stop the match (when he/she is losing) to get a 12 minute massage. The rules need to be more strict.
Dementieva/Pierce match SPOILER
- Thread starter jazzman21
- Start date
My thoughts exactly. I feel Elena was robbed. The rules really need to change--you can't stop the match (when he/she is losing) to get a 12 minute massage. The rules need to be more strict.
prostaff1
Rookie
I feel the same way as many of you - it sucks that Pierce won using such gamesmanship. And that speech at the end makes one question whether or not she is truly psychotic. Sort of like Michael Chang saying that Jesus favored him over his opponents when he would win. This is tennis people- nothing more.
ACE of Hearts
Bionic Poster
hahaha. i wanted Elena to just say ******** in from of her face!She should win an academy award for the little speech!
ChipNCharge
Professional
What did Pierce say in her post-match speech?
spikeybedhead
New User
i kinda wish elena pulled a spirlea on her. =/. and what's with the heart pounding?
The tennis guy
Hall of Fame
Yeah, people are going crazy, for almost nothing. She took injury time out, big deal.
VashTheStampede
Professional
my-add said:
Me neither. Even if she does, I doubt that was who she was thinking of during her massage.
While I’m skeptical about Pierce’s “injury” timeout and her subsequent “miraculous” recovery, Dementieva has had several seasons to improve her serve and yet it continues to cripple her game.
Here’s to whoever wins the other match, Sharapova or Clisters, running roughshod over her in the finals.
Here’s to whoever wins the other match, Sharapova or Clisters, running roughshod over her in the finals.
spikeybedhead
New User
She took a timeout. Which is completely fine in basketball, football, etc. However, this is tennis and timeouts are for injuries/heat index etc. What exactly did she injure? And how was she running so well if she was injured?
Unlike basketball and other sports, tennis shouldn't be a place where you can use a timeout to derail momentum.....
Unlike basketball and other sports, tennis shouldn't be a place where you can use a timeout to derail momentum.....
Joyce Marie
New User
When I first watched Pierce many years ago, I vowed not to watch her again given her time-consuming mannerisms (always touching her nose, her hair, her thighs, etc., in preparation for her serve). Besides, her hawkish face was just too hard to look at.
Today, I watched Pierce only because I wanted to see Elena, a solid player with a good heart and will to win, reach the finals.
Little did I know in this lapse of time from watching Pierce that first time that I could have added poor sportsmanship in her lack of consideration for her opponent's possible loss of momentum (12 minutes, and it worked) as well as her deliberate sympathy ploy with the crowd.
I'm just sorry that Elena couldn't recover from being stunned over Pierce's "new-found" strength and agility. Unfortunately, Elena got in her own way; probably I identify with her because I, too, get irritated when opponents are poor sports--whether it's deliberate wrong line calling or making unwarranted movements as I serve.
Elena willl be back next year, more wise. I hope Pierce gets knocked out in a 2-set game, but, whether it's against Kim or Maria, her opponents ought to fortify themselves against any delaying tactics.
Today, I watched Pierce only because I wanted to see Elena, a solid player with a good heart and will to win, reach the finals.
Little did I know in this lapse of time from watching Pierce that first time that I could have added poor sportsmanship in her lack of consideration for her opponent's possible loss of momentum (12 minutes, and it worked) as well as her deliberate sympathy ploy with the crowd.
I'm just sorry that Elena couldn't recover from being stunned over Pierce's "new-found" strength and agility. Unfortunately, Elena got in her own way; probably I identify with her because I, too, get irritated when opponents are poor sports--whether it's deliberate wrong line calling or making unwarranted movements as I serve.
Elena willl be back next year, more wise. I hope Pierce gets knocked out in a 2-set game, but, whether it's against Kim or Maria, her opponents ought to fortify themselves against any delaying tactics.
The tennis guy
Hall of Fame
spikeybedhead said:
So this is the first time someone runs so well after injury timeout?
Don't blame her, either change the rule or get over it.
spikeybedhead
New User
umm... you asked why we were going crazy. that's why- a 12 minute injury timeout to treat what we believed to be a non-existent injury. if she's allowed to take her timeout, i'm allowed to rant.
The tennis guy
Hall of Fame
spikeybedhead said:
Rant about the umpire for allowing 12-minute timeout.
Jack the Hack
Hall of Fame
There are a lot of emotional Dementieva fans complaining right now, but the fact is that a break between the 1st and 2nd set should not have had any detrimental effect on Dementieva's play if she deserved to win. Any pro worth their salt in the game would have enough ability to focus this delay out and play on, let alone someone who is supposed to be as mentally tough as Dementieva. The fact is that she had two sets to close out Pierce, but lost them 6-2 6-2. If Pierce can record scores like that, she deserves the win and is not a "fraud" (especially with two Grand Slam titles to her name).
Regarding the injury timeout, the medical timeout is officially 3 minutes per injury, starting after the diagnosis period. McEnroe said that they are allowed 3 minutes to make a diagnosis of an injury before the timeout begins. I could not find this in the rulebook, but this is what the rulebook says (http://www.wtatour.com/global/pdfs/shared/thewtatour/officialrules/rules.pdf):
Medical Time-Out
In the event that a player sustains a medical condition
during the match or warm-up or she believes that a
medical evaluation and treatment are required for a
medical condition, the player may request through the
Chair Umpire to see the PHCP. The PHCP may authorize
a one-time three (3) minute medical time-out for that
condition. The player may make this request at any time
during a match or warm-up.
Medical evaluation and treatment of a player’s condition
will be made only by the PHCP. At the request of the
PHCP, the Tournament Physician may assist in the
evaluation and treatment. The time-out begins after the
completion of the evaluation of the medical condition by
the PHCP and, if required, the Tournament Physician.
Therefore, the 12 minute timeout between the 1st and 2nd sets breaks down like this:
2 minutes for the regular changeover.
4 minutes of evaluation time total for the two injuries.
6 minutes of official medical time out for treatment of the two injuries (leg and back).
As I mentioned before, if you watch the match from the beginning, Pierce was twisting around and grabbing her back from the very first point. In addition, she kept shaking her leg out like she had a cramp in her thigh. Pierce has a history of back problems, and the commentators even mentioned that she had strained her thigh in an earlier match. Therefore, it isn't like she made this up all of a sudden.
My opinion is that Pierce was feeling some discomfort and pain in both areas, but not enough to hinder her movement. After she lost the first set, she took the medical time outs that she is entitled to under the rulebook in order to do something to get the thoughts of the injuries out of her head. She did not "cheat" by doing this as the rulebook clearly states that she is entitled to this type of treatment. Ultimately, the tournament director has the discretion on what is allowed, and Brian Earley was standing right next to Pierce during the medical timeout to make sure everything was OK. If this had really been untoward, he had the ability to step in.
I just find it completely lame that John McEnroe, a man who had total disrepect for the rules at times and introduced many match delays during his temper tantrums (such as when he refused to play until he could talk to the tournament director), would have any room to criticize Pierce or the officials for doing something that is completely within the rules.
Regarding the injury timeout, the medical timeout is officially 3 minutes per injury, starting after the diagnosis period. McEnroe said that they are allowed 3 minutes to make a diagnosis of an injury before the timeout begins. I could not find this in the rulebook, but this is what the rulebook says (http://www.wtatour.com/global/pdfs/shared/thewtatour/officialrules/rules.pdf):
Medical Time-Out
In the event that a player sustains a medical condition
during the match or warm-up or she believes that a
medical evaluation and treatment are required for a
medical condition, the player may request through the
Chair Umpire to see the PHCP. The PHCP may authorize
a one-time three (3) minute medical time-out for that
condition. The player may make this request at any time
during a match or warm-up.
Medical evaluation and treatment of a player’s condition
will be made only by the PHCP. At the request of the
PHCP, the Tournament Physician may assist in the
evaluation and treatment. The time-out begins after the
completion of the evaluation of the medical condition by
the PHCP and, if required, the Tournament Physician.
Therefore, the 12 minute timeout between the 1st and 2nd sets breaks down like this:
2 minutes for the regular changeover.
4 minutes of evaluation time total for the two injuries.
6 minutes of official medical time out for treatment of the two injuries (leg and back).
As I mentioned before, if you watch the match from the beginning, Pierce was twisting around and grabbing her back from the very first point. In addition, she kept shaking her leg out like she had a cramp in her thigh. Pierce has a history of back problems, and the commentators even mentioned that she had strained her thigh in an earlier match. Therefore, it isn't like she made this up all of a sudden.
My opinion is that Pierce was feeling some discomfort and pain in both areas, but not enough to hinder her movement. After she lost the first set, she took the medical time outs that she is entitled to under the rulebook in order to do something to get the thoughts of the injuries out of her head. She did not "cheat" by doing this as the rulebook clearly states that she is entitled to this type of treatment. Ultimately, the tournament director has the discretion on what is allowed, and Brian Earley was standing right next to Pierce during the medical timeout to make sure everything was OK. If this had really been untoward, he had the ability to step in.
I just find it completely lame that John McEnroe, a man who had total disrepect for the rules at times and introduced many match delays during his temper tantrums (such as when he refused to play until he could talk to the tournament director), would have any room to criticize Pierce or the officials for doing something that is completely within the rules.
Kevin Patrick
Hall of Fame
NEW YORK, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Russian Elena Dementieva accused Mary Pierce of using unfair tactics in their semi-final at the U.S. Open on Friday, which the Frenchwoman won in three sets.
Pierce took back-to-back injury timeouts lasting 12 minutes after losing the first set and as a rattled Dementieva lost her way, Pierce lifted her game to win 3-6 6-2 6-2.
"You can change the game by winning unbelievable points or by changing the rhythm, that's the fair point," Dementieva said.
"But my taking 12 minutes timeout, I don't think it was a fair play.
"Do I think she had something (injury), I don't think so. But she could do it by the rules and she did it.
"If that's the only way she can beat me, I mean that's up to her."
Dementieva had dominated the first set before Pierce called the trainer, and the Russian was forced to wait as the 12th seed had extended treatment, reportedly for injuries to her right thigh and to her back.
When the match resumed, Pierce showed no signs of impaired movement, running down everything and lifting her game to become the first Frenchwoman to reach the U.S. Open final.
Dementieva said she knew that Pierce would use everything she could to win the match.
"That's the way she wins," the Russian said.
"That's the kind of player she is. She's trying to use everything, just to take advantage of some little distraction."
Dementieva said she would not use such tactics herself.
"I don't need it," she said.
"When I go on court, if I have something, I can tape it before the match.
"I really want to be just a better player, not to put any distraction or these kind of little things to distract the game of my opponent."
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news?slug=reu-opendementievaquotes_picture&prov=reuters&type=lgns
Pierce took back-to-back injury timeouts lasting 12 minutes after losing the first set and as a rattled Dementieva lost her way, Pierce lifted her game to win 3-6 6-2 6-2.
"You can change the game by winning unbelievable points or by changing the rhythm, that's the fair point," Dementieva said.
"But my taking 12 minutes timeout, I don't think it was a fair play.
"Do I think she had something (injury), I don't think so. But she could do it by the rules and she did it.
"If that's the only way she can beat me, I mean that's up to her."
Dementieva had dominated the first set before Pierce called the trainer, and the Russian was forced to wait as the 12th seed had extended treatment, reportedly for injuries to her right thigh and to her back.
When the match resumed, Pierce showed no signs of impaired movement, running down everything and lifting her game to become the first Frenchwoman to reach the U.S. Open final.
Dementieva said she knew that Pierce would use everything she could to win the match.
"That's the way she wins," the Russian said.
"That's the kind of player she is. She's trying to use everything, just to take advantage of some little distraction."
Dementieva said she would not use such tactics herself.
"I don't need it," she said.
"When I go on court, if I have something, I can tape it before the match.
"I really want to be just a better player, not to put any distraction or these kind of little things to distract the game of my opponent."
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news?slug=reu-opendementievaquotes_picture&prov=reuters&type=lgns
LafayetteHitter
Hall of Fame
I am a fan of neither of these players per say. But I watched the match and I must say that Pierce is lame! And boy is she ugly, is she half man?
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