[ReboundAce]

Originally Posted by Hartson

It is necessary to prepare for the worst after a fantastic performance vs Domi

Don't you worry, if she is on, painting the lines she could beat anyone

[netphobia]

This draw though. It's so bad.

WTA is becoming a mini-version of ATP...why even show up to watch when you know Serena def. Maria 6-0 6-0 for the 200th time in the finals? Bar Petra beating Serena, in which case I will fully bet on her to win it all.

[bruce goose]

Originally Posted by steni

well I think she is screw!

Se dice 'screwed',azucar pompis;screw=tornillo pero,de hecho,el modismo proviene de la segunda palabra.

Have heard it so many times before...that so-and-so,NOT just Petra,supposedly needs some easy wins over low-ranked opponents to get her confidence back and break out of her slump.......but I'm from the old school where you only get REAL confidence after outplaying the rest of the best...So Petra has a challenging draw at a Slam--tough shit!!This is professional sports,not pee-wee league T-ball

[netphobia]

Originally Posted by bruce goose

Have heard it so many times before...that so-and-so,NOT just Petra,supposedly needs some easy wins over low-ranked opponents to get her confidence back and break out of her slump.......but I'm from the old school where you only get REAL confidence after outplaying the rest of the best...So Petra has a challenging draw at a Slam--tough shit!!This is professional sports,not pee-wee league T-ball

I'm putting that on a bumper sticker

You'd be surprised at the amount of people that treat pee-wee T-ball like a professional sport.

I did have that thought earlier, like maybe Petra needs to either snap out of it and start beating people the way she used to, or she needs a bunch of tough losses so that she realizes she should be winning and steps up.

And I say this 100% as a fan: Maria and her friggin' cakewalk draws.

[bruce goose]

Originally Posted by netphobia

I did have that thought earlier, like maybe Petra needs to either snap out of it and start beating people the way she used to, or she needs a bunch of tough losses so that she realizes she should be winning and steps up.

And I say this 100% as a fan: Maria and her friggin' cakewalk draws.

You understood the first part of the post,right?

I love to see Petra succeed,of course,but I think that so many of these Europeans here at TF forget what athletic competition is all about.It's almost as if they wanted the sporting world to act like their governments: passing out handouts and goodies to everyone(to the point of utter bankruptcy) like some sweet nanny day-care service

I could get an 'easy draw' by inviting my grandma out onto the basketball court every week and then running around with my chest out afterwards,bragging about my undefeated record.However,the games would mean a lot more if I competed against someone with good skill yet still managed to win.In the same vein,no one amongst tennis' elite would respect Petra if she racked up a ton of cakewalk wins in ITF tourneys.She'll only be respected---and will only come to trust and respect her own abilities---if she overcomes worthy opponents

I've seen a few Canucks and Aussies who were caught up in the draw-whining shtick every week...perhaps they're becoming too Europeanized....To me,sports is sports: You've got to beat whoever's in front of you

[AfroIYH]

Originally Posted by bruce goose

You understood the first part of the post,right?

I love to see Petra succeed,of course,but I think that so many of these Europeans here at TF forget what athletic competition is all about.It's almost as if they wanted the sporting world to act like their governments: passing out handouts and goodies to everyone(to the point of utter bankruptcy) like some sweet nanny day-care service

Stosur, Na, Williams, Del Potro, the rest of the Top 10 are occupied by which continent that forgets athletic competition?

[paulmara]

Petra

I play Schiavone in the first round, I practised with her only yesterday! It's tough match for sure but it's also a great challenge

Originally Posted by bruce goose

Are you looking for ... to face someone who's highly prone to 'injury' defaults,from medical emergencies such as chapped lips,so that she can pick up an easy victory??

Oops

[bruce goose]

Originally Posted by AfroIYH

Stosur, Na, Williams, Del Potro, the rest of the Top 10 are occupied by which continent that forgets athletic competition?

There's humanist education for you.I've no idea what you originally posted and edited but,if you go back and read,I said absolutely NOTHING about the players' mindset(which one would expect to be far different);I commented on the FANS here at TF who,especially Europeans,act like helpless spoiled infants who expect everything to be handed to them in life and have NO CONCEPT of the toughness of athletic competition...as if there were some great tragedy for anyone other than Brie Whitehead to appear in Petra's draw.

I can't even count how many times I've seen neurotic panic such as,'Ohhhh,this draw!' here at TF.Perhaps some so-called sports fans should learn from the players themselves.I'm quite sure that the Brit WC futbol club team wouldn't say,'We drew Spain in our group!Let's quit and go home!'...at least aye HOPE that they wouldn't react that way

[bruce goose]

Originally Posted by paulmara

Oops

OK,Paul,now there's no excuse for THIS one unless there's some famous theater in Melbourne where they put on classic dramas with a horror theme.It's not to say that Fran isn't a much-better-than-average 1st Round opponent,cuz she certainly is...but we have to keep in mind that our fave is PETRA and not some helpless junior WC in her first MD.Honestly,Fran hasn't gotten in form AT ALL so far this year and,IIRC,she usually takes a while to find her level during the season.In recent years,she has done far better at RG and Wimby--maybe even the USO,too,I just can't recall--than she has at the AO.Quite frankly,she played so poorly in the latter part of last year that I wondered if she was considering retirement.

Of course,you'll cite this post IF,God forbid,Petra lays an egg out there,but let's not forget that Petra has made a SF here and should have the confidence of having beaten this opponent previously...and maybe she'll be motivated to give her favorite mushroom harvester a less-morbid thread title

[steni]

Originally Posted by bruce goose

Se dice 'screwed',azucar pompis;screw=tornillo pero,de hecho,el modismo proviene de la segunda palabra.

Have heard it so many times before...that so-and-so,NOT just Petra,supposedly needs some easy wins over low-ranked opponents to get her confidence back and break out of her slump.......but I'm from the old school where you only get REAL confidence after outplaying the rest of the best...So Petra has a challenging draw at a Slam--tough shit!!This is professional sports,not pee-wee league T-ball

Can you stop with the "azucar pompis" its very annoying!

[bruce goose]

Originally Posted by steni

Can you stop with the "azucar pompis" its very annoying!

Okay,I promise...is 'chica Petra fanatica' acceptable?

[hypersonic]

Originally Posted by bruce goose

I love to see Petra succeed,of course,but I think that so many of these Europeans here at TF forget what athletic competition is all about.It's almost as if they wanted the sporting world to act like their governments: passing out handouts and goodies to everyone(to the point of utter bankruptcy) like some sweet nanny day-care service

You're right. This is the only way that should strengthen Petra's mental aspects (akin to what Davenport said that 'there are no indoor grand slams and that she needs to tough it out'). It's one case acknowledging what for potential someone possesses but it's another case of realizing it and that's where the mental aspects are significant.

[Excelscior]

Originally Posted by paulmara

Petra





Oops

Petra:

I play Schiavone in the first round, I practiced with her only yesterday! It's tough match for sure but it's also a great challenge

Praciticing against Schiavone, may prepare Petra to beat Franny (we wish), but it won't have anything to do with beating a Laura Robson (who I think Petra can beat), Sloane Stevens (maybe) or Serena Williams ( ), who are totally different players, with additional levels of firepower than Schiavone.

Petra better hope she finds form soon, through her matches.

[paulmara]

Originally Posted by bruce goose

OK,Paul,now there's no excuse for THIS one unless there's some famous theater in Melbourne where they put on classic dramas with a horror theme.

lucky me

Moonlight Cinema: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Melbourne, 7 February 2013

[TimeyWimey]

Jon Wertheim

8. Petra Kvitova: One of the WTA's elite talents has been a mystery since winning Wimbledon in 2011. She has the game to win -- dense lefty strokes, improved movement, abundant power -- but the will and focus sometimes lag behind. If it's merely hot outside, Kvitova tends to wilt. If it's so hot that the roof opens and it becomes an indoor event, her prospects improve dramatically.