[stromatolite]

Originally Posted by SilverPersian

Bahhh

It's good to hear that Sammy was playing well throughout the match. I hope that she doesn't focus on the MP too much, I think it's easy to let what happens right at the end define the entire match when something like that occurs. And especially given what happened against Zheng a few days ago

I don't think Sam will lose too much sleep over the MP error, it was a tricky ball to control anyway, so I'm not even sure it would have counted as an UE. In general she played a really solid match, and I think that's what she'll take away from this.

It wasn't the absolute best I've seen her play by any means, but the nice thing is that she was pretty solid in all departments (serve, return, FH and BH groundstrokes, volleys) and that she was consistently solid from start to finish, with the only minor blemish a run of about 5 or 6 netted returns at the start of the 3rd set.

Originally Posted by SilverPersian

Ah well. Onto the Czech Republic to pwn Kvitova for the first time

I'll drink to that!

[Sinclair]

Originally Posted by stromatolite

I suppose we should look on the bright side. Sam has bowed out of Melbourne playing some good tennis. This is a much better way to end her AO campaign than that singles match that must not be named.

^This.

Now, can she please go out and get boozy shit-faced, eat her bodyweight in junk food, and stay away from interviews/pressers for a few days?

[bertisonline]

My simple observation.
With (some) experience, we know than Sam steadily goes to a GS semi-final, a GS final or a GS title: every year. Neither at the AO, nor at Wimbledon. It never happens. The process is simple, because it's always the same: Sam gets the Newcombe Medal, has zero results in conjunction with that, is slashed by the local lazy Press, has zero trophy on tour and owns the best one ever at home.
So: as we know the 2013 scenario, should we worry?
B.

[Sinclair]

Good point, Bert. I wish I shared your logical approach to Sam's pattern. See, the problem for me is that even though I have ridden a roller coaster 10 times and know every loop and curve and drop, I still keep coming back for more because I like the excitement and anticipation and moments of adrenaline when i think that something might go wrong or different or whatever. Who knows, one of these days Sam might surprise us all - and that's why I can't take too much comfort in her patterns of performance.

Plus, I made that mistake being a Momo fan (back in the day) and I got comfy with her never going past the QFs at RG and being content with a couple GS titles under her belt. Then, when she retired, I was like....wtf! I felt like she had more tennis in her, and I had kind of missed out on something. Anyhow, maybe that's not the best analogy. Whatever.

But hey, worrying about Sam is part of being a fan of Sam. We will support her no matter what, and will probably consume large amounts of booze and scream at our tv's and lose sleep and cry and cheer and get nervous and giggle like schoolgirls when she does the gangnam style dance.....it's all part of the experience! Thank you, Sam.

[Adomoose]

Originally Posted by Sinclair

^This.

Now, can she please go out and get boozy shit-faced, eat her bodyweight in junk food, and stay away from interviews/pressers for a few days?

Sound advice....then go to Paris indoors and whore up some points.

[Adomoose]

Originally Posted by Sinclair

Good point, Bert. I wish I shared your logical approach to Sam's pattern. See, the problem for me is that even though I have ridden a roller coaster 10 times and know every loop and curve and drop, I still keep coming back for more because I like the excitement and anticipation and moments of adrenaline when i think that something might go wrong or different or whatever. Who knows, one of these days Sam might surprise us all - and that's why I can't take too much comfort in her patterns of performance.

Plus, I made that mistake being a Momo fan (back in the day) and I got comfy with her never going past the QFs at RG and being content with a couple GS titles under her belt. Then, when she retired, I was like....wtf! I felt like she had more tennis in her, and I had kind of missed out on something. Anyhow, maybe that's not the best analogy. Whatever.

But hey, worrying about Sam is part of being a fan of Sam. We will support her no matter what, and will probably consume large amounts of booze and scream at our tv's and lose sleep and cry and cheer and get nervous and giggle like schoolgirls when she does the gangnam style dance.....it's all part of the experience! Thank you, Sam.

This.

I too was a big Momo fan and enjoyed every painful minute of it similar to Sam. Don't know what is wrong with me to have this sick gravitation toward heart attack players....oh and I was a Pierce fan in the 90s. Does that make me sound old, twisted or both?!?!

[stromatolite]

Of all the players I've followed on tour, Amelie is the one who reminds me most of Sam (in personality, not playing style). The same sweet vulnerability, I can't resist it, with or without the heart attacks

[Adomoose]

Originally Posted by stromatolite

Of all the players I've followed on tour, Amelie is the one who reminds me most of Sam (in personality, not playing style). The same sweet vulnerability, I can't resist it, with or without the heart attacks

Me too. I met Mauresmo at Oz Open about 10 years ago and I was like a giggly school girl even though I was a grown man. I don't know how I would react if I met Sammy.

[SilverPersian]

I think almost every Sam fan I've seen on this forum also supported Amelie. Weird how that happens...

And Adomoose's idea of going to Paris is a good one I think; partly for getting some more match play heading into the Middle East, partly because both Paris and Fed Cup will be indoors, and partly because I don't want to wait until Feb 9 to see her play again

[bertisonline]

Originally Posted by SilverPersian

I think almost every Sam fan I've seen on this forum also supported Amelie. Weird how that happens...

And Adomoose's idea of going to Paris is a good one I think; partly for getting some more match play heading into the Middle East, partly because both Paris and Fed Cup will be indoors, and partly because I don't want to wait until Feb 9 to see her play again

If Sam is coming to Paris, I will have a look about what is happening.
I can be wrong, but my feeling is that Sam will never do that. For her Paris is, and remains, strictly Roland Garros.
B.

[stromatolite]

^I also doubt that Sam'll play Paris Indoors. Not necessarily because she doesn't want to play another tournament in Paris, but because her schedule is probably overfull already, unless she skips either Doha or Dubai. I don't think Sam would want to do that (not sure she would even be allowed without getting a zero-pointer), and anyway I can't see her not wanting to defend her final spot in Doha. Pity, because pointswise the pickings will be probably easier in Paris.

[Huntress55]

Looks like Im odd one out, was never a Amelie fan..

Id love Sam to go to Paris but I doubt it. Sam doesnt really whore out tournaments much.

[SilverPersian]

Originally Posted by Huntress55

Looks like Im odd one out, was never a Amelie fan..

Id love Sam to go to Paris but I doubt it. Sam doesnt really whore out tournaments much.

Yeah, I'd like her to go, but she doesn't ever seem to panic and change her schedule when things aren't going so well. I also suspect that she might need to use the break to do some of the training that she wan't able to do off-season because of her ankle.


Going to see Sveta, Serena, Sloane and Murray tomorrow (Vika will also be there, I guess )

[Adomoose]

Originally Posted by SilverPersian

Yeah, I'd like her to go, but she doesn't ever seem to panic and change her schedule when things aren't going so well. I also suspect that she might need to use the break to do some of the training that she wan't able to do off-season because of her ankle.


Going to see Sveta, Serena, Sloane and Murray tomorrow (Vika will also be there, I guess )

Have fun tomorrow SilverPersian.

As much as we enjoyed Sam's mini tourney whore period last year (Tokyo, Beijing, Osaka, Moscow, YEC) I think that was a rare event. Now that the players ranked 10-20 have also bombed out relatively early, and Petra/Sara have dropped back a bit, there is less reason to chase points and more reason to focus on getting match fit and ready for the next few months.

[stromatolite]

I actually think Sam's mini-whoring in Asia was a disaster that she'd do best never to repeat. It's the only time I can remember ever seeing her play tournaments mainly for points, and by the time she got to Istanbul she was paying the price for that big time.