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Athens

2K views 73 replies 11 participants last post by  ALPHA 
#1 ·
Time to start this thread, right?

Anyway, let's do it with Shamil's press conference.

Tarpishchev said that 4 highest ranked players as of June 14 (WTA ranking) will be selected to go to Athens to play singles plus 2 players to play doubles


so all the talks about Maria S. and Dinara should have a chance are nothing but excuses... unless, of course, one of them wins FO. (what are the chances?)
 
#2 ·
I'll believe it when he actually does what he has just said.
 
#4 ·
It will depend on who is healthy. I think each of the top 5 Russians has pulled out of at least one event this year, with an injury.
 
#5 ·
Unless someone has an injury to where they can't play whatsoever... I think they'll give everything in their power to play this.

Anyway, some talk about the team...

1) Myskina - 5 Ranking - She's way ahead of the other Russians in the rankings, and her only significant defending points is a Rome QF to June 14th. Definitely in.

2) Petrova - 6 - Has a 750 point lead on the 5th ranked Russian, Kuznetsova. However, is defending Roland Garros SF, and a win over Seles in Rome. Probably in... but would be advised to stay healthy, and just get past a couple 1st rounds during red clay season.

3) Dementieva - 9 - Only about a 500 point lead on Kuznetsova... but is defending just one win in Birmingham until June 14th. Definitely in.

4) Zvonareva - 11 - Even though she's about 400 points ahead of Kuznetsova now... Vera is on the outside looking in. Defending Roland Garros QF, Bol WIN, Berlin QF, Strasbourg SF, and Vienna SF. Clay is Vera's best surface... and she's really going to have to show it if she's going to stay ahead of Sveta.

5) Kuznetsova - 14 - It's really up to Sveta and Vera for the 4th singles spot. Sveta has around 100 points to defend, not much. Sveta has played great earlier this year... but she has yet to prove she can play this well on a consistent basis... and has yet to prove if she can do it on clay.

6) Sharapova, Bovina, Safina - Need to pull out a miracle... like winning a Tier I, and reaching the finals of a Slam... which none of these big girls can do on clay.
 
#6 ·
Lina. said:
Unless someone has an injury to where they can't play whatsoever... I think they'll give everything in their power to play this.

Anyway, some talk about the team...

1) Myskina - 5 Ranking - She's way ahead of the other Russians in the rankings, and her only significant defending points is a Rome QF to June 14th. Definitely in.

2) Petrova - 6 - Has a 750 point lead on the 5th ranked Russian, Kuznetsova. However, is defending Roland Garros SF, and a win over Seles in Rome. Probably in... but would be advised to stay healthy, and just get past a couple 1st rounds during red clay season.

3) Dementieva - 9 - Only about a 500 point lead on Kuznetsova... but is defending just one win in Birmingham until June 14th. Definitely in.

4) Zvonareva - 11 - Even though she's about 400 points ahead of Kuznetsova now... Vera is on the outside looking in. Defending Roland Garros QF, Bol WIN, Berlin QF, Strasbourg SF, and Vienna SF. Clay is Vera's best surface... and she's really going to have to show it if she's going to stay ahead of Sveta.

5) Kuznetsova - 14 - It's really up to Sveta and Vera for the 4th singles spot. Sveta has around 100 points to defend, not much. Sveta has played great earlier this year... but she has yet to prove she can play this well on a consistent basis... and has yet to prove if she can do it on clay.

6) Sharapova, Bovina, Safina - Need to pull out a miracle... like winning a Tier I, and reaching the finals of a Slam... which none of these big girls can do on clay.
good analysis... but I'd say that all 5 top women has locked a spot on the team... If Sveta doesn't play singles, she'll play doubles. The same with Vera Z. Lena L. will be the last one on the team to play doubles with Sveta.
 
#7 ·
There's no real suspense. Lena B. doesn't have enough time to get her ranking up.
 
#8 ·
tenn_ace said:
good analysis... but I'd say that all 5 top women has locked a spot on the team... If Sveta doesn't play singles, she'll play doubles. The same with Vera Z. Lena L. will be the last one on the team to play doubles with Sveta.
Do all 6 players get to play singles?

Sorry, but I'm really dumb on country competition stuff. :p
 
#9 ·
They should wait until after Wimbledon to name the Russian Olympic tennis team. The whole system for tennis in the Olympics is lame! :mad: It will be a watered down event with a Tier ll kind of field. And that's not good for tennis in the Olympics. :(
 
#10 ·
Look at basketball. The USA could send three teams, and win all three medals. But they are only allowed to send one team.
Inferior players can win a medal, playing for a different country. The Olympics were always like that.
 
#11 ·
You can't compare a team sport to an individual sport. If the Olympics are important to tennis then they should have a tournament on par with a grand slam or Tier l tournament where the best players are competing for the title. But that's not the case with Olympic tennis.
 
#12 ·
Swimmers can win 7 medals. A marathon runner can only win one. It's not supposed to be fair.
The third string goaltender for the Canadian women's hockey team won a gold medal.
There might be 50 better goaltenders who won none.
 
#13 ·
the cat said:
You can't compare a team sport to an individual sport. If the Olympics are important to tennis then they should have a tournament on par with a grand slam or Tier l tournament where the best players are competing for the title. But that's not the case with Olympic tennis.
It's much worse in other sports than tennis...

If you want the best 10000m runners, then the whole field would be Kenyans.
 
#15 ·
Is Vera going to go as a doubles specialist? I don't see that. I think Vera has to make the team in singles.
 
#22 ·
She's not as good a doubles player as Anna, but she won a major. That means something.
 
#25 ·
I'd take Vera over Lena B. because (a) she has already made a Tier III final, and Tier I and II SFs this year, (b) she made the final and SFs with three different partners (Masha S, Nastya and Lina K.), thus showing that she can adapt to different partners, and (c) she would be the best backup if one of the singles players was injured. However, if Vera plays to her potential on clay, this will be a moot point because her ranking will be high enough to have her selected in the singles :).
 
#26 ·
Russia has so many good players, that some will be left out. Vera controls her own destiny.
But if two doubles teams go, Lena B. is the only Russian to win a major in more than a year.
 
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