[Patrick345]

Originally Posted by Natural Joe

I mean Vika broke Sloane seven times in that match and twice in a row before she took the MTO and now people are acting like Sloane lost her last service game only because of that medical break.

The idiots at ESPN should be thankful Vika got injured otherwise their posterchild would have lost 1-6 1-6. The hype they put on poor Stephens for beating virtually nothing, then getting a back/ankle injury and a knee injury gift from Serena/Vika is ridiculous. I really feel for Stephens. Now these idiots will expect her to win Slams and beat healthy elite players, because they can´t and won´t judge the stage of her development and the situation properly. And if she doesn´t deliver soon on these increased expectations, they´ll hammer her as quickly as they pushed her.

[JadeFox]

Originally Posted by oh yeah i guess

They should make tennis a sport where you're not allowed to seek medical assistance, you're not allowed to retire from an injury/health problem and you have to play out the rest of the match even if you can't physically move.

I'm so for this. Make this sport real Braveheart shit.

[JadeFox]

Originally Posted by Patrick345

The idiots at ESPN should be thankful Vika got injured otherwise their posterchild would have lost 1-6 1-6. The hype they put on poor Stephens for beating virtually nothing, then getting a back/ankle injury and a knee injury gift from Serena/Vika is ridiculous. I really feel for Stephens. Now these idiots will expect her to win Slams and beat healthy elite players, because they can´t and won´t judge the stage of her development and the situation properly. And if she doesn´t deliver soon on these increased expectations, they´ll hammer her as quickly as they pushed her.

Sloane seems like a real nice girl so I hope she doesn't let the American media hype get to her. Melanie Oudin never backed up her 2009 USO run and I don't think all of the press she got did her no favors.

[oh yeah i guess]

Originally Posted by Patrick345

The idiots at ESPN should be thankful Vika got injured otherwise their posterchild would have lost 1-6 1-6. The hype they put on poor Stephens for beating virtually nothing, then getting a back/ankle injury and a knee injury gift from Serena/Vika is ridiculous. I really feel for Stephens. Now these idiots will expect her to win Slams and beat healthy elite players, because they can´t and won´t judge the stage of her development and the situation properly. And if she doesn´t deliver soon on these increased expectations, they´ll hammer her as quickly as they pushed her.

I assume they're probably going to throw her onto centre court at the USO now.

Originally Posted by JadeFox

I'm so for this. Make this sport real Braveheart shit.

To make it even better they should eliminate the few minutes rest at the change of ends.

[Christinawww]

I love Vika and all, but that was one bad on-court interview. IMO she was trying to avoid the question being asked, and make a joke on her own behalf, but ended up being totally misunderstood by everyone. I don't blame the haters for attacking her on this interview, because it does seem bad. Vika stop making joke. They might work in your head, but not when they come out of your mouth

[architennis92]

Just got back from the match don't think I've ever been so nervous in all my life so glad she finished it in 2.
Honestly some people are blind, from my spot in the stadium it was really clear that she was struggling in the heat the last few games. Also her movement was hampered ever since the ankle injury. American press are going to rip her to shreds regardless of the facts which isn't going to be fun.
What's seems to be forgotten is that she's now made 3 of the last 5 slam finals and is the first person the reach the final of the slam they were defending since god knows when. Really scared of Li Na she looked very good today hopefully error na turns up in the final

[oh yeah i guess]

To compare to now, what was the GM reaction to Vika's fainting back in the AO 4R in 2009?

Originally Posted by architennis92

Just got back from the match don't think I've ever been so nervous in all my life so glad she finished it in 2.
Honestly some people are blind, from my spot in the stadium it was really clear that she was struggling in the heat the last few games. Also her movement was hampered ever since the ankle injury. American press are going to rip her to shreds regardless of the facts which isn't going to be fun.
What's seems to be forgotten is that she's now made 3 of the last 5 slam finals and is the first person the reach the final of the slam they were defending since god knows when. Really scared of Li Na she looked very good today hopefully error na turns up in the final

Did you happen to be one of the people yelling 'Go Victoria!' after/before points?

[architennis92]

Originally Posted by oh yeah i guess

To compare to now, what was the GM reaction to Vika's fainting back in the AO 4R in 2009?



Did you happen to be one of the people yelling 'Go Victoria!' after/before points?

Yep was one of about 20 people cheering for her in the stadium with my pathetically small Belarus flag(couldn't find a bigger one). Will be there Saturday to do it all over again she's never lost a match that I've seen live so hopefully the streak goes on.

[oh yeah i guess]

I didn't think the crowd was that heavily geared towards Sloane. Everyone loves a fairytail story I suppose.

[Natural Joe]

Ben Rothenberg ‏@BenRothenberg
Sloane mostly adamant that Azarenka's timeout didn't affect her. But said she's never once taken a medical timeout in her career.

Matt Cronin ‏@TennisReporters
Stephens: 'I love Vika , we share same agent, pretty good friends, I’m sure we’ll talk. She should get oxygen tank and figure it out'

It's funny, isn't it? Everybody's bashing Vika but the only person who really has the "right" to do so doesn't.

They share the same agent? Meilen? Didn't know that.

[Igor_Biscan]

I think it's Sam Duvall (@samduvall)

Meilen is more like Vika's manager I guess

[architennis92]

Originally Posted by oh yeah i guess

I didn't think the crowd was that heavily geared towards Sloane. Everyone loves a fairytail story I suppose.

Yep was quite painful to be a vika fan in there especially towards the end, the lady next to me kept on bitching to me about vika even though she could clearly tell I was a huge fan

[Natural Joe]

Originally Posted by Igor_Biscan

I think it's Sam Duvall (@samduvall)

Meilen is more like Vika's manager I guess

Oh, true, forgot about him.

[ozza]

This probably the best sentiment I can find.

Originally Posted by Jimmie48

Third HC slam finals in a row...who cares what has-beens (and never-was') have to say.

People (especially the US journo's ramping it up) are just going way overboard with this she should be defaulted crap.

[Igor_Biscan]

Originally Posted by Patrick345

The idiots at ESPN should be thankful Vika got injured otherwise their posterchild would have lost 1-6 1-6. The hype they put on poor Stephens for beating virtually nothing, then getting a back/ankle injury and a knee injury gift from Serena/Vika is ridiculous. I really feel for Stephens. Now these idiots will expect her to win Slams and beat healthy elite players, because they can´t and won´t judge the stage of her development and the situation properly. And if she doesn´t deliver soon on these increased expectations, they´ll hammer her as quickly as they pushed her.

Nailed it.

Originally Posted by Christinawww

I love Vika and all, but that was one bad on-court interview. IMO she was trying to avoid the question being asked, and make a joke on her own behalf, but ended up being totally misunderstood by everyone. I don't blame the haters for attacking her on this interview, because it does seem bad. Vika stop making joke. They might work in your head, but not when they come out of your mouth

Nah, I like her jokes. She has a weird sense of humour and a lot of the time people don't realise she's joking but that's their own problem. Probably this one wasn't a good idea, joking about an injury.

Originally Posted by ozza

This probably the best sentiment I can find.



People (especially the US journo's ramping it up) are just going way overboard with this she should be defaulted crap.

Cronin needs to think about his own journalistic ethics before laying into others.