[vogus]

I'm not trying to be a Babsi-basher, but I think that Patty should put some distance between herself and Barbara Schett, because the example that Schett has set with her career is not a good one for Patty to be following. Schett has been failing to capitalize on her talent for several years now, and back during the time when she was a good player in the Top 10, she came up short in all her really important matches that could have broken her into the top echelon of players (the 2 where she blew huge leads against ASV at AO and FO spring to mind but there were others as well).

And now Schett has turned into sort of a floating, B-grade Anna Kournikova substitute model, who chases glamor wildcards ahead of more deserving players and apparently thinks she's too big of a star to have to play in the qualifying (she pulled out of Zurich after the Q draw came out, the 2nd or 3rd time she's done that this year). I hope that Patty is not looking at Schett and saying, "well Babsi's doing this, so it's ok for me to do it as well."

Patty has the potential to be a much better player than Barbara Schett ever was, is or will be. Patty should focus on her singles career - Patty/Babsi winning a few doubles matches together isn't what's going to turn Patty's career around and get her pointed in the right direction.

Patty doesn't need to be spending her valuable energy to prop up the career of a slumping Babsi, and remember back when Patty's stock was sinking, guess who dumped her to play doubles with Mary Pierce? So i say let Schett find another doubles partner. I doubt that there is really much of a sincere personal friendship between Patty and Babsi in any case, so that shouldn't be a factor in stopping the breakup.

 

[switz]

i usually like you're posts vogus, but this one to me is complete BS. i like babsi, but only really because she plays doubles with patty, so this opinion isn't me defending one of my favourites. the amount of judgements you have made about babsi's character when you don't even know her is what i find the most ridiculous. she got 1 wild-card into leipzig and suddenly she's this selfish person? she played qualifying last week, and also in a number of other tournaments this year, so i don't see how she's cashing in on her glamour, and the fact is that any other player in her situation would take the opportunity to have a wild-card instead of playing qualifying. babsi is regarded a one of nicest girl's on tour (and to be honest is probably held in much higher regard than our patty).

in regards to the doubles issue i also don't give you much credit. they should have beaten one of the greatest doubles teams of last 10 years this week, they have won a title this year, and basically their other results reflect just as much on how patty has played this year as they do on barbara's form. i think patty has shown over the year's that she's a little too head strong to just say "i'm going to do whatever my sometimes doubles partner is doing and just not try and not fulfil my potential" (i don't think she's going to decide to become a lesbian by playing doubles with mauresmo (j/k)) and the fact is that if patty thinks like that in the first place then she will never fulfil that potential anyway.

on the babsi dumping patty issue 1) you don't know that it wasn't a mutual decision after a series of bad results 2) wouldn't most people not want to play with someone who is going out with the 50 year-old german faith healer? 3) if you think poorly of babsi dumping patty for playing badly, why is it ok for patty to dump babsi just because she's not playing well?

to be honest i don't think there are many people who would particularly want to play with patty on a consistant basis. her results with other players have not been signifcantly better, and i just don't think babsi is such a bad influence.

i think they will win zurich this week anyway.

btw i'm not your enemy now, i just don't agree with your opinion

 

[vogus]

I didn't attack Babsi's character or say that she doesn't deserve to be a well liked player on the tour. I said that she probably doesn't have a good influence on Patty's game, because she (Babbsi) is not a "hungry" player, and Patty needs to be "hungry" to get back into the Top 10. Maybe i got a little too riled up when i read that Schett was trying to get a wildcard for Fidlerstadt, which IMO she blatantly did not deserve, from Anke Huber (who is one of my all time least favorite players). But that wasn't the main point of my post, sorry if it distracted from what i was trying to say.

 

[switz]

well patty and babsi were the only players to challenge raymond and stubbs this week so that indicates that they are at least playing well in the doubles.

players ask for wild-card all the time, babsi isn't doing something new. you don't know the facts behind babsi's decisions, and to be honest i think you're being no better than JR when he used to make his wide reaching assertions about people and situations.

the fact is that patty's problems extend far beyond what kind of role-model she has as a doubles partner. she has played with different partners eg mauresmo, maleeva, lamade, grande etc and yet i haven't seen any change in the way patty has played. i really think you're clutching at staws with this argument, and personally i think you're more motivated by this intense dislike of the 'glamour' elements of women's tennis (eg kournikova, babsi, anke) than any genuine belief that babsi has such a huge influence over patty.

patty has proved over and over again that she is her own person (although some might disagree). i would be much more worried about hoffman's influence than i would babsi's. IMO babsi is keeping patty connected to the inner-circle of the wta, and in reality i think patty needs all the normal friends she can get. BTW i have heard that they are quite good friends.

 

[vogus]

Quote: "2) wouldn't most people not want to play with someone who is going out with the 50 year-old german faith healer?"

Anyone who abandons you because you've suddenly become unfashionable is clearly not your friend. I would think that this would be an obvious point but whatever.

I don't dislike the "glamor" players as a group. I don't even dislike Schett, it's just there are many players that i prefer to see win ahead of her, so i don't cheer for her too often. Kournikova was one of my favorite players to watch in terms of tennis and that's why i'm a little bitter about what's happened to her in the last three years. Like Patty, Anna K was an intense competitor with a truly unique style of play, and now it's all gone. Huber, i just never liked her at all. Dull.

 

[switz]

Quote: "2) wouldn't most people not want to play with someone who is going out with the 50 year-old german faith healer?"

Anyone who abandons you because you've suddenly become unfashionable is clearly not your friend. I would think that this would be an obvious point but whatever.

you say unfashionable, most would say unstable. the fact still remains that for all you know patty decided to break the partnership, or it was a mutual decision. there results had gotten bad and doubles teams break up all the time.

patty has always been naturally talented, and before the whole harnecker thing blew up everything seemed to go her way. i don't think she was a particular focused/driven player. even in 98 she still showed signs of the player she has been for the last 5 years.

 

[Rothes]

even in 98 she still showed signs of the player she has been for the last 5 years.

If you had a hammer and a nail I would say Hit the Nail on the head!

By the way, I will do a posting to this shortly, likewise I tend to agree with Switz, But have been a bit busy and don't go on the Internet usually through the week, plus SWISSCOM is coming aorund and be there in 2 days!! For the quaters and Semis

 

[Rothes]

hehe and cant forget Maxwells silver hammer

 

[vogus]

I wouldn't be too worried about that - Patty has shown on plenty of occasions that she is a player who can really disrupt Mauresmo's confidence. And that's without the additional advantage of 5,000 rabid Swiss fans stomping and chanting HOOOOOOPPPPP SCHWIIIIIIIIIIZ after every point.

 

[Rothes]

I wouldn't be too worried about that - Patty has shown on plenty of occasions that she is a player who can really disrupt Mauresmo's confidence. And that's without the additional advantage of 5,000 rabid Swiss fans stomping and chanting HOOOOOOPPPPP SCHWIIIIIIIIIIZ after every point.

psssssttttt theres only one *hint hint*

 

[MLF]

I doubt that there is really much of a sincere personal friendship between Patty and Babsi in any case, so that shouldn't be a factor in stopping the breakup.

Seeing as you know them both so well of course....

 

[switz]

Friendship with the Peppermint Player might be somewhat difficult if a Particular Pattern holds true. Specifically, "Patty's Preconditions". Take the following: while she's openly stated that she wants no contact with her parents, that doesn't apply to her Godparents. So the last time her Godmother, Monique ------- called her, Patty Purportedly said right off the bat something like: "If you want to give me advice, forget about it". So if she treats other Professional Players the same way, relationships could be frosty.

i doubt the players on tour are looking to give patty advice about her love life. a godparents role, as a potential guardian, is usually slightly different to that of a doubles partner or even close friend