Like I say to myself about so many posters on this board.... Just consider the source.
"Women's tennis is a joke"
The latest quote from Marcelo Rios:
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“Like, a girl that is (ranked) 40 is now going to beat (Martina) Hingis?”
Rios used as an example third seed Hingis’ third-round match against unseeded Barbara Rittner on Friday. Hingis beat Rittner 6-1, 6-0 in just 46 minutes.
“It’s like a joke,” Rios said.
“And I think in men’s, that’s not going to happen. Everybody is tough ...You never know, even if you have a bad ranking, anybody can beat you.”
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I was just thinking about this the other day. Though I wouldn't state it quite the way that Rios did, there is considerable truth in the statement of this controversial player.
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Once one gets past the top ten players, there is quite a fall of in the depth of talent of the remaining women. Almost so much so that it is usually quite rare for a truly competitive match to occur in the first two rounds of a 128 womens draw.
The main reason for this lack of depth could be the diminishing level of athletic ability and strength in the players below the top twenty level. But, as more women begin to get involved in the sport of tennis, the depth level of ability on the WTA tour will not only equal that of the men, but exceed them as well.
---
“Like, a girl that is (ranked) 40 is now going to beat (Martina) Hingis?”
Rios used as an example third seed Hingis’ third-round match against unseeded Barbara Rittner on Friday. Hingis beat Rittner 6-1, 6-0 in just 46 minutes.
“It’s like a joke,” Rios said.
“And I think in men’s, that’s not going to happen. Everybody is tough ...You never know, even if you have a bad ranking, anybody can beat you.”
---
I was just thinking about this the other day. Though I wouldn't state it quite the way that Rios did, there is considerable truth in the statement of this controversial player.
Once one gets past the top ten players, there is quite a fall of in the depth of talent of the remaining women. Almost so much so that it is usually quite rare for a truly competitive match to occur in the first two rounds of a 128 womens draw.
The main reason for this lack of depth could be the diminishing level of athletic ability and strength in the players below the top twenty level. But, as more women begin to get involved in the sport of tennis, the depth level of ability on the WTA tour will not only equal that of the men, but exceed them as well.
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Women's tennis is a joke...
With regard to Rios' comment..I have to agree with the fact that men's tennis is far more competitive say in the 1 - 20 range while on the women's side its 1 - 10 ranked players..in other words..the top ranked twenty men can win at any time over the other but is reduced to the top 10 women beating each other. But regardless his condemnation of women's tennis as being a "joke" is a bit harsh...they are the most watchable of the two divisions..we have the "Spice Girls" ...some up and coming "babes"...all the top ten gals are lookers with great bods..Rios, on the other hand is out-classed by "class"....This is an interesting tournament in that "Yes" the top 5 seeded players are already knocked out in the men's draw..but that is unusual...afterall injuries did play a part in that! But that leaves the women to have the more compelling matches!! Go girls!
barmaid
With regard to Rios' comment..I have to agree with the fact that men's tennis is far more competitive say in the 1 - 20 range while on the women's side its 1 - 10 ranked players..in other words..the top ranked twenty men can win at any time over the other but is reduced to the top 10 women beating each other. But regardless his condemnation of women's tennis as being a "joke" is a bit harsh...they are the most watchable of the two divisions..we have the "Spice Girls" ...some up and coming "babes"...all the top ten gals are lookers with great bods..Rios, on the other hand is out-classed by "class"....This is an interesting tournament in that "Yes" the top 5 seeded players are already knocked out in the men's draw..but that is unusual...afterall injuries did play a part in that! But that leaves the women to have the more compelling matches!! Go girls!
barmaid
Do high men's seeds get knocked out early because of parity on the ATP tour, or because of lack of effort? There's a lack of consistency among the top ATP players which, in my opinion, is NOT because of the so-called depth on their Tour, but because of their own failings. If the men are so equal, why haven't past upset artists made in into the top 20? Filip Dewulf reached a Slam SEMI-FINAL in 1997. Remind me again who he is, and what other results he has? Less than Stevenson, I'd guess (who at least has a good grass-court game). People laugh at how Kournikova hasn't won a WTA title yet. They should be laughing at the people who HAVE won titles on the ATP tour. No, I can't remember their names either.
Gustavo Kuerten may be supremely talented and a great player, but the way he treats all non-clay tournaments is a joke. It's not that he CAN'T play on hard courts/indoors - look at that amazing Masters Cup win - so why the hell does he have a nine-match losing streak, turn up to Australia totally unprepared and crash in Round 1? On top of skipping Wimbledon. And people talk about the Williams sisters' lack of commitment. And don't get me started on Pete 'I only play well for 4 tournaments each year - no, 3, because Roland Garros is one of them' Sampras. Or past #1s and Slam winners who currently languish outside of the elite - Moya, Rios (pots'n'kettles, Marcelo), Bruguera...
Sure, there aren't as many upsets of the top women than of the top men. This is a Good Thing. We still get great matches - Capriati/Daniilidou, Venus/Hantuchova - and the odd upset (does Rios recall a certain Barbara Schett at Roland Garros last year? Or Virginia Ruano Pascual at Wimbledon?). But at least Tour titles, Slam titles and the #1 ranking actually mean something on the WTA Tour.
Gustavo Kuerten may be supremely talented and a great player, but the way he treats all non-clay tournaments is a joke. It's not that he CAN'T play on hard courts/indoors - look at that amazing Masters Cup win - so why the hell does he have a nine-match losing streak, turn up to Australia totally unprepared and crash in Round 1? On top of skipping Wimbledon. And people talk about the Williams sisters' lack of commitment.
And don't get me started on Pete 'I only play well for 4 tournaments each year - no, 3, because Roland Garros is one of them' Sampras. Or past #1s and Slam winners who currently languish outside of the elite - Moya, Rios (pots'n'kettles, Marcelo), Bruguera...Sure, there aren't as many upsets of the top women than of the top men. This is a Good Thing. We still get great matches - Capriati/Daniilidou, Venus/Hantuchova - and the odd upset (does Rios recall a certain Barbara Schett at Roland Garros last year? Or Virginia Ruano Pascual at Wimbledon?). But at least Tour titles, Slam titles and the #1 ranking actually mean something on the WTA Tour.
We all know Rios is a jerk, remember what he said to Monica?
In any case, I think that first, for a player that has done nothing in 3 years, to come to criticize is rather sad, it only shows how frustrated he is, I really hope somebody kicks his sorry ass.
Also, I don't agree that the chance of an upset in early rounds makes the game more interesting.
What I like of tennis is the game, the quality, good shots, good technique, high quality, not the emotion of not knowing the result, if I want that kind of emotion, I look for another sport.
Also, top ranked women rarely loss to unknowns because they are consistent and they play their normal level, you don't have high emotional matches in early rounds, but you don't have a top player melting down completely as in the men.
When Agassi, Sampras, or Safin loss to a low ranked player, it's often because they played like crap, not because there was a big surprise in the other player's performance.
What Rios admires is that the men's game is levelled, down, that shows clearly what his standards are, have everyone being worse and then you have low quality from round 1 to the final, oh yes, but you don't know who is gonna win, whatever.
Gooooooooo Lapentti
In any case, I think that first, for a player that has done nothing in 3 years, to come to criticize is rather sad, it only shows how frustrated he is, I really hope somebody kicks his sorry ass.
Also, I don't agree that the chance of an upset in early rounds makes the game more interesting.
What I like of tennis is the game, the quality, good shots, good technique, high quality, not the emotion of not knowing the result, if I want that kind of emotion, I look for another sport.
Also, top ranked women rarely loss to unknowns because they are consistent and they play their normal level, you don't have high emotional matches in early rounds, but you don't have a top player melting down completely as in the men.
When Agassi, Sampras, or Safin loss to a low ranked player, it's often because they played like crap, not because there was a big surprise in the other player's performance.
What Rios admires is that the men's game is levelled, down, that shows clearly what his standards are, have everyone being worse and then you have low quality from round 1 to the final, oh yes, but you don't know who is gonna win, whatever.
Gooooooooo Lapentti
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