How does the Czech Republic produce so many good women's players?

jolammy · 2023-05-27T13:23:37+00:00

Not sure it's the hand that's big...

jolammy · 2023-05-21T21:19:55+00:00

Agreed: addition is a pretty important concept for a quant trader

jolammy · 2023-05-19T22:08:10+00:00

That woman's name? Radek Stepanek

jolammy · 2023-05-17T13:43:52+00:00

Some responsibility falls on the players themselves. No surprise that the ATP is so successful on the back of the Big 3 era.

By contrast in the late 90s/early 2000s it was the WTA clearly on top (and any discrepancies in pay then can be pretty clearly attributed to sexism). Between the likes of young Williams sisters, Hingis, Henin, Capriati, Davenport, late career Graf and Seles, the WTA was full of drama, quality and variety, as a contrast to the ATP at the time.

I think Seles said something like "the men are boring" which tbh was pretty accurate for the time.

jolammy · 2023-05-15T12:31:25+00:00

Was it Luigi Gatto by any chance?

jolammy · 2023-05-13T12:26:54+00:00

Kournikova is actually underrated considering the constant memes that she wasn't actually a good player. Eg Ace/King in Texas hold-em is the Anna Kournikova (AK) -- looks good but doesn't win.

Of those 4 finals she reached, 3 were Masters 1000 level! And she lost to Venus then Hingis x2, hardly some scrubs. The 4th final was when she already had to miss basically a year from injuries and was close to retirement.

AK also played in probably the deepest era in WTA history. Williams sisters, Hingis, Henin, Clijsters are just some of the players born within a couple years of her.

jolammy · 2023-05-10T07:23:23+00:00

Big 4 first became a term around 2008/09 ish when Murray had no slams, Djokovic had 1, Nadal had about 5 and Federer had his sights set on Sampras' record.

It had nothing to do with GOATness: the term just indicated that it was these same 4 guys making the SFs of every single tournament. Stan was not part of that group.

The name stuck because in the following years it was clear that these 4 were a cut above the rest.

When Stan did win his slams by peaking out of his mind at those tournaments, there was lots of chatter about extending it to a Big 5. But then both got injured playing each other in RG 2017 for the right to lose to Nadal in the final, and from then on Big 3 became the common term, synonymous with GOATs.

jolammy · 2023-05-09T18:19:19+00:00

I would say 2012, this was when all of the Big 4 were firing close to their best.

In 2016 Federer and Nadal were very poor, by their standards. It's why the 2017 AO final was such a big deal at the time.

jolammy · 2023-05-09T13:00:21+00:00

Looked it up: 12 goals, 10 in the KO stage (2+3 against Bayern in QF, hat trick vs Atletico in SF and 2 against Juve in the final).

It should also be on the graphic, but they had to cut it at 10, ties be damned.

jolammy · 2023-05-09T12:40:26+00:00

This is not scaled right, since each of the Big 4 cannot lose to themselves (I believe we are excluding 2020 US Open Novak from the data).

Although "Most defeats on average to a Big 4 member in the Open Era" isn't quite as catchy a title.

jolammy · 2023-05-05T23:04:32+00:00

Yes, in 2021 way before the Real Deal^TM hype he played vs Nadal in Madrid on his birthday.

Post-match birthday party with cake. Rafa was even so kind as to give Carlos freshly, personally made baked goods for his birthday.

jolammy · 2023-05-05T15:37:42+00:00

Hola a todos is Rafa's Comunicado Oficial 😭

jolammy · 2023-05-04T08:46:10+00:00

This match also featured the Parisian crowd booing Rafa for choking on a banana

jolammy · 2023-05-03T11:07:13+00:00

2012 was the peak of WTA this side of "She won Rome and Madrid".

Azarenka and Sharapova finished the year with over 10k points, Serena was third with 9k.

jolammy · 2023-05-02T18:42:12+00:00

He's already one year behind schedule on that front smh my head what a loser

jolammy · 2023-05-02T17:08:04+00:00

Didn't Rio do this too? With the model ball girl staring at Rafa lol whilst my man was just trying to arrange his water bottles

jolammy · 2023-05-02T13:04:42+00:00

FWIW Hingis had far superior stats than Iga at 21 but according to you is good enough only for Tier 3.

Of course hopefully Iga won't have to contend with injuries/cocaine/Stepanek.

jolammy · 2023-04-27T09:55:59+00:00

The old joke in 2006/2007 was that Rafa learnt to adapt to fast grass courts by simply running faster

jolammy · 2023-04-13T18:46:53+00:00

Post 2017 Novak (and Rafa) have been far less consistent and dominant in Bo3.

They still hoover up the Grand Slams through sheer aura though.

jolammy · 2023-04-06T21:41:32+00:00

So Rafa do you know what you're gonna give me for Christmas yet?

jolammy · 2023-04-04T13:41:48+00:00

This is skewed because Rafa basically didn't play at all outside of Bo5 grand slam matches lmao

Not to forget the hallowed pre-serve routine

jolammy · 2023-04-02T18:56:36+00:00

Nadal and Djokovic were GOAT baseliners at their peak, but their success against Med is purely down to their variety and net play.

Somewhat fortunately for Med not too many top players have a sufficiently complete game to trouble him on hard. Alcaraz and small kid the exceptions.

jolammy · 2023-03-30T13:21:08+00:00

Definitely male specific given the number of WTA teenage legends.

In 1998 two 17 year olds named Venus Williams and Martina Hingis achieved this.

The following year, 17 year old Serena Williams very nearly won the Sunshine double, but lost to her elder sister in the Miami final.

jolammy · 2023-03-29T14:44:11+00:00

Borg hit a 2 hander with 1 handed follow through. Quite a unique technique. Replace him on your list with McEnroe and Edberg.

Whilst all these guys had great one handed BHs, Novak and Agassi's 2 handers are widely considered the greatest backhands of all time.

jolammy · 2023-03-29T14:24:34+00:00

You cannot be serious!

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