Australian Open 2022

Caporegime
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Very US Open like performance so far, immaculate first set but an error strewn start to the second.

Edit: This might be the lowest standard of tennis I've seen so far, both horrific now.
 
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Soldato
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Raducanu smashed the first set, but Stephens has come out fighting this one and its much closer, although Raducanu is playing a bit better now and making fewer mistakes.
 
Caporegime
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That was a pretty grim set, hopefully the lack of game time and practice catches up with Stephens in the third.

Win or lose, this is the sort of performance you would expect from someone so young and inexperienced. She showed the quality she's got in the first set and just needs to find some consistency again.
 
Caporegime
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Neither played particularly well in the second or third sets but Raducanu played phenomenally well in the first and it's great experience to come through a three setter at a Grand Slam for the first time.
 
Soldato
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The women’s game is so incredibly variable.
Never understand that with womens tennis. The mens we’ve had practically the same 3 players in the finals for 15 years! Even then when they do lose a game they don’t lose 6-1,6-2,6-1.

Womens game (apart from Serena in recent memory anyway) they’ll win a grand slam one week go out in a WTA event and lose 6-1,6-0!

Is it physical or mental strength that’s the difference?
 
Soldato
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Never understand that with womens tennis. The mens we’ve had practically the same 3 players in the finals for 15 years! Even then when they do lose a game they don’t lose 6-1,6-2,6-1.

Womens game (apart from Serena in recent memory anyway) they’ll win a grand slam one week go out in a WTA event and lose 6-1,6-0!

Is it physical or mental strength that’s the difference?

Just my opinion but before Serena and later Sharapova came along women's tennis was a completely different game.

Look at the way Martina Hingis and Graff used to play. Lots of slices and volleys. controlled and precise. Then after Venus who had a great serve, Serena came and blew everyone away with her power. Sharapova upped the ante for a while too.

The womens game for a while then became more like the mens, with heavy handed powerful shots from the baseline. Now it it seems to have been toned down a little. Some of the power has gone, but fineness hasn't quite returned to the way it was previously.

The change of surfaces too speeding up clay and slowing down grass as well as making the balls heavier had an impact.

I dip in and out of the womens game from time to time. It doesn't capture my attention one whole as much as the mens. The grand slam matches being so short has something to do with it too.
 
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