You know who is a disappointing player? Michelle Larcher de Brito. Seriously, why does she get talked about so much? I don't understand it at all. Maybe it's just that she's young and hasn't grown into her game or something and wiser people than me have seen some kind of Ultimate Tennis Potential in her, but she does absolutely nothing for me. Nothing at all. Exhibit A: she got crushed today by Alexandra Dulgheru. Like, crushy mcrushed with a side of orange crush. Not good.
I'm almost positive the reason she gets discussed so much is because of her shriek. She's freaking loud. Anyway care to gainsay me?
And this is so not trendy to say, because she is the next big thing and all, but you know who else does nothing for me? Melanie Oudin. Yes, I know she'll probably grow up awesome and she made the quarters of the US Open last year and she's the best thing since the Williamses and sliced bread for American tennis and she has 'believe' on her shoes and whatnot, but I just don't feel her. I saw her play at Hopman Cup - she was playing Sorana Cirstea in a dead rubber, if I remember correctly - and even though she won, I really could have cared less. She was great at Hopman Cup for comedy value when she stood next to John Isner, but that was pretty much it.
Anyway, I'm not quite sure Oudin is going to be quite as great as everyone seems to think she is. I'm quite willing to be proved wrong on this, but I just do not feel her. No matter what her shoes say, I do not believe. And results like getting beaten 6-0 in the third by Roberta Vinci? Not helping.
...on a more positive note, you know who I really am feeling? Anastasija Sevastova. She beat Nuria Llagostera Vives in three today and I liked it. But maybe I just have a weakness for those Latvians...
Afterthoughts (a.k.a therapy)
5 years ago
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2 comments:
Jodi, you are not the only one who has not joined the "Believe" train. Funny story. I was listening to radiotennis.com while this match was going on and the commentator was just saying the same things that you were saying. Funnily enough everyone who was writing in was saying the same thing. He was a bit unfair in that he compared her game to Federer (I mean come on now), but he made the point that when she sets up to hit her forehand it is so mechanical. There is no movement, no nothing, no fluency in her shot selection. I understood what he was saying as she does seem a bit wooden and mechanical. I posted this over at another blog, but she got a sponsorship deal with Virgin Mobile that guarantees a US$1M donation to the homeless if she wins the USO. I guess the poor homeless folk will never see that money. As to de Brito - yes it is all about the shriek. I swear every female player who shrieks like Sharapova is considered the next big thing. Methinks they need to start looking for something else to determine who will be the next big thing. Not sold on Semastova (sp?). One good tournament does not a fan make. She played well in Monterrey and she had some good wins. I like how she kept her composure in the JJ match but she basically went away in the semi against Pavs. It would be interesting to see how she develops as the season progresses. Who I really liked was Kulikova. Saw her play in Dubai and she was really hitting the ball well. However, she is just one more Russian who is blonde and shrieks while they hit the ball that will perhaps be a top 50 player but not much else but I like her fighting spirit.
Larcher de Brito is supposed to be good, because Nick B said so. Well, at least for a decade now he is not really coming with the next big star, and desperatelly looking. If she would not receive so many wild cards over last few years (a lot of them into american tournaments, thanks to IMG) she would not even enter most of WTA tournaments, because she is not winning, and not having the ranking points! Her game is based on the intimidation she is creating with that shreak of hers, and talking 3 years in the row about "future next big thing" is just radiculus to me!
Now, they started creating that frenzy around Oudin last year, and after USO she is just falling apart, not able to mount three good matches in a row. It's a joke, not a next champion so far!
When she finally had the first match at USO where she lost, her coach started saying something about her not playing well, when she gets stressed out, when things are not going her way...LOL, doesn't most of us? Novelty of the first wins wearing off, and she cannot find the way to win again, when things get tough! And she is letting out that annoying sound with almost every stroke, she is just in the same category for me with MLB! I don't believe, and I don't expect nothing sagnificant from them!
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