Percy896's Tennis Forum

PSALT

The Australian Open kicks off tomorrow, promising to be the most exciting yet. Along with the fact that a good half-dozen players have a shot at making the final, the newly added, and long awaited doubles tour will start here in Melbourne. After a surprising end to Season 4, the Aussie Open is as wide open as a Slam has ever been on tour. Time for it to unfold (such a dramatic and fetching phrase!).

Newly crowned No.1, NEA, has finally risen to the top thanks to years of hard work (Otherwise known as ‘Kissing Child’s Ass.’ Which in turn requires rubbing elbows with the fashion world on a daily basis). He is our undeserving top seed (Hey, I quote our dear Poseur himself. These are not my own words). He has been given the unfortunate task of not being able to have a down day from the start of the event. Agassi (16th seed and MIA) is looming in his RD16. The American is a player who has always given NEA trouble, ‘specially in Slams. Country-man Dave is seeded for a clash in the quarters with Poseur. Tricatrina will try to put a stop to it, but I fear she will never reclaim the glory that got her to the USO title. NEA has the ability to get past them, that is not being put into question. Whether or not he will hold up being under the stress of the No.1 spot is something entirely different however.

Yodavitch is the 2nd seeded player in the draw. He has been given an endlessly difficult draw to deal with. He was not at his best in Sydney however, showing signs of rust. That will complicate things for the defending champion if he does not get his game under control posthaste. His quarterfinal opponent less than a week ago, Tennis Fan, is his likely RD32 opponent. Finally he will play either Benchwarmer or Leftys_Rock in his RD16 match, if he should get there. Then finally the likes of Doublea, J-man, and even Edelstein are dangerous opponents in his quarter.

Child grabbed the 3rd seed. She by far was handed the simpliest of draws in regards to the Top 4 seeds. Mollusk is the only player in her RD16 that is even a competent opponent. Her quarterfinal match will be the only time her draw even contains the slightest bit of complication. In it she is seeded to meet nemisis Stroganoff. Stroganoff has given Child trouble throughout their careers. Child does not seem to like her at all, quite possibly because her name represants something Child has shunned for the past 5 years….. no, no I’m kidding obviously. But Child will be looking out for the Russian looming in her quarterfinal. Washed up Bizet, and Ying-Chang (fresh off a drubbing of Dave in the Smashnova semis last week), also are there in that quarter.

Finally PSALT is seeded 4th. Currently on a three event winning streak (dating back to the Canadian International at the end of last season) he is considered the ‘favorite’, a title he has shunned throughout his career. He has been given a fairly difficult draw, but nothing like Yodavitch’s. Jbors is the only person who would give the American trouble until the quarterfinals. There he could meet either Jennacourt or Stevos. Either one could make the match close should it happen.

On to my gossip (something that is sparce lately). Why you ask is Ying-Chang so different? What happened to the good ‘ole Ying-Chang of old? The one who would start sobbing on ball-boys shoulders after she lost a point, the one who would chuck her racquet at an unsuspecting fan if they cheered against her, the Ying-Chang who’s pupils were dilated during her matches. Our dear Chinese fruit checked herself into rehab for a drug addiction over the off-season. Here was her statement given to the press,

‘I have just finished rehab for a minor drug addiction I have had the past year. I spent most of the off-season within the institution, though I was still allowed to train and play tennis every day. I appreciate the tour's generosity in not suspending me from competition and I vow to never use drugs again.’

Take what you want from that one. I am still slightly put-off that we won’t have someone to make fun of anymore. Sad

I guess we will have to go back to dearest Canadian, Stevos.

Then of course people have been talking about (not all that much however, Puellus was always the incarnate of boredom) the comeback of Puellus to play doubles. He has decided to team up with much younger Tennis Fan. Here was an interview he gave almost a year and a half ago,

Q. How has life been for you without tennis? What has changed for you?

Puellus:
Honestly I've been relaxing a lot, especially the year after I retired. The thing is I miss it so much that this year I've been playing a lot of tennis, relatively of course. Training for the tour takes so much work so everything has felt so relaxing.

Q. You say you are considering a comeback....When would you be aiming to make a comeback? Would you be prepared enough?

Puellus:
Hey, hey, I said maybe . Returning is something that is a really big deal; it's life changing. I'm just saying that I may want to play some doubles next year, and maybe I'll play singles. Just throwing it out there though.

Q. Would you be more of a doubles specialist with a limited schedule or would you be back full time?

Puellus:
Pretty much I think. I always wanted to play more doubles but singles just took over everything. I think having doubles at the big events will give it more popularity and so I think it should be good for the sport as a whole. I definitely want to support that too; still, singles is not out of the question. We'll see

Here was a brief statement he gave me earlier today,

Q. You have returned with upstart Tennis Fan as your doubles partner. Can you explain your choosing of him?

Puellus:
Since retiring, I have been watching a lot of tennis on TV, and have even gone to some events. Tennis Fan has really impressed me and I know he is a budding talent. I was in Sydney during Sydney Tennis and went to the event. I watched Tennis Fan lose to Yodavitch in three sets, and after the match we talked a bit. I then asked him to play doubles with me during the Australian Open, and he agreed. I like his style (tennis of course) and his personality; and of course there's no doubt about his love for tennis (see his name)!

Yes, such a fetching name.

On to the real interviews.

Q. So far in your career this is the only Slam that has eluded you, coming into it this season, is there anything you have done differently from past seasons to try and insure your success?

Vanessa Child:
Well this year is different. I am not worried about the tournament itself, I have just been trying to get back into the swing of things. I haven't played a match since winning the U.S. Open, so I have just been focused on getting prepared and getting match tough. I think though that I can finally win this one this year; it would be really special since I would then hold all of the grand slam trophies at once.

Q. You will be playing doubles with long-time friend and lover NEA. Thoughts on your chances together?

Vanessa Child:
No doubt we are the favorites. N_E_A has been playing really well and I think we will work well together on the court. Our personalities fit well for a team and that's the most important thing in doubles.

Q. Who is/are the favorite(s) for this event in your eyes?

Vanessa Child:
I believe that I am the favorite, maybe not in everyone's eyes, but certainly in my own. Even though I am seeded 3rd I know that I am still at the top. N_E_A as I said has been playing really solidly and he along with Yodavitch are definite contenders. PSALT though I think is the second favorite after me. I was really impressed with his win at the YEC.

NEA now,

Q. What's it like to come into a Slam as the top seed? Is it more pressure than usual?

NEA. I am the top seed but not the favourite, so the pressure is off. I don't think anybody expects me to win but I feel I have such a good chance it is untrue. I am playing really, really well and have been for a long time now. More and more people are comparing me to Rafael Nadal and I think it is only a matter of time before I emulate his Grand Slam success of winning 15.

Q. You were not given a great draw, but by no means impossible. What do you think of your chances here?

NEA. As I said, I think I have a really good chance. There is nobody in my Quarter who is near the player I am so I don't see why I can't reach the Semi-Final. From then on, who knows? I will draw on my experience and hope to take this Grand Slam and really confirm my status as world number one.

Q. You are playing doubles with Child. You seem quite confident of your chances here. Why, and who do you expect to meet in the final?

NEA. Because Child and I are the best two tennis players in the world and now we are a team. Why should we lose? Who even has the right to beat us? We also have an extremely good chemistry and have already discussed tactics. Together we have literally everyone and I don't see how they can stop us. I don't care who we meet in the Final; all those pretenders are going down...

Q. People seem to have pinned PSALT as the favorite. Who do you, with your infinite knowledge Rolling Eyes

, think will win it this year?

NEA. PSALT...he is unstoppable right now.

Predictions

NEA def Nortan 6-4 7-6
Agassi def Aztec 6-4 6-4
Tricatrina def Sarahginia 6-2 7-5
Dave def Dreyfus 6-2 4-6 6-3
Jennacourt def Alice 6-1 6-4
Stevos def Beta 7-5 7-5
Jbors def Phobe 7-6 7-6
PSALT def Sheila 6-2 6-3
Child def Valkryie 6-7 6-3 6-3
Mollusk def Adelaide 6-1 7-5
Ying-Chang def Bizet 6-1 6-4
Stroganoff def Duke 6-0 6-1
Doublea def Edelstein 6-4 6-7 7-6
Avolt def J-man 2-6 6-4 6-4
Leftys def Benchwarmer 7-6 3-6 6-4
Tennis Fan def Yodavitch 5-7 7-5 6-4

Agassi def NEA 6-4 4-6 6-2
Dave def Tricatrina 6-2 7-6
Stevos def Jennacourt 6-3 3-6 6-3
PSALT def Jbors 6-4 7-5
Child def Mollusk 4-6 6-4 7-5
Ying-Chang def Stroganoff 6-2 6-3
Doublea def Avolt 7-5 6-0
Tennis Fan def Leftys 6-2 6-4

Dave def Agassi 6-4 6-7 6-4
PSALT def Stevos 3-6 6-3 7-6
Ying-Chang def Child 6-0 6-3
Doublea def Tennis Fan 6-4 6-4

PSALT def Dave 6-4 6-4
Doublea def Ying-Chang 3-6 7-5 6-2

Doublea def PSALT 6-2 6-1

On to doubles now. NEA/Child are the top seeds. Followed by PSALT/Doublea, Tricatrina/Stroganoff, and Yodavitch/Avolt. Both NEA/Child and PSALT/Doublea seem quite confident of their chances. Other teams to watch out for though are Bizet/Edelstein, J-man/Jbors, and Leftys/Stevos.

Predictions

NEA/Child def Dreyfus/Nortan 6-2 6-2
Phobe/Mollusk def Beta/Cecil 6-3 6-4
Tennis Fan/Puellus def J-man/Jbors 3-6 6-4 7-5
Yodavitch/Avolt def Alice/Christoben 6-2 6-0
Tricatrina/Stroganoff def Dave/Duke 6-0 6-4
Jennacourt/Sarahginia def Sheila/Valkryie 6-4 4-6 6-4
Stevos/Leftys def Bizet/Edelstein 4-6 7-5 7-6
PSALT/Doublea def Adelaide/Aztec 6-1 6-3

NEA/Child def Phobe/Mollusk 6-4 7-5
Tennis Fan/Puellus def Yodavitch/Avolt 6-7 6-3 6-3
Tricatrina/Stroganoff def Jennacourt/Sarahginia 6-1 6-1
PSALT/Doublea def Stevos/Leftys 7-6 6-7 6-4

Tennis Fan/Puellus def NEA/Child 6-4 3-6 6-4
PSALT/Doublea def Tricatrina/Stroganoff 6-1 4-6 6-3

PSALT/Doublea def Tennis Fan/Puellus 7-6 7-6

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