Stircrazy wrote:

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Stircrazy wrote:

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L32:  Cameron Norrie WR 63 defeated (7) Alex Michelsen (USA) WR 36 by 2-6 7-6(1) 6-1 

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L16:  (WC) Reilly Opelka (USA) WR 145 (CH = 17 in February 2022) vs Cameron Norrie WR 63

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 Alas:

L16:  (WC) Reilly Opelka defeated vs Cameron Norrie 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4

Seemingly Cam just can't get properly going. 

JonH comes home wrote:

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Blue_Belle wrote:

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Stircrazy wrote:

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Stircrazy wrote:

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L32:  Cameron Norrie WR 63 defeated (7) Alex Michelsen (USA) WR 36 by 2-6 7-6(1) 6-1 

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L16:  (WC) Reilly Opelka (USA) WR 145 (CH = 17 in February 2022) vs Cameron Norrie WR 63

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 Alas:

L16:  (WC) Reilly Opelka defeated vs Cameron Norrie 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4

Seemingly Cam just can't get properly going. 

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 To be fair Opelka started his seasom well in Brisbane, beating Djokovic and reaching the final. And was unlucky in Melbourne to lose a tough round 2 match; with his game, hes hard to beat on an indoor court 

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 I hate Opelka, urgh. Not a fan. 

One to make you groan - Opelka v Isner, 14 out of 17 sets they played went to tie breakers and 13 of the last 14.

www.itftennis.com/en/head-to-head/

and Opelka had those tie breakers 11-3. Against Isner. Says it all. 

Ah, pity for Cam.

While I don't like such as Isner's and Opelka's tennis, especially if playing each other, it is their tennis people hate, yes, rather than the individuals?

I always rather admired Isner for what he got out of his career with his relatively poor return and rally skills. He had a legitimate weapon, he honed it, he won a lot of big matches and got to WR 8. It's up to their opponents to deal with, as best they can.

christ wrote:

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indiana wrote:

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Ah, pity for Cam.

While I don't like such as Isner's and Opelka's tennis, especially if playing each other, it is their tennis people hate, yes, rather than the individuals?

I always rather admired Isner for what he got out of his career with his relatively poor return and rally skills. He had a legitimate weapon, he honed it, he won a lot of big matches and got to WR 8. It's up to their opponents to deal with, as best they can.

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 I sort of agree, but if we can postulate a chap that hits Aces every serve, is that really tennis any more?

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 It's tennis by the rules of tennis. Folk have occasionally suggested change things to allow just one serve. But you could get someone in theory able to ace almost all the time with just one serve. From memory I think Isner's 1st serve % was pretty high.

Just got to hope it doesn't happen.

We've kind of survived so far with these types sometimes doing very well but overall being peripheral annoyances.

indiana wrote:

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christ wrote:

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indiana wrote:

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Ah, pity for Cam.

While I don't like such as Isner's and Opelka's tennis, especially if playing each other, it is their tennis people hate, yes, rather than the individuals?

I always rather admired Isner for what he got out of his career with his relatively poor return and rally skills. He had a legitimate weapon, he honed it, he won a lot of big matches and got to WR 8. It's up to their opponents to deal with, as best they can.

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 I sort of agree, but if we can postulate a chap that hits Aces every serve, is that really tennis any more?

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 It's tennis by the rules of tennis. Folk have occasionally suggested change things to allow just one serve. But you could get someone in theory able to ace almost all the time with just one serve. From memory I think Isner's 1st serve % was pretty high.

Just got to hope it doesn't happen.

We've kind of survived so far with these types sometimes doing very well but overall being peripheral annoyances.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 7th of February 2025 08:34:51 PM

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 A large number of similar serve bots existed around the 80s and almost all were American - in no order, victor Amaya, John Sadri , Hank Pfister, Fritz Buehning spring to mind. Steve Denton , although he had a bit more about him; maybe Kevin Curren but his serve was less emphatic and he had a decent game, enough to reach a Wimbledon final. Curren was South African. But lots of Americans who were precursors to Opelka and Isner and the like. 

Stircrazy wrote:

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JonH comes home wrote:

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indiana wrote:

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christ wrote:

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indiana wrote:

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Ah, pity for Cam.

While I don't like such as Isner's and Opelka's tennis, especially if playing each other, it is their tennis people hate, yes, rather than the individuals?

I always rather admired Isner for what he got out of his career with his relatively poor return and rally skills. He had a legitimate weapon, he honed it, he won a lot of big matches and got to WR 8. It's up to their opponents to deal with, as best they can.

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 I sort of agree, but if we can postulate a chap that hits Aces every serve, is that really tennis any more?

---

 It's tennis by the rules of tennis. Folk have occasionally suggested change things to allow just one serve. But you could get someone in theory able to ace almost all the time with just one serve. From memory I think Isner's 1st serve % was pretty high.

Just got to hope it doesn't happen.

We've kind of survived so far with these types sometimes doing very well but overall being peripheral annoyances.

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 A large number of similar serve bots existed around the 80s and almost all were American - in no order, victor Amaya, John Sadri , Hank Pfister, Fritz Buehning spring to mind. Steve Denton , although he had a bit more about him; maybe Kevin Curren but his serve was less emphatic and he had a decent game, enough to reach a Wimbledon final. Curren was South African. But lots of Americans who were precursors to Opelka and Isner and the like. 

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You forgot Roscoe Tanner & "Big Ivo" (Karlovic).  

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 Oh there have definitely been others, for sure. Karlovic for sure. Tanner possibly had the biggest serve of all but I always thought of him as a better player all round than that and, of course, he almost won Wimbledon. australia had their fair share also, Colin Dibley being the biggest I remember, Dick Crealy also, and many others although they were serve volleye as opposed to booming servers.