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5 set tennis for Women. A step in the right direction?
- Thread starter dogbone
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Lets be honest, if they upped the womens matches to five sets then theyd never actually finish Wimbledon, what with all the rain stoppages. All it would mean are longer championships, and as a result more tennis on our TV screens. Im sure that none of us want to see that. 
5 sets? zzzZZZzzzZ
if they change the ladies' matches from 1 hour to 2 hours they'll lose me as an occasional spectator... to me it's the same as with racing on TV: I'm happy to watch MotoGP racing but not a 3 hour-long formula 1 TV marathon.
3 sets is just right
if they change the ladies' matches from 1 hour to 2 hours they'll lose me as an occasional spectator... to me it's the same as with racing on TV: I'm happy to watch MotoGP racing but not a 3 hour-long formula 1 TV marathon.
3 sets is just right
@Jaffa Cake
Solved already with the new roof, in a two years.
@nplima
So you don't watch men's tennis then?
Solved already with the new roof, in a two years.
@nplima
So you don't watch men's tennis then?
I think people are missing the bigger picture here. If they increase the women's game to 5 sets then it could have serious health implications. Now I am not talking about possible muscle fatigue or injuries. It is something far worse.
Just think of the damage that could be done to the vocal cords. If miss Williams and Sharapova have to play for 5 sets then the grunting could have serious consequences. It would be be a case of stamina or mental strength, it would be an issue regarding who has the strongest vocal cords. If a player looses her voice then she obviously will not be able to play as the grunting is an integral part of a female tennis players game, isn't it?
Just think of the damage that could be done to the vocal cords. If miss Williams and Sharapova have to play for 5 sets then the grunting could have serious consequences. It would be be a case of stamina or mental strength, it would be an issue regarding who has the strongest vocal cords. If a player looses her voice then she obviously will not be able to play as the grunting is an integral part of a female tennis players game, isn't it?
i always wondered why they are not playing 5 sets
with the current amount of fitness with lots of female players it was expected to happen sooner or later
that said the 5 set rule simply produces quite some legendary games from time to time
with the current amount of fitness with lots of female players it was expected to happen sooner or later
that said the 5 set rule simply produces quite some legendary games from time to time
That still doesnt solve the problem of more tennis (and as a direct result more Sue Barker) on the telly.
Yes there is that. But it's Jim Courier's commentating (coupled with his incredibly irritating supersmooth 'ricain accent) that make me want to stab meat skewers in my ears.
I think that they are talking of having additional sets only in the later stages of the tournament. Currently there seems to be a great discrepancy between the women's seeds and the other qualifiers and as such some matches are finishing after just 12 games which is a bit of a problem. As for whether women should get equal prize money for playing less tennis, of course they shouldn't. In fact if they want equal money maybe they should enter the men's draw. They might give Tim a run for his money!
nope. besides the serve there isn't that much to see... and the matches go on for hours... *yawn*
I don't watch marathons or golf either !
Ok, then make the men's matches 3 sets as well. After all, it's not about the number of sets or the length of the matches....
People are talking about potential for injury, television time, etc. This whole thing screams of sexism and "tradition". If it was about TV, then the mens game would be 3 sets. Same can be said about the "potential to suffer from injuries." However, that's not the case. Likely due to tradition, the men's game remains 5 sets. I'd like to see the women's game go to 5 sets.
Yup,
The fact of the matter is that modern sport, those moments that reduce the human condition to a single goal, (Tevez) or a single point, are it's all about. The excruciating tension. In tennis these exquisite moments, only come in 5 set matches. I remember watching Pat Rafter and Ivanisevic in a pub near Chester Gate, I think it's called the Albany, anyway that sort of über classic match (I chewed my fingers down to the knuckle), which is what the Henin/Williams match might have been, is denied to true lovers of sport as theatre.
The fact of the matter is that modern sport, those moments that reduce the human condition to a single goal, (Tevez) or a single point, are it's all about. The excruciating tension. In tennis these exquisite moments, only come in 5 set matches. I remember watching Pat Rafter and Ivanisevic in a pub near Chester Gate, I think it's called the Albany, anyway that sort of über classic match (I chewed my fingers down to the knuckle), which is what the Henin/Williams match might have been, is denied to true lovers of sport as theatre.
That's not the way it works. Top-class performers get paid what they're worth, not how long they spend on stage or playing field... besides the women's game is far more interesting to watch these days, especially on grass or hard-courts.
Men's points are often over quicker, too many ultra-fast servers. Perhaps they should be paid less for giving less interesting rallies, if any at all.
i'm sorry, but this is false statements. have you watched Rafael Nadal play at all? watch him play, then come back
Don't let Scott Boras hear about this. He'll want to extend all GS finals to 9 sets, and hold the first two on a different court.
That's not the way it works. Top-class performers get paid what they're worth, not how long they spend on stage or playing field... besides the women's game is far more interesting to watch these days, especially on grass or hard-courts.
Men's points are often over quicker, too many ultra-fast servers. Perhaps they should be paid less for giving less interesting rallies, if any at all.
when you have watched some of the mens tennis post back, and it was a false statement...
Yes, and to suggest that one player is representative of the overall men's game is stretching things. Just because someone disagrees with you, doesn't mean they don't watch tennis.
And to Abstract: how many men's tournaments outside the Grand Slam events consist of five-set matches in each round?
look at the post above yours
and i just named one player. clearly Roger Federer classifies as the opposite of your comments.
there are several more. look up Andy Roddick in Wikipedia. he won the longest 5th set in the open era....so ha!
Equal pay -> equal sport, make them go to 5 sets and ban that horrible noise the women have started making in the past few years.
Honestly, I can't watch women's matches because it's so loud. The men don't seem to be as bad. It's entirely unnecessary.
Honestly, I can't watch women's matches because it's so loud. The men don't seem to be as bad. It's entirely unnecessary.
The Henin/Bartoli match was another example where if Henin knew she had five sets it could have been a real classic rather than an upset. I loved the BBC commentary after Henin won the first set "Henin should be able to wrap this up by 6.00 just in time to see herself on the news, nice".
The only real objection that anyone could have is if women really were too frail and if that's the case they shouldn't be running olympic marathons, or any marathons for that matter.
The only real objection that anyone could have is if women really were too frail and if that's the case they shouldn't be running olympic marathons, or any marathons for that matter.
I was rather taken aback that Henin came down against five setters for women, particularly that she mentions women not being strong enough to do it.
@xsedrinam
Thanks for the link, amazing sophistry from Henin.
"It's tough, when I see the guys playing five sets. I think it's great but they are stronger than us."
That's bs. It's not about strength unless they were playing men. It's about stamina. There's more effort, strength and stamina expended by women running the marathon. That's pretty obvious.
If Bartoli had narrowly lost the 2nd set in a tie break which was very possible we would not have witnessed the spectacle that we did. Bartoli's was some of the most sublime womens tennis I've seen. Three sets artificially keeps the top women at the top because as we saw in this match one nervous set at the beginning is not the measure of the player.
How many comebacks like Gasquet, have we missed out on in the women's game
Thanks for the link, amazing sophistry from Henin.
"It's tough, when I see the guys playing five sets. I think it's great but they are stronger than us."
That's bs. It's not about strength unless they were playing men. It's about stamina. There's more effort, strength and stamina expended by women running the marathon. That's pretty obvious.
If Bartoli had narrowly lost the 2nd set in a tie break which was very possible we would not have witnessed the spectacle that we did. Bartoli's was some of the most sublime womens tennis I've seen. Three sets artificially keeps the top women at the top because as we saw in this match one nervous set at the beginning is not the measure of the player.
How many comebacks like Gasquet, have we missed out on in the women's game
I personally would like it to go to five sets. Namely, once we get Serena Williams to play Maria Sharapova again, all I have to do is crank up the volume real loud and cross my fingers that it's a close match (and a long one too, so they'll be more tired, and thus more grunting/screaming/moaning), and I will be the envy of my suspicious, yet naive, neighbors.
In all seriousness, I'm all for 5 set Women's matches. It makes sense to me, I don't see why not. Athletically speaking, the female body should more than be able to handle it, I can't see why not. It's not like male tennis players are superhuman or anything; yes, in great/phenomenal condition, but so are the female players as well. We're not talking NFL.
In all seriousness, I'm all for 5 set Women's matches. It makes sense to me, I don't see why not. Athletically speaking, the female body should more than be able to handle it, I can't see why not. It's not like male tennis players are superhuman or anything; yes, in great/phenomenal condition, but so are the female players as well. We're not talking NFL.
