Why are they so often referring to the Australian Open as ‘AO’ in their interviews? I know it’s in their branding but the other slams don’t do this.
Isn’t it also just a nickname, I also refer to it both verbally and in type sometimes, certainly conveniently succinct. Like Aus Open / Oz Open, The Open, Aussie Open / Ozzie Open, The Tennis, etc etc?
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That’s true, but it feels strange to hear them interviewing someone and discussing their time at the AO. Like I said it’s their branding but I’d much prefer they used one of the existing nicknames rather than creating a new one.
Weird that they have put the more evenly matched tsitsipas v khachanov semi final during the day and the likely one-sided djokovic v Paul in prime time. I’d be happy to be wrong but I’d say there will be some disappointed spectators tonight.
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From a TV perspective at least, Joker’s straight sets Quarter did between 500k-600k metro the other night (significantly higher than Tsitsipas’ thriller), should be even higher tonight, so right call by TA and for their domestic partner Nine at least. And being a Friday, that should also see some huge shares again tonight, regardless of the contest/result.
But I think it’s more Djokovic prefers and plays better under lights on RLA, likes the moisture in the air and heavier/slower ball. As higher seed and progression, believe they give his camp the choice of timeslot?
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Tsitsipas is the higher seed, he is #3, djokovic is #4. But I’d be disappointed if it works that way anyway.
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So Tennis Australia didn’t act on Djokovic’s dad - he self imposed his absence from the court tonight.
Honestly.
Fair enough, well maybe Tsitsipas chose the day time slot, he conversely performs better in the sun/heat of the day conditions.
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Anyone who went through the political BS he did last year would be vengeful.
This has now been disproven, Novak’s dad actually said “Živeli Ljudi”, which means “Cheers Guys” in Serbian, these people in the photos lied about what he said to get clicks for their Youtube channel and of course the hateful media ran with it.
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I have heard that originally Djokovic’s match was going to be scheduled for the day, but the US broadcasters complained because it would be in the middle of the night for them so it got moved.
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I just looked up the Men’s Grand Slam winners going back to Federer’s first in 2003.
Since then, the “big three” of the 21st century (Federer, Nadal and Djokovic) have won an incredible 67 out of 79 Grand Slams. Amazing dominance over almost 20 years by those 3.
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That’s interesting - as at the start of the Djokovic game it’s 12.45am in LA and 3.45am in New York
ESPN will be hoping tonight’s semi-final will go the distance so that fans in the east coast will be tuning in at breakfast (6am in New York is 10pm AEDT).
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It’s still like 5am (2am west coast) now, more than 1 set in, America have been broadcasting local time Australian Open prime time sessions for how many decades now? Seems a tad bizarre, TBH. Yes I know like 350m population and world’s movers and shakers and big ESPN deal too, but that’s why outside finals, they can capitalise on our afternoon/morning, especially for LA, their prime time.
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Djokovic has defeated Tommy Paul in straight sets 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 to set up a showdown with Tsitsipas on Sunday night to be crowned the 2023 Australian Open mens champion.
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The winner will usurp Carlos Alcaraz as the world number one. While I would like Tsitsipas to win, my head says Djokovic will, simply because he never loses after progressing past the quarters at Melbourne Park.
Should Djokovic lose, however, he would complete a “dinner set” - i.e. a champion and runner-up result at all the four Majors. Roger Federer “completed” this at the 2009 US Open (lost to Juan Martin del Potro) and Serena Williams completed hers at the 2016 French Open (lost to Garbine Muguruza).
Maria Sharapova never lost a US Open final - in fact she won the only one she ever contested when she beat Justine Henin(-Hardenne) in 2006.
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Groundbreaking stat there.
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What I should’ve also said is that she finished runner-up at the other three Majors: Australian Open (07, 12 and 15), French Open (13) and Wimbledon (11), in addition to her achieving a career Grand Slam when she won at Roland Garros in 2012.
Sharapova, Federer (2009) and Djokovic (2016) all completed their Grand Slam sets at that tournament. Nadal completed his at the 2010 US Open.
Further, Sharapova lost to Serena Williams at all four Majors; needless to say, they never met in a US Open final, but they did face off in the first round of the 2019 tournament.
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