Talk About Tennis 2.0

Nice. Didn't know that. Thanks

Seems like a low attrition day which is normal for R2 (easier to pick than R1).

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 21, 2026 12:06 am

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 20, 2026 2:17 pm I am surprised at people who picked Samsonova..she has never done well at the AO..I think her defense is not good enough on a fast court..I had quoted her poor return win rate earlier..she is a very good player but so is Siegemund

She is/was the 18th seed, on a first round match, against a player that is crafty but has no weapons.
That was the way I saw it.

actually, I am just trolling you.. in retaliation for all the times i have been trolled for supporting Samsonova!

TMQ is combining Day 3 and 4 for a supersized edition of FAIR DINKUM or CORPSE STINKUM. Did your losing pick send you off to a FAIR DINKUM dreamy haze like a night in a luxury Melbourne hotel or did it take you on a walkabout deep into the bush, where you made your transition to a CORPSE STINKUM? Find out below.

FAIR DINKUM

Daria Kasatkina (18 victims) Kasatkina's first AO as an Australian, she may be taking the laid back pace of life too literally--her only win in her past 6 matches has been against Sakkari, which is hardly an accomplishment. Kasatkina made the 4th round here last here, so her already unseeded ranking is going to take another hit.

Leylah Fernandez (4 victims) Get to know Janice Tjen, as she has an explosive game, and TMQ predicts she'll be in the top 20 by the end of the year. She won something like 14 ITF titles last year and dominated the junior varsity circuit. Fernandez's game has really stalled out the last couple of years, and I don't think her stye of play surprises anyone anymore.

Liudmila Samsonova (2 victims) Appropos of nothing, the name Liudmila seems more fitting for an 80-year-old woman than it does for a hard hitting young woman in her 20s. TMQ did not watch this match (TMQ would NEVER watch Laura SIegemund on purpose), but since their winner to UFE rate seems to be equally abysmal, he can only assume that Siegemund annoyed Samsonova to death by tapping the corners of the court with her racquet and running up to the net and barking. Seriously, she is the worst.

Sloane Stephens (2 victims) Back off! Neither player in this match has played tennis in a year, so maybe give them some space.

Emma Raducanu (2 victims) By this point, to TMQ, selecting Raducanu to win a tennis match means you are ok with a premature death.

CORPSE STINKUM

Elisabetta Cocciaretto (7 victims) A player no one would have chosen two weeks ago, Cocciaretto played 7 matches at Hobart prior to this tournament, a fact her opponent used to Grabher by the throat and squeeze the life out of her...and you.

Maya Joint (4 victims) What were you smoking? Valentova was the latest Czech teen flavor of the month before Bartunkova arrived on the scene yesterday, and is a much better player than Joint.

Kimberly Birrell (2 victims) Worst pick of Day 3--if it was possible, both players would have lost this match...

Storm Hunter (1 victim) ...and if it were possible to have 3 players on the court, Hunter would have joined them to also lose. Worst pick of Day 4.

Why on earth did I land on Paula Badosa?
What in her entire Badosity made me think I could trust her with my library card,
let alone my Day 4 pick?

Take it to the Loser's Lounge, I know, I know...

Badosa and Sakkari..cannot be relied on either to win or to lose..

JTContinental wrote: ↑Wed Jan 21, 2026 8:33 pm Leylah Fernandez (4 victims) Get to know Janice Tjen, as she has an explosive game, and TMQ predicts she'll be in the top 20 by the end of the year. She won something like 14 ITF titles last year and dominated the junior varsity circuit. Fernandez's game has really stalled out the last couple of years, and I don't think her stye of play surprises anyone anymore.

So, you're saying Leylah has a style of play? You are far more perceptive than I!

catman wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 2:04 am

JTContinental wrote: ↑Wed Jan 21, 2026 8:33 pm Leylah Fernandez (4 victims) Get to know Janice Tjen, as she has an explosive game, and TMQ predicts she'll be in the top 20 by the end of the year. She won something like 14 ITF titles last year and dominated the junior varsity circuit. Fernandez's game has really stalled out the last couple of years, and I don't think her stye of play surprises anyone anymore.

So, you're saying Leylah has a style of play? You are far more perceptive than I!

She does. It is: do the chachacha for 10 seconds before a first serve. If she misses, do the Charleston for 10 more before the second.
If returning serve, face the BACK FENCE and shadow play fake returns into the ground. After she hits ONE WINNER, celebrate with a fist pump the size of a grape as if she had converted championship point at Wimbledon, having beaten Martina, Steffi and Serena in a row.
Other than that, she has very little else.

We lost only a handful of players yesterday, so we are at 36 remaining.

The breakdown

Anna Kalinskaya 16
Elise Mertens 10
Paula Badosa 4
Linda Noskova 2
Tereza Valentova 2
Belinda Bencic 1
Jessica Pegula 1

Badosa has burned me so many times that she's on my personal Do Not Pick list (not just in SP, but in other contests)... other than that reason I likely would have gone with her.

Expected to see more Bencic pickers heading with us Badosa pickers to the Lounge

Yes, very surprised Bencic lost..will have to look up this Bartunkova

I was saving Bencic as a possible later pick, not surprised not many had her.

A very scary bandwagon forming for day 6, 17/21 have take Muchova (didn't check if all people who won on day 5 though, actual total probably less.)

Svitolina

Theatre Guy wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 6:54 pm Svitolina

Make sure to post in the day 6 thread instead