'24 Aus Open Day 5 Order of Play & Discussion

[ponchi101]

The only way you will get rid of matches ending at 3 am is if you get rid of B.O. 5 men's matches. The variation in length of time is simply too much. You cam gave a match that is 90 minutes long, or these monster matches that last 5 hours. String two of those in one session, and statistically it will happen now and then, and you get the 3 am finish.

[Suliso]

You could start a night session at 7 pm and have one men's match only. Two women's night matches on the other big court.

[nelslus]

There are two players I keep saying I need to be sold on - Sinner and Rybakina. Sinner is determined to make me seem like a malcontent. I saw a bit of Rybakina's match - just a bit before I fell asleep - and as someone said upthread her lack of foot speed was exposed and her repetitive patterns did her no favors either.

Still, she almost won.

TO be fair- Rybakina has already won a Wimbledon championship. So, in that sense- she's already proven herself.

AND, nevertheless- I hear you. Like I've already said- she could easily become this era's Petra Lite.

AS for Sinner- I just keep thinking that, the odds are, Novak can't play forever (right?!?!?)- who knows if Carlos will be any kind of constant threat....So, one could think that the odds are very much in Sinner's favor.

However....remember when many of us thought that the likes of Zverev and Tsitsipas were certain near future Slam winners?!?!? (AT least Medvedev has his US Open title win).

[nelslus]

You could start a night session at 7 pm and have one men's match only. Two women's night matches on the other big court.

Assuming that, like they do with the US Open- they sell separate day and night session tickets- who's going to buy a center court ticket for one match? Especially when- heck, it could end in a match retirement. Sure- the spectators could then go and see other outside court matches. But, that would be one hard sell.

[nelslus]

I'm a Sloane Stephens skeptic, but that stat they gave after she beat Kasatkina was one of the most impressive and surprising ones I've heard in a long time. Kasatkina had won 42 consecutive matches when she took the first set. Stephens, whose toughness has been non-existent for years, broke that streak.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but if her fragility and fitness do not get in the way, Stephens should make the quarters at least. The only player who can beat her without any help in her quarter is Zheng.

One other player in that section of the draw could beat Sloane.

Sloane.