The Final, Update/Reaction Options

[stfletch]

That for me was possibly the single best performance I have seen from any woman this year. Ana played virtually flawless tennis from start to finish and some of her shots make even Serena's look slow. Her serve is as good as anything on the tour and she even has great variety in her game. Her volleys didn't always come off today but she wasn't afraid to come to the net, she played the squash shot forehand that we have seen Martina do many times over the years and used the back hand slice superbly; not just to get the ball back but actually hit winners. Considering she is only eighteen and probably still growing as well as learning the game, I would be amazed if she doesn't go on to be a Grand Slam Champion. In fact at 65/1 I think I am going to put a few quid on her winning the US in a couple of week’s time. There was nothing Martina could do today; I think Ana would have beaten anybody in that sort of form and Martina must try to take the positives from the event and put it behind her.

Here, Here, GasAttack.

Some people need to get a grip.

[@did@s]

It just proves that Martina haven't learned a damn thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe she should retire and go home and take up knitting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry for the harsh words, but I'm just so disappointed in her!!!!!

OMG ... and it's a person, who pretends he is a real true Marti fan ... man ... I can't believe ... it's an awful comment, how could you just imagine that you are able to write such words ... my God ... it's a total disaster and shame, not Marti's loss, your words are rude and unfair

I don't want to write more shits, not to be banned, but these words are the most stupid I've ever seen, really ...

[John Straiton]

Well, look at it this way everyone, at least Martina got herself into
the top 10 with this tournament. So it wasn't all a complete failure.

That's the bright side, on the not so bright side she met a strong
and up coming player, whose "ASS" she will get later, as she has
all others that have surprised her in the past.

The Williams Sisters, Davenport, Mauresmo, Sharapova, Kuznetsova,
Pierce, Dokic, Pascual, and never forget Hantuchova. To name but a few.

Remember, what so many players that have beaten Martina in the
past have learned.

Beat Martina and die!!!

[dude]

I don't know if anyone will agree but I thought the difference in this game was Martina's opponent. In the other games Martina's opponents made terrible mistakes 'Unforced errors' so many times we saw kuznetsova throwing it too wide. Ivanovic didn't commit those mistakes.

I think in the other matches that was what made Hingis win.

Anyway, my day is ruined. It's gonna take at least 5 days for my sorrow to end.

[dude]

OMG ... and it's a person, who pretends he is a real true Marti fan ... man ... I can't believe ... it's an awful comment, how could you just imagine that you are able to write such words ... my God ... it's a total disaster and shame, not Marti's loss, your words are rude and unfair

I don't want to write more shits, not to be banned, but these words are the most stupid I've ever seen, really ...

Yeah if that person is a fan of Martina then he/she is certainly not a good one. Being a proud fan of someone only in good times is not being a true fan.

Anyway, I'm not angry at Martina personally. I just feel bad for her and the situation.

[Majlund19]

.

Beat Martina and die!!!

Best qoute of the day...

[Burton Wilkins]

On the bright side, Martina earned another $99,850, 210 points simply for making the finals, and she is now in the top 10.

Even so, I am disappointed.

[SteffiFan]

Well I for one can't wait to watch this on Eurosport later!

To be honest, against anyone else from the tournament I would have been for Hingis, but when Ivano got to the final I was hoping she would win it. She's put in a lot of extra work recently as mentioned by Hingis herself. And I remember last year people predicting big things for her but she readily admitted to not being able to cope with that pressure and so she went off the boil a bit. I hope this is the breakthrough tournament for her.

As for people in tears and so on, yep, get a grip. Just be glad Hingis is back! Who knows how much longer she'll be around!

[sravani]

Beat Martina and die!!!

Good one, John!

[Matchpoint]

The problem is, the way Martina plays, she simply does not have the game to beat someone playing in the fashion that Ana did today. However, Ana will not always play that well, and thus if she's off her game slightly Martina will have a very good chance to beat her. Martina is a counter pucher and is all about consistency, but with that style of play you've gotta expect to loose the odd macth against a top power hitting player who is in form (and after her Final and SF performance here, there is not doubt that Ivanovic will soon be a top player

Yes, exactly, martina can´t beat someone in the same fashion that Anna did, her game is more about consistency and she needs to explore the weakness of her opponents and some days, for a person that needs to do that in every match at a certain day you can´t focuse on doing that, and i believe that today was difficult to explore Anna weakness because she can win clean winners one after the other. I think it´s ridiculous what some people are saying, she is back in top 10, she had a very good tournament and she should and needs to look at the positive things in this week, off course i would prefer her to win, but im still proud of her.

[Chesapeake]

Had to have a peek at the score even though I won't see the match until I get home later.

Yes I was shocked, but then again Ivanovic has generated a lot of buzz lately.

What I will take away is that Martina made the Finals, saved the Tournament when most of the big guns dropped out, and drew a crowd of 8,000 on a Monday!!! That says a lot about her continued popularity

[tennisfreak]

My take on the whole thing is this yes Martina lost, but she lost to a very good player, even Martina in her speech recognized Anna was just too good. But look at it this way also Martina will now be ranked number 8 at the U.S. Open so she won't have to face any of the really big players until at least the quarters. That's a huge advantage. And hey she's already ranked #9 after only 8 months not many players can say that . Plus I have no doubt Martina will come back next year and beat Ivanovic's butt in Toronto .

[sassygirl]

QUOTE
It just proves that Martina haven't learned a damn thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe she should retire and go home and take up knitting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry for the harsh words, but I'm just so disappointed in her!!!!!

Its funny that some people are getting such strong reactions as above. Don't get too upset by these word guys, if the writer is really a martina fan and is trully disappointed... atleast they fill like s**t!

[Chesapeake]

Had to have a peek at the score even though I won't see the match until I get home later.

Yes I was shocked, but then again Ivanovic has generated a lot of buzz lately.

What I will take away is that Martina made the Finals, saved the Tournament when most of the big guns dropped out, and drew a crowd of 8,000 on a Monday!!! That says a lot about her continued popularity

But what is most important here as John said is that she is now #9 in the world, she has reached that goal much sooner than people expected, and I'm very proud of her for this.

March on Martina and show them all up at the US Open!!

[@did@s]

Well ... seems I can't stop writing now ... I wanna say so much things, share so much thoughts, and somehow I know I can't ...

I'm still too sad, but I'll try ... well ... I'm really happy to know that Marti finally is in top 10, she deserved to be there, she worked so hard whole year for this, and I really dont' care what will say all these stupid maximalists, who are only able to judge in a selfish way Marti's achievements. She is a great player, a great person with huge will, I think, I'm saying it for a milion time, but we all should be thankful that she just decided to come back to this sport. Tennis is a huge part of her life, we aren't even talking about the money, prizes and so on ... it's a life passion, it's not a momentum caprice, it's her job, like my father is an engineer, Marti is a professional tennis player, a living legend, great person with great name all over the world. And we should remember that she is having that name, because she worked very hard to achieve all her successes, vicoties, trophys, not riding her horses, or spending money on a parties, but working so many hours every day, every single day ...

And I'm really angry seeing so often here stupid commentaries, judging her as a person, I wonder why all these "fans" aren't saying anything negative, when Marti wins, but when she is loosing, they just appear from nowhere, and are writing shits ... we must learn to loose, life is a real battle, we have successes and wastes, great days, and bad days, nice moments and unpleasant moments. We have to knwo it's pretty normal.

I was so angry 1 hour ago, that I even used obscene words, but I know I'm wrong, because I love too much Marti to be able to be angry too long, she's my biggest source of inspiration, since I'm ever interested in this sport, and it'll always be like that, I'll never stop supporting her, because she's a great example that really in this life impossible is nothing, wneh you want and wish something so much you finally have it - she wanted to be a top 10 player again, and she is now, yes she lost today, but everyone can loose sometimes so important matches, she got more advantages than disadvantages from this tournament, and I'm glad she made a couple of great victories there. Soon comes US Open, she'll play there well I'm sure, Ana was wonderful today, and someties we have to accept the reality as it is, it'll always be better, I'm sure

Marti, I'm with you, you are the best and will always be !!!!!!!!!!!


Josi

[Max.]

I am shocked and disappointed ~!

I thought martina would obviously win ~!

At least she broke into the top 10 ~!

I kept on checking if the 41 singles titles changed into 42 singles titles on her

record on her Wikipedia page ~!

Well,,, I live in England and don't have cable/satellite TV,,,,so i couldn't see it,,,,

but by the looks of all your guys' opinions,,,,

Martina played less than average and Ana played like Roger Federer or Navratilova at their best !

I'm so sad and frustrated right now,,,, I def. hope she makes it into at least the semis this US OPEN ~!

[lebesgue]

So many awful fans, I hope we will get rid of them soon.

To the match. Almost nothing to do, you have to say too good.
Martina should have not made some silly mistake but she was pressured all the time. Even when the serve was good she got in troubles. One suggestion; please Martina when you are in command in a rally go a little bit for the line, not too much but a little bit.


Now waiting impatiently for the open.

This post has been edited by lebesgue: 21st August 2006, 14:35

[hrhsam]

Ana had nothing to lose, and that helped her immensely. Hingis, tough luck and good luck at the US Open!

[perfectjukebox]

Ivanovic played strong today and really pushed Martina around. She came up big in the final.

As for Martina, anyone who's upset or disappointed must have been watching a different tournament than I have. She had a great week, she got to #9, will be #8 at the US Open and made the final of a Tier 1.

I prefere to think about what she accomplished. Some improvement needed? Sure, but I am sure 2 very bright tennis mind will now be looking to get ready for New York. That's work for M&M, not me!

[John Straiton]

JOANNA,

As long as Martina has fans like you, she'll never lose.