tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post7094320014075523182..comments2024-03-11T05:26:34.143-05:00Comments on Women Who Serve: Defending champion absent, but there are plenty of contenders in MelbourneDianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-89119681481931440382018-01-12T12:10:00.338-06:002018-01-12T12:10:00.338-06:00Thanks, colt. Sevastova's been running hot and...Thanks, colt. Sevastova's been running hot and cold, but she's always fun to watch, and could pull an upset. I hope she has a good season.Dianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-83736460368633064742018-01-12T11:35:02.983-06:002018-01-12T11:35:02.983-06:00Like your insight. Not high on Sevastova because o...Like your insight. Not high on Sevastova because of her draw, but you are right about Makarova. She always does damage Down Under.colt13https://www.blogger.com/profile/18003693202810270993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-41404440639099950852018-01-11T23:08:56.463-06:002018-01-11T23:08:56.463-06:00I saw no need to do it, and it could easily backfi...I saw no need to do it, and it could easily backfire, but the tinkering never ends. Not only that, but so far (on-court coaching, no-ad play and super tiebreak in doubles), it’s been detrimental to the game.Dianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-87966819231036958422018-01-11T23:01:14.530-06:002018-01-11T23:01:14.530-06:00So many big and interesting early-round match-ups ...So many big and interesting early-round match-ups at this AO, all of which could dump out some very big names in the first few days... <i>and revealing to be a fallacy the whole notion, at least on the women's side, that there's some unmistakable need to go from 32 to 16 seeds in order to ensure better, more competitive match-ups in the first two rounds.</i><br /><br />Were TPTB so enthralled by having Halep/Sharapova in the 1st Round of the U.S. Open to be so shortsighted enough to not realize that the possibility of losing big names in the opening week means there might not be big names in the *second* week (<i>and then they'll complain about *that*</i>)? As we see at this AO, no altering of the seed system is necessary to produce good match-ups.<br /><br />That said, within a year or so the return to 16-seed slams will likely feel "natural," since the 32-seed fields really haven't been around *all* that long in the first place. <i>Still, it just seems to be a case of trying to fix something that isn't broken.</i><br /><br />I know... shocking, huh? ;)<br />Todd.Spikerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16455101522360257651noreply@blogger.com