[DoctorTentonyya]

Progressing up Avenue Gordon Bennett was considerably easier today. The absence of touts was noticeable and those who remained appeared to be doing very slow business. Interest in the women’s semi-finals was negligible and before too long it was not hard to see why.

Those who champion the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour goes to great lengths to argue to the contrary but take Maria Sharapova, both Williams sisters and the Serbian duo of Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic out the scenario when it comes to the sharp end of the tournament and things dull down immeasurably.

Dinara Safina may have been the world’s top ranked player since April 20 and Svetlana Kuznetsova peaked at No 2 a couple of years ago but neither Russian could vaguely be termed box office when it comes to attracting the fans. Such is the public appeal of Dominika Cibulkova and Samantha Stosur, both could have wandered around the leafy avenues that flank the world’s greatest clay court tournament in total anonymity just a few minutes before walking onto court.
(...)
Apart from a few jousting points in the second set tie-break between Kuznetsova and Stosur, both contests failed to ignite anything approaching excitement. Before too long a cooling glass of white or perhaps a pression of beer was on most spectators’ minds, so disappointing was the tennis.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle6433293.ece

[altosburg]

Come on, you two. Get famous.

[berdyanskdotsu]

I haven't seen the Safina-Cibulkova match, but I thought Sveta-Sam was plenty entertaining.

[RicyReetred]

Star appeal, either you got it or you don't. Hardly the fault of any specific player. The quality of the tennis is largely irrelevant in my viewpoint.

[slarceSelia]

Star appeal, either you got it or you don't. Hardly the fault of any specific player. The quality of the tennis is largely irrelevant in my viewpoint.

[slarceSelia]

Actually in women's tennis it's usually reduced to are you pretty enough? Some rare exceptions for players who truly dominate...

[doctorzlo]

Maybe everyone's just aware of the French Open women's final and how it always sucks?

[altosburg]

Maybe everyone's just aware of the French Open women's final and how it always sucks?

Say it again.

[DoctorTentonyya]

Counterpoint

They do not have the box-office prima donna profile of Maria Sharapova, the mystique of the Williams sisters or the grace of Amélie Mauresmo, and thus the women’s final at Roland Garros tomorrow may lack for something distinct.

To say that Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova are unworthy of their place, though, would unfairly cast them in the role of characterless automatons.
(...)
The last time that two Russians competed on Court Philippe Chatrier in the final, Anastasia Myskina defeated Elena Dementieva in 2004 for the loss of three games. It was a horrid match.

Unless one of the protagonists tomorrow has a distinct drop in fettle, we should not see anything as banal as that.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle6432772.ece

[anderriter]

Sveta and Dinara really don't care. They are there to play their games better than anyone else in the draw, and that they have done. It's the WTA's job to promote them, not theirs.

[repldoinfo]

To answer the question in the thread.... I do.

Whoever wins would be ok with me, but I am rooting for Dina

[12ZHeWZa]

To answer the question in the thread.... I do.

Whoever wins would be ok with me, but I am rooting for Dina

I am right with you
It is good to see Dinara there, especially with all the doubters
I hope she lifts the trophy on Saturday.

[ManituIKOL]

Please Dinara, you have to be pretty bad to lose to Sveta in a GS final (not saying she's bad physically, just mentally). I care, I want to see her do it.

[Menierofe]

I hate the "does anyone care" argument almost as much as I hate the "it got crappy ratings" argument.

I care. I'd care if Tomoko Yonemura was playing Mervana Jugic-Salkic for the title. Guess what. Two women are still standing after 128 (plus the women who played qualies) began this whole mess a little over 2 weeks ago. When the press talks about no one caring because Serena or Maria aren't playing, they do the sport a tremendous disservice. They should be more focused on educating the public about Dinara and Svetlana, rather than carping about Ana and Jelena not being around.

And anyone who posts about the final coming in 7th in the Nielsen 18-34 mens demographic,(behind a rerun of Bass Hunters, USA) will get the exact response a comment like that deserves. When tennis is more about ratings than it is about competition, we might as well hang it up.

[TheBest-Host]

I hate the "does anyone care" argument almost as much as I hate the "it got crappy ratings" argument.

I care. I'd care if Tomoko Yonemura was playing Mervana Jugic-Salkic for the title. Guess what. Two women are still standing after 128 (plus the women who played qualies) began this whole mess a little over 2 weeks ago. When the press talks about no one caring because Serena or Maria aren't playing, they do the sport a tremendous disservice. They should be more focused on educating the public about Dinara and Svetlana, rather than carping about Ana and Jelena not being around.

And anyone who posts about the final coming in 7th in the Nielsen 18-34 mens demographic,(behind a rerun of Bass Hunters, USA) will get the exact response a comment like that deserves. When tennis is more about ratings than it is about competition, we might as well hang it up.

[pageup85]

Rock on, Moose and shtexas! It's about coming through this 128-draw plus qualies in one piece (though perhaps battered somewhat) -- I think it means MORE that none of the "likely suspects" is playing these last two days. I watched both Semifinals today (more than once!) and found both of them highly entertaining. I always enjoy a match more when the result is not a "gimme" -- and neither of these ladies playing tomorrow got there by default, they played their hearts out to get there!

As for me - GO SVETA!!!

[TheBest-Host]

The finalists are rather well known and the fact they are meeting in the final is no surprise. Anyone following the tour knows Dinara and Sveta had the best clay results. As I said in another thread, this is the way it should have ended. It feels right.

[Ngwkgczx]

To answer the question in the thread.... I do.

Agreed (and with Moose too)! Us true fans care. Screw the masses who find it boring. It's not like if the rating aren't great they're just going to scrap the French Open.

How about in Russia? Probably a big deal there, right?

That said, I sure wouldn't mind if it was a good match!

[P1international]

I hate the "does anyone care" argument almost as much as I hate the "it got crappy ratings" argument.

...When the press talks about no one caring because Serena or Maria aren't playing, they do the sport a tremendous disservice. They should be more focused on educating the public about Dinara and Svetlana, rather than carping about Ana and Jelena not being around....

Their silver lining can be that Kuznetsova and Safina will now be much more exciting opponents when they lose to Sharapova/Serena/Venus at Wimbledon and the US Open (aka "The real slams").

When did the WTA become 'America's Next Top Model,' 'America's Next Top Screamer,' or 'America's Next Top Bitch?' I'm glad Dinara and Sveta aren't winning those competitions.

[Gooracouppy]

yeah, I agree with those opinions on here that say screw the ignorant people who go to the tournament and aren't interested, all that matters is the important people on here who care about the match!

Go Dina!