"Existing" and Content

[Murat Baslamisli]

Listen, I am the last one to suggest so and so player should just call it a day because it is a living, and a good one at that, even when you do not win. You travel, you see places, you play a game and might end up with a couple of G's in your pocket. Not too shabby...

But there comes a time where you are not improving, not doing anything special, not even trying in some cases...merely existing for the sake of existing and that looks bad.

Who do you think is guilty of that? The optics are so bad that you wished the guy called it a day?

 

[nehmeth]

Do you have any "for instance" players that led you to post this thread??

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

There are a couple. Gulbis is one. I am not sure if he has any motivation to improve or win a big tournament. He gives me the impression that he just wants to do his thing, and whatever happens on the court is OK. He does not take losing personally. Monfils is another one...I am sure he is happy just existing in the tour. I have never heard him say " This year, my goal is to improve and play a slam final..." or something similar.

It is not about talent or whatever. Or age...For example, I see Kevin Anderson, who never won anything big, but the guy always gives me the impression that he wants to get better. Maybe he will not.

I guess my point is I get frustrated with guys who are content. It seems like an insult to players like Roger, who is still trying to find new ways to win at the age of 34, or Nole , who celebrated a slam win with a piece of chocolate, and was back to his usual diet because he knew the next tournament was around the corner and he had to take care of his body.

Maybe I take it too personal.

 

[nehmeth]

Monfils was the one I thought of. Yet the crowds seem to love his form of entertainment. Personally, he just annoys me.

Another one for me is Lleyton Hewitt. I'd see him out there battling nobodies and losing. It wasn't entertaining to watch him, it was painful. I think he should have retired at least a year (or two) before now.

 

[Front242]

Well, Hewitt is gone after the AO and I agree it was painful to watch him play the last few years. He'd be up 2 sets to love in slams and end up losing dismally 17-15 in the 5th. Total nonsense. I'm thinking Youzhny, Matosevic, Melzer, Montanes and due to injury setbacks Tipsarevic. I always liked Janko's play before his injury but I'm not sure he'll ever get back to any decent level again, which is a shame.

 

[Front242]

There are old guys out there like Karlovic, Haas and Stepanek but Karlovic can surprise at any stage with his serve, Stepanek I feel still has a bit left in him and his last injury setback was unfortunate timing given his age and likewise with Haas. I'm thinking Haas is sadly going down the Hewitt route though of being up in matches and losing them out of nowhere. This last injury came too late in his career and he may well call it a day this year. Even just 2 years ago he was still playing very well but lately it's just not there and the shoulder surgeries have just really affected his game overall. A prime example of Haas losing a match he should not have lost was the match against Verdasco at last year's USO. You just knew once he lost the lead in set 3 it was all over.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Front, forget about age. Ivo still cares about the game and he is upset when he loses. That's all I want to see. Ditto with Haas. He might never come back but you know he would do anything to get healthy, and he is. It is the others that are healthy as a race horse, but are just going from tournament to tournament with zero purpose that bother me.

 

[herios]

murat, some are in because is not a bad living and this is what they are doing for many years. But please do not come up with "is an insult to Roger", because these players have different goals than Roger.
Front every now and then is coming up with a wish list on another hand of players "who should retire".
Every player will call the quits on their terms, when they feel like it and time is right.
Youzhny for example, plays like crap all last year and sank out of the top 100, as low as 130 some.
Now he is playing the challenger tour and doing just fine. Won a challenger event last week, this week he is in the finals in another one in Bangkok.
As a consequence he started to climb again and now he is back in the top 100.
He will not play the AO, but I am sure he continues. Should he retire? He knows better than us what he is up to, and I do not care how long he plays, personally.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Monfils definitely belongs to this category. He has openly said that at the end of the day he plays tennis for fun and if he happens to win, it is a bonus.

I definitely would not put Hewitt in this category. He is the best fighter known in tennis. Of late, it is certainly painful to watch him. But, it is not due to he being content. It is just that clock is running out for him and you cannot always play as well as you did once upon a time.

 

[herios]

I definitely would not put Hewitt in this category. He is the best fighter known in tennis. Of late, it is certainly painful to watch him. But, it is not due to he being content. It is just that clock is running out for him and you cannot always play as well as you did once upon a time.

I am sure Hewitt will be celebrated at the AO in a big fashion, because after all he is the last AO GS champion and world number #1. For a country with such legacy in this sport, he was the torch carrier for quite sometime and he deserves respect.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

murat, some are in because is not a bad living and this is what they are doing for many years. But please do not come up with "is an insult to Roger", because these players have different goals than Roger.
Front every now and then is coming up with a wish list on another hand of players "who should retire".
Every player will call the quits on their terms, when they feel like it and time is right.
Youzhny for example, plays like crap all last year and sank out of the top 100, as low as 130 some.
Now he is playing the challenger tour and doing just fine. Won a challenger event last week, this week he is in the finals in another one in Bangkok.
As a consequence he started to climb again and now he is back in the top 100.
He will not play the AO, but I am sure he continues. Should he retire? He knows better than us what he is up to, and I do not care how long he plays, personally.

Hey, I am OK with any goal. I would like to know what the goal of Monfils is this year, or Gulbis. If anyone can tell me , I am willing to exclude them off that group. I need specifics though.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

murat, some are in because is not a bad living and this is what they are doing for many years. But please do not come up with "is an insult to Roger", because these players have different goals than Roger.
Front every now and then is coming up with a wish list on another hand of players "who should retire".
Every player will call the quits on their terms, when they feel like it and time is right.
Youzhny for example, plays like crap all last year and sank out of the top 100, as low as 130 some.
Now he is playing the challenger tour and doing just fine. Won a challenger event last week, this week he is in the finals in another one in Bangkok.
As a consequence he started to climb again and now he is back in the top 100.
He will not play the AO, but I am sure he continues. Should he retire? He knows better than us what he is up to, and I do not care how long he plays, personally.

Hey, I am OK with any goal. I would like to know what the goal of Monfils is this year, or Gulbis. If anyone can tell me , I am willing to exclude them off that group. I need specifics though.

Well, give Gulbis a break. If our fathers were multimillionaires, I am not sure we would have achieved half of what Gulbis has done.

 

[herios]

murat, some are in because is not a bad living and this is what they are doing for many years. But please do not come up with "is an insult to Roger", because these players have different goals than Roger.
Front every now and then is coming up with a wish list on another hand of players "who should retire".
Every player will call the quits on their terms, when they feel like it and time is right.
Youzhny for example, plays like crap all last year and sank out of the top 100, as low as 130 some.
Now he is playing the challenger tour and doing just fine. Won a challenger event last week, this week he is in the finals in another one in Bangkok.
As a consequence he started to climb again and now he is back in the top 100.
He will not play the AO, but I am sure he continues. Should he retire? He knows better than us what he is up to, and I do not care how long he plays, personally.

Hey, I am OK with any goal. I would like to know what the goal of Monfils is this year, or Gulbis. If anyone can tell me , I am willing to exclude them off that group. I need specifics though.

You want specifics? Here you go:

http://en.mediamass.net/people/gael-monfils/highest-paid.html

I have to say though I am shocked after reading this. He looks like a dumb clown out there, who knew he has such a savy entrepreneurial mind? I can hardly believe it, because on the court he looks like anyone but a thinker...

 

[Front242]

I've seen a ton of false stories on that site and they also say that is false.

Below the first paragraph: UPDATE 16/01/2016 : This story seems to be false

 

[mrzz]

^You know, guys, there is a beautiful bridge here in my town I am considering selling it, it is an one in a lifetime opportunity...