what about her awful results last year immediately after the french> open? i'm sorry, i understand the magnitude of the crisis she must be> going through, but it all seems to have a whiff of excuse-making. her> shoulder, her mother, her coach, jealousy of sharapova.
I haven't seen her say that's one of her problems. That's something the peanut gallery has proposed.
blame what you> want, the fact is she has played dismally since the moment she lifted> the RG trophy.
Yes, I'm sure she played dismally to win Moscow, and dismally to almost win the Olympics, and dismally to beat Davenport at Moscow and the year-end Championships, and dismally to post five Top Ten wins, and eight Top Twenty wins.
Dismal results. Why, she only came within about three wins of the #1 ranking. An obvious fake. All smoke and mirrors. Anybody could do it.
Except the 99% of pro tennis players who can't. And the 100% of non-pro tennis players who can't.
Including all parties in this conversation.
That's not to deny that Myskina hasn't lost some matches she should have won. She lost at the Olympics, and she lost at the U. S. Open, and she lost at the Championships. But it's clear that the problem wasn't lack of game. She's gone bad, for the moment, and for tragic reasons. That doesn't make her a bad player.
-- When all the prisoners of the land are crushed under foot, when human rights are perverted in the presence of the Most High, when one's case is subverted -- does the Lord not see it? -- Lamentations 3:34-36
In article <1116991195.020636.306790@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>, nicksalzberg@gmail.com () wrote:
what about her awful results last year immediately after the french> open? i'm sorry, i understand the magnitude of the crisis she must be> going through, but it all seems to have a whiff of excuse-making. her> shoulder, her mother, her coach, jealousy of sharapova. blame what you> want, the fact is she has played dismally since the moment she lifted> the RG trophy.
Not quite. She got distracted by the fuss made over her, then regrouped for the Olympics, where she was 5-1 up against JHH in the semi final and choked. She then defended her Moscow title and led Russia to its first-ever Fed Cup title.
she's actually not that good. that, to some may be difficult to> accept, but explains in part, the largest part to my mind, as to why> she has been losing.>
Actually, she *is* damned good. But also a very emotional player.
<wendyg@cix.compulink.co.uk> wrote in message news:es2dnfNsbo3lFgnfRVnyvA@pipex.net...> In article <1116991195.020636.306790@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>,> nicksalzberg@gmail.com () wrote:>
what about her awful results last year immediately after the french>> open? i'm sorry, i understand the magnitude of the crisis she must be>> going through, but it all seems to have a whiff of excuse-making. her>> shoulder, her mother, her coach, jealousy of sharapova. blame what you>> want, the fact is she has played dismally since the moment she lifted>> the RG trophy.>
Not quite. She got distracted by the fuss made over her, then regrouped> for the Olympics, where she was 5-1 up against JHH in the semi final and> choked. She then defended her Moscow title and led Russia to its> first-ever Fed Cup title.>
she's actually not that good. that, to some may be difficult to>> accept, but explains in part, the largest part to my mind, as to why>> she has been losing.>>
Actually, she *is* damned good. But also a very emotional player.>
What do you think makes the Russian girls so emotional?
Myskina is obviously emotional, but tends to vent at her boyfriend and then get over it. But Petrova and especially Zvonereva are ridiculous. They let their emotions rule them. When Vera begins crying because she made a bad shot and lost a point, it makes me want to turn the channel. (The same thing can be said for Hantuchova, though she's not Russian.) And even Kuznetsova can get slightly down on herself, while Dementieva is pretty even keeled.
The only Russian who really emotes positively is Sharapova. I feel it's why she's the most successful of the lot. What makes it remarkable is that she's so young and has so much emotional control. It's what I like about her. In fact I like her maturity and the regalness with which she handles herself on court more than her game.
Dont' forget that a bunch of them -- Myskina, Dementieva, Zvonareva -- grew up together. It could be catching.
Also, I have to think that the fact that they were young and impressionable when communism fell is significant somehow.
I could speculate further, based on Russian history, but it wold be just speculation, of course.
-- When all the prisoners of the land are crushed under foot, when human rights are perverted in the presence of the Most High, when one's case is subverted -- does the Lord not see it? -- Lamentations 3:34-36
"Robert B. Waltz" <waltzmn@skypoint.com> wrote in message news:waltzmn-6A1B4D.12373825052005@europe.isp.giganews.com...> "David Henry" <telemachus7@msn.com> wrote:>
[ ... ]>
But what is it with all the emotion?>
Dont' forget that a bunch of them -- Myskina, Dementieva,> Zvonareva -- grew up together. It could be catching. >
Also, I have to think that the fact that they were young and> impressionable when communism fell is significant somehow.>
I could speculate further, based on Russian history, but> it wold be just speculation, of course.>
I know essentialism is not PC (and sloppy thinking, if taken unseasoned) but I do believe there is something about Slavic culture that embraces the extreme emotional response. You can't put it down to Communism - it goes much further back. And it's certainly not restricted to a Moscow tennis academy. The fact that it's not shared by Sharapova further suggests it's cultural, not congenital, as does my experience with Americans of Slav descent.
I could speculate further, based on Russian history, but> > it wold be just speculation, of course.> >
I know essentialism is not PC (and sloppy thinking, if taken unseasoned) but> I do believe there is something about Slavic culture that embraces the> extreme emotional response.
Exactly. That was my point.
You can't put it down to Communism - it goes> much further back.
Yes and no. That is, you're right, the culture promotes it, not Communism. But what was just about the most common phrase of someone standing in a Communist queue? "Nichevo." "No matter." "Nothing we can do about it." Resignation. Give them reason to cease to be resigned, and you're instantly going to get more open emotions.
And it's certainly not restricted to a Moscow tennis> academy. The fact that it's not shared by Sharapova further suggests it's> cultural,
Of course.
-- When all the prisoners of the land are crushed under foot, when human rights are perverted in the presence of the Most High, when one's case is subverted -- does the Lord not see it? -- Lamentations 3:34-36
Chicken, meet egg: it's possible to argue that the reason they keep> being fatalities is that they are predisposed to fatalism. I agree with> you, but that's circular reasoning: we agree the fatalism is ingrained> in the culture. You're saying that if we change the culture (ie, remove> the reason to be resigned) we... change the culture (ie, cause them to> no longer be resigned). Stimulus and response can't be separated that> neatly.
I agree -- but that's not what I'm arguing (though I may have said this badly). There does seem to be a characteristic Russian temperament -- xenophobic, fatalistic, conservative. If they didn't have those traits, they'd have gotten rid of the Romanovs long before they did!
But being fatalistic doesn't mean you don't have hopes; it just means they don't expect them to be fulfilled. A change of state (*any* change of state) is likely to produce excitement and expectations.
I might point out that Russia is currently walking *away* from a system> where they might have controlled their own fates into the arms of yet> another Little Grandfather. And if you think Putin is to blame... he> is, but he sure has a lot of popular support.
Of course. Putin is getting away with it because the people are letting him get away with it. Just as with Hitler (or George W. Bush, or Gaivs Ivlivs Caesar, really).
And there might have been fatalism under Communism, but heck, it's> right there in Dostoevsky too.
Absolutely. The whole Tsarist social structure was based on compliant peasants. If they'd tried that on British landowners, say, they'd have had a revolution. As it was, it took World War I *and* a bunch of outside agitators to make it happen
-- When all the prisoners of the land are crushed under foot, when human rights are perverted in the presence of the Most High, when one's case is subverted -- does the Lord not see it? -- Lamentations 3:34-36
"Vari L. Cinicke" <cinicke@netscape.net> wrote in message news:nHile.833103$w62.124695@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...> wendyg@cix.compulink.co.uk wrote:>
In article <rMqdnQY0ZuP7NAnfRVn-uw@comcast.com>, telemachus7@msn.com >> (David Henry) wrote:>>
My favorite Russian to watch, though, is Myskina.>>
The coach she yells at, btw, is not her boyfriend.>>
I hear the exact phrasing should be "is no longer her boyfriend." Isn't > that the case? At least that is what the talking heads said.
I could have sworn that commentators mentioned last year that Myskina's coach was her boyfriend.
I'll go with no longer her boyfriend, although I don't see why she wouldn't drop him for someone else.
I could have sworn that commentators mentioned last year that Myskina's > coach was her boyfriend.
I believe that was two years ago. I'm pretty sure they said it was over at this time last year.
I'll go with no longer her boyfriend, although I don't see why she wouldn't > drop him for someone else.>
Now seems like as good a time as any.
I don't think that's true or fair. Myskina is a mess, but it's not Gerlach's fault that she has a torn rotator cuff or a sick mother. He deserves credit for making her a top player, and there is no particular reason to dump him now. If Myskina can get fit and happy again, and *still* can't win matches, *then* she should certainly dump him. But, at this point, I don't see any reason to think there is anything wrong with what he's doing.
-- When all the prisoners of the land are crushed under foot, when human rights are perverted in the presence of the Most High, when one's case is subverted -- does the Lord not see it? -- Lamentations 3:34-36
In article <XoGdnbGXbOr0sAvfRVn-2g@comcast.com>, telemachus7@msn.com (David Henry) wrote:
I'll go with no longer her boyfriend, although I don't see why she > wouldn't drop him for someone else.
Their romantic relationship was over a long time ago. FWIW, Myskina told me at Philadelphia that she thought she was the luckiest woman in the world for what Gerlach as a coach has done for her, and she's hugely grateful to him.
