Australian Open

[jimlosaltos]

I didn't see the final but will watch it on catch-up. No surprises with the winner, though. Sinner was a very safe bet. You just couldn't see Zverev pulling out a win given Sinner's form over the last 12 months. He really is a player who turns up with consistently good form 365 days a year.

One of those "never in doubt" matches.

Zverev came in playing in top form, but couldn't make a dent against Sinner's serve ( Sinner won 84% on 1sts, 63% on 2nds, didn't face a single break point) while Zverev, rated the second best server by the ATP itself, say his winner percent on behind his first serve fall roughly 13% from 79% to 69%

Compared to the exciting women's final, the men's final was a yawner.

As for the match, Bill Simmons at Inside Tennis has this take on the women's final vs the men's final:

Last night at dinner my friend asked me the eternal tennis question, “Why, if women only play best-of-three sets matches, do they get equal prize money?” This weekend’s two Australian Open singles finals showed why.

Both featured dominant, hard-hitting players who were No. 1. Both Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka had won the two hard court majors in 2024 – the Australian and the US Opens.

Both were facing seasoned veterans in their late 20s who’d gained acclaim and lifted many trophies but had fallen short in their efforts to win a Slam.

But there was a difference.

Eight years after Madison Keys laid an egg in the 2017 US Open final, she scored a thrilling victory that touched the hearts of millions who appreciated her inspiring journey. Maddy’s magical moment was both an instant classic and one of the more heart-warming triumphs in recent tennis history.

Sinner’s win – not so much.

Tonight, fireworks celebrating Australia Day lit the skies of south Melbourne. But there were no fireworks in Rod Laver Arena.

A fleet, lanky, soft-spoken Italian who rules from the center of tennis courts and skillfully bounds out of corners was again letting his extraordinary racket do the talking.

[stotty]

One of those "never in doubt" matches.

Zverev came in playing in top form, but couldn't make a dent against Sinner's serve ( Sinner won 84% on 1sts, 63% on 2nds, didn't face a single break point) while Zverev, rated the second best server by the ATP itself, say his winner percent on behind his first serve fall roughly 13% from 79% to 69%

Compared to the exciting women's final, the men's final was a yawner.

As for the match, Bill Simmons at Inside Tennis has this take on the women's final vs the men's final:

Last night at dinner my friend asked me the eternal tennis question, “Why, if women only play best-of-three sets matches, do they get equal prize money?” This weekend’s two Australian Open singles finals showed why.

Both featured dominant, hard-hitting players who were No. 1. Both Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka had won the two hard court majors in 2024 – the Australian and the US Opens.

Both were facing seasoned veterans in their late 20s who’d gained acclaim and lifted many trophies but had fallen short in their efforts to win a Slam.

But there was a difference.

Eight years after Madison Keys laid an egg in the 2017 US Open final, she scored a thrilling victory that touched the hearts of millions who appreciated her inspiring journey. Maddy’s magical moment was both an instant classic and one of the more heart-warming triumphs in recent tennis history.

Sinner’s win – not so much.

Tonight, fireworks celebrating Australia Day lit the skies of south Melbourne. But there were no fireworks in Rod Laver Arena.

A fleet, lanky, soft-spoken Italian who rules from the center of tennis courts and skillfully bounds out of corners was again letting his extraordinary racket do the talking.

Pay should be reflect the level of entertainment to some extent. Nothing worse than a final where everyone knows who's going to win. Have you used DeepSeek yet?

[jimlosaltos]

Pay should be reflect the level of entertainment to some extent. Nothing worse than a final where everyone knows who's going to win. Have you used DeepSeek yet?

I've gotten that question elsewhere but didn't remotely expect it here!

Not yet. I'm reaching saturation point on GenAi tools. I let my Midjourney sub lapse, even though it seems like the best for image generation, since it is the largest time sink. Simply keeping up with OpenAi, Gemini, Firefly would be a full-time job. And I haven't even tried video on Soros! I'm so far behind I'll have to pull an all nigher or five. Not