2017 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters...ATP 1000...Monte Carlo, Monaco

[don_budge]

I almost forgot...it's an ATP 1000 tournament this week. This event gets exactly zero coverage in mainstream sports and it almost got zero here on the forum. It's almost an afterthought. It's almost over. We are in the semi-finals. Yippee!

The problem is there is no Roger Federer. Now it is Federer who mysteriously disappears for weeks, months at a time. Before it was Nadal disappearing for this reason or that. It was always career threatening injuries. I can still here the pathetic explanations. But he always returned...better than ever. Almost as if he had gone some magical restoration process. If it quacks like a duck and looks like a duck...is it a duck? Federer has come up with the explanation that the clay is tougher on his body than the other surfaces. What? I specifically played solely on clay for the last x number of years when I was playing to prolong my tennis playing days. Was I wrong?

At any rate Federer has elected to be missing in action. He looked just fine in his little exhibition in Switzerland to save the continent of Africa...against Andy Murray. He made Murray look so one dimensional that it was a joke. Almost unwatchable...except that it was Roger Federer versus anyone which is the only pairing worth watching in modern tennis these days. Exaggeration? Andy disappeared in Miami and he has disappeared in Monte Carlo as well...only this time he actually played. He lost to Albert Ramos-Vinolas 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. Going down the draw we see another big name disappearing...Stan Wawrinka loses to Pablo Cuevas in straight sets. It was another week off for Stan Wawrinka who carefully picks and choses where he competes and where he actually shows up to play.

But the mystery of the week still goes to the disappearing act of Novak Djokovic. This time he loses to David Goffin in three sets after surviving Pablo Carreno Busta and Gilles Simon in three set wins. Not a very impressive week for the former number one player in the world. His fall has been as quick and his "meteoric" rise.

Well the gist of it is this...Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Lucas Pouille play in the top half semi final and Fafa Nadal and David Goffin play in the bottom half. I haven't watched a single point. One might say that I love the game of tennis but the professional game has lost its appeal. Without Roger Federer in the draw it isn't much of a sport.

[klacr]

Truth is, When Federer does not play in draw, spectators aren't the only ones who lose interest, the top players do as well. Seen as few matches this week, all the players look too casual and lacking any sort of urgency or importance. Berdych lost in 3rd round to a beatable Cilic who then loses to Albert Ramos-Vinolas. A huge opportunity missed by my boy. Not interested in any of the four remaining semifinalists. What used to be such a special and magnificent tournament is now just weak foreplay for the terre battue in the 16th arrondissement.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[bottle]

But "arrondissement" has such a nice ring to it, especially at the end of a post.

[stotty]

Monte Carlo has always been one of the weaker events for me. It's played in a lovely setting but no one seems to care to much or try too hard. It's just a place to limber up. Queens Club, played before Wimbledon, has that same feel to it, which is why I never go.

[stotty]

Nadal wins Monte Carlo. I wouldn't say he's back to his best yet, and perhaps never will be, but he's still easy good enough on the clay to win Roland Garros. The only man to stop him has lost form.

Just when tennis was having a little lull with Roger being absent, Nastase pops up after years being a good boy to turn women's tennis upside down. He's in trouble this time...Billie Jean and co. will be out in force soon with their hatchets.

[klacr]

Nadal wins Monte Carlo for 10th time. I don't care how you feel about Nadal, you gotta admit that is damn impressive.

Nastase reminded everyone why he is an asshole. Helluva player in his day, beautiful to watch, but his disruptions to the match and comments were not called for. ITF and the tennis powers of the world will not tolerate that behavior. Nastase made a fool out of himself and will pay dearly.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Leopards don't change their spots.

[stotty]

Nastase reminded everyone why he is an asshole. Helluva player in his day, beautiful to watch, but his disruptions to the match and comments were not called for. ITF and the tennis powers of the world will not tolerate that behavior. Nastase made a fool out of himself and will pay dearly.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Nastase stews on things...always did. The debacle stems from an earlier derogatory comment he made about Serena Williams which was then reported in the press. Nastase was furious that his off the cuff comment found its way into the press. His outburst in the ladies cup match was just an extension of his annoyance of that. To most people that would seem absurd but nevertheless it is true. Nastase ruminates and carries things over for a long time.

He won't get away with it like he did in the 70s.

He was a sensational player in his day. He was every bit as talented as Roger and maybe even more, but he was always a bit warped, unhinged.

[don_budge]

Serena Williams ripped Romanian tennis legend Ilie Nastase Monday for what she described as "racist comments toward myself and my unborn child."

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2017/04/24/serena-williams-slams-ilie-nastase-for-racist-comments-about-her-unborn-child.html

When reached by the Associated Press Monday in Budapest, Nastase described himself as a friend of Williams and said, "I want to know what word I used is racist?"

[don_budge]

I hadn't heard of this Nastase "volley" to Williams...until I did a little research.

http://www.tennisworldusa.org/news/news/Serena_Williams/41991/ilie-nastase-accuses-serena-williams-of-doping-/

From the article:

Hard criticism by Ilie Nastase about Serena Williams. According to the former Romanian world no. 1, Serena doped in order to enhance her performance on the tennis court. 'Russia’s image when it comes to sport suffered a lot because of doping, but it’s pretty clear in Serena’s case as well,' Nastase told Digisport.ro. 'Don’t you see how she looks like? No one controls the Americans when it comes to doping. If the truth came to light, all big tournaments would disappear, all sponsors would leave. You can’t even imagine.'

Last year a group of Russian hackers called ‘Fancy Bears’ revealed that Williams took some banned substances due to medical reasons, but she never failed a drug test. Speaking instead about Maria Sharapova who said in the last 12 months she drank more alcohol than ever as she was banned due to doping, Nastase said, 'I think she doesn't get drunk easy as she is Russian. Sharapova does whatever she wants to in her private life, all of us do. I think she also suffered a mild depression during her suspension.'

[don_budge]

'Russia’s image when it comes to sport suffered a lot because of doping, but it’s pretty clear in Serena’s case as well,' Nastase told Digisport.ro. 'Don’t you see how she looks like? No one controls the Americans when it comes to doping. If the truth came to light, all big tournaments would disappear, all sponsors would leave. You can’t even imagine.'

Ilie Nastase is what he is. A loose canon perhaps. An asshole...maybe. That is a bit more of a subjective judgement. But one thing in this case is very certain. He not only ruffled the biggest peacock in women's tennis (tennis history?) but he has ruffled the feathers of that lame duck organization known as the ITF. The International Tennis Federation. These people are like the Gestapo, the Stasi, the CIA and the KGB all rolled into one entity. They retain control of the game of tennis...and made quite a mess of it in the process. They are beyond reproach and Nastase has tread on their cape...while spitting in their faces.

This question of doping and the relative scrutiny that has been given to the Americans and the Russians is a big question mark. Serena Williams is a big question mark in more ways than one. She's pregnant? Don't be so sure. Information is Trump these days and most of what we get is disinformation. Nastase may have just slipped us a bit of truth that was not supposed to see the light of day.

As far as his comments about Serena and her "baby"...that's racism? How is that? Serena is a bigger question mark than Nastase. At least with Nastase what you see is what you get. Serena is shrouded in secrets...mystery. An riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a mystery. A person of their time.

[stotty]

I couldn't condone Nastase's behaviour, but at the same time I am sympathetic to people who make comments in conversation which then sneakily find their way into the press. It's like people who hold mobile phones up above a crowd to hoping to get snapshots of dramatic incidents. I find it deplorable beyond words.

Privacy has gone out of the window. A woman at my tennis club went topless on a beach and then found herself on a Facebook page, someone had spotted her and taken a snapshot. How deplorable and what an invasion of rights.

Serena is milking it for all she is worth, naturally. Many are coming out in support...goody two shoes fashion.

I don't think Nastase has made a public apology yet and I'm beginning to doubt he will. I wonder where all this will lead.

[klacr]

I couldn't condone Nastase's behaviour, but at the same time I am sympathetic to people who make comments in conversation which then sneakily find their way into the press. It's like people who hold mobile phones up above a crowd to hoping to get snapshots of dramatic incidents. I find it deplorable beyond words.

Privacy has gone out of the window. A woman at my tennis club went topless on a beach and then found herself on a Facebook page, someone had spotted her and taken a snapshot. How deplorable and what an invasion of rights.

Serena is milking it for all she is worth, naturally. Many are coming out in support...goody two shoes fashion.

I don't think Nastase has made a public apology yet and I'm beginning to doubt he will. I wonder where all this will lead.

Nastase was overheard at Friday's press conference saying about Williams' unborn baby, "Let's see what color it has. Chocolate with milk?''

Just before that, at same press conference he had asked British team captain Anne Keothavong for her room number. It was not a private conversation but an open forum with media 10 feet in front of him.

People are extra sensitive nowadays but as a person of some intellectual capacity, he should know know the world we live in and how comments are going to ruffle feathers and have knee jerk reactions.

No one can deny his skill as a player, but as a person he leaves a lot to be desired.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Nastase was overheard at Friday's press conference saying about Williams' unborn baby, "Let's see what color it has. Chocolate with milk?''

Just before that, at same press conference he had asked British team captain Anne Keothavong for her room number. It was not a private conversation but an open forum with media 10 feet in front of him.

People are extra sensitive nowadays but as a person of some intellectual capacity, he should know know the world we live in and how comments are going to ruffle feathers and have knee jerk reactions.

No one can deny his skill as a player, but as a person he leaves a lot to be desired.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

You're right of course. At the same time it's easier for your generation to accept these things than Nasty's.

Some people of Nastase's generation, and even those younger actually, find correctness irksome. So irksome that they seem even willing to skirt with the dangers of it sometimes. Ray Moore made that mistake. This is because they 'think it so say it' because they know a significant section of their own generation think exactly the same as they do. In a round-a-bout sense it is the old guard's way of rebelling. I don't agree with it but I understand it.

[don_budge]

The War on Men...Ilie Nastase


"An Emasculated Culture in a Fema-Nazi Society" ("Pussy Generation" as described by none other than Clint Eastwood)

http://www.batr.org/terror/042517.html

What a coincidence that the controversy swirls around the sweet, innocent and demure Serena Williams. The dainty one. Serena is beyond belief...if only there was a way to completely investigate every aspect of "her" life. Pregnant all of a sudden? It's possible to stage anything these days. Did you ever see "Wag the Dog" starring Robert DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman.

Information is getting harder and harder to decipher. As far as I am concerned it is all fake news until proven otherwise. What did Ilie Nastase actually say? He actually said the comment about Serena in Romanian from what I understand then there is always the translation factor. Lost in translation. I'm sure he was poking fun at the mixed breed...and why can't he? So touchy. Serena gets awfully demure when she wants to. It's situational of course. She gets ghetto pretty quick when the situation calls for it. She is no lady. Did he say "Chocolate with Milk"? So what.

But this comment aside...Nastase goes on to muddy the waters by calling a couple of the "ladies" in the competition "fucking bitches" and this in itself is unfortunate. There must be some limits to decorum...especially when you are around the tennis court. Or in church. But then the young lady bursts into tears and cannot play on. Come on. There were several who felt she got a bit hysterical. Some women have a tendency to get hysterical you know. Some men do too. Don't get me wrong. He asked for the woman's room number in an interview setting? Could he have been joking?

'Don’t you see how she looks like? No one controls the Americans when it comes to doping. If the truth came to light, all big tournaments would disappear, all sponsors would leave. You can’t even imagine.'

The real story is that a bit earlier in time Ilie Nastase made some comments about Serena Williams doping. This is what this exchange is probably stemming from. Ilie Nastase was questioning the obvious here and in the process he is stepping on the ITF's toes. The ITF conveniently looks the other way in order to not see the obvious. No wonder he is going to face the wrath of Nazi-Fem contingent.

It's a war on men. This is for certain. There is no doubt about it. Feminism? Is Masculinism a bad word? Apparently it would be if anyone dared to use it. I don't buy into the Feminist baloney. Read the article...understand the the historical context of the roles of men and women. It's biological. But the brain trust of the New World Order is rejecting the findings of nature that have existed since day one. Last time I checked the cow moose was still looking after the young ones. The calves. They find them food...a safe place to bed down in the forest. The bull is off doing heaven knows what. It's a guy thing...indisputable in the forest. He is the King of the forest. He doesn't need a second opinion.

Speaking of Kings. In Sweden, where they claim to have the first feminist government, the next "King" will actually be a woman. The King's first born son is being bypassed for the daughter. It's a crime against nature. But it flies with the flag of the Nazi Fem generation. Did you know in Sweden that the kids are being taught in the communal (read communist) day care centers that they are not necessarily a "he" or a "she" and they have come up with a third gender neutral word to describe their conundrum...as the children try to figure out what a boy or a girl is.

This feminism stuff is economics, politics and biblical. At a certain point the governments (US government) decided they needed more chickens in the work place laying eggs. So women and minorities were put to work. This led to the modern concepts of feminism and racism. Multiculturalism? It's more of a cultural, possibly biological function of the human defense mechanisms. I am sure that through the ages that strangers from different cultures were not always automatically welcomed with open arms. Anyone read the Bible? How about that little verse about Eve...and the forbidden apple? Or metaphorically...the career over raising the young. Dump the brat into a day care. Who needs Mommy anyways? I'll tell you who needs Mommy...we all do. We will cease to exist without her. But Mommy has abandoned the nest and chosen to apply her fearful estrogen in the work place and in governance. Anybody notice how we seem to be on some sort of precipice in these modern days...in the days of feminism. Kinder and gentler sex? Don't kid yourself. The strongest force in nature isn't sex...it is the mother protecting the young. What happens when Mommy rejects that? Nothing good. This is all social engineering...right out of the noggins of Aldous Huxley and George Orwell.

I don't condone what Ilie Nastase said. Nor do I condemn it. I don't agree with it or disagree with it. I only try to understand why he said it. I think I have a pretty good idea. He is seventy years old. He is a man. There has been a lot of social engineering going on in that span of time and he isn't necessarily buying into it. Nastase played it loose and fast on the tennis court. As his talent began to fade his behavior went south with it. He never was an angel nor did he claim to be. Loose canon? Perhaps. Crazy? Like a fox. I always loved him. His frail emotions were so...human. His talent was so divine. He was a dichotomy of conflict. Like the twin masks of drama...one happy and one sad.

He will probably not apologize...and I cannot say if I agree or disagree with him. He's a man...let him make up his own mind.