• Tono
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Topic: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

Now that the 3rd Round is all but complete is anyone rueing any decisions to not take certain players??
I could rue my decision not to take Berdych, his form coming in hadn't been good so I opted for Tsonga instead, Berdych looks like he will make the quarters now although he still has to beat the Fish, Jo Wilfred still could too but he has to beat Gonzo and probably Ferrer which looks a much tougher proposition, I never seriously considered taking Lopez bcoz I thought Roddick was too dangerous and Isner looked a better option as my unseeded player.
I have a few regrets on the women's side though sad why didn't I take Venus?...sigh! My silly reasoning for not taking her was her lack of match play and her head to head record against Jankovic.. yes I expected Janko to reach at least the 3rd round.
I was seriously contemplating Cibulkova as my other 16-32 seed as well but wasn't convinced she would get past Goerges, Dulgheru was another I thought about instead of taking Makarova but didn't lose out too much there thankfully. I have no regrets about changing my unseeded pick to Nadia Petrova of course, I originally took Zakopalova but didn't think she would get past Sharapova which proved to be correct.
My biggest regret in the top 5 seeded picks is Azarenka, I have always liked her but when she let me down in the French I didn't want a repeat so I opted for Li Na, thought Li Na's mental toughness would get her to the quarters at least, you never can tell huh but that's what makes predicting so exciting and frustrating at the same time.
Any of my Yoda combatants have anything to share??

  • Don
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

I, too, took Isner.  That was a mistake.  I should have realized that he couldn't break Almagro's serve.  Dumb on my part, really.  Had I not taken Isner, I would have taken Lopez.  Ouch! 

I was torn between Florian Mayer and Llodra for my second 17-32 seed after Gasquet, and took Mayer over Llodra because Llodra had Ward in the first round.  Obviously, that match up should not have bothered me at all.  My error.  I really didn't even consider Delpo because I wasn't sure where he was in his comeback and thought grass didn't suit his game.  I wish I had taken a chance on him instead.

I took Hantuchova as my other 17-32 seed besides Venus.  I didn't even consider Wickmayer.  That was dumb, too.  It should have been obvious that Wickmayer was more likely to beat Kuznetsova than Hantuchova was to beat Azarenka.

However, I don't regret taking Roddick or Li or Petkovic even though they all were upset.  I think they were good picks that just didn't pan out in this tourney.

Last edited by DonDenman (Jun. 25, 2011 10:45am)

  • Registered: Jan. 14, 2011
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

Regret picking Radwanska. I just feel she was a shoe in to get to the 4th round.

Regret picking Isner. 

But for the most part, I wouldn't have done differently.

  • Aiur
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

I would've taken Pironkova if she was unseeded. Nothing else really.

Last edited by Aiur (Jun. 25, 2011 12:09pm)

  • Arvis
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

My women's team is basically all gone, but I really don't have many regrets.  There have just been so many upsets and it's just random chance that the upsets happened to the players I picked.  Looking at my pre-tournament draw, I have Kvitova and Bartoli going deep, but I passed over them because they were ranked too high and I chose them as the seeds more likely to be upset than say Li or Petkovic.  Simply a mistake, but how was I to know, right?

On the men's side, I chose Kohlschreiber and Chela over Fish and Berdych.  Alas.  They were gambles, but sometimes going with what is obvious is both boring AND wrong.  But my Xavier Malisse pick appears to be panning out.  I don't regret picking Roddick, but in hindsight I should not have assumed that he would come into this tournament at 100% ready to go deep.  But he beat Lopez and Queens, I didn't think it would be a problem, but.... I don't know, I think Roddick is a closet head case.

-Arvis

  • Tono
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

Venus has to be my biggest regret!

  • Registered: Feb. 1, 2011
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

I was about to take Tomic without looking at the draw but that was an absolute HORROR draw. Davydenko, Andreev then Soderling - if he won the first 2, I was certain Soderling would defeat him, even though I hoped otherwise. Now against Malisse, I have high hopes. AUSTRALIA ALL THE WAY!!!

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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

Aiur wrote:

I would've taken Pironkova if she was unseeded. Nothing else really.

Same here. Only reason I didn't choose Pironkova. Well now I'll see if picking Venus was the right thing to do.

  • Registered: Feb. 1, 2011
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

Like Tono100, I opted for Tsonga over Berdych. Still happy with my choice though but I don't see Tsonga defeating Federer after Ferrer. As long as he's gone that far, as I expected, I'm happy with choosing him.

  • Registered: Jan. 14, 2011
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

I think we may all regret not taking Berdych when he is in the Semifinals. That's where I think he is headed.

  • Don
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

I don't believe he'll beat Rafa.  Delpo will be nice preparation for Tomas.  Rafa will take him, I think.

  • Tono
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

Have to agree with Don I'm afraid lads, I think Del Po will certainly give Rafa a tough match but you watch Rafa raise his level, he know's how dangerous the big Argentine can be so I'm picking Nadal will probably play his best tennis of the tournament so far in this match, if he is slightly off his game or carrying a slight injury niggle in his thigh/groin area then Del Po could cause the upset but I don't think so!

  • Registered: Jan. 14, 2011
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

I think the problem is that an Amazing serving day will beat a decent returning day from Nadal. And he has to go through two men who have a decent chance of having an Amazing serving day. Nadal has shown vulnerability to the big serving, and if one of these two opponents can walk out there on fire he may just not have anything to answer with. But Nadal returns well two times in a row, he probably wins. Tough call, and we really won't know much until we see Del Potro/Nadal match.

  • Don
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

I don't think so.

FYI: the only player to defeat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon since 2005 is named Roger Federer.  Nadal destroyed Berdych in last year's final.

  • Registered: Jan. 14, 2011
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

^I would know that since I've watched every Wimbledon he's played in. You have this unyielding confidence in the guy. I like that. But with such confidence can be a blinding light which is not safe in two way traffic.

  • Registered: May. 16, 2011
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

I should have chosen Fish over Roddick (thought he had a good run in him, not) and Isner should have played a warm up tournament before Wimbledon and he may have taken out Almagro and gone even further.  Also Florian was a flop.  I have the top four and Delporto remaining.  Fed over Nadal in the final...

In the Women's, Makarova hurt me bad and Radwanska should have gone much further.  I am pleased that I chose both Venus and Serena and trusted that Lisicki was ready to do some damage.  Still feel that Sharapova will take the title over Kvitova, though would not surprise me to see either Williams sister hoisting the winners trophy!

  • Don
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

the_lost_scot wrote:

with such confidence can be a blinding light which is not safe in two way traffic

Now THAT'S funny!!!  I have no idea what it means, but it is definitely a great line!   ;-D

You gotta stick to your guns, bro.  So I gotta remind you what you already know.

Last edited by DonDenman (Jun. 26, 2011 3:12pm)

  • Dragan
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

I tought about Azarenka,and she is my favorite feemale player.I love her caracter.But after she retaired in estborne I was afraid to put her in the team.She allways has problem with injuries.Now I realise that mastake.It's a big one.

Last edited by Guga (Jun. 27, 2011 4:10pm)

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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

Now I regret both Williams sisters!  Oh, what a game...

  • Don
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

I certainly hope Rafa's MRI is clear.  It's obvious he thinks he broke a bone in his foot.  Hope he's wrong about that.

  • Registered: Jan. 14, 2011
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

If the Williams sisters had come back and wrecked the competition, that would reflect very poorly on the state of women's tennis which is already not that great. There was no reason for them to be able to come back with so little warm up and win.

You know Guga, I thought about Azarenka too because I have had very high hopes for her, but each major she just seems to let me down. I guess I need to give some more credit to consistent decent results when it comes to this fantasy league stuff.

Don, I hope he is ok. He claimed that he thought his foot was broken before the medical timeout, and I don't doubt that. It has always been evident that his game was not natural on his body. First the knees and now the foot, the two things that will go down first with someone who runs around the court as much as he does. For him to get the amount of topspin he gets, he needs leverage and knee bend on every single shot. I don't know what his future will hold, heck he may come back in a day and play and be just fine.

Last edited by the_lost_scot (Jun. 27, 2011 5:33pm)

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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

Should have pick Feliciano Lopez over Karlovic......

  • Tono
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

Im with you on the Azarenka comment Scotty, I have been picking her almost every GS but she let me down at the French so I thought I would change tactics and leave her off my team this time... and bcoz I left her off she is playing really well... go figure!
Question is does she believe that she can now win this thing? Or will she choke again and miss a golden opportunity, surely she will beat Paszek...surely! Then she will probably run into Petra who has the self belief and is looking every bit a 1st time GS winner, if Sharapova doesnt get up and win it all then we will have another 1st time GS winner, twice in two Slams, my money is still on Kvitova to win her 1st Slam smile

  • Don
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

There is little doubt that Rafa's style of play, violent as it is both in movement and ball striking, is hard on his body.  That's exactly why nobody else ever did it before.  I hope his body holds up.  We'll see.

...as for Azarenka, she absolutely WOULD step up exactly when I had given up on her...

Last edited by DonDenman (Jun. 27, 2011 11:56pm)

  • Tono
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Re: Players You Thought About Taking But Didn't?

LOL.... don't speak too soon on Azarenka Don, it wouldn't surprise me at all if she takes Paszek lightly and......well chokes. I hope not, I would love to see her reach her full potential but not against Kvitova of course, I gave up on Vika too after the French so now she is looking to rub it in my face..... geez imagine a Sharapova v Azarenka final...THE NOISE!!!
If Azarenka makes the final I'll be cheering her on.... with a furrowed brow hmm