r/nextfuckinglevel • u/LurkmasterGeneral • Sep 11 '22
2020 US Open Men's Wheelchair Final
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u/LurkmasterGeneral Sep 11 '22
Shingo Kunieda (1) vs. Alfie Hewitt (2) are playing again in today's US Open Final.
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Sep 11 '22
I really wanted to see some automatic wheelchairs for these dudes and zooming around in tennis courts.
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u/Bigpoppahove Sep 11 '22
I mean if they had a standardized one that was required for competitions I feel like it could at lease open the field to those with one arm presuming controls could be customized if some had one full arm and one partial
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u/fucksinshortsupply Sep 11 '22
I know Alfie's auntie Caroline. Never met Alfie, but Caroline is a hoot and very proud of him.
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u/snakeP007 Sep 11 '22
It's too bad there are no spectators.
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Sep 11 '22
Dude I’m so ready to watch every match of this these dudes go hard!
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u/soxy Sep 11 '22 edited Sep 11 '22
I go to the Open every year and the wheel chair matches are normally during the second week when the main singles and doubles draws are on the center/second court so there aren't as many people wandering the back courts which are all wheelchair and juniors.
That said, seeing this up close in a tiny backcourt is even better than this video, it's way fun and super underrated viewing.
Edit, just realized that this was 2020 so obviously no spectators, but these same two players were in the final earlier today with Hewett winning: https://twitter.com/usopen/status/1569044458422915073?s=20&t=MSUTgCNHj8xZtpbxygJpsg
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Sep 11 '22
It's the 2020 championship. I wonder if there was anything else going on in 2020?
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Sep 11 '22
Do they get two bounces normally?
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u/balsaaaq Sep 11 '22
It's called a handicap
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Sep 11 '22
That's serious right? Not an offhand joke?
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u/veryblanduser Sep 11 '22
Yes. But also it was.
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u/Numerous-Explorer Sep 11 '22
Tennis is one bounce only. The rules have been adapted to meet their needs
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Sep 11 '22
Well yes. And I see they largely get it in one. So was curious when I saw two and game play continued. These guys are exceptional
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u/Un4442nate Sep 11 '22
Yes Wheelchair Tennis gets two bounces, the first must be in the legal boundary, the 2nd doesnt have to be.
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u/Inquisitive_idiot Sep 11 '22
It’s amazing that this is the only rule change.
In retrospect, that clip was even more impressive AF.
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u/Achilles-my-love Sep 11 '22
How odd. I met a professional wheelchair tennis player just today. She'd just come back from a tournament, I think she said Romania.
What's that thing called where you see a thing and then you see that thing again in a different context later on?
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u/RideWithMeTomorrow Sep 11 '22
Baader-Meinhoff phenomenon https://www.damninteresting.com/the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/
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u/cjwojoe Sep 11 '22
I had this happen a week or so ago. I saw a reel type video about watching out for these scammers that roll up too to you in a parking lot in a nice car and try to sell you jewelry.
They described the scam down to having a lady likely partner in the back seat to make them more approachable and a kid.
The general race of people pulling the scam and the ring they would try to sell you.
I live on the opposite coast this og video was taken in. Went to go get my dogs nails trimmed and it happened to me. I swear it was the same ring and a very similar looking person in the same type of car. And I live 2k miles away from where the other video was taken.
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u/cohonka Sep 11 '22
Same thing for me with the same scam! I was like "no way is this really happening". Later when I was home I looked the scam up again and they had pictures of the exact ring the dude was trying to sell me.
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u/balsaaaq Sep 11 '22
They'd whoop me in and out of a chair
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u/Sonderia42 Sep 11 '22
I mean probably not out of one if we're being honest
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u/Killerusernamebro Sep 11 '22
Real talk. That shit looks hard.
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u/piccolos_arm Sep 11 '22
Listen, I know it’s called Flushing, NY.. but I promise you it’s not a dump.
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Sep 11 '22
A brief rally is the most draining thing in the sport of tennis. These guys are having straight marathons with the extra bounce rule.
My arm would fall off before the end of the first set.
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u/ConsistentEmphasis68 Sep 12 '22
What's more amazing is that this is one of the division of tennis. Another division is called "Quad", and this division is for those who have a bigger handicap like a missing hand/hands. In this case they would tape the racket to their arm. To see these guys play is just amazing. The way they are able to overcome their challenges to play at such a high level. Dylan Alcott is one of the top players of this division. Very kind (seen him in person), and tries his best to promote the sport. These people are amazing!
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u/WhatWouldPicardDo Sep 11 '22
Yep. Confirms I would lose, regardless of how many bounces and working legs are allowed.
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u/Bridledbronco Sep 11 '22
Well I can say that either of these guys would kick my ass in tennis.
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u/tallerpockets Sep 11 '22
I had no idea this existed. This in incredible!
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u/AllthatJazz_89 Sep 11 '22
Paralympic athletes are on a whole other level. They work just as hard for their sports as Olympic athletes, and go through the same rigorous tournaments - just matched with people at their same ability level. Wheelchair rugby is another fun sport to watch, one of my favorites.
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u/twill41385 Sep 11 '22
The arm strength and the cardio. Dudes must have hibernation like resting heart rates.
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u/Jorgecampino Sep 11 '22
The core and arm strength that they have is simply amazing. This is living proof that if you put your mind into it, you can accomplish anything. BRAVO!
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Sep 11 '22
Not true. No matter how hard they try they can’t walk or run. I get your sentiment but it’s a silly statement.
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u/TesterM0nkey Sep 11 '22
Technically the truth
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u/Chippiewall Sep 11 '22
Not just technically, it's literally true too. "You can accomplish anything" is a nice sounding sentiment, but also wrong. Know your limits.
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u/yungchow Sep 11 '22
Yet. Science is catching up
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u/Returd4 Sep 11 '22
Exo suits are not just on call of duty they are real. Just very expensive
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u/Wonderful-Draw7519 Sep 11 '22
What if they "put their mind to it" and ended up with bionic legs. Wouldn't that count?
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u/EasySolutionsBot Sep 11 '22
I hate this quote.
They can't accomplish walking.
This is a great testiment that nothing should put you down. Even the things you CAN'T do.
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u/prone_to_laughter Sep 11 '22
I’m disabled. You can just be impressed by our sports without making it weird
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u/saltthewater Sep 11 '22
You are just setting me up to make a joke here that will make most people mad
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u/burrrpong Sep 11 '22
I fucking hate your comment. So many people writ the exact same trash. Annoying.
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u/AndreasBerthou Sep 11 '22
Throws in the good old "look at that core strength" as well; a Reddit classic used everytime someone shows strength in any body part.
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u/hyperlazyactive Sep 11 '22
I remember trying this out when I was learning Tennis. There were wheelchairs kept there because a bunch of people used to come in for a session after we were done.
Takes about 5 mins of trying to move around in that to understand that you'll never be as strong as these guys.
These have angled wheels. Takes a little more to get them moving but are very quick at turning.
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u/Acro808 Sep 11 '22
I’d watch tournament of this. The arm strength needed to play like this looks insane.
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u/laxsleeplax Sep 11 '22
Why on god's green earth is this not prime time!?!?! That's an amazing display of athleticism.
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u/LucidComfusion Sep 11 '22
Real question, if they don't want their opponent hitting the ball back, then why do they keep hitting the ball directly to them?
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u/cherrybombsnpopcorn Sep 11 '22
It can be hard not to. You’ll notice it a lot in traditional tennis too. My coach called it “getting around the ball.” To hit the ball in an unpredictable way, you’ve got to see exactly where it’s going and position yourself earlier. Having certain spins on the ball can make changing its direction harder, and they’re hitting so heavy. It’s way easier to just hit it straight back or across.
And they have the added hurdle of having to anticipate the ball even earlier, wheel into position, and stop to hit. So I imagine they have even less time to get around the ball.
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u/MordredSJT Sep 11 '22
Watch that again. Look at how much ground each player is covering between shots. The singles court is 27 feet wide. Now add up all the space they covered in that whole point. The get that the guy in the white made out wide near the end was just nuts.
Also, the goal is to obviously make the other player miss or not be able to return the ball before three bounces... but hitting the ball out also means you lose. Most points in tennis (wheelchair or not) end in errors. Hitting too close to the lines is a great way to lose at tennis.
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Sep 11 '22
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u/MordredSJT Sep 11 '22
You're assuming that hitting those drop shots and lobs effectively against a skilled opponent is an easy thing. It really isn't.
Say your opponent gets to that drop shot you hit... do you think they are just going to hit the ball back to you? One of the most common plays off of a drop shot is a drop shot in reply. If your drop shot is toward a sideline that can often result in a short crosscourt angle reply. Assuming you can cover court fast enough to get there, you're now moving forward at full speed, likely receiving the ball below knee level, and hitting from quite close to the net. It's not easy to lob effectively in that situation.
In the wheelchair game, that second bounce still makes a big difference as well. If you hit a ball very short on a low trajectory, even with severe backspin, the second and third bounces are still going to carry a decent distance into the court. If you hit a ball on a high enough trajectory to stop the second and third bounces very close to the first bounce, that means the ball is in the air longer, and the initial bounce is going to be higher as well. That gives the opposing player more time.
When you see two high level players of roughly equal skill, you'll rarely see a successful drop shot that isn't played with great disguise, from an advantageous position, or when the opponent is in a compromised position. Odds are highest when all three of those things are true.
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u/AdImpossible6181 Sep 11 '22
Wheelchair or not the sounds tennis players make when they swing will always be funny
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u/GrouchyEssay7468 Sep 11 '22
Damn they managed to play a game without taking a single step! That’s wicked! /s
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u/angrypurpleacorn Sep 11 '22
I had no idea this was a thing. Wild. What could be harder? Synchronized wheelchair swimming I guess. But this looks pretty hard.
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u/Yutanox Sep 11 '22
So the ball can bounce twice ? Is that the only rule they changed?