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Looks like a lot of players will skip Olympic Games, including Tomic and Thiem

5K views 81 replies 45 participants last post by  Litotes 
#1 ·
Just found this:

Michal Samulski
‏@MichalSamulski
Thiem, Tomic, Verdasco, Robredo, Querrey, Chardy & Karlovic confirmed for @ AbiertoLosCabos in Mexico - new tournament on tour (August 8-13).
 
#69 ·
i dont know but for me the opportunity to represent my country on a stage as big as the olympics is something i could never dream of throwing away. and for guys like tomic and thiem who dont and at that point still wont need the points its just ..why not go. its a rare experience.
Pretty much, I can't understand how a sportman elegible to go for the Olympic Games can opt out. :facepalm:

A lot of athletes from all sports are skipping it because of Zika. It doesn't only affect pregnant woman but it affects any person woman or man who wants to have a baby in the upcoming years and it's also sexually transmitted. There are also article saying if the Olympics should be cancelled altogether this year. There's also a lot of talk about Zika making people have neurological problems and dying.
:lol:

Zika is pretty much controlled in Rio, biggest trouble is at region northeast.

How many of the world's best football players have played in the Olympics? How many of the world's best basketball players? The sports where you can be among the best paid athletes on the planet are not the target group of the Olympics, really. It was originally an amateur competition. They barred anyone receiving money for competing. The best Olympian before Michael Phelps arrived, Paavo Nurmi of Finland, was barred from his last Olympics simply for having someone pay his travel expenses to get to a competition.
OG's is actually the best basketball tournament, even more traditional than the World Championship. All the NBA biggest athletes are going.

Football is a different situation. Fifa don't want the better players at the OG, because they don't want the games to get a similar important as the WC, so they limited to U23 + 3 players over that age. Also, since it's not a Fifa competition, the teams aren't obligated to give his best players. For example: Neymar is coming, Messi isn't.

You talked about boxing in another message. Also different situation, boxing was always amateur at the Olympic Games. At the moment you become pro, you can't compete in the olympics anymore. Some boxers never turned pro and became olympic legends instead, like Felix Savon (won 3 straight gold medals).

Tennis at Olympic Games also isn't priority of ATP obviously, but they don't block the players from competing. :p
 
#4 · (Edited)
I like Thiem but he's becoming such a vulture. Does he really need another 250 title? :rolleyes: I would think representing one's country would be more important, and just because you're not in the "big four", it doesn't mean you don't have a chance. Look at the 2004 Olympics, for example. In the gold medal match, there was unseeded Fish vs 10th seed Massu. And the bronze medal match was played between 16th seed Gonzalez and unseeded Dent.
 
#8 ·
You should just change the title to: "Looks like a lot of players are vultures."
 
#9 ·
I don't like players skipping the prestigious event despite their rankings that would allow them to enter. They are stupid and should regret later in their life and career. You have the chance to play the event only once in four years. You have a chance to be in the center of the whole world's attention. You give it all up simply because you want more money and more ranking points. The greed will eventually lead to your regret and lack of grace in the end. If you think, I'm wrong, you're welcome to badrep me. I'm more than happy to be treated as such.
 
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#10 ·
Dude, you can't just skip the Olympics, I mean come on. I understand your concerns about the points, and the money, and the Zika, but you maybe only get 2-3 chances to play Olympics, if you are lucky.

You can always vulture another 250
 
#11 ·
For example, if Thiem misses this Olympics, his first Olympics will be when he's about 27 and then the next when he's 31. Before you know it all these chances go by, and looking back they will most likely regret these experiences which are far and between. Not to mention, this is a way of promoting his sport at his home. Also, tennis is a strange game in that anything can happen. With all these players boycotting the Olympics this year, you never know if the draw might open up if a top player bows out early due to playing a really shit match one day. Also, they phased out the unlimited tiebreak right? And also matches before the final are BO3. I think this is indeed a foolish decision to skip the Olympics of all things. :facepalm: Play Davis Cup, but skip Olympics. :silly: Same goes for the other players.
 
#12 · (Edited)
If tennis is just grabbing hold of points and 250s for these young players well that says a lot about how they view what they do and what their ambitions are and how much they are even willing to challenge the top players.

True champions are honored to represent the sport and their country.

I can understand bit more lower ranked players, older players or whatever the context is, but Thiem - an emerging young excellent player ranked 15 who recently beat Nadal and Ferrer skipping the Olympics and trying to grab another 250? *gag*
 
#13 ·
I remember the wise words of Andy Murray's coach Amelie Mauresmo - after winning the silver medal in women's singles in the 2004 Olympics:
"When you win a Grand Slam, you enter the history books of tennis. When you win an Olympic medal, you enter the history books of sport."

It's a shame that these young guys don't feel that way. Money and ranking points are more important to them.
 
#15 ·
No big deal. Find the tournament of the week that suits you the best. Some players play ATP250s in weeks where ATP500s are available, even if they would be guaranteed MD entry in both. It's not like the OG tournament is big enough to have everyone play there.
 
#16 ·
Such a shame - Bernie has the chance to play and instead chooses the vulture life, whilst players like Thanasi (Kokk) would love to represent Australia but are ineligible through ranking.

Why skip just so you can lose in the second round of some random 250.
Again.
 
#17 ·
Good news for me personally, as chances that Damir will be in Rio are growing up now. Last time he missed OG because the last ITF place went to another young, perspective player from developing country - Lleyton Hewitt, but looks like this time something near career high ranking will be enough, next week 74th, only RG third round to defend, but still 4 tournaments in the schedule, so I believe it will be enough eventually to get IN. Playing Rio he will be 24, in Tokyo 28, and in Rome/Paris already 32 years old, so realistically 2-3 opportunities to play Olympic Games left. I don't care about the result, lack of points that week, nor money. I just want to saw him, possibly as a flag bearer, during the opening ceremony in the small group of athletes from BiH and then at least one competitive match. That will be great :)

Seeing Thiem picking this ATP in Mexico is just bizzare. He fulfilled even DC/NOC criteria without big problems and chooses ATP250 event which basically means nothing for his ranking. Feel sorry for our Austrian mates/Thiem supporters. I dont know how I would react if my player had taken such a stupid way.
 
#21 ·
I mean, Thiem won Acapulco this year and lost in Rio after lots of rainy days, maybe he likes Mexico, maybe he has a bad impression of Rio......... We don't know his motives, so as much as I would like to see him playing at the Olympics, I'm not rushing to call him a "vulture".

However, it's kind of interesting that the Olympics is now a tournament all top players are assumed to play. In 2004, skipping/tanking OG wouldn't be a big deal.

I'm pretty much expecting OG tennis the same as a MS, not in importance, but in the expectation of the excitement and quality matches. Players probably have different views on it, hard to imagine how each of them think.
 
#23 · (Edited)
A lot of athletes from all sports are skipping it because of Zika. It doesn't only affect pregnant woman but it affects any person woman or man who wants to have a baby in the upcoming years and it's also sexually transmitted. There are also article saying if the Olympics should be cancelled altogether this year. There's also a lot of talk about Zika making people have neurological problems and dying.
 
#25 ·
I get why he may skip the Olympics, but Domi playing another 250? Is it even going to count in his points eventually? :smash: Please I hope he either plays the Olympics or just skip the week altogether. Hope he actually wins something big before this time comes and maybe he rethinks his position.
 
#27 ·
I think Dominic should change his plans, why would he bother play Davis cup if not the olympics? With a good draw he could find himself with a medal stranger things have happened...
 
#29 ·
Thiem :facepalm:
 
#80 · (Edited)
Is Thiem in debt to a loan shark or something?
From all I've heard and read about him I think you can easily call his coach (who's also his manager) that, yes. The guy is even writing a book right now that will be called "The Thiem method" or something like that. I think he's a great coach for Domi but I also think that he's milking him to the max. :devil:
 
#34 ·
If he shot someone he would probably have a better reason for it.
 
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