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stephentignor.bsky.social
@stephentignor.bsky.social
Tennis...and we'll see what else
Watching the late great Tatsuya Nakadai in one his early roles, as gangster Joe in Kobayashi's Black River (1957), on @criterionchannl.bsky.social
November 13, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Just watched: The Seed of the Sacred Fig. I know this got a lot of love last year, but still doesn't seem like enough. Up there with the best of the Iranian best (which is saying a lot), and feels essential right now
October 15, 2025 at 3:13 PM
"I have no idea what's happening right now," Valentin Vacherot said after beating his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, in Shanghai

The family final was a nice, late-season reminder that there's so much more in the tennis universe than just its stars www.tennis.com/news/article...
October 13, 2025 at 7:01 PM
If you're in Philly before December 8, check out the Mavis Pusey show at ICA icaphila.org/exhibitions/...
September 23, 2025 at 6:37 PM
“We tip our hat to a better team,” U.S. Davis Cup captain Bob Bryan said after losing to the Czechs in Delray

On a disappointing defeat for a U.S. team that had title potential, and a typically wild Cup weekend where home turf wasn’t a help www.tennis.com/news/article...
September 14, 2025 at 8:53 PM
“It was anybody’s match,” Novak Djokovic said after his four-set win over Taylor Fritz

But for the 11th straight time against Fritz, it was Djokovic’s match in the end

"A lot of my weapons, aggressive shots, were just not there, letting me down," Fritz said www.tennis.com/news/article...
September 3, 2025 at 5:40 AM
“I needed to chill and stop getting so frustrated and overthinking”

Who does an escape room to loosen up before a Slam? Jessica Pegula, that’s who.

The American, who was “terrible” before the Open, is back in the quarters, with an opportunity for more www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 31, 2025 at 10:22 PM
“I wanted to hear the people. I wanted to hear the noise. I wanted to hear them call my name"

After 13 years of setbacks & redemptions, Taylor Townsend has been in her element in NYC, going to battle and hearing the cheers

She'll get a test from a Slam champ today www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 31, 2025 at 3:34 PM
“I had all the answers in here,” Taylor Townsend said of herself, after beating Mirra Andreeva

After 13 years of triumphs, setbacks, frustrations, and joys, Taylor Townsend is in her element in New York, going to battle and hearing the cheers www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 30, 2025 at 8:10 PM
“Still trying to find my groove and my rhythm,” Novak Djokovic said after beating Cam Norrie

With 18 aces and 51 winners, he’s getting closer. The day when Djokovic can’t play his way into the second week of a Slam hasn’t come yet www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 30, 2025 at 4:21 AM
"Instead of the roars of thousands of people, what he mostly heard were eerie, echoing shouts and cries from the stadium’s rafters"

How Tommy Paul turned Ashe into a house of horrors—and then made an early-morning escape www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 29, 2025 at 8:28 PM
For Tommy Paul, Ashe Stadium turned into a spooky house of horrors early on Friday morning

But he found away to survive a sublimely brutal test of wills with a stubborn Nuno Borges www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 29, 2025 at 5:17 PM
“You guys bring me so much joy,” Coco Gauff told the fans in Ashe after her difficult, emotional win on Thursday

Gauff looked as lonely as a tennis player can, until 20,000 people—and one very famous fellow athlete—helped rescue her www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 29, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Emma Raducanu is "putting a lot of trust in the work I'm doing" with new coach—and former Nadal coach—Francisco Roig

She'll get a good test of their progress from Elena Rybakina on Friday

On Raducanu's relaunch www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 28, 2025 at 9:52 PM
“It wasn’t the easiest match. I’m happy at the end I could be more proactive.”

Iga Świątek is the Open favorite for many. On Thursday, she showed that her run of brilliant form can end unexpectedly

But she also showed she can get it back www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 28, 2025 at 9:44 PM
“I played great, to be honest,” Carlos Alcaraz said after dropping four games on Wednesday night

Alcaraz hit cleanly and stayed in command. His talented opponent, Mattia Bellucci, tight for two sets, never showed what he can do www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 28, 2025 at 3:26 AM
"I think he owns it. I think he pulls it off," Carlos Alcaraz's mixed partner, Emma Raducanu, says of his new 'do

Accidental or not, it hasn't taken long for the Spaniard to make it part of his pugilistic persona www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 27, 2025 at 10:30 PM
“I’m putting a lot of trust in what I’m doing behind the scenes”

Emma Raducanu’s coach, Francisco Roig, believes she can find a new “normal” level that’s much better than what we’ve seen

She showed how right he may be on Wednesday www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 27, 2025 at 8:03 PM
"Now it's just trusting that new motion in those moments"

Coco Gauff says re-learning her serve in a week has been "mentally exhausting." After 10 double faults, it was there for her when she had to have it last night

On her whiplash-inducing 1st-rd win www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 27, 2025 at 4:35 PM
“At 30-30, it came in when it mattered,” Coco Gauff said of the second serve she made when she needed it most on Tuesday

On Gauff’s lung-busting, whiplash-inducing, always-in-doubt, three-hour win over Ajla Tomljanovic www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 27, 2025 at 4:44 AM
“I’m just laughing about the reaction,” Carlos Alcaraz says of his newly shaved head

Alcaraz’s accidental buzzcut is the buzz of the Open. On Monday night, it didn’t take him long to make it suit his speed-demon, street-fighting style www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 26, 2025 at 9:15 PM
At an Open celebrating Althea Gibson, fans had a chance to see another trailblazer, Venus Williams, in person on Monday

If Venus’s three-set loss to Karolina Muchova was her last blast in Ashe, she made it a good one www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 26, 2025 at 2:56 AM
US Open fans live in hope of joining a mayhem-filled night session. But it can't come at the expense of fairness

With Bonzi-Medvedev, all was well that ended well www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 25, 2025 at 10:27 PM
“For me, it’s my best victory ever”

Daniil Medvedev brought vintage mayhem back to the night session on Sunday. But Benjamin Bonzi ended up using that energy to hang on to a much-deserved win

On the Open’s bonkers—and ultimately just—beginning www.tennis.com/news/article...
August 25, 2025 at 7:07 PM
The Blue Caftan was recommended to me in 2022; just caught up to it this week. Slow-building but outstanding. It's leaving @criterionchannl.bsky.social on the 31st
August 25, 2025 at 3:05 PM