Well if Kuz or JJ can’t win this then Vika may. The next new person to win a slam will be her.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:57 am

70+ UE’s and 20+ double faults, ends up losing to a true claycourter that hasn’t won a set in main draw tournaments outside clay since 2005…”a little bit susceptible on a bad day”?, It’s time to stop fooling yourself miss Dent and just retire. Some disgraces should never come to pass, and this was at least 3 times worse than Sampras losing to Bastil or whatever his name was.

June 25th, 2009 at 6:41 am

I think it’s Verdasco’s turn to win the whole thing. With Nadal gone I predict he will.

June 25th, 2009 at 9:06 am

Berbytch looked pretty good today. Azarenka smoked Cirstea yesterday wow! Time to take up basket weaving or something! Serena, the whole world revolves around you after all, can’t wait for your wonderful script *kisses*

June 25th, 2009 at 9:38 am

What rock did Hewitt crawl out from underneath?

June 25th, 2009 at 9:59 am

Yeah, Hewitt is looking sharp.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:08 am

Del potro footwork has been poor at times, it looks like balls are coming to him to fast, no control. Hewitt is showing him how to play on grass.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:14 am

I’m not watching the Hewitt / Del Potro match but if Del Potro is playing a baseline game on grass it’s probably the wrong strategy because his of the grass speed for his size. Is he coming to the net at all?

June 25th, 2009 at 10:17 am

I wish they’d quit yapping and put the match on! Hewitt beat Nadal in that exo, and pushed Roddick to 2 tiebreaks at Queens too, so he’s clearly playing well. But yeah, he lacks Hew’s speed for sure.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:18 am

Roddick is having no problems; JMDP looks slow mo right now compared to Hewitt but he did try for a dive there.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:21 am

Looks like Hewitt’s gonna beat Del Potro !
I don’t know whether to celebrate or to mourn. It’d have been a different thing if he was going to pound others, but Del Potro ! :( But as I’ve said, Go Oldies, Go and kick but* !!!

June 25th, 2009 at 10:24 am

Green Balls, more baseline than coming in – he could be following some shots in but Hewitt is a dangerous passer. Commentators say JMDP’s forehand is off.

Wait – JMDP just came in a hit a smash volley. So maybe he’s waking up; might be too late unless he can break back here.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:24 am

Yes Del potro is playing the baseline game, but hewitt is moving him left and right a lot, also he is using a lot of slice, potro does not like it, he looks wrong footed a lot of times. He can only learn from this match.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:25 am

Yes, Hewitt is playing MUCH better tactically; I agree Kimmi. Experience vs. youth.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:30 am

The yellow t-shirt Ozzies, always following Hewitt around. Great support for Hewitt.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:31 am

Murray’s getting luckier and luckier.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:31 am

As much as I like the guy, DelPo (I call him JD), it was almost certain he was going to exit early after a long consistent season. He will be doing fine on American hard right.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:32 am

Sounds like he’s taking advantage of the limited movement plus the low slices. For a big guy to run around and return low slices it can be a nightmare, very tiring. Not only do they have the slower running speed but the extra time to bend low. Del Potro’s return pace must be very slow with those shots he’s retrieving so Hewitt is in an aggresive position all the time. Smart play

June 25th, 2009 at 10:32 am

Potro: 0/7 on break point chances, and 22 Unforced to Hewitts twelve. He’s trying to break, but Hewitt is tenacious.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:33 am

break point, can he do it…

June 25th, 2009 at 10:33 am

Ah. Delpo gets the break. So now, can he make a match of it? Be nice if he could take a set.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:34 am

Ha ha, Roddick’s not doing bad at all and so I can relax. :]

June 25th, 2009 at 10:35 am

c’mon del potro, at least take it to the tie break.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:37 am

Yep, the ‘Cmon’s’ are coming on right on cue!

June 25th, 2009 at 10:39 am

Hewitt breaks back on a slew of errors from JMDP. “Walk in the Park” for Roddick.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:40 am

hewitt is returning very low. I see it Marcus, bending for del potro is a nightmare.

Hewitt to serve for the match again, i don’t think he will make the mistake again.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:41 am

Yes Hewitt great Job.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:45 am

Congrats to Hewitt; that’s a great win for him. JMDP will have many more chances. I am kind of hoping for a Hewitt vs. Rod quarter final now.

June 25th, 2009 at 10:46 am

Yah big confidence booster for Hewitt!

June 25th, 2009 at 10:50 am

huh,
I don’t see Murray’s luck in JD’s loss today. Murray will still have to get past Gulbis, Troicki/GT, Wawrinka, Gonzalez, and Roddick. but it could end up easing Roddick’s chances, though.

[A side note: At the end, the Perry outfit (symbolically aimed at renewing 1936's win) will reduce to laughing stock.
Be aware that I am commenting on the intended sartorial symbol, not on the outfit itself, which I am indifferent to, publicly.
In contrast, Rafa's pink outfit did not have any 2nd meaning attached to it even if some homophobes had to complain. Or, unlike Fed's last year, which was intended to remind that tennis was a gentleman's sports, his outfit this year did not have any strings attached.]

June 25th, 2009 at 10:57 am

“I don’t see Murray’s luck in JD’s loss today. Murray will still have to get past Gulbis, Troicki/GT, Wawrinka, Gonzalez, and Roddick. but it could end up easing Roddick’s chances, though.”

The way JMDP has been playing today, I think Hewitt is a more formidable opponent to Roddick than del potro. Roddick slice would have killed Del potro.

Regarding Murray’s opponents, Gonzalez would be dangerous if they get to play. But I also don’t think Gonzalez has a good grass record.

June 25th, 2009 at 11:09 am

Kunitsyn just took the set from Roddick, and I thought Roddick was cruising!

June 25th, 2009 at 11:12 am

Wow Roddick just lost the 3rd set. He looked to be cruising but suddenly Kunitsyn has found some form.

Kimmi, I think on grass Murray might have the upper hand with Gonzalez, but for sure he’s dangerous; he broke into the top ten after the French.

June 25th, 2009 at 11:13 am

Gulbis is among the most overrated guys . Murray’d crush him and it’d be fun to watch . I don’t like people sounding too concerned, especially when their faves are pitted against the overrated fellows like Gulbis or Fish. Fish for Djoko’s tiffin ! ;-)

June 25th, 2009 at 11:19 am

huh,
The overrating probably comes from the hope that some day Gulbis can learn to discipline and channel his talent himself (as the coach who tried to do his job, train the kid, was fired). Remember at the USO, he was 2 sets up and about to upset Roddick and could not. The kid parties too much and does not know when to stop. I agree Murray will beat him for sure, but Gulbis kid has some unstable talent. If he can stabilize his talent and sustain over 5 sets, the kid can become formidable. But it is just “can,” not “is” yet.

June 25th, 2009 at 11:36 am

Ha ha, I’m also rooting for Roddick v Hewitt qtrf match. Though I’m not a great Murray fan, I still want him to at least reach the semifinals here (I think he will b.t.w.). And nothing to be too upset for me even if he wins at Wimbledon coz he’s the game.

June 25th, 2009 at 11:39 am

I agree Tennis Freak. I said it last year about Gulbis, but people have often called him overrated. The problem with Gulbus is twofold imo. One, he needs to add composure to his lights out aggression, and know when to stay in the point and be patient. Otherwise, he starts spraying errors. The other one you’ve already alluded to, which is self-discipline and desire. He doesn’t seem hungry enough to be a top guy; he has the talent, potential and all that, but so does Gasquet, Berdych and so on. A player has to have that hunger – “I want to improve; I want to win” – to really get ahead. And that’s why JMDP was first of the three young guns (Gulbis, Cilic and JMDP) to break through, because he is hungry to win and improve (makes sense then that Hewitt is his idol; I’ve been saying JMDP reminds me of Nadal, and certainly qualities of Nadal are Hewitt-like). Cilic will be next, but he is still developing. But he is determined, as we saw in his match with Querrey. Speaking of which, Sam may move up also if he can become more consistent. But Gulbis, even though I love watching his game because it is beautiful (not to mention a smile that lights up), I am unsure about. I think he could be almost Safin-like if he can eventually harness it all and pull it together, so I hope for tennis’ sake he can and he will. Maybe not in this match against Murray but by next season.

June 25th, 2009 at 11:46 am

Another slam with some casualties. Sad to see JMD lose but I like Hewitt as well so good for him to make a run of this. JMD will be back and if he can add some more tools to his game as well as some mental strength he can win any slam. I’m looking forward to see him in the coming years.

Jane I agree with your assessment of the young guns. It seems there is so much talent coming up and it would so great for tennis if a bunch of them can elevate their game to the top level. It seems that in at least a few years to come there won’t be the same kind of dominance we have seen like we have in the past 15 years or so. Good things for tennis ahead I hope.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:00 pm

I wonder how far Davydenko will get. He’s made a fine return from his injuries earlier this year, definitely a model of consistency but never enough to push the top guys all the time.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:01 pm

Gulbis was highly regarded when he turned pro. But he has not done anything at all in the past two years to be considered seriously. In that regard, I would agree with huh that Gulbis is overrated. If you look at the great champions at tennis, once they get noticed, they continue to do very well and consistently and go deep in major tournaments, among them Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and in the past era, Borg, McEnroe, Lendl, Wilander, Edberg and Becker, to name a few. And more recent ones like del Potro and Cilic have been consistently improving and moving up so that any hype on them would be considered appropriate. Gulbis should be stashed in the same category as Gasquet, Berdych, Blake, players who are mostly hype but not much to show for it.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:05 pm

Del Potro Out!!.

Good for Hewitt. It seems the only “old school” guy to not do well this year is Safin.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:09 pm

Gulbis shouldn’t be any match for Murray. Murray should make it to the final with the rest of his draw. No real major threat left. Unless another Soderling comes along. The other side of the draw is a bit more unsure. Djoko and Fed both have their work cut out for them.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:25 pm

JMac: “Gulbis comes from a wealthy family and travels in a private jet. He said ‘no’ to training in Vegas when Adidas offered one.” That explains.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:27 pm

No. Roddick baets Murray.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:27 pm

Gulbis may be good to remain in the top ten but that’d be unstable and he’s not even a shadow of a contender in any grand slam. For me, talent is not that good if you’re not having the power to be a serious contender in a slam.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:28 pm

Gulbis is a prime example of how talent in tennis is totally overrated. That guy hits harder than anyone on tour and has great touch on his volleys – and he’s a complete underachiever. I’m not sure about the theory that he’s not willing to work though – he said in a press conference that he split with his coach because he felt he need to be stronger and work on his fitness while his coach didn’t so they split. Immediately afterwards he went and trained with Pat Etcheverry. I just think he’s not sufficiently determined to succeed. It looks like he’s just having a laugh when he plays, even as he’s losing a match he has a chance to win.

It’s the same with Monfils – hits like a ton of bricks and covers the court like an octopus, but he’s done absolutely nothing in the tournaments that count. He hires Richard Rasheed, bulks up and still can’t get the job done.

Tsonga could be on his way too if he doesn’t start beating players ranked higher than him in big tournaments – so far he’s only done it at the AO in ’08, otherwise he’s not made the transition from potential to results.

In a way, that’s a beautiful thing about sports in general and tennis specifically.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:39 pm

Yes, Tennis Freak; if Gilbus has no motivator – financial, glory, or otherwise – he won’t fulfill the potential he has, which he does have a lot of: talent. He’ll remain a “dark horse” player, if even. He needs to find the desire to improve and win. He doesn’t seem like a head case, like some who have not been able to fulfill their potential, as he seems fairly “with it” in his pressers, but thus far he just hasn’t shown the motivation.

Murray’s smarter on the court, so I expect he’ll use tactics to his advantage and to quell Gilbus’ fire power.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:40 pm

Or maybe “determination” is the better word, as MMT points out. Certainly someone like JMDP seems to be loaded with that.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:42 pm

Jane, did you notice how during the Roddick Kunitsyn match the two brit commentators had this conversation?
Do you think Roddick could win Wimbledon?
Well, Fed and Murray are the favorites.
Roddick is on the second tier of players who could do it. Others would be Tsonga, Karlovic, Haas or someone like that.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:44 pm

Is there any way I can hate the ESPN Wimbledon coverage any more?

June 25th, 2009 at 12:45 pm

Part of the problem is that some of these young guys play some rounds and make some $ and then get cozy. If they are successful and only care about driving nice cars and eating fine food then they won’t reach their potential. Jane is right, there has to be some motivation that takes them to the top. Fed, Nadal, Murray etc. are the top players because of their unquestionable desire to be #1. Same for Tiger Woods, Gretsky and Jordan etc. They were waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay ahead of other players because second place was never good enough.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:45 pm

vared, in Canada we have the ESPN feeds right now, not Eurosport, so no, I didn’t hear that comment. It’s tough to say who’d win if Roddick and Murray face each other in the semis. It’d be a good match I think. Have they ever met on grass?

June 25th, 2009 at 12:48 pm

Goulbis is getting dismantled by Murray. It’s funny to listen to the commentators. They just likened Murray to Usain Bolt – hilarious.

June 25th, 2009 at 12:56 pm

Murray beat Roddick in the 3rd round at Wimbledon in 2006 in straight sets. The first was a tie-break. Murray broke Roddick 3 times, the difference in the match. Very telling statistic – Murray won 60% of Roddick’s 2nd serve points. To me that the reason why he was able to beat him – Roddick didn’t do enough on Murray’s serve, and Murray could handle Roddick’s. I see the same thing happening if they played today.

You know, I just have a feeling this could be Murray’s year. Nobody’s playing better than him at the moment, and he really handled Kendrick well who was (almost literally) playing out of his socks.

The bookies could take a bath on this one.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:17 pm

If Roddick has to meet Murray, Roddick needs to be very aggressive and maybe approach the net a lot. If he play with Murray from the baseline it will be difficult, I think Murray can outsmart him from the baseline.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:17 pm

Polo: What? you dont want WIlliams sister doubles? Come on, be an American.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:20 pm

ALso what a perfect time to have Roddick in the studio, right in the middle of a pretty tight second set between Murray-Gulbuis.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:21 pm

The bottom line is that Murray is overall a better player than Roddick especially when he is confident. If Murray plays his best Roddick won’t beat him. But Roddick has a way of getting to players and can create some action of his own. If Roddick can get Murray down then he has a chance. Don’t forget that Murray has the pressure of the UK on his shoulders and in many ways is the favourite so it will be interesting to see if he can handle that.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:22 pm

Big murray “come on” on a gulbis error

June 25th, 2009 at 1:32 pm

I’m so happy for the Mosquito. I figure playing Santoro on grass wouldn’t be the most enjoyable activity.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:32 pm

Vared: I think he was doing a “come on” because of his tactic succeeding (the slice).

June 25th, 2009 at 1:33 pm

MMT, to be honest, at the moment, there’s none looking better than Fed… To me at least !

June 25th, 2009 at 1:39 pm

Gulbis is done.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:40 pm

huh: yeah Fed is looking really good but still along way to go and at least for the next few rounds he’s playing higher ranked players than both Murray and Djoko. Plus I wonder really how much mental energy can he maintain after a really tough FO. He definitely has the desire to win especially since he will accomplish 3 main goals. Reclaims his crown at Wimbly, gets his #1 back and becomes the undeniable greatest of all time with 15 slams. Lots of pressure.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:44 pm

huh Said:

“MMT, to be honest, at the moment, there’s none looking better than Fed… To me at least !”

QFT.

Gulbis is making this match too easy for Murray. He’s stubborn as hell. The dropshots aren’t working.

All Murray has to do to win this match is slice both forehands and backhands and wait for Gulbis to faulter. He’s not going to win Wimbledon if he plays like that. But you know what, the British media will still make it look like a huge victory and it will get to Murray’s head.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:46 pm

Fish playing doubles today,may be tired for tomorrow Djok match.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:50 pm

Kimo, maybe you are not watching the match. Murray has done more than slicing backhands and forehands

June 25th, 2009 at 1:51 pm

Gulbis is terrible out there today. It’s almost too painful for me to watch.

I’ve had enough. I’m not watching any match in the top half till the Roddick vs. Murray semi.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:51 pm

Yeah taking a look at all the unforced errors by Gulbis it seems he basically cracked. Murray probably played better against Kendrick but the commentators are making it sound like Murray is the king.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:52 pm

Kimmi said:

“Kimo, maybe you are not watching the match. Murray has done more than slicing backhands and forehands”

No he isn’t. All he’s doing is putting the ball back in play and chasing down Gulbis’s pathetic dropshots.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:52 pm

Ty,

Yes, I can’t get enough of the Williams sisters playing doubles. I forgot to mention the many other parts of the ESPN coverage which are so adorable. I love it when Pam Shriver goes out to the crowd and eats their strawberries. Or when she goes to the hill and banters with the crowd. I also get starry eyed as I watch and listen to the commentators when they blabber for 40 minutes at the opening of the show each morning before they show any match. I get so excited when they constantly switch from one match to another. They keep me on my toes trying to figure out what the heck is going on with any on the matches. I especially adore when they talk incessantly in the middle of a point that make them sound like the greatest tennis players that they never were. GO ESPN!!!

June 25th, 2009 at 1:53 pm

Polo Said: “Is there any way I can hate the ESPN Wimbledon coverage any more?”

Maybe they could throw in a few more overlapping 8 way fireside chats with everyone interrupting each other and nobody saying anything even remotely interesting.

Or perhaps Chris Fowler, that play by play who thinks that by some osmosis knowledge of the game has somehow found its way into his mind and even more laughably into his commentary, could bludgeon Tommy Haas for 10 more minutes about how in odd years at Wimbledon he’s suffered injuries that have taken him out of the tournament.

Or perhaps hybrid between the Golden Girls and Charlies Angels as Pam Shriver shows us why she never accomplished much in singles at Wimbledon, Mary Joe Fernandez confirms that she still can’t hit the ball particularly hard, or Mary Carillo can make us wonder, yet again, just how it is she won the French Open Mixed doubles so many years ago.

Or perhaps another 10 minute essay on The Triumphs and Tragedies of King Roger from someone I’ve never heard of, but sounds eerily similar to the same guy who drones on at golf tournaments about the Trials and Tragedies of King Tiger.

And I’m sorry – I know she’s considered commentating royalty, but in my opinion Mary Carillo hasn’t said anything insightful on air in 5 years.

On a positive note – no more sob stories from “Tricky” Dick Enberg, or dreadful on-court interviews from Pam Shriver asking, “How do you plan to avoid going another 18 months before you win another slam?” and a little more Bonnie Bernstein.

Oh how I miss John Barrett.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:53 pm

I don’t know why some of these guys play doubles. If they want to make it to the top in singles they need to give doubles a break.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

Polo: LOL LOL

June 25th, 2009 at 1:55 pm

Gulbis was highly overrated just like Dmitriov is now. He won a couple but …

June 25th, 2009 at 1:59 pm

Kimmi said: “Kimo, maybe you are not watching the match. Murray has done more than slicing backhands and forehands”

Currents stats on the match – Murray 35 winners 5 ue’s. Gulbis 37 winners 23 ue’s.

I’m with Kimmi on this one.

June 25th, 2009 at 1:59 pm

Gulbis just playing the way I was expecting him to against in this match against Murray. Murray is the cat and Gulbis it the mouse in this cat&mouse game, oops I mean tennis match! ;-) Gul’s doing full justice to his laughability. Ha ha ha !!!

June 25th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

I really want to see Roddick-Hewitt go to 5 sets in the quarters.

June 25th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

Gulbis just playing the way I was expecting him to against in this match against Murray. Murray is the cat and Gulbis is the mouse in this cat&mouse game, oops I mean tennis match! ;-) Gul’s doing full justice to his laughability. Ha ha ha !!!

June 25th, 2009 at 2:01 pm

I don’t know if the jury is out on Dmitrov – a year ago this kid was playing the juniors, so I’m not ready to write him off.

Gulbis on the other hand is a year younger than Djokovic and Murray – but to date has no comparable results to either of them at this time last year.

I’m sorry, but that guy is not the real deal.

June 25th, 2009 at 2:05 pm

Murray Masterclass!

Brilliant play from Murray.
Murray does what he does and he did it great today.

Hewitt looked awesome today – watch out Roddick!

June 25th, 2009 at 2:05 pm

MMT Said:

“Currents stats on the match – Murray 35 winners 5 ue’s. Gulbis 37 winners 23 ue’s.”

EXACTLY!!! Only 5 UEs should prove to u that he’s not even trying to be agressive. Half of his winners are probably service winners and the other half are off Gulbis’s dropshots which he swatted like flies every single time.

And the commentators are making it sound like Murray overcame serious opposition!!!! I love Gulbis but he sucked today.

June 25th, 2009 at 2:06 pm

The Murray-Gulbis match is finally over. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a replay of the Williams doubles.

June 25th, 2009 at 2:07 pm

Polo: lol. Nah, they’re going to replay the Venus match from this morning. Duh!

June 25th, 2009 at 2:09 pm

And the commentators are making it sound like Murray overcame serious opposition!!!!

Yes, like they did with his win against Blake at Queens in the absence of everyone decent.

June 25th, 2009 at 2:09 pm

‘Half of his winners are probably service winners and the other half are off Gulbis’s dropshots which he swatted like flies every single time.”

LOL, this is funny. But seriously, Gulbis did not hit 17 drop shots.

June 25th, 2009 at 2:15 pm

http://links.mkt1003.com/ctt?kn=1&m=33465764&r=MjcyMTAxMjM1NgS2&b=0&j=NTIwOTA1OTMS1&mt=1&rt=0

Federer’s new Wimby duds on ATP Insider

Andy Murray’s Wimby diary:http://atpworldtour.com/

June 25th, 2009 at 2:21 pm

Are you watching Federer? Gonzo just signed some tennis balls after a grueling 4 set match.

June 25th, 2009 at 2:23 pm

http://atpworldtour.com/

http://links.mkt1003.com/ctt?kn=7&m=33465764&r=MjcyMTAxMjM1NgS2&b=0&j=NTIwOTA1OTMS1&mt=1&rt=0

June 25th, 2009 at 2:23 pm

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2009/06/Wimbledon-Thursday-Roddick-Simon-Fight-Into-Third-Round.aspx

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2009/06/Wimbledon-Wednesday-Djokovic-Aims-To-Hit-Top-Form-Against-Fish.aspx

June 25th, 2009 at 2:28 pm

Hewitt”s thoughts on his match v. delPotro today.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2009/06/Wimbledon-Thursday-Vintage-Hewitt-Rips-Past-del-Potro.aspx

WTA chief targets grunting:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/25062009/58/wimbledon-wta-chief-targets-grunting.html

June 25th, 2009 at 2:32 pm

Vared and Kimo – On BBC Radio The Murray/Gulbis match was covered by, among others, Todd Woodbridge. I’ve watched Murray matches earlier this year,online, with commentary by Frew MacMillan. Both these guys, former top players, are extremely enthusiastic about Murray, and neither of them is British. Why should I pay less attention to their opinions than to those of people on forums?

June 25th, 2009 at 2:33 pm

vared, you really sound funny at times ! You don’t consider Murray as one of the faves at Wim yet you’re expectin guys like Karlovic and Haas to have a deep run here! And note that many were underrating DelPo just like you’re underrating Dimitrov now. ;)

June 25th, 2009 at 2:35 pm

Virginia Wade is saying that JJ seems to have more bite on her serve.
I wonder if it could be since she got the new serving coach Chip Hooper?

I am hoping she, Kuz or Vika can get this one.

June 25th, 2009 at 2:36 pm

I posted a comment on Melzer’s match betting yesterday. Here’s federer’s view on gambling:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/25062009/58/wimbledon-federer-bans-stop-match-fixing.html

Does anyone read these articles and/or find them insightful?

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth sent congratulatory message to murray for winning queens title; I wonder if he wins Wimby if he’ll receive an MBE and/or CBE or maybe a Knighthood? I love the Brits award system for recognizing its citizen’s accomplishments. I think Pete and Agassi would have been knighted had they been Brits, and the Davis Cup team would have gotten some type of honorable recognition.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/25062009/58/wimbledon-royal-approval-murray.html

June 25th, 2009 at 2:41 pm

I don’t know. Did Lennox Lewis get knighted?

June 25th, 2009 at 2:43 pm

Ty: Federer’s usually good about signing things. In all fairness to him, his wife was sick yesterday (first time ever that I recall her not watching one of his matches), so maybe he was in a rush to get press over with and hurry home?

June 25th, 2009 at 2:45 pm

Kimo – you’re under-rating Murray.

MMT – I suspect the same; this may be Murray’s year. And I agree that Kendrick played incredibly well. I think what you say about a possible meet up between Roddick and Murray may hold also. But Murray has improved his second serve considerably since then, not to mention his on-court attitude, and Roddick had improved his backhand, fitness and variety I think. So it’ll be interesting to see what happens if that meeting comes to pass.

huh – I know what you’re saying about Fed, but he hasn’t faced anyone with fire power just yet. Will be interesting to see how he does later on. He is looking good though, no doubt.

Ty – I am with you on Ferrero; he has a nice grass game and I much prefer watching him to Santoro.

Finally – I can’t agree with anyone more about the ESPN coverage: oh lord!

June 25th, 2009 at 2:48 pm

Kimo: “EXACTLY!!! Only 5 UEs should prove to u that he’s not even trying to be agressive. Half of his winners are probably service winners and the other half are off Gulbis’s dropshots which he swatted like flies every single time.”

You’re really taking this loss pretty hard, but I would beg to differ on your analysis. Murray hit MORE winners than Gulbis if you exclude service:

Winners (Including Service) Murray 36 Gulbis 38
Aces Murray 11 Gulbis 15

Winers (from the run of play) Murray 25 Gulbis 23

Another interesting point – Murray won 41% of ALL return points and 64% of second serve points he faced, whereas Gulbis was 17% and 32% respectively.

It is this statistic that makes Murray the favorite to win Wimbledon this year. If you can neutralize the potency of serve on grass, while bringing a good serve of your own, the sky’s the limit.

And Kimo, clearly fewer ue’s in this case just meant he was more precise than Gulbis – after all he has more “absolute” winners than Gulbis.

What’s wrong with drop shots – if they work? And since when is making fewer ue’s a bad thing? If Gulbis wants to hang himself, why shouldn’t Murray give him the rope?

Regardless, he clearly did more than, “…not even trying to be agressive.”

June 25th, 2009 at 2:51 pm

I’m actually pretty surprised they’re even showing this Levine match right now as opposed to a Roddick/venus replay.

June 25th, 2009 at 2:52 pm

Mina – the voice of reason. Nobody on the ATP tour has ever complained about Federer not making himself available for anything including autographs.

June 25th, 2009 at 2:54 pm

Von: Should Murray win wimbledon the knighthood is guaranteed! It would be seen as such a huge achievement that his award would be fast-tracked through the various other honours (mbe, obe etc).

Arise Sir Andy!

He is still playing his defensive game but for now it’s working ;-)

June 25th, 2009 at 2:56 pm

Kimo – just realized that you were referring to Gulbis’ drop shots, and not Murray’s, but I stand by the stats.

It is interesting that Murray had been accused of drop-shot-itis himself before he started getting better and better results. He seems to have cut them out of his game, for the most part. Maybe Gulbis should take a page out of his book.

June 25th, 2009 at 2:59 pm

I was disappointed with Gulbis’ performance today. I thought he would have made more of an effort to go for his shots and run down more balls, and keep some in play longer than trying to hit outright winners into the net. It seemed as though his feet were firmly planted, sending down roots in the grass and didn’t want to uproot them. His performance was listless to say the least.

Gulbis is now being coached by Micki Pilic, so maybe there’s hope for him. It appears to me that Gulbis’ father is the one who seems to want him to be a player more so than Gulbis himself, and that’s probably the reason Gulbis’ focus is more on partying and not on training.

June 25th, 2009 at 2:59 pm

I would like to commend the Wimbledon website. Fantastic job there and they are getting these interviews up in a hurry! Remember for some of the tournaments we have to wait 24 hours before the interviews are avaiable and at some of the other websites you can’t even find anything?

Wimbledon has their website together! Interviews are up within minutes after the matches.

We complain about the crappy ones… I just want to give propts to the good ones!

Also, those who are praising Murray for playing great and saying Roger hasn’t played anyone… I think both of them are doing their jobs. Opposition rankings are actually higher for Roger (Lu, ranked #65; Lopez, ranked #42) vs (Kendrick, ranked #76 and Gulbis, ranked #74).

Both Roger and Murray are doing their job – they are winning and moving on. You can’t win Wimbledon if you don’t get to the 2nd week. You try to conserve as much energy as you can. So far Roger hasn’t dropped a set. I just hope he can continue to build and keep playing well. I want him to get #15!

June 25th, 2009 at 3:00 pm

Sorry – what does “QFT” mean?

June 25th, 2009 at 3:03 pm

Rab:

Thanks for the reply and feedback. I was wondering, per my post, if anyone is reading an any of the links I’m posting.

I think the Queen will have an honour reserved, maybe an OBE, MBE or maybe an ‘arise, Sir Andy, I knight thee” Sir Andy Murray. I mean Elton John was knighted for his singing, and considering how many millions of pounds the Brits are doling out for Tennis, I’d say a knighthood would definitely be the icing on the cake. Contrasted to the Brits, the Americans hardly ever receive any type of acknowledgement for their sports achievements.
_________________
jane: I always thought you liked Santoro.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:11 pm

Von: Nikki Pilic coached Gulbis (and Djokovic) at his academy in Germany starting in 2000 and apparently knows his game very well. Pilic has a good head on his shoulders, but clearly little of what he taught him has made him much of a thinker on court.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:12 pm

Didn’t Troicki take out Roddick the last time they played each other? Just curious because I knew I have seen the name somewhere. That could be a tough little match if Troicki makes it through..

ALso nice win for Jesse, I’m genuinely happy for the kid.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:14 pm

vared: “I don’t know. Did Lennox Lewis get knighted?”

What don’t you know? And, who is Lennox Lewis?

June 25th, 2009 at 3:14 pm

BTW – I have to admit I don’t read all of the links posted here – some of them, but no all.

I did read the one on Azarenka yesterday. Not a big fan of her’s, I have to say.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:15 pm

MMT says re: Murray ” If you can neutralize the potency of serve on grass, while bringing a good serve of your own, the sky’s the limit.”

Exactly! Murray’s return of serve is KEY, and now that his serve has become a weapon also … he’s got a VERY good shot at winning this whole event. I hope he can do it actually. A new slam winner would be refreshing, not to mention how wonderful it would be for the Scottish / British. There are a couple of others I’d love to see win too. But Murray’s chances are looking good.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

Lennox Lewis was made CBE in 2001 – for his exploits in heavyweight boxing.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:19 pm

Von you’re right about Santoro, but after his “baby” episode vs. Roddick at last year’s USO I went “off” him somewhat, and then even more so when he came back AGAIN this year, even though he all but said (didn’t he say?) he was retiring last year! Now I am ready for the magician to just go already! But his style is certainly unique. I like Ferrero though, and he’s got a nice rounded game, so I’d much rather see him advance. :)

June 25th, 2009 at 3:20 pm

Ty: Troicki beat Andy last year at one of the hard-court tourneys during the US Open series, but that was when Roddick was struggling with his shoulder and back. I believe Roddick beat Troicki after that tourney.
______________________
MMT: I think the saying: You can lead a horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink it, is appropos to Gulbis; it’s the reason I said that Gulbis’ father seems to be the only one interested in Gulbis’ tennis career. If he were my son, I’d say, you’re on your own, support yourself from your tennis prize money. Sometimes tough love is what’s required to make kids listen.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:21 pm

Von: Lennox Lewis is a former world boxing champion.
He grew up in Canada but represented Britain during his professional career.

A bit like Greg Rusedski although Lennox was actually born in London.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:21 pm

Mrs. Jane, you don’t agree with me if you say Fed’s not faced anyone with firepower. The ranking of G-Lo and Lu says it all. You’re making an honest attempt to discredit Fed as usual. ;) It’s actually Djoko & Murray who’ve faced 2 jokers till now.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:21 pm

Roddick did lose to Troicki in DC last year after bagelling him in the first set, but Roddick got one back on him in Tokyo later in the year. Roddick leads their series 2-1.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:22 pm

Outside Britain, whoever says Murray is interesting to watch must be Special and must have a great aesthetic sensibility.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:25 pm

And I am not that special Special.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:25 pm

Von: I don’t know about Gulbis’ father – he probably wants him to stop messing around with tennis thing and join the family business already. Anyway, I probably wouldn’t let him use the private jet until he can afford one on his own. :-)

Huh – in Jane’s defense, I had to look up both Fed’s opponents before their matches, but I am well aware of both Kendrick and Gulbis. Rankings are a bit of fool’s gold in my opinion – Benjamin Becker’s ranking went up 33 places after the draw came out at Wimbledon, so we shouldn’t read too much into them.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

MMT: Thanks for the info on Lennox Lewis. It just goes to show how many other sports I watch.

Thanks for the feedback on the links. I wanted to know if anyone was reading them because here am I blabbering about something that no one knows nothing about. LOL.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

huh, it’s you prerogative to interpret my comments in that way, but that’s how I see it, and I don’t see how my saying “he does look good though” is discrediting him. G-Lo is pretty good, more of a clay courter, but he can’t play a point with any strategy or he couldn’t seem to yesterday; he has a nice backhand, but half the time he shanked it. And I think Lu plays much better on hard courts. I think on grass both Gulbis and Kendrick are more fearsome opponents. Djoko hasn’t faced as tough of competition as Murray, that’s true.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:29 pm

Mrs. Jane, no hard feelings but I feel sorry for you. As Fed’s never been one of your faves, you’ve never enjoyed him. The way he played in the 1st two rounds & answered the shots of his opponents despite movin slower n playin below best was unbelievable!

June 25th, 2009 at 3:30 pm

OfF topic:

Bad news! I got fired last Friday ;-(

Good news! I now have lots of time to watch tennis and post ;-)

(aka Leftykick)

June 25th, 2009 at 3:30 pm

This tournament just feels so weird with Nadal being out. It has certainly lost a bit of its flair and intrigue if you ask me. Don’t get me wrong, I am still enjoying it but there is something missing. I really wanted to see if Roger could get his crown back from Rafa this year.

I really just don’t think I’m ready to accept Murray as a “lock it down” top player ready to win a major.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:33 pm

Mrs. Jane, if you forget for a moment while watching Fed that he’s not one of your faves, then and only then can you enjoy his tennis otherwise not.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:34 pm

huh, no need to feel sorry for me; I am quite enjoying the tennis of many players who I am drawn to for various reasons. I think when I was most in awe of Fed’s ability/play, for some reason, was the AO 2007. I don’t think he’s played quite as well since, but many will disagree. At that event, imo, he truly did look unbeatable. But I think he began a slight drop off since then. Obviously not a major drop as he’s still at the echelons of the game, but that was quite a performance.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:37 pm

Rab: thats not good news but I hope tennis will cheer you up.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:37 pm

Ditto what Kimmi said, Rab. Keep the faith!

June 25th, 2009 at 3:39 pm

Mrs. Jane, I may appear like a Rafa hater but God knows I’m not. I actually don’t prefer his game over Fed’s/Murray’s/Djoko’s/Roddick’s/DelPo’s/Tsonga’s but I still lov his tennis coz I forget that he ain’t a fav of mine while watchin him with awe.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:44 pm

Thanks for the support guys.
Damn credit crunch got to me in the end.

Tennis therapy certainly helps though ;-)

June 25th, 2009 at 3:44 pm

Ahhh, there’s the Venus replay.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:47 pm

Jane, I agree with you – AO07 was almost a carry over from 2006, Federer’s best year, and he hasn’t looked as good since. He’s looked good in spots, but not as consistently good as he did in that tournament.

Quite amazing considering he has won 4 slams since then.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:50 pm

How to receive tennis therapy? ;)

June 25th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

Appartenly I am very dense. I thought Troicki was to play Roddick in the next round. Sorry about that. I think ESPN put it up wrong on the screen, or maybe I’ve had too many vodka tonics.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

huh, it’s not good to be a “hater” of anyone is it? Not much fun for admiring anyone’s tennis. I certainly don’t hate Fed and I can appreciate his tennis – his cross-court or down-the-line backhand drive is one of my favorite shots of his (except for when he plays Rafa because it looks weaker). When it’s firing it’s a beauty. Though I still think Gasquet’s firing backhand is one of the absolute best – wow.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:54 pm

Rab (Lefty Kick):

I’m so sorry to hear of your misfortune. I’m sure something will come up in the next couple of weeks. On the bright side, you’ll get to watch the matches, which will become increasingly exciting during the second week. Is there some kind of unemployment Insurance in Denmark for you to you fall back on? I hope so.

June 25th, 2009 at 3:58 pm

Rab: Btw, your girl Woz is looking good. I thought of you when she won Eastbourne.
________________
Ty: I was wondering why the you mentioned Troicki and Roddick. Roddick’s next opponent is Melzer.

June 25th, 2009 at 4:00 pm

MMT, I think had Kendrick faced Fed, he woulda lost to Fed in 3 easy sets and people woulda been out talking about how Kendrick gave up without fight seeing Fed on the other side of the net or how Kendrick’s game suits Fed or stuff like that.

June 25th, 2009 at 4:02 pm

Lennox Lewis was born in Britain then moved to Canada and lived his younger years, then moved back to Britain. Some in boxing circles say he’s a Canadian by heart and British by convenience.

June 25th, 2009 at 4:07 pm

Ha ha Mrs. Jane, loved to know about you liking some of Fed’s shots so much ! I may suprise you but to me, Rafa’s forehand attacking Fed’s backhand is the most enthralling sight in tennis, it’s pure magic ! Rafa’s forehand bang, Fed’s backhand boom !

June 25th, 2009 at 4:16 pm

Lennox Lewis was made CBE in 2001 – for his exploits in heavyweight boxing
——–
Well then Murry should get the same should he win, no more no less.
Recipients of CBEs, OBEs and MBEs have no title but can put the letters after their names.

June 25th, 2009 at 4:18 pm

Oddly, Kendrick and Federer have never played so it’s difficult to say what might’ve happened. That said, Murray and Fed’s games are different, so they would likely match up differently against different players. Sometimes it comes down not to who has the better shots or whatever, but it comes down to match ups. Murray has a losing H2H with Nadal (2-7) but a winning one with Federer (6-2), so likely that’s about how he matches up with each of them. Sometimes comparing results doesn’t really tell the whole story. I think Fed tends to match up well with power-hitters but maybe not as much with counter-punchers. In that case, Fed may’ve indeed beat Kendrick more easily. I am not sure yet with whom Murray matches up the best, if there is one particular style.

As MMT said, the key with Murray is that he is right now one of the best returners in the game if not the best. In addition, he’s added a consistent serve so that makes him even tougher to beat.

June 25th, 2009 at 4:19 pm

Von: Yes, after paying 50% in tax in Denmark for over 5 years I should be due something back in my hour of need. However, the big American corporation have given me 5 months of tennis viewing time for my years of service ;-)

Anyway, back to tennis. Yes, Woz was wonderful today apart from the wobble in the second set. I think she can go far this year. Her backhand is so good now and what a serve. Bring on the Spanish girl!

June 25th, 2009 at 4:20 pm

Murray wins again!

Jamie that is ;-)
What price for a Murray double this year?

PS: Why did he drop Jankovic???

June 25th, 2009 at 4:25 pm

huh: It’s not necessary for everyone to enjoy your fave’s style of playing. The only thing that’s important is that YOU enjoy it. When you watch Fed play, do you dwell on the people who don’t like him, and wonder if they are watching him? If yes, then you’re becoming too embroiled in other people’s opinion and that will kill your joy. Don’t do that to yourself.

I know you’re a young guy, so here’s a piece of advice from someone who could be your mom, don’t ever seek validation from anyone about yourself or anything you like, because you’ll find that there will always be someone whose thinking will differ from yours. This is tough for you to understand because you’re at the stage of your life where validation from others, especially adults is extremely important. The good thing is, you’ll grow out of it, and then you’ll find that it won’t matter to you one iota if you, and what you like, is acceptable to others or not. Just enjoy your life while you can.

June 25th, 2009 at 4:26 pm

Huh said: “MMT, (1) I think had Kendrick faced Fed, he woulda lost to Fed in 3 easy sets and (2) people woulda been out talking about how Kendrick gave up without fight seeing Fed on the other side of the net or (3) how Kendrick’s game suits Fed or stuff like that.”

I agree with points 2 & 3, but not 1. Nobody knows what would have happened had he played Fed. Kendrick did better in 2006 against Nadal than anyone (except Federer), including Bagdatis who lost in straights to Nadal, but beat Murray, so who knows. Anyway, Federer struggles against big servers including Roddick (although he tends to prevail in that match-up), so Kendrick could have given him some trouble, and between Murray and Federer, Murray’s been much more effective on the return of serve this year.

And by the way, I don’t think Fed looked that great against Garcia-Lopez to be honest – he carried that match on his serve (94% winning percentage) which as we’ve seen this year can go terribly awry at a moment’s notice. G-Lo was even steven on the winners to errors ratio (19 & 19). I feel he was making a lot of errors (the stats say 10, but it seems the scorer may have been a bit generous in that department) and his choice of approach shots was terrible. He was 10 of 16 (good number, but contrast that with Murray going 9 of 11 today). It seems to me he got passed a lot today, which is not a good sign if he has to play someone with a little more consistency and the ability to make him hit one more shot in the rally.

That one’s for you, Jane.

The first half of the first set against Lu and the last 2 sets he looked very good. He was hitting clean and deep on the forehand, and mixing it well on the backhand.

June 25th, 2009 at 4:28 pm

Thanks to all for enlightening me on Lennox Lewis. Yes, in light on the Lewis information, I can definitely see Murray’s name on the Queen’s birthday list next year.

June 25th, 2009 at 4:31 pm

I dont’ think Murray “dropped” JJ. I think she was trying to cut match play last year since everyone including she herself was saying she played too much and was burning out. I think Jamie wanted a repeat with her though. Judy did invite JJ to Scotland for Christmas after she helped her boy win something.

June 25th, 2009 at 4:39 pm

huh, it’s not good to be a “hater” of anyone is it

I’m with Jane. I like 98 of the top 100. ;-)

June 25th, 2009 at 4:40 pm

Vared: Thanks for the clarification ;-)

June 25th, 2009 at 4:42 pm

Well I’m listening to the folks on Wimbledon Radio and according to them you might as well just give the trophy to Murray now… gee… I guess all the other players should just retire now… *insert sarcastic icon here*

June 25th, 2009 at 4:44 pm

Well I’m listening to the folks on Wimbledon Radio and according to them you might as well just give the trophy to Murray now…
———————————
Certain players might have other ideas

JMac said today after the Murray match…he won two, there’s still five more to go.

June 25th, 2009 at 4:47 pm

Tennis freak, I’m not gonna cry buckets over Murray’s tennis not exciting you as long as Fed’s tennis draws your admiration. ;)

June 25th, 2009 at 5:04 pm

Thanks for your post Von! :)

June 25th, 2009 at 5:13 pm

Well, Mr Terrible Tennis Manners gave rather a nice little tennis lesson on winning today, how fri…..ght………fully un British and
the glorious, the marvellous, the wonderful, the indominable Mr Hewitt also gave a tennis lesson to Mr One- dimensional-over-rated Delpotro.
What a truly satisfying day, just orf for some cucumber sandwidges and iced tea on the lawn…….

June 25th, 2009 at 5:14 pm

vared, I agree with you. That’s why they have to play the matches. I’m sure not many thought Rafa would win in Australia and I know NO ONE predicted Roger would win the French this year…so anything can happen. They have to play the matches.

I just hope when (ooops.. I mean IF) Murray loses, the media won’t throw him to the wolves. But reading about the British press, I’m afraid that might just happen.

June 25th, 2009 at 5:15 pm

Cumcumber sandwiches…excuse me while I swallow my vomit

June 25th, 2009 at 5:25 pm

Rab, JJ dropped Jamie Murray because she was too busy as mentioned.

I think he really liked her at least I got that from interviews etc. when they played mixed doubles. But alas, I think they were just tennis partners.

June 25th, 2009 at 5:29 pm

Von (and others). If the Queen bestows any honour on Murray it will be because someone else suggested it. She couldn’t care less about tennis, and the only sport she has any interest in, is horse racing. When Virginia Wade won Wimbledon (and in the queen’s Jubilee year no less) her Queenship was present, and looked bored to tears when making the presentations. I don’t know if most Americans are aware of it, but non-British folk can get honorary knoghthoods, though they aren’t entitled to add “Sir” to their name. I suppose they just hang the certificate on the wall. Andre Previn has one.
Actually, I don’t agree with honours for sports people. If they won events, then that’s their reward. Tim Henman, I’m sure, would have taken a Wimbledon title rather than half a dozen knighthoods.
As for British media over-hyping Murray, I seem to remember that it took a long time for the American media to take much interest in Federer, even after his brilliance was well established.

June 25th, 2009 at 5:31 pm

What am I saying? “Knoghthoods”? Sounds like something out of Monty Python!
Memo – could I learn to type next year?

June 25th, 2009 at 5:33 pm

Ah ha vared, I’d also like to learn from you about sharing love. ;) Blessed art thou who loveth 98 guys out of the top 100 !

June 25th, 2009 at 5:42 pm

You guys know I’m a die hard Federer fan, and I also like Stan, but if I were Stan, I would tell these reporters where to ‘shove it’! lol! In all of his interviews, they ask Stan more questions about Roger than the ask about himself!

Here’s a few:

S Wawrinka – 25 June 2009
Thursday, 25 June 2009

Q. Can I just ask you how you think he compares to Roger Federer in general terms? They’re the two highest ranked players left in the draw.

STANISLAS WAWRINKA: Yeah, this year he improved a lot. The last 12 months he’s playing very well. He made the final in the US Open, he won a lot of tournaments. So of course he’s just after Roger the favorite of the tournament.

Q. He seems to have a 6‑2 record over Roger. What do you think Roger seems to find a problem with him?

STANISLAS WAWRINKA: I don’t know. He’s playing good when they play together.

Q. Do you think Murray is getting closer to Roger with every year?

STANISLAS WAWRINKA: Maybe, but he’s young, so that’s why he improved a lot the last 12 months. We need to see the next year how he’s going to play. You know, Roger is here since five, six years. He’s already won 14 Grand Slams, so you cannot compare.

Q. Which do you think is the tougher opponent personally when you play against them?

STANISLAS WAWRINKA: Who?

Q. If you play against Murray or Federer? When you play against them, who do you find more difficult?

STANISLAS WAWRINKA: Roger.

Q. Why?

STANISLAS WAWRINKA: Because he’s playing different. He’s playing better maybe.

Q. What do you think Murray has to add to his game to get to that level?

STANISLAS WAWRINKA: I don’t know.

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/interviews/2009-06-25/200906251245957755812.html
Poor Stan…

June 25th, 2009 at 5:46 pm

FoT: I hear you….Soon they will ask him when Federer’s baby is due…LOL

June 25th, 2009 at 5:51 pm

Colin:

But of course, Her Majesty is not going to do that herself, someone has got to place Murray’s name on the recommended list. I honestly don’t agree with honors for sports stars myself, but considering how much the Brits have yearned for such an occasion to transpire, I can’t help but think it will happen.

“I seem to remember that it took a long time for the American media to take much interest in Federer, even after his brilliance was well established.”

Federer is not an American, and his name is not a household word, but I think our country has been more than generous to him. The American sports enthusiasts have accepted, acknowledged and embraced him and his accomplishments. On the other hand, to be fair to the Americans, I don’t see other countries laying out the red carpet for our guys, thus all things considered, I’d say we’ve been extremely generous to one who’s not our own, don’t you think?

In view of the foregoing, I think it’s only normal and fitting that the British would want to hype one of their own. I mean charity should begin at home, and not abroad.

BTW, you could learn to touch type if you were to buy one of the instructional DVDs, place your fingers on the keys: asdf ;lkj, and your thumb on the space bar, and practice, practice, practice.

June 25th, 2009 at 6:01 pm

Von, I didn’t say that off the top of my head. I’m sure I remember John Wertheim, for one, saying it was a shame how Fed was being ignored in American media, and this was definitely after Roger had established himself. Of course, the media aren’t the people, even if they think they are.
I’d say Americans get quite good support in the UK. Blake was getting plenty during his match with Murray at Queen’s, but of course he’s such a nice guy (which may be why he underperforms!).
As for those intructional DVDs, I’m sure you’re right, but at my age (74), I’m inclined to go for Plan B : Give up.
W.C. Fields said “If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Then quit … no sense being a damn fool about it”.

June 25th, 2009 at 6:33 pm

FoT – That’s horrible of the journalists isn’t? Poor Wawa must get a little tired of being the “2nd” Swiss; I thought he really shone during the Davis Cup tie with the US this year, really gave it his all, playing singles and doubles.

June 25th, 2009 at 6:47 pm

Colin: We all know the press/media has it’s own ideas, and John Wertheim, is no exception. He’s a Fed admirer, but I think he’s wrong about the American media ignoring Federer. The media is not gung-ho on Tennis, it’s football and baseball that’s important to the masses. Tennis is last on the totem pole and that’s what’s responsible for Federer’s lack of popularity here in the US.

Our guys have won Davis Cup many times and there was very little acknowledgement of their efforts by the media. Pete Sampras was ticked off when he almost single-handedly won DC Cup and hardly got any mention. In other countries the celebrations would have reached gigantic proportions, and the newspapers would have pull-out sections. That’s just an example of how things work with the American media. So all things considered, Federer has gotten more than his fair share of attention — he’s in those Gillette commercials with Tiger, and through that medium has gotten his claim to fame in the US.

At 74, it would be best to use two fingers and look on the keyboard. The saying: “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” seems very appropos in that respect. LOL. W.C. Fields got it right the first time, ‘Give up’. LOL.

June 25th, 2009 at 6:55 pm

huh,
I swear to Fed, I could not watch the Hypo’s match. I tried. I could not stand. I flipped the channels between Gonzalez, Stepanek, Levine, and Wawrinka.
Don’t worry about me; a Fed tattoo on my… (let’s keep that secret) is not out of lack of admiration.
You stay positive, though, in Fed’s bad days. If they come again (do you remember the days of title drought?), get your cannon artillery, HEAT (high explosive anti-tank), bunkers with nuclear busters ready for combat, not for hiding. Have ever you served? I mean, are you a war Vet?

June 25th, 2009 at 7:02 pm

Kimo:

I just watched DelPotro v. Hewitt, and I gotta say Hewitt played very well, but his come-ons and fist pumps were ridiculous. As I mentioned yesterday, I like his tenacity and return game, and I try to overlook his pumps, but he was a bit much IMO. That said, I can see why you don’t like him. Should he and Roddick meet in the QFS and he behaves like that, I’m not going to like it if he duplicates that behavior — I’ll want to smack him. I felt badly for DelPotro who seemed very despondent and really wanted to win. But, winning seemed to mean a lot to Hewitt due to his not beating a top 5 guy in quite a while. I doubt he’d be around for much longer considering his hip injury.

June 25th, 2009 at 8:51 pm

Well, they can give him all those honours, but for now, Murray can’t be even compared to Lennox Lewis in terms of achievements! “The Lion” virtually ruled the heavyweight division for some 7-8 years, whereas Murray’s YET to be recognized as the world’s best tennis player. Don’t get me wrong, he DEFINITELY has a shot at that Wimby title, but can he be the world’s best and rule the way Lewis did? Time will tell…

June 25th, 2009 at 10:14 pm

Rab – so sorry to hear about the job. No pun intended but I feel your pain. I’ve been out on disability since feb 26. As Von mentioned, the silver lining for me is that I got to watch the entire clay court season, will get to watch all of wimbledon, and most of the hard court season before I get back in the office. I’ve watched so much tennis that its like discovering the tour for the first time. The only drawback is american broadcasting /commentary. I wish we could trade in the carillos and enbergs of the world for a bbc crew. I stumbled upon a fed interview on the tennis channel with bill macatee and navratilova and I must say that its the most relaxed and introspective I’ve ever seen him. At least he didn’t have to answer another question re: Mirka’s due date. Fed stated that becker, edberg and sampras were his idols.

Hey you guys haven’t forogt about the most famous knighted scot have you? Sir 007 himself, Sean Connery. The queen should pay more attention to games that were played in “court.”. Henry the Eight played tennis for pete’s sake. He also loved horses and jousting.

Hewitt looked very sharp today. Roddick flaked out for a set but otherwise played well. Murray looked sharp too. I’ll get to watch my man fed play tomorrow on my birthday. OK – off to bed.

June 25th, 2009 at 11:40 pm

Skorocel – at such time as Murray gets any honours, I think he’ll hate every minute of it and will try to avoid talking about it in interviews. He’d probably want to refuse an honour, which of course you can do, but it would be sure to leak out, and imagine the field day the tabloids and anti-Murrayites would have then!
Regarding Lennox Lewis, it’s an ironic coincidence that he was frequently accused of being too cautious and lacking aggression.

June 26th, 2009 at 5:28 am

Funny item on radio by Scottish woman saying this week Andy is still “Scottish” if he gets 2 second week, he’ll become British, if he bcomes champ he’ll bcome “National Treasure”, letter from queenie, knighthood etc. Of course if he loses will straight away be Scottish again and 4gotten till next Wimbles! As a fellow celt, can certainly see humour in this…
Rab: bummer about job! Njoy Wimbles then job seek?

June 26th, 2009 at 6:02 am

A very Happy Birthday to you Joe!

Thank you for your nice words.
Hope your enjoying the tennis. Looks like another straightforward win for the Fed Express.

June 26th, 2009 at 8:24 am

Joe – have a great birthday!

June 26th, 2009 at 8:28 am

Colin: Frankly, I don’t get it how someone could find Lewis “too cautious” or “boring”?! The guy had PHENOMENAL skills, speed, and reflexes – especially for such big man! AND, when his right hand found its target, it was usually over for the opponent… LL forever!

June 26th, 2009 at 8:48 am

Jane – the bookies were right but Kohlschreiber did give The Fed a bit of a difficult time.

June 26th, 2009 at 10:53 am