Federer Downs Gulbis In Halle; Anderson Ousts Wawrinka At Queen’s

Grass court season shines light on players with no skills. Not surprised to see Ping Pong Mahut, No Game Muller, etc.

If not for the grass court season, these players won’t have enough points to play in the ATP tour.

Grass is not only for cows, it’s also for poor tennis players

June 17th, 2015 at 9:37 pm

Silly argument. Firstly, if more events were played on grass (or faster courts in general), those players you deride as poor tennis players would be considered more skilled. Secondly, a survey of Wimbledon winners for the last ten years yields only names like Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray . . . no Mullers or Mahuts in sight. The best players still dominate on grass.

June 17th, 2015 at 11:46 pm

Comments are getting more sour.
The pain is getting deeper.
Inevitable.

June 18th, 2015 at 12:09 am

And clay is for sprinters who can hold a racket and moonball

June 18th, 2015 at 12:16 am

“Grass is not only for cows, it’s also for poor tennis players”
And Clay is for pigs, who love to play in the dirt and mud. Haha funny funny woohoo tiddly poo poo.

June 18th, 2015 at 12:36 am

I lost all clay this year. Ate some lucky grass in Stuttgart. Queen was faster so could not handle dog who bit me.

I must concentrate more on my toilet breaks during break points.

June 18th, 2015 at 1:39 am

http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2013-04-22/12201.php

fun read.Hey HR Have a look how they dirt has fallen. ;)

June 18th, 2015 at 1:45 am

Which of BOUCHARD or GULBIS would have better[or WORSE] record @ the end of 2015??

7-12 Versus 4-14 !!!

:-)

June 18th, 2015 at 2:35 am

Jeez skeezer! Another intelligent and insightful post! “tiddly poo poo” . Lol

June 18th, 2015 at 3:08 am

Great though it is to watch Queen’s on the BBC website, with a good, clear full-screen picture, it does mean you get Andrew bloody Castle on commentary. I shall go mad if he mentions once more that Murray is wearing his wedding ring on his shoelace. We ALL know this, and it is completely uninteresting.

June 18th, 2015 at 9:31 am

A.Castle is a scourge on us all

He must be eliminated!

From TV that is. not, well you know

June 18th, 2015 at 9:41 am

Murray finally wins a scrappy match in two sets, and Peter Fleming, anxious to show he’s as brilliant as Castle, delivers the insight that Verdasco was “forced into too many unforced errors.”

June 18th, 2015 at 10:54 am

By the way, for anyone watching on the BBC, they sometimes show a view with some cranes in the distance and,closer to the left side, a bulky tower block complex. That is my local hospital, where I’m having a spot of routine surgery later this year. The procedure is called TURP, which stands for trans-urethral resection of the prostate. Look it up – it’ll make your eyes water!

June 18th, 2015 at 10:59 am

@Colin……So sorry for your impending surgery. I hope all goes well. I won’t research it, one word mentioned, says it all. Keep us posted…..

June 18th, 2015 at 11:09 am

@Colin – good luck with your surgery. Hopefully you’ve been able to combine one of those pesky hospital visit with watching matches at Queen’s.

June 18th, 2015 at 11:17 am

@Colin
And if slimy Castle tells us just once more that Wimbledon is a “grand slam” I swear I’ll……..!!!
Good luck with op. Local anaesthetic?
I love Fleming tho., lovely dry, oh so cynical delivery.

June 18th, 2015 at 11:30 am

I think tennis commentary is generally so banal because they’ve only got 2 max 4 players to talk about and really and truly there’s not too much you can say. But of course most comms feel they have to talk drivel endlessly.
Whereas in the other sports I mostly follow, cricket and rugby, there are far more players/action to talk about. Plus in rugby endless griping about referees is complulsory.

June 18th, 2015 at 11:36 am

Agree, agree, agree – Andrew Castle is the absolute pits – don’t enamoured of the Fleming either – I keep wanting to ask “What do you know?” “Who are the pair of you”?

However, who is the Scottish accent Commentator that usually joins John Lloyd (he is currently commenting on Isner v Lopez) – he doesn’t annoy me nor does John – mainly because they’re not so much in love with themselves as the other two and they know when to let the tennis talk rather than themselves….

June 18th, 2015 at 11:38 am

Oh Colin – not an enticing prospect – I’m sure you’ve got a good medical team and hopefully you’ll feel so much better asap.

June 18th, 2015 at 11:49 am

Yes, Margot, it’s a painless injection in your lower back that leaves no feeling at all below your waist. Fortunately they hang a curtain across you so you can’t see what’s going on!

To remain on the fascinating topic of ME, I have yet another op coming up, also routine, at the Chelsea and Westminster , which is the hospital where Christopher Lee died the other day.

Obviously they also take private patients, as I can’t see Sir Christopher being stuck in a National Health Service ward with a bunch of other old geezers.

June 18th, 2015 at 11:52 am

Margot, excellent point. Just as this blog becomes excruciating in the downtime. There is not enough to say but we keep trying to fill the space.

June 18th, 2015 at 12:18 pm

Only if the Count needed some extra `nutrition` would such a thing happen.
Oh Christopher Lee, what a legend !
sniffles
Don’t worry Colin, Im sure you’ll be full of beans once they have sorted you out!

June 18th, 2015 at 12:20 pm

Yeah Margot I like Peter Fleming too
He’s pretty smart as well, has some good insights in general.

June 18th, 2015 at 12:24 pm

When I hear the name Peter Fleming, I always think of the explorer and travel writer, who was the brother of James Bond author Ian Fleming.

Peter’s book “Brazilian Adventure”, published in the early 30s, is interesting and often extremely funny. It’s probably possible to buy it fairly cheaply online. In fact I just looked it up, and it can be bought for about £6.

June 18th, 2015 at 1:46 pm

All of you English speaking people, when I retire, I will become a commentator for BBC. I mean, the mean and clueless Boris was a commentator.

Plus, I am better looking.

June 18th, 2015 at 1:53 pm

I’m not a huge fan of Peter Fleming’s commentary. His malapropisms aside, I don’t find him particularly insightful or helpful to my understanding of what’s happening or my own game.

To me there’s Nick Lester and Robbie Koenig and then there’s everyone else. Their commentary is enthusiastic but technical, and they frequently debate each other on points of contention which I find fascinating. They rib each other but all in good fun, and they’re serious without taking themselves too seriously (e.g. John McEnroe).

The problem with them is that they’re really for tennis players only – if you’re into the pseudo-psychological stuff, or the greek mythological stuff (not mutually exclusive, BTW) then Chris Fowler, John McEnroe, Mary Carillo and Dick Enberg types – they’re your guys.

But if you’re looking for insightful technical and tactical analysis, those two are in a class by themselves.

June 18th, 2015 at 2:41 pm

I can handle any of the commentators, with one exception……Justin Gimblestob!!

June 18th, 2015 at 3:23 pm

Anyone know the name of the “Scottish-accent Commentator who usually comments with John Lloyd – not being nationalist but these two together complement the programme….???????????

June 18th, 2015 at 3:27 pm

KatH: It’s Andrew Cotton, I think. He commentates on Rugby too.

June 18th, 2015 at 3:59 pm

@MMT
Nick Lester is my favorite also like Arne something?
Don’t like Gimmelstob, too cliched for me.

June 18th, 2015 at 4:01 pm

And “the doper” Troicki beat the doper Cilic fifth time in a row. Good job Vićo…there is one very sad person in the land of tulips today.

June 18th, 2015 at 6:13 pm

Put on your Arrogant One undies, get pop corn, hug your cats and read it.

http://europe.newsweek.com/team-federer-how-tennis-ace-became-worlds-pre-eminent-athlete-328918

June 18th, 2015 at 8:20 pm

Always knew Humble Rafa had a man crush on Fed the GOAT. So much attention given, so much love. Who knows, maybe one day having a Cow as a pet could be yours👍

June 18th, 2015 at 9:12 pm

Always knew Humble Rafa had a man crush on Fed the GOAT.
—
As a GOAT owner, I always keep a tab on what my goats are upto. That’s just responsible behavior for an owner.

June 18th, 2015 at 9:23 pm

^ uh uh yeah….whatevers dude.

June 18th, 2015 at 9:56 pm

@Humble
@Skeezer

U 2 just kill me…..I’m in stitches! Thanx for the laughs!

June 18th, 2015 at 9:57 pm

Wog Boy – why don’t you read this article and let me know if you still think Cilic is a really a “doper”:

http://www.itftennis.com/antidoping/news/decisions/decision-in-the-case-of-marin-cilic.aspx

June 18th, 2015 at 10:03 pm

MMT,
There is nothing in that article that I didn’t know before, test was positive, test wasn’t dismissed or overturned, the only thing is that his defense was accepted and sentence reduced his defense was that he took pills (that his mother bought over the counter) unknowingly that there is banned substance in them. So yes, he is doper, results had never been overturned.

His defense was accepted but Troicki’s wasn’t even Russian doctor admitted that she had conversation with Viktor but has never told him that it is ok to come next morning for the blood test. It I said this and you said this, being ITF official they took her word against his, same as you go to court with your word against policeman word, you can’t win.
Cilic was top 10 player and Troicki was top 50, perfect for ATF/ATP to show how serious they are about drugs, Troicki paid big price for trusting Russian doctor, but he never was the sharpest knife in the drawer.

June 18th, 2015 at 10:28 pm

^^^ shoud say ITF/ATP

June 18th, 2015 at 11:35 pm

@OK,
WARRIORS!
Stay safe in that weather coming your way.

June 18th, 2015 at 11:56 pm

@Skeezer….Yes, happy for your Warriors. I was so excuted for those guys. They put James in the corner! LeBron is an awesome player. Seems like where ever he plays, they do good.

Yes the rain is not letting up. There are two creeks by my home and water is coming over the highway from one of them. It has stopped for now, thank goodness. We are going to Tulsa in the morning to look at a boat….seriously! Not because of rain, but because we bought a pop up camper and we need a boat. We like to fish (like Rafa)……Lol Thanks for the concern. Appreciate it. I’m ready for “Bill” to chill out and stop dumping rain on us!!!

June 19th, 2015 at 12:21 am

@MMT, totally agree w/ you about Robbie Koenig and Nick Lester. They know the game so well and have a great rapport, I love the trivia questions as well. I always know I’m going to get insightful and entertaining commentary when I hear them, and Koenig has some great one liners.

The other more mainstream commentators, I could mostly give or take. I really like Darren Cahill and Brad Gilbert can be surprisingly insightful at times. I just can’t stand John McEnroe and he was the reason I had to turn down the volume during the FO final b/c I couldn’t listen to his voice or inane comments anymore

June 19th, 2015 at 12:22 am

^^^^^ Oops……I was excited

June 19th, 2015 at 12:25 am

@Wog Boy
Troicki “owns” Cilic, which I found very surprising. Match was good, I thought. Cilic could do nothing about Viktor’s serve, whereas V was all over Marin’s, which I also found surprising.

June 19th, 2015 at 12:26 am

@Margot,

Yes, it is strange that Cilic wasn’t able to beat Viktor since 2010 (?), thanks for report, have you seen Aussie Jack Reader, Viktor’s coach? Very unconventional tennis coach, I think that Viktor and Jack have right chemistry for each other, neither of them is very conventional tennis player/coach. I wouldn’t be surprised if they roll the joint every now and then:)
By saying this I don’t see Viktor beating Isner, though it would be nice if it happens.

June 19th, 2015 at 12:44 am

Wog boy: Did Reader coach Dolgopolov at one time? Or am I making that up?

June 19th, 2015 at 1:12 am

@Margot,
That’s him, you are not making it up.

June 19th, 2015 at 1:27 am

^^ he was fair to stay with Viktor after he was banned, that’s what mates do.

June 19th, 2015 at 1:30 am

Thanks Margo for Andrew Cotton – and rugby, yes, think I’ve heard him during 6-Nations.

Is Andy going to flinch under a bombardment of aces today? He’s not exactly making comfortable watching at the moment

June 19th, 2015 at 3:17 am

the only reason troicki is tolerated is because he is a serb. Djokovic is pulling some weight among players for exceptance.
We in europe know how they stick together, even after horrifying acts of terror and racism they back eachother.
so not strange at all to see reactions like that.

June 19th, 2015 at 3:41 am

Great article on Nole

NovakDjokovic – no ordinary superhero Telegraph.co.uk 09:07

June 19th, 2015 at 4:28 am

On commentators, Killer Cahill is my favorite. Chris Evert is the worst….. imo

June 19th, 2015 at 7:51 am

And all Gimmel does these days is yap about his fiancee! Has he even had a gf b4?
*eyebrow raise*

June 19th, 2015 at 9:19 am

Wog Boy: I’ve made my case for the stupidity of the “decision” against Troicki on another posting, so I won’t repeat it here. As for Cilic – please note that his sentence was reduced because they ACCEPTED his explanation that he unintentionally ingested the substance purchased on his behalf. Therefore, by their own assessment, he is not a doper in that he did not seek a performance enhancement by taking the stimulant.

Just think for a second about the purpose of anti-doping: is it to catch people accidentally taking banned substances, or is it to catch people INTENTIONALLY doping? I think it is the latter, and by their own decision, they don’t believe there was any intent to dope by Cilic.

The real question you should be asking is, are there players out there intentionally doping that HAVE been caught? Find me one, and I’ll show you 10 where the decision by the ITF accepted that there was no intent. At the very least, that is a very blunt instrument – catching 10 players who’ve accidentally ingested a banned substance (in this case a stimulant) versus none who have done so intentionally.

The case of Wayne Odesnik is particularly damning. He was caught importing several vials of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) to Australia and was NOT, I repeat NOT caught by anti-doping programs, but by Australian customs officials. He then goes on an SELF-IMPOSED sabbatical and is allowed to return to the tour with no ban, no forfeiture of points or prize money. Is that fair to Cilic? I don’t think so.

The case of Robert Kendrick is even stranger: he tested positive for a banned stimulant, which was contained in a nasal decongestant. Seems very straight forward, but here’s the rub: in their decision the ITF ruled that if Kendrick had had a Theraputic Use Exemption (TUE) – e.g. filed some paper work asking for permission to take the banned substance as a nasal decongestant – he wouldn’t have been banned?

So why would they ban him if he could have used it legally?

Stranger still: in his defense Kendrick indicated he had taken it to combat jet lag – in other words, he admitted to taking it AS A STIMULANT. Obviously his point was that he didn’t know that the substance in the nasal decongestant was banned, but he was still taking the nasal decongestant (and unwittingly the banned substance) as a stimulant! So the ITF, in their inimitable duplicity, stated in their decision he could have asked for a phony TUE and despite the FACT that he took the nasal decongestant as a stimulant, he would have been allowed to take it with no penalty.

Is that fair to Cilic?

So here, despite the player admitting in his appeal that he took substance for the VERY reason it was banned (as a stimulant) the ITF gives a blue print to him AND ANY OTHER PLAYER on how to take the substance without penalty (by filing a phony TUE) and essential skirt their own anti-doping program.

Is that fair to Cilic?

If you can makes sense of that, you’re a lot more sophisticated than me. But it seems to me that if the ITF is serious about anti-doping they’ll catch real dopers like Odesnik, give a pass to people like Cilic, and not give to people like Robert Kendrick a blue print on how to skirt their anti-doping program.

All this is to say Cilic is not a doper, and there are dopers out there that aren’t getting caught (with the help of the ITF) and as such, their ban of Cilic is morally and intellectually unfair.

June 19th, 2015 at 9:29 am

MMT,
I have a problem with that word “accidentally”, how do we know it was “accidentally”, just by admitting that we took it, since we can’t deny it (both blood samples tested positive)? Top sports people should know better not to take pills if they don’t know ingredients, Cilic is professional tennis player, top one, if he made that can’t of stupid mistake he deserved to be punished, simple because every next player is entitled to use same excuse in future. Gasquet “accidentally” kissed the girl that was snorting white powder, his sentence was halved too.
I’ll tell you the story of famous world and Australian cricketer Shane Warne who “accidentally” took the pills that his mother gave him to lose the weight:
“Warne claimed that he took only one of what he called a “fluid tablet” – the prescription drug Moduretic – given to him by his mother to improve his appearance.”
Australian Cricket Board didn’t buy it, he was banned for twelve months.
Just to finish, regardless of Cilic “accidentally” taking prohibited substance, he deserved to be punished for carelessly taking pills and offense should be recorded as it is.

PS
I read always about those actors, singers “accidentally” overdosing on combination of prescription pills and something else and dying,and wonder how many people really believe in that explanation.

June 19th, 2015 at 10:03 am

Sienna, cut the crap about horrifing acts of terror and racism of Serbs!
You are probably Croatian since you are raving about Cilic and always give negatives about Novak and so on…So, if you know bit of history Croatians are being worst butchers of Europe during II World War ( and recently ) and all under the patrionage of Catholic church… And if you are not Croatian then every single nation in Europe has blood on their hands-from civilised English, French, Spanish down to us,primitive Balkan countries.
Stick to the tennis and do not bring that nationalistic crap to this forum

June 19th, 2015 at 11:06 am

I just dont respond well to racism. it should not be a factor but the term nationalist has found new meaning in Serbia. the Turks are bad but no one as bad as the serbs.

please explaine why that is?
and dont come with pride, culture or some other stupide reason. Id like to know.But then again probably wont change a thing… have a good one.

June 19th, 2015 at 11:35 am

33 yr old Fed still given out Bagels. First set to the Maestro. Close it out Fed!

June 19th, 2015 at 12:13 pm

Cocaine is not performance enhancing – I don’t even know why it’s on the list – the same for crystal meth, BTW.

The ITF accepted that Cilic’s ingestion was accidental so they have banned a player for accidentally taking a banned substance – is that the point of anti-doping – to catch people who accidentally dope?

If Doeskin had he been caught, it wouldn’t have been plausible that he accidentally acquired vials and vials of HGH. Only players that can make a case that it was accidental can…well, make the case.

For example, if the banned substance ISN’T on the label (like Guillermo Coria, who was still banned), or they’re given the substance by a tour official who ALSO didn’t know the banned substance was in it (like Guillermo Canas, who was still banned), or a player who had been taking a banned substance for YEARS for male pattern baldness, and only tested positive because the substance was ADDED to the list that year (like Mariano Puerta, who was still banned).

These players are not TRYING to dope, but they were all banned, and the Cilic’s case is the same. OTC medicines and supplements (like glucose tablets) do not list ALL substances in them, only those that meet content requirements for labelling so why hold players who aren’t trying to dope to the same standard (or a higher one, in the case of Odesnik) as those who ARE trying to dope.

I’ve studied this extensively and the anti-doping program only seems to catch players who are NOT trying to dope or gain a competitive advantage, and that’s not the point of anti-doping. Tennis won’t be clean because they’re catching guys who AREN’T trying to dope – it will be clean when they catch guys who ARE trying to dope (like Odesnik, whom they missed, and BTW wasn’t banned).

Lumping all these cases together and calling the least egregious cases “dopers” only ADDS to the subterfuge that they’re really trying to catch dopers. By the evidence of who’s been caught, it seems clear to me that the only ones they aren’t trying to catch is DOPERS…i.e. the guys doing it on purpose to gain a competitive advantage.

That’s worse than incompetent – it’s a ruse intended to project the illusion of a clean game.

June 19th, 2015 at 12:41 pm

MMT
you never played Argetinian soccerteam ?

June 19th, 2015 at 1:09 pm

Sienna, I don’t have a clue what are you talking about racism end Serbs.Racism in football or something like that?We are not better or worst then Spanish, Polish, Itali
Second-Pride and Culture are not stupid reasons. But maybe for you….
Racism is intolerance to other nations (check dictionary ). Well, you are intolerant of Serbs for sure…

June 19th, 2015 at 1:16 pm

Yes, whole Argentinian soccer team is playing on cocaine …You are really make good entertainment here darling

P.s. -I understand is very difficult today for you, because Serbian doper beating Super Mario yesterday…I forgive you rambling today, you are upset.

June 19th, 2015 at 1:23 pm

It just so happens that Sienna and I “had it out” over Troicki on another post, so I have a feeling this is friendly “residue” from that.

Ironically, it just so happens that I have played Argentinian soccer teams, and while I have no reason to think they were on cocaine, I’m quite certain that if they were, they would have played much better without it.

But that’s a digression – my message is that we as fans should NOT contribute to the tennis’ ostensibly (but entirely phony) draconian anti-doping program. I would like real doping controls that catch real dopers, and not guys who are clearly doing nothing of the sort, and I’m not going to help the charade along by castigating the innocent and being willfully ignorant of the likelihood that the guilty are getting away with it.

June 19th, 2015 at 1:40 pm

MMT-It just so happens you played with Argentinian team? That is brilliant.And off course you can not play well on coke-you can talk crap all night and have a good sex and that is all- more or less…
Doping-agree on all points. Alocate more money for doping control and have some good chemistt and doctors working on it-simply as that

June 19th, 2015 at 1:50 pm

Frenchie, reading your post here and on the other thread makes me think you are pretty familiar with certain stuff, right? It looks like it was good fun for you living in London, right? ;)
Just ignore “komšija” from the land of tulips, her face is all green of hate…and it will stay like that, Grinch is a puppy for her, but at least Grinch change to a good person at the end of the movie, no such chance for the “komsija” from the land of the tulips.
Viktor iz doing well, doesn’t he Frenchie?:)

June 19th, 2015 at 5:08 pm

^^ “change” should read “changed”

June 19th, 2015 at 5:09 pm