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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2019 0:27:43 GMT
I don't know why they had to have Tracy Austin on the commentary as well as John McEnroe and Sam Smith. It was good to see Sam getting to commentate on a major final but it only really needed one summarizer/color commentator alongside her. I don't know where Martina was?
Of the American commentators I did like Chanda Rubin this year.
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Wimbledon
Jul 14, 2019 2:15:13 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2019 2:15:13 GMT
I don't know where Martina was? Sitting in the Royal Box! |
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jul 14, 2019 8:24:24 GMT
Congratulations to Simona Halep, Serena shows class in defeat as usual. The argument about who is better out of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic will always rage on. Federer has the most grand slams, Nadal is the king of clay and Djokovic tops the all time money list. 2018 US Open is waving at you, she might be the greatest female athlete ever but she behaved like a brat and her treatment of Osaka was shameful |
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jul 14, 2019 8:26:48 GMT
Congratulations to Simona Halep, Serena shows class in defeat as usual. The argument about who is better out of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic will always rage on. Federer has the most grand slams, Nadal is the king of clay and Djokovic tops the all time money list. 2018 US Open is waving at you, she might be the greatest female athlete ever but she behaved like a brat and her treatment of Osaka was shameful In our female GOAT how about Marita Koch? Her achievements and longevity are outstanding and did she ever fail a drugs test? |
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Post by missthelma on Jul 14, 2019 12:40:27 GMT
I had a sneaky little feeling that Halep would win yesterday, not with enough confidence say to place a bet or make a bold prediction but still a little feeling. The patina of invulnerability seems to be coming off Serena Williams and opponents now believe they can beat her which is part of the psychological battle. Plus her age is now becoming a factor, tennis is a very demanding sport and she is towards the upper range really. The identikit blondes with plaits are taking over! She certainly has good claim to the GOAT title. Somebody who seems to be forgotten in the GOAT stakes is Steffi Graf. I would love to have seen those two play each other at their respective peaks
Federer similarly is at the upper age range. I would dearly love him to win later today but suspect Djokovic will be too strong. I think these two are also in line for the male 'greatest' label. I refuse to even consider Nadal in the same breath as I have quite an irrational dislike for him.
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Wimbledon
Jul 14, 2019 13:43:56 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2019 13:43:56 GMT
The identikit blondes with plaits are taking over! That's a bit rude... They have all worked rather hard to get to their Grand Slam titles! |
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Post by theatreian on Jul 14, 2019 18:57:57 GMT
What a mens final. Pity you had to have a loser but both played at such a high level. Longest mens final on record. Very tense!
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Post by dippy on Jul 14, 2019 19:24:13 GMT
Very hard to watch, wished they didn't have a tie break at 12-12, wanted it to keep going.
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Post by d'James on Jul 14, 2019 20:06:29 GMT
I always find the crowd too much when Federer is playing.
Very pleased for Djokovic.
I agree that a final being won with a tie break is never fun.
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Post by lynette on Jul 14, 2019 22:52:57 GMT
I tend to agree that this match would have been good to go to the bitter end and not have a tie break. Dokkers better at the time break with its different rhythm and speed. But it was very long, much longer than a play or an opera.
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Post by learfan on Jul 15, 2019 6:02:05 GMT
Disagree, it had gone on way too long as it was. Certainly not a classic in terms of the quality of tennis. Somehow Djokovic hung in. Must be galling for him to have the crowd almost 100% behind Federer, groaning when shots went wide, cheering when he made an error. Oh well, Britain can now go back to not following tennis.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2019 19:36:44 GMT
2018 US Open is waving at you, she might be the greatest female athlete ever but she behaved like a brat and her treatment of Osaka was shameful In our female GOAT how about Marita Koch? Her achievements and longevity are outstanding and did she ever fail a drugs test? Marita Koch that is a name from the past was certainly a dominant female athlete. I can recall her racing against the formidable Jarmila Kratochvílová who made Serena look about as imposing as Coco Graff. If you ever want to read about two imposing female athletes look up The Press sisters who both retired when gender testing came in and were the target of a few rumours because of this and jokes like the only woman who they would have been scared of was the mighty Queen of Tonga. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2019 19:38:49 GMT
I had a sneaky little feeling that Halep would win yesterday, not with enough confidence say to place a bet or make a bold prediction but still a little feeling. The patina of invulnerability seems to be coming off Serena Williams and opponents now believe they can beat her which is part of the psychological battle. Plus her age is now becoming a factor, tennis is a very demanding sport and she is towards the upper range really. The identikit blondes with plaits are taking over! She certainly has good claim to the GOAT title. Somebody who seems to be forgotten in the GOAT stakes is Steffi Graf. I would love to have seen those two play each other at their respective peaks Federer similarly is at the upper age range. I would dearly love him to win later today but suspect Djokovic will be too strong. I think these two are also in line for the male 'greatest' label. I refuse to even consider Nadal in the same breath as I have quite an irrational dislike for him. Serena almost looks as if she wants or needs to get the match over quickly maybe her stamina or match fitness isn't what it was, almost like the boxer who knows they will struggle to go the distance so needs to go for a KO. |
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Post by sweets7 on Jul 15, 2019 19:46:51 GMT
The identikit blondes with plaits are taking over! Somebody who seems to be forgotten in the GOAT stakes is Steffi Graf. I would love to have seen those two play each other at their respective peaks I would claim that tennis has always had the blondes with plaits. Although not always blonde and not always plaits. Tennis before the Williams sisters was an extremely 'white' sport and I would argue that it still is. People don't talk about Steffi much on British TV because the commentators do not like her. Martina I warrant because she beat her and heralded the end of her reign really. Chris Evert, Billie Jean King none of them really have a nice word to say about her and I have always wondered why. Quiet, shy, didn't socialise are all things I have heard mentioned. However she seemed rather popular with the actual little people who worked at the tournament and with many of the male players too. She is/was a quiet introverted person who didn't have the best life under her fathers domination. It wasn't until her got himself into trouble and her Mum began travelling with her that she actually appears to have a life. I have heard stories about her locking herself in a dark room after looses. Anyhow she and Agassi got together just as she retired, she spent a few years travelling the circuit with him and they seem devoted to their family life and charities. I for one am very happy for her. I think the fact that she shows no interest in the sport now unless it is to support her charities by playing doubles with Agassi also winds up people like Martina - who fights for the female athletes and goes to many grand slams and mentors young players but to each their own. Every career on the planet has people who just walk away and reinvent their lives and others who stick around for life. Also I the Monica Seles thing which was devastating for Seles but Graf herself had nothing to do with it. Infact Seles has talked about her visiting in the hospital and just crying. |
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Wimbledon
Jul 15, 2019 20:07:06 GMT
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Post by justfran on Jul 15, 2019 20:07:06 GMT
Excellent match for the men’s final. It went on for so long but then the tie break seemed to be over in a blink! I was rooting for Federer and shame he had a couple of championship points that he wasn’t able to convert.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2019 20:18:17 GMT
The identikit blondes with plaits are taking over! Somebody who seems to be forgotten in the GOAT stakes is Steffi Graf. I would love to have seen those two play each other at their respective peaks I would claim that tennis has always had the blondes with plaits. Although not always blonde and not always plaits. Tennis before the Williams sisters was an extremely 'white' sport and I would argue that it still is. People don't talk about Steffi much on British TV because the commentators do not like her. Martina I warrant because she beat her and heralded the end of her reign really. Chris Evert, Billie Jean King none of them really have a nice word to say about her and I have always wondered why. Quiet, shy, didn't socialise are all things I have heard mentioned. However she seemed rather popular with the actual little people who worked at the tournament and with many of the male players too. She is/was a quiet introverted person who didn't have the best life under her fathers domination. It wasn't until her got himself into trouble and her Mum began travelling with her that she actually appears to have a life. I have heard stories about her locking herself in a dark room after looses. Anyhow she and Agassi got together just as she retired, she spent a few years travelling the circuit with him and they seem devoted to their family life and charities. I for one am very happy for her. I think the fact that she shows no interest in the sport now unless it is to support her charities by playing doubles with Agassi also winds up people like Martina - who fights for the female athletes and goes to many grand slams and mentors young players but to each their own. Every career on the planet has people who just walk away and reinvent their lives and others who stick around for life. Also I the Monica Seles thing which was devastating for Seles but Graf herself had nothing to do with it. Infact Seles has talked about her visiting in the hospital and just crying. Graf has to be up there with Martina, Chrissie, Serena, Margaret Court, Billie-Jean as the greatest female player ever. She won equally on all surfaces which some of the others didn't and won her Grand Slams in a shorter time frame than the others. |
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Post by sweets7 on Jul 15, 2019 20:53:18 GMT
I would claim that tennis has always had the blondes with plaits. Although not always blonde and not always plaits. Tennis before the Williams sisters was an extremely 'white' sport and I would argue that it still is. People don't talk about Steffi much on British TV because the commentators do not like her. Martina I warrant because she beat her and heralded the end of her reign really. Chris Evert, Billie Jean King none of them really have a nice word to say about her and I have always wondered why. Quiet, shy, didn't socialise are all things I have heard mentioned. However she seemed rather popular with the actual little people who worked at the tournament and with many of the male players too. She is/was a quiet introverted person who didn't have the best life under her fathers domination. It wasn't until her got himself into trouble and her Mum began travelling with her that she actually appears to have a life. I have heard stories about her locking herself in a dark room after looses. Anyhow she and Agassi got together just as she retired, she spent a few years travelling the circuit with him and they seem devoted to their family life and charities. I for one am very happy for her. I think the fact that she shows no interest in the sport now unless it is to support her charities by playing doubles with Agassi also winds up people like Martina - who fights for the female athletes and goes to many grand slams and mentors young players but to each their own. Every career on the planet has people who just walk away and reinvent their lives and others who stick around for life. Also I the Monica Seles thing which was devastating for Seles but Graf herself had nothing to do with it. Infact Seles has talked about her visiting in the hospital and just crying. Graf has to be up there with Martina, Chrissie, Serena, Margaret Court, Billie-Jean as the greatest female player ever. She won equally on all surfaces which some of the others didn't and won her Grand Slams in a shorter time frame than the others. I completely agree. She is always a favourite to me. Never did really understand Martina and Chrissie's thinly veiled dislike of her for no reason other than she doesn't get involved in promoting women in tennis and was difficult to get to know. Boo hiss. Sour grapes ai think. |
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Post by missthelma on Jul 16, 2019 10:18:14 GMT
I may not be remembering clearly but I don't think Graf was ever particularly gracious in defeat. It's amazing though that she retired at 30 with 22 Grand Slams to her name, had she continued longer, how many more could she have notched up? Again I can't remember clearly if she was injured or just bored/tired. The tennis circuit runs globally 10/11 months of the year and is not really conducive to any version of a home life
Also what would have happened to Monica Seles if she hadn't been stabbed? How much more could she have won?
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Post by sweets7 on Jul 16, 2019 13:11:40 GMT
I may not be remembering clearly but I don't think Graf was ever particularly gracious in defeat. It's amazing though that she retired at 30 with 22 Grand Slams to her name, had she continued longer, how many more could she have notched up? Again I can't remember clearly if she was injured or just bored/tired. The tennis circuit runs globally 10/11 months of the year and is not really conducive to any version of a home life Also what would have happened to Monica Seles if she hadn't been stabbed? How much more could she have won? I don't think she liked to give interviews after she was defeated which looked like sour grapes but through the years when I have seen documentaries about the tour and her on the tour people have talked about her very dark moods after a loss and that she would just lock herself away. Make of that what you will but I have always intuited it as extreme low moods at the least. She had a lot of injuries to be fair to her, Agassi pursued her in 1999 which led to the break up of her long standing relationship and she retired after Wimbledon I believe. Maybe later. She wasn't always reliable attendee in the later years. Anyway they got married and had two kids fairly quickly and she supported him on the tour for about another 5 years. Now they live in Vegas and so do her brother and Mum...in different houses. Who knows about Seles. Maybe she would and maybe she wouldn't. It was a terrible terrible thing that happened to her. |
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jul 16, 2019 17:20:55 GMT
I would claim that tennis has always had the blondes with plaits. Although not always blonde and not always plaits. Tennis before the Williams sisters was an extremely 'white' sport and I would argue that it still is. People don't talk about Steffi much on British TV because the commentators do not like her. Martina I warrant because she beat her and heralded the end of her reign really. Chris Evert, Billie Jean King none of them really have a nice word to say about her and I have always wondered why. Quiet, shy, didn't socialise are all things I have heard mentioned. However she seemed rather popular with the actual little people who worked at the tournament and with many of the male players too. She is/was a quiet introverted person who didn't have the best life under her fathers domination. It wasn't until her got himself into trouble and her Mum began travelling with her that she actually appears to have a life. I have heard stories about her locking herself in a dark room after looses. Anyhow she and Agassi got together just as she retired, she spent a few years travelling the circuit with him and they seem devoted to their family life and charities. I for one am very happy for her. I think the fact that she shows no interest in the sport now unless it is to support her charities by playing doubles with Agassi also winds up people like Martina - who fights for the female athletes and goes to many grand slams and mentors young players but to each their own. Every career on the planet has people who just walk away and reinvent their lives and others who stick around for life. Also I the Monica Seles thing which was devastating for Seles but Graf herself had nothing to do with it. Infact Seles has talked about her visiting in the hospital and just crying. Graf has to be up there with Martina, Chrissie, Serena, Margaret Court, Billie-Jean as the greatest female player ever. She won equally on all surfaces which some of the others didn't and won her Grand Slams in a shorter time frame than the others. Didn't know that about Navratilova and Graf. Wow though, who doesn't have Steffi Graf as one of the greatest. For me forehand was the greatest shot ever in the womens game until Serena's serve came along. Big bet this weekend on Djokovic to beat Federer. My second source of income that, Federer's universal soft spot means the odds are always marked up wrong. 6/4 on Federer is unreal, at best a 3/1 shot in my book. Been piling on that bet for years now. Get on it at the US Open |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2019 23:11:41 GMT
I may not be remembering clearly but I don't think Graf was ever particularly gracious in defeat. It's amazing though that she retired at 30 with 22 Grand Slams to her name, had she continued longer, how many more could she have notched up? Again I can't remember clearly if she was injured or just bored/tired. The tennis circuit runs globally 10/11 months of the year and is not really conducive to any version of a home life Also what would have happened to Monica Seles if she hadn't been stabbed? How much more could she have won? Graf had her peak years when Martina wasn't the force that she was and Chrissie Evert had retired. She won the French in 1999 and then lost in the Wimbledon Final and retired a month later. She was overpowered by Davenport in the Wimbledon Final and maybe felt she was never going to compete with her regularly. Also the Williams sisters were coming up so maybe she saw the writing was on the wall and got out. Ironically who won the next Grand Slam - the US Open one Serena Williams! The caveat about Graf will always be Seles' getting stabbed by the nutter as she was the dominant player in the world then and had won 7 out of the last 9 Grand Slams I think and only won one further one when she returned. A bit off subject I was thinking how Chrissie Evert was always seen as the quieter, demure type yet she has been through 3 husbands in her time. |
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Post by justfran on Jul 4, 2024 20:55:30 GMT
Is anyone else on the board watching Wimbledon this year?
Lovely and emotional tribute to Andy Murray after his doubles match this evening. Only fitting that Sue Barker came back to present it too. Not a dry eye in Centre Court!
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Post by d'James on Jul 4, 2024 22:53:09 GMT
Is anyone else on the board watching Wimbledon this year? Lovely and emotional tribute to Andy Murray after his doubles match this evening. Only fitting that Sue Barker came back to present it too. Not a dry eye in Centre Court! Oh did she? She is sorely missed. |
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Post by TallPaul on Jul 5, 2024 7:47:14 GMT
Why did the crowd start booing when Sue was introduced? I can't imagine it was intended for her, so must have been directed at the BBC.
That was the smartest Andy has ever looked on a tennis court.
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Post by vdcni on Jul 5, 2024 7:54:36 GMT
They were saying Sue rather than booing. Just sounded odd because of the way they were doing it.
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