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"New Balls Please" : Tennis Discussion - NOW ON : WIMBLEDON 2019

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  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,458
    Federer has not lost a match on grass since Stuttgart last year. That's 20 straight wins on the surface at 36/7 years old! Is there anything he can't do?

    Perhaps the greatest athlete who ever lived.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,511
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    Federer has not lost a match on grass since Stuttgart last year. That's 20 straight wins on the surface at 36/7 years old! Is there anything he can't do?

    Perhaps the greatest athlete who ever lived.

    Absolutely. At this stage of his career, he is defying age. He's considered an old man in this sport, and yet he keeps winning.

    What is he now? One or two in the world?

    He's also a beautiful champion to watch: all grace with a stunning one-handed back-hand, that looks more like dance than it does a ground-stroke in tennis.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,458
    peter wrote: »
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    Federer has not lost a match on grass since Stuttgart last year. That's 20 straight wins on the surface at 36/7 years old! Is there anything he can't do?

    Perhaps the greatest athlete who ever lived.

    Absolutely. At this stage of his career, he is defying age. He's considered an old man in this sport, and yet he keeps winning.

    What is he now? One or two in the world?

    He's also a beautiful champion to watch: all grace with a stunning one-handed back-hand, that looks more like dance than it does a ground-stroke in tennis.

    If he wins tomorrow, he'll be number 1. If he loses, Rafa will be number 1.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,511
    @Mendes4Lyfe , thanks for the info. I like Nadal. I love Feds. I hope his health holds up and he storms Wimbledon again.

    He's very intelligent. Know his body. Skips out on tournaments he knows will punish his joints and older injuries.

    He's the ultimate mastermind of his sport. Nothing short of being a genius. It's not just about his talent. But he has used science, bio-mechanics, to assist in his longevity.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,617
    This will mean little to those outside the UK but I was sad to see that Barry Davis is leaving the BBC for good. He mostly had retired but always came back to cover some matches at Wimbledon. A real class act IMHO........


  • barryt007barryt007
    edited June 2018 Posts: 19,339
    Losing Barry Davies is a shame,especially as John Motson left last month as well.
    Shows we are getting old @patb .
    At least Martin Tyler is still going !

    As for Wimbledon,personally I find it hard to see anyone beating the 'Fed-Express' ,especially as it's on grass and is his personal favourite tournament.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,617
    We tend to forget that Fed is human (and a mature human), like all of us, he can just get out of bed one day and not feel 100%. No doubt the crowds and the media will be focussed on Fed 100% which is a distortion as there are clearly some great grass court players out there. It would not surprise me if Fed did not make the second week and the whole thing opened up.
    Anderson, Querrey and Isner good outside bets IMHO, but we have not seen the draw yet.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    patb wrote: »
    We tend to forget that Fed is human (and a mature human), like all of us, he can just get out of bed one day and not feel 100%. No doubt the crowds and the media will be focussed on Fed 100% which is a distortion as there are clearly some great grass court players out there. It would not surprise me if Fed did not make the second week and the whole thing opened up.
    Anderson, Querrey and Isner good outside bets IMHO, but we have not seen the draw yet.

    The draw will be very interesting for sure.

  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,458
    patb wrote: »
    We tend to forget that Fed is human (and a mature human), like all of us, he can just get out of bed one day and not feel 100%. No doubt the crowds and the media will be focussed on Fed 100% which is a distortion as there are clearly some great grass court players out there. It would not surprise me if Fed did not make the second week and the whole thing opened up.
    Anderson, Querrey and Isner good outside bets IMHO, but we have not seen the draw yet.

    No one other than the big 4 of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray have won Wimbledon since 2002.

    If someone new is going to win, I think there's a better chance it's someone from the next generation, like Zverev.

    But most likely Fed is still the strong favourite, even at 36/7.
  • patbpatb
    edited June 2018 Posts: 4,617
    Yes, I know Fed is the favourite but, by defintion, he can't go on forever.

    The big 4 are not the big 4 at the moment so using their previous wins to predict the future is not the way forward IMHO.

    Its Fed or a new name

    PS Wimbledon qualies being streamed live..........

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/tennis/44041370
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Win or lose, I'm huge fan of Federer. His style of playing is what I enjoy about sports, acting and everything else for that matter.

    Elegance, finesse, style and grace for me any day. Looking forward to Wimbledon.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,617
    @bondjames Oh yes, his style of play is sublime, nobody can touch him in that area. His footwork and timing is from another planet.

    BUT his timing is so crucial that, when its a tiny fraction of a second out, it can all fall to pieces. His topspin backhand is the best example IMHO.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    I agree @patb. You're right. With his style of play there is less room for error. I hope he's fully fit for this.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    I see Andy Murray is unseeded for Wimbledon...should make things interesting.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,617
    He will struggle against any fit player in the top 100 over 5 sets. I hate to be cynical but I do wonder if his appearance at Wimbledon is more down to sponsors wanting to get exposure as he has all but disappeared over the last year.

    Best of five sets at Wimbledon won't help the come back much. The challenger route is the conventional way of getting back up to fitness or some doubles.

    I think his best chance is ig he gets a clay court specialist or another player who is not fit
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    I agree...he needs to come back in a 3 set tournament,Wimbledon is gruelling at the best of times for anyone.
  • patbpatb
    edited June 2018 Posts: 4,617
    Its not just the best of five thing, it's a media frenzy with countless press conferences, media events, sponsors parties etc etc, the same questions over and over again, that, in itself is a challenge.

    Murray has drawn Benoit Paire (ranked 48) in the 1st round at Wimbledon, tough one IMHO, still time for him to pull out.

    PS if he makes it to the second round then its Chardy (recent Queens finalist) or Shapovalov so its a tough route
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,458
    Federer has an easy draw. Zverev, Djokovic and Nadal all on the opposite side, with Cilic the biggest threat before the final. Federer beat Cilic the last two times at Wimbledon, so should be quite straight forward.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    Federer has an easy draw. Zverev, Djokovic and Nadal all on the opposite side, with Cilic the biggest threat before the final. Federer beat Cilic the last two times at Wimbledon, so should be quite straight forward.

    Unless the magic of Wimbledon intervenes. ;)

    But yes,this is the tournament he treasures most,so he will be hard to stop,with that draw.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    edited July 2018 Posts: 8,458
    Andy Murray has withdrawn from Wimbledon.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/wimbledon-2018-andy-murray-ruled-out-withdraws-mens-singles-draw-statement-injury-fitness-a8425656.html
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,511
    is this the last we're seeing of Murray?? Great player. Primadonna. Mother's Boy. I often wondered about his allegiance to the sport and to what Wimbledon actually meant to him.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,617
    Totally predictatble. Unfortunately , makes him and his team look a little amateurish. As if they don't know whats happening from one day to another. Compare this to Feds comeback where he got fit behind the scenes.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,458
    Straight forward win for Federer probably one of his easiest wins at Wimbledon.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,617
    This is what he is great at. No drama, no mental "walkabouts" , reserves his energy for later in the week, all done and dusted quickly.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,458
    patb wrote: »
    This is what he is great at. No drama, no mental "walkabouts" , reserves his energy for later in the week, all done and dusted quickly.

    He is great at it, but not like he used to be. Does have more lapses now he is older, Wimbledon seems to be the tournament where he sharpens up for though. Not dropped a set since 2016.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,617
    https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/04/wimbledon-historic-day-as-more-womens-matches-than-mens-on-show-courts

    Sad IMHO
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,198
    very interesting things happen this year in Wimbeldon: Cilic, Thiem, Goffin, Dimitrov already out, Zverev struggels in his second round match.

    wrt to the female players: 7 of the top 10 are already out, Konta and Rybarikova who were last years Semi finalists are also out. Can lead to surprising results.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,617
    The draw is opening perfectly for Fed with the 3rd seed out, it is a very strange tournament this year. Its either Fed or an outsider IMHO. Del Po looking good but his finds it hard to keep up over 2 weeks. Edmund versus ND the match of the weekend IMHO
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Djokovic under pressure and one set down to our British boy Edmund !
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,458
    barryt007 wrote: »
    Djokovic under pressure and one set down to our British boy Edmund !

    Back already? ;)
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