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

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  • 001001
    Posts: 1,575
    3 good matches tonight.

    Quarter-final·Court 1 10:00 pm
    14
    G. Muguruza
    7
    S. Kuznetsova
    Quarter-final·Center Court10:30 pm
    10
    V. Williams
    13
    J. Ostapenko
    Quarter-final·Court 1 11:15 pm

    M. Rybáriková
    24
    C. Vandeweghe
    Quarter-final·Center Court11:45 pm
    6
    J. Konta
    2
    S. Halep
  • edited July 2017 Posts: 19,339
    And don't forget Djokovic is playing early today at 12pm BST,peeps.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    Great performance by Müller today! Deserved victory, very impressive.

    Amazing match
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    Great to see other tennis fans here.

    From a German point pf view, it is sad that both, Kerber and Zverev went out yesterday after long matches. Both did not take the chances they had. This applies especially to Zverev who only made 3 breaks out of 17 break points.

    Djokovich and Murray are both very solid but they also have not have any strong opponent so far. They are really lucky with the draw. I am also not sure about Federer's condition. And don't forget about Cilic who might be a dark horse.

    With regard to the lasies, I guess it is very open. Muguruza played very well so far, much like Williams. Konta could be a surprising winner, too.
  • Posts: 19,339
    Not at the moment,she is 0-3 down in the first set !!
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    no it is 4:4 :-)
  • Posts: 19,339
    GBF wrote: »
    no it is 4:4 :-)

    Hahaha it is indeed !!

    She has really upped her game and is suddenly hitting shots everywhere.

  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    So the tie break has to decide it.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    Ok. First set goes to Halep :-) There are two more sets :-)
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Nice one Jo. I've slung another shrimp on the barbie and put on my 'The Very Best of Men at Work' CD in her honour.

    If anyone's interested there's a debate on Talksport just started on whether or not we should be backing people who are not actually British and are just using us as a flag of convenience.
  • 001001
    edited July 2017 Posts: 1,575
    Nice one Jo. I've slung another shrimp on the barbie and put on my 'The Very Best of Men at Work' CD in her honour.

    If anyone's interested there's a debate on Talksport just started on whether or not we should be backing people who are not actually British and are just using us as a flag of convenience.

    NO we are not interested on the debate on Talksport..........

    GAME SET AND MATCH.............
  • 001001
    Posts: 1,575
    Sir Andrew Barron Murray OBE is looking good to win for Bonny Scotland again.

    Quarter-final·Court 1 10:00 pm
    16
    G. Müller
    7
    M. Čilić

    Quarter-final·Center Court 10:00 pm
    1
    A. Murray
    24
    S. Querrey

    Quarter-final·Center Court 11:30 pm
    6
    M. Raonic
    3
    R. Federer

    Quarter-final·Court 1 11:30 pm
    11
    T. Berdych
    2
    N. Djokovic
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    001 wrote: »
    Nice one Jo. I've slung another shrimp on the barbie and put on my 'The Very Best of Men at Work' CD in her honour.

    If anyone's interested there's a debate on Talksport just started on whether or not we should be backing people who are not actually British and are just using us as a flag of convenience.

    NO we are not interested on the debate on Talksport..........

    GAME SET AND MATCH.............

    The weird thing about Talksport is that they employ ex sportsmen who can't string an intelligent sentence together. And journalists who won't accept anyone's opinion other than their own.
  • GBFGBF
    edited July 2017 Posts: 3,197
    @barryt007

    Do you now believe that Konta can win? :-)

    @TheWizardOfIce

    why do you care so very much about the "right" nationalities of players? As far as I know, Konta changed the nationality five years ago before she became successfull. And isn't she actually representing Britain very well? So shouldn't the Aussies actually be angry about her?

    I think that many players have foreign roots. Think of Raonic, Zverev, Kerber, Wozniacki. And don't forget about the common "Americanisation" of tennis stars in the 80s and 90s like Navratilova, Lendl or Seles.
  • Posts: 19,339
    @GBF I do....and I actually think she will ,if she can get past Williams.

    This has been the best ladies singles Wimbledon since the old days of Navratilova,Evert etc..
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    @GBF I agree with your comments. We have to accept that players can represent an adopted Nation if they see fit these days. Jack Charlton famously found an English player he wanted in his Irish team, and commented 'Now let's see if he's got an Irish granny anywhere'.

    So, if Jo Konta wants to represent Britain, then we welcome her with open arms. She has Hungarian parents, was brought up in Australia and learnt her game in Spain. Of course she belongs to us!

    If @Benny became a great tennis champion he would probably represent Australia, despite his English roots, and dodgy links to Chelsea FC ;)
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,138
    Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!
    Sadly I must confess to not really enjoying tennis.
    There was a player I recall Vijay Amritraj I'm fond of. That's about it.
  • Posts: 19,339
    Everyone loves Vijay....well apart from Kamal Khan of course.
  • 001001
    Posts: 1,575
    barryt007 wrote: »
    @GBF I do....and I actually think she will ,if she can get past Williams.

    This has been the best ladies singles Wimbledon since the old days of Navratilova,Evert etc..

    That's an amazingly tough match she will have against Venus. That's like a Final
  • Posts: 19,339
    001 wrote: »
    barryt007 wrote: »
    @GBF I do....and I actually think she will ,if she can get past Williams.

    This has been the best ladies singles Wimbledon since the old days of Navratilova,Evert etc..

    That's an amazingly tough match she will have against Venus. That's like a Final

    It is ,but I genuinely think she can do it.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Konta does make some frustrating unforced errors. Overhead smashes can often end up in the Royal Box. Venus won't let her off lightly.
  • Posts: 19,339
    That's what Nadal was like the other day,some of his shots were awful....and he paid the ultimate price.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited July 2017 Posts: 9,117
    NicNac wrote: »
    The weird thing about Talksport is that they employ ex sportsmen who can't string an intelligent sentence together. And journalists who won't accept anyone's opinion other than their own.

    Matt Dickinson? Henry Winter? Ollie Holt? Patrick Barclay? All regular contributors but obviously that wouldnt fit the narrative we're trying to paint of Talksport being for neanderthals and Wizard just being racist would it.
    GBF wrote: »
    @barryt007

    Do you now believe that Konta can win? :-)

    @TheWizardOfIce

    why do you care so very much about the "right" nationalities of players?

    Why do you not care? Why do we care about international sport at all then? If people can just get off a plane and represent whatever country they find themselves in the whole thing is pointless.

    Why are we settling for half decent players like Konta? Lets really break the bank and pay Federer and Serena to come and live here?

    People are quite happy to lay into the Russians for artificially trying to improve the international performances of their athletes through doping but all they needed to do was go and offer all the young top talent millions if they came and lived in Russia for 5 years then no one would have had the slightest problem with it?

    I've nothing personal against Jo - she seems nice enough and is playing very well - but she readily admits that the reason she came to Europe is because Australia was too far a schlep for the tour.

    And while you're cheering Jo on spare a thought for the likes of Heather Watson who should be the British number 1. I dont know much about sponsorship contracts and the like but I should imagine the difference between being the number 1 and number 2 is worth a decent bit of money.

    Never thought I'd give FIFA any credit but their rule that once you've played for a country you are stuck with it seems fair enough and an improvement on suddenly switching when it suits you.

    Anyway its only tennis so its not like it actually matters so good luck Jo - go and win it girl. I'd see someone who has pitched her tent with us win it than the rest.
    GBF wrote: »
    And don't forget about the common "Americanisation" of tennis stars in the 80s and 90s like Navratilova, Lendl or Seles.

    Dont know about you but I prefer not to hold myself to American standards on a number of matters.
  • IGotTheMessageIGotTheMessage United States
    edited July 2017 Posts: 194
    I looked the player, Alijaz Bedene up just now. Apparently, he is a UK citizen and has only a residence in the UK now. He doesn't live in Slovenia at all anymore. I would presume that he is still a Slovenian citizen though and that he holds dual citizenship.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    I looked the player, Alijaz Bedene up just now. Apparently, he is a UK citizen and has only a residence in the UK now. He doesn't live in Slovenia at all anymore. I would presume that he is still a Slovenian citizen though and that he holds dual citizenship.

    He's UK citizen, but has threatened to go back to Slovenia for some reason. If he can string a sentence together he could get a job on Talksport.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    @TheWizardOfIce

    Well I don't care so very much about nationalities in tennis anyway since it is an individual sport. Of course a team sport like football is different and you need rules how national teams are built. However, the success of Federer, Nadal or Murray does not depend on their nationality since they play individually. I think, the only time when nationality matters in tennis is in the Davis Cup / Fed Cup or the Olympics.

    Apart from that, the change of nationalities usually has a different background. Often it is because a player like Konta has lived in GB for many years and is closer to GB than her country of birth. It is easier wrt to residence permits etc. Anyway, I don't see so many reasons other than that why e.g. a tennis player changes his / her nationality.

    And concerning your argument about Heather Watson:
    I don't think that anyone cares about the British #1. Actually, British women tennis has not really been so successfull throughout the years. So what does it help if you are #1 in Britain but only #102 in the world. Konta who is a top10 player can on the other hand open doors for younger British players by making the sport more popular in Britain and increase sponsoring and public funding.


  • Posts: 19,339
    I see Murray is doing it the hard way as usual....
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    I was following the fortunes of Heather Watson and Laura Robson, but both have fallen away (Robson has suffered injury set backs).

    And as you say @GBF people follow their favourite player wherever they are from. Federer is massively popular everywhere he plays.
  • edited July 2017 Posts: 19,339
    Murray is limping quite badly now.
    That bloody hip injury is back.

    Now his serve has been broken to love...he is in trouble here,he can hardly move or serve and Querry is deliberately playing wide shots,forcing Murray to move.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    I think it is done. Murray might also lose #1, if Djokovich wins Wimbeldon.
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