Wimbledon

[enfieldwhite]

Quite the looker isn't he.......

Not as good looking as Batman though, eh?

Who?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Tennis on grass is better than on clay (clay! What next, papier mache?). It would be better still if it weren't mostly about serving for aces. As they say in Nuremberg, I love a good rally, and I believe most folk do (whether they'd describe themselves as fans or not).

So get rid of second serves, nets, all that nonsense. If you don't get it in the right box first time, you lose the point. That might give pause to those trying to serve at 150mph (that's an actual Roddick serve speed, not hyperbole). Just an idea.

And yes, I dislike the aspirational middle-classness of it all - Timmy, strawberries, awfully nice - plus the way Murray's "British" when he wins and "Scottish" when he doesn't. Still, at least "our boys" (and girls) getting regularly battered therein seems to have promoted an acceptance of our relative unimportance on the world scene. Mind, it'd be funny if Sir Cliff reacted to an English/British loss by smashing John McEnroe's face in.

[TANGODANCER]

Tennis on grass is better than on clay (clay! What next, papier mache?). It would be better still if it weren't mostly about serving for aces. As they say in Nuremberg, I love a good rally, and I believe most folk do (whether they'd describe themselves as fans or not).

So get rid of second serves, nets, all that nonsense. If you don't get it in the right box first time, you lose the point. That might give pause to those trying to serve at 150mph (that's an actual Roddick serve speed, not hyperbole). Just an idea.

And yes, I dislike the aspirational middle-classness of it all - Timmy, strawberries, awfully nice - plus the way Murray's "British" when he wins and "Scottish" when he doesn't. Still, at least "our boys" (and girls) getting regularly battered therein seems to have promoted an acceptance of our relative unimportance on the world scene. Mind, it'd be funny if Sir Cliff reacted to an English/British loss by smashing John McEnroe's face in.

Did you not get that the wrong way round DSB?

[enfieldwhite]

Tennis on grass is better than on clay (clay! What next, papier mache?). It would be better still if it weren't mostly about serving for aces. As they say in Nuremberg, I love a good rally, and I believe most folk do (whether they'd describe themselves as fans or not).

So get rid of second serves, nets, all that nonsense. If you don't get it in the right box first time, you lose the point. That might give pause to those trying to serve at 150mph (that's an actual Roddick serve speed, not hyperbole). Just an idea.

And yes, I dislike the aspirational middle-classness of it all - Timmy, strawberries, awfully nice - plus the way Murray's "British" when he wins and "Scottish" when he doesn't. Still, at least "our boys" (and girls) getting regularly battered therein seems to have promoted an acceptance of our relative unimportance on the world scene. Mind, it'd be funny if Sir Cliff reacted to an English/British loss by smashing John McEnroe's face in.

Depends if he's talking from Murray's perspective or not TD.

Did you not get that the wrong way round DSB?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Tennis on grass is better than on clay (clay! What next, papier mache?). It would be better still if it weren't mostly about serving for aces. As they say in Nuremberg, I love a good rally, and I believe most folk do (whether they'd describe themselves as fans or not).

So get rid of second serves, nets, all that nonsense. If you don't get it in the right box first time, you lose the point. That might give pause to those trying to serve at 150mph (that's an actual Roddick serve speed, not hyperbole). Just an idea.

And yes, I dislike the aspirational middle-classness of it all - Timmy, strawberries, awfully nice - plus the way Murray's "British" when he wins and "Scottish" when he doesn't. Still, at least "our boys" (and girls) getting regularly battered therein seems to have promoted an acceptance of our relative unimportance on the world scene. Mind, it'd be funny if Sir Cliff reacted to an English/British loss by smashing John McEnroe's face in.

Did you not get that the wrong way round DSB?

Not at all, friend...

[TANGODANCER]

Tennis on grass is better than on clay (clay! What next, papier mache?). It would be better still if it weren't mostly about serving for aces. As they say in Nuremberg, I love a good rally, and I believe most folk do (whether they'd describe themselves as fans or not).

So get rid of second serves, nets, all that nonsense. If you don't get it in the right box first time, you lose the point. That might give pause to those trying to serve at 150mph (that's an actual Roddick serve speed, not hyperbole). Just an idea.

And yes, I dislike the aspirational middle-classness of it all - Timmy, strawberries, awfully nice - plus the way Murray's "British" when he wins and "Scottish" when he doesn't. Still, at least "our boys" (and girls) getting regularly battered therein seems to have promoted an acceptance of our relative unimportance on the world scene. Mind, it'd be funny if Sir Cliff reacted to an English/British loss by smashing John McEnroe's face in.

Did you not get that the wrong way round DSB?

Not at all, friend...

He isn't slow to not be British when it suits him though.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Ah - I meant the perception of him among the English. He can call himself what he likes, that's the benefit of this dual nationality thing we've got.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Tennis on grass is better than on clay (clay! What next, papier mache?). It would be better still if it weren't mostly about serving for aces. As they say in Nuremberg, I love a good rally, and I believe most folk do (whether they'd describe themselves as fans or not).

So get rid of second serves, nets, all that nonsense. If you don't get it in the right box first time, you lose the point. That might give pause to those trying to serve at 150mph (that's an actual Roddick serve speed, not hyperbole). Just an idea.

And yes, I dislike the aspirational middle-classness of it all - Timmy, strawberries, awfully nice - plus the way Murray's "British" when he wins and "Scottish" when he doesn't. Still, at least "our boys" (and girls) getting regularly battered therein seems to have promoted an acceptance of our relative unimportance on the world scene. Mind, it'd be funny if Sir Cliff reacted to an English/British loss by smashing John McEnroe's face in.

Oh come on, the whole 'Pimm's o'clock' nonsense is brilliant....


And the big serving? Well, you wouldn't be the first to advocate those measures, DSB, but I don't think it's ruined the game yet. When Karlovic was serving like a robot at Queen's against Nadal, it was compelling stuff watching Rafa grind it out.

For me the answer, insofar as one is needed, lies in reining-in the technology in the equipment. All that bigger sweetpots etc. do is neutralise the advantage the genuinely skillful players have.

Oh and Murray - Scottish nice person who can lose in the 1st round as far as I'm concerned....

[hisroyalgingerness]

and the daily non-PC image for all the beer drinkers

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

For me the answer, insofar as one is needed, lies in reining-in the technology in the equipment. All that bigger sweetpots etc. do is neutralise the advantage the genuinely skillful players have.

I was about to suggest lower air pressure in the balls, wooden rackets etc, but thought I may be seen as a Luddite,and anyway I'd got past caring

[Verbal]

Good on Eaton, beating a man ranked more than 500 places above him.

[Bruce Rioja]

A fine choice of racket. Carbon graphite, I'd suspect. Superb choice!

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Good on Eaton, beating a man ranked more than 500 places above him.

One of the reasons men's tennis is so superior to women's (and I am reluctant to say it given the comments above, but I do actually enjoy the sporting content of some women's tennis ) is that there is so much depth. Though, in Tursanov, Eaton is facing yet another step up in quality of opponent in the next round, as Tim Henman could tell him.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Feck me, how cringeworthy is this interview with Ivanovic?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7470890.stm

[Athers]

She sent me a kindly worded rejection to my email proposal though.

[superjohnmcginlay]

A fine choice of racket. Carbon graphite, I'd suspect. Superb choice!

Racket?

[Lord Kangana]

I hate tennis.

Apart from when they are behind the woman serving. I'm always hoping for an Athena-picture moment. It hasn't happened yet.

Maybe thats why they keep it on TV? It can't be for any entertainment value, otherwise they'd have the Dulux international open paint-drying contest live from Blackburn on't box every year...

[ratbert]

And another thing. That 'jolly old times eh old fruit, what' music they always play at the end of the day's coverage. How anachronistic and stereotype reinforcing is it?!

[communistworkethic]

A fine choice of racket. Carbon graphite, I'd suspect. Superb choice!

as opposed to what other type of graphite?

[Daxter]

Big fan of Tennis myself, play regularly too.

Interesting game today with Djokovic taking on Safin. Safin looking something like his former self, and has taken the first set.

Come on Marat!