*Official* Tennis Thread

[BoyBrumby]

Feel gutted for Roddick but pleased it's over. Agree with oj, need a 5th set tie break.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Feel gutted for Roddick but pleased it's over. Agree with oj, need a 5th set tie break.

Disagree so much with this.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Shouldn't be just a war of attrition tho. They're talking about it as a classic, but it was the closeness of the score rather than the quality of the play that kept me watching, really.

 

[Mister Wright]

I went down at 4 all to watch the end of the final. Little did I know I'd be watching another 20+ games. Absolutely ridiculous. There was some good tennis in there, but definitely nota classic game. Rafter/Inaviseivic (sp) is still the best I've watched.

 

[social]

I'm starting to not care who wins. They need a fifth set tie breaker at Wimbledon.

Watched it with a group of guys with whom I play tennis 3 times a week (enthusiastic but crappy amateurs!)

By half way through the last set we we're all bored and wishing there was a quick way out of it because it wasnt great tennis

Btw, both are such nice guys that it was hard to favour one over the other

 

[ohtani's jacket]

It's all right if it's 8-6 or 9-7, but you can't claim that Federer actually broke Roddick.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

It's all right if it's 8-6 or 9-7, but you can't claim that Federer actually broke Roddick.

Receiving Points Won
Roddick 42 of 197 = 21 %
Federer 68 of 239 = 28 %

Best (and luckiest) man won.

 

[Jono]

Hope Anil gives Roddick some respect now

Well done to both guys. Federer is an absolute legend, Murray's loss looks far less poor than people made out when he went down in the semi, and Roddick proved just how awesome a fighter he is.

Disagree heavily with a 5th set tie-break.

 

[Jono]

But for a period of a few years Henin had the best, most complete game of any tennis player I've seen.

I get what you're saying, but for one, her serve wasn't anywhere near as good, and that's a big part of having a complete game. She had a very attractive game to watch, but no way was it more complete than Serena, let alone Federer (since you said tennis player, not sure if you just meant women).

Anyway, part of a person's tennis 'game' is winning clutch points/moments. Henin didn't have that at times. At her peak she couldn't win Wimbledon. Lost to Bartoli in a semi-final after being a set up. Couldn't win in 04-06 when she was peaking and the Williams sisters had dropped off.

 

[Jono]

Reckon Roger will be caught off guard and be pushed to 5 sets tonight.

Nice call irfan.

It's all right if it's 8-6 or 9-7, but you can't claim that Federer actually broke Roddick.

What is the difference between 8-6 and 12-10? How is it any different? Eventually Roger won a break point, and he did it when it mattered the most. Whether he did it 4 games earlier or not doesn't change it from "all right" to "too much".

Especially since this is a rare case as well. Most GS matches don't go past 20 games in the 5th set.

Hate to see what people would have thought before tie-breaks even existed. First sets used to be in double figure games

 

[Pratters]

Roddick looks absolutely shattered, looks like he's about to break down.

He had a traumatising time recovering from last year's performance and did well to get himself up this year. I hope that this doesn't affect him too much and he goes from strength to strength from here.

Happy for Federer and that he had to fight for a win. Else people would shout the no competition banner again.

 

[Pratters]

Anil, my point was that women's tennis is far more competitivehe today compared to the past. Keep the top 2-4 players aside and the rest of the field is far stronger today compared to 20 years back. It's far tougher to win titles now than it was 20 years back is all that I am saying.

 

[Jono]

Same can be said about Men's Tennis, No one is in the class of Roger and Rafa, nowhere close. French Open Finals was just ordinary, the fact that Someone like Soderling was able to reach the finals tells the sorry state of Men's Tennis.

Yeah, its interesting how people complain about the lack of competition within Women's tennis, when it exists within Men's at the very elite level as well.

Since 2004 (when Federer basically undisputedly became the best player):
- 3 separate people have made Wimbledon final - Federer, Roddick and Nadal
- 6 separate people have made French Open final - Federer, Nadal, Soderling, Puerta, Coria, Gaudio (and we all know the last 4 names have been one-offs)
- 6 separate people have made the US Open final - Federer, Djokovic, Murray, Agassi, Roddick, Hewitt
- 8 separate people have made the Aust Open final - Federer, Safin, Hewitt, Baghdatis, Gonzalez, Tsonga, Djokovic, Nadal

Only the Australian Open has really had an even spread. The rest of the Slams have had a very high level of predictability since 2004.

 

[Jono]

He had a traumatising time recovering from last year's semi final loss

Which match are you referring to? Was out to Tipsaravic second round last year. Unless you're referring to Australian Open semi 2009.

 

[Pratters]

Which match are you referring to? Was out to Tipsaravic second round last year. Unless you're referring to Australian Open semi 2009.

Last years performance. Not semi final loss sorry. I read a Kevin Eason column on Times Online and I quote:

For a woman who professes to know little about tennis, she made the best decision of Andy Roddick’s life. The American was on the verge of quitting the sport after being dumped out of Wimbledon a year ago. He fled London for the United States, trying to escape the images of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer fighting over a trophy he had dreamed of lifting all his life.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Great game, really enjoyed watching it.

Massive respect to A-Rod, can't deny anything if not that he is an awesome fighter and was never, ever going to let it go. Federer is such a champion though, absolutely love the bloke.

Also, WTF do they have some minor royal presenting the trophy?? The only ones that should be given any sort of funding are the Queen and Charlie Boy. Who the **** was that **** who was handing out the trophy? Should have got Sampras to present Federer with it IMO.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Disagree heavily with a 5th set tie-break.

Think it just becomes about fitness when it goes on for so long. Nadal won last year because of it; Federer this. There's an argument for it, no doubt, but to me it's the equivalent of playing an infinite amount of extra time in football until one team finally succumbs. The tie-break, for me, would be more of a test of nerve as to who plays the clutch points better.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

but to me it's the equivalent of playing an infinite amount of extra time in football until one team finally succumbs.

which some (including me) argue would be preferable to the penalty shoot-out

Has infinite extra time actually been tried seriously? Seem to work in ice hockey (though they have infinite subs there, which changes the rules of the game somewhat)

 

[BoyBrumby]

Also, WTF do they have some minor royal presenting the trophy?? The only ones that should be given any sort of funding are the Queen and Charlie Boy. Who the **** was that **** who was handing out the trophy? Should have got Sampras to present Federer with it IMO.

Assuming you don't watch many finals, then? Duke of Kent gives it out pretty much every year. He's president of the All-England tennis club, I believe. Her maj hasn't been near since Ginny won it in 1977.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Assuming you don't watch many finals, then? Duke of Kent gives it out pretty much every year. He's president of the All-England tennis club, I believe. Her maj hasn't been near since Ginny won it in 1977.

Yeah I watch the final most years but I don't tend to watch the prize giving TBH. Don't see why he should present it, just some pointless hanger on that doesn't contribute anything to the country like Charlie does.