Off Topic Wimbledon (Tennis)

I used to be glued to this as a teenager, but have really lost interest since the end of the Borg/McEnroe era.

Murray unlucky to play in the same era as Federer, probably the greatest to date from my perspective, Djokovic and Nadal.

Caught some of the Kyrgios v Tsitsipas match yesterday. It’s beyond me why they don’t just chuck Kyrgios out of tennis. His behaviour is constantly horrible and consistently much worse than McEnroe’s ever was. It’s clearly deliberate as well, aimed at winding everyone up. He thinks he’s more important than everyone else and will never change. The ****er is 40th in the world, no one would miss him. Tsitsipas handled it poorly but I can’t really blame him.

Perhaps the tennis people think there is such a lack of ‘character’ in the game that they have to tolerate this mega twat.

Well done Norrie.

 

Murray doesn't get the recognition he deserves.
He was world number one at one point, whilst playing in the same era as those players you mention.
Norrie is a good player.

Britain has a few talented male and female players right now.

 

Apparently Murray has huge respect within the game, well deserved.

What do you think of Kyrgios?

 

It's a shame because when he wants to the guy can play some unbelievable tennis and hit shots that no one else can. I remember watching Nastase and he was worse than anyone, he's also a massive racist. There is a lack of characters about in the game today , alot of robotic players and huge servers. Change of equipment has certainly aided that along with the change of balls, with the old wooden racquets the rallies went on for ages. It's sad there aren't the old serve and volley type of players that used to be prevalent in the game especially at Wimbledon, much more a baseline game these days.

 

I absolutely loved watching Borg, McInroe, Connor, Agassi etc.

For me, Federer is the GOAT. Other players might have been stronger than him, particularly Novak, but Federer had a grace and style that was a joy to watch.

Immense respect to Murray for getting back after the surgery but it's an ask too much to get back his consistently winning ways.

Agree about Kyrgios too but, in fairness, Tsitsipas should have been defaulted for hitting the ball into the crowd.

My biggest bugbear is the empty seats when there are thousands of folk who'd like to be there!

I wrote to the club and suggested that if you're lucky enough to get tickets on the ballot, then you should be excluded by from the ballot for 2 to 3 years. They said a random ballot was fairest way.

My wife and I have applied year on year and been lucky twice in 40 years while others seem to get tickets most weeks. It does not feel very random or fair from my rather limited perspective!

 

I never realised how difficult it is to get tickets, is that for the show courts? Apparently the electronic tickets haven’t worked well this year. I seem to remember somewhere else this has been an issue…..

 

Completely agree with you.
When he first emerged, it was thought he had the potential to be number one and had people like McEnroe in his inner circle.
I think that's why he's been shown so much leniency.

Time to ban the twat imo.

 

I'm not a big tennis watcher but the Grand Slam semis and finals between Murray, Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are at the highest level of sport, sometimes going on for hours over five sets. It's hard to imagine the next generation coming through will be anywhere near this level.

 

Yes. Very hard.
There are tickets on various sites but hugely inflated prices and then, of course, the archetypal prawn sandwich / Pimms brigade corporate tickets.
Then there's the queueing from the early hours but I've never fancied that so perhaps not that dedicated!

 

You gents and Beth can help settle a friendly argument between me and the Mrs.

She believes tennis players are fitter and have greater stamina than footballers because, as Steels mentions, their matches can grind on for hours sometimes in very high temperatures.

My contention is that their sprints are limited to pretty short distances and there is plenty of time to rest in between poi ts and a sit down and banana after every few games.

Footballers are running hell for leather for 2 x 45 mins and over much greater distances.

What do you think?

 

The Sinner (Italy) v Alcaraz (Spain) match in at the moment is pretty good. They are 20 and 19 respectively.

 

Can you see either of them doing it in another ten, fifteen or twenty years? It's the consistency that Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Murray ( prior to his various injuries) that put them at the pinacle of their sport

 

It's a different type of fitness, but I reckon Federer would've beaten Charlie Austin at his kids sports day race

 

To be absolutely honest I have no idea. But at a grand slam a tennis player will have to win seven matches of at least 2 hours, often much more, in less than two weeks. And managers whine about 3 90 minute games in 8 days for footballers. I reckon most tennis players are fitter than Paddy Kenny. Even the ones down the park.

Yep. Not necessarily these two, but there is increasing longevity in the mens game especially. There might not be a quartet of dominant players for two decades like we have just seen, but I’m sure there will be a couple who will compare. The guys you mention have dragged the overall standard up a lot, it’s just not so much of a spectacle any more.

 

They'll never be another generation in tennis like the one that's been prevalent and still going on now. To have won 62 majors between the 3 of them is outrageous, I can't see any of the current crop of younguns getting into double figures, they're just not in the same league. It's very similar to the class of 92 snooker players with Ronnie, Higgins and Williams. You only have to have watched this year's Workd Championship to see that apart from Selby and possibly Trump those 3 in particular Ronnie are still head and shoulders above everyone else. The amount of majors Ronjie has won ( considering there are only 3 instead of 4) is one of the reasons I think he's in the top 5 sportsmen that have ever lived !

 

Snooker isn't a sport, it's a pastime cue the arguments

 

Sports need characters. Especially a sport as dull as tennis. Hope Kyrgios wins it.

 

Compare the number hamstrings tennis players get against footballers, it’s minimal & the amount of stretching tennis players do & you would’ve thought more

 

They warm properly for a start