The Tennis thread

[SALTIRE]

Playing tennis in the morning for the first time in about 3 years. Could be amusing.

I did that with badminton the other week for the first time in about three years also. Couldn't move for about 4 days afterwards!

 

[TomPNE94]

just back from an hour coaching session, my backhand has gone to shit

 

[Super_horns]

Oh Andy!

Serving for the set and he lost his serve.

 

[SALTIRE]

Whats new. I can't watch him in the big matches these days, my nerves go all to shot.

 

[Munkiki]

huh, if it's now Djokovic 5-4 Murray how could Murray have been serving for the set? Am I missing something?

 

[Super_horns]

Ah sorry.

You are right - my mistake.

 

[This Charming Mike]

One set all!

 

[Leewilson]

So many of Murray's matches against the top players go like this.

Set 1: Close but Murray not able to capitalise on good moments.

Set 2: Murray grinding out a really tough set.

Set 3: Murray suffers a brain fart and collapses.

He's just missing that crucial 2/3%. So close yet so far.

 

[This Charming Mike]

Bageled in the decider. So typical of Andy.

 

[SALTIRE]

Its like he gives all his effort in the first couple of sets and then collapses in the last set (or two in the case of slams). Perhaps he should switch his game back to what it was like a couple of years ago against Djokovic when he was getting success against him - make the points shorter and go for winners more.

Djokovic is on another plane to the rest though these days. At this moment I'd put my house on him winning Roland Garros this year.

 

[Master D]

He has shown loads of times that he can live with Djokovic for a set or 2, but he just doesn't have the consistency to keep it going all match. Djokovic is relentless and the most consistently brilliant player in the world, pretty much unrivalled for how he keeps his level up all year round.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

pretty much unrivalled for how he keeps his level up all year round.

 

[SALTIRE]

He has shown loads of times that he can live with Djokovic for a set or 2, but he just doesn't have the consistency to keep it going all match. Djokovic is relentless and the most consistently brilliant player in the world, pretty much unrivalled for how he keeps his level up all year round.

One of the commentators (I think it was Petchey) the other day said we are living in the Djokovic era now and really have been for the last four or five years, even when he wasn't winning the lot. He said that in Federer you could see some of the shots from some of the other greats over the years fused into him with his own character and talent mixed in with it. With Nadal at his peak, his defending was sensational as was his ability to hit the ball at shoulder height, was second to none and added to that his power made him formidable. With Djokovic though, he has brought on the game a step further in terms of defending, athleticism and fitness, as well as consistency in hitting the baseline on virtually every shot, and all future great players will try and emulate this level in order to be successful.

Tennis is constantly evolving, and I go back to the early Eighties with it and remember seeing Conners, Lendl and McEnroe playing; and the game now is nothing like that era and that was only thirty years back - heck even the Agassi/Sampras era with the serve-volleying looks antiquated to where we are these days.

You feel a bit for Murray in that he is in the same era as three of the all time greats (and I think we can certainly class Djokovic as one of the all time greats now). Murray is a phenomenal talent who would probably have been a #1 at some stage in those other era's and have many more slams to his name. He is competing against them and on a good day can beat them, but I now can't see him winning consistently against Djokovic especially - the guy is just on another level.

Murray recognised his failings in an interview today against Djokovic, saying that his problem in Oz was mental, and he had no legs in the third set yesterday and he will want to find out why, and I hope he can do, but he needs another shot of something to be able to begin thinking about competing regularly with Djokovic from now on. Tbf to him, many others including Nadal and Federer are thinking the same thing.

 

[SALTIRE]

Andy got married today - I wonder if it will help his career short term?

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/11/andy-murray-wedding-dunblane-kim-sears

He nails the kilt look spot on too.

 

[Super_horns]

Start of the Clay court season - dominated by Rafa no doubt.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Roger is already out. Losing 6-4 7-5 to Monflis

 

[SALTIRE]

Start of the Clay court season - dominated by Rafa no doubt.

Not with Djokovic in the form he's in. I fully expect the Serb to win the French Open this year and will be greatly surprised if he doesn't.

 

[Super_horns]

Fair point - and Nadal had a bit of a struggle against Isner today.

 

[Master D]

Rafa has had a few struggles on clay this year so far, I don't see him dominating the season.

 

[Super_horns]

Well Djoker beat Nadal in straight sets.

 

[St Nick]

Czech Republic and Russia each winning 2-0 in the Fed Cup semis

 

[SALTIRE]

Well Djoker beat Nadal in straight sets.

And thats the way I see it going forward. Nadal may get lucky in one of them if they were again to meet on clay, but I just see Novak winning pretty much all the time against him (and probably everybody) now.

 

[SALTIRE]

Nadal beaten in Barcelona by Fognini today; looks like his clay season isn't going to be the walkover he expects it to be. Fognini is mercurial and temperamental, but when he's on his game, particularly on clay, he's a handful for anyone.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/23/rafael-nadal-crashes-out-barcelona-open-fabio-fognini

 

[This Charming Mike]

Andy's just won his first ever clay title.

Three weeks until Roland Garros!

 

[SALTIRE]

Love the lederhosen Andy

 

[SALTIRE]

Andy's just won his first ever clay title.

Two weeks until Roland Garros!

Fuck me the French is that close, I thought it was another month yet! Seems we have only started the clay season.

 

[Leewilson]

Better get the Tennis Dream Team game up and running soon then. Going for my 5th in a row. THE DOUBLE GRAND SLAM IS ON!

 

[DarkSithLord]

Laura Robson has withdrawn from the French Open.

 

[Super_horns]

I noticed Andy had his wedding ring tied onto a shoe lace!

Bit risky eh?

 

[SALTIRE]

Better get the Tennis Dream Team game up and running soon then. Going for my 5th in a row. THE DOUBLE GRAND SLAM IS ON!

I didn't play the last time, I missed the dealine - hope to play it this time.

Laura Robson has withdrawn from the French Open.

That lass has no luck at all, shame, she is talented, but it currently looks like she'll make nothing of her career if she can't get past these injuries.

I noticed Andy had his wedding ring tied onto a shoe lace!

Bit risky eh?

Especially if he kicks the racket or a ball in frustration, someone in the crowd could get a five-figure ring in their lap!