Re: The Wimbledon Thread

by Zat Sun 06 Jul 2008, 22:14

A classic final. Now, if only they could get the women's game to turn up matches like that.

And without the screaming as they hit the ball too would be nice.

by Makaveli Sun 06 Jul 2008, 22:51

Great great game, congrats Nadal really wanted Fed to win though he deserved the record great player on and off the court, he's still no.1 imo.

by PeterCS Sun 06 Jul 2008, 22:53

Zat wrote:A classic final. Now, if only they could get the women to turn up the heat like that.

And without the screaming as they hit the balls too would be nice.

Fixed.

Does Fed scream??

by PeterCS Sun 06 Jul 2008, 22:54

Augustus wrote:
...
Might I also add that I cheered Nadal on as if he were an Englishman. I've no idea why, I just like the guy. There's a purely heterosexual appreciation of his physique and Meditteranean attractiveness somewhere therein.

The gentleman doth protest too much methinks ... ?

Very Happy

by PeterCS Sun 06 Jul 2008, 22:54

Demelza wrote:But not like that.........

Not like what?

by Josh Carney Mon 07 Jul 2008, 00:48

Nadal must be the finest example of a player who with sheer guts, determination and evolution has managed to conquer his least favoured surface. Something that the likes of McEnroe, Edberg, Lendl, Connors, Sampras and Becker never managed to do, the latest addition to this list being Federer. Getting back to Nadal, Wonderful performance by a superb athlete.

by PearlJ Mon 07 Jul 2008, 00:50

Josh Carney wrote:Nadal must be the finest example of a player who with sheer guts, determination and evolution has managed to conquer his least favoured surface. Something that the likes of McEnroe, Edberg, Lendl, Connors, Sampras and Becker never managed to do. Wonderful performance by a superb athlete.

I would say the hard courts are his least favoured surface. But I can't see him being kept out of the action on them for much longer.

by Geoffrey Trueman Mon 07 Jul 2008, 02:49

PeterCS wrote:
Augustus wrote:
...
Might I also add that I cheered Nadal on as if he were an Englishman. I've no idea why, I just like the guy. There's a purely heterosexual appreciation of his physique and Meditteranean attractiveness somewhere therein.

The gentleman doth protest too much methinks ... ?

I hear ya Pete. Oop north in Yorkshire, long haired tanned men wearing vests and head scarves that grunt like squealing pigs when they hit a tennis ball are considered to be nowt but shandy drinking poofs. Imo that there Robin Hood bloke in his green tights has got a lot to answer for.

by PlanetPakistan Mon 07 Jul 2008, 03:58

After this match i am planning of visiting NY in september(was suppose to visit in AUG)

by SG Mon 07 Jul 2008, 04:58

Superb match. Congrats to Nadal and commiserations to Federer. That tie breaker was simply unbelievable for its quality of tennis.

by SG Mon 07 Jul 2008, 04:59

Federer should've seen the warning signs from Nadal during last year's Wimbledon final when Nadal stretched him to 5 sets at his most favoured surface.

BTW Bjorn Borg can breathe easy now. His record isn't broken and his pre tournament prediction of Nadal winning the Wimbledon has come true, finally.

by SG Mon 07 Jul 2008, 05:00

And isn't it incredible fortnight for Spain's sports, arguably best ever days in their history of sports.

by Paul Keating Mon 07 Jul 2008, 05:04

Josh Carney wrote:Nadal must be the finest example of a player who with sheer guts, determination and evolution has managed to conquer his least favoured surface. Something that the likes of McEnroe, Edberg, Lendl, Connors, Sampras and Becker never managed to do, the latest addition to this list being Federer. Getting back to Nadal, Wonderful performance by a superb athlete.

Courier made the final at Wimbledon

Lendle made the final at the French

I think Edberg might have made a French Open final

And am unsure about Becker, McEnroe and Connor's at the French

Nadal still has to win on Rebound Ace and Hard Courts.

by SG Mon 07 Jul 2008, 05:16

I think Edberg might have made a French Open final.

True.

He lost to a newbie called Chang in '88 who was playing his first ever grand slam. That french open was particularly bad for world no.1s. Not only then men's no.1 Edberg lost to Chang, a debutant, then women's no.1 Steffi Graf also lost to another newbie called Arancha Sanchez Vicario in that year's french open final.

by SG Mon 07 Jul 2008, 05:22

Nadal still has to win on Rebound Ace and Hard Courts.

Yep, hard courts are his least favoured surface and not grass where he has won quite a few titles.

by Josh Carney Mon 07 Jul 2008, 05:23

Paul Keating wrote:
Josh Carney wrote:Nadal must be the finest example of a player who with sheer guts, determination and evolution has managed to conquer his least favoured surface. Something that the likes of McEnroe, Edberg, Lendl, Connors, Sampras and Becker never managed to do, the latest addition to this list being Federer. Getting back to Nadal, Wonderful performance by a superb athlete.

Courier made the final at Wimbledon

Lendle made the final at the French

I think Edberg might have made a French Open final

And am unsure about Becker, McEnroe and Connor's at the French

Nadal still has to win on Rebound Ace and Hard Courts.

Lendl has actually won 3 French opens and made it to 2 Wimbledon finals.

by PlanetPakistan Mon 07 Jul 2008, 05:26

wasn't it '89(Chang match)?

Paul,

RE Lendle i think you mean wimbledon because he won a few French open titles.

Mcenroe never won the French(lost to Lendle after being 2 sets up in the final of '84)

by SG Mon 07 Jul 2008, 05:27

Yep, it was actually '89 and not '88.

by PlanetPakistan Mon 07 Jul 2008, 05:28

SG wrote:
Nadal still has to win on Rebound Ace and Hard Courts.
Yep, hard courts are his least favoured surface and not grass where he has won quite a few titles.

He has a far better chance of winning in AUS than in the US but i heard even in AUS the courts are a touch faster than they were 3 or 4 years ago which will hurt Nadal.

by Red Mon 07 Jul 2008, 05:44

Interesting to hear critics on radio say this morning that these are the two greatest players ever. Nothing like a bit of instant hyperbole to take away a fuller historical analysis.

While Nadal's done well as an clay-court specialist to win Wimbledon, I don't think there are that many typical grasscourt specialists around today. Even in Borg's time he often had to contend with 'dangerous' Australians who were brought up on grass and many Americans such as Roscoe Tanner, Teacher etc. who were proficient on it. Most of the players seem to grow up essentially playing on clay. Federer is certainly a great grasscourt player but Nadal didn't have to meet too many threats on grass along the way. Unsurprising then as one of the two best players in the world he makes the final.

The men's final probably suggested that the women should never again complain about unequal prizemoney. It's a travesty that they do receive equal payments in the US, Australian and French Open for a much more limited output and a generally uninspiring quality of tennis.

by embee Mon 07 Jul 2008, 05:48

Did the Williams' sisters give you a knockback too Red?

by Red Mon 07 Jul 2008, 05:52

embee wrote:Did the Williams' sisters give you a knockback too Red?

No, it's a view I've held for a very long time.

It also confounds me how women don't expect to compete against the men. In any other walk of life they would be mortified if we were divided into separate engineers, doctors etc. yet suddenly want separate competitions for sport. It's a bit of a joke that number 100+ man in the world has to scrape a living while a woman he can thrash earns millions.

It's also a joke that women say they want to be taken seriously for their tennis yet the likes of Ashley Harkleroad and Ana Ivanobitch strip for as much money as they can. Not to mention Anna K. raking in millions, based on her image but never winning a tournament.

by embee Mon 07 Jul 2008, 06:00

Red wrote:
embee wrote:Did the Williams' sisters give you a knockback too Red?

No, it's a view I've held for a very long time.

It also confounds me how women don't expect to compete against the men. In any other walk of life they would be mortified if we were divided into separate engineers, doctors etc. yet suddenly want separate competitions for sport. It's a bit of a joke that number 100+ man in the world has to scrape a living while a woman he can thrash earns millions.

It's also a joke that women say they want to be taken seriously for their tennis yet the likes of Ashley Harkleroad and Ana Ivanobitch strip for as much money as they can. Not to mention Anna K. raking in millions, based on her image but never winning a tournament.

....about as fair as Brett Lee 2.0 being paid truckloads for endorsements because is a pretty dubber ...

by Red Mon 07 Jul 2008, 06:11

embee wrote:
Red wrote:
embee wrote:Did the Williams' sisters give you a knockback too Red?

No, it's a view I've held for a very long time.

It also confounds me how women don't expect to compete against the men. In any other walk of life they would be mortified if we were divided into separate engineers, doctors etc. yet suddenly want separate competitions for sport. It's a bit of a joke that number 100+ man in the world has to scrape a living while a woman he can thrash earns millions.

It's also a joke that women say they want to be taken seriously for their tennis yet the likes of Ashley Harkleroad and Ana Ivanobitch strip for as much money as they can. Not to mention Anna K. raking in millions, based on her image but never winning a tournament.

....about as fair as Brett Lee 2.0 being paid truckloads for endorsements because is a pretty dubber ...

I think in the scheme of things Lee is a much better performed cricketer than Harkleroad is tennis player. Also fair to suggest that over the years women in general have cashed in on their appearance more than men.

by horace Mon 07 Jul 2008, 06:18

all our fault really...ie blokes

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