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Yevrah
19-09-2015, 02:55 PM
GB vs Australia on BBC1 now.

1-1 after the first day and GB are 2-1 up in the doubles match.

Kikó
19-09-2015, 05:39 PM
It's amazing how far you can go with a decent player.

Shindig
19-09-2015, 05:41 PM
I'd say he's a bit better than decent. Does guarantee you two wins for nowt, mind.

Kikó
19-09-2015, 05:42 PM
Aye, I'm being a little facetious. Good to see Britain being a force though rather than slumming it in the relegation zones.

Yevrah
20-09-2015, 01:01 PM
First set Murray. We're on.

Belgium or Argentina await in the final.

Yevrah
20-09-2015, 01:18 PM
It's amazing how far you can go with a decent player.

Helped massively that the Swiss sent some wank out and Djokovic only bothered with the first round match.

Yevrah
20-09-2015, 01:43 PM
Murray's schooling the fuck out of Tomic here, a proper dicking.

Reg
20-09-2015, 02:00 PM
I'm about 45 mins behind. I love that drop shot on set point, fantastic.

Reg
20-09-2015, 03:05 PM
I finished watching just in time for United.

Murray was absolutely in the zone today. Hardly missed a ball, and some of those passing shots were lovely.

Tomic looked tired. The second last point sort of summed it up, he lumbered up to a short ball, actually got there in time but just hit it into the net as if he couldn't bare to play another shot.

Yevrah
20-09-2015, 08:17 PM
So it's Belgium away in the final. What surface is that likely to be played on?

Reg
20-09-2015, 08:19 PM
I imagine they'll base their choice on Goffin, but not sure of his best surface.

Shindig
20-09-2015, 10:05 PM
It's November so they'll probably wind up indoors.

Reg
11-10-2015, 11:42 AM
Sky Sports 3: China Open final

Nadal vs Djokovic

Both gave been playing well. Djok was on fire until the semi final where he made more unforced errors than usual and made a meal of closing out the match vs Ferrer (yet still won 6-3, 6-2). Nadal has been looking more like his old self, finding great depth and angles and hitting some brilliant winners.

On court now warming up.

Reg
31-10-2015, 08:29 PM
Nadal v Federer in the final in Basel tomorrow. :drool: First final between the two since 2013.

Federer's home city so the crowd will be overwhelmingly in his favour.

Gasquet misses out on the finals in London after losing, which is possibly for the best given his record against the top players.

Yevrah
01-11-2015, 04:52 AM
I'm going to those finals in London and shan't shed a tear at not seeing that tool.

Reg
01-11-2015, 01:39 PM
Why don't you like him?

I'm buzzing for this, could be great I think. I'm going Federer in three sets.

Reg
08-11-2015, 12:16 PM
Murray-Djokovic in the Paris Masters final at 2pm, Sky Sports 4, for anyone interested.

I'll be watching the Rome derby so will have it recorded for this evening.

Reg
13-11-2015, 10:11 PM
http://www.barclaysatpworldtourfinals.com/en/schedule

The finals in London start on Sunday. I think BBC have one singles match per day and Sky have all the matches bar Murray's first.

You can see the groups and format here. http://www.barclaysatpworldtourfinals.com/en/scores-centre/group-standings Djokovic v Federer is the standout match from the group stage.

Shindig
13-11-2015, 10:15 PM
I thought Murray was skipping this in favour of the Davis Cup?

Reg
13-11-2015, 10:18 PM
He sort of threatened to and then the ATP said "You're contracted to play, dickhead."

Shindig
13-11-2015, 10:20 PM
Boo. Admittedly, he'll lose to Djokovic but whatever.

Reg
13-11-2015, 11:22 PM
By the way he'll still play the Davis Cup, which is after these finals. He just wanted more time to prepare on clay.

Reg
20-11-2015, 10:13 PM
Maybe worth a bump given it's the weekend, and the semis and final are coming up.

Murray just lost in straight sets to Wawrinka. Muzz completely lost his head, probably up there with the biggest of his meltdowns. Wawrinka was playing out of his skin during some of that second set, he should give Federer a good match.

Tomorrow's semi-finals:
Djokovic v Nadal, 2pm
Federer v Wawrinka, 8pm

There's the doubles too of course. Andy's brother Jamie Murray and his partner Peers missed out on their chance to finish world no.1, and oddly will change partners next year.

Reg
27-11-2015, 12:45 PM
Davis Cup today and the weekend.

Belgium (home) v Great Britain on clay. There are four singles and one doubles.

BBC has all the coverage and they're currently showing the first match.

Today - Goffin v Edmund, then Bemelmans v Andy Murray
Saturday - Coppejans & Darcis v Murray brothers
Sunday - Goffin v Andy Murray, then Bemelmans v Edmund

Yevrah, who did you see in London?

Kikó
27-11-2015, 12:50 PM
Edmund is going to run riot.

Yevrah
27-11-2015, 12:58 PM
Saw a shambles of a doubles match and then a pretty good three set group match between Nadal and Ferrer Reg.

It's a really good set up.

Kikó
27-11-2015, 01:05 PM
3-0 up in the first set so far. Rule Britannia!

niko_cee
27-11-2015, 01:05 PM
If Edmunds wins they may as well just give us the trophy and leave Belgium to the jihadis.

Kikó
27-11-2015, 01:13 PM
5-0 first set. Noel is going to be delighted.

Sam
27-11-2015, 01:45 PM
Goffin has shat the bed here.

Reg
27-11-2015, 01:52 PM
What's going on here?! Great how the Davis Cup raises games.

We can pretty much rely on Murray winning both of his singles so that'd be the 3 wins needed.


Saw a shambles of a doubles match and then a pretty good three set group match between Nadal and Ferrer Reg.

It's a really good set up.
Heard that match was good. I saw the eventual doubles winners and Murray V Ferrer.

I agree, it's pretty great we have it for another three years as well.

Kikó
27-11-2015, 02:14 PM
Goffin is back.

Reg
27-11-2015, 02:48 PM
Head up Kyle, his fight's gone.

Kikó
27-11-2015, 03:29 PM
Oh well.

Yevrah
28-11-2015, 03:47 PM
We're in a bit of trouble here.

Kikó
28-11-2015, 04:16 PM
This is a cracking atmosphere. Big third set to win.

Yevrah
29-11-2015, 03:04 PM
I guess we've won tennis too now.

niko_cee
29-11-2015, 03:09 PM
Wimbledon Champion, Olympic Gold, Davis Cup.

Murray's donned it.

phonics
29-11-2015, 03:31 PM
I'm not watching but I can hear the TV from the other room. Whoever just did the national anthem just absolutely butchered it.

Jimmy Floyd
29-11-2015, 03:36 PM
I guess we've won tennis too now.

The LTA have done a quite wonderful job over the last 30 years and this just caps off all their hard work.

Boom-Boom
29-11-2015, 03:40 PM
Wimbledon Champion, Olympic Gold, Davis Cup.

Murray's donned it.

Where would British tennis be without him. He's incredible.

Dquincy
29-11-2015, 03:52 PM
I guess we've won tennis too now.
Those phrases make me cringe.

Kikó
29-11-2015, 05:03 PM
Murray has done pretty damn well considering mahow wrote him off. Who are all these mental tennis fans that suddenly made it to the final in Ghent? Are they going to be there on a cold wintery Tuesday in Stoke?

Yevrah
29-11-2015, 05:19 PM
The LTA have done a quite wonderful job over the last 30 years and this just caps off all their hard work.

:D

Is there a worse British sporting organisation out there?

Jimmy Floyd
29-11-2015, 05:21 PM
I umpired a pretty low key cricket match last summer at Roehampton where the early round Wimbledon qualifiers were going on in the same sports complex, and I reckon there were more people (15-20) watching our game than all of the tennis combined - and yet EVERY player in those matches was being ferried in and out of the place in official LTA courtesy cars.

It's a completely bollocks sport in terms of setup, it makes golf look inclusive in terms of how snotty the clubs are and all that stuff. If we didn't have Wimbledon it would be a dead sport.

Reg
15-01-2016, 09:00 PM
The Australian Open starts Sunday evening our time. Hewitt plays his last ever tournament. Djokovic is the clear favourite, after winning in Qatar with a performance that Nadal described as the best he's ever seen from any player.

The draw (http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/draws/ms/index.html) has been made; the pick is probably Nadal v Verdasco. Fognini v Muller is another interesting one.

Byron
15-01-2016, 09:06 PM
Nadal - Verdasco jumped out at me considering the former's sketchy recent form. Serena has the highest ranked unseeded player as well and is carrying a knock.

Reg
15-01-2016, 09:09 PM
I think Nadal's recent form is good enough to beat anyone but 4/5 players at the most. He played well against Djokovic and actually served better than normal; it was just that Djokovic played incredibly.

Jimmy Floyd
17-01-2016, 10:23 PM
BBC match fixing investigation bringing tennis down. RIP.

GS
17-01-2016, 10:31 PM
Over the last decade 16 players who have ranked in the top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the tennis integrity unit over suspicions they have thrown matches.

All of the players, including winners of Grand Slam titles, were allowed to continue competing...

The problem of suspicious betting and match fixing is not going away. Eight of the players repeatedly flagged to the TIU over the past decade are due to play in the Australian Open which starts on Monday 18 January.

What's left? Rugby?

Lee
17-01-2016, 10:32 PM
It's definitely true. Whether anything is done about it is another thing altogether, but I do know that the police have been involved in the UK.

Kikó
17-01-2016, 10:33 PM
That's fucked up on drugs. It's all gone.

Lee
17-01-2016, 10:33 PM
What's left? Rugby?

Rugby, with its old school tie networks as embedded as in any sport, will be up to it's neck in this sort of thing. Perhaps not betting (I'm not sure if there's a huge market) but there's definitely corruption. Look at 'bloodgate'.

Football being dodgy is a given. Certainly in relation to drugs. Not sure about match fixinf at the top level because players at least are rich enough already. Mind you, I guess it only takes an addiction or bad investments to wipe that out so no doubt there will be some involved.

Magic
17-01-2016, 10:35 PM
Shit, 10 mins too late.

Link anyway: http://www.buzzfeed.com/heidiblake/the-tennis-racket#.rvdwb9m60P

Sir Andy Mahowry
17-01-2016, 10:35 PM
No wonder Andy Murray managed to win two Grand Slams :eyemouth:

Max Power
17-01-2016, 10:45 PM
Isn't tennis supposed to be rife with doping as well? They genuinely don't give a shit about testing or anything. Nadal is/was balls deep in it.

Magic
17-01-2016, 10:46 PM
No it won't 'rock the game' because nobody cares. Same with athletics, cycling etc.

Yevrah
17-01-2016, 10:54 PM
Yeah, in a long list of things people actually give a shit about, match fixing is pretty low down it.

Lee
17-01-2016, 10:55 PM
Isn't tennis supposed to be rife with doping as well? They genuinely don't give a shit about testing or anything. Nadal is/was balls deep in it.

And the Spanish national football team were linked also, were they not?

Max Power
17-01-2016, 10:57 PM
And the Spanish national football team were linked also, were they not?
Certainly Spanish footballers around mid 2000s were. Real Sociedad are the only team who have been named.

Shindig
17-01-2016, 10:58 PM
It'll matter if it transpires Federer's entire career has been orchestrated by some syndicate in China, or whatever. Probably just some spot-fixing but there's been bans for match fixing before. Just they tend to get handed out to guys lower on the card. As for doping, there's been a couple of medium-profile ones but nothing proper for a decade.

ItalAussie
17-01-2016, 11:18 PM
Wasn't it common knowledge that Davydenko would throw the odd match?

I'm more interested in whether it's happened in Grand Slams than anything else. Nobody's going to care if Jose Acasuso dropped a couple of sets in an ATP 7000 Series Canada Open Event for Tennis Eventing, but if there were fixes going on in the slams, then people will sit up and take notice.

ItalAussie
17-01-2016, 11:22 PM
Also, nothing promotes match-fixing, spot-fixing, etc. more than the proliferation of pointless tournaments that the players have little emotional investment in, but which have plenty of money riding on the outcomes. Cricket figured this out when they realised that basically every franchise T20 league - in which the players have very little attachment to the side, and no particular concern about the tournament - was rife with it.

Tennis has so many tournaments that you find it hard to imagine that the players care about every tinpot cup they're playing in. There's huge gambling stakes on it as well, so it's kind of a perfect storm. It'd be interesting to think about what other sports generate the same accumulation of risk factors; how much do people bet on golf?

Jimmy Floyd
17-01-2016, 11:53 PM
In golf the dynamic is different because it's so hard to actually win in the first place. If you win a tour event you not only get the prize money, but also exempt status on that tour for a certain period of time and entry into better tournaments - i.e. career security, which is a lot more than you have to gain from accepting money to not win something you're not going to win anyway. I've never heard of any suspicion of fixing in golf and highly doubt it would happen.

I suppose you could pay people to miss the cut, but miss the cut markets are pointless.

ItalAussie
18-01-2016, 12:28 AM
I suppose you could pay people to miss the cut, but miss the cut markets are pointless.
So are spot-markets in cricket. I immediately assume spot-fixing on any market based around individual balls.

"I just have a really strong feeling about the fourth ball of the seventh over!"

Reg
18-01-2016, 12:35 AM
Wasn't it common knowledge that Davydenko would throw the odd match?

I'm more interested in whether it's happened in Grand Slams than anything else. Nobody's going to care if Jose Acasuso dropped a couple of sets in an ATP 7000 Series Canada Open Event for Tennis Eventing, but if there were fixes going on in the slams, then people will sit up and take notice.
There have been suspicions about Grand Slam matches. The article Magic posted is very interesting.

-james-
18-01-2016, 12:37 AM
So are spot-markets in cricket. I immediately assume spot-fixing on any market based around individual balls.

"I just have a really strong feeling about the fourth ball of the seventh over!"

They're there to placate the addicts, mostly. It can't even be very lucrative, doesn't take much money to get markets suspended.

I spend a lot of hours on betfair so the extent of matchfixing is quite apparent to me. Its incredibly obvious who is up to it, and it would be very easy if they actually wanted to crack down on it. Should really happen this decade.

Jimmy Floyd
18-01-2016, 12:43 AM
That Albanian team you were posting about in the Europa League was cracking. Ideally you just ban that club from ever participating in any tournament again, and all its players and officials also get life bans. Make the punishment harsher than the benefit of doing it.

I'm 99% convinced that Cameroon, or some of their players fixed the game against Croatia in the last World Cup. This is one of the perils of group stages.

Waffdon
18-01-2016, 12:44 AM
del Potro, I bet.

Ian
18-01-2016, 12:47 AM
Isn't tennis supposed to be rife with doping as well? They genuinely don't give a shit about testing or anything. Nadal is/was balls deep in it.

Djokovic just refuses to do it, doesn't he? Because he doesn't trust it. Which is obviously a totally legit reason to not do it.

niko_cee
18-01-2016, 07:22 AM
There's probably gluten in the testing apparatus.

John Arne
18-01-2016, 07:33 AM
Djokovic's defence of Troicki was disgraceful. He basically blamed everyone else and absolved Troicki of all responsibility.

If you refuse to take a test after a match because you are "scared of needles", expect to face stiff punishment.

Byron
18-01-2016, 07:54 AM
If it transpires that Murray is the only clean Top 4/6/8 player :drool:

Jimmy Floyd
18-01-2016, 08:33 AM
I've always wondered about Djokovic, for two reasons:

1. Superhuman endurance
2. From a dodgy country

Neither of these constitute evidence, but it's all about the trend lines innit. When Tim Henman is retrospectively awarded 8 Slams we'll know the sport is clean.

John
18-01-2016, 09:29 AM
Surely the 'they're all rich anyway' defence being applied to football upthread could equally be applied to tennis players of the level this report apparently implicates. Even those marginally inside the top fifty who have never even sniffed the real top of the game will have made a few million in prize money.

Yevrah
18-01-2016, 01:31 PM
Djokovic's 'gluten free' diet turning him into superman (Reg, or others can correct me if i'm wrong, but from what I've seen he has the highest level of endurance on the tour by a mile) is one of the dodgiest, yet in plain sight, things going in sport.

Jimmy Savile's "I hate kids" defence was probably more convincing.

Reg
18-01-2016, 01:47 PM
Djokovic doesn't "refuse" to be tested. What do you think they're going to do? Just say "all right then, we won't bother you again"?

Yev, I think that's a rather cynical view. Someone who was eating gluten when they shouldn't have been, and then eats correctly, is going to reap the rewards. Of course it won't be enough to make him the best athlete on tour, that'll be down to the work he puts in. He's known as being very dedicated and taking care of small details.

Jimmy Floyd
18-01-2016, 01:49 PM
Not sure if it's worse than Nadal's months long 'injury' breaks to flush everything out of his system, but yeah.

Yevrah
18-01-2016, 01:52 PM
Yev, I think that's a rather cynical view. Someone who was eating gluten when they shouldn't have been, and then eats correctly, is going to reap the rewards. Of course it won't be enough to make him the best athlete on tour, that'll be down to the work he puts in. He's known as being very dedicated and taking care of small details.

Cynical it might be, but my brother has Coeliac disease and it strikes me as absolute bollocks. Is Djokovic even claiming he's a coeliac?

Reg
18-01-2016, 02:01 PM
I don't know if he uses that term (I've read his book but can't remember). This article says strongly intolerant to wheat and dairy products. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/revealed-the-diet-that-saved-novak-djokovic-8775333.html

Why so regarding your brother? Food is fuel for our bodies so it seems quite natural to me that it can have extreme effects.

Yevrah
18-01-2016, 02:04 PM
Sorry, I mean I believe that my brother had it and I saw that the effects of it were bad (prior to him being diagnosed) I just fail to see how addressing it (particularly if you're not an actual coeliac), while making you better, makes you all but superhuman.

Disco
18-01-2016, 02:08 PM
Why can't this be his natural potential? We see people in other sports with with seemingly freakish abilities/attributes, why not tennis too?

Reg
18-01-2016, 02:09 PM
I mean it's not like he was a terrible tennis player before. He was what, no3 in the world before the diet change? He also made other changes including his service action. He's never claimed it is a magic cure. But like you say, the effects of it can be bad, and when your body is crucial to your performance then drastically changing what you eat is going to have big results.

John
18-01-2016, 02:10 PM
There's probably some value in the idea that if he was training extra hard to be at the same level as everyone else because he was eating shit he shouldn't have been, and then kept training at that level once he'd sorted his diet out that he would be monstrously fit. I have no idea if that's actually what he's claiming, or if he's just claiming that cutting gluten out has been like putting the kryptonite into a lead box.

I long ago reached the point in the development of my cynicism where I just assume all sport is on some level corrupt. It makes the whole thing easier to enjoy and you're not at all surprised when the inevitable news story about match fixing and competitors' piss burning the bottom out of test tubes arrives.

Jimmy Floyd
18-01-2016, 02:12 PM
Neil Robertson is on a 'plant based diet', which I'm sure is what enables him to miss the colours each time on those tricky trips back to baulk.

niko_cee
18-01-2016, 04:23 PM
Peter Siddle exists entirely on bananas.

Reg
18-01-2016, 11:33 PM
I watched Serena v Giorgi and it was a decent match. About the toughest draw Serena could have got and Giorgi put up a good fight, 6-4, 7-5. She got an impressive amount of aces but was as usual plagued by way too many double faults. It was the usual Giorgi in most other senses too: lots of power, very attacking, some great returns.

But the doubles are such a blindingly obvious weakness that questions have to be asked of her coach. She must be the most talented player on the tour (men's or women's) to lose so many points that way.

In other news Watson and Edmund both fell at the first hurdle; Djokovic, Federer and Nishikori all won comfortably.

-james-
21-01-2016, 02:58 PM
http://www.sportdw.com/2016/01/suspicious-matches-tiu-failed.html

Pretty good read regarding match-fixing stuff.



This shows that in the two days before the match, the price on Hyung Taik Lee to win 3-0 was backed all the way from 1.88 (53.2%) into an extraordinary 1.08 (92.6%). What makes this price especially bizarre is that it is actually shorter than the price on Lee to win the match itself.

To repeat that, the market was suggesting that Lee was more likely to win the match 3-0 than he was to win the match itself. As it were described elsewhere, this is analogous to a football team being more likely to win a match 2-0 than it is to win the match. In every possible way, this makes no sense whatsoever.

Reg
21-01-2016, 09:09 PM
Watched Hewitt v Ferrer, good match. Fantastic fight from Hewitt but ultimately Ferrer played the same game except better.

Some potentially cracking matches tonight in Federer v Dimitrov and Kyrgios v Berdych (who has ditched H&M after they made him look like someone who picked clothes out of charity shops' rejection bins).

Reg
27-01-2016, 09:41 PM
I'll give this a bump as others might like to watch or record the Federer V Djokovic semi final. It's the evening session so 8am UK time.

It's been a good tournament for Britain with Andy Murray, Jamie Murray and Konta through to semi finals.

ItalAussie
27-01-2016, 10:06 PM
I really like Nishikori, Raonic and Monfils. I'd like to see one of them win something one day.

Kikó
27-01-2016, 11:38 PM
Nice to see Konta do so well. The ladies have a decent depth in talent it seems.

ItalAussie
27-01-2016, 11:45 PM
Monfils hit a freakish shot against Raonic last night:

https://twitter.com/WeAreTennis/status/692347943957991424

Reg
27-01-2016, 11:47 PM
I really like Nishikori, Raonic and Monfils. I'd like to see one of them win something one day.
I think a Slam will always be too far for Monfils and he's already 29. But I think the other two could. If Raonic plays like he did v Wawrinka then he could well beat Murray (who's shown in the past he can struggle against netplay).

ItalAussie
28-01-2016, 12:55 AM
I agree. Raonic seems to have the game most likely to wind up with a slam, although I don't think it's beyond Nishikori, either. He'd need some things to fall his way though, because he was a class below Djokovic in their match.

Byron
28-01-2016, 09:30 AM
Well, I'm not sure this can be classed as a bumming. I've never seen a top player so systematically taken apart here before, can we be sure Djokovic isn't doping?

Kikó
28-01-2016, 09:37 AM
It's the lack of gluten mate.

Byron
28-01-2016, 09:39 AM
Oh yeah, how silly of me to forget.

Reg
28-01-2016, 03:59 PM
Djok is incredible. Those first two sets and the final against Nadal recently are as good as I've seen anyone play. I'm kinda looking forward to the day Federer stops reaching semis and finals, whether that's when he retires or not, because then maybe the crowds will be behind Djokovic. He deserves it.

Asia likes him a lot better. Asia knows what's up.

niko_cee
28-01-2016, 04:14 PM
I never really understand the format of the Aussie Open. Isn't it fundamentally unfair that one of the finalists gets double the amount of rest before the final? Do they do this at the US as well?

Reg
28-01-2016, 04:24 PM
Yeah it seems quite a big advantage. I'm not sure of the US.

CJay
29-01-2016, 10:17 AM
Murray just took the second set to make it 1-1. Official Australian Open stream 'available' from Australia, if you get my meaning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kpKbunOueM

CJay
29-01-2016, 11:16 AM
Woof. 2-1 to Raonic now after a tie-break. Murray's second serve continues to let him down in the big games.

CJay
29-01-2016, 12:12 PM
Murray rescues 2 break points to serve out for the 4th set. Hard to imagine either of these giving Djokovic many problems, considering the game will likely run over four hours now. Crazy having the semis on different days.

Kikó
29-01-2016, 01:31 PM
Murray to lose 5 Aussie open finals vs Djok. Must be massively annoying.

Yevrah
29-01-2016, 08:43 PM
Annoying because Murray knows Djok's on a 'gluten free' diet?

Disco
29-01-2016, 09:16 PM
It's ok, he can pick them up retrospectively.

Kikó
29-01-2016, 09:35 PM
Annoying because Djok is either doping or because in another era he'd be a multiple grandslam winner (say 5).

Reg
29-01-2016, 10:18 PM
I think Raonic v Djokovic would have been a lot more interesting but we'll see. My guess is Djokovic in 4.

Shindig
29-01-2016, 10:24 PM
I often wonder what you can do against someone you meet so frequently who just seems to have your number. At least he hasn't got a completely shit record against him like Maria against Serena.

Kikó
29-01-2016, 10:36 PM
Yet.

Reg
29-01-2016, 10:37 PM
I often wonder what you can do against someone you meet so frequently who just seems to have your number. At least he hasn't got a completely shit record against him like Maria against Serena.
I think it's 18 in a row now, mental. That they're often called 'rivals' seems unfitting. I don't know what the term should be, conquerer and conquered maybe.

Yevrah
30-01-2016, 10:32 AM
That said, he has beaten him in two Grand Slam finals before.

ItalAussie
30-01-2016, 10:41 AM
Womens' Final has been really fantastic so far. Kerber serving for the match.

EDIT: And Kerber seems determined to make a game of it, apparently. That was way wide.
EDIT II: And credit to Williams who gives away nothing when the chips are down.

ItalAussie
30-01-2016, 10:52 AM
That's a massive upset, and Williams really made her earn it. Huge credit to Kerber for coming back after failing to serve out the match at 5-3. That took huge guts.

That was one of the better games of womens' tennis I've ever seen.

Ian
30-01-2016, 11:07 AM
I think it's 18 in a row now, mental. That they're often called 'rivals' seems unfitting. I don't know what the term should be, conquerer and conquered maybe.

I remember somebody once asking Andy Roddick about his 'rivalry' with Federer and he said it wouldn't be a rivalry until he started beating him more often.

ItalAussie
31-01-2016, 09:11 AM
I'm firmly on Team Murray here, but he's getting wiped out. There's only one player in this match at the moment.

John Arne
31-01-2016, 09:12 AM
Players should be banned from using their towels in-between every single fecking point.

Murray did well to avoid a 6-0 in this first set.

Magic
31-01-2016, 09:12 AM
Standard bottling cunt performance.

Yevrah
31-01-2016, 09:28 AM
Why the fuck is this seemingly only on Eurosport?

Lee
31-01-2016, 09:30 AM
I got up to watch it thinking it would be on a channel I have. Never mind.

Byron
31-01-2016, 09:36 AM
You heard it here first, Djokovic is doping.

Yevrah
31-01-2016, 09:46 AM
You heard it here first, Djokovic is doping.

It'd be the least surprising news ever were it confirmed.

Eurosport's coverage is so bad.

ItalAussie
31-01-2016, 09:48 AM
I must admit, I find it hard to believe about Djokovic. He's freakishly talented, whereas the dopers surely rely on their athleticism to compensate for their technical deficiencies.

Djokovic just wants it more. Than anyone.

ItalAussie
31-01-2016, 09:50 AM
Also, he has the cold, dead eyes of a contract killer. Seriously. If the tennis thing doesn't pan out, he could make a nice side-business.

http://novakdjokovic.com/wp-content/uploads/arhiva/slike//393a.jpg

No Mr Bond. I expect you to die.

John Arne
31-01-2016, 09:55 AM
Djokovic just wants it more. Than anyone.

I never understood, or agreed, with the idea that "player x just wants it more". Djokovic is just better than Murray. He doesn't want it anymore than him, and any other player on the tour - he's just better at tennis than them.

EDIT: that isn't to say, of course, that there aren't payers who don't give/care/want it as much as others - but I doubt they are anywhere near the top 20 in any sports (except the likes of O'Sullivan).

Yevrah
31-01-2016, 09:56 AM
Yep - Wanting it more is a bollocks concept, which if true would more likely actually lead to doping.

ItalAussie
31-01-2016, 09:56 AM
I never understood, or agreed, with the idea that "player x just wants it more". Djokovic is just better than Murray. He doesn't want it anymore than him, and any other player on the tour - he's just better at tennis than them.
Oh, he's more talented than Murray. Definitely. And anyone else going around at the moment.

But he does seem to have a total dedication to chasing down every single point, which presumably comes from boundless self-belief. He's coupling his extreme talent with being at the far end of the Safin-Hewitt scale of never giving up.

Magic
31-01-2016, 09:57 AM
Dyoko definitely looks like he's up for a bit of nationalist fueled ethnic cleansing.

Yevrah
31-01-2016, 09:58 AM
Oh, he's more talented than Murray. Definitely. And anyone else going around at the moment.

But he does seem to have a total dedication to chasing down every single point, which presumably comes from boundless self-belief.

Or EPO.

I mean, seriously, he's not technically better than Murray or Federer he's just a machine compared to the two of them.

ItalAussie
31-01-2016, 09:59 AM
Or EPO.

I mean, seriously, he's not technically better than Murray or Federer he's just a machine compared to the two of them.

I think he is at the moment. There's nobody else in the game who can convert a defensive position to an offensive position as well as he can. Murray was running him around the court on one of those deuce points, and then he slid in a perfect two-handed backhand winner out of nothing. Murray doesn't have shots like that in his game, and Federer tended to win by controlling points from the start.

Peak Federer was better than Djokovic is now, but he's clearly got more at his disposal presently than either of them.

ItalAussie
31-01-2016, 10:01 AM
Dyoko definitely looks like he's up for a bit of nationalist fueled ethnic cleansing.

Given his comments in the past on Kosovo, it's hard to argue. :cab:

Yevrah
31-01-2016, 10:01 AM
I think he is at the moment. There's nobody else in the game who can convert a defensive position to an offensive position as well as he can. Murray was running him around the court on one of those deuce points, and then he slid in a perfect two-handed backhand winner. Murray doesn't have shots like that in his game, and Federer tended to win by controlling points from the start.

Peak Federer was better than Djokovic is now, but he's clearly got more at his disposal presently than either of them.

There's no-one else who can chase down points as well as Djokovic can, I agree with that.

GS
31-01-2016, 10:02 AM
Djokovic is just better than everyone else, and he has the physical strength and stamina to last as long as everyone else. Peak Federer would beat him on grass and hard, and peak Nadal on clay, but Murray losing the final to Djokovic isn't going to be a disgrace.

ItalAussie
31-01-2016, 10:04 AM
There's no-one else who can chase down points as well as Djokovic can, I agree with that.

It's not just that though. Nobody could chase better than Hewitt, but he didn't have the arsenal to make the most of it. It's one thing to chase points down, but it's another to have the technical ability to take control of the point when you're chasing. No amount of EPO is going to help you with that.

You want to find the EPO? My bet is on the clay specialists who sit on the baseline and return everything until the other player gives up out of boredom.

Yevrah
31-01-2016, 10:04 AM
Watch the sexy Scottish bastard get broken again here...

ItalAussie
31-01-2016, 10:08 AM
The interesting thing is whether there are any players coming through who can stop Djokovic from steamrolling all and sundry. I mean, in theory, it's the ones who are a few years younger, like Nishikori and Raonic, etc. should be the ones we're looking towards. But realistically, he seems to have had their numbers. Wawrinka was the only one who looked capable of putting a dent in him, and even then, it's hardly been common.

EDIT: You look at the aged early-20s seeded players and you have Thiem, Tomic, Sock, Kyrgios and Dimitrov. Nothing in that list screams multiple slam champion.
EDIT II: Wawrinka and Tsonga are two years older than Djokovic. :cab:

Jimmy Floyd
31-01-2016, 10:14 AM
Serbs are all Nazis or whatever the right word is. I had a Serb landlady once who was normal in many ways, but insisted that Albanians are an unclean sub-race and Kosovo should be re-attached to Serbia by force.

Lee
31-01-2016, 10:27 AM
The interesting thing is whether there are any players coming through who can stop Djokovic from steamrolling all and sundry. I mean, in theory, it's the ones who are a few years younger, like Nishikori and Raonic, etc. should be the ones we're looking towards. But realistically, he seems to have had their numbers. Wawrinka was the only one who looked capable of putting a dent in him, and even then, it's hardly been common

EDIT: You look at the aged early-20s seeded players and you have Thiem, Tomic, Sock, Kyrgios and Dimitrov. Nothing in that list screams multiple slam champion.
EDIT II: Wawrinka and Tsonga are two years older than Djokovic. :cab:

I'm glad there aren't obvious multi-slam champions coming through. It has become boring now.

niko_cee
31-01-2016, 10:32 AM
You can't really be losing your serve from 40-0.

GS
31-01-2016, 10:33 AM
The comeback
*Djokovic 6-1 6-5 Murray
David Law
Radio 5 live sports extra commentator
Posted at 10:30
"In games where Djokovic is 40-0 down on an opponent's serve, he comes back to win the game 32% of the time."

That can't be true.

Mellberg
31-01-2016, 10:38 AM
Murray at his best would've won this. Unfortunately he's playing like a twat.

GS
31-01-2016, 10:40 AM
That'll be that.

niko_cee
31-01-2016, 10:41 AM
Aye, stick a fork in this one.

A meek third set was always likely after all that.

Kikó
31-01-2016, 10:41 AM
Djok is just ridiculous. One day he'll die.

ItalAussie
31-01-2016, 10:58 AM
I'm glad there aren't obvious multi-slam champions coming through. It has become boring now.

That would be true if Djokovic wasn't there. But all it means now is that there's nobody who's going to stop him winning two or three slams a year until he's 35.

There's no Djokovic coming through to stop Federer in his tracks.

niko_cee
31-01-2016, 11:07 AM
Come on the mint!

Don't immediately lose your serve, at least.

Disco
31-01-2016, 11:09 AM
Does winning a set take this out of 'horrific gubbing' territory?

niko_cee
31-01-2016, 11:10 AM
Only if he doesn't get heavily gubbed in the 4th set itself.

I'm not sure Federer's set took him out of Gubville, for example.

niko_cee
31-01-2016, 11:34 AM
Mental disintegration in progress.

Shindig
31-01-2016, 12:43 PM
Born to runner up.

Spoonsky
01-02-2016, 04:25 AM
Is Djokovic the most boring great player ever?

mugbull
01-02-2016, 04:32 AM
Is Djokovic the most boring great player ever?

?? What are you talking about son

ItalAussie
01-02-2016, 05:06 AM
Is Djokovic the most boring great player ever?

Way more fun to watch than Nadal.

Spoonsky
01-02-2016, 05:26 AM
He bores me to death. I was pretty young when Nadal was at his peak though so I'm sure my memories will be rose-tinted (the 2008 Wimbledon final :drool:).

Jimmy Floyd
01-02-2016, 08:53 AM
Nadal I'm more certain was doping than Djokovic.

Disco
01-02-2016, 09:49 AM
Spanish, with fairly regular injuries throughout the mid 2000's. Holds more wieght than the 'He's really good' argument against Djokovic.

Yevrah
01-02-2016, 01:33 PM
Spanish, with fairly regular injuries throughout the mid 2000's. Holds more wieght than the 'He's really good' argument against Djokovic.

The argument (while I agree is still pretty weak) isn't just about that. It's more about his freakish levels of stamina, which I don't think we've seen the like of before.

Reg
01-02-2016, 02:00 PM
Murray is close to him in stamina, so why isn't he doping?

I don't know why we can't just enjoy and admire a great sportsman.

Shindig
01-02-2016, 06:32 PM
The thing with Nadal is that at 17 he looked boosted.

Jimmy Floyd
01-02-2016, 06:44 PM
With Nadal you can definitely put it in the no smoke without fire drawer, a much visited one over the years as far as doping in sport is concerned. Shame nobody will go back and strike off Miguel Indurain's Tours.

Shindig
01-02-2016, 07:45 PM
That year he faced Mariano Puerta might've been it if Mariano wasn't doping as well.

John Arne
07-03-2016, 08:15 PM
Maria Sharapova has confirmed that she failed a drugs test at the Australian Open....

Shindig
07-03-2016, 08:17 PM
Awesomes. 2 year ban.

Jimmy Floyd
07-03-2016, 09:14 PM
Not even TTH can save her this time.

Shindig
07-03-2016, 09:18 PM
That's an interesting point, actually. Both the subjects of the Save Maria(no) threads have wound up to be drug cheats.

Reg
07-03-2016, 09:41 PM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/35750285

I believe her. Silly mistake and irresponsible, but not as bad as 'failing drug test' sounds.

Davgooner
07-03-2016, 09:46 PM
The reason she's gone early on this is to dupe mugs like you.

Reg
07-03-2016, 09:47 PM
We'll see as I imagine there will be records of her taking it before the ban.

Mellberg
07-03-2016, 10:16 PM
Russian on the gear. Well I never.

CJay
07-03-2016, 10:38 PM
We'll see as I imagine there will be records of her taking it before the ban.

Unless those records were on leased PCs that have since been destroyed.

John Arne
08-03-2016, 08:10 AM
Fair play to her taking full responsibility for this - however, it's such an avoidable issue.

If you're taking a drug that isn't even approved for sale in the US, and you get it imported for "magnesium deficiency" use from overseas - you really need to be on top of it's legaility by WADA.

Raoul Duke
08-03-2016, 08:21 AM
It's obviously total horseshit. Like a professional athlete earning millions per year (or any of her support/management team of maybe 20-odd people) doesn't bother to get a substance checked which is prescribed by her "family doctor" :D

Byron
08-03-2016, 08:32 AM
She's been properly rumbled and my guess is the authorities have given her this excuse as an out.

Shindig
08-03-2016, 08:39 AM
"Several health issues" Sharapova was suffering from in 2006 had prompted her to begin taking the drug - including magnesium deficiency, regular bouts of influenza, early indications of diabetes, and "irregular" heart test results

Yeah, I wouldn't be taking drugs for that kind of shit. I'd be thinking about early retirement.

John Arne
08-03-2016, 08:44 AM
It's such reverse excusing. She just happens to suffer from that particular combination that this medication covers.

"Oh shit, we've been rumbled... er... what is this medication normally used for.. let's just say she suffers from all of them"

Also, her "famly doctor" in the US (she has lived in the US for 22yrs) would not be able to prescribe this drug, given it's not licensed in the US.

randomlegend
08-03-2016, 05:19 PM
I googled it briefly earlier and it didn't seem to be used for any of those things.

Shindig
08-03-2016, 07:17 PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meldonium


Meldonium is clinically used to treat angina and myocardial infarction.

If I was an elite athlete with a heart defect, I'd call it quits.


Meldonium was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of banned substances effective 1 January 2016.[33] It was previously on WADA's list of drugs to be monitored.[34][35] WADA considers the drug to be a “metabolic modulator”, similar to insulin

Much like if I was an asthmatic cyclist.

GS
08-03-2016, 07:27 PM
Not to trivialise the point, but she hasn't aged very well.

Giggles
08-03-2016, 07:36 PM
Not to trivialise the point, but she hasn't aged very well.

That's what I was taking mostly from this too. She looks closer to 40 than 30.

Kikó
08-03-2016, 07:37 PM
Russian skin doesn't age well.

randomlegend
08-03-2016, 08:07 PM
If I was an elite athlete with a heart defect, I'd call it quits.

That's not a heart defect though, that's coronary heart disease which (unless she has something really weird like familial hypercholesterolaemia or some shit) there's absolutely no way she has in her 30s.

Disco
09-03-2016, 09:35 PM
Sportspeople will die in action as a result of being denied meldonium...

Shit, this sounds pretty serious, do go on.


... according to the heart drug's inventor.

Riiight, ok. As you were.

Henry
09-03-2016, 09:46 PM
It's obviously total horseshit. Like a professional athlete earning millions per year (or any of her support/management team of maybe 20-odd people) doesn't bother to get a substance checked which is prescribed by her "family doctor" :D

Especially when a course of said substance lasts for 6 weeks, not 10 years.

She's a lying fuck. Although I disagree with those questioning her hotness.

Pepe
09-03-2016, 09:47 PM
All Russians should be banned from all professional sports.

Jimmy Floyd
21-03-2016, 10:33 PM
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/21/novak-djokovic-indian-wells-equal-prize-money-tennis

You've got to admire the Serbs in a way. They just can't help themselves.

GS
21-03-2016, 10:34 PM
Well, he is right.

Jimmy Floyd
21-03-2016, 10:40 PM
He definitely isn't. Jonathan Liew destroyed this bollocks in the Telegraph last week.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2016/03/15/england-world-t20-sexist-discrimination-is-another-example-of-mo/

Sir Andy Mahowry
21-03-2016, 10:59 PM
What a quote that is by Moore.

Reg
21-03-2016, 11:08 PM
I don't agree with that article at all, Jim.

What a ludicrous comparison this is:

Given that a millionaire contributes more to the economy than the guy who serves your latte in the morning, should their vote count for more?

Can you put in your own words why you think women tennis players should get equal prize money to men?

mugbull
21-03-2016, 11:31 PM
What Djokovic said was very well expressed and definitely not some sexist soundbite. It makes total sense that men should get more prize money - or at least, there is a valid reason for them to pursue that. Should the Winbledon wheelchair tennis winner get the same amount of money as the Men's singles champion? Obviously not.

ItalAussie
21-03-2016, 11:33 PM
If the men are more popular (and they are), then that will get reflected in sponsorship money (and it does).

Build the competitive structures equally, and let the externalities reflect things like interest.

Max Power
21-03-2016, 11:35 PM
If the men are more popular (and they are), then that will get reflected in sponsorship money (and it does).

Build the competitive structures equally, and let the externalities reflect things like interest.
Bingo.

Isn't a bit fishy this tired old debate has been dredged up again right now? Trying to get tennisy people talking about this rather than drugs, match fixing and corrupton.

ItalAussie
22-03-2016, 02:35 AM
Djokovic has said some uncomfortable things in the past. I remember when he was staunchly against Kosovan independence, and said a bunch of really Serb-nationalist stuff. I mean, I can understand intellectually why he feels that way, but it's hard not to be put off by it.

niko_cee
22-03-2016, 07:42 AM
As a Serb, it's understandable why he'd be opposed to Kosovan independence, despite what we, the better people on the outside, think on the matter.

ItalAussie
22-03-2016, 07:47 AM
As a Serb, it's understandable why he'd be opposed to Kosovan independence, despite what we, the better people on the outside, think on the matter.

Yeah, I definitely get it. I just find it hard to be alright with it, even then. Ana Ivanovic was quite vocal about it as well, if I remember rightly.

Jimmy Floyd
22-03-2016, 08:08 AM
I don't agree with that article at all, Jim.

What a ludicrous comparison this is:


Can you put in your own words why you think women tennis players should get equal prize money to men?

Because not to do so is a tacit statement on behalf of the tennis authorities that having a penis alone makes you worth more money. As others have said, if they are more popular then the outside market will reflect that, but the sporting federations should hold the game up amongst everyone.

John Arne
22-03-2016, 08:22 AM
Because not to do so is a tacit statement on behalf of the tennis authorities that having a penis alone makes you worth more money. As others have said, if they are more popular then the outside market will reflect that, but the sporting federations should hold the game up amongst everyone.

Whilst I generally agree with this - I struggle to make it hold up when looking at other competitors at Wimbledon. The wheelchair doubles winners receive a lot less than the doubles winners - is this not a tacit statement that being disabled means that you are worth less? Even the mixed doubles receive a lot less (20% of) the mens/womens doubles...

Jimmy Floyd
22-03-2016, 08:39 AM
They also give the under 12s less prize money, the ageist bastards.

I think it's reasonable that the able bodied singles get a larger piece of the pot because these are bigger competitions with many more entrants and no restrictions other than genitalia/having legs, but within that you cannot as a sport declare that men get more prize money just because they are supposedly more popular. Tennis is actually a long way ahead of most sports in this regard.

John Arne
22-03-2016, 08:48 AM
Yeah, I was being slightly facetious.
That said, I find it very disingenuous when some people of accused of being sexist for holding these opposing views - you can disagree with "equal" prize money without being a sexist - especially when there are very pertinent arguments to be made. I thought Djokovic made some very good points (assuming his facts are correct), whereas, someone like Moore is clearly just a moronic dinosaur.

Reg
23-03-2016, 06:52 PM
If the men are more popular (and they are), then that will get reflected in sponsorship money (and it does).

Build the competitive structures equally, and let the externalities reflect things like interest.
That makes sense and is an argument I agree with.

Shindig
23-03-2016, 07:30 PM
Except they're not more popular in a board sense. The top players earn astronomical amounts whilst beyond the top 7 or so earn equal amounts across both genders. BBC floated US viewing figures for the 2014 US Open finals, too. Cilic and Nishikori bringing in half what Serena Williams and Wozniaki brought in terms of audience.

Its a personality driven sport. The least you can do as organisers is say that the achievement is worth the same across both genders. The audience it brings is entirely down to who plays.

Reg
23-03-2016, 09:12 PM
Shindig Right, but why would you separate the top seven when talking about who's more popular?

Ital is right though - those top players get huge deals with sponsors, which fairly compensates them for their status.

Shindig
23-03-2016, 10:30 PM
Mainly because the comments that sparked this relate to genders as a whole.

Kikó
08-05-2016, 05:12 PM
Murray is getting a bumming in the first set v Djok.

Reg
08-05-2016, 06:54 PM
Novak :cool: he's gonna get the Calendar Slam.

Murray played really well those last two sets.

Kikó
08-05-2016, 07:15 PM
Yeah Djok was just better as usual. He's such an animal, it'll be a shame when the drug stories are revealed.

Shindig
15-05-2016, 09:54 PM
Djokovic got schooled by Murray so he chimped out about the weather. :D

Byron
25-05-2016, 01:52 PM
At the risk of bringing Mahow in, we have a MASSIVE bottle job going on here.

Of the last 10 games against this French wildcard, Murray has won one.

CJay
25-05-2016, 02:01 PM
Does Murray ever go through a tournament comfortably? 5 sets against Stepanek, now struggling against this random Frenchie. He'll win it in five I reckon.

Sir Andy Mahowry
25-05-2016, 02:06 PM
'Mon the Bourgue.

Sir Andy Mahowry
25-05-2016, 02:15 PM
Some of the shots he's plucking out really are brilliant.

I hope this isn't just a case of him just flashing and he's going to push on from here in the future.

Edit: I've got £5 on him @ 2.62.

Reg
25-05-2016, 06:16 PM
He does like making it hard for himself, Muzz. Had him around joint second favourites before the tournament started but can't see him winning it now. His game seems muddled, as if he's not sure of the balance between his safety game and the kind of depth and pace he needs to beat Djokovic.

Sir Andy Mahowry
27-05-2016, 01:21 PM
Kvitova getting dumped out 6-0, 6-7, 6-0 is proper lol.

Sir Andy Mahowry
30-05-2016, 01:54 PM
Looking likely that the French Open will need an extra day. Play was cancelled for the day a few hours ago and it's meant to be pretty bad tomorrow too.

Reg
30-05-2016, 02:33 PM
They're going to try squeeze in both today and tomorrow's play tomorrow apparently. Ferrer-Berdych could be a good match, and Murray's quarter with Gasquet might be good (saw some highlights of his win v Nishikori, looked like he was playing his best tennis).

Thiem is a sure thing for the quarters I reckon. This could be a huge year for him.

Sir Andy Mahowry
30-05-2016, 02:55 PM
Which could probably work if there wasn't so much rain scheduled for tomorrow.

If the forecast is to believed they'll be lucky to get 1 match in.

2020 for the roof at the very earliest, what a shambles the French are.

Sir Andy Mahowry
01-06-2016, 01:11 PM
4 games in a row for Gasquet after Murray jumped out to a commanding lead :drool:

What a glorious set.

Sir Andy Mahowry
03-06-2016, 02:14 PM
So shit that they're having to put both semi-finals on at the same fucking time :(

Sir Andy Mahowry
03-06-2016, 02:29 PM
Fair play to Thiem for not rolling over in the third.

The quality of tennis is stunning. Thiem is playing some really nice stuff and deserve to have won so few games but Djokovic is on fire.

Reg
03-06-2016, 03:28 PM
Agreed, some of those rallies were brilliant. Djokovic hardly put a foot wrong, and his mentality and focus is incredible. No other player would have won those 5 games in a row after going a break down when Thiem had started to play really well.

Byron
03-06-2016, 04:17 PM
Suck it Stan.

Nah, I like Stanislas but Murray had a brilliant game there. I'm hoping it'll be a classic on Sunday but we know it'll end up being a shitter.

Sir Andy Mahowry
03-06-2016, 06:20 PM
They've both just played, arguably, their best tennis on a clay court in the semis.

Reg
03-06-2016, 08:03 PM
Murray beat him last time too.

I think Djokovic in four.

ItalAussie
03-06-2016, 10:55 PM
Thiem looks like he'll be a bit special.

Djokovic to win this year, but I'd rather it be Murray. Muguruza to upset WIlliams in the womens' final.

Byron
04-06-2016, 03:04 PM
Muguruza has beaten Williams at her own power game here, although Williams wasn't at her best really and hasn't been all tournament.

Reg
04-06-2016, 03:17 PM
Well that was enjoyable. Couple of those flat winners, oof. She's only 22, huge potential.

ItalAussie
04-06-2016, 11:56 PM
You'd expect Williams will still take Wimbledon to get her 22nd slam and go level with Steffi Graf.

The French has always been her weakest slam ("weakest"), and Muguruza smashed her there two years ago to announce herself to the tennis world. I don't think it's quite as much of an upset as it is certainly being seen as. Muguruza's a big talent though, and I'd be very surprised if she doesn't finish her career with a few more slam titles under her belt.

Reg
05-06-2016, 12:39 PM
You'd expect Williams will still take Wimbledon to get her 22nd slam and go level with Steffi Graf.

The French has always been her weakest slam ("weakest"), and Muguruza smashed her there two years ago to announce herself to the tennis world. I don't think it's quite as much of an upset as it is certainly being seen as. Muguruza's a big talent though, and I'd be very surprised if she doesn't finish her career with a few more slam titles under her belt.
I haven't got the feeling from people of a real upset, I think there's more hope and excitement because everyone's been waiting for a challenger / succeeder to Serena. Muguruza reached the Wimbledon final and is one of the top ranked players so I don't think it was a shock.

Looking forward to this final, Murray should be in a good mindset.

Byron
05-06-2016, 12:42 PM
A lot of news outlets were talking about it being a shock but ultimately it's No. 4 in the world beating No.1 and this is a Serena who hasn't had that absolute air of superiority for a little while now. She's still the favourite in any tournament she enters and it's always good to see a new winner, especially someone who just seems to enjoy the game, she's like the female Tsonga.

GS
05-06-2016, 12:43 PM
Expecting Murray to lose in four, but it's great he reached the final to begin with.

Yevrah
05-06-2016, 12:55 PM
What channel(s) is this on?

Kikó
05-06-2016, 12:56 PM
Itv?

Byron
05-06-2016, 12:59 PM
Correct. ITV.

Mr. Steroids to win in 4 and beg everyone to finally love him at the end.

Reg
05-06-2016, 01:08 PM
ITV and Eurosport.

Djokovic in four. Could be a long match.

Reg
05-06-2016, 01:17 PM
Ridiculous first game.

Byron
05-06-2016, 01:34 PM
Well, I dare say Murray is playing pretty well so far.

Yevrah
05-06-2016, 01:34 PM
Well this is delightful.

Byron
05-06-2016, 02:04 PM
'What does Djokovic do from here?'

'He does what he's been doing so far, but better'

Stunning insight there mate. All Djokovic needs to do is play better.

Byron
05-06-2016, 02:06 PM
What a point.

I need to do some food shopping but really don't want to be leaving the sofa right now.

Byron
05-06-2016, 02:16 PM
This second set is not going to be pretty for Murray.

GS
05-06-2016, 02:35 PM
Murray presumably goes to the wall from here. :moop:

Lee
05-06-2016, 02:35 PM
Well this is a turn up for the books.

Byron
05-06-2016, 03:14 PM
I'll be amazed if Murray picks up another 5 games in total, even by his standards he's collapsed pretty spectacularly.

Mauresmo effect maybe?

Disco
05-06-2016, 03:38 PM
Has Murray ever beaten him in a tournament that actually matters?

Byron
05-06-2016, 03:41 PM
Do 2/3 set tournaments count? :harold:

Disco
05-06-2016, 03:46 PM
Thought not.

GS
05-06-2016, 03:47 PM
He beat him in the final of the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013.

Reg
05-06-2016, 03:47 PM
Edit: ah yes GS is right.

Beat him for a clay title a few weeks ago and the 1000 series tourneys are nothing to be sniffed at.

Yevrah
05-06-2016, 03:50 PM
They showed the Slam meeting stats before the match, think he has two wins but none in a final.

:cab:

You watch tennis, don't you?

Murray's going to end up with an unbeatably bad win:loss ratio in Grand Slam finals by the time he retires. The poor bastard.