Vonrothbart Posted January 29, 2018 Share Posted January 29, 2018 Federer was obviously too strong for Cilic, both physically and mentally, even though he's seven years older. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 On 23/01/2018 at 18:36, Fonty said: And fingers very firmly crossed that Nadal recovers in time for the clay court season. Re-reading this, it's just occurred to me to wonder: has Nadal ever *not* recovered in time for the clay? I don't think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 On 28/01/2018 at 18:32, Fonty said: Compare and contrast with the ladies yesterday. Those girls played their guts out, and fought to the last shot. That was an absolutely terrific final, and I was just sorry that someone had to lose. Although I'm delighted with the result, I'd be the first to admit that the men's was far from a great tournament this year, and the final certainly didn't live up to last year's classic (sorry, Fonty ). The ladies', OTOH, was excellent, as you say, and I trust Simona Halep will go on to win a richly deserved Slam title in the not-too-distant future. But many congratulations to Caroline Wozniacki: she's had about 6(?) years of being accused of having been a "fake" No. 1 because she hadn't won a Slam, so this win sets the record straight. And her battle to recover from a period of bad form which left her around No. 70 in the world puts the icing on the cake (sorry for the mixed metaphors, but you know what I mean!). Quote I was also extremely annoyed that the roof was closed for the men's final. Apart from the fact that it definitely favours Federer, who is a wonderful indoor player, I was cross that the men got to play in relative comfort, while the ladies yesterday were obviously suffering. They were bent double, gasping for breath between points. I refuse to believe it was that much worse today than it was yesterday. Actually, it was. Sunday was the only day when the humidity, rather than the temperature, went over the threshold for closing the roof - and humidity is even more draining than heat alone. The roof was put on for the doubles final earlier in the day, and the humidity forecast for the first few hours of the men's final was predicted to get worse rather than ease, so the decision was taken to keep it on. (Possibly the fact that Halep had had to spend 4 hours in hospital the previous day being treated for dehydration might have been factored into the decision as well, although some people have said that she didn't appear to be rehydrating/making use of the ice towel sufficiently earlier in the match, which may have been a contributing factor). And of course the men were faced with the possibility of playing 5 rather than 3 sets in the conditions. I'm also not sure that closing the roof actually favoured Federer over Cilic, partly because Fed trains in 40-degree temperatures in Dubai over the winter anyway, so I think he'd have coped with the heat - arguably better than Cilic. As both players were tending to go for the lines, I think the absence of gusts/wind - which is the other benefit of playing indoors - would probably have benefited both of them equally. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Can't believe I didn't come on here and praise Cameron Norrie's performance as the replacement British no. 1 in last week's Davis Cup tie against Spain. To come back from 2 sets and a break down to win his first match on clay against someone ranked 90-odd places higher than him was extremely impressive. And, just reading through the tennis results, I know there are some exotic players' names out there, but I think possibly this one takes the biscuit? Botic Van de Zandschulp 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 I case it's of interest, tickets are now on sale for the pre-Wimbledon tournaments in Birmingham and Nottingham. We just booked the qualifier weekend plus first day of Birmingham - Edgbaston for a mere £25 each - good seats in the centre court. Last year it was a really nice, well run event - recommended. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 I'm hoping I might make it down to Eastbourne this year - mind you, I've been saying that on and off since the days when Martina Navratilova was playing, so I'm not holding my breath! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 I wouldn't normally do this, but this is such a glorious point I just had to share: I love tennis when it's that entertaining! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 One of many reasons I love The Fed! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Wishing we'd gone to Roland Garros, as the ITV4 coverage is missing most of the interesting matches (and seems very heavily mens match dominated). Specifically, no coverage at all of my favourite Garcia despite her high seeding. Looking forward to Birmingham in a couple of weeks, and a day at Wimbledon shortly after.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Never mind, Quintus, there are no Brits left in the singles draw now, which may balance things a bit. (Incidentally, anyone who wants to see a really good match, take a look at A. Zverev vs. Dzhumur (hope I've spelled that correctly) from yesterday. Probably the best match of the tournament thus far, I'd guess). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 I've currently got a Garcia match to watch at last, so I'm happy! Looks like we'll have Sharapova v Serena in the next round, they'll have to show that... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon2 Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 5 hours ago, Quintus said: Wishing we'd gone to Roland Garros, as the ITV4 coverage is missing most of the interesting matches (and seems very heavily mens match dominated). Specifically, no coverage at all of my favourite Garcia despite her high seeding. Looking forward to Birmingham in a couple of weeks, and a day at Wimbledon shortly after.. Have you been to Roland Garros in past? My husband fancies building a holiday around the tournament next year so we can catch some matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 3 minutes ago, Jane said: Have you been to Roland Garros in past? Not quite. Our exchange student lassie had a spare ticket, so my wife went to RG while I wandered the Orsay museum. She enjoyed it very much but did say it doesn't have the same atmosphere or facilities as Wimbledon. Good idea though, making it the hub of a break in Paris.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 I notice that the RG news feed keeps mentioning that evening tickets are available, so at worst you could probably do a day's sightseeing and then go and relax and watch some tennis in the evening. At Wimbledon, you'd have to Queue even to do that! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon2 Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Yes Alison it seems tickets are much easier to get hold of in Paris than Wimbledon especially on week days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I can't help being amused by the fact that one of the players in the girls' singles is the appropriately named Ms Volynets. I do hope she has a long career in tennis, although she may get tired of the commentators making silly jokes about her name 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrothbart Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 (edited) On 02/06/2018 at 19:42, Jane said: Yes Alison it seems tickets are much easier to get hold of in Paris than Wimbledon especially on week days. I'm not surprised Jane, as my son and his wife will be getting tickets once again for the mens final, and he's never ever seen or played a game of tennis in his life, apart from the final. I really wonder just how many genuine tennis fans there will be come final day? It's probably the same at a lot of top events, maybe who you know rather than what you know, unfortunately it's the hard core fans who usually miss out. Edit. Well that was amazing, the phone just rang offering me 2 tickets for court 1 on 3rd 4th 5th and 6th and 10th July. If it was possible I would offer them to forum members as I've no interest, but unfortunately that won't be possible. Edited June 5, 2018 by Vonrothbart Additional text. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 I wonder if RG has a lot of corporate seat allocations which don't then get used? Just sitting down to watch Sharapova v Muguruza on TV, which to me is a dream match, and so far in their warm-up there are great swathes of empty seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrothbart Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 I could maybe be tempted to watch Sharapova.😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrothbart Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 1 hour ago, Quintus said: I wonder if RG has a lot of corporate seat allocations which don't then get used? Just sitting down to watch Sharapova v Muguruza on TV, which to me is a dream match, and so far in their warm-up there are great swathes of empty seats. I popped to the kitchen to make myself a coffee, and missed it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 Yes, pretty quick, wasn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Oh well, I shall be watching the Bolshoi on Sunday anyway, so no need to watch a one-sided men's final Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrothbart Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 It might not be as one sided as you think alison, Thiem has already beaten Nadal on clay earlier this year, and he's a very powerful player. Mind you, I suppose he'll have to be if he wants the title. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Yes, but in Madrid, which doesn't play to Nadal's strengths at the best of times (even when it's not blue clay!), not at Roland Garros. Not to mention that - I hope I'm not having a senior-ish moment - Thiem has a one-handed backhand, and those usually suffer big time against Nadal, on clay. Thiem hasn't even won a Masters 1000 title yet (and I think you could describe one of the two he lost as "actively lost"), and it's his first Slam final, too, so there's the emotional side of that to cope with. I'd like to believe otherwise, but I suspect Nadal will win fairly easily. Halep vs. Stephens might be quite a different matter, though. It's really time Halep won one. (And if the French win the men's doubles I shall at least be fairly happy ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Boring ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeauxArts Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Congratulations to the unique Rafael Nadal on his unique and amazing achievement (not at all boring to me!) - 11 times champion of Roland Garros. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrothbart Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 On 10/06/2018 at 16:58, alison said: Boring ... You called it right though alison, 🤙 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pointetoes Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Off to Queens tomorrow, Centre Court 😀 The order of play is fantastic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 We had an excellent three days at Birmingham. The qualifiers included some big names who are coming back up the rankings from injury - Genie Bouchard, Kateryna Bondarenko, Kristyna Pliskova, Camila Giorgi and the obligatory handful of 'plucky Brits'. The first day of the main draw we saw Kiki Mladenovic, Naomi Osaka, Oceane Dodin, Karolina Pliskova and many more. Saw Muguruza practising. We now have a collection of selfies with various of them, those with the Pliskovas being the most amusing as they are over a foot taller than my wife! Dodin and Mladenovic were both very pleasant and polite. Giorgi was my favourite of the bunch to watch - an amazing athlete who plays with such speed and ferocity. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I thought she always was? Got halfway to making it to Surbiton this year: would be trying for Queen's if I didn't have so much work (perhaps occasioned by going to 3 weekday ballet matinees last week?) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 9 hours ago, alison said: I thought she always was? Garcia is my favourite but I'll settle for Giorgi! She's a photographer's dream as she doesn't grimace when hitting like most of them do. There are some pictures from the event on my Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/hrothgarfleuri/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Oh, sorry, getting my Gs mixed up! But you did express admiration for Giorgi too a year or two ago, I think. Wonder how things are going up in Ilkley? I may get to see some pictures from that, too. Also wondering how Andy Murray's feeling this morning? That was a horribly long match for his first outing in the best part of a year. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 Coming rather late the tennis party, although I have gorged on tennis for the past few weeks. I felt quite bereft when the French Open finished. On 10/06/2018 at 16:58, alison said: Boring ... I don't know how any tennis fan could call that boring, Alison! I thought it was an excellent match, with great play from both finalists. Rafa had to produce his best tennis in order to win, and I have huge admiration for him that he always seems to be able to do that when he has to. I love clay court tennis, it is my favourite, and I think Nadal is a genius. I feel immensely lucky to have been able to see so many of his matches, and anybody who says he is just a boring ball basher needs to get their television adjusted. Or new glasses....😉 I thought the Murray match at Queens was very encouraging. He seemed to be moving ok, and just needs to play a few more matches. Having said that, the draw for Eastbourne couldn't have been worse if someone had fiddled it. Murray v Wawrinka in the 1st round, and the winner to play Edmund in the 2nd? Sadly, I shall not be able to get to Eastbourne this year. A pity, because I really enjoy it. Roll on Wimbledon..... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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