Get your racket ready! :sneaky: :D

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/index.html

Will do!

I don't need to, as my racket is in almost constant use.:smug:

this is the first time i get to watch any of wimbeldon in like 8 years cuz i'm at camp. but i will miss week two:cry:

Murray mania has begun!!:D

Savchuk was unlucky against Jankovic, that was a great match.

 

The crowd seemed to take their time warming to Murray. They were saying on BBC that some fans were reluctant to really get behind him because they still miss Tim Henman - don't know how true that is though.

Savchuk was unlucky against Jankovic, that was a great match.

 

The crowd seemed to take their time warming to Murray. They were saying on BBC that some fans were reluctant to really get behind him because they still miss Tim Henman - don't know how true that is though.

 

Well hopefully they're beginning to realise that Murray has far more skills, power and aggression than Henman ever had.

Murray has a genuine chance of winning a Slam one day.;)

i keep thinking murray is gunna break through and he either gets hurt or chokes. i'm almost ready to give up hope of him ever winning a grand slam title

i wanna see djoker wins again..! :D

 

The match between Julia Georges and Katarina Srebotnik was sooooooooooo long!!

4-6, 7-6 (8-6) and 16-14!!!

Museum piece: Throwback as Andy Murray uses brain not brawn

 

By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 8:35 AM on 25th June 2008

 

• Comments (0)
  
• Add to My Stories
  

At times yesterday evening you almost had to blink to remember that Andy Murray and Fabrice Santoro were not back in the days of wooden rackets.

Such was the use of dinks, nudges and delicate spins you were almost transported back to a kinder, gentler era when the scalpel rather than the sledgehammer was in use.

But after nearly two-and-a quarter hours of exquisite patterns being created around the revamped arena, the most important detail was that the British No 1 was off and running at this year's Wimbledon with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 victory.

 

Andy Murray was delighted with his first round victory against Fabrice Santoro on Centre Court.

 

More...

 

 

• All the results from Wimbledon
  
• Best of British: Keothavong fights back to depose King and set up a second-round showdown with Venus
  
• Meaty Murray piles on the pounds to bear the weight of expectation
  

 

Santoro broke back in the sixth game when Murray netted a tame drop shot but

Too often at Grand Slams, Murray has found himself excessively detained in these kind of matches, for example at the French Open when he took five sets to dispatch a Frenchman almost half Santoro's age, Jonathan Eysseric, 18.

But there was no surfeit of energy being expended here and that was all the more valid because in no way did the Gallic veteran treat this as an exhibition match on probably his valedictory appearance at Wimbledon. That despite the match being something of a museum piece and both players delighting a crowd who had earlier sat through the contrasting assault and battery of Rafael Nadal.

Santoro is a baby-faced 35 and in his all-white garb looked like a bell boy from a cruise ship. He is a deeply awkward opponent, all the more so on this occasion because Murray had 10 days to get hyped up for the contest after pulling out of his Queen's Club quarter-final against Andy Roddick.

All the indications here were that the 21-year-old Scot will be able to handle the pressure of these primetime matches that will be laid before the early evening TV audience.

Likewise, after two years away from Wimbledon he will not lack support of Middle England. He could need it in the next round, too, as his opponent Xavier Malisse, a semi-finalist in 2002, was highly-impressive in defeating Germany's Denis Gremelmayr in straight sets.

Another pointer towards what to expect if Murray strings together a run this fortnight, was his willingness to stand inside the baseline and dictate matters by taking the ball early.

If these two were golfers, they would have the equivalent of 19 clubs in each of their bags, such is the variety of tricks and shots they can bring to the court.

Murray, though, also has the requisite amount of power to draw upon when he needs it and is not restricted like the Frenchman in hitting everything with two hands.

The wonderful geometry of the rallies made it easy to be lulled into thinking that Santoro, playing in a record 64th Grand Slam and having begged to be put on Centre Court, was keen to reciprocate by merely putting on a show.

We were disabused of that when he broke back to level at 3-3 although the qualities of Murray's returns, enough to unsettle the very best players in the world, created two more breaks to seal the set. While Murray talked about having played a 'fun match' he looked like he was enjoying it about as much as having toothache but this is serious business and he has much to lose.

Santoro got an early break in the second set but in his most impressive spell of the match the Scot broke him back and then reeled off another break to go two sets up.

Just above him in the courtside commentary box Tim Henman, making the predictable leap from gamekeeper to poacher after bidding farewell last year, self-deprecatingly declared that he would have been spinning it out for longer.

But however good they are for the ratings, Murray is aware of the dangers of getting bogged down early in the tournament and he continued to bear down. He looked like finishing it before Santoro took matters into a tie-break.

At 2-2, the British hope played two consecutive drop-shots, one of which owed its success to hitting the net tape along the way.

It is heart in your mouth time when he tries this manoeuvre, although the ball dying away makes it highly effective on grass. If he had a problem shot yesterday it was in netting attempted backhands down the line.

But this was a match to send the people home happy, neutrals as much as anyone.

so Mark, do you admit defeat? (look at signature)

so Mark, do you admit defeat? (look at signature)

 

You're completely deluded.:dozey:

You're completely deluded.:dozey:

Your puns are diluted.:P

ROUND 2

2:34 P.M. UK TIME

 

Marat Safin leads Novak Djokovic 7-5, 5-5 [0-0]

Nathalie Dechy leads Ana Ivanovic 7-6, 2-2 [30-0]

Lleyton Hewitt leads Albert Montanes 7-6, 0-0 [0-0]

 

Ivanovic MUST win!

Safin just thrashed Djokovic!!:stunned:

I hope they don't uncover another betting scandal!!:rolleyes:

Djoker lost!!!!!! :wreck:

Djoker lost!!!!!! :wreck:

 

Choker??:rolleyes:

:dozey: :rolleyes3:

 

 

=

 

???

Phew, made up that Ivanovic eventually won that - what a match!

Yup - was incredible!:D

Go for it Andy, I'm fed up with nice losers so with you being so obnoxious...you might just be in with a chance

 

Last updated at 11:06 PM on 24th June 2008

 

• Comments (6)
  
• Add to My Stories
  

 

Although I am not a betting woman, I have put 40 quid on Andy Murray to win Wimbledon.

 

Critics complain that young Murray is obnoxious, egotistical, ruthless, brattish, Scottish and suffers from violent rages.

 

Excellent. With those kind of flaws, the lad might actually be in with a chance.

 

True, Murray is not the most appealing of sportsmen. With that baboon crouch, sullen scowl and slumped shoulders, he has the body language of a teenager who hasn't been allowed to borrow Dad's car. Even his shorts look cross.

 

Enlarge Allison Pearson says that Andy Murray's egotistical, brattish and ruthless nature might just bring him some luck at Wimbledon this year

On the plus side, like his hero, John McEnroe, Andy gives the impression he is putting his life - not just his forehand - on the line every time he returns serve.

 

Now the pundits are asking: Can Middle England learn to love Andy Murray the way it did Tim Henman?

 

Murray's answer, if he's got any sense, will be: 'Frankly, I don't give a damn.'

 

And where did loving Tim Henman get us? Remember how we suffered with him every June, until he finally put us out of our misery, usually with a double-fault in the quarter-finals?

 

Enlarge Fans are turning to support Andy-mania

 

'This is the man who put the Tim in optimism!' crowed one commentator. The man who put the Tim in untimely exit, more like.

 

As Wimbledon umpires say, it's time for: 'New balls, please!' Andy Murray definitely has those. And, boy, is he going to need them to survive the pressure of being 'The British Hope'.

 

In an early interview, the precocious kid from Dunblane said: 'I don't think Tim will ever win a Grand Slam event because he seems to be mentally resigned to losing.'

 

And what about the British? Are we, too, now mentally resigned to losing? Has the Tim-ness entered so deep into our soul that we have no stomach for the naked drive and disciplined rage it takes to be a winner?

 

The signs are not encouraging. As the bill for the London Olympics reaches £12 billion, almost half of British schoolchildren still play no competitive sport whatsoever.

Gordon Brown said he wanted Britain to become one of 'the fittest and most sporting of nations by 2012'.

 

Fat chance when the only form of exercise many youngsters get is hoisting another Big Mac towards their open jaws.

 

How I wish the Prime Minister could have attended the bizarre Non-Competitive Sports Day at a primary school near me.

 

Pupils were not allowed to compete against kids of their own age. Dearie me, no. That could have led to wicked, old-fashioned divisions between winners and losers.

 

The Non-Competitive Sports Day hurt no one's feelings. But no spirits soared, no characters were formed in the heat of battle.

 

That explains why, according to the British Olympic Association, 60 per cent of the UK's most recent medal winners attended fee-paying schools - schools which still expose their pupils to competitive games.

 

Put it another way: without privately educated athletes, in the forthcoming Beijing games Great Britain would come somewhere in the medals table between Kazakhstan and Malta.

 

For the rest of us, that's not just sporting disaster, it's a nightmare for society. Deprive children, especially boys, of an outlet for their natural sense of rivalry and they'll take it elsewhere - onto the streets, where there are no referees. And no rules.

There are flickers of hope that the mood might be changing. This week, we learned that a psychologist is running a pilot programme to teach children a tough mental attitude, based on sports psychology.

Dr Peter Clough believes it can dramatically improve exam performance, behaviour and aspirations.

And other researchers claim that teachers' emphasis on SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) was infantilising students.

In the words of one academic: 'Everyone is looking for a disability to declare.'

Not out on Centre Court yesterday afternoon they weren't.

 

Instead of tut-tutting at Andy Murray's fiery antics, we should applaud his refusal to accept that losing is his destiny.

 

One thing's for sure, if he does raise that trophy above his head a week on Sunday, the Pimms is on me.

:rolleyes2:

Murray proves a bit special: But it's not pretty for Sharapova

 

Last updated at 11:16 PM on 26th June 2008

 

• Comments (0)
  
• Add to My Stories
  

Andy Murray survived as Britain's lone singles representative after outclassing Xavier Malisse in straight sets.

But there was no second-round fairytale for shock qualifier Chris Eaton, the world No 661, beaten by No 25 seed Dimitry Tursunov, while Anne Keothavong lost to reigning champion Venus Williams.

 

Roar power: winner Andy Murray

On another day of Wimbledon shocks, women's No 3 seed Maria Sharapova was beaten in straight sets by a little-known, fellow Russian, while men's seeds Andy Roddick and James Blake were also sent packing.

To add insult to injury, Muscovite Alla Kudryavtseva then told glamour girl Sharapova that she did not care much for her expensive tennis outfit.

World No 40 Kudryavtseva, daughter of a world champion Greco-Roman wrestler, dispensed with niceties when explaining her joy at toppling one of the tournament favourites.

'It's very pleasant to beat Maria,' she said. 'I don't like her outfit. I liked it at the French Open but it's a little too much of everything. It was one of my motivations to beat her.'

She also hinted at the wellknown aloofness of Sharapova around the locker room and said she was unafraid of expressing a negative opinion about the Russian icon.

'Personally, I don't know her well. I think no one on tour knows her well because she is not very talkative and outgoing,' said Kudryavtseva.

'If I'm not afraid to play her, I'm not afraid she's going to catch me in the dressing room and say: "You don't like my outfit". I will say: "Sorry, that's just my opinion".'

Sharapova was distinctly off her game and offered no excuses for a second successive early Grand Slam exit after being humbled at the French Open.

She played better than me, she had nothing to lose and went for her shots. I was just pretty tentative,' said the 2004 champion.

Murray is Britain's sole representative after defeats for Eaton and Keothavong. The Scot earned a third-round meeting with Germany's Tommy Haas after seeing off Belgium's Xavier Malisse 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

It was a heartening performance from the 21-year-old, who put his relaxed frame of mind down to an ability to switch off between matches by playing pool and walking his border terrier Maggie.

'Neither of the matches has been perfect but at the start of a slam to get through comfortably is exactly what you want,' he said.

Eaton tried to make up a deficit of 628 places on the ranking list against Tursunov, but lost 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 loser. Keothavong also fell by the wayside after Venus WIlliams beat her 7-5, 6-2.

boo ivanovic lost!:cry:

 

She was terrible, as was Mauresmo.:dozey:

I missed all week 1.. :( and I wont be able to watch week 2.

 

I heard Safin beat Djokovic.. I used to have a crush on him ! Ahah ! he was a good player, never thought he'd come back and do that well !