The Official Tennis Thread

mc_squared · June 12, 2011

It's proper chucking it down in London. I've just watched the 5minute thingie on bbc1 where they said they're hopeful for play this afternoon, but it doesn't look promising. :(

But if it's postponed until tomorrow, there's a very good chance I'll be able to go and see it!:cool:

Edit: It has been postponed till tomorrow, and I am going to see it!

Got a great seat for just £13.50 including booking fee! What a steal!

:dance::dance::dance::dance::dance:

mc_squared · June 14, 2011

King of Queen's: Murray secures second title after bouncing back to beat Tsonga

You know Andy Murray must be feeling great about himself if he starts showboating during a final when the outcome is far from sealed. So when he executed a perfect 'hot dog' drop shot between his legs off a half-volley - at 4-3 and 40-0 in the deciding set of the AEGON Championships against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - it was clear he was in a very good place.

It was an uncharacteristic act of exuberance entirely in keeping with a spontaneous, somewhat surreal afternoon at the Queen's Club. Murray's 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 win rounded off a most satisfactory week-and-a-bit of Wimbledon preparation.

I'll need a bigger cabinet! Andy Murray holds the Queen's Club trophy aloft

Hot dog: Murray pulls off an audacious shot

Tsonga later said he was initially 'p****d off' with the kind of flamboyant manoeuvre few would associate with a player whose rage for perfection usually inhibits such gestures. However, he soon reconciled himself with this outrageous display of talent from his opponent.

'I thought "Good play" later. When I saw it on the big screen it was good to watch, a good shot,' said the 26-year-old Frenchman.

It would be curmudgeonly to think otherwise, and Murray certainly thrilled the capacity 7,000, last-minute crowd for the final who had started queueing up at 2am in Fulham's streets to secure a £10 ticket on the door.

While a far tighter match and less convincing scoreline than Saturday's brazen demolition of Andy Roddick, yesterday was a masterclass of sorts - this time in the art of weathering a storm.

Tsonga, the gifted world No 19 whose career has so often been blighted by injury, had exercised his enormous power beautifully for two sets. Not until the tiebreak was Murray able to subdue him.

That he finally managed to do so will hardly douse annual expectations of a domestic triumph at Wimbledon and the liberal bandying about of the name Fred Perry.

Power hitter: Tsonga proved too much for Murray in the opening set

Murray's performance here will not have struck fear into his three main rivals because they know how dangerous he is anyway, but it will be a reminder that he has built the best platform from which to launch an assault on Wimbledon.

Novak Djokovic arrived at the weekend and started hitting at the All England Club on Sunday while Roger Federer had his first practice session on the grass yesterday afternoon. Rafael Nadal is still luxuriating back home in Mallorca.

Court out: The players finally emerge to get play underway

The bookies still make Murray fourth favourite behind that trio, based on the fact that the first Grand Slam is always the hardest to win, with the others long since over the threshold.

This past six days constitute almost faultless preparation for the 24-year-old Scot, who has won four matches against varied types of player in all sorts of conditions - including the disruption of rain delays - while clearing up his ankle injury.

Overpowered: Murray was broken and lost the first set

Asked to pinpoint one area in which Murray proves such a difficult opponent, Tsonga said: 'You will see during the match how he can read the serve, even if you hit the ball really hard.'

The man from Le Mans certainly did that and another measure of the result was his belief that he had not played this well for a long time, yet still lost.

Reaching out: Tsonga scrambles across court with a stunning dive shot that managed to return to Murray

Tsonga reckons Murray can win Wimbledon, which is hardly a controversial point of view, but of course plotting a way through two weeks of best-of-five matches is a very different exercise. The draw, which takes place on Friday, will be a major factor and it is worth remembering that the lone home hope is due a rough one after some benign fortune in this area of late.

He will enjoy strong support if yesterday is anything to go by as, with a crowd made up entirely of those keen enough to have seized the unexpected chance to see the final, he received full backing against the Frenchman.

This despite Tsonga being a confirmed crowd-pleaser, probably the man who flings himself about the tennis court in lost causes more than anyone since Boris Becker.

If there was a worrying dimension about yesterday's match it was Murray's failure to take any of his first nine break points, with echoes of the 15 out of 18 he lost against Rafael Nadal in the French Open semi-final.

The difference between the players in Sunday's first set came in the sixth game, when Tsonga took advantage of a couple of groundstroke errors and hit a blinding backhand pass that saw him break to love.

Stretching: Tsonga's athleticism had Murray in trouble throughout the final

IS IT A BAD OMEN?

Winning Queen’s on a Monday isn’t necessarily a good thing… John McEnroe (1979) and Boris Becker (1987) won the two previous rain-delayed warm-ups and headed to SW19 full of confidence only to crash out early. No 2 seed McEnroe lost in the fourth round to Tim Gullikson, while defending champion and No 1 seed Becker fell in the second round to unseeded Peter Doohan. But Murray is the first Briton to win more than one Queen’s title since 1925 and 22 of the past 25 Wimbledon champions have played the warm-up event.

With Tsonga's first serve regularly topping the 140mph mark, it was not going to be easy to get ahead. When Murray forced four break points at 4-4 in the second, one of them was saved with a 130mph second serve that fizzed off the line.

When Tsonga forced two break points at 5-5, one was saved with a fortunate net cord. The trick with the Frenchman is to wait for the almost inevitable mental lapse and he duly delivered in the tiebreak, when Murray showed the greater composure and ran away with it 7-2.

A forehand, cross-court drive set up the crucial break for 4-2 in the third and with Tsonga tiring within his hulking frame, there was never any doubt about the outcome.

Winning this title has never been an automatic passport to Wimbledon glory but Murray is ready, again, to walk among the giants.

mc_squared · June 14, 2011

Wimbledon is coming and Andy Murray has the smile that says: 'I can win it!'

By Mike Dickson

Last updated at 11:13 PM on 13th June 2011

Andy Murray made one piece of history on Monday by winning the AEGON Championships and then declared he is ready to achieve something far more significant when Wimbledon starts next week.

'I'm going to Wimbledon with the feeling that I can win the tournament,' he said after a battling 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory in the delayed final at London's Queen's Club over powerhouse Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

All smiles: Andy Murray celebrates with his trophy in the dressing room after winning the AEGON Championships

'I don't think you can go there with any other attitude. I'll need to play my best tennis throughout the tournament to do that, but I'll be switched on for the first match and I'm really looking forward to the next five days in which I can get ready.'

After his triumph in 2009, Murray became the first British player to win the main pre-Wimbledon grass court title twice in the modern era, as he defused Tsonga's onslaught over two hours and 25 minutes.

Top form: Murray enjoys a touch of showboating in his final clash against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Despite the inevitable pressures that will ratchet up over the next few weeks, Surrey-based Murray pledged it will not alter how he lives his normal life, saying: 'A lot of people think that come Wimbledon you need to conserve your energy, stay in, don't look at the papers, don't watch TV but that's not normal. I won't be doing any different stuff to what I usually do.'

Murray's ankle has virtually repaired itself although he revealed: 'I nearly pulled out after my first match, I wasn't feeling comfortable. I thought it would be the best preparation to continue and it probably worked out well having the couple of days off with the weather and the walkover.'

Mutual respect: Tsonga congratulates Murray on his victory

mc_squared · June 17, 2011

Not again! Wimbledon marathon men Isner and Mahut drawn together one year on

By Sportsmail Reporter

Last updated at 10:47 AM on 17th June 2011

John Isner and Nicolas Mahut have been drawn together in the first round at Wimbledon, just one year on from their incredible and record-breaking marathon match at SW19 last year.

American Isner eventually emerged victorious in five sets after a tortuous 11-hour epic against his French opponent last summer. The pair's final set alone lasted over eight hours and was longer than any other tennis match ever played, finishing 70-68 to Isner.

And the most extraordinary match-up in this year's Wimbledon draw sees the pair lock horns once again, but surely this time on Centre Court rather than the isolated environs of Court 18 where their remarkable duel took place in 2010. Read it and weep: John Isner poses by the scoreboard after last year's marathon win over Nicolas Mahut

British No 1 Andy Murray will launch his own title bid against Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver, and is the same half of the draw as defending champion Rafael Nadal, who beat him in last year's semi-final.

But Murray's immediate reaction to the draw was not about his own match but the fact Isner and Mahut will lock horns again.

He tweeted: 'Isner v Mahut drawing each other in the first round after last year is the most amazing thing I've seen in tennis. Centre court anyone?!'

More to follow.

zempt · June 17, 2011

It just had to be Isner and Mahut again. :laugh3:

Potential titanic battle in the semis involving Federer and Djokovic.

mc_squared · June 17, 2011

It just had to be Isner and Mahut again. :laugh3:

Anybody would think it had been fixed!:P

I wonder if they're looking forward to the re-match?:rolleyes:

Passenger · June 19, 2011

WIMBLEDON STARTS TOMORROW!!!:vuvuzela:

Really looking forward to see what Murray can do. So jealous of those that managed to go see the Queen's final live. Albeit being so close to London I couldn't make it. Will hopefully be off to Wimbledon on Tuesday to see a couple of low-seeded players on the grounds. Gosh, feels like ages since the last time I have been there! I'm rooting for Sharapova (as usual :laugh3:) and will be interested to see Djokovic's performance on the grass courts. And actually, lately I have been hitting the tennis courts a few times myself again... it's the peak of the tennis season!

mc_squared · June 19, 2011

Really looking forward to see what Murray can do. So jealous of those that managed to go see the Queen's final live.

Do you mean me?:P

Not only that, but for only £13.50 including booking fee too!:D

Albeit being so close to London I couldn't make it. Will hopefully be off to Wimbledon on Tuesday to see a couple of low-seeded players on the grounds. Gosh, feels like ages since the last time I have been there! I'm rooting for Sharapova (as usual :laugh3:)

She's in with a very good chance this year. However, as long as it's not one of the Williams brothers, I'll be satisfied.:smug:

And actually, lately I have been hitting the tennis courts a few times myself again... it's the peak of the tennis season!

I had my last team match of the season yesterday, and played for another three hours indoors today.:cool:

mc_squared · June 20, 2011

New brollies please! Get set for washout Wimbledon as £100m roof is put on stand-by

By Paul Harris and Emily Andrews

Last updated at 7:56 AM on 20th June 2011

Wimbledon, Monday. Sunglasses not required. Dress: Waterproofs, brolly at the ready.

Well, it just wouldn’t be tennis if there wasn’t the threat of rain. And today – after two glorious years of tournament sun – it looks like there will be plenty of it to go around.

Hundreds of queuing fans endured downpours yesterday, and hours of rain expected during the tournament’s first matches today are likely to be followed by downpours tomorrow and on Wednesday – then sporadically throughout the fortnight.

Loitering within tent: Hardy Wimbledon fans queue for tickets to the first day's play - weather permitting

No surrender: Serena Williams took to the practice court despite the rain falling, whilst Andy Murray will be hoping the weather won't dampen his championship aspirations

It means extra frustration for players whose games are a washout, plus a drenching for 40,000 daily fans. It also heralds the first full-scale use of Centre Court’s much vaunted sliding roof.

The retractable structure has been called into action briefly since it was completed in 2009 but was used only as a sunshade last year during the driest tournament on record.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club has an ace up its sleeve in predicting the weather, however.

Incoming rain will be signalled by the gentlemanly tones of the voice of Wimbledon, Tony Adamson.

Queue: Fans took to camping in a bid to secure tickets to the first day of Wimbledon

Covered up: Heavy rain hit Wimbledon's Centre Court on the day before the championships start

Flagging: Tents at the Wimbledon camp site have been covered in various national flags

Camped out: A man sits in his tent decorated with British and Japanese flags at the Wimbledon camp site

It would be tempting to imagine the silver-haired veteran of the world’s favourite championships simply wandering outside his office, glancing at the heavens and holding a moistened finger in the air.

Alongside him, however, in a small, first-floor room near Centre Court, is a Met Office forecaster with a laptop – and access to the most sophisticated weather information and technology available.

From 200 miles away at Met Office headquarters in Exeter, all the data needed for Wimbledon to decide whether to operate the roof, man the covers (or evacuate the players two by two in an ark) is pinged to on-site forecasters.

Then it is turned into English, passed down the line, and presented to the decision-makers – championship referee Andrew Jarrett and head groundsman Eddie Seaward.

They get a long-range and daily forecast, at least 30 minutes warning that rain will definitely fall, and several hours if it’s likely.

Met Office forecaster Michael Lawrence said: ‘Persistent and at times heavy rain pushes in from the south-west through Monday and arrives in London in the afternoon, with a high chance of rain at Wimbledon.’

Showers are also forecast for tomorrow and Wednesday, followed by brighter spells on Thursday and Friday before unsettled weather returns at the weekend.

The recent wet weather has created more work for groundstaff at the world-famous All England Tennis Club in south London.

The team have been rolling the courts more than usual to make sure they stay firm and for the last week they have also been covered overnight.

Fears of rain are in stark contrast to last year, when not a single drop fell on the corner of SW19 throughout the two-week tournament.

The summer has so far been a major disappointment after the UK enjoyed its warmest spring for 350 years.

Between March and the end of May, Britain as a whole was at its hottest and driest since records began in 1910.

FORECAST

SUNDAY: Cloudy with outbreaks of showery rain, occasionally heavy, across southern Scotland, northern and eastern England. Mix of bright spells and scattered showers elsewhere.

MONDAY: Rain in southern England moving north-east during the day. Most of Scotland dry, barring a few showers.

TUESDAY: Remaining unsettled with further heavy rain spreading in from the south west.

There had been predictions of similar sizzling temperatures for June and July.

But now events such as Glastonbury next week are bracing for downpours.

Fans face further disruption from strike action on London Underground – raising the grim possibility that they will struggle through travel chaos, only to find no play at the tournament.

One player not put off by yesterday’s showers was defending ladies champion Serena Williams.

The 29-year-old was spotted – or perhaps striped – practising in a pair of shorts that had fashion experts struggling for adjectives.

They appeared to have a tie-dye pattern popular in the late 1960s, and did nothing but enhance Miss Williams’s legendary curves.

But they failed to detract from her ferocious backhand as she tries to end a year of injury woes and health scares with her fifth Wimbledon title.

Ready for service: The Centre Court roof at the All England Tennis Club

Ground staff covering the courts during rain shower on Saturday

mc_squared · June 20, 2011