Tennis Thread - Grand Slams & The Tour

Discussion in 'General Football & Other Sport' started by I Blame Pozzo, May 28, 2018.

  1. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Nadal is looking formidable.
    Less* backing around his backhand,stepping up the court and hitting a flatter ball,probably to save wear and tear on his knees.
    Seems to be working!
    *Fewer?!
     
  2. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Nadal to play Joker it looks like.
    Tsitsi had moments in the second set but missed an open court with a forehand at 4 all,15 all and that was that. He has had a brilliant tournament and his time will surely come.
    ND cruising so far against Pouille with Amelie unable to help.
    Already murmurings resurfacing as to Rafa's authenticity.They don't stay away for long.
     
  3. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Tsitsi is a bit too weedy. Probably all that cucumber.
     
  4. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Weedy?*
    WEEDY?*
    He's lean. Although he could do with a little more muscle.I expect they're waiting for him to stop growing before he puts it on.
    * Said like Dr Johnson in 'Blackadder III'.
     
  5. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    I returned home,unaware of the Kvitova v Oasaka result.
    I put on Eurosport at 7-6.5-3 0-40 PK serving. She then won the set.
    Excellent I thought,I have time to watch and have my lunch before raising my home made FA Cup for the football.
    Im an add break I turned to BBC1 to see if Stanley v FLDFC was on.
    It was Osaka giving her victory speech!
    It rhymes with 'clucking bell'!
     
  6. Manatleisure

    Manatleisure Squad Player

    Been a Novak fan since he was 20. I have faith.
     
  7. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Faultless first set from ND,can he maintain this level?
     
  8. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    ND flawless in three.
    Rafa,whether nervous or struggling with his knees,reverted to his clay court mind set. two metres behind the baseline,not hitting through his grounds and Novak clambering all over his shots and dictating the points.
    Very impressive from ND.
     
  9. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Well that must have been one of the quickest finals between the top guys ever!
     
  10. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    I expect so.
    Sometimes it helps to have had a difficult match. Nadal couldn't find his game when he most needed it.
     
  11. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    RF going for his 100th tour title against my favourite, Tsitsipas. This is in Dubai round about...now.
    Tsitsi is on a good run,having won in Marseille last week and will break into the top 10 next week. Fed remains favourite however.
    Meanwhile in Acapulco the human dirt bag,Nick Kygrios,having aggravated Rafa in beating him in the second round,plays Sasha Zverev in the final.Cameron Norrie lost in the semis to Zverev.
    Word on the street is that Heather Watson maybe close to retirement,from a friend who saw her 4/10 attitude to practice at the NTC last month.
     
  12. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    4&4 to Fed. Tsitsi had break back points in the 10th game but didn't convert.
    NK wins in Mexico.
    Indian Wells next.
     
  13. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Cameron Norrie loses to 'The Cat' Felix Auger Aliassime,the Canadian youngster.
    Dame Edith plays Wawrinka tonight.
     
  14. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Dame Edith loses in straight to Stan.
     
  15. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Heap big trouble in ATP executive.
    ND has engineered a coup,removing CEO Chris Kermode in order to replace him with his pal, Justin Gimelstob.
    ND wants a bigger purse for the right hand side of the draw. RF and RN are against this but have taken a back seat so ND has got his way,much to the disgust of the other two.
    ND lost to Kohlschreiber in his first match. Karma?
    Many a slip however,Gimelstob has a dark secret according to those ITK.
    Young Polish lad Hurkacz on a winning run.
     
  16. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    More time for Kermode to do his lousy pretentious film reviews ? Oh great.
     
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  17. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Be thankful. It could be worse...
     
  18. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Just read that Paul Hutchins has died. A well known figure around the GB tennis scene when I was younger. I didn't realise he had been ill.
     
  19. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    This was not unexpected but terribly sad nonetheless.
    He was diagnosed with MND in the summer of 2018. I saw him in the autumn and he was in a wheelchair.
    I had quite a few dealings with him over the last 30 years. He was working for Puma when Gosling was 'The Puma Centre' and we took a few coaching clinics with him.
    He then moved back to the LTA,having been DC captain in '78. He was in charge of the embryonic National League and as I was captain of the Gosling team we had several encounters,especially when we reached the final in 1994/5 (?! I can't quite remember).
    He then became Head of Performance at the LTA and our paths crossed again.
    He was never less than a gentleman,kind, courteous,amiable and good humoured.
    In the present day when the federation is populated with IT nerds and nitwits,his capabilities were a stark contrast.
    RIP Paul.
     
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  20. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Nadal pulls out of his semi final against Federer in Indian Wells.

    Bit unfortunate for the paying public.
     
  21. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Ouch!
     
  22. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Wins for Thiem,coming from a set down to beat RF and wild card Bianca Andreescu of Canada who beat Kerber.
    Canada have some serious talent.
    No wonder The Smurf that is Michael Downey returned home from 'Roe ham ton' and 'Ilk clay' and 'Lei cester shire' as he was prone to say!
     
  23. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    RF has a three setter in Miami,Zverev playing like a red setter in losing to the evergreen David Ferrer.
    Edmund Blackadder plays Raonic tonight,that'll be interesting!
    Meanwhile at the manicured splendour of Harpenden LTC a county 40s and 50s practice took place yesterday.
    The captain walked around with a clipboard,writing down scores and the Harpenden players and one or two others from David Lloyd somewhere to other acted like it was Wimbledon qualies. Fist pumps,"come on" and anguished cries echoed.
    The only other sanity was provided by the two W Herts players,one of whom I played with against two Harpies.
    They look down their noses even more at this lady.First because she is somewhat unorthodox and also as she is eccentric.
    We took great delight in beating them comfortably,whilst burbling away to ourselves. This irritated the Harpies still further!
    Awareness of standards and humility still not included in the Harpenden brochure!
     
  24. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

  25. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    If I recall correctly the Murray's were never brought up as LTA players, being privately coached.
    The LTA has not been fit for purpose for 40 odd years.
     
  26. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Correct and incorrect.
    Both Andy and Jamie received funding from the federation for their junior tennis.Andy in Spain,Jamie at Hill's Road,Cambridge and then Loughborough.The family have been very critical of both venues and coaching Jamie received.They have gone as far as to say it ruined him.I know David Ison,who coached JM at HR and there is no way on God's earth he would have taught JM to produce his forehand volley as he now does.Somewhere along the way Jamie lost confidence. Cayer has done a brilliant job making Jamie a top doubles player with the game he has,or rather hasn't got. Andy's leg ups to boost his brother's ranking notwithstanding.
    Forgive me if I'm repeating myself but Andy also 'requested' Brad Gilbert as his coach.He was warned that it wouldn't work well,both being very opinionated,stubborn people. No,he insisted. Gilbert was hired. I think it lasted eight months and he was then paid off to the tune of six million.
    It is an easy story to say that the family received nothing,it fits the narrative of a hapless governing body.
    In the earlier part of this century the federation had some good ideas,Draper lost his way a little,believed his own hype,picked a stupid fight with the AELTC and we are now in the pitiful state we face today.
    This as ever is compounded by in fighting and ladder climbing by aspiring councillors and far too many NEDs on the executive,five of twelve I think.
    Meanwhile in Miami the young Canadians continue to prosper Felix AA and Shapovalov are into the QFs and ND loses to Roberto Batista Agut.it would seem all the ATP business has got to Novak.
     
    hornmeister likes this.
  27. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    Interesting thank you. My mistrust of the LTA stems from family experience.
    I was never the player my brother was who was hovering around county standard at one point but when he needed the assistance to break through the old boys network always seemed to make it difficult. Maybe it's just the impression I got at the time? All water under the bridge now of course, he's much happier pursuing a scratch handicap at golf. Fecker seems to be able to play any sport to a decent standard.
     
  28. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    This is what I remember of Tim (Sherwood) at school.
     
  29. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    You're welcome!
    Are you a Hertfordshire man Meister?
    I'd be very interested to know who put up the barriers to your brother. There is undoubtedly a large element of the "old farts' as Mr Carling would say!
    Favoured clubs: Harpenden in Herts. Favoured players etc.
    As I reported in post 338 nothing much has changed in the 36 years that I've played county/national/international tennis.
    The saddest fact is that it's not a tennis problem,it's just the jealousy,greed or hubris of dim-witted people.
     
  30. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Felix AA plays Isner in one sf and Shapovalov v RF in th other. A good could of weeks for Canada after Andrescu in IW.
    Great to see the all court game of Ash Barty in the final v Pliskova. Just think she came off the tour a few years back and played cricket for Australia!
    Some talent!
     
  31. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    Not hertfordshire and it was 25 years ago so likely everyone's moved on now.
     
  32. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Not necessarily!
    Tennis is quite a small world.
     
  33. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Barty wins in straight.
    So good to see an artist triumph when so many of the women are 'hard,harder,hardest,miss/winner' merchants.
     
  34. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    RF beats serve on a stick Isner 1&4.
    Tsitsipas loses in doubles final to Mike & Bob.
    Onto the dirt!
     
  35. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Monte Carlo hotting up as Rafa goes for his 83rd title at the MCCC,or something close to that.
    Fed Cup at Olympic Park this weekend with GB playing Kazakstan.
    Frightening thing is I played with the mums of two of the players;Sue Boulter,mother of Katie and Suzy Dart,mother of Harriet.
     

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