Tennis

[Stavros]

I try to follow tennis and not just once a year when Wimbledon comes around. I don't expect Andy Murray to win a grand slam in the near future, because Nadal -when fit- and Federer are still a league superior to him. I don't like Djokovic but he is hard to guage and his erratic play makes him a possible winner at Wimbledon, although this year I expect to see Nadal and Federer in the final.

What puzzles me is the aparent decline of American tennis -Roddick is a pale shadow of the player he was, and was limited anyway; but other than Mardy Fish and a couple of others, there don't seem to be any strong men coming through, and ins spite of the Williams' sisters success few women are emerging too, Melanie Oudin seems to be the next hope. Australia too has not produced a significant talent in the last 20 years other than Hewitt and Rafter when they used to produce world class players every year.

[robertlouis]

I'm a serious and reasonably good standard tennis player whose idols were always the touch players and artists rather than the deadly dull cannon-fire back court merchants who came in with Borg and now dominate the game. Federer and to a lesser extent Murray have the all-court game to emulate the likes of McEnroe, Edberg and Becker in that sense, but otherwise its essentially bang-bang till someone gets tired or makes a mistake. I find Nadal impressive and hugely admire both his commitment and power, but he's not, and never will be Federer, the most complete player I've ever seen. Hell, I'd have Roger's babies if he asked me.

The women's game is even worse. The best matches to watch nowadays for tactical variation, entertainment and technique are the doubles by a long way.

However, I'll still be glued to the box for the next fortnight and everything else can go to hell!

[Transgenderdate]

Well, Americans have really never dominated the game in recent times for the simple reason that we have so many other sports here and tennis isn't very popular amongst most middle-American kids like other sports are.

[Stavros]

Hell, I'd have Roger's babies if he asked me.

Sounds painful, possibly life-threatening activity!!

I thought tennis was solidly middle class in America, like golf...ah well...

[robertlouis]

Well, Americans have really never dominated the game in recent times for the simple reason that we have so many other sports here and tennis isn't very popular amongst most middle-American kids like other sports are.

And the Williams sisters don't dominate the women's game?

It isn't just men who play, you know.

[Stavros]

Andy Murray, the 'British No1'...Andy Murray, the best hope 'the British' have of having a grand slam champion...last time I looked he was a Scot, and as I have never met a Scot who claimed to anything other than, well, a SCOT, why do we persist with this pseudo-romantic tosh? He is not going to win Wimbledon, and quite frankly, I don't care.

Today's match between Kimiko Date-Krum and Venus Williams was great to watch, Kimiko is 40 years old and was beaten by her own errors and Williams' dynamite serves, but for artistry and a subtle reading of the game, I would have preferred to see the Japanese win -I never liked Sampras, and to me the Americans are mostly power serving brutals following his example. So there!

[Transgenderdate]

The Williams sister's are the exception. How many other women are from the USA on tour? 2?

[Stavros]

There were at least 10 women from the US other than Serena and Venus this week at Wimbledon, most have now been eliminated -they were not seeded but I assume they are somewhere in the top 100 world rankings; Melanie Oudin looked good a few years ago but seems to have lost her momentum.

[robertlouis]

Andy Murray, the 'British No1'...Andy Murray, the best hope 'the British' have of having a grand slam champion...last time I looked he was a Scot, and as I have never met a Scot who claimed to anything other than, well, a SCOT, why do we persist with this pseudo-romantic tosh? He is not going to win Wimbledon, and quite frankly, I don't care.

Thanks Stavros. I'm a Scot and find Andy Murray's adoption by the English media for two weeks every year nauseating and hypocritical in the extreme. Nor have I ever met an English person who understands, sympathises or gives a damn about the psychology and motivation of someone from Scotland, Wales, or Ireland. Centuries of independence snuffed out by political expediency in 1707. England hasn't been colonised since 1066.

Back to the tennis - Murray is by far the best player the UK and it's constituent parts have produced in living memory. He's just really unfortunate to be playing in an era which features arguably two of the greatest players ever, and he'll be past his own prime by the time that they decline. He has it in him to win grand slams, but he needs to beat his mental demons first.

And I'll add that only in the UK could a player as gifted and tough as Tim Henman ever have become a figure of fun and scorn. Best career Wimbledon stats of his time except for Sampras and Federer - no shame in that.

Oh well, back to the circus tomorrow.

[SammiValentine]

Andy Murray, the 'British No1'...Andy Murray, the best hope 'the British' have of having a grand slam champion...last time I looked he was a Scot, and as I have never met a Scot who claimed to anything other than, well, a SCOT, why do we persist with this pseudo-romantic tosh? He is not going to win Wimbledon, and quite frankly, I don't care.

is it not great britain in the davis cup ?? if so then British hope is entirely correct term for the media wank fest lol if its england,scotland , wales like football then yea good point - dont know why we do it - hard to imagine our media tossing off over a scottish gootball side before a world cup as a our "best hope" etc..lol.