The Times and other media

SMC1809 · All-time great

The Times

steven · Tennis legend

SMC1809 wrote:

So he's missed Jamie Baker's rise of about 600 places since last year? He should have a look at Steven's T25 table before making this kind of statement.

Thanks for the plus wink

but in fairness, what he says is:

"A look at the rankings from a year ago today reveals that all but one of the top 10 British men have since slipped back in the rankings."

i.e. he's considering what has happened to the GB top 10 from a year ago since then. I'm not sure that's the best way of looking at it, but it does make his statement accurate.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

i was wondering about the statement too, i think Stevens interpretation is probably how its meant to be viewed rather than who is currently inside the top 10.

Imagine how bad it would be if last years top 10 all slipped, and yet no one fresh had moved into that bracket either!

edit: i'm not sure he's saying who to give the wild cards too based on that, but just making a point that Boggo is the only improver from last years top 10. if all you're looking is relatvie positions over a year then you cant really judge against this year's.

-- Edited by Count Zero on Monday 17th of May 2010 08:51:07 AM

SMC1809 · All-time great

"lies, damn lies and statistics"

indiana · Tennis legend

Interesting, and definitely what should happen as I've said before re Boggo. But what should happen often doesn't to Boggo

I note that the article mentions the "exemption of under 18 players" to the LTA's stance of being WR 250 or better to be recommended for a main draw WC. What I have read from the LTA has just talked about "younger" players before.

If however they have actually defined that as under 18 ( or possibly actually 18 and under or 1992 and later born if Heather qualifies ) then Boggo would appear to be the only real candidate for a men's main draw WC from GB. Such as the Dans Evans and Smethurst would be too old and such as Golding and Morgan not really achieved enough and so far forward yet for this to be their time.

Re the discussions about the rankings of the top 10, I agree that he must be referring to those who were in the top 10 a year ago ( which would then be true ) and that could of been made clearer. However, that in itself is not how we would want it, I would hope we are not saying the same about the current top 10 in a year's time. Of course there are such as Marray and Fleming where the reasons are clear and indeed injuries have affected a few others, but still....

Maybe a more relevant and still worrying statistic is if you look at the WR of the GB no 1 to 10 now compared to a year ago ( irrespective of who holds that GB ranking ) then only 2 WRs are better now. GB no 2 ( Boggo in both years ), improving from 198 to 161 and the GB No 10, improving from 504 to 483.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 17th of May 2010 10:38:31 AM

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

I couldn't help but smile to myself when I read the third leader in yesterday's paper on the train on the way home. Dunno about anybody else, but I kinda like it

:

Line Judges

Wimbledon's appointment of a Championships Poet came too late, alas, for Betjeman

With apologies to A Subaltern's Love Song, John Betjeman's love poem to Miss Joan Hunter Dunn:

.

Roger is ready, the tournament's begun,

Rafa stands burnish'd by Wimbledon sun,

The two Williams sisters are eager to play,

Andy sits brooding, but he's like that all day!

.

A forehand, a volley, a backhand, a pass,

A daring drop volley lands dead on the grass,

A finely sliced backhand, and Roger has won!

(A backhanded compliment, do pardon the pun)

.

The ballboys all nervously kneel in their place,

Hoping to avoid being struck by an ace,

Crouching in corners, and alongside the net,

Each ready to sprint, if the serve is a "let".

.

Dave is on Centre, with George, Vince and Nick,

Leaving us wondering: who gets on whose wick?

The service is broken, the players change ends,

One wins and one loses. But do they stay friends?

.

Andy's perfecting his new brand of tennis,

One part Rod Laver to fifteen parts menace,

But whatever the fixture - small or grand slam,

He's always in earshot of shrieks from his mam.

.

Gordon need no longer pretend he's a fan,

Because after the election didn't go quite to plan

He's a free man again, with no duty to show,

Though many still want to tell him where to go.

.

It's the Wimbledon final - Roger v Murray,

Federer is floundering, in too much of a hurry,

The Scot serves an ace, the Championship's won!

. . . And still Andy looks like he's having no fun.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

helki · Futures qualifying

Oh that the last verse proves to be true, but... wink

Count Zero · Tennis legend

not tennis but it made me smile:

Ninjas Chase muggers in Sydney

Here's the Times article on it.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle7131610.ece

And here's the edited highlights:

the specialised warrior art of Ninjutsu, an ancient martial art focusing on stealth, pressure points and weaponry.

"We started running at them, yelling and everything."

The muggers got away with the student's mobile phone and iPod.

The world's wosrt ninjas!!

-- Edited by Count Zero on Monday 24th of May 2010 08:22:46 AM

Count Zero · Tennis legend

snippet from Net Post:

One of the highlights of the British sporting summer is the Grand Prix at Silverstone the week after Wimbledon. The profile of the event is such that BBC Radio Five Live is dispatching the excellent Jonathan Overend to host the event. Overs is the BBCs tennis correspondent and that same weekend, Great Britain host Turkey at Eastbourne in a crucial Davis Cup tie. It is a further indication of how far British tennis aside from Queens and Wimbledon has fallen off the BBC map that they would rather their tennis correspondent spends a few days in Nottinghamshire watching cars going round bends rather than in Sussex, going round the bend keeping up with tennis balls.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

Annacone to step down at end of year

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article7136923.ece

also mention JB got the Carson WC as part of a deal with the LTA/USTA:

Baker, who has been granted a wild card into the ATP Challenger in Carson California in a deal between the LTA and the USTA.

i wonder what the USTA have been given in return? consdiering i think i saw mention that JB's ranking would have been enough for a DA here had he entered on time this seems like a move by the LTA to try and make sure they have someone other than Boggo fitting their Wimby WC criteria? Does anyone else rember the LTA doind WC deals before?

philwrig · Hall of fame

Annacone standing down no surprise as he had performed poorly on a large salary.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

True, but I also wouldn't be surprised to learn that his hands were tied to some extent by bureaucracy. (and yes a man of principle perhaps should have quit sooner iof that was the case, but the LTA are generous employers salary wise)

the article mentions Boggo choosing to go alone in respect of coaching, but of course he had to as the LTA dropped him. From everything Alex has told me he's always got on well with Paul.

steven · Tennis legend

Count Zero wrote:

Annacone to step down at end of year

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article7136923.ece

also mention JB got the Carson WC as part of a deal with the LTA/USTA:

Baker, who has been granted a wild card into the ATP Challenger in Carson California in a deal between the LTA and the USTA.

i wonder what the USTA have been given in return?

Probably a WC for Wimby (or Queen's, which is actually in the LTA's gift, I think) - perfectly fair swap for a US Challenger WC, don't you think?

I hope that's not true, but equally I hope the USTA haven't been given one for the Nottingham Challenger either, since lots of Brits could do with them.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

Exactly, my fear is that its wont be an even trade, if it a WC for a WC it wont be, we have 1 GS, 2 ATP's and 3 challengers compared to what.... well a hell of a lot more. So in comparison each WC here is effectively more valuable.

hopefully its allowing some Americans to use the NTC facilities when they are here, I'd go with that. not the grass courts mind, they don't have enough for the Brits as is.

But also what were the LTA's reasoning behind this I'm interested in. is this a new policy (potentially a good thing) or a 1 off to try and help JB make the Wimby WC cut (possibly not so good, or not that fair perhaps).

or maybe OEM got it wrong and the LTA had no involvement?