Wimbledon R1: IT'S BOGGO TIME!

steven · Tennis legend

RE: Wimbledon R1: IT'S BOGGO TIME!

steven · Tennis legend

Talking of WCs chucking away dream draws, Taylor Dent is 2 sets and a break down to another grass court clown, Gimeno-Traver.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

juts got back. was disappointing obviously.

Berdy played a very strong game, when his 1st serve was in it seemed to be either finding the t or hitting the wide line. alex did get a look at some 2nd serves, but i feel he got his tactics wrong and was trying to be too aggressive and he put too many long. i think the way the match proceeded it didn't allow alex to find any rhythm.

really alex needed to play at his best and for bedry to have and off day and that just didnt happen.

some +ives though alex's serving was good. he seems to be going for his 2nd serve more now, it was just unfortunate that when he let his level drop berdy was always waiting to pounce. nor did alex give up. ignoring dubs's alex next event will be Manchester so hopefully if he can keep his grass game strong he cna gets a few wins under his belt there.

also from what i under stand he stood upfor himself in the conference after. i think a jurno suggested he should retire because of this loss, and alex basically listed the 8 players he lost to and said would you retire after that?

Silver · County player

It'll be fun reading about this tomorrow.

You can almost picture it now, regardless of the way he played, Boggo's most likely going to get slated. Guarantee you at least one will have him. Which is a wonderful way of encouraging future players to come into the game isn't it? Lose a match or two and SCORN SCORN SCORN from the media.

Wonderfully encouraging. Hence why I never went into journalism in the end.

Scratchy · Club Coach

Count Zero wrote:

juts got back. was disappointing obviously.

Berdy played a very strong game, when his 1st serve was in it seemed to be either finding the t or hitting the wide line. alex did get a look at some 2nd serves, but i feel he got his tactics wrong and was trying to be too aggressive and he put too many long. i think the way the match proceeded it didn't allow alex to find any rhythm.

really alex needed to play at his best and for bedry to have and off day and that just didnt happen.

some +ives though alex's serving was good. he seems to be going for his 2nd serve more now, it was just unfortunate that when he let his level drop berdy was always waiting to pounce. nor did alex give up. ignoring dubs's alex next event will be Manchester so hopefully if he can keep his grass game strong he cna gets a few wins under his belt there.

also from what i under stand he stood upfor himself in the conference after. i think a jurno suggested he should retire because of this loss, and alex basically listed the 8 players he lost to and said would you retire after that?

Fair play to Alex for giving them the time of day.
Thing is, the jouno's in this country will always prey on the negatives.
Alex did okay today, he can hold his head up high(ish)!!!

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Dent managed to battle back to claim the 3rd set when bad light stopped play. Would be embarassing for him to lose to Gimeno-Traver.

Vandenburg · Futures level

population of 60 million,facilties,money stable life, economy and no civil war
= 1 player in top 100

will the child on the street with a ASBO on the street go and play tennis,
no because hes not allowed to enter the club! not posh enough

This time of year and wimbledon highlight everything wrong with british tennis

the crowd full of toffs from guilford and the line judges who are 70+

one word elitism

how can a population of 7 million produce 22 grand slam single titles(Wilander,Borg, Edberg,Johanson)

becasue anyone is allowed to play the game,you dont have to be part of posh social group.

fschallenger · Improver

I AGREE TOTALLY, TENNIS ISNT PLAYED ANYWERE BUT AT PRIVATE OR TOFFY CLUBS, AT SCHOOL TENNIS WASNT ON THE CURRICULUM, RUGBY WAS THEMAIN SPORT, GET IT PL;AYED IN SCHOOLS AND GET THE COURTS OPEN TO ALL AGES AND CLASS. I AVE JUST COME BACK FROM THE CANARIES AND ALL I SAW WAS YOUNGSTERS PLAYIN TENNIS EVERYWERE. IN THE HOTEL THERE WAS COURTS BUT THERE WAS NO BRITS PLAYIN, JUST THE GERMANS AND DUTCH, AND SPANISH. AND WEN THE COURTS CLOSED ALL THE LOCALS USED THE COURTS. WE NEED GET MORE PEOPLE INTERESTED AND PLAYIN.WAT A SAD DAY FOR BRIT TENNIS TODAY. I WILL STILL WATCH IT AS I LOVE MY TENNIS, AND I THINK MURRAY WILL WIN THIS YEAR,, COME ON ANDY.

Drew · Jun 23, 2009

Vandenburg wrote:

population of 60 million,facilties,money stable life, economy and no civil war
= 1 player in top 100

will the child on the street with a ASBO on the street go and play tennis,
no because hes not allowed to enter the club! not posh enough

This time of year and wimbledon highlight everything wrong with british tennis

the crowd full of toffs from guilford and the line judges who are 70+

one word elitism

how can a population of 7 million produce 22 grand slam single titles(Wilander,Borg, Edberg,Johanson)

becasue anyone is allowed to play the game,you dont have to be part of posh social group.

I have disagreed / deleted many things you have posted...but not this.

In France it is the same. Tennis is a working mans game. Like football.

We will continue to struggle to produce top class players if tennis continues to be elitist and class based.

Vandenburg · Futures level

The swedish system works like this

you play tennis in school. If you are good you get sent to your local club for trials aged 11-13, and then sent to county(state)

theres is no money involved in payiing for everything.

you dont have to have loaded parents with BMW to pay for lessons and for to have membership in a club.

and dont ever go with the whole aussie argument that its the weather!

DUSTY DICK · Club Coach

Alexd was never likely to win this one given the draw. Pity really after doing so well at Eastbourne that he drew a seed.

steven · Tennis legend

An absolutely storming performance from Boggo in his press conference today http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/interviews/2009-06-23/200906231245781426000.html - you'd hardly believe it was him. I'm tempted to paste in the whole thing, so I will - it's great to see him telling it how it is instead of just sitting back and taking the bashing:

Q. Pretty disappointing. You were in there each set. Just didn't work out for you.

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: Yeah, definitely. I felt I played a good match out there. Just when it came down to crucial points, games towards the end, you know, I made a few mistakes. He obviously took advantage of that.

And I think when you play at such a high level, it's just difficult to kind of you know, he takes advantage straightaway, and, you know, the set is over.

Q. Eight years in a row now, isn't it, that you've not got past the first round? How does that feel?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: Well, it's difficult. Obviously, it's tough. I come here every year expecting myself to win. You know, it's obviously the eighth year. I can't get past the first round.

But you look back at the draws I've had. They haven't been easy: from, I don't know, Escude, Sargsian, Nadal, Berdych. These guys are all top players. Obviously, champions, as well. All you can do is just go out there and, you know, do your best.

Q. Was there ever a time in those eight years that you thought you should have got through?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: I think maybe one winnable match. I think I played one year Kevin Kim. That was definitely a winnable match for me. The other matches were pretty tough.

One year I played Guccione. When you get a guy that serves as big as him, it's difficult to kind of match that.

Q. I think you have the worst record of any man here. How does that make you feel?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: Well, you know, I'm not really concerned about that. You know, I go out there every year, you know, trying to win my match, do my best. You know, it doesn't matter if I lose eight times, ten times.

But, you know, when you're against players like Federer, Nadal, I don't think it's just tough matches. What can you do?

You know, like maybe if I'm back here next year, or I qualify, or if I'm in with my ranking, I could play Federer again. You know, it could be nine times. I'm not really concerned about that.

It's just every year I'm making progress, if I'm getting better, what the things I need to work on.

Q. Do you think you are getting better?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: I think I am. Definitely every year I'm getting better and stronger. This is giving me confidence just to keep working hard and keep believing that I can get myself back in the top hundred, where I believe I deserve.

Q. Twelve months ago we sat in this room after your last defeat, and you said you were determined to keep coming back until you did win. Is that still your mindset?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: Yeah, definitely. I mean, you know, all year round I keep working hard, you know, busting my balls all the way round just to win my match, get my ranking up, to play in tournaments like these, the best tournaments in the world. I'm still really motivated.

Today's defeat, it's difficult. But Tomas was a better player today. No doubt about that. But I know I'll be back here.

Q. Do you enjoy it here?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: I do. I do. It's the best tournament in the world, and the atmosphere is just unbelievable. And, you know, looking back from my eight defeats, every single match I've enjoyed out there.

Q. Why do you do so badly then? Why do you never win here?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: As I said, look at my draw. Look at the players I've played. You know, I think all the players I've played were higher ranked than me, and that's why I get a wild card, because my ranking's not high enough.

When you're up against Federer, you know, Nadal, Berdych, Escude, all great grass court players. You know, all you can do is go out there and fight for every ball and do your best on the day.

Q. There has been some questioning about the fact that you get a wild card all the time. Do you ever think to yourself, Oh, don't give me a wild card, let me try and qualify? Do you ever have that in your mindset to ease the pressure in some way?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: Well, no. I mean, I've been criticized for how many wild cards I got. But, you know, to be honest with you, you know, they set the rules. You know, they set the criteria. I think their criteria was inside to be 250.

You know, it wasn't my decision, you know, to get a wild card there. Obviously they made the decision. All I can do is go out there all year round, you know, travel, work hard, and try to win my matches and to see.

If I didn't get one this year, you know, yeah, I would have been in the qualifying. That's as simple as that really.

Q. So you'll be back next year?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: I'll be back next year, for sure, yeah.

Q. Does it bother you that you get all this stick?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: No. I mean, it's difficult. People criticize me for the wild cards. But I believe if someone's working really hard, doing their best, and you know, they come short every year...

You know, I think I was British No. 2 for a long time, you know. If I was like 5 or 6, then obviously I don't deserve a wild card. But if I'm out there, you know, and there's no one else better than me, then, you know, whether it's 8, 9, 10, you know, maybe one time I get a good draw, win a few matches, you get a momentum, anything can happen, you know.

People can just they see they say I lost first round, but when you lose against players like Federer, Nadal, all these guys, it's easy just to criticize.

Q. What do you think you'll do if and when you do finally win one? Have you pictured that moment?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: Obviously, it would be a great moment for me. I'll be happy. But, you know, you don't live to win just one match here.

Like next week, two weeks, I've got a tournament in Manchester. My goal is to go out there and win my first round in Manchester and slowly build my way up to the top.

Even if I come here next year and win a match, you know, it's not a big deal. It's not just that one match; it's a long journey for me.

Q. What about the Davis Cup? You didn't get picked.

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: Yup.

Q. What are your views on that as the No. 2, not getting picked for the Davis Cup?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: That's up to John. Obviously I've played a few Davis Cups. It's his decision, really. There's a lot of good players coming up. Obviously, Josh has been playing really well. James has been playing really well.

I think it's fair for them to have a shot, as well. I've played too many. And John knows how I play, you know, if I can play as well than other guys.

But, you know, if he chooses them, then fair enough, because they've been playing well, as well.

Q. You're in the men's doubles. Will you be entering the mixed doubles as well?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: Yeah, I've signed in with Melanie South.

Q. You'll have three shots at it this time?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: Yeah, it's always nice to play as many matches as possible. It's the best tournament in the world. I really enjoy playing here.

Q. How many years do you think you have left in you?

ALEX BOGDANOVIC: I mean, I'm 25. You know, people you know, who knows? I could be back here for another five years. You know, if I get injured, you just don't know.

But I'm still motivated. I still have my goals. I want to keep working at it.

-- Edited by steven on Tuesday 23rd of June 2009 11:02:37 PM

The Hoose · Satellite level

Fair play to Boggo. Faced the press and came back with some positive answers. Do I sense an attitude shift in the last few weeks?

Count Zero · Tennis legend

good response from boggo. i think he took some time and composed himself b4 going to see the press, he would have known what was coming and had answers kind of worked out.

thegingerlightbulb · Intermediate Club Player

Yeah that was a good interview. If been critical of him in the past but he played well yesterday and was always going to be up against it.

I think he is the scapegoat for all British failures especially on the men's side (where people seem to care more about the results).

In general I think we have a shot of having a decent pool of talent on the men's side. Evans, Willis, Cox and Smeathurst should all make the top 200 in the near future and maybe Milton will too. They probably wont ever be top 50 players but at least it will be a step in the right direction.