ATP weeks 25-26 - Wimbledon

Ratty · County player

RE: ATP weeks 25-26 - Wimbledon

RJA · Hall of fame

Tennis36 wrote:
understandable thou, nadal vs del potro is massive

Only to Tennis fans. To the causal viewer (i.e the people who the BBC are interested in) it is just another match. The TV audiance for it will be nothing like Murray v Gasquet would have been at that time.

thegingerlightbulb · Intermediate Club Player

I agree 100% Ratty. I heard Andrew Castle and Tim Henman discussing it yesterday, with Henman saying he was against it. The problem I have with Henman's opinion, is that it's easy to take time off and watch Wimbledon when you're a millionaire, but for the rest of us we have to work during the week. I live in Canada now and it the whole of the day takes part while I'm at work (I'm a teacher, so there's no having a sneaky watch of it on the internet). Although i'm a history teacher, I have no love for this particular tradition. In this day and age it just seems daft not to allow the average person access to watching some of the best matches of the tournament. In fact playing all the fourth round matches at a time when most of us are at work is not only counter productive revenue wise, but also means that some of these great match ups will be played at the same time.

Shhh · Challenger level

I agree totally there should be play on the middle Sunday but, I think the reason there is not is because of opposition from local residents.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

I know horticultural techniques have come along way but it used to be traditional for grass courts to have a 'day off' as it were - for the grass to recover. Maybe that is also a factor?

S&V · Club Coach

Should be a great day of tennis.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Julia Carrot wrote:
I know horticultural techniques have come along way but it used to be traditional for grass courts to have a 'day off' as it were - for the grass to recover. Maybe that is also a factor?

That was certainly the reason for resting the centre court during week 2 at Nottingham on the Monday so a fair point Julia.

indiana · Tennis legend

Shhh wrote:
I agree totally there should be play on the middle Sunday but, I think the reason there is not is because of opposition from local residents.

Bah ! One additional Sunday, I'm sure they'll survive. I also used to hear that it was a good thing for all the Wimbledon employess at all levels to have the one day off to recuperate before the second week. Bah again smile The other Grand Slams just get on with it. The players and fans should come first. It is the 21st century. At least cricket realised many years ago it wasn't the brightest idea to have a rest day on a Sunday in the middle of test matches in this country.

Middle Sunday play just makes sense on all almost all levels, giving the fans more chance to watch tennis live or on TV at the ruddy weekend ( when more are free to do so ! ). It also let's the Mad Monday on the singles schedule get split between one half on Sunday and the other half on Monday. And he extra day potentially easies pressure on the whole schedule, including doubles and juniors, that might have built up through bad weather in the first week.

I'll pass to some extent on the theory of the grass needs a rest thing, being also not a horticultural expert. But given there have been plenty arguements for years about the Sunday, if it was a particularly big issue I would have expected to have heard it more clearly amplified before by the All England Club before. So my suspicion would be a day off may slightly help the grass, but that it's not a particularly big issue.

-- Edited by indiana on Sunday 26th of June 2011 11:36:42 PM

Salmon · Tennis legend

I can understand why it annoys people but I don't mind there being a rest day at Wimbledon. As far as the quality of tennis is concerned, it can only be a good thing because it allows players to recover from (minor) injuries. Fresher players equate to better tennis, I guess.

But of course, that day doesn't need to be Sunday!

indiana · Tennis legend

Salmon wrote:
I can understand why it annoys people but I don't mind there being a rest day at Wimbledon. As far as the quality of tennis is concerned, it can only be a good thing because it allows players to recover from (minor) injuries. Fresher players equate to better tennis, I guess.

But of course, that day doesn't need to be Sunday!

I don't see that at all.

Unless proposing to move back the final day and indeed later rounds, the day off for everyone on the Sunday ( or indeed any other propsed day off for all ) just swaps for some players what might otherwise have been a different day off for the Sunday.

They still have to play the same number of matches in the same amount of days.

Actually for what it's worth, I reckon that the halves of the draw that would have played Monday / Wednesday / Friday of the first week would probably prefer to then play Sunday and have an extra day's rest at the start of the second week rather than play Monday / Wednesday / Friday / Monday.

But basically, the day off for all achieves nothing for recovery times overall.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 27th of June 2011 01:56:10 AM

angry1 · Lower Club Player

indiana wrote:
I don't see that at all.
Unless proposing to move back the final day and indeed later rounds, the day off for everyone on the Sunday ( or indeed any other propsed day off for all ) just swaps for some players what might otherwise have been a different day off for the Sunday.
They still have to play the same number of matches in the same amount of days.
Actually for what it's worth, I reckon that the halves of the draw that would have played Monday / Wednesday / Friday of the first week would probably prefer to then play Sunday and have an extra day's rest at the start of the second week rather than play Monday / Wednesday / Friday / Monday.
But basically, the day off for all achieves nothing for recovery times overall.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 27th of June 2011 01:56:10 AM

I really dislike the day off for purely selfish reasons.

I reckon getting both halves of the draw playing on the same day as soon as possible to level the playing field for rest in the latter stages as much as possible is one of the reasons for not doing as you suggest and I'd prefer. I don't entirely believe that cramming either 8 days play into 7 or 2 days into 1 whichever it is, helps the grass more than a more evenly spread schedule anyway.

Spectator · All-time great

I like Middle Sunday. Think it does rest the grass and the players, evens the draw, etc. But I don't understand why they've put Murray on at noon on what is going to be the hottest day this year. Or worse yet, Hutchins -- for whom presumably that could be a real issue.

RJA · Hall of fame

Spectator wrote:
I like Middle Sunday. Think it does rest the grass and the players, evens the draw, etc. But I don't understand why they've put Murray on at noon on what is going to be the hottest day this year. Or worse yet, Hutchins -- for whom presumably that could be a real issue.

Oh come off it. The maximum forecast temperature for today at Wimbledon is 28 degrees. For tennis players who travel around the world and play in much warmer temperatures that should be nothing to worry about.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Now I know why Andy is scheduled 1st on centre, Wills and Kate in the house.

RJA · Hall of fame

1st set tie break.

Bernard Tomic has thrashed Malisse to reach the Quarter Finals.

I think he is the first qualifier to do so since Vladimir Voltchkov in 2000