Week 26/27 - Wimbledon women's main draw - grass

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

RE: Week 26/27 - Wimbledon women's main draw - grass

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Coup Droit wrote:
Enjoyed Elena's recent tweet to some ill-informed lout.

I won't post it because it's rude/crude (Bally obviously NOT happy) and would be nixed but, Elena, you're quite right girl !

I think the best thing they could do is ignore these tweets by giving them attention makes it worse. Tara seems to be doing that as well which probably isn't advisable the night before her biggest match. Having said that it might out more fire in her belly and have a good effect. We will see tomorrow I fancy her to win a set at least.

RJA · Hall of fame

Surprisingly the Daily Mail's round up of the British women's day one performance was even handed.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2347315/Wimbledon-2013-Elena-Baltacha-beaten-Flavia-Pennetta-Samantha-Murray-loses-Camila-Giorgi-Johanna-Konta-beaten-Jelena-Jankovic-Anne-Keothavong-loses-Garbine-Muguruza.html

I suspect that is only because it was written by Ivan Speck who is a genuine tennis reporter.

Long time reader · Lower Club Player

One point I don't think anyone has made is that having won one of the Nottingham challengers Bally would have got a wc even if she wasn't British, so to moan about her wc is ridiculous.

PaulM · Tennis legend

They get absolutely crucified for losing to players that are better than them. It's wrong and its unfair. If the (non-tennis) media perpetuates the idea that everything to do with British tennis is useless, that people like Anne and Bally are 'stealing a living' through wildcards, then it is going to put people off wanting to be part of the sport. I'm not saying someone like Katy Dunne or Maia Lumsden is suddenly quit because of bad press coverage (which would be ridiculous and is not what I'm saying at all - but given that's what you got from my post apologies for it coming across so literally). What I'm saying that unfair expectations and a complete lack of knowledge is unfairly damaging to the sport's image and reputation in this country and it will permeate down. It's clouds peoples judgement and will lead them towards other sports which are reported postively and encouragingly from across the levels.

If you want people to play more tennis you need good role models and a sense of excitement about the sport which people get caught up in - get them hooked and thats the hardest bit of the job done. The annual slaughter of the best players we have every Wimbledon does two things - it turns players who are actually fantastic role models for any young person into public failures, and it shrouds the sport in a huge amount of negativity (which remains if Andy doesn't win).

I read something about Sam Murray losing to an Italian noone has ever heard of before. Well you might not have, but if you did your job as a journalist (and you know, did a bit of research) or knew anything about tennis you'd know Giorgi has a big game which is devastating when on, is very talented, and reached the 4th round after qualifying last year. Sam went out there, did her best, lost 63 64. Big whoop. The world is not over because she lost a match that she had only a very small chance of winning, but reading the papers you'd think she was one of the worst people to ever play tennis and should be immediately quitting to go take a job in Tesco.

And I completely disagree about the press not imagining things. They most certainly do. They imagine that because you have "GBR" next to your name you should suddenly become a total world beater just because its Wimbledon. A bad performance should be criticised of course, but I don't think any of our girls played badly yesterday. And in any event it needs to always be put into perspective, you know with some facts.

Kyle is getting let off this year because it's his first one and the (non-tennis) media are talking him up as some kind of future Grand Slam champion. If in 12 months time he still needs a wildcard, and loses in round 1 the (non-tennis) media will be on his back too.

The NCR podcast said something very interesting in relation to the Serena-Sharapova drama, that non-tennis journalists (in this case Rolling Stone, but they mentioned Vogue in relation to Laura's comments a few years ago) come in, drop a bomb, and then get the hell out leaving everyone else to pick up the pieces.

That is what Wimbledon is - it's a time when a bunch of journalists who know nothing suddenly become tennis experts for a fortnight, write a whole load of crap, then bugger off again.

-- Edited by PaulM on Tuesday 25th of June 2013 09:36:54 AM

steven · Tennis legend

L128: (WC) Samantha Murray WR 235 lost to Camila Giorgi (ITA) WR 93 (CH 73 in Feb) by 3 & 4
L128: (WC) Anne Keothavong WR 217 lost to Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP) WR 59 (= CH) by 4 & 0
L128: (WC) Johanna Konta WR 137 lost to (16) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) WR 14 (CH 1 in 2008) by 2 & 5
L128: (WC) Elena Baltacha WR 167 lost to Flavia Pennetta (ITA) WR 166 (CH 10 in 2009) by 4 & 1

L128: Laura Robson WR 38 v (10) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) WR 10 (= CH, defending Wimbledon 2012 QF points) - 2nd on Court 1 after 13.00 BST
L128: (WC) Tara Moore WR 194 v Kaia Kanepi (EST) WR 46 (CH 15 in 2012, QF-ist in 2010) - 4th on Court 17
L128: Heather Watson WR 56 v Madison Keys (USA) WR 52 (= CH) - 1st on Court 2 at 11.30 BST

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Long time reader wrote:
One point I don't think anyone has made is that having won one of the Nottingham challengers Bally would have got a wc even if she wasn't British, so to moan about her wc is ridiculous.

That is a very good point one probably missed by the 2 week tennis journalists and moaning tweeters alike.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Regardless of specific results, I don't like to see seats empty when lots of others would love to have the use of them.

This applies equally to classical concerts (where it's a problem)

If the seats have to be ticketed, for whatever reason, I would propose a system whereby, if play is due to start at 11.30, any seat that is empty as of 12 (i.e. 30 mins after) becomes available to anyone (with tickets to another court) queuing who would like it. At the end of that match, the 'stand-in' spectator has to leave the court and the seat is once again free for the original paying person (subject again to them being there within 30 mins of the next match starting).

However, I'm not blaming crowd support for results. I watched quite a lot of the first round matches involving qualifiers yesterday. They're all, by definition, playing people ranked higher than them (although not always by very much). There was barely any crowd noise, even at the excellent shots. And yet quite a few played great and won.

There's no excuse for the press being nasty and personal (which they are sometimes) or ignorant and ill-informed (which they are a lot of the time) but their frustration (and the public's frustration) at the British results, and the level in general, is perfectly understandable.

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Tuesday 25th of June 2013 12:26:28 PM

Spectator · All-time great

Lovely interview with Ms Baltacha - thanks, Steven, for the link. She is an inspiration, both in terms of her own drive and in terms of what she's doing to further tennis generally. Glad she didn't stay retired!

korriban · Challenger level

Good luck to all of our girls today!!! Tara has the weight of being a sole WC GB winner on her shoulders. Laura and Heather have very winnable, but also very losable matches to play.

I think Laura should be forced to watch yesterday's Rafa Nadal match again and again to inspire her to work harder than everyone else in the women's game on her speed, fitness, movement and micro footwork. Here was a player famed for all of the above, with arguably the greatest forehand the game has ever seen (Laura could be close to one of those one day), and the fighting spirit of a lion, reduced to UE after UE on his forehand and unable to stay in rallies running out wide to his left or having to sprint forwards or having to bend low on his forehand. Sound familiar!?

Laura's problems with consistency, in the main, are nothing more than being too slow to the ball or an inability to micro-position herself with good footwork for every shot, time and time again. Even Rafa looked like nothing more than an ordinary player without this attribute, unless the ball was easily within his hitting zone.

If she doesn't sort this out over the next couple of years, it may be too late (bad habits ingrained too deeply). But she CAN and hopefully WILL.

Once again, go get em Tara, Hev and Laura!

PaulM · Tennis legend

I can't help but feel massively protective of the girls at this time of year. The amount of crap they have to put up with is unreal.

And people wonder why we don't produce more tennis players, what young player sitting there with different sporting options would want to put themselves through all that crap.

korriban · Challenger level

PaulM wrote:
I can't help but feel massively protective of the girls at this time of year. The amount of crap they have to put up with is unreal.

And people wonder why we don't produce more tennis players, what young player sitting there with different sporting options would want to put themselves through all that crap.

I couldn't disagree more. So what you are saying is that we don't produce more tennis players because of the criticism they might have to face if they aren't very good. This is like my 10 year old who tells me he misbehaves because of the telling off he's going to get when he misbehaves (lack of logic and a large dose of cheek runs in the family)!

If our GB girls don't perform year after year, then either they are not really talented athletes in the first place (which if it happens to GB girls coming through the GB system so consistently, is an issue about recruitment), or they are talented but don't work hard enough or want it enough. I do happen to think that tennis, for various reasons, is not perceived as a good option for our most talented male and female athletes to choose as a career, but this has absolutely nothing to do with being put off by press criticism.

The reason the press wheel out the same story every year is simply because the same thing happens year after year.....the press doesn't imagine it!!!

The press have been exceptionally complimentary about Kyle, for example, even though he lost because he is improving so quickly, because he shows a winning mentality, and because he clearly is working behind the scenes day-in day-out in a manner which is consistent with being a great player of the future. I believe the press have always been very complimentary about Heather for exactly the same reasons.....a fighter, a worker and very professional....maximising what talent she has. The press have been more critical of others where they perceive limited talent or talent not being maximised, even wasted through lack of application. In general, whether we GB tennis fans like it or not, I think those criticisms are completely fair in the main.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Super display from Laura. Plenty of winners on the run; which is somewhat unusual for her, even her defence was good. Level dropped slightly towards the end but still came up with some great shots in amongst a few too many errors in those last 6 games. Kirilenko played a decent match; just couldn't cope with the sheer number of brilliant shots coming from Robson including 2 superb return winners off first serves on break point.

The tedious stats:

Unreturned serves R 19 (including 8 aces) - K 17 (including 2 aces)

Winners (not including aces) R 22 - K 6

Aggressive shots that resulted in forced errors R 10 - K 7

Unforced errors (not including unreturned 2nd serves) R 17 - K 11

-- Edited by kundalini on Tuesday 25th of June 2013 04:07:28 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Well, watching this match and having watched her match against Kiki Mlad., I'm a real Tara fan. And what with Joko too, (and of course the others), all of them young, there's no depth to women's tennis at the moment but those at the top look GOOD !

NB and that's without even counting Lisa and Sam as hangers on to the leading pack . . ..

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Tuesday 25th of June 2013 04:54:28 PM

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

It's a good match. Tara even seems to be enjoying it. Lovely forehand pass to break.

-- Edited by kundalini on Tuesday 25th of June 2013 05:00:03 PM