(WC) Ken Skupski & Jo Konta CR 320 (125+195) d. Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi & Vera Dushevina (PAK/RUS) CR 186 7-6(5) 7-5
Well done.
Edit: Lots of us quick on the draw for this one!
They'd just taken the first set when I left work, so I'm thrilled to come home to find that they were able to maintain their momentum. A bit of a step-up in the next round, though:
R2: (WC) Ken Skupski & Jo Konta CR 320 (125+195) vs (8) Daniel Nestor & Kristina Mladenovic (CAN/FRA) CR 30 (23+7)
Shocking, the Telegraph reports that the Veterans have been told to take their events more seriously.
And to think that I missed this outstanding entertainment:
Whilst the invitation doubles are not taken as seriously as the main draw and are largely played for entertainment, organisers are also hoping to avoid a repeat of last years delays when flamboyant Frenchman Henri Leconte monkeyed around mid-match.
Leconte, who is playing again this year, interrupted play several times, celebrating his 51st birthday by opening a bottle of champagne in between sets and inviting a little boy from the stands on to the court.
He finished by getting a rendition of Happy Birthday from the spectators.
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"Where Ratty leads - the rest soon follow" (Professor Henry Brubaker - The Institute of Studies)
They have already been taking the mick and having a real laugh at how Simon and Monfils managed to get themselves on Centre Court (supposedly an all-french encounter has never been on Centre Court - which is not that surprising really - but managed to happen on Saturday when it was too dark elsewhere for them to finish the match and it got moved). Gallic cunning .....
And then they were egging Monfils on so that it would go over the 23h hour mark (the 'no ball to be hit after 11p.m.' was found to be truly hilarious by the French - and Spaniards). Monfils actually publicly apologised, not for losing but for folding too quickly and not making it drag out long enough to hit the mark.
The white underwear rule obviously comes in for a lot of p**-taking and dodgy comments. As does any other example of crustiness and blazer-ness.
Telling Henri Leconte to act 'more seriously' will be the cherry on the cake.....
£50,000 each for the winners of this, er, "tournament"! Unbelievable stuff.
I find it absolutely ridiculous in a Slam tournament with that sort of money that folk seriously talk about etiquette re big men servers serving to women and even moreso the fact that there is indeed etiquette. Try, but not too hard !!!! What sort of supposed top level sport is this ??!
Nice for Andy and Laura to get Olympic silver medals from it, but frankly Olympic tennis mixed doubles is just about the most absurd Olympic sport there is.
Hey, pick your partner ( or be given a partner ) almost at the last minute from your fellow nationals that are going to be around even if you've not played mixed doubles in absolute ages let alone with your partner, then play two sets and a MTB if sets go one all.
With the dedication and the years that are put in by so many Olympic competitors in so many sports, Olympic tennis mixed doubles is an absolute farce and Slam mixed doubles a rather well rewarded diversion.
-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 7th of July 2015 02:22:16 PM
A least the others are played regularly. Mixed doubles is only played professionally 4 times a year other than Olympic year and most of the pairings are not even Olympic teams....