2nd set tie break. Come on Joe and Rajeev.

Another fab win and what a semi to look forwards to!

Does anyone have any stats for H2H matches Jamie and Neal have played against Joe and Rajeev or , indeed, for any matches with whatever pairing combos between Joe and Jamie or Neal?

No play today as the tennis authorities want to make a statement on racial inequalities following the shooting of Jacob Blake

www.atptour.com/en/news/western-and-southern-open-statement

While I appreciate and even applaud them for making a such a statement, I fear they may also be making a rod for their own backs in the future.

JonH comes home wrote:

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Bob in Spain wrote:

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No play today as the tennis authorities want to make a statement on racial inequalities following the shooting of Jacob Blake

www.atptour.com/en/news/western-and-southern-open-statement

While I appreciate and even applaud them for making a such a statement, I fear they may also be making a rod for their own backs in the future.

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 In what way , Bob?

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It is a truly sad fact of life that these incidents are far too common in the USA.  Are they going to pause tournaments every time this happens?  Are they setting a precedent?  I understand that many will argue that these issues/protests are more important than tennis and they would be right.  But is cancelling a whole day every time this happens going to be the norm?  Should it be the norm?

In all honesty, I have more questions going around in my head than answers.  I wonder if there was a way to make an equally powerful statement without causing so much disruption to the tournament.

I just don't know.  Wish I had the answers but I don't.

Cool, understand your point. I think tennis being a global sport with the USA being only a small element relatively now (for the men) and this year finishing in 3 weeks time in the USA, means that this will probably get isolated in terms of this sport to the next few weeks.

In the USA, the key sports are the major team sports of NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL. NFL isnt playing right now, NBA and MLB clearly are taking the lead on this in terms of what the players are doing and saying. The players are a large proportion black or hispanic (in the MLB) and black in the NBA and quite rightly they are angry and want to take a stand and, it seems, the organising bodies will go with them for now. NHL seems to have had deafening silence - but it is a 99% white playing population and the players probably arent of a demographic where they will push their association to take any action, rightly or wrongly.

Tennis is a follower on this and in the States, the NBA and MLB will lead the way, and we will need to see where that takes us. Given Naomi Osaka has withdrawn, it will be interesting to see what next. Whether she is effectively penalised in rankings terms or whether any other players come out in support. Elise Mertens has a free pass to the final and must feel under personal pressure to do something, and I feel sorry for her, as she is young and doesnt deserve that. So the WTA and ATP have to take a decision together. Personally, I think they should cancel the last 4 onwards now and award all players left an equal share of the last 4 RU and winners points (and money).

Golf has been also quiet - it is the start of their Fed EX Cup 2nd play off event today, with 70 players taking part. I dont know the exact demographic but there are only 3 players who are Black on the PGA Tour (including Woods, is it Champ and also Varner?) and not sure if they are in the 70 players in the event. But I suspect there wont be any or much clamour given golf's heritage as a white, middle class, sport. I hope I am wrong but suspect we wont see anything from the PGA in the States.

Probably good that tennis is making such a stand along with some other big US sports.

But I do see the kind of dilemma Bob initially pointed to for the international tennis circuit, particularly if and when events resume more generally, not just in the US but beyond. 

While much of what is happening in the US does seem beyond the pale to so many, and somehow worse that such authority pure racist anarchy continues in the hmm land of the free, there are and will continue to be ongoing attrocities in other international tennis event nations. So do the ATP and/or WTA suspend events in say China?