Will be interesting to see how Harriet gets on against the veteran.

Quick google ...

"veteran

noun

A person who has had long experience in a particular field."

Even if you view it as being more used to mean they are old, well there are clearly players that are old in pro tennis terms, and I'd say "veteran" can still be used for them without being in any way derogatory.

I was 

And nothing to do with Andy, and all to do with differing views  on the use of "veteran" in a tennis / sports context. 

You mean like a veteran troll?

Well my comment seems to have sparked a lively debate on age. Quite funny, I think.

Errani has been around for years - she is 33 and in the autumn of her career - five to ten years ago, she was better than she is now, but all that said, she remains a very good player, who has all the knowledge and skills that older players tend to have; even if physically they are declining, mentally have learned more and to some extent can compensate and some players are able to shift their game to even improve as they get older.

Veteran is an acceptable term to describe any tennis player of 33 I think - I expect Errani to be a wily opponent for Harriet, and I think that although her game isn't quite as sharp as it once was, she doesn't give many points away and is very skilled. I think Harriet will have the edge in terms of speed and power, so I think it is an intriguing contest.

I am sure as someone who is older myself, that Errani would not object to being called a veteran; the term must be much more loaded to you, Jaggy, than it is to me.

I remember playing competitive amateur football well into my thirties - one of the first times I truly felt old was when a youngster ran past me, and as I accelerated to catch him, he moved further away. I realised that in my 30's, no amount of fitness training or running would make me as fast as I had been on the wing in my 20's, and that although I could work on my stamina and general fitness to slow down the general decline, my speed was 100% certain to gradually worsen. I think all people who are getting older at sport recognise that facet of it and most are happy to talk about it openly.

And no mercy from the 24 year old. 6-0

Harriet wins 6-0 6-2