Week 26 - Wimbledon Ladies Qualifying, Great Britain Grass

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

RE: Week 26 - Wimbledon Ladies Qualifying

markymc1983 · Club Coach

Andrew Castle the new Mystic Meg

PaulM · Tennis legend

Stefanini wins 11-9 to complete the set.

the addict · Tennis legend

PaulM wrote:
An enthralling match between Stefanini and Hseih sullied slightly by Hseih taking a MTO at 9-9* in the final set breaker after saving two match points.

Doesn't feel right.

Well Sefanni won the tie-break 11-9 to qualify.

I make it that Tauson [3], Townsend [9], Korpatsch [19] and Hibino [22] are the four highest seeded losers

RJH1962 · Intermediate Club Player

Jaggy1876 wrote:
markymc1983 wrote:
Crispy wrote:
Castle picks out random Asian woman in sunglasses in the crowd and asks if it's Hsieh... despite the fact she's about to play. GIVE ME STRENGTH.
He also said that she had lost despite her match not even starting yet
Hes a horrible man is Castle no redeeming features in his analysis. Why was he picked over others for a womens match. Laura or Naomi etc would have done so much better. In fact anyone would.
I nearly punched my iPad off the table when he said nobody cares about someone making the FQR they have to make the main draw. What a prat. He then finished by making a comment about the average British wage. Get him off our TV!

Think I'm going to be in a minority here by saying I don't mind his commentary!!!

PaulM · Tennis legend

He works fine for me as the 'daft' one who sets up the more technical/expert contributions from his co-commentator with questions (that they probably know the answer to it's just to generate the conversation). All pairings usually have this, it's the role Sam Smith does excellently - "why do you think?, "is that happening because of Y", "what would you suggest they do differently here?" Etc.... Where I think he falls down for me is where he's in a combo where he's supposed to be the "expert" analyst because so much of what he says is illinformed or just wrong.

-- Edited by PaulM on Thursday 29th of June 2023 06:32:02 PM

markymc1983 · Club Coach

RJH1962 wrote:
Jaggy1876 wrote:
markymc1983 wrote:
Crispy wrote:
Castle picks out random Asian woman in sunglasses in the crowd and asks if it's Hsieh... despite the fact she's about to play. GIVE ME STRENGTH.
He also said that she had lost despite her match not even starting yet
Hes a horrible man is Castle no redeeming features in his analysis. Why was he picked over others for a womens match. Laura or Naomi etc would have done so much better. In fact anyone would.
I nearly punched my iPad off the table when he said nobody cares about someone making the FQR they have to make the main draw. What a prat. He then finished by making a comment about the average British wage. Get him off our TV!
Think I'm going to be in a minority here by saying I don't mind his commentary!!!

Hes ok as long as you dont mind a myriad of inaccuracies and a lack of depth or knowledge of the modern game, oh and the slight white middle class privilege he embodies. Honestly I had to turn off earlier when he stated a random Asian woman in the crowd, probably in her 40s and in day wear, was Su Wei Hseih

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

PaulM wrote:
He works fine for me as the 'daft' one who sets up the more technical/expert contributions from his co-commentator with questions (that they probably know the answer to it's just to generate the conversation). All pairings usually have this, it's the role Sam Smith does excellently - "why do you think?, "is that happening because of Y", "what would you suggest they do differently here?" Etc.... Where I think he falls down for me is where he's in a combo where he's supposed to be the "expert" analyst because so much of what he says is illinformed or just wrong.

-- Edited by PaulM on Thursday 29th of June 2023 06:32:02 PM

I admit to quite liking John Inverdale in this reagrd - the stooge - the fall guy - as you say, the idiot man as a foil for the straight guy

Andrew Castle is borderline - he does have a certain listenablity - unlike John Lloyd who has zero redeeming features whatsoever - but, yes, Castle's white middle class privilege-ness really sticks in your throat at time - that whole thing today as to whether Billy's dad looked like a kitchen manufacturer/fitter was just SO cringeworthy, not to mention the whole 'mum' bit about Anna Brogan - anyone would have thought it was a 12 year-old on her first girl scout trip rather than a professional sportswoman.

Elegant Point · Satellite level

Coup Droit wrote:
PaulM wrote:
He works fine for me as the 'daft' one who sets up the more technical/expert contributions from his co-commentator with questions (that they probably know the answer to it's just to generate the conversation). All pairings usually have this, it's the role Sam Smith does excellently - "why do you think?, "is that happening because of Y", "what would you suggest they do differently here?" Etc.... Where I think he falls down for me is where he's in a combo where he's supposed to be the "expert" analyst because so much of what he says is illinformed or just wrong.

-- Edited by PaulM on Thursday 29th of June 2023 06:32:02 PM
I admit to quite liking John Inverdale in this reagrd - the stooge - the fall guy - as you say, the idiot man as a foil for the straight guy
Andrew Castle is borderline - he does have a certain listenablity - unlike John Lloyd who has zero redeeming features whatsoever - but, yes, Castle's white middle class privilege-ness really sticks in your throat at time - that whole thing today as to whether Billy's dad looked like a kitchen manufacturer/fitter was just SO cringeworthy, not to mention the whole 'mum' bit about Anna Brogan - anyone would have thought it was a 12 year-old on her first girl scout trip rather than a professional sportswoman.

Only time I saw Castle, he was telling a group of 13 year old Road to Wimbledon players (my son included) who were quietly watching him hit, to go and find something else to do hmm Tim Henman on the other hand chatted to and had photos with them all!

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Its interesting the ones on here who defend Castle on here, hes fine for me etc. White middle class men of a certain party, the types that are responsible for him being a constant.

Inverdale is a lot more knowledgable and although hes made mistakes over the years he seems to
Have owned them and is a far better human being than Castle as highlighted by the poster above.

KK · Club Coach

And yet Castle has been keen to show off how left-wing he is. Can anyone remember his demonstration? Many years ago now. I think he was still a player, but cant quite remember. I would write him down as a metropolitan elite like Emily Thornberry sneering at white van man and the remainders who referred to the ignorant northern masses voting for brexit.

-- Edited by KK on Friday 30th of June 2023 07:06:15 AM

KK · Club Coach

I wish the apostrophes I type in wouldnt disappear!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I've no idea on this forum who are white, Conservative middle class men and I'm not going to assume one way or the other.
But Castle's comments yesterday finally led me to write one of my 'complaining' letters (which I've blasted off to several places) and I've also mentioned it on every single Wimbledon feedback review I've filled out this week (namely, four) - under the Question:
'What could be do better to make your day Outstanding?'
- Answer: not have Lloyd and Castle doing the inane and insulting commentaries that are, unfortunately, miked up so you can't escape them if you're anywhere near the big screen.
The person I went with has done the same so that makes eight.

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

Coup Droit wrote:
I've no idea on this forum who are white, Conservative middle class men and I'm not going to assume one way or the other.
But Castle's comments yesterday finally led me to write one of my 'complaining' letters (which I've blasted off to several places) and I've also mentioned it on every single Wimbledon feedback review I've filled out this week (namely, four) - under the Question:
'What could be do better to make your day Outstanding?'
- Answer: not have Lloyd and Castle doing the inane and insulting commentaries that are, unfortunately, miked up so you can't escape them if you're anywhere near the big screen.
The person I went with has done the same so that makes eight.

There was an article in the Telegraph a couple of years ago about the BBC employing Lloyd and Castle forever more. The article reckoned that Laura and Naomi would be better fronting BBC tennis commentaries.

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

KK wrote:
And yet Castle has been keen to show off how left-wing he is. Can anyone remember his demonstration? Many years ago now. I think he was still a player, but cant quite remember. I would write him down as a metropolitan elite like Emily Thornberry sneering at white van man and the remainders who referred to the ignorant northern masses voting for brexit.

-- Edited by KK on Friday 30th of June 2023 07:06:15 AM

Yes Andrew Castle's protest was about poll tax.