Week 25 - ATP 500 - cinch Championships - The Queen's Club, London Great Britain (grass)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Week 25 - ATP 500 - cinch Championships - The Queen's Club, London Great Britain (grass)

jb288 · Satellite level

Andrew Castle yesterday opining that there was no way Alcaraz could expect anyone to pronounce his name correctly. Or Perricard. I miss Abigail Johnson from Surbiton...

Lambda · Challenger level

jb288 wrote:
Andrew Castle yesterday opining that there was no way Alcaraz could expect anyone to pronounce his name correctly. Or Perricard. I miss Abigail Johnson from Surbiton...

We better not introduce him to Amelia Rajecki then [Her surname's pronounced Rye - es - ski].

Jeff Stelling · Club Coach

twentytoone wrote:
the addict wrote:

An article about Billy by Stuart Fraser from yesterday's Times (also posted in Billy's individual thread)

https://t.co/IZdgAt05Oa
Says you have to be a subscriber

Come on mate, lets have a bit of chutzpah and up-and-at-em spirit. There are heaps of free resources available to view webpages behind a paywall.

indiana · Tennis legend

Jeff Stelling wrote:
twentytoone wrote:
the addict wrote:

An article about Billy by Stuart Fraser from yesterday's Times (also posted in Billy's individual thread)

https://t.co/IZdgAt05Oa
Says you have to be a subscriber
Come on mate, lets have a bit of chutzpah and up-and-at-em spirit. There are heaps of free resources available to view webpages behind a paywall.

Simply saying you have to be a subscriber, leading to someone else putting up a feee link for you ( and everyone else ), worked quite well.

Nix · Futures level

jb288 wrote:
Andrew Castle yesterday opining that there was no way Alcaraz could expect anyone to pronounce his name correctly. Or Perricard. I miss Abigail Johnson from Surbiton...

Me too. But they've got Annabel Croft and Sam Smith available but we still have to put up with droning John Lloyd and out of touch Andrew Castle. Both of them make me cringe. It's hardly going to enthuse the more casual/younger audience to get more into tennis. I remember the TMS team in cricket making the sport sound so interesting and fun while also having excellent technical knowledge that I became hooked at a young age. It's sad that they can't do the same for tennis.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Nix wrote:
jb288 wrote:
Andrew Castle yesterday opining that there was no way Alcaraz could expect anyone to pronounce his name correctly. Or Perricard. I miss Abigail Johnson from Surbiton...
Me too. But they've got Annabel Croft and Sam Smith available but we still have to put up with droning John Lloyd and out of touch Andrew Castle. Both of them make me cringe. It's hardly going to enthuse the more casual/younger audience to get more into tennis. I remember the TMS team in cricket making the sport sound so interesting and fun while also having excellent technical knowledge that I became hooked at a young age. It's sad that they can't do the same for tennis.

Is it Abigail who is doing the MC role at Ilkley this week - I am sure it was her last year and it looked like the same lady interviewing players yesterday when they showed them on Challenger TV on the ATP site?

the addict · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
Nix wrote:
jb288 wrote:
Andrew Castle yesterday opining that there was no way Alcaraz could expect anyone to pronounce his name correctly. Or Perricard. I miss Abigail Johnson from Surbiton...
Me too. But they've got Annabel Croft and Sam Smith available but we still have to put up with droning John Lloyd and out of touch Andrew Castle. Both of them make me cringe. It's hardly going to enthuse the more casual/younger audience to get more into tennis. I remember the TMS team in cricket making the sport sound so interesting and fun while also having excellent technical knowledge that I became hooked at a young age. It's sad that they can't do the same for tennis.
Is it Abigail who is doing the MC role at Ilkley this week - I am sure it was her last year and it looked like the same lady interviewing players yesterday when they showed them on Challenger TV on the ATP site?

Yes, she posted a clip of her interviewing Goffin on her Instagram

Brendan F · Lower Club Player

Lambda wrote:
jb288 wrote:
Andrew Castle yesterday opining that there was no way Alcaraz could expect anyone to pronounce his name correctly. Or Perricard. I miss Abigail Johnson from Surbiton...

We better not introduce him to Amelia Rajecki then [Her surname's pronounced Rye - es - ski].

Thanks for that. I always had it in my head as radjetski. Unfortunately, such, is my brain that I'll probably revert to that as soon as I finish typing this post.

9vicman · Satellite level

Brendan F wrote:
Lambda wrote:
jb288 wrote:
Andrew Castle yesterday opining that there was no way Alcaraz could expect anyone to pronounce his name correctly. Or Perricard. I miss Abigail Johnson from Surbiton...

We better not introduce him to Amelia Rajecki then [Her surname's pronounced Rye - es - ski].
Thanks for that. I always had it in my head as radjetski. Unfortunately, such, is my brain that I'll probably revert to that as soon as I finish typing this post.

"Jet ski." Not going to be able to forget that either now!

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

9vicman wrote:
Brendan F wrote:
Lambda wrote:
jb288 wrote:
Andrew Castle yesterday opining that there was no way Alcaraz could expect anyone to pronounce his name correctly. Or Perricard. I miss Abigail Johnson from Surbiton...

We better not introduce him to Amelia Rajecki then [Her surname's pronounced Rye - es - ski].
Thanks for that. I always had it in my head as radjetski. Unfortunately, such, is my brain that I'll probably revert to that as soon as I finish typing this post.
"Jet ski." Not going to be able to forget that either now!

"Jet Ski" was Clare Balding's nickname for Greg Rusedski in the days when she wrote a column for The Evening Standard, "Tin Pan" being Tim Henman.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
Stircrazy wrote:
L16: Jack Draper WR 31 defeated (1) Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) WR 2 by 7-6(3) 6-3
*****
QF: Jack Draper WR 31 vs (5) Tommy Paul (USA) WR 13 (CH = 12 last October)
What an amazing day for the Brits at Queen's:
L16: (WC) Billy Harris WR 162 defeated (Q) Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (FRA) WR 67 by 4 & 5
And on his Queen's Centre Court debut, too!

Stu Fraser's report on the two matches (mostly Jack's). And readers have been piling in on the commentary team:

Speaking of Andrew Castle, the man is a complete buffoon. And that's being kind to avoid the censors. He sat through an all time classic set between Nadal and Djokovic with a stopwatch in hand timing how long they took between points, despite there being a shot clock, and complained about the time they were taking. So no doubt he loves this ridiculous new concept of starting it too early and making the players and fans feel rushed. Yet when Alcaraz was complaining to the umpire about it, he suggested he was complaining about how he was pronouncing his name as Alcaraz instead of Alcarath. Seriously.

None of the commentators seems to manage to put the stress on the final syllable of his name: Al-ca-RATH...

Agree re Castle. Wish the BBC would have the far more capable Annabel and Sam Smith commentating-neither of them waste words. Andrew Castle and John "he's in the zone") Lloyd are beyond dreadful.

However, the shot clock is the same for all players and is an excellent idea-if they have a routine that takes too long, they can develop a quicker one!!!

Are they the only tournament to exhume John Lloyd every year? Awful commentator. And as for Claire Balding.....

Loved that "exhume"!

Claire Balding? There no words to describe just how ill suited she is to commentate on tennis. The BBC roll her out at every opportunity. She should stick to what she knows: dogs and horses.

As for Andrew Castle, he doesn't commentate, he regurgitates statistics. Move him aside please.

Interesting snippet from a lady who says she's an ex-journalist:

Some new ones incoming for Wimbledon. Kyrgios did a fabulous job at the AO alongside Nick Lester who took on the teaching of the young guy (Nick K henceforth taught Johnny Mack a thing or two...) Not sure that Ash Barty will add much as she is incredibly polite. But of course there have been complaints.

And her response to another reader at about the same time in a similar vein:

The BBC have tried to up their game for commentators this year with new, younger commentators experienced in playing against these players as well as at commentating. However, a few complaints have been made - you can't win. I look forward to a refreshing take. (One of the new commentators actually complained about Castle last year and was roundly accused of disrespect...)

And her amusing response to a reader who criticised the article itself:

This is an in-depth telling and is also fairly polite towards the celebrated Carlitos who is unable to thrive without coaching, was actually playing quite well, has modelled his game on Rafa (who plays best without a shot clock because he taunts his opponents with his routines) and thrives best when the adoring crowd is all on his side. Carlitos wilts when none of these are in play. He was pouting the entire match.

And last, but not least:

BBC is poor at tennis. It only covers grass court as it has a Wimbledon monopoly. Apart from the super-professional Andrew Cotter (and the freelance Annabel Croft) the crew is straight out of the worst world of snooty tennis, ageing and patronising.

It spends next to nothing on production and the sense of BBC entitlement is embarrassing.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Billy looking very tight in the early stages. Needs to loosen up quickly.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

steven wrote:
Your boy did good, Bob, your boy did good!

I unexpectedly got to be there today and it was wonderful watching those too matches, both Jack and Billy looked like they'd been beating the kind of players they beat for years.

This may have been mentioned on this thread already, but Billy has now won twice as many matches as he has lost against top 100 players (W8 L4), the kind of record against top 100 players that many of those already in the top 100 could only dream of!

Good for you too. Happy for you that you got to witness those two performances yesterday.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

4-1 down now but playing much better.