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

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

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

steven · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
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...
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:
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.

I've cut the quote down to the bits I want to comment on, not trying to censor it wink

Yes, Bouncy complaining at players trying to help them get their names right seems so typical of him (even though that wasn't what Carlos was saying to the umpire anyway). It's part of a commentators' job to find out these things. None of the commentators seem to get the stress right - and the umpire yesterday, Layhani, probably should have asked Carlos because he was alternating between ALcaraz and AlCARaz without ever managing to stress the final syllable, the one that should be stressed, to the extent that he had me wondering if there was an accent mark on one of the first two As and I'd been missing it all this time. biggrin

I get less wound up by whether they say -ath or -az, since parts of Spain and all of Latin America use -az, but I'd still be inclined to go with what the player prefers (-ath in Carlitos' case), and definitely wouldn't complain about players trying to help me do my job better.

Still, at least Bouncy doesn't do a McEnroe and call Nole 'Joke-ovic', that really is unforgivable and I can't believe Noel lets him get away with it.

----

As for Bouncy regurgitating statistics, I imagine he does this to try to pretend he does some research, when in reality, the stats are provided for the commentators by a statistician. Good commentators make extensive use of stats to illustrate and enhance when they're relevant but I doubt many of the stats Castle regurgitates are even meaningful to him.

----

Thankfully, we've got Andrew Cotter on Billy's match, though no doubt that means we'll have the undynamic duo for Jack's. There often seems to be an inverse correlation between how big a match is and how professional the commentators are.

steven · Tennis legend

Also, from Stu's article - Jack talking about his grandfather Chris, who was at his match yesterday. Got to love this ...

"He's just turned 80, Draper said. Its amazing for him to be here and be a part of my success. He lives and breathes tennis. Hes always on the live rankings and all that stuff like, Whats this person doing in the 15K [a lower-tier event]? I say, I dont know. Just give me a day off tennis, mate.

He sounds so like many of us that it got me wondering if he has ever ventured onto this forum!

Elegant Point · Satellite level

Thanks to coverage on the Beeb, there now two things everyone knows about Billy - he used to travel round in a van and hes REALLY OLD to be where he hmm

Currently playing buzz word bingo biggrin

steven · Tennis legend

I'm still waiting for them to mention the British tennis fan living in southern Spain who used to sometimes do Billy's laundry while he played in Spanish Futures!

Elegant Point · Satellite level

steven wrote:
I'm still waiting for them to mention the British tennis fan living in southern Spain who used to sometimes do Billy's laundry while he played in Spanish Futures!

Bob?? wink

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

What a half volley. What a hold.

Nix · Futures level

Leyhani over-ruling the Musetti served called out. Then saying it didn't affect Billy's return. How could it not?

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

steven wrote:
Stircrazy wrote:
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...
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:
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.
I've cut the quote down to the bits I want to comment on, not trying to censor it
Yes, Bouncy complaining at players trying to help them get their names right seems so typical of him (even though that wasn't what Carlos was saying to the umpire anyway). It's part of a commentators' job to find out these things. None of the commentators seem to get the stress right - and the umpire yesterday, Layhani, probably should have asked Carlos because he was alternating between ALcaraz and AlCARaz without ever managing to stress the final syllable, the one that should be stressed, to the extent that he had me wondering if there was an accent mark on one of the first two As and I'd been missing it all this time.
I get less wound up by whether they say -ath or -az, since parts of Spain and all of Latin America use -az, but I'd still be inclined to go with what the player prefers (-ath in Carlitos' case), and definitely wouldn't comp[lain about players trying to help.
Still, at least Bouncy doesn't do a McEnroe and call Nole 'Joke-ovic', that really is unforgivable and I can't believe Noel lets him get away with it.

Re Alcaraz's surname, I don't actually have a problem as such with the "z" pronounced in the English way, as I accept that so few people in the Engish-speaking world know any better, but in (mostly) southern Spain & Latin America, it would be pronounced as an "s"... It's when commentators make such a fuss & STILL don't get it right that they annoy me. Even Cotter's just put the stress on the second "a" while pronnoucing the "z" the Castilian way! disbelief And me being me, if I were an umpire, I'd make it my business to find out how a player liked to have his/her name pronounced. Lahyani is old enough & experienced enough to get it right!

As for McEnroe's "Joke-ovic", that's just symptomic of how the Yanks generally pronounce the letter "o" - think "Coaster Rica"... wink

For the sake of accuracy, Susan Goss (the lady ex-journo) wasn't reponsible for the "BBC is poor at tennis" remark. That was someone else entirely.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

To be honest. even the Spanish would differ on the pronunciation of Alcaraz depending on which part of Spain they come from

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Billy playing so well in this second set but just picking up a few signs of tiredness. His footwork is not as precise as it was a few games ago.

*5-5

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

Not to be but what a week for Billy!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Meant a lot to Musetti, fell on his back at the end.

Good looking lad, the Daily Mail will be swooning over him and pairing him up with some English actress next week!

Well done, Billy, good effort, great effort this week - appears he is onto Eastbourne now, milk it whilst he can - although I wonder if a week off wouldnt be a bad call? Nonetheless, Eastbourne it appears to be.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Still a great week. So pleased Billy got to play earlier in the day in front of a packed house. Yesterday the crowd wanted a rest after Jack's heroics and the stadium was half empty at the start.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

José Morgado
@josemorgado
·
44s
Musetti very emotional after reaching the semis in London.

"I was having a very poor here. Not many ups and a lot of downs. This win is particulary special for me".
José Morgado
@josemorgado
·
3m
Lorenzo Musetti ends the incredible week of Billy Harris, beating the Brit 6-3, 7-5 to reach the semifinals at the Queen's Club. Back to back grass semifinals for a player who didn't like grass initially.

Good chance against Thompson tomorrow.