steven wrote:

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9vicman wrote:

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Madadman wrote:

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Stircrazy wrote:

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Tanaqui wrote:

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I remember when Halys was a talented junior and considered the next Big Thing in French tennis, but it never really happened for him. (He's 27 now. Where does the time go?) So I feel Jay has a decent chance in the next round.

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If I've counted correctly, Halys was one of 23 Frenchmen in QR1.  Eleven survived, three of them courtesy of encounters with compatriots, & there is one all-French affair (involving the q1, Mpetshi Perricard, & Antoine Escoffier) in QR2.  Let's hope Jay does get the better of him. 

As for where the time goes, it just melts away... 

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 Thanks for adding them up. I was meaning to do so. As yesterday when I was there every court I looked at seemed to have a Frenchman playing on it! 18% of the draw or something like that!

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 25 French men in the Top 200 (1 in 8), but only one in the Top 20. Even when they had Tsonga, Simon, Monfils and Gasquet, I remember French fans saying, but you have Murray. Quality or quantity?

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That's a good question, isn't it. The answer is probably that if it's either/or, the fans in each country will always think whichever they haven't got is more important! Though I (and probably many others on here?) would answer that quantity is preferable given a choice. Not that I'd ever want to not have had Andy, obviously, but thinking about the future.

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 I would have probably sacrificed four Top 10 players for 3 Slams and two Olympic golds. France's last male Slam champion was 43 years ago. That said I would have been very happy to have had four Top 10 players too.

9vicman wrote:

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steven wrote:

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9vicman wrote:

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Madadman wrote:

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Stircrazy wrote:

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Tanaqui wrote:

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I remember when Halys was a talented junior and considered the next Big Thing in French tennis, but it never really happened for him. (He's 27 now. Where does the time go?) So I feel Jay has a decent chance in the next round.

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If I've counted correctly, Halys was one of 23 Frenchmen in QR1.  Eleven survived, three of them courtesy of encounters with compatriots, & there is one all-French affair (involving the q1, Mpetshi Perricard, & Antoine Escoffier) in QR2.  Let's hope Jay does get the better of him. 

As for where the time goes, it just melts away... 

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 Thanks for adding them up. I was meaning to do so. As yesterday when I was there every court I looked at seemed to have a Frenchman playing on it! 18% of the draw or something like that!

---

 25 French men in the Top 200 (1 in 8), but only one in the Top 20. Even when they had Tsonga, Simon, Monfils and Gasquet, I remember French fans saying, but you have Murray. Quality or quantity?

---

That's a good question, isn't it. The answer is probably that if it's either/or, the fans in each country will always think whichever they haven't got is more important! Though I (and probably many others on here?) would answer that quantity is preferable given a choice. Not that I'd ever want to not have had Andy, obviously, but thinking about the future.

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 I would have probably sacrificed four Top 10 players for 3 Slams and two Olympic golds. France's last male Slam champion was 43 years ago. That said I would have been very happy to have had four Top 10 players too.

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 Quality every time! It just takes one. 

indiana wrote:

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I would lean to quantity, and now that Andy's best days are behind him I'd even more go that way.

There is clearly light years between the general tennis culture and participation levels in France and the UK. And from the impressive number they have pretty highly ranked you've got to think that going forward more numbers should lead to a better chance of champions. Quantity should give more chance of ultimate quality at the top.

Though I won't deny that I do find it quite amusing how it just doesn't for France 

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  The Davide Badielle and Franc Skinnere song with Les graines de fourdre summed it up: 

Tricolere on my shirt

Coupe des Mousquetaires still gleaming

Forty one years of hurt

Never stopped me dreaming 

QR2:  (q5) Lloyd Harris (RSA) WR 91 defeated (qWC) George Loffhagen WR 754 by 7-6(6) 7-6(5) 

Good looking effort but the young man will no doubt be hugely disappointed. He had opportunities in each set that you could have driven a juggernaut through.

Didnt watch the second set but definetley should have won the first

It was more the manner of the break at 5-4 first set (a complete gift) and losing six consecutive points from 3-0 up in the second breaker that I specifically had in mind.