tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2009-11-21:/A place to chat about British tennis, tennis in general, the majors, Wimbledon, the French etcMokoFeed2009-11-21T01:12:56+01:00tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2009-02-27:/2009/02/27/french-open-rafa-murray-federer-grand-slam-aussie-open-5662145/fleur1002009-02-27T19:53:07+01:002009-02-27T19:53:07+01:00 <p>I dont know where my life goes sometimes, so much has happened tennis wise, and havent had time to write about it</p> <p>the aussie open was fantastic, shame about murrays early exit, but he didnt look right in his last match, they say he had a bit of flu, and hear he has just pulled out of the current tournament with a virus, but he is edging ever closer to djokovic in the rankings, feel sure he is gonna make it to three in the world this year</p> <p>and the final, well it was another rafa v federer classic (well, until the 5th set anyway), I knew all along Rafa would pull it out, seems to me he has his heart set on the grand slam this year, and you couldnt rule him out, I would dearly love to see him achieve this - he has proven he can play on every surface, and indeed dominate federer on every surface, that would be my dream for the year, rafa for the slam this year, murray for his first slam next year ;0) for sure rafa cant pound his body the way he does for much longer, and murray has plenty of time yet</p> <p>I felt for federer in the ceremony, he truly looked like a man with his spirit broken, but if we wants to assert his dominance again, well, he's just gonna have to get over himself! (crikes, my dislike of his arrogance coming through there!), but I do love to see these two fighting it out, makes for far better tennis than a few years ago, where fed was simply sumblime and no one could touch him</p> <p>so french open soon, exciting </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2009/02/27/french-open-rafa-murray-federer-grand-slam-aussie-open-5662145/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-09-25:/2008/09/25/well-well-well-4780260/fleur1002008-09-25T20:51:34+02:002008-09-25T20:51:34+02:00 <p>my grand plans of keeping this updated fell off a little due to life being manic</p> <p>Anyway, blimey, Andy Murray makes his first slam final, what a fantastic result; the final was really a damp squid compared to the semi with Nadal which was fantastically exciting</p> <p>I have to say I didnt think Murray had tennis like that in him, after wimbledon, i had decided he would never get past rafa in a major, but boy did he play well; fantastic result, and I feel sure now that he will reach this point again, and indeed go further</p> <p>Davis Cup - ridiculous, why, oh why do they keep playing bogdanovich, I just dont get it, what is now, 5 wild cards into wimbledon, never made it past the first round, and never has he won a davis cup tie; time to give it up! I was extremely disapointed that they didnt play Chris Eaton, seems to me they have to gamble with some young blood</p> <p>It was unbearable, didnt even watch the last tie, the result was absolutely inevitable </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/09/25/well-well-well-4780260/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-08-04:/2008/08/04/andy-murray-wins-his-first-masters-serie-4540597/fleur1002008-08-04T11:37:54+02:002008-08-04T11:37:54+02:00 <p>It certainly bodes well, off the back of a good performance in Toronto, Andy has done the business in Cincinatti; he's the first brit to take this title, and the first brit since henman won the paris masters in 2003 to win a masters series</p> <p>He will go into the Olympics and US Open with bags of confidence, whether he can go that step further to a slam semi or final remains to be seen, but for sure he is looking far more consistent now, and perhaps despite what we all thought, the split with Brad Gilbert was an excellent choice!</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/08/04/andy-murray-wins-his-first-masters-serie-4540597/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-07-12:/2008/07/12/the-longest-men-s-wimbledon-final-and-ar-4437309/fleur1002008-07-12T08:32:31+02:002008-07-12T08:32:31+02:00 <p>Epic is an understatement. Nadal v Federer 2008, a day to remember</p> <p>Now genius Federer may be, but he's just not my cup of tea; I think it was the first appearance of the blazar and crest that did it for me; this year he toned down to a cardigan, probably after his thrashing at the French</p> <p>Nadal however, well, he really is simply a joy, his intensity and passion are unbelievable, and lets face it, when he took Federer to five sets last year, we knew he was knocking on the door, and when he won Queens, it became even more apparent that his committment to conquering the grass courts was second to none</p> <p>What a day it was, with the rain breaks, the match lasted for what 7 hours, and the actual play was the longest ever in a final. For me, the adrenaline was pumping just as much as when following a tim henman rollercoaster!</p> <p>The first two sets aside, when federer was not at his best and looked like he was going to roll over in three, the tennis was simply sublime, the drama and tension unberable at times</p> <p>Not once did i doubt that Rafa would pull it out, and as the light faded, finally he lifted the trophy, and how happy we all were to have witnessed such a sporting spectacle on the hallowed lawns of Wimbledon</p> <p>I am simply overawed by his committment to the game and his determination to pull off the double that Borg managed 5 times, having witnessed this match, I feel he could do the French and Wimbledon back to back a few more times yet, already, I think that he has to be seen as one of the very best ever; for the King of Clay to master the lawns, what an epic feat</p> <p>VAMOS RAFA! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/07/12/the-longest-men-s-wimbledon-final-and-ar-4437309/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-06-27:/2008/06/27/a-good-day-for-british-tennis-4370250/fleur1002008-06-27T08:38:15+02:002008-06-27T08:49:58+02:00 <p>Well, what a fine day we had yesterday at Wimbeldon!</p> <p>Anne Keothavong started the Brit challenge in fine form against Venus Williams, I thought she was going to get pounded off the court, but this was not to be. But perhaps I should have given her more credit having been the first woman to earn a place in the draw by rights for 9 years</p> <p>It seemed to me that after an incredible shot at the net in the closing points, the adrenalin was pumping a little too hard, and she lost the plot a little, and had she taken the first set, things could have been very different, Venus certainly was looking under threat. High hopes for her</p> <p>Then on came Andy Murray with another solid, straight set performance. The crowd were a little muted, but a good match, and he is looking a threat to make the second week. I cant see him getting past Nadal though who has records on his mind, but who knows!</p> <p>And then, then, to me the biggest excitement of the day, we were introduced proper to Chris Eaton, and blow me down, I was thrilled to see him serve and volley not just on his first, but on his second serve too. It was a taste of the good old Tim Henman days, and there is hope that this style of play can indeed still work on the Wimbledon lawns. Fabulous atmoshphere, shame more people didnt stay to see it</p> <p>Having earned his place through qualifying, and winning a round, this player ranked 661 in the World, has proven he has what it takes. The LTA need to ensure he is given the support he needs. I think he would be a much better candidate for Brad Gilbert's talents than Alex Bogdanivic , who has been gifted 5 Wimbledon wild cards and never made it past the first round</p> <p>An exciting day all in all, and provides some hope that we have more to give than just Andy Murray </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/06/27/a-good-day-for-british-tennis-4370250/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-06-25:/2008/06/25/federer-downgrades-from-blazar-to-cardig-4363512/fleur1002008-06-25T18:54:47+02:002008-06-25T19:02:15+02:00 <p>Question: Is it a fashion statement, OR acknowledgement that his shiny genius crown is not quite so firmly on his head</p> <p>hmmm, me thinks taking a bagel set from Rafa at the French means it must be the latter and he too has come to realise that a white jacket with his own crest is just a little bit too much, even for the hallowed grass of wimbledon</p> <p>Best player ever, he may nearly be, but that blazar was the last straw for me, the cardigan is just plain funny</p> <p>COME ON RAFA! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/06/25/federer-downgrades-from-blazar-to-cardig-4363512/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-06-24:/2008/06/24/british-womem-players-need-to-get-fitter-4357239/fleur1002008-06-24T16:15:34+02:002008-06-25T19:03:03+02:00 <p>What is it with these girls, apart from Anne Keothavong who looks pretty fit, but then she is in the top 100; the british womens tennis players, look, I am afraid to say a bit flabby :0((</p> <p>Baltacha is a battler with some wonderful shot making ability, and Naomi Cavaday has a great leftie serve and hit some absolute crackers against Venus today</p> <p>But they just dont look in the same league as the top women on fitness let alone anything else; why oh why is the LTA not using some of their considerable funds these girls super fit in order to give them a better shot at competing with the best</p> <p>Inevitably we come back to the same issue that none of the British players have enough fire in their belly (with the exception of murray)</p> <p>How I would love to be jumping up and down for some british men AND women, as it is, seems we need to live in Serbia for that priviledge. Strange old world </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/06/24/british-womem-players-need-to-get-fitter-4357239/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-06-21:/2008/06/21/wimbledon-draw-4344718/fleur1002008-06-21T17:38:09+02:002008-06-25T19:03:29+02:00 <p>Well, not exactly an easy draw for Andy Murray, but then they never are at a Slam eh!</p> <p>If he makes it, he would meet Federer in the Quarters, but then he wouldnt exactly want to be on the other side and meet Nadal either!</p> <p>An analysis of the draw can be found at the Wimbledon site</p> <p><a href="http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2008-06-20/200806201213960173357.html">http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2008-06-20/200806201213960173357.html</a></p> <p>And the full draws are here</p> <p><a href="http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/scores/draws/ms/index.html">http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/scores/draws/ms/index.html</a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/06/21/wimbledon-draw-4344718/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-06-16:/2008/06/16/nadal-v-djokovic-what-a-queens-final-4321479/fleur1002008-06-16T09:31:20+02:002008-06-25T19:03:56+02:00 <p>It was quite simply, a sublime display of tennis, especially the second set</p> <p>Incredible really that a clay court specialist such as Nadal can make this transition, and to win this title one week to the day since taking the French Open Final, awesome is an understatement. I am not even sure if this particular double has been done before, I dont think so based on the Queens winners list</p> <p>Now he just needs to top it off with the Wimbledon title, and would be the first man since Borg to do so, he has certainly sent a stern message to Federer, who although (as expected) did indeed take the queens title, is surely feeling more pressure than ever before this year</p> <p>I just love the way he plays tennis, seems to wrap himself around the ball like no player I have ever seen</p> <p>And so it is, one week to Wimbledon, and I for one cant wait </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/06/16/nadal-v-djokovic-what-a-queens-final-4321479/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-06-11:/2008/06/11/can-nadal-win-wimbledon-4302361/fleur1002008-06-11T16:32:36+02:002008-06-25T19:01:39+02:00 <p>Yes, a resounding yes, I am absolutely sure of it, and watching him play at Queens today, simply confirms this to me</p> <p>I think this could be the year for a back to back french and wimbledon, and to show federer that it is possible to learn to play top class tennis on a surface that is not the natural favourite</p> <p>Recent odds were 13-10 Fed, and 4-1 nadal, personally I think they should be a little tighter than this considering federer's year and Nadal edging so close on the grass last year </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/06/11/can-nadal-win-wimbledon-4302361/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-06-10:/2008/06/10/lawn-tennis-association-blasted-by-briti-4298483/fleur1002008-06-10T19:14:35+02:002008-06-25T19:04:30+02:00 <p>First there were the criticisms in Andy Murray's book, now James Ward has said his piece on the LTA and British tennis</p> <p><a href="http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jRSqmhx1aW87aJT4M9PAKQiGbupQ">http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jRSqmhx1aW87aJT4M9PAKQiGbupQ</a></p> <p>Personally, I have no idea why we are producing so few tennis players, you only have to look at a country like Serbia and wonder where on earth we are going wrong. Being at the top of any sport is incredibly prestigious, I realise that people have very little in Serbia, and hence maybe a little more fire in their belly, but lets face it, what futures have many kids in this country got?</p> <p>With all the funding available at the LTA, it just doesnt make sense that we STILL arent producing the players, I heard today on the Queens coverage that there are just 15,000 kids playing tennis in this country, France has double this, staggering figures, and how we can expect to produce grand slam winners from these numbers I just dont know</p> <p>Maybe we need a slam winner before things will change, maybe that wont make the slighest bit of difference! What I do know is that the press need to stop creating headlines around players such as Henman and Murray + loser in them, and then perhaps the sport will not be considered a poor class citizen next to football and the like </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/06/10/lawn-tennis-association-blasted-by-briti-4298483/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-06-09:/2008/06/09/nadal-demolishes-federer-at-the-french-4291942/fleur1002008-06-09T11:23:33+02:002008-06-25T19:02:29+02:00 <p>Now, I know that Federer is a genius, but he just doesnt sit right with me, I think the Wimbledon crest and blazer was the final straw for me. I know they say that everyone on the tour loves him and he is really humble, but all i see is arrogance</p> <p>Of course, he is so good, that arguably, he should be arrogant ;0) BUT he's just not my cup of tea, especially as historically, his matches are often so far from being competitive; to me its just not tennis to watch and admire his shot making, but to have no close run contests</p> <p>Nadal of course at the French puts a whole new spin on Federer's position in the game, and boy do I love to see Federer under the same pressure he exerts on everyone else</p> <p>The 2008 final is the third time they have met on the red clay, Nadal has been working on his game in the past year, and seems to have drawn away from Federer on the clay, he absolutely demolished him. I thought Federer looked a beaten man from the get go, he is supposed to be a great champion, but I saw barely any fighting spirt, and he looked dejected the minute he walked on court, to me, if he is to take the mantle of the greatest ever, then he has to have more fire in his belly at the French and get after Nadal, his heart just didnt seem in it</p> <p>I mean really, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 - Federer hasnt lost a set 6-0 since 1999! What does that tell us; yes there is pressure on him to both win the French to show he's better than Sampras, and take two more slams to go to beat Pistol Pete's record, but if he is to be called the best ever, then he should raise his game; harsh maybe, but it's my blog and I'll say what I like ;0)))</p> <p>I just feel that he has been so far in front of everyone, and now a few are beginning to catch him, and that he really, really doesnt like not being in control of matches, and indeed tournaments, and to me, that means he's not quite the champion he should be with a game of his standard. </p> <p>I really believe the tide is turning, no slams to his name yet this year, and massive pressure now coming up at Wimbledon, the other players I think must surely sense that he is looking more and more vulnerable, my money is on Nadal to take the Wimbledon title, and boy what a thrill that would be; looking back to last year, he took Federer to 5 on the grass, and this year made him look ordinary on the clay, he has closed the gap, and I feel sure he can go all the way this year</p> <p>Will Federer wear his blazar this year, hmmmmmm I am not so sure </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/06/09/nadal-demolishes-federer-at-the-french-4291942/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-06-05:/2008/06/05/french-open-2008-semi-final-line-up-4275165/fleur1002008-06-05T08:56:30+02:002008-06-05T09:07:40+02:00 <p>Predictably, Nadal and Federer have made their way through, Nadal will face Djokovic, what a match up that will be, and I suspect could prove very entertaining</p> <p>Federer will face the French, unseeded player Gael Monfils; he produced the match of his life to be the first frenchman to reach the semis since Grosjean in 2001. He coped with the pressure well, and I really hope he plays well against Federer. Much as I admire Federer's tennis, his matchs can often be a little tedious I find as so few are able to ensure competitive tennis, but all being well, this match will provide some excellent entertainment. Certainly Federer will not have the normal crowd support with a home player on the other side of the net</p> <p>I think we can assume though the final we all expected, and I feel sure that once again Nadal will take the title, and once again, Federer will leave the French empty handed</p> <p>On the womens side, I am firmly behind Safina, who has now pulled two superb matches out of the bag, and come back from what looked like a losing position beating both Sharapova and Elena Dementieva. She will face Svetlana Kuznetsova. On the other side of the draw, Ana Ivanovic plays another Serbian - Jelena Jankovic </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/06/05/french-open-2008-semi-final-line-up-4275165/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-06-03:/2008/06/03/djokovic-to-face-nadal-in-the-semi-4263794/fleur1002008-06-03T16:57:15+02:002008-06-03T16:57:15+02:00 <p>Well it looked like they would meet on paper, and so it is to be, what a cracking semi final, my money is on Nadal, but I have high hopes for a great contest</p> <p>Nadal was 22 today, someone was waiting courtside with a cake for him when he finished his match, sadly, and annoyingly, Eurosport didnt see fit to show them presenting him with it! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/06/03/djokovic-to-face-nadal-in-the-semi-4263794/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-06-02:/2008/06/02/murray-ready-for-wimbledon-4257789/fleur1002008-06-02T11:20:03+02:002008-06-25T19:05:31+02:00 <p>I read an interesting piece in the Independant yesterday, and it was great to hear Andy Murray sounding so positive about his chances at Wimbledon...</p> <p>"before it was just Roger and two or three others; now there is a group of guys who can win, and I am up there with them"</p> <p>Great attitude, although in reality, although he is one of the few players who has beaten the fedexpress, I am not sure if he has enough weapons on grass? We can only live in hope though, and I feel sure he can put in a better performance than he did on the red clay and here's hoping for a solid second week performance, although he's gonna have to keep his cool when the added pressure begins to mount with no Tim this year! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/06/02/murray-ready-for-wimbledon-4257789/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-05-31:/2008/05/31/no-henin-venus-aamp-serena-out-at-the-fr-4250105/fleur1002008-05-31T09:52:13+02:002008-05-31T09:52:13+02:00 <p>Well, the women's draw at the French just keeps opening up</p> <p>I was hugely disapointed to hear of Justine Henin's retirement, she was such a beautiful player to watch, and so classy in terms of footwork and timing, and gave hope to all the smaller women that there was a way to beat the sheer power of for example the Williams sisters</p> <p>she is particularly missed at the french open, having won, what 3 times (I think?!)</p> <p>And yesterday, both Venus and Serena were knocked out in shock exits; I didnt see any of Serena's match, I did however see quite a lot of Venus' match as they played until almost 9.45pm at night! She didnt look the player of the past, and it was either straight winners, or shots that were a way off the mark. I certainly dont think i have ever seen her look so negative in her body language</p> <p>I am loving Flavia Pennette though, and you could see that win meant a lot to her, her best show at the French, and possibly at any slam</p> <p>But the draw is now wide open, and in some ways, I think it puts more pressure and self expectation on the women, as they know it really is anyone's tournament to take; for sure its going to be an interesting second week! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/05/31/no-henin-venus-aamp-serena-out-at-the-fr-4250105/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-05-30:/2008/05/30/silly-tennis-quote-of-the-day-4247705/fleur1002008-05-30T16:52:58+02:002008-05-30T16:52:58+02:00 <p>Frou Mcmillan, commentating on Andy Murray's third round match...</p> <p><em>"It was a winning shot had it gone over"</em></p> <p>good grief ;0))))) </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/05/30/silly-tennis-quote-of-the-day-4247705/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-05-30:/2008/05/30/murray-out-of-the-french-open-2008-in-ro-4247688/fleur1002008-05-30T16:47:44+02:002008-05-30T16:50:23+02:00 <p>well, they said that Nicolas Almagro had won more matches on clay this year than anyone, (even Nadal), I knew that didnt bode well</p> <p>It didnt take long to see why his record is so good</p> <p>Murray's tennis at times (first set aside), was superb, but at times, to me he looked a bit flakey, his attempts at the drop shot veered from genius to poor shot making, often in the space of a game</p> <p>He looked soooooo frustrated, you have to wonder how he's ever going to get a grip on his temper??</p> <p>He was heard to be shouting "why are you playing so passive", "I've never returned this bad" and "I've never felt like this"; seems to me it's just no good for an opponent to be hearing all of this!!</p> <p>At times I felt confident, but Murray was so up and down, its hard to get fully behind him at times, maybe thats just me dealing with the loss of Tim Henman still ;0))</p> <p>So that's it, onto the grass, and the Stella (I think he is playing), and wimbledon, I will look forward to seeing how he copes with the pressure of Wimbledon well and truly on his shoulders</p> <p>Kudos to almagro tho, very solid player</p> <p>And I suppose really, not a bad effort on the red clay of the French, and his best effort to date, but feel sure the faster courts are going to suit him far better </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/05/30/murray-out-of-the-french-open-2008-in-ro-4247688/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-05-30:/2008/05/30/andy-murray-at-the-french-4246687/fleur1002008-05-30T12:27:21+02:002008-05-30T12:55:06+02:00 <p>Well, we all have high hopes of Andy at least making the second week</p> <p>So far, two rounds down, the first one was a bit of a hit and miss match, but his second round against Jose Asacuso was a far more impressive match, and showed all the flair and promise that we know Andy possesses</p> <p>I know nothing about his opponent today, but the pundits all had high hopes so fingers crossed for another good match. Nalbandian had a shock exit yesterday, and this opens up the draw for Andy, great stuff </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/05/30/andy-murray-at-the-french-4246687/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:tennis-chat.blog.co.uk,2008-05-30:/2008/05/30/french-open-is-in-full-swing-4246683/fleur1002008-05-30T12:24:45+02:002008-05-30T12:56:35+02:00 <p>Well, it's that time of year, the French has begun, and Wimbeldon is just around the corner</p> <p>I will not be making my usual trek to wimbledon this year to brave the queues, so limited to the TV coverage; thankfully the next two majors are on UK time, and so it is, the telly gets repositioned in order that i can have non stop tennis whilst i work at the computer. Sadly, I cant stop work completely, but at least I am able to get some viewing in during my working week, and can listen eagerly to the commentary</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://tennis-chat.blog.co.uk/2008/05/30/french-open-is-in-full-swing-4246683/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>