|
|
Post by MartinT on Jul 5, 2016 6:20:06 GMT
Murray is playing well, so far. What are his chances against Tsonga?
Cibulkova's match was exciting!
|
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Jul 5, 2016 11:41:44 GMT
Against Tsonga, good. He will have to apply himself but he should prevail. If Tsonga is lights out for the whole match and Murray a bit off it could be troublesome, but that's two ifs. Murray made kyrigos look rather silly yesterday. Shot variation, power touch lobs dropshots etc... Murray also works Berdych over usually. Raonic could be harder with McEnroe breathing the force into him 
Yes Cibu is a pocket powerhouse.
Glad she beat sourpuss Radders:) |
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Jul 6, 2016 20:06:17 GMT
Goodness me, that was a brilliant (and tough) match between Murray and Tsonga. Can Berdych be tougher than that? Federer certainly will be.
|
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Jul 7, 2016 11:59:47 GMT
That was tougher than usual.
Berdych should be easier if past beatings are to go by. Henman talks of Berdych being Murrays' pigeon.
They have not met on grass though! Best of five another thing all together.
I've refined my service motion. More pronation and racquet head slightly further down my back giving more snap = power.
Seems easier to get 1st serves in too.
My usual opponents are commenting!
It's nice to be improving and evolving even at my 'classic' / young veteran time of life, but very possible, if you apply yourself.
Important to find a style that gets the job done and keeps injury / wear at bay.
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Jul 8, 2016 5:43:51 GMT
I find it interesting how many players (especially men) go for brute power in their 1st serve but get relatively few in and fall back to their 2nd serve. Why not back off just a little? It's clear that angles work better than speed.
|
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Jul 8, 2016 8:35:55 GMT
If you can get above 60% of 1st's in it works just fine. If you can hit the angles all the time it could work but you need to mix things up. Spinning in angles only works cos' they just don't know what is coming. Fast, body, flat angled, spin body, spin angled, kick etc. Sampras was a master at all of this. He had the same ball toss as viewed by the returner for all serves. Hard to tell what was coming until too late. There is also the spectacle and satisfaction of hitting what Nick Bollettieri described as a sonic serve |
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Jul 8, 2016 10:24:48 GMT
I still remember Roscoe Tanner!
|
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Jul 11, 2016 12:32:23 GMT
I still remember Roscoe Tanner! Ah yes. Fast serve can be done with wooden racquets and nat gut! Sad how things panned out for him. Wanted in a couple of states for not paying for things / debts. Not as bad as poor Gerilitus, who was CO poisoned to death while staying over in a pool house years back. Nice GS&M by Murray. Poor Raonic was rather phased by the ball coming back on his serves more than usual and once in a rally it was the great Muzziahs for the taking. Good day all round with Heather and Henri winning the mixed and Lewis doing the business too. Tossberg getting a penalty was the icing on the cake. Unfortunate but fitting boos for him! Never like people who deliberately drive into fair overtakes to to win. Shades of Schumacher all too familiar... I wonder what Rosberg senior makes of it all. I can imagine he'd ever considered doing such things... Different era! |
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Jul 11, 2016 12:47:26 GMT
Yes, it was excellent seeing both Murray and Hamilton win yesterday,
I just can't understand Rosberg. His whole manner when being interviewed is similar to Schumacher's. Dismissive, evasive and rarely admitting to just not being good enough. How could he reconcile being given all that radio information with Hamilton in Baku being completely denied?
Back to Murray, very pleased for him. Living in an era of Djokovich, Federer and Nadal can't be easy.
|
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Jul 11, 2016 13:08:02 GMT
No, you have to strike when you can.
Going in as favourite is not always easy but he was very collected -well most of the time:)
|
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Jul 15, 2016 18:40:23 GMT
Lots of tennis on at the moment. Clay in Båstad Sweden, Gstad, Bucharest & Hamberg. Grass in Newport USA, and now of course Davis cup, GB vs Serbia... I was watching Kyle Edmund vs Tipseravic but the BBC terrestrial coverage is poor! It's rained there and time has run out. Perhaps its online? I'll have a look.
Time for some quality hifi time |
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Jul 19, 2016 20:43:20 GMT
Big Ivo Karlovic won at Newport USA. Old school grass, as Wimbledon was 30-40 years ago.
Fast and not billiard table smooth:)
I'm also catching up on the Davis cup. GB vs Serbia. Just the two final singles to go with GB 2-1 up after a good win in the doubles although they were not playing fantastically well.
|
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Jan 29, 2017 13:59:10 GMT
Fantastic two weeks is of Aus open tennis.
Very unpredictable and great shake up with a slightly faster court (little less sand in the floor paint), balls that fluff up less.
It brought out a slightly different type of tennis to the fore.
Long rally grinders / pushers were out of it. Think Murray and Djokovic.
Those who had more experience of a faster era (early 2000's), and had a more attacking game came to the fore.
All finalists were over 30. Venus Williams the oldest at 36.
Both champions, Roger Federer and Serena Williams are 35!
So why was clay king master grinder Raffa Nadal in the final then, I here you ask?.
Well it wasn't Pete Sampras or Stefan Edberg fast, and Nadal changed his tactics on serve, he's such a natural talent, he plays well when on his game on any surface, but the court robbed him of vital milliseconds as did Roger today.
Roger's attacking style today was great, his backhand held up long enough helped by the shorter points and not giving Raffa the rhythm he so needs.
So a great match. 5 sets, no tie breakers and it took 3hr 38mins, instead of a grinder courters 5hrs.
Roger now has 18 grandslams - further enhancing his goat status!
4 months ago both Raffa and Roger were laid up injured.
Could never have predicted them in the final.
Tennis won today.
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Jan 29, 2017 14:38:40 GMT
I missed it but will try to see the highlights later.
|
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Jan 29, 2017 16:56:24 GMT
You will not be disappointed.
Even knowing the result it will be a nail biter seeing just how he did it.
|
|
|
|
Post by John on Jan 29, 2017 17:42:50 GMT
Great match and agree Tennis won today
|
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Feb 5, 2017 19:18:07 GMT
I watched the Fed Nadal AO final again Good Davis cup tie going on been GB and Canada. Evan won his singles rubber in straight sets. Edmund didn't like the super fast court the Canadians had gone for (home team chooses). Lost in straights to an injured Pospisil. He looked like a lame duck in the first but after a Medical Time Out, which threw Edmund (as it dies so often), Pospisil seemed to run it off. I've never seen such staccato doubles, thanks to the super quick court. GB's Jamie Murray and Don (I think it is) Inglot took that in straights. Personally I think I'd put Inglot in for the singles in place of Edmund, but what do I know Return singles matches are on the BBC at 23:15 this evening. That'll be after watching a recorded / delayed Homeland for me. I'm enjoying Nell Bryden's new album Bloom at the moment. |
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Feb 6, 2017 0:54:27 GMT
Just watched the highlights.
Evans lost to Pospisil 3-1. Close match though.
Edmund was to face the 17 year old Denis Shalpovolov (Wimbledon junior champion).
Some good tennis but Edmund had the experience and played much better than on Friday.
On losing the second set the young Canadian took a ball out of his pocket, the umpire was looking down to call the score and Shalpovolo hit the ball full pro tennis player forehand hit, what you can only assume was meant to go up into crowd but took a shallow trajectory straight to the umpires left eye.
Match defaulted, tie too GB.
Umpires eye bruised closing he was taken to hospital to get it checked out..
Nasty. I've not seen anything as bad as this since the Nalbandian kicking incident at Queens, where he drew blood by kicking the little surround the lounge judges have a round their chairs.
That was disqualification too.
I reckon Shalpolov will get a fine and ban hit a good long while to boot.
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Feb 6, 2017 7:50:56 GMT
I've just seen the footage. Very nasty  |
|
|
|
Post by Barrington on Feb 6, 2017 13:36:43 GMT
On the AO final , I couldn't watch it, I so wanted Fed to win and thought he just wouldn't against Rafa , he never seems to beat him . I was buzzing all Sunday when I heard and couldn't get enough footage after the event |
|
