Halle/Queens and Pre-Wimbledon Thread

[Guest]

First topic message reminder :

Feel free to discuss all matters relating to the tournaments.

If you have Sky you are in for a treat like me!

[Guest]

Interesting listening to the commentators asking for more variety in court speeds. They cited a Chang interview when he played at Wimbledon at 2011 on the seniors tour and he couldn't believe how high the balls bounced compared in his day.

Hopefully organisers will listen and take note. The commentators wanted aggressive riskier play rewarded. I agree.

[biugo]

Berdych losing his first set in this tournament against Karlovic 7-5

[laverfan]

Come On Berdych!

[laverfan]

Third set - Berdych v Karlovic. Very nicely done by Berdych.

[biugo]

Birdman takes second set 7-6 (10-8)
29 aces from Dr. Ivo so far...

[laverfan]

32 aces out of 78 points won, 41%. Wow!

[It Must Be Love]

32 aces out of 78 points won, 41%. Wow!

So so dull to watch.

[biugo]

It sounds like a record numer of aces in a bo3 match:
44 aces so far over 3 sets - 1 serve game left probably
12 matches only since '91 had a player scoring 48 aces or more: all bo5

I'll blame it more on Berdych for not being able to read/block Ivo's serves

[laverfan]

32 aces out of 78 points won, 41%. Wow!

So so dull to watch.

Yet, you are watching. Where is the off button?

[Haddie-nuff]

Shame Ivo does't get to meet Isner or Raonic in the final..
Now that would be a match worth watching zzzzzzzzz

[JuliusHMarx]

This is why we all love 606v2. Because whenever anyone says they enjoy any particular style of tennis, others will surely come along to say it's dull as dishwater.

[Haddie-nuff]

I have a great deal of respect for Ivo please note
But if you consider watching serving machines is watching tennis then good for you. So glad for you your spoilt for choice these days !!

Must be difficult to watch the big four in that case

[JuliusHMarx]

I like all styles of tennis - there is something to enjoy and appreciate in all of them.

Edit - I'm less likely to watch matches of over, say, 4 hours, simply because there are others things I usually have to do - so for those I tend to dip in and out, and mainly watch the end of the sets.

[summerblues]

Shame Ivo does't get to meet Isner or Raonic in the final..

Well, good for you because you do not have to worry about finals like that - as there are not too many of them. However, we have had many Rafa vs Nole or Andy vs Nole matches, which to me are just as dull.

[Haddie-nuff]

Shame Ivo does't get to meet Isner or Raonic in the final..

Well, good for you because you do not have to worry about finals like that - as there are not too many of them.  However, we have had many Rafa vs Nole or Andy vs Nole matches, which to me are just as dull.

Once again your not reading the point.. Im not talking necessarily dull.. Im talking lack of tennis.
If you think there is more skill, and talent in learning  how to serve unreturnable serves to your opponent, rather than outplay him, tactically, and with skill and athleticism then good for you too. you have plenty to entertain you !!

[Belovedluckyboy]

Rafa vs Novak finals are dull? Not the FO matches or the USO matches! Even their Masters matches are not dull, hardly any long rallies these days!

[JuliusHMarx]

Serving unreturnable serves is actually a huge skill. That's why so few players can do it. They would all do it if they could - what better way to ensure winning a match than serving an ace on every serve?
The serve is just as valid a shot in the tennis repertoire as any other shot.

[summerblues]

If you think there is more skill, and talent in learning  how to serve unreturnable serves to your opponent, rather than outplay him, tactically, and with  skill and athleticism  then good for you too. you have plenty to entertain you !!

I find retrieval tennis the opposite end of serve-only tennis. Both roughly equally boring. I enjoy watching Karlovic and Isner about as much as I enjoy watching Rafa or Nole - i.e,. not very much.

But I see Rafa and Nole winning far more tournaments than Karlovic and Isner. So it would seem you have more to entertain you.

[summerblues]

Rafa vs Novak finals are dull?

It is a matter of preference obviously. Some people will like it others will not.

I can assure you I find them pretty dull. I watch them mostly because I like to root against Rafa so I always hope he will lose, but tennis itself I find quite dull.

[Haddie-nuff]

The difference appears to be hear SB.. is that you watch these matches and then complain they are dull.. why do you watch may I ask that question??

For my part, I NEVER watched Sampras, I NEVER watch Raonic
Seldom watch Isner and have not seen Ivo for months.
I have an off switch on my tv .. you should try it

[summerblues]

The difference appears to be hear SB.. is that you watch these matches and then complain they are dull.. why do you watch may I ask that question??

I have traditionally watched a lot of tennis - slam finals for sure (except when I had unavoidable commitments), so some of it is inertia I suppose.

This AO final was the first one in a while that I skipped. I knew I would find Nole vs Andy boring but I was going to watch it anyway - how could I miss a slam final? I even managed to wake up for it (early as it is in my part of the world) but to my own surprise I could not bring myself to watch it, so I went back to bed.

I suppose there will be more and more of such slams in future.

[temporary21]

Sounds like badminton or table tennis are more your thing.  Consistency and a big serve are the two key concepts of a successful tennis player.  Watching just to see someone lose is an unfulfilling experience. it's probably why its getting boring

[Haddie-nuff]

Yes I have to say I feel for you.
If you have spent time watching tennis all these years in order to see Rafa lose.. with him having 14 GS and 27 Masters, not to mention all the finals he has been in, you must have been so very disappointed.
Still now you can your dream has come true

[summerblues]

Sounds like badminton or table tennis are more your thing.

Not so much table tennis but I indeed quite like to watch badminton.  In a way it reminds me of tennis from my youth - you cannot win it with serve but at the same time you have to go on attack pretty quick.  The problem with badminton for me is mostly cultural - I do not have enough historical reference to get really into it.

Watching just to see someone lose is an unfulfilling experience. it's probably why its getting boring

I disagree.  I quite enjoy watching Rafa lose - in fact that is the main reason why I watch Rafa.  I find it most boring in the middle - I neither particularly like nor dislike either Nole or Andy, plus I find current top shelf tennis fairly dull, so it is match-ups like those - and there will likely be more and more of them - that I find most boring.

[summerblues]

If you have spent time watching tennis all these years in order to see Rafa lose.. you must have been so very disappointed.

Well, it is not that simple.  KR said it on one of the threads where he said how he always rooted against someone (do not remember whom - it was not in tennis) but also needed them to be successful because rooting against #300 in the world is not as much fun.

It is similar with Rafa for me.  Rafa vs Roger setup was just about perfect from my perspective.  On one hand, I root for Roger but on the other hand there is a part of me that prefers rooting for the underdog.  With someone as successful as Roger, he would not have been the underdog very often - had there not been Rafa.  So, entertainment-wise, it worked great for me.

[temporary21]

I've had both sides. Revelling in someone's misfortune is no comparison to sharing in someone's joy. The former leaves you feeling stupid when they win, or when you realise how successful they still are

[summerblues]

I've had both sides. Revelling in someone's misfortune is no comparison to sharing in someone's joy. The former leaves you feeling stupid when they win, or when you realise how successful they still are

Are you just talking about yourself or are you implying the same applies to me?

[Belovedluckyboy]

SB, i take it that you dont like clay court tennis, just like I dont like grass court tennis where there are practically no rallies. To each his own. I certainly find that Wimbledon 2009 final very boring, serve dominant especially in that fifth set.

[hawkeye]

 I quite enjoy watching Rafa lose - in fact that is the main reason why I watch Rafa.  I find it most boring in the middle

So it's not the actual tennis you like. You sit through a whole match in the hope of seeing Rafa look a little sad as he shakes hands at the net?

It must be very frustrating investing all that time watching something you don't enjoy only to see him looking happy at the end?

[Haddie-nuff]

It is similar with Rafa for me.  Rafa vs Roger setup was just about perfect from my perspective.  On one hand, I root for Roger but on the other hand there is a part of me that prefers rooting for the underdog.  With someone as successful as Roger, he would not have been the underdog very often - had there not been Rafa.  So, entertainment-wise, it worked great for me.

Well now you must be euphoric you can watch him lose every time he plays. OH DEEP JOY everything comes to those who wait
.

[summerblues]

SB, i take it that you dont like clay court tennis,

Indeed  Never was a huge fan.  I would watch it, but all of my all-time favorites tended to do far better on grass.  My RG memories from my childhood are mostly from McEnroe's and Edberg's unsuccessful runs there.

To each his own.

Exactly.  I am certainly not suggesting that everyone should share my distaste for long rallies.

[temporary21]

Myself. I used to like tennis for the same reasons many a year ago now  when I was still quite an ill teenager. Then when I got better and older I stopped seeing the point of wanting someone to lose, someone is never seen or knew anything about. Tennis got more fun to watch then.  I wouldn't say the same applies to anyone at all, but I would ask why you seem to only enjoy it when someone loses

[summerblues]

Well now you must be euphoric you can watch him lose every time he plays.

I have certainly enjoyed his 2015 so far, no two ways about it.

But I do not want to get too carried away lest I find myself surprised when he lifts the Wimbledon trophy in a few weeks...

[Belovedluckyboy]

Karlovic vs Berdych make the most boring tennis ever, more so than Novak/Murray, maybe only a Monfils/Simon could compare.

Im afraid tennis may go that way, with Raonic, Jerzy, Kyrgios at the scene....

[Haddie-nuff]

Well now you must be euphoric you can watch him lose every time he plays.

I have certainly enjoyed his 2015 so far, no two ways about it.

But I do not want to get too carried away lest I find myself surprised when he lifts the Wimbledon trophy in a few weeks...

For once in my life Im lost for words..........no that's not true its just that its not permissible for me to say whatg I REALLY THINK.. so lucky for you

[temporary21]

Anyway.  Serve fests are interesting, but only in tiebreaks. It feels like meandering before thst

[hawkeye]

During the RG final I confess I really wanted Djokovic to lose rather than wanting Wawrinka to win. But when he did I just felt so bad for him...  

summerblues. It's far more fun cheering for someone to win

[summerblues]

but I would ask why you seem to only enjoy it when someone loses

I think one thing is that you, or HN, or many others, like to really relate to the player they root for.  So it then becomes somewhat personal and from that perspective it can indeed look not very nice to root against someone.

For me I think it is more about the style of play then about players themselves.  So rooting against a player is really more about rooting against their style of play, so it does not really have that much of a negative personal feel.

But I would not say I "only" enjoy it when someone loses.  I root "for" some players and "against" some others.  Again, it has more to do with their game style than with them as people, so rooting "against" does not feel as odd in my case.

BTW, I am not suggesting that the impersonal way I go about it is preferable.  But I also do not appreciate suggestions that it is inferior.

[summerblues]

Karlovic vs Berdych make the most boring tennis ever

I thought it was "to each his own"

[Belovedluckyboy]

Yeah, thats my opinion! Isnt that to each his own????

[hawkeye]

I think one thing is that you, or HN, or many others, like to really relate to the player they root for.  So it then becomes somewhat personal and from that perspective it can indeed look not very nice to root against someone.

For me I think it is more about the style of play then about players themselves.  So rooting against a player is really more about rooting against their style of play, so it does not really have that much of a negative personal feel.

But I would not say I "only" enjoy it when someone loses.  I root "for" some players and "against" some others.  Again, it has more to do with their game style than with them as people, so rooting "against" does not feel as odd in my case.

BTW, I am not suggesting that the impersonal way I go about it is preferable.  But I also do not appreciate suggestions that it is inferior.

[temporary21]

Same question really why does it offer so much pleasure watching a style you don't like lose? Surely if the better player, regardless of style wins that that's enough right? If it's your favoured style than all the better.  I'm Not saying it's inferior. For me personally though, that way was far far less enjoyable

[summerblues]

Same question really why does it offer so much pleasure watching a style you don't like lose?

Well, everything else being equal, I will probably prefer the style that I like winning to the style that I dislike losing.  But if the match is between a style that I find so-so and a style I really dislike, then I will root against the one I dislike.

I am mostly saying that once you look at it in terms of style rather than players, the relationship between rooting "for" and "against" is more symmetrical and rooting "against" is not all that different from rooting "for".

Surely if the better player, regardless of style wins that that's enough right?

This is a different question, no?  Obviously at the end of the day if the better player wins it is "enough" - regardless of whether or not I was rooting for them.  Much as I root for Federer, I do not exactly go depressed after his losses.  At the end of the day, if he loses it just means that the other guy was better on the day - fair do's.

[temporary21]

It's just a mind set thing sb. It's a toss up of wanting something to lose over wanting something to win. Both things happen in any tennis match. The way you describe was too negative for my liking, I never got the same joy

[summerblues]

Yeah, thats my opinion! Isnt that to each his own????

Well, you worded it in absolute terms - i.e., "they are boring" rather than "I find them boring", so hence my retort. But my retort was in jest - I knew you were just expressing your opinion.

[summerblues]

It's just a mind set thing sb. It's a toss up of wanting something to lose over wanting something to win. Both things happen in any tennis match. The way you describe was too negative for my liking, I never got the same joy

Oh well, fair enough, to each their own I suppose...

[summerblues]

Fed looking quite good so far today. His shots have much more weight and depth than in his first match against Kohli.

[Belovedluckyboy]

What happen to Murray?

[biugo]

Muller saved 2/2 BP, Murray just 1/2

[biugo]

Federer through in straight sets against F Mayer: 6-0 7-6 (7-1)

[Sponsored content]