Wimbledon Day 12 - Mens Semi Finals

Good morning tennis fans.

What a day we have in store. Djokovic v Tsonga and Nadal v Murray.

I have the fan on, the phone off, the doors locked and e-mails off.

It is going to be a historic day hopefully. Could we see the first Wimbledon final not to have had Nadal or Federer in it since 2002?

Fingers crossed.

Could we see the first Wimbledon final not to have had Nadal or Federer in it since 2002?

- -
No

The times tennis correspondent Neil Harman is making no predictions!! Sitting on the fence stuff.

TennisHead magazine has done a Wimbledon 125 year history special and has some superb pictures of past winners and players. Can't endorse it enough.

so excited for these two matches it's not true, can't focus on work at all and there's still a while to go before the first one starts!

Really hope Tsonga and Murray win, but knowing my luck neither of them well. I just really hope they're good matches, the women's semi finals yesterday were pretty poor, so I hope these are much better.

My predictions

Tsonga in 4, Nadal in 4

I can think of 2 expressions that will be said the most:

"Business as usual"

or

"Well I didn't see that coming"

Hoping it to be the latter.

How many sick days will today's action cause?

I'm going out for a walk to stop poisoning myself with caffeine

I think you should reach for some strawberries NITB

It's blue skies down here. I am hoping it is blue skies up there in SW19

Murray in 4 and djoko in 3.

Henman said late on Wednesday that 'Murray hasn't played his best tennis yet'

The flipside of that arguement is that nor has Nadal. It is strange as no player in the last 4 has been really dominant. At the Australian Open, Djokovic was solid from start to finish and in the French Open Federer was playing the best tennis all the way to the final. Not sure on the 4 left who I would hang my hat on as playing the best tennis in the tournament thus far.

Twitter reports suggest Nadal has his game head on today and has been ripping through the ball on the practice courts.

wow wrote:Murray in 4 and djoko in 3.

That would do nicely!

Murray is hitting with Ross Hutchins on court 17.

Rafa is moving smoothly according to reports. Looks like both players are fit and healthy.

Last year Murray came up short on the big points. That has been the theme in their meetings afterwards at WTF 2010 and MC 2011. French Open Murray was nowhere near Nadal. Has to capitalize today. The improvement in his mental approach on court has been attributed to Darren Cahill's influence. Let's hope that them 2 can work something out.

Here is a an interesting fact for Djokovic fans. After his Davis Cup success he was honoured with the Order of Saint Sava which is the highest decoration order of the religion. Arise Saint Djokovic.

I'm sticking with Djokovic in either 3 or 4 sets. Murray/Nadal in 5 sets (50/50).

Some Wimbledon trivia. Did you know that since 1922 only 6 Wimbledon tournaments have gone un-interrupted by the rain.

Djoko in 3, Muzza in 5. COME ON ANDY!

djoko will destroy sanga!

Tsonga in 5, hopefully Murray in 5 too.

Incidentally, on this Men's Semis day, Liam Broady beats Jason Kubler 6-4 6-3 to reach the boys' singles final.

Popped a treble on over lunch time.
Nole 3-1 Rafa 3-1 and Shara 2-1= 56/1

Liam Broady is looking quite the prospect.

Let's hope he and Golding can kick on next year.

Djokovic is certainly not taking the break point chances in this first set. Got to try and force his way into the Tsonga serve.

Y I Man wrote:Popped a treble on over lunch time.
Nole 3-1 Rafa 3-1 and Shara 2-1= 56/1

Given your betting luck i'd advise everyone else to bet your house on Tsonga, Murray and Kvitova!

Clarke James wrote:

Y I Man wrote:Popped a treble on over lunch time.
Nole 3-1 Rafa 3-1 and Shara 2-1= 56/1

Given your betting luck i'd advise everyone else to bet your house on Tsonga, Murray and Kvitova!

Ha!
One day it will come in. One day I tell ya!

Tsonga certainly feeling charitable there. A brave point there by the Frenchman at the net. 2 more break points. An ace saves another. Another big serve saves another. Dissappointing for Djokovic. More bites at the cherry and still no joy. Another BP for Novak. Tsonga crumbles and Djokovic gets the breakthrough.

that's it, it's all over for tsonga!

wow wrote:that's it, it's all over for tsonga!

Really? Based on what? Are you forgetting that he came from 2-0 down to beat arguably the greatest player in the open era?

Just feel that Djokovic is turning the screw. Tsonga is trying too hard to pull the trigger too soon in rallies.

djoko all the way,
djoko djoko djoker!

Im reading the updates on twitter on my mobile and it sounds a brilliant match.
#stuckatwork

Tsonga very much still in the first set. Djokovic is clawing it back. Think Tsonga needs to just push Djokovic around the court a little longer and POW go for it.

Clarke James wrote:

wow wrote:that's it, it's all over for tsonga!

Really? Based on what? Are you forgetting that he came from 2-0 down to beat arguably the greatest player in the open era?

Djoko is stifling tsonga and playing tactically better then Fed. Fed kept feeding tsonga to his forehand whereas djoko has superior ground strokes and making good use of them, specailly targetting that back hand.
If tsonga loses the first set, he is out.

Once the rally starts and becomes longer then it is all djoker. He is decoding and sorting out tsonga like a true champion and possible no. 1.
Nadal will lose mentally if djoko wins this.

Yup, I did say Tsonga won't win, he's allowed at least 6 break points on his serve games, how many did Fed get against Tsonga? 1 in the entire match, this is Djokovic's to lose.

Now the errors are creeping in more into Tsonga's game, just like I thought it would when the pressure is on.....

luciusmann wrote:Yup, I did say Tsonga won't win, he's allowed at least 6 break points on his serve games, how many did Fed get against Tsonga? 1 in the entire match, this is Djokovic's to lose.

Now the errors are creeping in more into Tsonga's game, just like I thought it would when the pressure is on.....

Fed's loss= Djoko's gain = rafa's loss

Djoko's win = terror in rafa's camp

Haha, exactly wow!

Djokovic reading and returning Tsonga's serve well and putting pressure on him. He is struggling with his 1st serve now.

Djokovic's returning is much better. Tsonga lost the feel on that attempted drop shot. The first serve has eluded him here. Much better play by Tsonga there. Worked that point beautifully. Brilliant again by Tsonga. Punishing the short ball with that big FH. Be good to see a first serve in here. Great hold from Tsonga there.

I think Nole's going to win the tie breaker now, again, another error from Tsonga, surprise, surprise....

Tiebreaker time!!

That return at 2-1 by Tsonga was amazing. Landed right near the white stuff. 2-2. Novak nearly caught at the net on the BH side when Tsonga rips a FH. Still on serve in this TB. Great defence by Djokovic there. Leads 4-2. Big first serve by Jo and it is 4-3. Tsonga 3 challenges in this TB and has lost 3. 5-3 Djokovic. 6-3 Tsonga goes long on the slice. 3 set points for Novak. Great net play from Jo, came in behind his BH down the line and finishes with a delight of a volley. Tries it again and nets. Djokovic takes it. 7-6 first set to Djokovic.

and Tsonga drops the set with an error, you couldn't make it up!

game, set and crumble.

Djoko will be new no. 1 in another 100 minutes ( not officially but inevitably)

Wonder what Tsonga will do now. Wonder if he will up the aggression and start going for the corners.

wow wrote:game, set and crumble.

Djoko will be new no. 1 in another 100 minutes ( not officially but inevitably)

Your arrogance is quite annoying. I wonder how you'll react if Tsonga pulls this back?

Clarke James wrote:

wow wrote:game, set and crumble.

Djoko will be new no. 1 in another 100 minutes ( not officially but inevitably)

Your arrogance is quite annoying. I wonder how you'll react if Tsonga pulls this back?

I will be surprised. Don't take me wrong but I just want Djoko to win.

tsonga gets broken again!

What a performance by Novak so far, really rebounded well from an early break. He is into every single Tsonga service game.

Clarke James, wow is spot on, Djokovic has broken Tsonga again.

Tsonga's been broken 4 times before this match and Djokovic has done it twice and they've only played just over a set. This is over.

Djokovic is in full flow.

That is the end of Tsonga. Should be a quick 3 set win now for the new World No.1