Sports - Tennis #19: B/C the action is about to heat up with the summer hard court season!

***Catherine*** · 07-10-2009, 04:56 AM

WELCOME TO THE 19TH TENNIS TALK THREAD

This is one of FF`s santuaries to discuss all things about tennis. The others are the Roger Federer thread, the Rafael Nadal thread, the Maria Sharapova thread, the Novak Djokovic thread and the Andy Roddick Thread.

Everyone is welcome here as long as you keep the discussions PG-13 (let's not get too graphic talking tennis players you find attractive) & in a mature fashion(i.e. no bashing of other posters).

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**|so alive|** · 07-10-2009, 06:10 AM

Holy ****!!!!
Levy (210) just humiliated Andreev (24) 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 and Israel takes the lead against Russia with Sela about to come up and play their #2!!!!!!

welshgirlyUK · 07-10-2009, 06:26 AM

I'm so late to the party, but i was at the mens wimbledon final and it was good fun. I didn't really go with the intention of supporting anyone, just to see Tennis because i was (still am) crushed about Murray not making it to the final, so at first i didn't even care, but i ended up getting swepped up in the Andy Roddick fever of the crowd. I was pleasently suprised to see so much of the British crowd having his back after some people in the papers made a few comments about how the crowd might crucify him for knocking out the a true British hope. It was nice to actually see and hear that the vast majority of people were behind him. I hope he took some comfort in that, despite the painful loss, the people there certainly had his back.

Quote:

He's almost too calm at times. Personally I like to see players show a bit of passion

I completly agree with this. I think it's why i like watching players like Murray, Nadal and Hewitt and i think crowds do to since they tend to be the players with the loudest and most vocal audiences since they rile up and entertain the crowd into getting behind them. Sometimes matches at wimbledon can be very quiet, and a bit... dull, in terms of fun for supporting, between two quiet, calm and collected players. I've been to some wimbledon matches where people end up talking amongst themselves for something to do, because if the players are all quiet and reserved, then the crowd often feel like they have to be too. The audiences feed off the energy and passion of the players.

**|so alive|** · 07-10-2009, 06:36 AM

Quote:

I was pleasently suprised to see so much of the British crowd having his back after some people in the papers made a few comments about how the crowd might crucify him for knocking out the a true British hope.

Aw, I had no doubt it my mind they would back him. He's quite popular in Wimbledon, and really - I can't think of a crowd that disliked Andy.

BTW, you are SO lucky to get to go to the final. One of the things I definitely want to do some day.

***Catherine*** · 07-10-2009, 07:25 AM

I guess in my opinion it is one thing to say "come on", or yell or something, when you win an important point, a long rally, or a set or whatnot. It is quite another to say it, or do stupid fist pumps at every single point, especially at an opponents error..especially at a DF or something. Thats just classless and obnoxious. The crowds feed off on that..yeah, they become pretty rude and obnoxious too.

Quote:

but i was at the mens wimbledon final and it was good fun

Lucky you!!

I'd love to just see a match at Wimby..Im not fussy..it doesnt have to be a final..thought that would be SWEET

Ms X · 07-10-2009, 08:18 AM

Quote:

I guess in my opinion it is one thing to say "come on", or yell or something, when you win an important point, a long rally, or a set or whatnot. It is quite another to say it, or do stupid fist pumps at every single point, especially at an opponents error..especially at a DF or something. Thats just classless and obnoxious. The crowds feed off on that..yeah, they become pretty rude and obnoxious too.

ITA. Shouting 'come on' and pumping your fist at every point isn't called passion. It's called being annoying

I don't see that as passion, in some ways it could even be an attempt to put the opponent off. I don't have a problem with it when it's at the end of a set or a major point but for every single point, it's annoying. I like Murray but his fist pumping really irritates me

Passion for me is when the players themselves play beautiful points, really show how good they are. It's evident in their gamework as I said before and Roger is one of these people. But the arguement that he is arrogant or smug doesn't fit right with me. I have never seen a shed of evidence to support that. He always comes across as a classy guy on court and off court.

Quote:

The audiences feed off the energy and passion of the players.

Not entirely true imo. I do think they cheer when great shots are made. It shouldn't just be about the energy and passion.

**|so alive|** · 07-10-2009, 08:26 AM

Oh my effing God.

Dudi Sela just gave Youzhny a bagel after giving him the stick...
3-6, 6-1, 6-0

Heading to the 4th set... Israel's about to lead 2-0 on the Russian team.
OH.MY.GOD.

***Catherine*** · 07-10-2009, 08:52 AM

Oh dear. Misha hasnt resorted to hitting himself in the head with the frame of his tennis racket, again..has he?

**|so alive|** · 07-10-2009, 09:30 AM

Not this time, maybe on Sunday though... because Israel beat both of the matches today!!!!

IMPOSSIBLE.

**Hot Rod** · 07-10-2009, 10:57 AM

Dammit James!

I tell you the truth. He is absolutely useless, blowing a two set lead to Dr. Ivo, who got his first five set win. Now Mardy will really need to step it up against Marin Cilic.

BTW i`m very surprised that the israelis are 2-0 on the Russians.

**|so alive|** · 07-10-2009, 11:51 AM

We are too

Pity about Blake. Pity about Roddick, really.

**Hot Rod** · 07-10-2009, 04:07 PM

Yeah i`m really missing Andy, especially after Mardy just lost his match to Marin Cilic a few minutes ago, which puts Team USA in an 0-2 hole. This is what i was afraid would happen.

Hopefully the Bryan Brothers can get it going and keep hope alive for Team USA tomorrow.

Meanwhile in the Spain-Germany tie, Fernando Verdasco defeated Andreas Beck 6-0, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-1 in the first match and later on, Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the second match to tie things up at 1-1.

The Czech Republic and Argentina are also tied at 1-1 as Juan Del Potro and Tomas Berdych won their matches.

So that`s the story on the first day of action in the Davis Cup quarterfinals, with Croatia and Israel holding surprising 2-0 leads over Team USA and Russia respectively being the big stories.

**|so alive|** · 07-10-2009, 04:41 PM

Happy about Israel, unhappy about USA. Sounds like a done deal, but I'm really hoping your guys rise to the occasion on Sunday. Hard to imagine what would've happened if only Roddick was there..
But I was informed that even if you guys do win and we win, there's no chance for us to meet you at the semis, so I'm not that disappointed

**-Bianca-** · 07-10-2009, 05:56 PM

I have no doubt if Andy was healthy (physically/mentally), they'd at least have one win. He's hardly a clay court king, but he'd take Karlovic on the stuff.

God forbid James Blake actually do something when it matters and pick up his friend(s)/team though. He's probably saving up in case he gets to play a dead rubber Sunday, where he can truly shine!

welshgirlyUK · 07-11-2009, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms X (View Post)

Not entirely true imo. I do think they cheer when great shots are made. It shouldn't just be about the energy and passion.

Maybe it shouldn't be, but it is. At least in every experience i've had at Wimbledon and Queens. I've never been to another tournament so i can only speak about this in terms of the British tournaments and in them, this is certainly the case. Of course the crowd always applause a fanastic shot, but unless it's at a home player, or a player who knows how to control the crowd and draw them in to feed off their energy, then it's often a more polite, tame applause. The more boisterous audiences i've been apart of have always been in the matches where a player/players are more vocal and exciteable and draw the crowd in. Take Murray for example, the night time match he played started off a bit quieter and more reserved and the more pumped up he got and the more he engaged the crowd and encouraged them to get involved, the louder and more excited they became. The only time i've ever seen the crowd be loud and racous with a quieter player is Tim Henman and this was simply because he was British. But like i said, i can only speak in terms of Wimbledon and Queens, this may be different in other countries. I'm not saying one approach is better or one's right or wrong, it's just different. It depends what works for each player and their style. Some like to have the crowd behind them, making noise and encouraging, other players hate it though and it puts them off and they shut the crowd out. It's all subjective.