Anyone for Tennis? (Wimbledon 2024)

Shrews

Raducanu is out which means the end of the British challenge for this year.

Nevertheless, I love Wimbledon. Fond memories of it as a kid with the Borg/Connors/McEnroe era and Martina/BJK/Evert for the women. 

We'd play badminton in the street using gates to our drives as nets and for two weeks with light nights and the beginning of the summer holidays, tennis and Wimbledon ruled. 

I was useless at playing it though and if we did venture out to our local courts we'd use a football and play football tennis. Proper tennis with a racquet and ball such a difficult game to play at any age. The ball just comes at you so fast and you are expected to hit it back and keep hitting it back, and even if you do that successfully you have to get the ball between some painted lines. Then even if you do that you are expected to work out your opponent and place the shot successfully, not just hit it over the net and hope for the best.

I'm not sure I ever got any over the net and between those lines with a tennis ball, so respect to anyone who can. To me the very best tennis players are awesome. 

For the record I couldn't care less about any other tennis tournament and when Wimbledon was over we'd switch to athletics for the rest of the summer holidays and that's no different now as an adult.

Now, where's my Robinson's Barley water and strawberries and cream...

guitars4you

Last line above - I’m  sure I recall, as a kid, there was a small period, around Wimbledon time , when it was the only time of the year you could get Strawberries- Now they are everywhere every day

Philly_Q

Shrews said:

For the record I couldn't care less about any other tennis tournament

I listen to 5 Live so I hear pretty extensive coverage of Wimbledon and the other three majors, plus a few other things like Davis Cup.  I really enjoy it, it's a bit like listening to cricket on the radio, lots of time for banter between the commentators.

Offset

I was the same as you @Shrews when I was a kid - loved it and couldn't wait for it to come around.  My Dad and I used to watch it religiously.  My earliest recollections were Stan Smith winning it in 1972 and Jan Kodes in 1973 - and for some reason I remember Evonne Goolagong's win in 1971 but not BJK in '72 or '73.

I still have it on in the background during the week these days as a bit of friendly company.  We'll watch attentively in the evenings and weekends.

I can't be bothered with any other tournaments either.

Philly_Q

I vaguely recall watching bits and pieces of matches in the early '70s featuring the likes of Ilie Nastase and Ken Rosewall, but the earliest finals I can distinctly remember were the Bjorn Borg years.  I thought he was cool with his hippy Jesus look.

Hootsmon

Borg and Mac days were GREAT! The pub I watched it in turned the match into a RC/ Protestant thing...loons

Offset

Well Djokovic hasn't covered himself in glory after his rather petulent post-match interview yesterday, has he?

munckee

Offset said:

Well Djokovic hasn't covered himself in glory after his rather petulent post-match interview yesterday, has he?

"The crowd cheering my opponent is the same as me being booed."  that's  the comments of someone who has disappeared up their own backside.

Offset

After his high-handed and entitled attitude at the Australian Open a couple of years back, I'm not sure why he's suprised he comes in for some stick.

He's still a brilliant tennis player though - he absolutely steamrollered Rune last night.

barnstorm

Offset said:

Well Djokovic hasn't covered himself in glory after his rather petulent post-match interview yesterday, has he?

He's a hard bloke to like, but I enjoy him as the sport's pantomime villain. I'd have to laugh if he somehow marched to the title again having more or less arrived at the tournament in a hospital gown.

steer

Someone needs to show him a clip of the crowd at Cricket getting behind Joe Root. It's the same thing. Maybe he should educate himself before opening his mouth and making a fool of himself. 

BigBearKris

My fave - Iga Swiatek - is out so I am now rooting for young Paulini. She made Roland Garros final earlier this summer.

Men - I like Sinner and Medvedev - sadly one of them will be out this afternoon. 

Djoko - he's like a villain in tennis, unlike all the "likeable" Federer etc. I love how he wins against the boos and just too good to go away. And he's past prime. 

New guy - Alacaraz - may win again, he's exceptional talent, can't buy his persona yet - I keep hearing about his infectious smile... I find him bit "annoying" atm but he's so young and will be around for long time, that I may come around yet. 

I love a good grand slam - if it wouldn't be for this shitty weather it'd great!

guitars4you

steer said:

Someone needs to show him a clip of the crowd at Cricket getting behind Joe Root. It's the same thing. Maybe he should educate himself before opening his mouth and making a fool of himself. 

I recall going to a test match with my ex-wife a few years ago - She couldn't understand the crowd booing him when say he scored a 4 - She totally mis-read the whole situation