Quote: Darren Pomroy @ June 24 2009, 11:52 AM BSTMakes me sick that the English are so desperate for success they latch onto him. No self respecting Scottish person would have cheered on Tim Henmman (Was that his name?)
What about self respecting British people?
Quote: chipolata @ June 24 2009, 10:26 AM BSTAnd to be fair, nobody gives two toots about tennis once this fortnight is over.
As Renegade Carpark says at the start of this thread, it's always funny down the park to see the tennis courts full for the fortnight and then you won't see those people for dust. Anyway, I'm waiting for the Ashes to start.
Quote: Rob H @ June 24 2009, 12:27 PM BSTIsn't that because the LTA give lots of wildcards to British players who wouldn't otherwise have a hope in hell's chance of qualifying to a major tournament?
Could say it's giving a lot of them false hope.
Quote: Yellows 586 @ June 24 2009, 12:46 PM BSTCould say it's giving a lot of them false hope.
No, I don't think so. I'm sure most of them spend their lives playing in Mickey-Mouse satellite tournaments with one man and his dog watching, so its a nice opprtunity for them to live the dream. For one match a year, anyway. 
Quote: Rob H @ June 24 2009, 1:07 PM BSTNo, I don't think so. I'm sure most of them spend their lives playing in Mickey-Mouse satellite tournaments with one man and his dog watching, so its a nice opprtunity for them to live the dream. For one match a year, anyway.
I have zero sympathy. Most of these players have had priviliged up bringing, all the support they need and still can't beat a 12 year old from the Ukraine.
The system does not breed working class tennis players. Example in question. I entered a tennis team into a local tournament. We came second to Rougemont a private school. My best player stuffed their best player using a plastic racket borrowed from the school. All the rest of course lost. I gave the local tennis development officer all the contact details of this pupil. Nothing. He did nothing. Times this to all around the country and that's why Britain are rubbish at tennis.
Quote: roscoff @ June 24 2009, 1:45 PM BSTThe system does not breed working class tennis players. Example in question. I entered a tennis team into a local tournament. We came second to Rougemont a private school. My best player stuffed their best player using a plastic racket borrowed from the school. All the rest of course lost. I gave the local tennis development officer all the contact details of this pupil. Nothing. He did nothing. Times this to all around the country and that's why Britain are rubbish at tennis.
I think that's true of a lot of sport in this country, with the exception of football, boxing and possibly athletics.
Private schools make the children play a lot of sport (every afternoon usually) and have fantastic facilities and coaches.
My school was academic and state run, so we didn't stand a chance. A couple of crumbly concrete courts, badminton nets in the hall and a twenty minute walk to a slopey field to play hockey. We did have a a pool though and it's probably no surprise the school won loads of trophies for synchronised swimming.
Being a former working class lad, I always felt tennis was a bit socially exclusive. Don't know why. I liked and played cricket, which was just as posh in a way. I guess in my day (the 80s) you played football in the winter and cricket in the summer and there was bugger else to do. But Dolly's right. The difference between state and private schools in terms of facilities is ridiculous. All we had was the park and the teachers stopped doing sport after school for free, which didn't help.
"All I know is I gave my absolute best out there. I didn't perform to the best of my ability..."
Genuine quote from a tennis player interviewed live on BBC London News about 5 minutes ago. Daft cow.
Contradiction or what!
Apologies if this link is inappropriate content. All you have to do is listen to the audio clips and guess in which field the lady excels:
http://coedmagazine.com/2009/06/16/tennis-star-or-pornstar-the-audio-game/
Could be either really...
Is she really good at knitting?
Quote: zooo @ June 25 2009, 1:39 AM BSTIs she really good at knitting?
Starting to get a bit exciting now. How far will Murray go?
Even if he did win Wimbledon, he'd probably still moan about it. The expression 'dour Scotsman' seems to fit him to a tee.
On another tennis related subject, anyone else finding themselves becoming obsessed with Safina's weird gut?
How weird?
Are there pictures?
Watching the match now, she looks like she has a beer gut / early term pregnancy. It's weird because she is in great shape and yet still has a gut.
She also wears shirts that ride up her belly, thus emphasising the tum-tum even more.
Not that I'm obsessed by it.