Futtocks Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Anyone watching Djokovic v Kohlschreiber right now is getting a real treat! Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 When it comes to strongly-held opinions, I wonder if John McEnroe has ever met Geoff Boycott? Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 The qualifier Dustin Brown, playing the way he can as opposed to the way he often does, is close to eliminating Nadal, while playing some of the most entertaining tennis imaginable. He seems to be trying different shots for sheer fun alone. Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longboard Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 The qualifier Dustin Brown, playing the way he can as opposed to the way he often does, is close to eliminating Nadal, while playing some of the most entertaining tennis imaginable. He seems to be trying different shots for sheer fun alone. Enjoyable stuff. A bit like the old days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 Enjoyable stuff. A bit like the old days. That match was nothing like any days, old or now. That was off the wall in so many ways, and it was great! Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longboard Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 That match was nothing like any days, old or now. That was off the wall in so many ways, and it was great! It was something like the old days. Serve and volley, improvisation, risk taking and a player who likes to get on with it rather than spending ages bouncing the ball, picking his shorts out of his bum crack........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 It was something like the old days. Serve and volley, improvisation, risk taking and a player who likes to get on with it rather than spending ages bouncing the ball, picking his shorts out of his bum crack........... There was S'n'V, yes, but the whole match was way more off-beat than any of the big names from that fast court era would have ever attempted. Can you imagine Sampras (a personal hero of mine), Rosset, Krajicek, Rusedski, or any of those type of players attempting some of those outrageous trick shots? The drop-shots in particular were cheeky, but some of those serve returns from the baseline were brutally fast too. It was... random, in the best possible way. And when it comes to endlessly bouncing the ball before serving, Nadal has nothing on Boris Becker. Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longboard Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 There was S'n'V, yes, but the whole match was way more off-beat than any of the big names from that fast court era would have ever attempted. Can you imagine Sampras (a personal hero of mine), Rosset, Krajicek, Rusedski, or any of those type of players attempting some of those outrageous trick shots? The drop-shots in particular were cheeky, but some of those serve returns from the baseline were brutally fast too. It was... random, in the best possible way. And when it comes to endlessly bouncing the ball before serving, Nadal has nothing on Boris Becker. The players to which you refer are relatively modern. Brown's approach was in some ways reminiscent of the wooden racquet era, albeit with the addition of the power which comes with the modern racquets and contemporary fitness levels. There used to be quite a lot of players who played with a similar style to that which Brown employed today. You will have heard one of them in the coverage this pm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 The players to which you refer are relatively modern. Brown's approach was in some ways reminiscent of the wooden racquet era, albeit with the addition of the power which comes with the modern racquets and contemporary fitness levels. There used to be quite a lot of players who played with a similar style to that which Brown employed today. You will have heard one of them in the coverage this pm. I remember players from that era - in fact the last time I actually played tennis, it was with wooden racquets. There's a lot of nostalgia about those players, from Tilden to the treacherous (but talented) scumbag Berotra and his Musketeers, Laver, Emerson, Nastase, McEnroe, Mecir, Becker, Bahrami, Leconte. Yes, they played shots like those, but mostly in exhibition matches, and certainly not while outside the top 100 rankings and trying to beat one of the best players in history. And right through the whole match from the first serve to match point. Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longboard Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Most of the players who played the adventurous way tended not to win the big tournaments but they still played it. The players outside the top 100 by definition didn't get many opportunities to play the top guys... You will have noticed that Brown has beaten Nadal on grass before and had a another victory against a big name player at Wimbledon previously. His game plan wasn't a surprise. It involved taking risks, which is unsurprising for a player of his ranking vs Nadal. It came off. Jolly good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 Most of the players who played the adventurous way tended not to win the big tournaments but they still played it. The players outside the top 100 by definition didn't get many opportunities to play the top guys... You will have noticed that Brown has beaten Nadal on grass before and had a another victory against a big name player at Wimbledon previously. His game plan wasn't a surprise. It involved taking risks, which is unsurprising for a player of his ranking vs Nadal. It came off. Jolly good. He's that sort of player, but it rarely works for him, hence his ranking. He loses more than he wins, but when he's on his game you can see the player that he could have been. There's a documentary called 'Confessions of a Tennis Pro' about Mark Keil, who once beat Pete Sampras but didn't have the willpower or the application to really make it to the very top. The film follows him repeatedly trying to wangle travel money so he can take part in doubles matches across the globe and just about scrape even... but without a chance of building a secure financial future (or waking up with clothes on in some cases). The documentary is very funny in parts, but also a bit sad and desperate, and that's the level that Dustin Brown is on. If you're not in the top 100, you have to play qualifiers for all the majors. The furious will to win that the top earners have is pretty extreme, and Brown doesn't have it. After his playing career, this may actually be a healthy thing for him as an adult in the wider world. But as a Tennis pro, his approach isn't a recipe for success. Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim2 Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 The top players (anyone in the top 20 for any length of time) become very well off and the very top players can get extremely lucrative sponsorship and advertising deals. However, if you're 150th in the world or below you are actually a very good player but will be scraping a living. The application and sheer will to win required in an individual sport where you are travelling all the time and paying your own way makes it a very hard life indeed. There's always someone coming up behind you wanting to beat you - younger, more determined - and you're only as good as the last few tournaments you played. No lucrative multi-million pound 5 year contracts like the 150th best footballer in the world will be on. The top guys (Djokovic, Federer, Murray, Nadal, Warwinka etc. and Williams in the ladies) not only have supreme skill but their drive to win is phenomenal. They (and I include Murray in this) are amongst the best players who have ever played the game and yet observe their interviews. They very rarely blame the umpires, the court, the weather or any of the garbage we see from footballers (and RL players) and their managers. My son was a line judge at Wimbledon, officiating in the men's final, and he had nothing but good words to say about these guys, especially Nadal. Nadal always has time for fans and is always polite to officials, ball boys, other players. Djokovic's interviews are always articulate and thoughtful. He spent most of the interview the other day praising his opponent, who had just played his last game at Wimbledon before his retirement. You may or may not like watching tennis, but these sportsmen work damned hard in a very, very competitive arena. "I am the avenging angel; I come with wings unfurled, I come with claws extended from halfway round the world. I am the God Almighty, I am the howling wind. I care not for your family; I care not for your kin. I come in search of terror, though terror is my own; I come in search of vengeance for crimes and crimes unknown. I care not for your children, I care not for your wives, I care not for your country, I care not for your lives." - (c) Jim Boyes - "The Avenging Angel" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckn Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 The top players (anyone in the top 20 for any length of time) become very well off and the very top players can get extremely lucrative sponsorship and advertising deals. However, if you're 150th in the world or below you are actually a very good player but will be scraping a living. The application and sheer will to win required in an individual sport where you are travelling all the time and paying your own way makes it a very hard life indeed. There's always someone coming up behind you wanting to beat you - younger, more determined - and you're only as good as the last few tournaments you played. No lucrative multi-million pound 5 year contracts like the 150th best footballer in the world will be on. The top guys (Djokovic, Federer, Murray, Nadal, Warwinka etc. and Williams in the ladies) not only have supreme skill but their drive to win is phenomenal. They (and I include Murray in this) are amongst the best players who have ever played the game and yet observe their interviews. They very rarely blame the umpires, the court, the weather or any of the garbage we see from footballers (and RL players) and their managers. My son was a line judge at Wimbledon, officiating in the men's final, and he had nothing but good words to say about these guys, especially Nadal. Nadal always has time for fans and is always polite to officials, ball boys, other players. Djokovic's interviews are always articulate and thoughtful. He spent most of the interview the other day praising his opponent, who had just played his last game at Wimbledon before his retirement. You may or may not like watching tennis, but these sportsmen work damned hard in a very, very competitive arena. Good points. Tennis players just seem to accept that they'll get the wrong end of things occasionally but the sport has done all it can to minimise errors without huge intrusion into the game itself. A key point is the difference between a wannabe and the likes of Murray or anyone else in the top 10 is that the top 10 treat being runner up as being the best loser while a wannabe will be delighted at getting through to a stage beyond their seeding expectation. When Murray was coming through, you could see that he really hated losing even to the world's best players and knew he'd be off trying to make himself better. Compare that to the likes of Henman who was very much "I tried my best" and a gallant loser; that could easily be on his headstone "Tim: He knew how to be a good loser". Same in other sports really, the slightly feral look in the eyes of the best when someone suggests there's a chance of not winning. "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Tim Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 The top players (anyone in the top 20 for any length of time) become very well off and the very top players can get extremely lucrative sponsorship and advertising deals. However, if you're 150th in the world or below you are actually a very good player but will be scraping a living. The application and sheer will to win required in an individual sport where you are travelling all the time and paying your own way makes it a very hard life indeed. There's always someone coming up behind you wanting to beat you - younger, more determined - and you're only as good as the last few tournaments you played. No lucrative multi-million pound 5 year contracts like the 150th best footballer in the world will be on. The top guys (Djokovic, Federer, Murray, Nadal, Warwinka etc. and Williams in the ladies) not only have supreme skill but their drive to win is phenomenal. They (and I include Murray in this) are amongst the best players who have ever played the game and yet observe their interviews. They very rarely blame the umpires, the court, the weather or any of the garbage we see from footballers (and RL players) and their managers. My son was a line judge at Wimbledon, officiating in the men's final, and he had nothing but good words to say about these guys, especially Nadal. Nadal always has time for fans and is always polite to officials, ball boys, other players. Djokovic's interviews are always articulate and thoughtful. He spent most of the interview the other day praising his opponent, who had just played his last game at Wimbledon before his retirement. You may or may not like watching tennis, but these sportsmen work damned hard in a very, very competitive arena. Apart from John McEnroe.....I seem to remember he was not shy in letting people know if he was unhappy with a particular call Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckn Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Thoroughly enjoying the Heather Watson v Serena Williams game. "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckn Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Thoroughly enjoying the Heather Watson v Serena Williams game.Really really enjoying this game. "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 We're at a nervy point right now. Serena's broken back in the third set and there's nothing in it. Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuffer Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Looked like Watson was going to romp it, then maybe lost her bottle a bit and Williams clawed it back, now all even Stevens and composure regained... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuffer Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 One game away, can she hold it together/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 Close as anything, tense as anything. C'mon Heather! Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuffer Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Eek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 What a match, and Watson came so close! Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckn Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Most enjoyable game of tennis for years "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 Most enjoyable game of tennis for years Best tennis match I've seen since... er, yesterday (Brown v Nadal). Best women's match since God knows when. Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckn Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Best tennis match I've seen since... er, yesterday (Brown v Nadal). Best women's match since God knows when. I enjoyed today's more by quite a way. "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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