Andy Murray

[Richard Tarleton]

Yes indeed - Boris had some unkind things to say about Andy's mum a few days ago as well.

[amateur51]

Murray has said that he tried a sports psychologist a few years ago and found it useless. As it happens the psychologist in question was on the Today programme the other day, being asked about the advice he'd give Andy now, and it was such a bunch of platitudinous psychobabble, the like of which any of us could have thought of, I can well see why Murray decided it wasn't for him.

And as for Becker saying "it's in his head" - well, duh! Everybody knows tennis is a mental game and every player strives to achieve the incredible levels of continuous concentration needed to win at the highest level. Andy Murray has loads of titles to his name including 6 at masters level, so he knows how to do it. This year alone he's got to two semifinals and a final in the three grand slam events played. You don't manage that if you're a mental midget. But winning the ultimate prize requires even better mental focus and that is given to only two or three players at any given time. It's not such a fault that he hasn't quite got there yet. As has been said, though, he's too talented not to.

As for jibes about his mother - a nice, honest, hard-working woman who has dedicated her life to training the young tennis talents this country needs - those are misogyny, pure and simple. If his father attended his matches, no-one would mention it. It's revolting and it shames this country that it's so widespread.

I refer you to Mr Pee who is custodian of Our Nation's Pride and he'll have a stiff word with you

[RobertLeDiable]

Boris talks all sorts of rubbish. It only needs someone to stick a microphone in his direction and he can't help himself. Judy Murray was quite rightly incensed by his remarks.

[Richard Tarleton]

As for jibes about his mother - a nice, honest, hard-working woman who has dedicated her life to training the young tennis talents this country needs - those are misogyny, pure and simple. If his father attended his matches, no-one would mention it. It's revolting and it shames this country that it's so widespread.

Robert - sports psychologists (good ones) can make a huge difference to sportsmen and women whose main problem is their mental attitude. A good example is Olympic gold medallist cyclist Victoria Pendleton. There's no doubt Mrs M has added to the gaiety of the nation this past fortnight but it's apparent her public interventions have been less than helpful to her son and doubtless stern words have been said behind the scenes. She's in danger of turning from the bedrock of his career into his greatest liability. What I think Boris was suggesting (and he's German) was that Andy had outgrown her.

[Richard Tarleton]

Boris talks all sorts of rubbish. It only needs someone to stick a microphone in his direction and he can't help himself. Judy Murray was quite rightly incensed by his remarks.

Actually I think Boris talks a lot of sense - I've greatly enjoyed his pithy commentaries this Wimbledon and he knows exactly what it takes to be a champion.

[RobertLeDiable]

he knows exactly what it takes to be a champion.

He knows what it took for him to be a champion, but as far as commentating goes I increasingly think that these former players, however successful, need more than that to be good commentators. Boris's comments are largely obvious statements of fact, delivered with the portentousness of someone who thinks he's worth listening to whatever he says. Thus (for example): "It's two break points for Nadal..(pause)..Murray needs to win the next two points now or he loses the game". McEnroe has far more interesting insights to offer on the details of the game, but he's an exception among the former pros.

As for the rubbish about Murray's Mum. She's an experienced tennis coach, whose advice he values. Why on earth would he want her to stay away from the few matches of his a year that she attends? As I said, if it was his father, no-one would bat an eyelid. No-one criticises Djokovic for having both his Mum and Dad (neither of who are even tennis players) at his important matches. It's a measure of Becker's attitude to women (not unnoticed in the past, shall we say) that he would say such a crass thing in public. He's too much in love with his own voice, that man.

[RobertLeDiable]

Apart from which (I should have said), if any of us were lucky enough to have a son competing at the highest level in any sport, would we not want to be there at the big matches to support him? It would be extremely peculiar if your son was playing at Wimbledon and you chose to stay at home.

By the way, from what I remember of Henman's matches at Wimbledon, both his parents were always there in the box throughout. I don't remember anyone saying they shouldn't be. But then he was middle England's favourite nice boy, wasn't he!

[Lateralthinking1]

Mr Pee said that his thread was intended to be quite light-hearted. Some of the earlier comments probably need to be read in that spirit. It certainly wasn't intended to be misogyny. Not dissimilar things have been said by many of the father of the Williams' sisters. Additionally Uncle Tony - an all round good guy - was understandingly getting very frustrated yesterday with Nadal.

I think it is absolutely right to see tennis as a psychological game. The obvious comparison is with table tennis, these days the broadcasters like to emphasize the gladiatorial aspects as with boxing and we all know about golf and the infamous yips. Tennis though to my mind has always been chess of a more active kind. This could partially be why the relationships of tennis players are focussed on, including those with relatives, ie what makes them tick?

The uneasiness of heavy parenting in the media has hints of non-tennis areas - the Wilsons, the Jacksons, the Palins and the other hockey Moms - where some might see dysfunctional impacts. And, yes, this is very unfair in a sport where, particularly in Britian, schools concentrate on team sports almost to the exclusion of all others, as do spectators except during the main events. The tennis courts at my local rec are still in as bad a condition as they were in the early 1980s and not everyone can afford the David Lloyd club. It probably takes an ambitious tennis parent to get their offspring over all these hurdles.

The establishment too doesn't help. How many who have tickets for the Olympics truly believe that there will be a fantastic legacy of sporting facilities for ordinary youngsters? Not many I would guess.

Sports psychology is an interesting one. How many sports psychologists could any of us name? Zero? One? Two? It does lead to suspicions and actually I do have an example here. Many years ago, the son of a family friend was a whisker away from becoming a professional golfer. He felt that a sports psychologist could make all the difference and he did. When the guy saw himself on a video provided by the psychologist he felt instinctively that he wouldn't make it. And that was it - for the rest of his working life since, he has been a professional green keeper.

[RobertLeDiable]

A very sensible post, if I may say so, lateral! The problem is that a great deal of the comments that are spread around cyberspace about Andy Murray and his mother are ignorant, bigoted, plain misogynystic and often very nasty indeed. Whether the original article here was meant in a light-hearted manner or not, much of that sort of thing is uncalled for, and quite depressing. As I've said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with Murray's mother, a respected tennis coach, attending his biggest matches and cheering him on. You'd think, to read some comments, that she went to every tournament, when in fact she only does for perhaps three or four weeks of the year, as does his girlfriend, though he's playing about 45 weeks a year. It's the same with the other top players. It's impossible to imagine, though, that the Serbian media fixate negatively on Djokovic's family and their cheer-leading at his matches. Only in Britain......

And I agree about the sports psychologists. There may be one or two that have a peculiar talent for strengthening an individual's mentality, and no doubt they're useful in team sports, but much of it seems to be baloney.

[amateur51]

A very sensible post, if I may say so, lateral! The problem is that a great deal of the comments that are spread around cyberspace about Andy Murray and his mother are ignorant, bigoted, plain misogynystic and often very nasty indeed. Whether the original article here was meant in a light-hearted manner or not, much of that sort of thing is uncalled for, and quite depressing. As I've said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with Murray's mother, a respected tennis coach, attending his biggest matches and cheering him on. You'd think, to read some comments, that she went to every tournament, when in fact she only does for perhaps three or four weeks of the year, as does his girlfriend, though he's playing about 45 weeks a year. It's the same with the other top players. It's impossible to imagine, though, that the Serbian media fixate negatively on Djokovic's family and their cheer-leading at his matches. Only in Britain......

And I agree about the sports psychologists. There may be one or two that have a peculiar talent for strengthening an individual's mentality, and no doubt they're useful in team sports, but much of it seems to be baloney.

A veritable réchauffage of your messages #30, #36 & #37 RobertLeDiable

Are you on commission?

[RobertLeDiable]

With the greatest respect, amateur: Pee off.

[Rumbaba]

I watched the Murray - Nadal match on Spanish TV in Madrid. My Spanish is not great but I didn't hear the commentators say 'Nadal' at all, just 'Rafa' all the time. He appeared to be playing someone called 'Ondi Mooray'.

[Flosshilde]

As for the rubbish about Murray's Mum. She's an experienced tennis coach, whose advice he values. Why on earth would he want her to stay away from the few matches of his a year that she attends?

Perhaps because of her very public (via Twitter) comments about how attractive she thought one of his opponents was? Not exactly supportive, or calculated to do a lot for his psychological state? & then kissing Lewis Hamilton? It does all seem designed to draw attention to herself, & away from AM.

[amateur51]

With the greatest respect, amateur: Pee off.

Quelle délicatesse!

Likewise I'm sure

[amateur51]

Perhaps because of her very public (via Twitter) comments about how attractive she thought one of his opponents was? Not exactly supportive, or calculated to do a lot for his psychological state? & then kissing Lewis Hamilton? It does all seem designed to draw attention to herself, & away from AM.

Spot on, Flossie!

Oh stand-by for another version of RobertLeDiable's standard message on this thread