Wimbledon

[vinteuil]

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... rather dreading Sunday. I find tennis boring at the best of times, but we're duty bound to attend a lunch/telly watching chez Mme v's best friend - Mme v really only has a serious crush on Federer and Dustin Brown, altho' I think she quite likes Rafa. If it's Anderson v Djokovitch it'll be pretty grim...

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[Lat-Literal]

I don't know about that, Lat, Djokovic is one of the good guys in my book - and at 31 I don't think you can be sure he has that many years left. Catch up? He is one of the greats, one of only 2 (I think) to hold all 4 grand slams in a year.....I'm quite torn between him and Nadal.

Can't be bothered with this exchange of heavy artillery that's going on at the moment. Give me finesse!

It is currently Federer 20, Nadal 17 and Djokovic 12. This pans out Australian/French/Wimbledon/US as Federer 6-1-8-5, Nadal 1-11-2-3 and Djokovic 6-1-3-2. The only other two in the top five are Sampras (14) and Emerson (12). Beyond the headline figures, I suppose one looks at range. Interestingly, none of them has that in equal measure but rather each has done especially well in one-three of the four tournaments. Federer is at a disadvantage age wise being 36 to the others' 32 and 31. Perhaps I do have to go for Djokovic over Nadal because it wouldn't change things hugely. It would just place him firmly in the category of strong in the Australian/Wimbledon rather than strong in the Australian. It isn't that I am against Nadal but I do feel that his dominance in the French somewhat flatters him in overall tally and I also strongly believe that Federer is very clearly the greatest male tennis player of all time.

(Borg is fifth on 11 if you take out Emerson for not having been in the open era : also in the open era, it was Connors 8, Lendl 8, Agassi 8, McEnroe 7, Edberg 7, Wilander 7, Becker 6)

[Richard Tarleton]

I'm at a disadvantage in any discussion as I only watch Wimbledon. I am not keen on the unyielding ochre colour scheme at Roland Garros or the (blue) US (and Australian, can't remember), nor the squeaky shoes on the latter. I switched off altogether during the Sampras years as he was so boring. I cannot disagree re Federer, the only grand slam winner to feature in a John Le Carré novel (pub quiz question - which? )

[vinteuil]

... at 31 I don't think you can be sure...

... my dear Richard - I never knew you were so young!

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[Lat-Literal]

I'm at a disadvantage in any discussion as I only watch Wimbledon. I am not keen on the unyielding ochre colour scheme at Roland Garros or the (blue) US (and Australian, can't remember), nor the squeaky shoes on the latter. I switched off altogether during the Sampras years as he was so boring. I cannot disagree re Federer, the only grand slam winner to feature in a John Le Carré novel (pub quiz question - which? )

I agree on tournament preference. Agree on Sampras and the 1990s - the figures deceive and it was very boring. What is so good about the last 15 years is that a new golden era was not anticipated. I dislike the lowish figures for McEnroe and Becker and feel that they don't do them justice. Didn't Borg retire at 25? He could have been well above 20 slams if not.

I do not know the answer to your question but very obviously it wasn't Smiley's People unless there was some sort of premonition.

[vinteuil]

Federer, the only grand slam winner to feature in a John Le Carré novel (pub quiz question - which? )

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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/7979695/Exclusive-John-le-Carre-extract-from-Our-Kind-of-Traitor.html

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[Richard Tarleton]

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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/7979695/Exclusive-John-le-Carre-extract-from-Our-Kind-of-Traitor.html

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[vinteuil]

"God does not sweat. Federer’s pale blue shirt is unstained except for a single skid-mark between the shoulder blades"

... an odd use, I think, of the term 'skid mark'??



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[Dave2002]

I'm at a disadvantage in any discussion as I only watch Wimbledon. I am not keen on the unyielding ochre colour scheme at Roland Garros or the (blue) US (and Australian, can't remember), nor the squeaky shoes on the latter. I switched off altogether during the Sampras years as he was so boring. I cannot disagree re Federer, the only grand slam winner to feature in a John Le Carré novel (pub quiz question - which? )

Boring! Some matches are as relaxing as watching paint dry.

[Richard Tarleton]

"God does not sweat. Federer’s pale blue shirt is unstained except for a single skid-mark between the shoulder blades"

... an odd use, I think, of the term 'skid mark'??



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Indeed

Penny just dropped re my dangling modifier [?] earlier

[LMcD]

Indeed

Penny just dropped re my dangling modifier [?] earlier

We've given up on Anderson v Isner - an unrelenting 'slugfest'. Why don't they go straight to the tie-break and put us out of our misery?
Agreed, Federer is a very great player, but I think Rod Laver can be considered at least a serious contender for the title 'Greatest Tennis Player Of All Time'

[Lat-Literal]

We've given up on Anderson v Isner - an unrelenting 'slugfest'. Why don't they go straight to the tie-break and put us out of our misery?
Agreed, Federer is a very great player, but I think Rod Laver can be considered at least a serious contender for the title 'Greatest Tennis Player Of All Time'

I've done the same - had been dipping in and out of it - it's ok but nothing more.

Laver - 11 grand slams (3-2-4-2) (5 of them in the open era).

Rosewall (8 grand slams) is interesting for having been in a Wimbledon final in 1954 and 1974 (as well as in 1956 and 1970). A 20 years gap. Is this a record? Possibly.

While Laver was regarded as having surpassed Rosewall, Rosewall did not compete in any grand slam tournament between 1957 and 1967.

[Richard Tarleton]

We've given up on Anderson v Isner - an unrelenting 'slugfest'. Why don't they go straight to the tie-break and put us out of our misery?
Agreed, Federer is a very great player, but I think Rod Laver can be considered at least a serious contender for the title 'Greatest Tennis Player Of All Time'

Anderson has just swatted away a large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae) - this passed without comment from Messrs Inverdale and McEnroe.

[Lat-Literal]

Anderson has just swatted away a large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae) - this passed without comment from Messrs Inverdale and McEnroe.

A cabbage white at a slugfest.

[Dave2002]

A cabbage white at a slugfest.

It just got a bit more interesting - but was pretty boring up until recently. 4.54pm.