Wimbledon

[Ferretfancy]

Sharapova's shrieks sound even worse in stereo on wide range speakers !

[Richard Tarleton]

Well, she's gone as well, Gott sei Dank!

Thank goodness for that!
I do like Petra Kvitowa.

[Lateralthinking1]

Farewell Sharapova and also Clijsters who only ever reached the semis.

I watched the Federer match earlier. The organisation of it seemed shambolic. Play going on everywhere for a while except the Centre Court. Cliff looked grumpy because he hadn't been invited to sing and some truly bizarre interaction in the commentary box between McEnroe and Barry Davies.

I see that Mardy Fish is doing well following his cardiac catheter ablation. Murray's doing ok too apparently.

[amateur51]

I think that was he - perhaps he'd popped in during a break in rehearsals for the Raynes Park G&S Society's new production of 'HMS Pinafore'.

Surely not? - Sir Clifford would be furious!

If there's any singing to be done ...

To be done ...

[gurnemanz]

I do like Petra Kvitowa.

I agree. We saw her last year on Court One in the Quarter Finals. She hit the ball amazingly hard and went for shots all the time, often missing by miles. She occasionally gives a shriek-like yelp, but only when something important happens, e.g. a good shot on a key point. Apparently, she regrets the limelight that has accompanied her Wimbledon triumph.

[Lateralthinking1]

Kvitiva's gorne.

That Lisicki v Kerber game was really rather good. Shame the sour one ended up winning it.

[mercia]

can Murray get to the final ?

[Northender]

Yes, if somebody gives him a ticket or a ballboy falls ill.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes, if somebody gives him a ticket or a ballboy falls ill.

Ooooh! NAUGHTY!!

[french frank]

He's still on course - Ferrer's out.

[Northender]

Tsonga v Murray in the semi-final - a truly enticing prospect.
I would quite like Murray to win the title, because it would break the stranglehold that the 'Big 3' have established over the Majors, and I also like the way he plays. Failing that, I'd like Jo-Wilfried to win - for very much the same reasons. At least there'll be ONE fresh face in the Final!

[scottycelt]

Tsonga v Murray in the semi-final - a truly enticing prospect.
I would quite like Murray to win the title, because it would break the stranglehold that the 'Big 3' have established over the Majors, and I also like the way he plays. Failing that, I'd like Jo-Wilfried to win - for very much the same reasons. At least there'll be ONE fresh face in the Final!

Got to hand it to Murray ... just when you think he's finished he comes roaring back. He's done that so many times.

Don't think he'll win it but if he gets that first serve in more often ...

[Lateralthinking1]

Got to hand it to Murray ... just when you think he's finished he comes roaring back. He's done that so many times.

Don't think he'll win it but if he gets that first serve in more often ...

That was a very good match. I didn't want either to lose. For once, I thought older and of average height might win.

This has been a great tennis era. The Big 3 have all been, to use a slightly wry phrase of my father's father, 'a credit to their profession'. While it was good to see Laver at Wimbledon today, Federer is the greatest player of all time. The only true Rolls Royce. By rights he should win because the record books show that Sampras was better on grass and that is ridiculous.

At the same time, it has to be support for Murray because he is British. I don't know whether he will beat Tsonga. Overall, I am fairly sure Djokovic will win but it is good to see that there is no one, at least in the men's semis, who is thoroughly obnoxious.

[gurnemanz]

While it was good to see Laver at Wimbledon today, Federer is the greatest player of all time. The only true Rolls Royce.

Controversial!! Laver played five of his best years on the pro circuit, ineligible for Grand Slams. He would certainly have won a lot more.

[Lateralthinking1]

Controversial!! Laver played five of his best years on the pro circuit, ineligible for Grand Slams. He would certainly have won a lot more.

Thank you. I take that as a compliment. I need to reiterate here that I have only followed tennis closely since 1975 but would then add that I have a reasonable knowledge of the earlier history.

I think Laver could have achieved more had the arrangements been different and he certainly deserved an even better record. Would you though not agree that there are factors apart from winning cups that go into defining the greatest?

For example, brilliant though Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf were at Wimbledon, there is scope for discussing whether Bille Jean King was better. And in such a discussion, I would have to introduce Maria Bueno who, like Federer, arguably had such a natural flair that points for her there would really stack up. I accept that, by definition, such things are scientifically difficult to measure.