2017 Wimbledon Championships - Men

[DarthFed]

I mentioned it in a previous post. Mac was on ESPN this morning talking about it and here's an interview w/ Dreddy where he talks about it.

Right on cue Miss KS

 

[Moxie]

http://www.menstennisforums.com/2-g...bledon-courts-year.html#/topics/916305?page=8

This thread mentions the McEnroe bit too, but I think someone earlier on this thread mentioned the same. I haven't seen much live tennis yet and it sounds like I haven't missed much. Wimbledon is down to my 3rd favorite slam anyways.

Second biggest complaint I have in tennis is the "new" Wimbledon and the crap tennis it produces. Some of us like fast courts...1st biggest complaint is the corrupt ATP governing body. Would love to see both terminated (slow hard court at Wimbledon and ATP heads) ASAP.

KSkate mentioned it above re: McEnroe. But the link you provide also has Ben Rothenberg (NYT) saying that the court is low-bouncing and doesn't favor Nadal (he mentioned RN specifically.) Interesting that you tout Dusty Brown and his complaints, because it serves your narrative, but if Nadal or anyone else complains about court conditions that you don't mind, you slag them off. (I have no reason to question DB's opinions, btw.) Still, you haven't even been watching much of the tennis this year, by your own account, so how can you be so angry about the conditions? You can't change the weather.

 

[britbox]

There seems to be a ton of contradictory information out there about the bounce on centre court. I guess it will be an eye test match to match.

 

[DarthFed]

I watched enough of the Nishi-Stak match to see the court was extremely slow. And you've heard from KS about the McEnroe bit. It isn't all or even mostly about the weather. Playing with a heavier ball makes the conditions a lot slower. I saw the bit from Rothenberg and it's likely that they were playing with different balls during practice. I'd go more on what players are saying during the tournament vs what a reporter is saying on the practice courts.

 

[Moxie]

There seems to be a ton of contradictory information out there about the bounce on centre court. I guess it will be an eye test match to match.

GSM posted a link from tennis.com, which said they closed the roof on Centre Court and watered it before the start of play today, in an effort to combat the dryness.

 

[Moxie]

I watched enough of the Nishi-Stak match to see the court was extremely slow. And you've heard from KS about the McEnroe bit. It isn't all or even mostly about the weather. Playing with a heavier ball makes the conditions a lot slower. I saw the bit from Rothenberg and it's likely that they were playing with different balls during practice. I'd go more on what players are saying during the tournament vs what a reporter is saying on the practice courts.

Well, with the push a week into summer, and with global climate change, they may need to consider going back to the faster grass composition, just to even things out.

 

[DarthFed]

I doubt they will, these assclowns love the medium hard courts, long rallies and tons of service breaks. They have already affected tennis history enough.

 

[DarthFed]

There seems to be a ton of contradictory information out there about the bounce on centre court. I guess it will be an eye test match to match.

I'm not seeing many contradictions, general consensus is that it is significantly slower conditions than the year before.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

AO, 2012?

That's correct. Give yourself a pat in the back (especially if you did not consult Google).

Incidentally, while it has happened at least once in every other GS, it has never happened at Wimbledon.
If it happens this year, that would be a first for the Big 4.

 

[Moxie]

I doubt they will, these assclowns love the medium hard courts, long rallies and tons of service breaks. They have already affected tennis history enough.

Meaning basically that Roger should have done better and Nadal less-well, I'm guessing is your notion of "affect on history." If so, that is narrow-focused to the point of absurdity. The players play on the surfaces and adapt to them as they will and can. Tennis is an old sport, and there is no one fixed thing that it "should" be. If that were true, it would still be played on grass and clay only. With wooden racquets.

 

[Moxie]

That's correct. Give yourself a pat in the back (especially if you did not consult G.o_Ogle)

Incidentally, while it has happened at least once in every other GS, it has never happened at Wimbledon.
If it happens this year, that would be a first for the Big 4.

Wow, 5 1/2 years ago. Also, interesting trivia fact about Wimbledon. It would be almost weird if it finally happened this year, though rather in keeping with this Throw-Back 2017.

 

[DarthFed]

Hard to adapt to surfaces when they just change and mostly slow down all the time. I think the game basically is returning to the old days of all the big events played on 1-2 surfaces. RG is the only drastically different slam at this point and it is no longer a difficult transition at all to switch from clay to grass. AO, USO, and Wimbledon are all fairly similar at this point.

Roger came up and developed his game at a different time when there was serious variety in the surfaces and Rafa, Nole, and Murray did to a certain degree too. If Wimbledon and USO remained the same, i.e. there was actually variety, you bet your ass Roger would've won more and the others less. They love the slow stuff, Roger likes fast and low but he doesn't suck on the current surfaces of course. I'm not surprised you love this monotonous homogenization of surfaces, it suits your guy in a huge way.

 

[kskate2]

@DarthFed @brokenshoelace @GameSetAndMath @the AntiPusher @Denis @britbox @Front242

It's on my DVR so I don't have a way to upload it. But he was in a roundtable discussion w/ Chris McHendry, Morataglou and Mary Jo. At first they were discussing the court conditions because more than a couple players (some WTA) were talking about Court 18. Then they discussed learning how to move on the grass w/ the extra week they had been given and even down to the type of shoes they should wear. After that they moved into a conversation about the balls. Here's what they said verbatim:

Mary Jo: What about the balls?

Mac: I don't know if I can go by Peter Fleming my old buddy and doubs partner. We went out and practiced. He had a can of balls from last year and a can of balls from this year. And to us old farts noticeable difference. It seems like the balls were heavier and slower.

 

[Moxie]

Hard to adapt to surfaces when they just change and mostly slow down all the time. I think the game basically is returning to the old days of all the big events played on 1-2 surfaces. RG is the only drastically different slam at this point and it is no longer a difficult transition at all to switch from clay to grass. AO, USO, and Wimbledon are all fairly similar at this point.

Roger came up and developed his game at a different time when there was serious variety in the surfaces and Rafa, Nole, and Murray did to a certain degree too. If Wimbledon and USO remained the same, i.e. there was actually variety, you bet your ass Roger would've won more and the others less. They love the slow stuff, Roger likes fast and low but he doesn't suck on the current surfaces of course. I'm not surprised you love this monotonous homogenization of surfaces, it suits your guy in a huge way.

I don't know that they change "all the time." And adaptation is a tennis player's by-word. Surface, balls, weather, venue. They all change tournament to tournament. RG is not the only "drastically" different tournament. The clay season is a whole thing, and it's a third of the calendar. And it's a classic part of tennis, unlike the HCs. Complaining about the surfaces is a bit ironic, coming from you, given as much grief as you had for Toni Nadal doing the same. And your bile is for the same reason....how it affects your favorite. At least I've always been consistent. My favorite surface has been clay since the 70s. I've always preferred the slower play.

 

[Carol]

Wow, I've just finished to watch the whole match, impressive the game of Nadal starting with a much better serve and brilliant volley. Hope some rain tomorrow and Sunday and a sunny day on Monday

 

[Shivashish Sarkar]

It's clear that the conditions are slower this year due to some reason. And that means Roger is going to have real challenge against Rafa to play a good game.

 

[DarthFed]

I don't know that they change "all the time." And adaptation is a tennis player's by-word. Surface, balls, weather, venue. They all change tournament to tournament. RG is not the only "drastically" different tournament. The clay season is a whole thing, and it's a third of the calendar. And it's a classic part of tennis, unlike the HCs. Complaining about the surfaces is a bit ironic, coming from you, given as much grief as you had for Toni Nadal doing the same. And your bile is for the same reason....how it affects your favorite. At least I've always been consistent. My favorite surface has been clay since the 70s. I've always preferred the slower play.

Of the slams RG is the only drastically different is what I meant. I give your favorite uncle grief when he complains about surfaces because they have slowed down considerably yet it appears he wishes everything played like clay.

I know you like clay and all the drab players that excel on it.

 

[britbox]

It's clear that the conditions are slower this year due to some reason. And that means Roger is going to have real challenge against Rafa to deliver the goods.

I wouldn't count Djoker out either. He's taking care of business and flying under the radar a little.

 

[DarthFed]

Djokovic is a serious threat vs. Roger now on this medium paced hard court. Before the tourney I figured that'd be an easy match for Roger, actually was hoping for it as a cheap, easy win like Nole had vs. Fed the past few years.

 

[Moxie]

It's clear that the conditions are slower this year due to some reason. And that means Roger is going to have real challenge against Rafa to deliver the goods.

This assumes that Nadal makes the final, which is way before time. No matter how slow the court may be playing, and how much better Nadal is, he's got a lot of demons to get past, and more specifically Muller, then presumably Cilic just to get to the SF. That's a lot of "if" and even "if" it's Murray at the end of that road.

I wouldn't count Djoker out either. He's taking care of business and flying under the radar a little.

There's not much to go by, atm, but he does seem improved and steadier. It's a bit much to put him "under-the-radar", as a former #1 and former champion, but he hasn't been given a lot of credence, given his year so far. A couple more good showings and that will change, however.