<p>bookmama22, I don’t like watching Nadal play. I don’t like the long OCD ritual before each serve or his gamesmanship, or the constant cheating by exceeding the time limit between serves. He looks like he’s in agony out there, and he makes me uncomfortable. </p>
<p>Of course, part of that could be because I am a huge Federer fan and Nadal owns him right now. </p>
<p>BCEagle, that wasn’t the only equipment problem Andy had, evidently. Google “Andy Murray shorts headline”. :)</p>
<p>Fed is like “Hold up…I still have some in the tank”.</p>
<p>…and he has the #1 ranking again.</p>
<p>I forgot to add that John Newcombe mentioned during the match that one thing that Ivan Lendl has tried to tell Murray is to quit looking up at his box - to concentrate on his opponent and what’s going on on the court and not worry about what’s going on in the box. </p>
<p>I think Andy Roddick suffers from that same “what does everyone think of me” and tends to implode when things start going badly for him.</p>
<p>Newcombe also made the observation late in the second set that he felt Murray had been playing as well as he possibly could but that Federer still had a few more gears left - so he felt that winning the second set was critical for Murray.</p>
<p>I have to say I’m surprised but thrilled that Roger is #1 again - I didn’t think it would happen with Nadal and Djokovic being so dominant the last couple of years. The Olympics will be interesting.</p>
<p>I’ve been in the tennis business for a long time and the men’s game has never been healthier. Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, and Murray and a host of worthy contenders beneath them play compelling tennis, particularly in the Slams. But as the cited Times story claims, watching Federer IS a religious experience…or as close as this agnostic gets to one. For coaches his all court modern game that pays homage to the past, but with grips and strokes that are very 2012 is the 8th wonder of the world. I like Nadal and Djokovic, but I ALWAYS want Fed to win and I hope he stays healthy and in the game for a few more years. It is so great to see him coming over his backhand with such confidence again….We may not have an American man winning, but can we take some credit for Federer and his American coach, Paul Annacone? He clearly has Fed believing again.
I’ve never been a big Murray fan, largely due to the whininess others have noted. That said, I had a soft spot for him yesterday. His personal story of surviving the Dunblade school shootings is compelling. Who can deny that town deserves a hero to make it famous rather than infamous.
I think Judy Murray gets a bad rap. I know her a bit and she is a kind, unassuming woman. She is also an extraordinary coach of junior players making her way in a world dominated by men. She is as good as anyone I’ve ever seen working with 10 and unders – both technically, and in making them feel comfortable, valued and joyful on the court. I don’t have a problem with her behavior when watching Andy. Most of us who’ve had kids compete in sports or debate or who’ve played a concert know how tense those moments are, and I bet some of us show it in our faces….most of us don’t have to do it in front of tv cameras.<br>
Finally, I don’t think it was Andy’s second serve that let him down. It was his first. Once his first serve percentage dropped Roger got too many swings at second balls. A player like him is going to take advantage of that.</p>
<p>I think Andy Murray doesn’t get his due because he happens to be playing with two of the greatest players, Roger and Rafa. I was kind of hoping he’d win for Britain - we were at Wimbledon last year and all the folks on Henman Hill and the stands seem to love seeing Murray any chance they can.</p>
<p>Love listening to McEnroe as a commentator. </p>
<p>Dislike Serena. She has an unbelievable game and is so powerful (4 aces in one game??) but I can’t erase her shenanigans at the US Open and at other events. In fact, I heard her say something about the reason she likes to win is to have the trophy in her arms and hold it up and have the whole stadium and audience looking at her. :(</p>
<p>^ Regarding Serena and trophies, during the championship match, someone (Chrissie, Mary Jo, Cliff D.) mentioned she doesn’t keep her runner-up trophies.</p>
<p>I like Roger Federer and Andy Murray so I was happy no matter which way the match went. I don’t like Djokovic and all his chest beating attitude on the court. </p>
<p>I go to Indian Wells every year. It’s a great event which Roger won this year. The Williams sisters haven’t played there for years and no one misses them. Although she is a great player, Serena’s antics at the US Open in the match with Stosur and previously and notoriously in the match against Kim Clijsters shows that she thinks she is above the rules of the game. The shouting at the chair in the Stosur match was horrible.</p>
<p>The younger players could learn a lot from Federer about how to behave. I was a ‘ball girl’ at a Challenger event a few years ago at my club. I saw Ryan Harrison behave like a spoiled baby about line calls. (No hawk-eye). Other less well known players on the challenger circuit said “Thanks” when I’d throw the ball.</p>
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<p>I agree completely, but I am always afraid to write negatively about her as it seems that some find something charming about this classless human being. She is the vilest competitor and most egocentric in the sport. She never credits an opponent who beats her and her press conferences are the worst. </p>
<p>I wish she never came back from her injuries.</p>
<p>tiredofsnow I have to disagree about Rafa. He is a genuinely nice guy and one of the best liked players on the tour from what I read. I’m not sure I buy the gamesmanship rap that he gets either but clearly, I am a fan.</p>
<p>Also I understand Andy Murray’s mother completely having had a child compete (a different sport) at an elite level. You can’t witness the blood sweat and tears that goes into getting to that level without feeling incredibly invested in the effort. Gloria Connors might have appeared more stoic but who cares.</p>
<p>Snowdog, I hear that Rafa is nice, sweet, all that stuff, but you have to admit he has quite a number of irritating quirks on court. Since I don’t know him in person, that’s all I have to go by.</p>
<p>I do feel sorry for him, because he has added even more tics into his serving ritual.</p>
<p>I’m sure he couldn’t care less what I think of him, by the way, and probably no one else in the world cares, either. </p>
<p>I am just more a fan of the Federer style than the baseline bashing of the ball, but I can appreciate Nadal’s hard work and incredible strength. </p>
<p>I thought I had posted on this earlier, but I don’t see it…Newcombe mentioned that one of the positive things Lendl had brought to Murray was to tell him to quit looking at his box so much - “Worry about your opponent and what’s going on in the court, not what we are doing up in the box”. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t want to be in Judy’s shoes; my heart was racing just watching at home. I can’t imagine how those moms (and wives) do it.</p>
<p>I think that Roddick has that same concern with what people are thinking of him, and that leads to some of the less attractive behaviors when he’s feeling pressure.</p>
<p>One more Newcombe observation that I thought was interesting: he said that when the roof was closed, the air gets heavy (humid?) and that the guys who were more muscular (like Novak now, or Rafa, or even Murray since he’s bulked up) also get heavier in movement - and that Federer, with his strong but less muscular body tends to just float across the grass. </p>
<p>Re: Serena - I’m sure all the other ladies will be happy when she retires. Her serve is just incredible. I feel sorry for Venus and think she’s shown incredible grace these last few years.</p>
<p>Excellent observations. JM also was saying that once they closed the roof, Murray’s fate was virtually sealed.</p>
<p>Snowdog, I think I heard on the broadcast that Roger has never (? can that be right??) lost a match indoors. (Even Davis Cup?)</p>
<p>I admit I’m very superficial when it come to liking/disliking players and Murray’s mum is just one of the many reasons I’m not a fan of his. You don’t see Mr & Mrs Roger jumping up and down after every point and even Mirka restrains herself (but that’s probably because she is too busy texting or stuffing her face.) </p>
<p>Beside Djokers arrogance and fake injuries/illnesses, his hair is a another put off, plus the fact that at a few tourney his parent’ wore tee-shirts with his picture on it. I mean really, who does that?!?</p>
<p>Fish once told friends of mine who where rooting for the other player to go eff themselves, and two year ago, at a Seniors event, a group of us were "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie-ing’ Pat Rafter, who was playing Mac in the final, and Mac came over to our corner and looked us right in the eye and said, “eff you, eff you, eff you!” We were shocked, to say the least.</p>
<p>Federer’s tennis is poetic. The rest… they are tennis champions (Nadal, Djokovic…) or players.</p>
<p>How about the Rolex ads with Roger - aren’t they a bit over the top? :)</p>
<p>Shoot, haven’t seen the Rolex ads! Darn it. </p>
<p>jvtDad, totally agree.</p>
<p>emilybee, I’m right with you on the whole Joker crowd, but I love Mirka!</p>
<p>“emilybee, I’m right with you on the whole Joker crowd, but I love Mirka!”</p>
<p>I will admit it was admirable of Roger to be with/marry a woman who isn’t a model/actress/stick insect.</p>
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<p>I read about his problem with dropping balls out - not a real problem unless he lost points because of it. Djokovic had this problem with his ST shorts too - maybe it’s better with Uniglo.</p>
<p>I like Djokovic’s style of play and athleticism. Roger is more efficient but Djokovic has adapted over the years to become more efficient. He has a champion’s mentality (like Roger and Rafa). I’m less of a fan of Nadal - watching him hit the ball has me wincing when you consider the amount of stress that he puts on his joints.</p>
<p>A friend is going down to Newport today - he asked me to go with him but I’m pretty busy this week. He also asked me if I wanted to go to the US Open - I might run over for a day to watch a few matches.</p>
<p>We watched both the men’s and women’s finals, then re-watched on the DVR. A really, really entertaining Wimbledon this year. Very pleased for Serena and altho I really liked Murray, was also pleased for Federer.</p>
<p>Here’s the Rolex ad: The only thing missing is the Noble Peace Prize they give him at the end :D</p>
<p>[Roger</a> Federer, Greatness Achieved - by Rolex - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>And BCEagle - Murray had problems three times with losing balls! THey replayed the first point, but then he lost a point on each subsequent incident. Can’t believe they don’t try out all the clothing, shoes etc to make sure nothing like that happens. And hey, the ladies play with the ball wedged up compression shorts, no pockets at all! Maybe that’s what the men need to do :)</p>