Andy Murray is playing at a very high level, close to his best but just fell short. In the fourth set tiebreaker when he lost a 30 ball rally on Tsitsipas’s overhead winner, Murray excessively complained angrily to his box, wasting very valuable energy. Of course he lost that tiebreaker and went down the early break in the fifth set. It almost seemed Murray could sense his doom in that fourth set TB mini break. He can’t afford to waste that energy at his team. Rookie mistake. But Murray’s playing very very well and I can see him continuing for two or three more years. He’s still obsessed with winning matches.
Jack Sock and John Isner lost first round in doubles to Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson 64 75. This could have been the last time we see the two decorated Americans at Wimbledon. Both are nosediving and not winning matches. Isner’s ranking has fallen outside the top 150 and Sock is in the 300s now, he can’t win in singles or doubles now. His last match before Wimbledon was a loss at Sarasota Open to Tristan Boyer, who was ranked 1100 something at the time.
Did you see there was a tennis journalist who asked Paula Badosa questions at her press conference after her loss, not knowing Badosa had lost?
– Reporter: Congrats for your win. – Paula Badosa: I lost. – Reporter: Could you please tell us about your fitness and confidence level? – Badosa: I just lost. I didn’t win. – Moderator: She didn’t win. – Reporter: Not win? – Badosa: No.
It’s not the first time a tennis reporter asked a player a question thinking the player won. Nico Mahut lost but was asked by American Bill Simons a question at Roland Garros, which showed he didn’t realize Mahut had lost.
Cliff Drysdale is 82 years old and still commentating tennis for ESPN at Wimbledon, this year is his 45th year as a TV broadcaster and he’s still one of the very best.
American top 50 player Chris Eubanks earned the biggest win of his career with a stunning performance on Court One. The former Georgia Tech Hornet upset 13th-ranked Cam Norrie 63 36 62, 76(3) to proceed to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time. With a deep run at Wimbledon and a good hard court summer, Eubanks could be a top 20 player very soon.
Another example the tennis media is failing miserably, as pointed out by ATP veteran John Millman: “How a (TV) commentator can say, ‘we don’t know Jarry but we’ll get to know him’ is beyond ridiculous. 87 million people play tennis worldwide and this guy is the 28th best at it currently.”
Maybe the ATP needs to hire me to Biofile interview every player and post them on the web site and in other various publications.
Andy Murray · Chris Eubanks · John Isner · Nico Mahut · Paula Badosa · Stefanos Tsitispas · Wimbledon
catherine · July 8, 2023 at 4:06 am
Scooop – as we know some ‘reporters’ don’t actually watch matches and only make an appearance in the interview room when a player has turned up. Hence these awkward moments.
Honestly, I don’t know how (or why) the players put up with it.
catherine · July 8, 2023 at 4:43 am
Here’s anóther victim being set up to fail:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jul/06/netflix-star-mirra-andreeva-through-super-style-krejcikova-wimbledon
Scoop Malinowski · July 8, 2023 at 6:44 am
Catherine, they barely do endure the suffering of fools. Marcelo Rios is one who did not. ) Also the ATP school teaches players to treat media like they are talking to their grandparents. Thiem shared that to us in Miami when he was just starting out.
Scoop Malinowski · July 8, 2023 at 6:44 am
Surprised they don’t attack Andreeva for being Russian.
Scoop Malinowski · July 8, 2023 at 3:51 pm
Fokina tried the underhand serve at 8-8 in the fifth set tiebreaker, Rune hit the forehand winner cross court and finished the match on the following point. Fokina is your winner of craziest tactical decision of the decade. Or century. I can’t think of another dumber shot selection on such a critical point ever in watching tennis.
catherine · July 9, 2023 at 2:31 am
Uptick for Raducanu for not hangíng around Wimbledon. She showed up for a promotion early on then departed for Silverstone to watch F1, British Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton is her hero.
Emma used to do motorcross and karting and likes driving (Porsche is a sponsor) but ‘can’t stand traffic’.
Rybakina crushed Katie Boulter who is a pretty mediocre player when put in perspective. Puffed by Brit press.
Jabeur really could lose some weight. I feel I can say that because she’s an athlete.
Scoop Malinowski · July 9, 2023 at 7:52 am
Catherine, for sure Ons can drop a few pounds, like look at how Taylor Townsend is now a much better and successful player now that she is finally very fit and not fat as she used to be, as famously pointed out by Patrick McEnroe who got skewered for telling the truth about her awful fitness. If Raducanu sneezes it’s headline news, she’s going to live in the fish bowl for the rest of her career and maybe life.
catherine · July 10, 2023 at 10:13 am
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jul/10/mirra-andreeva-refuses-to-shake-umpires-hand-after-madison-keys-loss-wimbledon-tennis
What a brat.
Swiatek and Raducanu were both still at school at the age this entitled teenager was misbehaving here and in Paris. Where she should be too.
Scoop Malinowski · July 10, 2023 at 10:41 am
Catherine, she got a controversial point penalty. I understand her protest.
Scoop Malinowski · July 10, 2023 at 11:45 am
Hurkasz will win Wimbledon by 2026. Very impressive win by Eubanks today vs Tsitsipas, he’s playing top 10 tennis and has the star power charisma personality that is a marketer’s dream.
catherine · July 12, 2023 at 7:20 am
From MCM:
@carole_bouchard
‘Svitolina explains that she spent months with coach Sluiter discussing the game style she needed, the game styles of rivals, that he watched huge amount of her matches and that then they made tough decisions. Once again for those in the back: coaches do matter…’
That’s the kind of coach you need. Swiatek said she was pushed off balance by Elina’s changed style of play. Her team should be sacked. Even I noticed Svet was playing more aggressively.
Scoop Malinowski · July 12, 2023 at 11:27 am
Catherine, Raimon Sluiter is a high quality coach, he used to coach Kiki Bertens and guided her to prominence. He’s a good fun guy too. Curious how so many wta coaches prefer male coaches. That trend may never change, much go the chagrin of the king of equality. Thank goodness “affirmative action/equal gender coaching” will never be an agenda forced. )
Scoop Malinowski · July 12, 2023 at 11:31 am
Catherine, “months discussing her game” – did you see any identifiable differences in Svitolina’s game? I didn’t see anything but too many silly errors by Iga, too many low margin high risk targets at lines. “Months discussing her game” sounds like possible propaganda.
catherine · July 13, 2023 at 10:19 am
Well, a little hyperbole here I think. Vondrousova won easily in SS – not a high quality match. I think Elina left it all on the court beating Swiatek, who can’t be feeling good today.
Pity it’s got to be Wimbledon showcasing such a mediocre performance.
I don’t know anything about Carole Bouchard but I really found it hard to believe some of that. I just quoted it out of interest because coaches either say nothing at all or else it’s all false flags, ie propaganda as you say.
Probably a big mental letdown by Elena. She forgot everything she was told.
BTW – women seldom coach because they have other responsibilities and don’t want to travel. Also don’t like bossing young players around.
Scoop Malinowski · July 13, 2023 at 11:00 am
Do you see anything new and different in Svitolina’s game? I see it as the same as it always was. Vondrousova in the final make break the tv rating low record, hope I’m wrong though and Marketa lives up to her name as a marketing A plus star. )
catherine · July 14, 2023 at 7:40 am
No, Svitolina didn’t suddenly turn into a serve/volleyer. Probably mainly mental, she didn’t give up easily, and performing better physically. Certainly better than I remember her as a younger player.