• Help Support The Rugby Forum :

The Tennis Thread.

Watching the Laver Cup - new Ryder Cup style tournament between best players of Europe and rest of the world over one weekend. Europe well ahead at the moment and should finish it off today, but all to play for with 3 points for the win compared to 2 yesterday and 1 on the first day. Roger and Rafa having a proper Bromance last night in the doubles.
 
Novak out, beaten by a New Korean sensation Hyeon Chung, who plays a lot like him. Edmund has stepped up in place of Murray and now into the Quarters to play Dimitrov early tomorrow morning. I'll be getting up early for that one.

Still hoping for another Roger v Rafa final. My god the year's gone quick.
 
There's life after Andy Murray after all in British Tennis. Great win for Kyle to get through to his first Grand Slam semi. What nerve and what a forehand!!!
 
Number 11 at RG for Rafa. One of the astonishing sports stats in the history of any sport. Hope Roger can win his 9th at Wimbledon to keep ahead though in the Grand Slam count.
 
I hope Rafa can one day finish level with Roger on the all time list for most grand slams. I think though that Rafa needs to skip the Grass court season and work towards the tournament after that.
Two reasons for this. 1. Rafa looked really tired after and during the game, the cramp highlighted his exaustion
2. Rafa is getting older and maybe a model the same as Federer where he skips some tournaments will be appropriate to extend his career for the foreseeable future.
3. Roger will be coming off his break now for wimbledon and has to be considered the favourite, there is a battle going on for most grand slams and i think he should choose his battles carefully from now on.

Anycase, great respect for Rafael! the reason i got into tennis.
 
RG really is Rafa's to lose until his body gives up on him. He's lost one set in his last 14 matches there. He could conceivably keep winning it until he's 36, which is another 4.

There is a rumour going round the Tennis circuit that this year will be his last Wimbledon as his knees can't take the back to back RG-Wimbledon despite the now 3 week break between the two tournaments. His record at Wimbledon has been pretty poor since 2011, so it may not be so far fetched. So, in future he would save himself for the USO, which is slower and higher bouncing.

Next gen have been a little disappointing and haven't yet broken through at the Majors. Zverev has only got to a quarter final of this slam. Thiem was in his first slam final v Rafa and even his game is pretty limited and he's only a factor on clay.

Novak - went out early and seems to be going through a similar slump in form that Rafa faced 21015-2016. I'm sure he can come back because he is the only one with the game to challenge Rafa at RG.

Roger - back for the grass season after his mini sabbatical. Hope he can win a few more slams starting with Wimbledon next month.

Murray - Keeps deluding himself or playing games with the media with his come back from a pretty big op on his hip. Even if he does play at Wimbledon he's unlikely to last the first few rounds because he just won't be match fit.
 
They really should introduce tie breaks in the 5th sets at Wimbledon. This match is interminable. Soon to end, but unfair on the winner who now has next to no chance in the final.
 
Great career for Andy Murray, sad to hear he plans to retire after Wimbledon, but he's not sure he will even get there he's in too much pain. His right Hip is fooked and he'll need surgery again just to have a better quality of life.
 
Great career for Andy Murray, sad to hear he plans to retire after Wimbledon, but he's not sure he will even get there he's in too much pain. His right Hip is fooked and he'll need surgery again just to have a better quality of life.
Great credit to him. Superb role model too.
 
Not a big tennis fan but I like Murray hugely. Achieved a lot, but more importantly absolutely maximised his ability while seemingly managing to remain a normal human being.

Always quite like people who tend to grumpy, but remember him showing a lighter side in the Mock the Week audience having the p*ss ripped out of him.

He can look back on his career with huge pride. Just a shame that, like so many rugby players, injury prevents retirement on his own terms. At least his bank balance will be slightly healthier than his hip.
 
For sure he will go down as one of the Greatest British sports men/women imo alongside the likes of:

Fred Perry
Charlton/Moore
Daly Thompson/Coe/Ovett/Ennis-Hill/Farah
Redgrave
Johnson/Wilkinson
Lennox Lewis


Winning Wimbledon after 77 years post Perry ensured his legacy,
 
2 sets all in the Murray v RBA match. If he can come back and win in 5 that would be incredible on one messed up hip. Whatever happens his fighting spirit and to never give in can't be questioned.
 
Whatever happens his fighting spirit and to never give in can't be questioned.
Does anyone know why he can't just for Wimbledon to play if he wants that to be his last tournament. Always had huge respect for the lad and want him to go out on his own terms as much as possible despite the injury.
 
Does anyone know why he can't just for Wimbledon to play if he wants that to be his last tournament. Always had huge respect for the lad and want him to go out on his own terms as much as possible despite the injury.

He's struggling in every day life with the pain in his right hip. Can't tie his shoe laces without feeling pain in his right hip. Probably needs a second op on it to have a normal life without pain, but it won't get him back to play elite tennis. It's a matter of when he has the op not if.
 
I know why he is leaving I just don't understand why he is playing Aus and presumably other tournaments instead of just saving himself for Wimbledon if he wants to retire there.
 
I know why he is leaving I just don't understand why he is playing Aus and presumably other tournaments instead of just saving himself for Wimbledon if he wants to retire there.

I think the point he'd decided to finally quit was after his training stint in Miami in December. He thought he could play the first 6 months and finish at Wimbledon. As he said he needed an end point. He then lost early in Brisbane and then played a practise match with Novak and won 2 games. It showed how far he is below the standard he wants to be at to compete at this level and began to really question if the pain and getting through the next 5 months is worth it.

By the looks of his match today he can still play but not to the standard he wants to to win matches.

I doubt he'll play any tournaments post AO. He certainly won't play on clay. So maybe Queens after this and then Wimbledon to finish off. Unless he decides to just have the surgery in Melbourne after he just lost.
 
Last edited:
Novak giving Rafa a lesson atm in Melbourne. Glad Roger didn't have to face him in this form. Murray looking like he did well in his final losses v Novak.
 

Latest posts

Top