Who did the Royal Family....

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge came to see play tennis at Wimbledon today?

Federer? Murray? Ferrer? Youzhny?


Federer has the answer:

"I think it helps when royalty shows
up and
other legends of the game come to
see me play"

"I think it's inspiring. I'm happy they
came to see and support
me. It was very special."

Is Britain waiting eternally for Federer to bring a Grand Slam? Is Federer from the United Kingdom? Was Federer going for his 14th consecutive loss against the same player today? No on all counts. As a Knowledgeable Member, i was shocked to see this self touting by the Swiss who claimed all the luminaries present at Centre court today came to see him.

They definitely came to see Youzhny. Fed is just having you on pal.

They were very disappointed thou as the was no headbusting or racket busting shows from Youzhny.

Frankly Bill 'n' Kate are a bit low rent for Fed - I thought it was extremely diplomatic of him not to complain and insist on people that are actually important!

Well, Charles and Camilla came to see Fed last week and promptly left as soon as he finished and this week his son and his wife go and see Federer play....go figure.....

Clearly they didn't come to just see Fed play alone....the Murray vs Ferrer match was a top 10 clash so naturally it was a good one to see after the master Fed finished his match.

The legends of the game on the other hand came for the Fed match, I mean, it's not the first time Laver has come to see Fed, is it!?

I was there too.....for the only reason to see if Steffy was still as hot as she once was, but no way, I left in less than 1 hour........

This East Jewel is braking all records here for silly posts.

It would have been funny if he'd said that. But he didn't.

Oh well, shall we pretend he did and have a good laugh about it?

They are ordinary people who need to live like the rest of us, id rather be banned than bow before that "family"

Seifer Almasy wrote:They are ordinary people who need to live like the rest of us, id rather be banned than bow before that "family"

Why invest a gesture with the power to force you into inconvenience. You're not actually bowing to a person anyway, but rather the office they hold, if that changed things.

bogbrush wrote:It would have been funny if he'd said that. But he didn't.

Oh well, shall we pretend he did and have a good laugh about it?

I read a report which suggested that he had said that or something very much like it. For all his merit Fed does from time to time speak as if the tennis world revolves around him - there's a certain amount of truth in that of course - but loyal Fed fan as I am, it does grate a bit when he says that sort of stuff. Nonetheless, the pro's of sporting conduct on and off the Court and general classy conduct outweigh cons like that.

barrystar wrote:

bogbrush wrote:It would have been funny if he'd said that. But he didn't.

Oh well, shall we pretend he did and have a good laugh about it?

I read a report which suggested that he had said that or something very much like it. For all his merit Fed does from time to time speak as if the tennis world revolves around him - there's a certain amount of truth in that of course - but loyal Fed fan as I am, it does grate a bit when he says that sort of stuff. Nonetheless, the pro's of sporting conduct on and off the Court and general classy conduct outweigh cons like that.

Barry I saw the interview and it is being selectively quoted out of context, please don't fall for this sort of moronic wind up...

reckoner wrote:

barrystar wrote:

bogbrush wrote:It would have been funny if he'd said that. But he didn't.

Oh well, shall we pretend he did and have a good laugh about it?

I read a report which suggested that he had said that or something very much like it. For all his merit Fed does from time to time speak as if the tennis world revolves around him - there's a certain amount of truth in that of course - but loyal Fed fan as I am, it does grate a bit when he says that sort of stuff. Nonetheless, the pro's of sporting conduct on and off the Court and general classy conduct outweigh cons like that.

Barry I saw the interview and it is being selectively quoted out of context, please don't fall for this sort of moronic wind up...

Yep, the OP left out some key phrases in which Federer broadened the attention beyond himself to include all the players.

Would one expect anything else from the OP!

If you were playing on Centre Court and "Royalty" turned up, as a player would any of you acknowledge them?

I certainly wouldn't.

super_realist wrote:If you were playing on Centre Court and "Royalty" turned up, as a player would any of you acknowledge them?

I certainly wouldn't.

It's tradition, so yeah I would, to be polite.

Obviously I'd prefer it if they actually did something useful, perhaps hand out towels, collect balls that sort of thing.

super_realist wrote:If you were playing on Centre Court and "Royalty" turned up, as a player would any of you acknowledge them?

I certainly wouldn't.

Why not?

I never get the point of making a point. It's so..... pointless.

I'm not rampantly anti monarchy, but I wouldn't bother with an acknoweldgemnt, certainly wouldn't address them with anything other than their first names.

Royal families like the NOrwegian and Dutch don't insist on such formality, why does the UK one? I get the impression it makes the younger ones like William feel a little uncomfortable anyway.

It's not a protest, i'm just not a formal kind of guy.

reckoner wrote:

super_realist wrote:If you were playing on Centre Court and "Royalty" turned up, as a player would any of you acknowledge them?

I certainly wouldn't.

It's tradition, so yeah I would, to be polite.

Obviously I'd prefer it if they actually did something useful, perhaps hand out towels, collect balls that sort of thing.

If I was "royalty" I would not want someone to bow for me for no reason at all.

Tennis players do not get paid by the royals anyway, they are paid by the fans who pay to watch, the royals get to go in for FREE.

I don't remember seeing bowing and scraping yesterday, but I wasn't particularly looking for it. I do find it rather a tiresome tradition, but as BB says it's about the official status and not the person.

I have read a transcript of the interview and it's quite right that the OP has completely misrepresented what Fed said. I particularly liked this very discrete exchange:

Q. Did you meet William and Kate after the match and what they might have said to you?

ROGER FEDERER: Yes, I did meet them. I met Kate for the first time. William I've met again after Australia. They were very nice, very friendly. I was very happy to meet them.

Yeah, had a bit of a chat. What exactly, it's not so important I don't think. But it was a nice conversation.

I was thinking, he's about the same age as them too, which is funny when you compare how different their lives have been - his greatest work and achievements probably now behind him, they have not really had any 'career' as such yet, but will have to wait quite some time before they carry out their roles in public life.

course they came to see roger, silly question !!! who wouldn't want to see the GOAT in action

super_realist wrote:I'm not rampantly anti monarchy, but I wouldn't bother with an acknoweldgemnt, certainly wouldn't address them with anything other than their first names.

Royal families like the NOrwegian and Dutch don't insist on such formality, why does the UK one? I get the impression it makes the younger ones like William feel a little uncomfortable anyway.

It's not a protest, i'm just not a formal kind of guy.

Exactly. You wont get punished for not bowing.

I would bow to great people like Federer, Dalai Lama, Richard Dawkins etc.

Josiah Maiestas wrote:

super_realist wrote:I'm not rampantly anti monarchy, but I wouldn't bother with an acknoweldgemnt, certainly wouldn't address them with anything other than their first names.

Royal families like the NOrwegian and Dutch don't insist on such formality, why does the UK one? I get the impression it makes the younger ones like William feel a little uncomfortable anyway.

It's not a protest, i'm just not a formal kind of guy.

Exactly. You wont get punished for not bowing.

I would bow to great people like Federer, Dalai Lama, Richard Dawkins etc.

I think I'd rather bow to a mediocre person who held a significant office than to a great person who held no office - I really don't think that non-mutual greetings like that should be given to the individual however great.

I didn't realise there was no consequence if you didn't bow, I assumed they would not invite you back.

In that case I probably wouldn't bow - just a handshake and a peck on the cheek for Kate.

I must say much as I admire Federer or Dawkins I wouldn't bow to them - bit archaic to do so I would have thought.

William ought to be bowing to the players, after all they've achieved something in their lives and he's just got a crappy art history degree from an over-rated university.

Yes, I would not be inclined to bow to a person. That is abasement.

Bowing to an office is more reasonable.

In truth, I would probably do whatever causes least fuss, there are more important things to get in a twist about.

super_realist wrote:William ought to be bowing to the players, after all they've achieved something in their lives and he's just got a crappy art history degree from an over-rated university.

Art history - a fave for posh thickos the world over...

Not a fan of the local uni then?

bogbrush wrote:Yes, I would not be inclined to bow to a person. That is abasement.

Bowing to an office is more reasonable.

In truth, I would probably do whatever causes least fuss, there are more important things to get in a twist about.

You mean you wouldn't give the fragrant Kate a bit of a squeeze?

reckoner wrote:

super_realist wrote:William ought to be bowing to the players, after all they've achieved something in their lives and he's just got a crappy art history degree from an over-rated university.

Art history - a fave for posh thickos the world over...

Not a fan of the local uni then?

.. where he could have done a joint honours in meeja studies and flower arrangement.

Please, nobody get me started on the criminal waste of young peoples lives on crap degrees that will be no use to them in their lives.

bogbrush wrote:

reckoner wrote:

super_realist wrote:William ought to be bowing to the players, after all they've achieved something in their lives and he's just got a crappy art history degree from an over-rated university.

Art history - a fave for posh thickos the world over...

Not a fan of the local uni then?

.. where he could have done a joint honours in meeja studies and flower arrangement.

Please, nobody get me started on the criminal waste of young peoples lives on crap degrees that will be no use to them in their lives.

St Andrews is pretty well regarded I thought? Nowhere near the standard of Edinburgh Uni obviously

super_realist wrote:William ought to be bowing to the players, after all they've achieved something in their lives and he's just got a crappy art history degree from an over-rated university.

Bowing aside, it's not William's fault he was born 3rd-in-line to the throne, and whilst Kate had a choice, I don't think it's fair to criticize her for being his girlfriend then his wife - she evidently loves him and had the courage to follow that up.

They occupy a pretty odd place in life and they've got a very specific and somewhat unusual role to play - they obviously didn't get there meritocratically in the same sense of a tennis player winning his way to the top does either.

By all means criticize the institution, but there's no reason to say his degree is crappy, he's not asking us to judge him on his intellect.

reckoner wrote:

bogbrush wrote:Yes, I would not be inclined to bow to a person. That is abasement.

Bowing to an office is more reasonable.

In truth, I would probably do whatever causes least fuss, there are more important things to get in a twist about.

You mean you wouldn't give the fragrant Kate a bit of a squeeze?

I didn't say that, and in any case at Wimbledon I only have eyes for Ana.

reckoner wrote:

bogbrush wrote:

reckoner wrote:

super_realist wrote:William ought to be bowing to the players, after all they've achieved something in their lives and he's just got a crappy art history degree from an over-rated university.

Art history - a fave for posh thickos the world over...

Not a fan of the local uni then?

.. where he could have done a joint honours in meeja studies and flower arrangement.

Please, nobody get me started on the criminal waste of young peoples lives on crap degrees that will be no use to them in their lives.

St Andrews is pretty well regarded I thought? Nowhere near the standard of Edinburgh Uni obviously

I didn't mean him specifically......

bogbrush wrote:

reckoner wrote:

bogbrush wrote:Yes, I would not be inclined to bow to a person. That is abasement.

Bowing to an office is more reasonable.

In truth, I would probably do whatever causes least fuss, there are more important things to get in a twist about.

You mean you wouldn't give the fragrant Kate a bit of a squeeze?

I didn't say that, and in any case at Wimbledon I only have eyes for Ana.

Ah la dolce Ana! sigh.