Wimbledon 2016 - Gentlemans Semifinals

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Raonic v Federer - McEnroe feels his protege is ready to get to a Slam Final. On ESPN, he stated that emphatically.  Federer looks hungry, but Cilic feels Federer was missing shots that he did not miss in his heyday.

Berdych v Murray - Murray should find this a bit easier than his QF v Tsonga. Drop shots and good defense should also help. Baseline play may not get him much leverage with Berdych.

Frustrating from Andy to give the break straight back. Absolutely vital that he stays firmly on the front foot and keeps Berdych off balance.

Aut0Gr4ph wrote:These empty seats are inexcusable. If you've got Wimbledon SF tickets, getting a catheter fitted beforehand is surely the smart move.

Get over yourself and don't be ridiculous.  Spectators are there to enjoy themselves - at the end of an exciting match I always pop out to re-charge my glass, stretch my legs, and perhaps have a pee or even a bit to eat.  You only miss a handful of games in the first set, 2 or 3 games, and they show them on a screen whilst you wait to go back in.  

The spectators are not obliged to anyone to spend their whole day sitting in their seats, whether they be pompously self-described "real tennis fans" or otherwise.

They leave as much to stock up on food + drink as to offload it. Am often inclined to do the same.

barrystar wrote:

Aut0Gr4ph wrote:These empty seats are inexcusable. If you've got Wimbledon SF tickets, getting a catheter fitted beforehand is surely the smart move.

Get over yourself and don't be ridiculous.  Spectators are there to enjoy themselves - at the end of an exciting match I always pop out to re-charge my class, stretch my legs, and perhaps have a pee or even a bit to eat.  You only miss a handful of games in the first set, 2 or 3 games, and they show them on a screen whilst you wait to go back in.  

The spectators are not obliged to anyone to spend their whole day sitting in their seats, whether they be pompously self-described "real tennis fans" or otherwise.

Was that not obviously a joke? I'm not seriously advocating the use of catheters by spectators at Wimbledon.

The second sentence, clearly.  The first, not so I thought.

Murray breaks again! Just one hold needed for the set. Easy!

Missed chance by Fed there.
40-A at 5-6 in 4th set he should have hit an easy cross-court FH to take him into the TB...but he hit it straight back to Raonic who passed him to win the 4th set. That cost him the match.

Aut0Gr4ph wrote:These empty seats are inexcusable. If you've got Wimbledon SF tickets, getting a catheter fitted beforehand is surely the smart move.

AGph - OK, not good to see empty seats. But it's intense at Wimbledon, and not just for the players. You need a break.

Berdych reading Andy Murray's first serve well. Murray winning his service points predominantly in 5 to 9 stroke rallies.

Whats the big deal about empty seats...some people might be going for a walk around the grounds, watching other matches, etc. Just because you have a CC ticket doesn't mean you have to stay welded to the seat...

No worries. Like my comedy mentor Henman Bill, my attempts at humour rarely come off.

On the thorny matter of empty chairs I am reminded of a poem by Hughes Mearns:

Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
I wish, I wish he’d go away...

When I came home last night at three
The man was waiting there for me
But when I looked around the hall
I couldn’t see him there at all!
Go away, go away, don’t you come back any more!
Go away, go away, and please don’t slam the door... (slam!)

Last night I saw upon the stair
A little man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
Oh, how I wish he’d go away...

Aut0Gr4ph wrote:These empty seats are inexcusable. If you've got Wimbledon SF tickets, getting a catheter fitted beforehand is surely the smart move.        

Is that better from everyone? No, I don't really think people should stay in their seats for seven straight hours.

With Pat Cash deconstructing Andy Murray's second serve - one can see exactly the point Pat Cash was making: the second serve is placed in the hitting zone of the opponent. At the moment Berdych is not taking advantage of hitting clean winners from it.

I ser Heather Watson was fined £9k for smashing her racquet while Serena was fined £7.5k for the same offence. Then Dan Evans was fined £1.5k for an audible obscenity while Kyrgios was fined £4k for the same offence, does the referee pick the fine out of a raffle or something?

Nore Staat wrote:On the thorny matter of empty chairs I am reminded of a poem by Hughes Mearns:

Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
I wish, I wish he’d go away...

When I came home last night at three
The man was waiting there for me
But when I looked around the hall
I couldn’t see him there at all!
Go away, go away, don’t you come back any more!
Go away, go away, and please don’t slam the door... (slam!)

Last night I saw upon the stair
A little man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
Oh, how I wish he’d go away...

You want me to leave NS? Alright, I'm off then.....

On average Andy Murray has to expend much more energy holding his service points than Berdych.

Anyway, back to the tennis. Looks like this second set is finely poised. Goes without saying that it's a must win for Berdych.

Hello! From 40-0 to BP.

Berdych slams the door with some big serving.

Berdych's movement seems ponderous compared to Murray.

kingraf wrote:I ser Heather Watson was fined £9k for smashing her racquet while Serena was fined £7.5k for the same offence. Then Dan Evans was fined £1.5k for an audible obscenity while Kyrgios was fined £4k for the same offence, does the referee pick the fine out of a raffle or something?

Perhaps points are awarded for style. Seriously though, I know they take a dim view of anything that risks damaging the hallowed turf, so maybe Serena got a reduction for breaking hers over a ball boy's head.

Nore Staat wrote:Berdych's movement seems ponderous compared to Murray.

Yup, always has been and that should prove telling on a grass court, where surer footing is harder to find. Having said that, Berdych looking dangerous here and Andy needs to keep him on the run.

One can see how Djokovic is able to take his chances against Murray's service game. Maybe Murray is just a tad flat. His serves are not incisive enough. A rare ace.

lydian wrote:Whats the big deal about empty seats...some people might be going for a walk around the grounds, watching other matches, etc. Just because you have a CC ticket doesn't mean you have to stay welded to the seat...

Is that going to be your one post over the Wimbledon fortnight Lydian? Not a great contribution it has to be said.

This could be the heart of the match right here. Berdych menacing, but Murray clings on to serve with some clutch play.

Should be a chance for Murray now to break.

Berdych expending a lot of energy trying to break Murray means he may have less energy to hold his own serve.

You may recall my TV reception utterlying dying the moment got to Raonic. Still not a wink out of it since then, I'll have to rely on you guys to fill me in.

And Andy Murray breaks. All about poor energy management there from Berdych. Andy Murray does similar - which was evident in his quarter final match against Tsonga.

Murray pounces and is now in the box-seat for set 2 and most probably the match. Possibly a mental lapse from Berdych having missed BPs the previous game, but fair to say that Andy played a great game to break. Be ruthless now Andy!

On the topic of empty seats, the first three games are fully acceptable. Not back until the start of the second set however would be fully deserving of some tutting and dirty looks. Anyone not back by the middle of the second set should be blacklisted while anyone who attempts to sneak back in from their schmoozing around in the wining and dining area in set 3 or 4 should be roughed up and tossed out on their ear.

So this is it then.. THE ROBOTIC RAONIC defeats the veteran to find a place in the final against what could be the BIRDBRAIN BERDYCH.. wow!! what a fantastic Wimbledon one which will forever stay in my memory.

Andy for Christmas sake pleeeeeeeeeeeeez save the Wimbers Title

What a boring Wimbledon that has turned out to be

Aut0Gr4ph wrote:

lydian wrote:Whats the big deal about empty seats...some people might be going for a walk around the grounds, watching other matches, etc. Just because you have a CC ticket doesn't mean you have to stay welded to the seat...

Is that going to be your one post over the Wimbledon fortnight Lydian? Not a great contribution it has to be said.

I commented earlier about Federer but fine, cherry pick away to suit yourself.
To be honest after the fall out with Temp I've lost 90% of desire for posting here...

Solid consolidating hold from Andy. Berdych starting to look a bit nonplussed.

On the matter of fines ..... It's quite possible (I don't actually know for sure) that history/previous offences are taken into account.

Kyrgios of course has form - which could at least explain the disparity v Dan Evans ....(?)

Not sure about the racquet smashing. Perhaps as suggested by Aut0Gr4ph, the fine is adjusted according to style.

lydian wrote:

Aut0Gr4ph wrote:

lydian wrote:Whats the big deal about empty seats...some people might be going for a walk around the grounds, watching other matches, etc. Just because you have a CC ticket doesn't mean you have to stay welded to the seat...

Is that going to be your one post over the Wimbledon fortnight Lydian? Not a great contribution it has to be said.

I commented earlier about Federer but fine, cherry pick away to suit yourself.
To be honest after the fall out with Temp I've lost 90% of desire for posting here...

Sorry, must have missed that one. I'd say the lighter moderating touch is working, so please don't lose faith in the forum. We just need to get that critical mass of posters back and your knowledgeable posting will surely help with that.

Too easy for Murray.

He's already got a read on the Raonic serve from queens. You can pretty much give Murray the Wimbledon title already.

Andy moves serenely to 2-0 in sets with a double-break. Surely Berdych does not have the mental resolve to come back from here.

Probably Murray's easiest service hold there.  If he keeps that up this should be done in three sets.

LiamB wrote:Too easy for Murray.

He's already got a read on the Raonic serve from queens. You can pretty much give Murray the Wimbledon title already.

2-8 from slam finals is not great baggage to have and Milos looked pretty fearless in closing out the Fed match. There's a look of destiny about him that is worrying me. Anyway, we're possibly getting ahead of ourselves with it still on serve in set 3.

I still don't think Murray has been pushed so far in this tournament. The Tsonga game was strange - Murray just lost energy and intensity from the start of the third set onward and then it was just a question of whether Tsonga could hold his intensity and form - but he wasn't able to and Murray won the fifth set fairly comfortably.

Haddie-nuff wrote:So this is it then.. THE ROBOTIC RAONIC defeats the veteran to find a place in the final against what could be the BIRDBRAIN BERDYCH.. wow!! what a fantastic Wimbledon one which will forever stay in my memory.

Andy for Christmas sake pleeeeeeeeeeeeez save the Wimbers Title

What  a boring Wimbledon that has turned out to be

Well I certainly agree that a Raonic v Berdych Final would be the worst possible news for the ticket touts (outlawed anyway these days ....?) - although now looking a near-certainty for Murray to come through here, so it won't come to pass.

But here's the thing : if Raonic truly is as metronomic/robotic/limited as you (and, in fairness, many others) continue to claim, then how come nobody has stopped him so far in six previous rounds ...??

And if - big IF, I know - he were to take down Andy on Sunday, would you then say that he does - or does not - deserve to be Wimbledon Champion, and given due credit ......even though you may not actually enjoy watching his brand of tennis ......

Slightly over starting it Liam, Raonic did lead 7-6 3-0 at Queens and Murray said afterwards that he got back into the game, not by reading the Raonic serve but by guessing which way it was going (his own words) and obviously got lucky and that was how he got back in the match.

Berdych missed some sitters in that game and lets Andy off the hook. Still on serve.

Wow Berdych's mum is beautiful for an older woman and I mean that in a respectful way. I bet she must have been a stunner in her youth.

Difficult hold for Murray there. Berdych returning all of Murray's serves but Murray generally winning the subsequent rallies. Murray was there to be broken in that game but Berdych not quite up for it.

So this should be a good moment for Murray to break Berdych. This service game or the next.

Castle is such a gossiper

And Murray breaks to go 3 - 1 up in the third (& final) set.

Berdych looking all at sea now and Murray has the break. This is starting to look distinctly routine.