Wimbledon Day 6

All I want to say is that my wife and I will be on Centre and see my two favourite players; Federer and Radwanska. Lucky us.

Good stuff, have a good time there. Did you get the tickets through the ballot, or a club? Anyone else been this year?

Nadal and Cilic are the only players in the top half to not lose a set, let's see if anyone in the bottom half can get through R3 today without losing a set.

Henman Bill wrote:Good stuff, have a good time there. Did you get the tickets through the ballot, or a club? Anyone else been this year?

My wife's company does some work for the AELTC, and occasionally we are able to pick up a couple of stray tickets - last time was a couple of years ago so it's not very often we get this particular chance.

Enjoy your Centre Court treat !

There aren't many better places to be on a sunny summer's afternoon........

Raonic enters court no 1 carrying his shopping bags. Ramos Vinolas asks if he has to prostrate himself in front of any royals that might be lurking somewhere.

Sue Barker talking up Gulbis' FOREHAND!

Centre court looks terrible

It's a brownish yellow. It's apparently dead slow 

That's not the news the fed heads want

temporary21 wrote:Centre court looks terrible

It's a brownish yellow. It's apparently dead slow 

That's not the news the fed heads want

But according to who exactly .... ?

Boris made a particular point of saying, in a court side discussion just before this match got underway, that any talk of the CC being slow was misguided, and that it's playing fast. He is pretty well-versed on Wimbledon matters, I would think.

Based on Murray and fognini 
It also doesn't look very quick to my eye

Oh, ok, that clears things up, I'm sure your Wimbledon tennis eye is better than a three-times Champ.

Sassy

What do YOU think? Does it look quick to you? Does the grass look healthy?

In relevant news. Gulbis has lost 8 games on the trot

The rot stops at 9 games...

I've never played the courts. I'm just an armchair TV-watcher (and it's a good while since I attended Wimby in person).

Any vague notions I might have as to court speed are of zero value relative to assessments given by a multi-Slammer.

The grass certainly looks parched ; but it has survived all manner of conditions over the years, including hotter summers than this (notably 1976)

Well I'm sorry I've touched such a serious issue 
I'll refrain from giving opinion about this henceforth

No problem at all in "giving opinion". Opinion is what the Forum is all about !

And it's also about having one's opinion sometimes questioned - not least when it appears to contradict that of more qualified observers.

Grass looks horrible to the naked eye and my binos. Cannot say whether it is slow. If he put the work in Gulbis could have been some player. Radwanska a delight to watch as ever. Djokovic was punting along a break down in the first until he played a shot worthy of the world's best and the match changed then and there. He'll be in the mix.

Seen you in the crowd BS looks like you are enjoying yourself

Thiem has just played a stupendous point to win the first set. It included a hot dog and a flying arched back volley winner. This player has real potential.

Federer played some very great points to win the tie-breaker. M. Zverev is a really solid player.

20 year old Jared Donaldson is another one to look out for in future. The Thiem - Donaldson match is being claimed as the match with the highest quality of tennis on display so far. It is certainly highly competitive but Thiem is just that little bit better.

Of all the players I have seen so far I have to say it is Nadal that looks to have been the most impressive. But it is early days.

Federer dimitriv looks to be very good 

So long as Roger makes it to the semis he's the heavy favourite

It is difficult to call at this stage.  The important thing is that players look to be physically healthy.  And on that account Murray is the one that is looking to be physically hampered.  I saw a bit of the end of the first set between Federer vs Zverev - and Federer was looking like he was being seriously troubled.  But then I see he wins in straight sets.

First set was very tight up to the TB. But once Fed took that convincingly, he was never again in any difficulty. Overall a good 3rd round workout for him which wouldn't have taken up a lot of energy.

Dimitrov will undoubtedly provide a serious test. He has looked so solid & focused this past week that I see this as a 50/50 match.

With week one done & dusted, I now consider Novak & Rafa as joint favourites. They have both been outstanding, with few, if any, weaknesses from either. Federer has not always been at his best (eg v Lajovic) but would still be second favourite for me. Murray was impressively resilient v Fognini but doubts remain re his fitness level if he gets into another struggle. Cilic is surely the next best contender.

You can see why Federer is so loved. When he plays it is an entirely different entertainment experience. He plays with real virtuosity. What a day.

Hi barrystar - you certainly got the chance to see some true quality from Federer today. Zverev was playing really well at times - but the difference in class was all too evident in those parts of the match that really mattered.

And you saw a back-to-form Djokovic too !

I haven't watched much of Djokovic recently - but I took a look at the "5 best shots" bbc compilation of his match with Gulbis - and I was struck by his excellent movement. He is able to bend those knees to get down low when needed to hit the ball with real purpose.

I heard at least some players were saying the conditions were particularly slow this year, but hard to tell how much truth there is to it. It is not clear to my naked eye the courts play much slower than in recent years (though of course they play *much* slower than they used to play many years ago).

Also, aggressive players of the sort who one would not expect to do well in really slow conditions have done reasonably well - e.g., Muller and Querrey, but also others.

Hey. I missed the Federer game today. Trying to get a sense of how he played. My impression in the second round was that he was really trying a few things and trying to get himself comfortable on the grass. It was very good.

I think Nadal has been mighty impressive so far and the difference in his and Murray's performance was stark when they were on consecutively. Pace around the court and the pace of the shots. Nadal had that explosive quality. And yet Nadal got made to work in the final set too. Murray though seems clearly hampered by the injury which is a great shame.

But I can't help but think that this whole state of affairs with these four guys almost 90% certain to produce the winner is very poor. All four of them are well past their peaks

I'll meet you half way Lionel Hutz, i.e. agree with "past" but not "well." It's good to see you posting anyway, I could be wrong but I don't recall you around as much in recent times.

Good to see Summer Blues checking in this tournament as well.

I've been busy at work and other things all Wimbledon, I've only watched a few hours of highlights. Tonight I turned on the TV to look for the highlights (I'm in Chile) and nothing there. Sometimes football and other sports trump tennis on weekends and there's actually more weekday coverage.

I did wonder if it was slightly slow this year but I couldn't be sure. Hot weather could change the courts somehow; this could also be related to the tournament being a week to a week and a half later than usual.

One idea I've been thinking about this week (in a fantasy world where I am in charge at Wimbledon and run the tournament better and more commercially than them) is that they could build an additional large showcourt, probably outside the boundaries of the current Wimbledon, by buying up some land on the site of the golf course or surrounding park, or somewhere. Space is a big tight but in visits to Wimbledon I've strongly got the impression that such a move would be feasible, if not easy.

I think if they priced the tickets more commercially, did some proper sales and marketing and better online sales, and ran the tournament better, they could easily increase their revenues by a big amount and fund this.

You'd then add a large bridge over the road on one of the sides, and still have it as a self-contained single site.

The additional show court would allow Wimbledon to play the weekend before the opening Monday as well as the middle Sunday every year, allowing more TV at the weekends, more fans to go at the weekend. It's a waste that they only have 3 weekend days and two of those are just the finals so few fans can really attend. With a 3rd large show court they could do this without overplaying the courts since centre court would be given either less matches a day or some days off to keep it in better condition for the last four days of important matches, when usually some parts of the court are worn off.

Good to see you too HB . I haven't posted a lot in the last year or so. Good to see a lot of the old names still around.

You're additional show court is a good idea. I usually can watch a lot of Wimbledon because July is generally an easier month for me. But I hate how much I miss of tournaments pretty much all over the rest of the year.

The grass is very noticeably beaten up this year. In fact I thought it was noticeable by the end of day 1. Just crazy. I don't know what that means for the speed. Some matches and it looks slow but then in others players can be pretty explosive. Nadal was hitting through the court faster than I can ever recall yesterday. And kachenov was likewise. So idk what to make of it. I am just concerned for how it will play towards the end of next week.

Obviously I will want Federer to win as I always do. I didn't believe he would win in Oz until the very.last ball was hit. I've become used to feeling that it's not gonna happen that I'm not trusting any suggestion that he is one of the favourites. Just can't buy into it. It's too painful when it doesn't happen lol

Lionel Hutz.. good to see you again, after your hiatus.

Was a bit surprised to see Federer give up the break with a bad game, after he started well. Zverev deserves credit to keep Federer honest. After the second set, Zverev was running out of things to try and push Federer.

Lajovic and Zverev matches have shown that Federer can get nervous, too. As he pointed out in the post-match interview, Dimitrov almost beat Nadal at AO2017, and should not be underestimated. Being in the second week should bring him some much needed confidence, and the edginess may be less.

Nadal is improving as he gets more match play on Grass. Cilic may be his first test, before he gets to Murray. IMO, the impending end of the Uncle Toni relationship as a Tennis coach may also be a factor, as he gets new blood and ideas in his coaching camp. For example, I am not certain what role Roig would play in the new set up (H-n, do you want to speculate?).

All four of the Big Four into a slam second week. Just like old times. As a quartet, they've been a bit patchy at GS of late due to form/injury/absence, although when two of them don't make it the other two go deep.
   As for a winner at SW19, I would not look beyond Rafa. Indeed, I think it will be a Rafa-Novak final.

sirfredperry wrote:
   
..................As for a winner at SW19, I would not look beyond Rafa. Indeed, I think it will be a Rafa-Novak final.

Pretty much my thoughts

I hope

It's odd for me to be the only one seeking g federer as the fav. Nothing wrong with that ofc 

The honestly believe he might win this without dropping a set 

He has Pete Sampra's serve. It's the biggest weapon in grass court history

Hey LF,

Great to see you.

Federer seems to be shaky in the first set then and then is settling in once he has that under his belt....

I agree that zverev was a tricky customer. Not capable of beating Federer but capable of troubling.

Temporary21, It looks to me that Federer will have a particularly tough route to the final. Dimitrov is playing very well and has it in him to win a major I think. Even though I think Fed will make it through. Raonic and Zverev II are both capable of beating Federer and it does look like Djokovic has something of his desire returning and may well make the semi.

On Djokovic. I thought it was a very interesting decision to play Eastbourne. And a good call for him to make. It is a statement of intent to say that he wanted the court time even so close to the main event. And though he hasn't played anyone who could in anyway trouble him, he has frankly looked very very good.

I think this major is too close to call. Had Andy Murray not been carrying something, I would have called him the favourite. But as he is, I think any of the three other big four could win this and it's hard to separate them imo

I would make Rafa favourite at the mo on strength of the his form and does have the less precarious route to the final. Murray is his biggest threat in his half but just looks out of sorts with his hip. In the other half I'd favour Federer to come through as he is the better grass courter and in much better form and mental shape. than Djokovic at present although Novak is showing signs of awakening from his slumber. We all know Rafa has the weapons that trouble Roger hence why I would make him favourite.

CC - fully concur with you on Rafa now emerging as the favourite after week one.

But really not sure I would agree that Federer is "in much better form and mental shape than Djokovic". If there is a gap in current (by which I mean just these past couple of weeks .... rather than the season to date) quality between the two, I believe it is very marginal indeed, and too close to call.

On the evidence of this first week, Djokovic looks extremely solid once again ; and if there ARE still any mental demons lingering from the past 12 months or so, then there has been virtually no sign of them - either on court, or in interviews where his general mood seems about as relaxed as when he was winning one event after another ; perhaps even MORE relaxed with the pressure of being Number One no longer a millstone.

lags72 wrote:CC - fully concur with you on Rafa now emerging as the favourite after week one.

But really not sure I would agree that Federer is "in much better form and mental shape than Djokovic". If there is a gap in current (by which I mean just these past couple of weeks .... rather than the season to date) quality between the two, I believe it is very marginal indeed, and too close to call.

On the evidence of this first week, Djokovic looks extremely solid once again ; and if there ARE still any mental demons lingering from the past 12 months or so, then there has been virtually no sign of them - either on court, or in interviews where his general mood seems about as relaxed as when he was winning one event after another ; perhaps even MORE relaxed with the pressure of being Number One no longer a millstone.

I think the evidence is irrefutable of who is in the better form. Federer has won the majority of tournaments he has entered this year whilst Djokovic has been sub-par in most of them. One or two heartening signs in clay season then he surrendered quite alarmingly V Thiem at RG.

Henman Bill wrote:Good to see Summer Blues checking in this tournament as well.

"This tournament"?  You make it sound as if we were talking Umag or something.  This is Wimbledon, tennis's Holy Grail!  Of course I am here.  More cheerful as long as Fed is around, less so if he is not, but definitely I am here.

Before the tournament, bookies had Fed as the favorite, with the Ugly 3 portion of the Big 4 neck-and-neck just behind him.  By now, they see Fed and Rafa as co-favorites.

I have not seen Andy play.  His situation could be quite critical for the assessment of everyone's chances.  Also, is his injury something that can heal or is it longer-term?  He does have an easier looking draw to SF so maybe if he can survive and get in better shape by then, he may still have a chance.

Fed has apparently been down with a cold or something, hopefully that also gets better quickly.  I thought Dimi looked quite good against Sela, and could be dangerous tomorrow.

CaledonianCraig wrote:

............................................

I think the evidence is irrefutable of who is in the better form. Federer has won the majority of tournaments he has entered this year whilst Djokovic has been sub-par in most of them. One or two heartening signs in clay season then he surrendered quite alarmingly V Thiem at RG.

Well I can only re-iterate my specific points made earlier : no dispute at all as to who has had the more fruitful season (and by some distance, yes !)  ..... but as stated, I am judging Djokovic on the here & now, ie on what I have seen from him here at Wimbledon (and, to a lesser extent, even at Eastbourne too), and I detect no serious weakness or lack of motivation & quality. We still can't be sure how he would shape up against a top guy - but if he & Federer get through to the semis with the same conviction that they have each navigated week one, then it won't be easy to call a winner in that meeting.

All that said, Rafa still title favourite IMO.

I'd prefer judging Novak in the here and now once he has faced a real challenge. Signs are his hunger and form is returning but would look at Fed winning Halle as better form than Novak at Eadtbourne. Also lets not forget Federer is without doubt a better grass court player than anyone else in the sport just mow.

Well the coming 'business end' week will certainly be interesting - for all concerned. And apart from Cilic, I reckon Raonic and Zverev the younger look very much in the mix to go deeper.

The semis are still some way off, with a serious test awaiting Federer in the shape of Dimitrov. I don't think Dimi has any wins over him as yet ...... but this might just be his time to shine.

Dimi was very good at Melbourne but has not really followed it up. Having almost beaten Rafa in the AO I thought he would push on from there. But there have been too many disappointing results.
   He's lost to a string of players ranked well below him. That 0-5 H to H with Rog is not going to make things any easier for him tomorrow.

Roger in straight sets

Let's hope they'll stay friendly enough to sing again together, whoever comes out on top tomorrow ...........

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DvObh-uHXZ8

Interesting that Rafa was well behind Federer in the bookies odds at the start, and now it's even. Is current form of the first few matches really worth so much? We've gone from Rafa has knee issues to him being the favourite in a very short space of time. I don't think he is the favourite although I think if he gets to the final and maintains this form he will be.

I don't think there's much in it between several favourites.

Rafa has had issues on grass without a doubt. However, once he gets through the first two or three rounds (as he has here) and comfortably he becomes a definite contender. Also lets not forget in the last year or two he has come here in worse physical and mental shape as well. In the here and now he is brimming with confidence and letting rip with those groundstrokes. When that happens then the rest should beware.