Wimbledon 2009

[arwebb]

Second set, 6th or 7th game Wawrinka hit a ball long and Murray celebrated and yelled like he just hit an amazing down the line shot. Even the pro-Murray commentators I have to listen to mentioned it and showed Wawrinka muttering his displeasure.

You don't know what either player was saying, and nor do the 'commentators' you claim to quote. Spurious.

[arwebb]

Was hoping to see the end of the Murray match after work. Damn him and his talent! Did anyone watch it? Was it as much of a walkover as it sounded?

7-5 6-3 6-2 in little more than an hour and a half certainly sounds impressive. He timed it perfectly. I was just about to leave work when he converted match point.

Anyway, I'm sure he's hoping Hewitt v Roddick goes to about 20-18 in this fifth set. So do I.

[Mainad]

I'm sure he's hoping Hewitt v Roddick goes to about 20-18 in this fifth set. So do I.

Lol,it only went as far as 6-4 but I'll bet Murray is hoping it's effects will last till Friday! Roddick,on the other hand,is a veteran of tight 5-set matches so I don't expect it to affect him too much!!

I think we can expect another epic battle on Centre Court on Friday between the two Andys.Murray's got the better of the recent head-to-head encounters but a Grand Slam semi-final is another ball-game.Will be exciting to see how far it goes!!

[Mainad]

Was hoping to see the end of the Murray match after work. Damn him and his talent! Did anyone watch it? Was it as much of a walkover as it sounded?

He looked a bit tired too me (lingering effects of Monday night's marathon?) but once he settled in he began serving and returning almost (but not quite) at his peak best.He dropped his level briefly at the start of the ssecond set when he let Ferrero go a break-up but he quickly levelled and went on to take it.Ferrero had been playing some quality tennis up to that point but after he lost his early advantage in the second set,the fight seemed to go out of him and Murray pounced,attacking his serve and returning more and more aggressively.He practically romped through the third,forcing more and more errors from Ferrero.

All in all a solid,efficient performance against an opponent with not too much firepower (unlike Wawrinka).But I think he will have to step it up a level when it comes to tackling big-serving Roddick.But he's played him before and beaten him most times so he will know what to expect..I expect!

I'm also keen to see how far Haas can push Federer.Tommy's on a real roll at the moment and took two sets off Roger at the French Open and he's been playing his best tennis on grass recently (winning the Halle tournament).That's going to be another one that could go the distance if Tommy manages to hold his nerve and keeps his cool!

[Westfale]

Haas has no chance on grass against Federer.

[stryker]

Haas has no chance on grass against Federer.

I'd say without Nadal in the tourney that no one really has a chance against Federer.

[Mainad]

Haas has no chance on grass against Federer.

I think Haas can push him further than any other player has so far given the form he has been showing lately,especially on grass.I think Federer will win but I also think Haas has a chance,however slight and I think we could see a very good match between them tomorrow!

In the meantime,Serena has just come through an epic three-setter against Elena Dementieva in which she survived a match-point.I was hoping that Elena would manage to come through as I don't really want to see another all-Williams final.She had her chances at various points (eg.that match point) but she just couldn't follow through.In the end,Serena was just that little bit too strong and focussed!

It's now down to Dinara Safina to prevent this but I think she will bottle it again against Venus.Oh well.we'll soon see!

[NY20??]

So upset about Dementieva. She let her game slip when it mattered and luck managed to go to Serena.

The Williams sisters are just beasts. I hope they outdo themselves against each other again after that epic US Open quarterfinal the put on last year.

[Westfale]

I dont know why, but I am pleased with an all-Williams-final. They are now so many years on the tour and they are the only ones, that are still world class. So many players especially from Russia or Eastern Europe came to the top so quickly but nearly disappeared. Sharapova, Jankovic or Ivanovic, will they come back?

Safina is the weakest Number One for years. Maybe I am biased, but when I think of players like Sabatini, Sanchez-Vicario, Novotna, Seles or Graf, I think their matches have been on a higher level.

[Rob2012]

I think you're right. And it's sad, especially when you see the strength in depth in the men's game.

[arwebb]

Come on Federer. Destroy on Sunday.

[Mainad]

So its Federer v Roddick on Sunday; the Williams sisters on Saturday.

Haas did his very best and played his heart out but Roger was just too good.He is back virtually at his all-conquering prime in my opinion,at least at Wimbledon anyway.Haas can take pride in his run to the semis and in his recent peformances here and in Paris and at Halle.

As for Murray...well,he was just outplayed by Roddick.He could never find any satisfactory answer to Roddick's punishing serves and unexpectedly accurate ground-strokes.Also he was made to pay the price for his weak second serve and too many weak returns which Roddick pounced on and won many points against.It was a bit of a tennis lesson fror the Scot from a player he is used to beating and probably thought he would again today but he will recover and learn some valuable lessons.British tennis fans will have to wait yet another year at least for that elusive British finalist!

In the meantime,kudos to Andy R who successfully executed a brilliant game-plan and finally managed to adapt his game to meet a dangerous challenge!

However, I feel confident that Roger will carry the day on Sunday.He is just in awesome form and even the new,improved Roddick should prove no match for him.Wimbledon title no.6 and Grand Slam title no.15 are virtually in the bag!!

As for Saturday's ladies final...I expect the annual slug-fest between Venus and Serena with Venus prevailing in 3 sets.

The King of Wimbledon will regain his throne and the Queen will retain her's!!

[Westfale]

@ arwebb: Do you like the language of war?

As a neutral I am quite glad with this final. Federer is by far the player at the moment. I havent seen the first semi and only the third set of the second. Sorry guys, but Murray is too childish in my eyes. He destroys his whole game with his anger after a fault. I think he has to tame his emotions, if he wants to win the important matches. His mother is even worser.

[Mainad]

As a neutral I am quite glad with this final. Federer is by far the player at the moment. I havent seen the first semi and only the third set of the second. Sorry guys, but Murray is too childish in my eyes. He destroys his whole game with his anger after a fault. I think he has to tame his emotions, if he wants to win the important matches. His mother is even worser.

Not everybody likes Murray or his style of play...that is quite clear.But I don't think he was defeated by his emotions,just a better player.He recovered from set back after set back,from 5-2 down in the 4th set only to lose out in the tie-break because Roddick was much more consistent and accurate with his serves today.That's all.I don't understand your comment about his mother.

Oh well..at least Murray has been improving at each Grand Slam tournament this year reaching the 4th round at the Australian Open,the quarter-finals at Roland Garros,the semi-finals at Wimbledon.If the pattern continues to hold,he should make the finals at the US Open (again)!

[NY20??]

By far the best match Roddick has played in years, if not ever. His career has long been marked by unfulfilled potential (particular thanks goes to Federer in two Wimbledon finals and a semi) and it is great to have seen him change up his game for the better. It's doubtful he'll win on Sunday, but stll.

Safina is the weakest Number One for years. Maybe I am biased, but when I think of players like Sabatini, Sanchez-Vicario, Novotna, Seles or Graf, I think their matches have been on a higher level.

I think women's tennis is still at a point of transition after Henin's retirement. Those top players left are all streaky and don't handle pressure well and it still remains to be seen who will step up to be the solid No.1.

Though Serena Williams would probably be No.1 if she simply played better outside the 4 Grand Slams.

[wingspread]

I one of those very few Murray fans. I'm sad that he lost, but Roddick played very well in that match. Then again, had Murray won I don't think he can beat Federer anyway. Bless the kid; the UK press will be unforgiving.

[4gamesandcounting]

Anybody watching the final. This is incredible.

[Faster]

I woke up and expected Roger to have won 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 or something similar but it was going into the 7th set.

So Roger now has 15, I wonder if Roger can try to go to 25 and get the all-time singles record.

[arwebb]

@ arwebb: Do you like the language of war?

As a neutral I am quite glad with this final. Federer is by far the player at the moment. I havent seen the first semi and only the third set of the second. Sorry guys, but Murray is too childish in my eyes. He destroys his whole game with his anger after a fault. I think he has to tame his emotions, if he wants to win the important matches. His mother is even worser.

I know what I don't like and that's nonsense comments such as yours.

[4gamesandcounting]

Gutted for Roddick.

[Rob2012]

Yep, really gutted for him. And it's telling that he got the loudest cheer from the Centre Court crowd during the trophy presentations. Congrats to Federer, but Roddick's really won round Wimbledon and I hope he wins it in the future.

I'm hungry now! Was planning on eating an hour ago.

[4gamesandcounting]

Feels very Goran - another loss in the final for Roddick - will he come back and win Wimbledon now? I really hope so!!

[arwebb]

His serve will always give him a chance and the longer he works with Larry Stefanki, the more his all-round game will improve. Perhaps a more pertinent question tonight, however, is how many more majors can Federer win?

[arwebb]

I one of those very few Murray fans. I'm sad that he lost, but Roddick played very well in that match. Then again, had Murray won I don't think he can beat Federer anyway. Bless the kid; the UK press will be unforgiving.

Didn't see many of the papers yesterday, but the ones I did see weren't too bad actually.

[Mainad]

Anybody watching the final. This is incredible.

It was one of the best singles's finals ever.The score in the last set,16-14 told you everything! In the end,it became a test of stamina between Federer and Roddick and I feared that the tough matches that Roddick had endured in the last few days would eventually be a factor in this.In that last game,you could see he was spent.He had given his all!

If only Rodders had managed to convert just 1 of those 4 set points he held in the second set tie-break.If he had,I'm almost certain he would have gone on to win the match in 3 or 4 sets.I'm sure he will look back on them as a golden opportunity lost.Against Federer,you have to take your chances when you get them!

I would place it as a very close second to last year's final between Federer and Nadal.The quality of the men's tennis has been superb this year in marked contrast to much of the women's.Saturday's final between the Williams sisters was a damp squib with Venus seemingly just throwing it away in that second set.(Sorry to get cynical but it sometimes makes me wonder if there is any truth to the old rumours that they decide beforehand whose turn it is to win!).

In any event,Roger finally has his record-breaking 15th Grand Slam title.Who would have guessed a couple of months back that the man who had lost a succession of matches to the likes of Nadal,Murray,Djokovic and Wawrinka and was being written off as a has-been by many would go on to win two back-to-back Grand Slam titles in the same year? What a comeback!!