Get your strings tightened and your balls polished - gearing up for Aussie Open

[JuanPotatoTwo]

Happy New Year tennis folks (and others of course, if there are any) :)

Getting very very excited to see Pot back in action, feel like a hyperactive child rather than a middle aged woman. He didn't make it to Brisbane so wasn't counting on Sydney but he's there. Look:

www.facebook.com/245291448857687/photos/a.519072434812919.1073741828.245291448857687/784944874892339/?type=1&theater

Yay! I pop in about twice a year or so :o

Hester

Popping in is good.

Chatting tennis with any other fan is great.

Slagging off players with unfounded claims is not on and pisses some of us off.

We all have our favourites and not so favourites.

For me, I adore Rafa but adore great tennis more.

Murray is a bit meh for me. I can take him or leave him. He did make me cry in that documentary, if that helps.

I also get very fed up when commentators display blatant bias.

I think that's where some of us get bored with Murray.

Credentials matter. Murray doesn't have many.

But that's a whole other topic.

magi- Juan will hear you .

I am not a Murray fan. I don't need a reason

I am not an Andrew Castle fan. I have many reasons- mostly unprintable

Well. He has a few. More than say Delicano The British media isn't his fault.

But as you say, this is a whole other thread. Why is this in Telly Addicts by the way, not in Sport?

Credentials matter. Murray doesn't have many.

I'm not being fighty or whatever,just interested, MrsV but I don't know what you mean by that?

AC is a fool. And a twat. And I loathe him.

I'm not a Castle fan either. .

But yes- biased commentators are annoying. They even managed to mention Murray several times at RG -WHEN HE WASN'T EVEN PLAYING (I know I should be over that by now).

Ssshhh, Hester.

Oh fuck, Raahh. Hester is onto us.

You can't blame the media for Andy not being likeable. He's had a couple of big wins and doesn't help himself when he slags off other players.

He mostly does this on twitter. Twat.

Hester- I'm not sure why it's Telly Addicts- i think one of the original Wimbledon threads was, years ago, and we've just stayed here.

Castle on Strictly was dreadful.

Sorry didn't mean to star a thing . I'm with Mrs V and love good tennis so think it is good when the ones you always expect to win don't and there is new blood coming through......

So help me out ladies...what can I make for Sunday that will give me maximum tennis watching time poss make it the day before (?). Catering for 4 adults and 4 kids all eating together. By the way I haven't confirmed to friend yet but seems churlish to cancel for that reason alone.....

Did I say something out of turn? was it the headbanging? I am confused

I really must get into Twitter. I just can't. Apparently Berdych is very funny on Twitter. Doesn't Murray's dog have a twitter account??

I really wouldn't Raah. Twatter we call it. Use it for business and it sucks you in with its stupid shit and sooner or later you'll find yourself trying to debate with Dave from Hartlepool in 140 characters.

Hurrah! Thursday is day off so I can watch. But booooo! Also having a wisdom tooth out, so may be watching unhappily. That's if the forecast snow doesn't stop me from getting to the dentist.

I sit on top of the net with AM. I'm proud because he's British and has done so well to make it a Big Four rather than a Big Three. But there's something about him that means he's always fourth choice for me. Just him personally, meh but he does represent our first tennis success in such a long time.

I am not going to start twittering - I spend enough time here already!

Purple - I'd go for a large lasagne or pasta bake or chilli + lots of garlic bread & a big salad. Always popular.

Pud - lob 'em some ice cream!!

Sorry - no pun intended with the use of 'lob'!!!

magi

He doesn't have many. Like I said, a couple of big wins but nothing to back it up. Quick to slag off others but not happy with criticism. Whines. Too much.

Doesn't like loud, supportive crowds for opponents ( like Novak).

I just look at others in his generation, and you could argue he has some HUGE players there with him but he has had the best training etc and still can't produce consistent results.

I dunno. I appreciate he is the best 'we' have had for a lifetime - but it feels like it could/should have been so much more.

Maybe its not entirely his fault either. Supporting certain sports in this country is in a desperate situation and has been for a while.

I'm waffling again. Alopogies.

No, nothing said out of turn, Hester - private joke between me and Raahh. All is well.

purple

I was going to suggest a pasta or hotpot/casserole type dish.

Bung in oven and forget !

Olympic gold, US Open & Wimbledon - hell of a lot more than many, I reckon.

I'm no great lover of Murray but I do think he gets a hard time from the UK press.

Do some of the other 'nearly at the top' guys, like Tsonga, Berdych etc get a tough time in their home countries?

Is some of it because tennis is seen as an 'elitist' sport by many in the UK?

Am also waffling & will reiterate that I am not wanting to start a bunfight - just interested to talk tennis.

purple

Stop apologising.

I love a good ol tennis natter.

Think you may have a point magi. The English class system has a lot to answer for. And the Scottish/English bollocks throws in another dimension as well. And obviously he is not a grinning performing buffoon, but a fairly reserved young man with awful hair though an admirable set of cheekbones.

Yes but we know that Wimby and OGold was kind of 'gifted' to him, don't we ?

If he gets a hard time from the press its because his demeanour is translated as arrogance and his play doesn't produce results. And he is gobby when it suits him.

He slagged off Rafa last week on Twatter and was largely ignored by all press because he was talking bollocks. Sorry, but he was !

I don't know if others get a hard time, I think overall other countries are better at supporting more elitist/all sports, perhaps ?

Tennis is elitist too. You could not train a champion in this country. That's why Andy went to Spain 20 years ago. Even less so nowadays. Could Joe Bloggs earning the average salary afford to do that, never mind get a child into a club ? No way.

I think as a country too much emphasis is on academia and not enough on other talents, including sport.

I don't want to fight either.

I'd disagree that they were 'gifted' to him.

Didn't know he'd slagged off Rafa - what did he say?

Tennis is elitist, so are many other sports when it comes to opportunities for training etc. All the winter/snow stuff, racing driving & I guess you could also say riding, v.v. expensive.

And agree with you re academia & yet so many kids are failed in the basics of the 3Rs by their education.

.

Gifted? By beating Federer and Djokovic? hardly!

He wasn't slagging off Rafa so much as the double standards of the press. He and Rafa have known each other since they were little. They know each other well and respect one another. And I think going off to Spain to live at the age of 12 because he knows the systems weren't in place in this country shows enormous resolve and strength. He was a child!