TENNIS THREAD- and it's the US OPEN already! where is 2017 going??

[Raahh]

New thread ,as we are very close to the end of the other.

I'm in denial that it is nearly September.

I am looking forward to Flushing Meadows. I feels like ages ages since I was able to 'watch' any tennis.

My red button is very temperamental- though there is a proper channel on Virgin that sometimes works. But I missed it all anyway

Maybe tomorrow

BBC coverage is always a bit crap: who thinks it's a good idea to show highlights when the next match has already started!

Sue Barker is always the voice of Doom, Hugo as well- you know they are going to change channel mid match/ go off for Gardener's Question time, whenever she comes on to say something.

I like the Davis cup, but something needs to change if Kazakhstan are beating Switzerland 2-0! Some of the players are ranked 700 ish in the world.
How is that the 'world cup' of tennis?

Even dh knows that

hugo well, quite. They were discussing it just before I had to leave. Davis Cup always seems to be scheduled close to Slams, or other big tournaments. Expecting the top players to be available less than a week after the Australian Open is daft. Plus, it's not that long until Miami, and Indian Wells too.

Mind you- I'd be surprised if Roger (with scaled down schedule) would play Davis Cup for Switzerland in the next year anyway. They touched on it during the final last week, when talking about the Olympics. He has to be part of the DC team in order to be eligible for the Olympics. Now, whether he has to actually play in any of the rubbers or just be there, I'm not sure. And he will be 39 during the Tokyo Olympics.

I think Davis Cup would be an amazing competition if it were played every two or four years.
The way it is shoehorned into the annual calendar inevitably means tough choices for players, especially the top ten.
Surface changes and proximity to majors are very challenging to the health and wellbeing of players.

Oh, and well played Cameron Norrie! I only saw the match point, but what a tremendous effort.
If Kyle can be brought in for Sunday, this tie might still be winnable.

One It could be like the tennis version of the Olympics, which would make more sense in a way. It's a big commitment for the players who are going to be at the latter stages of the majors- and for the players who aren't (and ranked 700 in the world) it probably costs them more financially than they gain, and they won't get ranking points anymore either.

I also think the Laver Cup was a mistake- it was right in the middle of the hard court season, not long after the US open, and was really little more than an exhibition thing. It can't have helped Roger or Rafa to have wasted energy on that, when both ended up pulling out of tournaments later on. It helped Roger in that it was on his favoured surface, but it will have added to the pressure on his schedule (which he wanted to reduce).

Yes, the World Cup of football is every four years, and it gives nations a chance to anticipate a prestigious event. With Davis Cup, it feels like France only just won and five minutes later the competition starts again. It could be in the middle of the Olympics cycle, so two years after each Olympiad.

I hear what you say about Laver Cup, and I was doubtful, but I watched every ball and I absolutely loved it. Loved the team camaraderie. Some great matches, Fed v Kyrgios sticks out.
Loved seeing Rog and Rafa play doubles together, we need the two fan bases to get on better!

I don't know if they will replicate the magic this year in the USA. It is a very commercial undertaking, I know the ATP was not happy!

One i did enjoy the Laver Cup (though I didn't like the colour of the court - it was a bit murky ), I just think it was badly timed. And any excuse to watch tennis is fine by me, But i suppose there wasn't really any other time when they could put it.

It did seem to have an impact on other tournaments though- Guy Forget, (director of Paris) definitely thought so, (a lot of top players didn't go- but there were a lot of injured players by then)he was very unhappy when Roger pulled out of Paris at the last minute. I think Paris was probably one of the tournaments he always planned to skip (had he been further ahead in the rankings).

And yes, Rog and Rafa playing doubles was an historic moment really.

For that, the Laver cup can stay But it needs to be on a different surface, next time. For fairness. (and Rafa's knees ).

Looks like coverage starts at 1pm on BBC2. Which is just when dd1 gets back from her football match , (which I haven't gone to watch because it's raining, and well, dh is the manager of the team, so it is his job).

I'm hoping not to have to go out.

I wish I was in Marbella!

Well, Kazakhstan have beaten Switzerland now.

Just goes to show really that some countries are often carried by their top players. I've really not heard of many of their other players.

At the moment Spain have the upper hand here. But , i thought that yesterday

I do love Feliciano

This is a good match but I'm struggling to see the ball with my dicky eye

Speaking of eyes, I love Feliciano's glasses.

I am missing this match because we have had to go out- typical. I do love Feliciano. I may have said that before

Looks like Ramos-Vinolas is going to win but Norrie has played some lovely shots.

I think if nothing else, for a relative novice on the surface, Norrie has shown he's not scared of clay. Which is no bad thing. I hope he gets the chance to show what he can do during the clay season later on.

Just been checking on the Montpelier results, and was wondering if One had seen any matches yet.

Winter Olympics start officially tomorrow (though i think some events have started already), so i can get my couch potato sporting fix from watching curling and ice dance, until any tennis reappears on my tv . I'm hoping Indian Wells/Miami might be- but I've a feeling that will be Sky only.

oh dear- not a good start for Stan in Rotterdam. I wonder if he is fully recovered, or if he keeps trying to play when he isn't?

Roger seems a bit desperate for the number 1 spot all of a sudden, when back when Rafa took over from Andy, he was claiming it didn't really mean much if it wasn't at the year end...

Will see how he does , though it all seems to be stacked in his favour, anyway, especially with Stan out. And it is a hardcourt tournament indoors, which is his favoured surface.

I hate this bit of the year when I can't 'watch' . But I can't justify Sky (especially if I won't let dh have it for the football!).

I will content my self for the time being with Olympic curling. And luge. I'm quite enjoying the luge

I didn't realise this was on Sky. I've just put Dimitrov on. Don't know if I've seen Sugita play before. I feel drained today, had a splitting headache last night and a bit of aura this morning. Also ate too many pancakes Luckily there's no school tomorrow or Friday.

Nothing worse than a headache, Jane I seem to have them all the time at the moment.

My dc aren't off til next week. I hope the weather improves.

We only get two days off, not much of a break and then it always seems ages until Easter. DS has had non-stop colds this winter and could do with a longer break.

Easter being quite early has thrown me a bit this year. Not as much as two years ago, when the schools had Easter weekend off, went back in for 4 days, then had 2 weeks off.
I was very confused