Tennis: Going for Gold à Paris

[JaneJeffer]

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I missed wverything yesterday, went out to celebrate DD1's birthday (she'd been out with friends the day before). And belated Happy Birthday to Jannik- whose birthday was also on Friday .

I was really that things got tetchy at the final point in the Felix/Draper match yesterday, but Jack was thenn beaten by Holger.

Bit of a race to get the matches finished before the end of the week really, due to the weather.

Jess Pegula is winning pretty easily against Badosa at the moment, but that could still change, the way these matches have been going. Iga lost to Aryna earlier.

Disappointed to see Holger lost to Frances

It's been a bit of a messy tournament, really, and it's still not over. I know they can't control the weather but they aren't very good at handling it. Have they never seen rain in Cincy before?

It is a shame about Holger- but he did well to get that far, all things considered, with his ever changing coaching situation. it's a good sign for the US Open.

Frances probably really had the crowd on his side (and we know how the commentary teams always feel about Holger ).

Holger has become an ambassador for a charity which helps vulnerable children in Denmark. He said "It deeply affects me to hear about children who experience neglect, as every child deserves a safe childhood and a trusted adult to confide in." He's a good lad really

Poor Jack is still getting abuse over the umpire's call on Felix's post. I get that Felix feels hard done by but in all likelihood Jack would have won the match anyway and despite everyone having analysed the shot none of them seem to have heard Jack offering to replay the point

Aww, lovely Holger! Thing is, he is a nice lad, he's very young still, they just like to keep bringing up his past and not let him forget it. And it's not like he's really done anything!

The Felix/Jack incident is really unfortunate, I just hope it doesn't follow Jack to the next tournament .

Having watched the highlights, Holger really should have won the match against Foe. I like him but he needs to develop the mental side of his game, and would surely benefit from a more stable team around him. That feels like a key difference compared to Carlos and Jannik, who many people were expecting him to be closer to, performance-wise.

The match between Jannik and Sascha was really high quality. Jannik is clearly still having some issues with his hip, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting him too much. Hopefully he’s ok for the US Open.

I don’t know what to think about the Jack-Felix thing. I do wonder how many of the armchair critics saying that Jack should have conceded the point would have done the same thing in the circumstances, match point in a Masters 1000 with all the money and ranking points at stake. Players should be able to rely on the officials in these situations.

I think Holger is just maturing slower than Carlos and Jannik but hopefully will get there eventually.

Jane I agree that Holger is maturing later- 21 is a funny age. Carlos has a very old head on his shoulders, Holger is still in a teen phase- and neither are wrong.

What the heck is this "visit usshop.org" nonsense the commentators have to say 😖

Tim seems to think Annabel saying Heather did well to beat an 18 year old is hilarious. He's trying not to laugh

It does sound a bit desperate!

Now they're showing the doubles presentation in Cincinnati.

When does the US Open proper start?

Next Monday, I think. 25th?

It's all getting a bit confusing with tournaments going over weeks.

'Even if it is doubles' I'm not sure Tim is all that keen on singles players playing doubles, and prefers more 'established pairings' from what he's been saying so far.

Ugly vases. They look a bit like something Keith would have rejected on Pottery Throwdown.

Well done Aryna, Jessica had a bit of come back near the end. I was only half watching- I just find Aryna far too noisy.

And it looks like her winner's vase is super ugly, this year. I think it's the shape.

I think the runner up vase is marginally better.

Well done on winning the wonky vase Jannik! It's so loud there

I saw bits of the start od the match, before I nodded off. I've seen the pictures this morning- Jannick looks quite exhausted, even thoughit wasn't really a long match.

I think the reason I'm not keen on the vase is the very open nexk, I think I prefer the more closed necked ones. There is probably a technical, proper name for them .

He looked so tired after the match. I think he needs a tonic.

There's a 91 year old lady on the telly here June Ann Byrne who played at Wimbledon seven times in the 50's. She has her skirt that Fred Perry made for her with her. She's lovely. Wimbledon sent her centre court tickets for her 90th birthday.

That is so nice, it's lovely that the previous players are still remembered.

And I'm still obsessed with the ugliest trophy vase- and for years is it was this shape- which was slightly better. But only because the new design is really bad. New one looks like the maker got carried away and forgot it needed a shape.

What could be lovelier than a vase in the shape of the female reproductive system?

And now I have my annual question 'was it Grigor who went to the vase factory' moment- or do all the winners get to go?

Must be hard to pretend you think they make beautiful pieces of art. Maybe I'm just a philistine.