TENNIS THREAD- WIMBLEDON- part 3! Will the Plucky Brit make it to the end? Will there be 2 Italian winners at the weekend? Will Cobolli have to move house again?

[Raahh]

We will probably need another thread before the weekend anyway- but these are important questions.

Pat blames Clare

I think he’s gutted and having to be positive because he’s done so well!

They changed the time of the finals last year to give the doubles finals more prominence - because if the doubles finals are after the singles nobody stays to watch whereas if they’re first they get a decent audience.

I’m quite pleased about it this year as it makes it more likely I’ll be home in time for the men’s singles on Sunday!

Thanks Chessie I do vaguely remember the discussion And I knew there had to be a reason- which does make sense , I'm all for raising the profile of doubles. But it does feel late .
I suppose they can do it now, with the roof, because even if it rains there will only a short delay. A 4pm start without a roof - if there's loads of rain= People's Monday.

Yes, thanks Chessie i couldn't remember
4pm for the men's singles is quite late if they have a long 5 setter though (yes, I know there's a roof )

Yeah it definitely wouldn’t work without a roof! Not just the rain but would get too dark for a long match.

Djock has off focked.

Happy Magi!

And thanks to @Raahh for the link to my delightful photo of AC!

Late to all of this as have been out sampling the local wine.

Am gearing up for my Monday tribute............................... (evil laugh)

A lovely photo of Stefan magi?* *

I thought it was only fair we not sully yet another thread with that filth.

Now that would be nice. Or one of Rafa from the Shakira video fans self-
Bit warm this morning...

Was up at 6am walking the dog.

Really bad. Fewer people will watch I suspect. If a five setter it could go on all evening. It was always an afternoon view.

I'm not terribly unhappy about the timing just on this occasion because I would have missed the women's final otherwise (long drive scheduled and would still have been on a hot and sweaty motorway if it started at 1pm). But it does seem strange.

(I also caught a bit of Agassi commentary yesterday, didn’t realise who it was, and complained to DH re the inaudibility. I don’t think it was so much mumbling as rumbling. He’s got quite a deep voice and he drawls. His mic technique isn’t great.)

I think also the lack of rapport between Andre and AC caused some awkward silences and non-sequiteurs which - for me at least - made it hard to pick up what Andre was saying sometimes because the flow of conversation wasn't there.
At one point (can't remember when it was) I think if I had been Andre I'd have bopped him one. 😂

Starting the women's final at 4pm is not as problematic I suppose- few finals have been lengthy epics- the longest women's final at Wimbledon was 2 hours 45.

That said, I am really looking forward to today- I think Karolina and Linda are quite evenly matched, they've had a lot of success recently on grass, and know each well as doubles partners. I hope it will be a close match. But it's not going to go on for 4-plus hours- which a men's 5 setter could do.

(Although I'm not convinced tomorrow will be that either - Jannik has beaten Sascha so often over the last couple of years , and looked unbeatable again yesterday. But they've never met on grass). And Sascha hadn't beaten Taylor for ages until the other either, so...

I have to go shopping so will miss the wheelchair final- hasn't started well for Gordon and Alfie, but I am hoping they will turn it around.

I will miss the women’s final as I’ve got a social event (that I don’t want to go to!) which begins at 4pm

I can’t remember the men’s final starting so late last year (I’m sure that I must have watched it) - it does seem a bit strange that it might end up finishing with the roof closed

Come on Alfie & Gordon!

BAH BAH BA BAH

@CrushingOnRubies I saw this and thought of you https://youtube.com/shorts/KJRQvOUFmaw?si=G4EfrSwRYXjyQaoZ

I usually score watch on the BBC site when I can't actually watch the tennis (don't have other sports TV packages) and follow this thread all year so appreciate the comments.

Really annoyed this year - for some reason the BBC have stopped showing the wheelchair scores.

https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scores/schedule

It’s really annoying trying to find the wheelchair tennis scores anywhere. Flashscore don’t show them at all. Even in the Wimbledon app yesterday it was hard to find!

It can't have been a very long final (as men's finals go)- less than 4 hours, anyway- because Jannik has never won a 5 set match that has gone over 3 hours 50!

I only realised a couple of days ago that Flashscore didn't show the wheelchair scores. It really is poor.

Gordon and Alfie have turned this around really well.

Well done Gordon and Alfie. Brilliant stuff.

Yay!