TENNIS THREAD- We bid farewell to SW19 for another year (along with AC the butterfly fancier), and prepare for the hard courts, after a detour on the European clay.

[Raahh]

Who will be the champion? Will Andre and Tim muzzle AC?

Will Eva Asderaki Moore muzzle the spectator in the crowd?

It's all coming to an end<sob>.

I've just seen that on my sister's facebook page (my sister was a massive fan). Very sad news.

That is sad about Dolly Parton

They are really trying to big up the mixed, at the start of the Flavio match.

We're not buying it, sorry .

Oh

I was just coming on to have a rant about the commentary

Josh Eagle managed to get Sascha's height wrong.

I mean, how can he not know how tall Sascha is by now??

All the “isn’t this wonderful” chat was really annoying. It’s not so wonderful if you’re a regular doubles player who is now struggling for money because some highly seeded singles players have been given your place

It would have been completely different if they did this back in the day when most singles players played doubles as well. Now you have so many injuries from too many matches but let’s play some more!

I know Jane it is a bit uncomfortable when already multi millionaire singles players are literally taking money away from players who will need it a lot more just for a bit of fun

They just played Jolene at the change of ends

It really wound me up. No, the US Open are not amazing trailblazers for throwing the doubles players under the bus and doing this - and no, the other slams haven't actually followed their lead at all. But keep trying to justify it, eh?

I do find it a bit irritating when there are singles players complaining about the amount they have been playing... and then they sign up to extra. Always the most profitable extra things too.

As you say, the days when Mac and Martina were signing up to (and winning) all 3 events, are long gone. The game (and tour) is very different.

On the subject of 'big money' extra events- I wonder which players will declare themselves for The 6 Kings Slam (when not fit for other thngs) <cynical emoji>

Sara and Andrea have taken the first set (it's nothing personal, Mirra and Andrey, it's the principle ).

Well done Flavio ad Belinda.

Don’t even mention the 6 kings slam nonsense Raahh - ok I’m going to try to stop being grumpy!

Well done Flavio and Belinda - I couldn’t work out if Sascha’s top was supposed to be pink or if he’d had a mishap with the laundry

Flip sake. I've jinxed Sara and Andrea.

And I hate 10 point tie breaks (it's bound to go to one).

It was a strange mis-match of a kit.

Bit of an Adrian Mannarino vibe (he definitely gets his kit from the bottom of the laundry basket).

Gah.

Sara and Andrea have lost.

Bloody rubbish this event.
At this point, I'll let Casper win it

(because I will be really annoyed if Serena gets near the final- even if she is playing with Carlos).

Routliffe and Glasspool are playing now- they can do it for the doubles specialists.

It’s lovely to see Carlos. The same cannot be said for his partner. At least there’s no lines women around for her to threaten these days.

Ffs!! Catching up on scores. This exhibition is not going well
I might even have got behind Townsend and Zverev if I was forced to. At least she is more doubles and he plays doubles a bit.

Can't believe our hopes are on Lloyd Glasspool! And Erin, obviously

Casper had been to the Demon Barber again, Diana needs to give him one of her head scarves.

He is also wearing a horrible yellow and white kit.

The combination does not bode well.

Plus his serve has started off very badly.

Yes, I would love to say it's great to see Carlos. But I wish he wasn't playing with Serena, so I'm watching Casper instead. With his very bad hair.

I suppose Casper and Diana are at least co-ordinated.

I’ve tried to engage DH in a discussion about Carlos’s hair - he's gone to tidy the kitchen

It’s good to see Carlos back but I’m not a fan of his partner

I’ve not seen Casper’s hair - Flávio’s hair is not improving - I think someone cuts his fringe (badly) every day!

Carlos’ hair looks like DS1’s lockdown hair

Casper's hair looks a lot like Flavio's haro, only blonder, and without the wonky fringe.

I'm not sure what the wonky fringe is about.

It's like he's distancing himself from all the players who are now shaving their hair off.

Oi, Carlos. You started that nonsense!