:If you put two ants on a tennis court with rackets I would watch it ...I love tennis but I so wish certain lady players would shut up !!!...and play quietly....its whack...URRRGH !!! whack.....ARRRGH....whack...OO
In the end it was Congratulations to Serena Williams winning her second French Open title - 11 years after her first.
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Well. OK, I don't like the groaning, yelling and grunting ...but since lots of good things have some price to pay its almost worth it for a good match !!!
I would never say that today's tennis players do not have talent , the number of matches that a top player wins is evidence that they do have talent and skill, but the days of elegant classy tennis are long gone. It is professional yes, but today's players are power machines. on legs This has been the downfall of many a more recent British player. We have of course British number 1's. Our hopes rose and fell and we kept faith through their era's with ..now let me see...Jeremy Bates,
Andrew Castle, John Lloyd,
Buster Mottram, ...
and Mark Cox
Tim Henman...now he was something else and we really pinned our hopes on him but Pete Sampras, who seemed to me like a human tank on legs and the likes of Lleyton Hewitt were too often in the way and proved his nemesis. by overpowering him. Our players have tended to be good...great even but not quite good enough, although they would have been perhaps, had they been playing at a different time against different players. ...
Now we have Andy Murray...who has at least proved he can win Grand Slams at the U.S open
During Jeremy Bates era , I was living not far from Wimbledon Tennis courts and two years running I indulged my tennis mania by going on the first two days of the tournament. On the first few days, all of the courts are in use, they have to be as there are so many matches to play, and you can buy a ticket which allows you to go to what they call the outside courts, ie not the major courts. Because it is early in the tournament, even on these outside courts you get to see major players For years I kept my programme signed by Jeremy Bates and Jo Durie and Betty Stove and can claim to have spoken to the very proud mum , who was sitting behind me ....of a very young Venus and Serena Williams . Of course I had strawberries and Pimms.because its part of going to Wimbledon , although I'm sure that to this day Wimbledon serves the most expensive tiny pot of strawberries ever !!..But is is very special and somehow at Wimbledon when you are a tennis fan the strawberries taste different !!!...You are eating them in hallowed ground...
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After two years of staying in a seat all day on a tennis court because if you left it you wouldn't find another, I realised that actually you get to see more tennis at home on the telly because you cannot leave your seat and see what's going on on other courts unless you want to risk standing up !! I got very bad sunburn and after that decided to stay home.....sitting on my balcony with the wind in the right direction I could hear the cheers and claps from the courts up the road.
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Of course mention has to be made of the great women players who have dominated British tennis ...Anne Jones Winner of Wimbledon in 1969.
We have already had a mention of Jo Durie so here she is in action against...a very young Steffi Graf
Last but not least I cannot pay tribute to the greats of British tennis without of course Virginia Wade. Virginia won Wimbledon in 1977. H.M. The Queen does not usually attend Wimbledon but it was her silver jubilee year and there was the prospect of a British winner as Virginia was playing the Dutch Betty Stove....Virginia won, the British fans went mad with joy and pride and so it appeared did Virginia ....
According to Virginia Wade we used to think that there was a British winner every eight years'.
Since Virginia was the last British winner of this home grown tournament we would be extremely happy with every eight years !!! I truly believe that Andy Murray has the ability and power to do it, he is a superb athlete which helps the modern game, and he proved his ability at the US Open. However, he is unfortunate to play in the era of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.....
It has long been a similar story for British tennis. Each time we have a good player they come up against the greats of tennis...Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe......indeed of these human machines 'You cannot be serious !!'
Also in the list of greats are Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase..nasty but nice ...and Bjorn Borg
I'm sure I must have left some out....
Our lady players fared no better for many years they were outplayed by such greats as Steffi Graf,
Chris Evert, and
Martina Navratilova ...... and of course the great Billie Jean King....lets see some action,,,
Of course so many of these famous tennis greats were starts of my childhood and teenage years and I still smile fondly at memories of rushing home from school to turn on the telly and watch tennis all by myself in peace before my mum and dad got home from work and it was the heavy business of a weekday evening...dinner, homework and bed.
.It does seem possible with the early promise shown by players Laura Robson and Heather Watson British w omens tennis may be having a revival, indeed along with Andy Murray British tennis has probably not been in such a good place for many years.Quite likely this is because the importance of early good training when potential is spotted is being given more attention.
However, I could never write an article about my love of tennis without giving acknowledgement and respect to the late Arthur Ashe
Finally to ends lets have a walk through Wimbledon's history....
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