The Australian Open's cement heat is all but forgotten, the Roland Garros clay has Gone With The Wind, and it is now almost time for the biggest event of every Tennis Season.
The Championships, Wimbledon!
Nothing in tennis compares to the freshly mowed lawns of the surface of Kings. No peasant dirt fit for sandstorms or mud, no unforgiving hard court to break beautiful bodies. Just rich green carpets of grass and the pristine white lines of the courts with a backdrop of English Ivy cascading on the outer walls of the Centre Court facade.
Simply, Tennis as it was meant to be played from the beginning, fortunately preserved at SW19.
The beauty of the sport exemplified in the prodigious form of all time 8 time champion Roger Federer in full flight.
The stretched to the limit gymnastic extension of defending and 4 time champion Novak Djokovic
Not only the biggest stars shine on the royal grounds. Not many have forgotten the fantastic flying figure of Dustin Brown horizontally hurling himself in the likeness of his illustrious countryman Boris Becker.
The ecstasy of victory and the agony of defeat in our champions present and past...
With those emotions poetically described by Kipling and inscribed above the entrance to Centre Court at Wimbledon; one can't help feel the History and Grandeur of Tennis in all it's glory as one walks onto the hallowed manicured lawns of where it all began
Great opening post mate, I give it a 9/10. It would've got a 10 if you'd not added that 2nd last pic with a smug looking fed looking at a heartbroken GOATray. I still have nightmares myself over that
Rafa having a soft early draw will be key, due to lack of grass prep. I can’t see him winning this, but he could do some damage if he gets to Round 3 unscathed.
Masterclass you sound like a Rolex commercial. Get your act together, before it stands the test of time.
We represent greatness and integrity in our beautiful sport. One that has seen winners in their times of glory and losers in their time of sadness and defeat...
One MTF'er will come out on top when they click has struck 12. One crowned champion the other crowned in shame...
This championship will likely be a shining defining moment in our sport if won by one of the "Big 3".
Imagine if you will:
For Roger Federer, a ninth triumph on this greatest stage of tennis would probably mean that he has sown up the major race - 21, a stark number which simply could not be surpassed by the current contenders in the autumn of their careers. It would be his 5th major title won at age 30 or over, more than any man in the Open Era, surpassing the great Rod Laver, and Mr. Longevity himself, Ken Rosewall.
For Rafael Nadal, it would bring him within one major of unthinkably reaching the great man. It is not far-fetched to believe he would delay any thoughts of retirement, even if his soon-to-be wife is with child.
Rafa would also surpass Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall with the number of majors won at age 30 or over in the Open Era.
For Novak Djokovic, a sweet 16th major and 5th at Wimbledon would have him passing the great Rod Laver at Wimbledon, equaling the incomparable Bjorn Borg, and leaving him just 2 majors short of Rafael Nadal in the slam race. It would be his 4th major title past the age of 30, tying him with legends Rosewall, Laver, and Federer with that amount in the Open Era.
Great opening post mate, I give it a 9/10. It would've got a 10 if you'd not added that 2nd last pic with a smug looking fed looking at a heartbroken GOATray. I still have nightmares myself over that <img src="https://i.imgur.com/XirPGIf.gif" border="0" alt="" title="" class="inlineimg" />
Roddicks loss was harder because he so easily could have won (only faced 2 break points in about 40 service games) and never got another chance.
For Murray it was all gravy after that loss, win Olympic gold on the same court the next month, win the US later in the year and win Wimbledon the year after. All good
For Novak Djokovic, a sweet 16th major and 5th at Wimbledon would have him passing the great Rod Laver at Wimbledon, equaling the incomparable Bjorn Borg, and leaving him just 2 majors short of Rafael Nadal in the slam race. It would be his 4th major title past the age of 30, tying him with legends Rosewall, Laver, and Federer with that amount in the Open Era.
Who do you feel are the most dangerous possible unseeded players for the big 3 in the first 2 rounds?
If healthy (nursing a bad back during clay season), Berdych for sure.
Dustin Brown looks ready to paint another masterpiece
Wow... you are hoping for title number 9 at wimbledon???
You cant be Serena Williams as there is no no9 here for her?
Who are you, William Renshaw? Laurence Doherty. Hold on if you were Renshaw, you would be getting old by now and still be only going for #8 at Wimbledon... but you did say title number 9 title so you could be any one who holds 8 grand slam titles. .are you Dylan Alcott? Or perhaps someone who holds any 8 titles .... it is too hard....who are you?
I'm glad to see a few posters called OP out on his Rolex-sounding intro.
All that was missing was the tearjerking soundtrack, preferably Elgar.
Blech to all that.
Sometimes grass is thrilling; sometimes not--just like any other surface.
It is not inherently better and Wimbledon is not inherently better than any other slam--unless you're a Fed fan. (But of course the tennis world revolves around him and his fans ...)
I can't stand all the hoopla surrounding this place--yes there's something unique about it, but that's true for the other three slams as well. And Wimb is pretty laughable up when it comes to clinging desperately to some archaic traditions.
Also grass really brings out the servebot element.
But it is nice to move tennis onto another surface now, and see how it looks there. Then it will be nice in a few weeks to do that again, and that's one thing that keeps tennis interesting year round.
In 2011, Novak entered his prime and began a domination of the tour that has continued to this day (with a few lapses and performance troughs along the way).
I've been looking at the records of Roger and Rafa against Novak since 2011 and was rather surprised by a few of the stats that emerged...
Gerasimov is at his highest ranking ever at 71, so is Ruusuvuori at 101. Gerasimov just made what is I presume his first ever final in a kinda weak Pune field. Emil just defeated Lukas Lacko in straights but before that came of losses to Norbert Gambos and Barrere, players of similar quality to...
Congrats to Monfils on winning a second title in as many weeks. He played exactly like I thought he would and there was no reason not to with the amount of unforced errors was making. Felix never gave up and played some great tennis at the end but it was too late. As for Felix, 0-4 in finals...
After Nadals 12th Roland Garros crown (surpassed Navratilova 11th Aussie Opens reigns til then, although 7 of these were weak pre-Open Era ones),
there is practically no denial on who the greatest and best player on this surface in the history of the sport was and still is. Rafael Nadal, also...
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