SMB Tennis thread (note there is a specific Wimbledon 22 thread)

Might as well make the most of the best tournament in sport until it gets ruined at the end of the year.

Rafa v Zverev & Fognini v Pouille first up tomorrow in live rubbers :cool: hopefully both ties go to the last rubber.
 


I'll be honest, I'd be quite interested to see how these potential changes go and if it was eventually to become a joint end of season event (which has been talked about) then that would appeal to me, but at the same time, I can 100% understand why many don't like it at all, plus for countries like Belgium, it will make it harder to watch the best, especially at such a prestigious event.

I have however just read that Singapore is favourite to host it which would be grim as not only will there be plenty of empty seats, play would also start around 3/4am UK time and it feels that more and more things are heading out to the cash rich Far East which is bad for the European and US market / audience.

A couple of WTA finals are due to start in the next hour or so - Muguruza vs Babos in Monterrey and Georges vs Bertens in Charleston.
 
Rafa looked in superb form after his lay off. I'd start putting money on him to win the French now. Put a sum on every week, it will be like a high interest savings account, nobody will get near him.
 
Rafa looked in superb form after his lay off. I'd start putting money on him to win the French now. Put a sum on every week, it will be like a high interest savings account, nobody will get near him.
I may start doing this.. 8/11 currently and 8.5/1 when doubled up with Brazil to win the World Cup.
 
Rafa looked in superb form after his lay off. I'd start putting money on him to win the French now. Put a sum on every week, it will be like a high interest savings account, nobody will get near him.
His injury record would worry me mind at such short odds, his body can fall apart at any minute, imagine how many more slams he would have won if not for that.
 
Rafa looked in superb form after his lay off. I'd start putting money on him to win the French now. Put a sum on every week, it will be like a high interest savings account, nobody will get near him.

Have you done that in the past? Think I remember seeing someone (presumably you!) post that on here before. It's a good idea like.
 
Have you done that in the past? Think I remember seeing someone (presumably you!) post that on here before. It's a good idea like.
Yeah, made a fair bit. About a year before the 2011 Rugby World Cup started I was putting New Zealand/Nadal for the French double on every month. Nadal barely lost a game in the French and NZ won the final against France 8-7, I was a nervous wreck watching that.
 
Edmund just rattled through the first five games in his first match in Marrakech, only dropped seven points before Vesely retired. Can't really tell from that match obviously but he was hitting the ball really well.

This is a really decent chance for Edmund to win his first title. Probably only Gasquet in his half and Kohlschreiber/Ramos-Vinolas in the other side who would be favourite against Edmund. Capable of beating all of them.
 
Edmund just rattled through the first five games in his first match in Marrakech, only dropped seven points before Vesely retired. Can't really tell from that match obviously but he was hitting the ball really well.

This is a really decent chance for Edmund to win his first title. Probably only Gasquet in his half and Kohlschreiber/Ramos-Vinolas in the other side who would be favourite against Edmund. Capable of beating all of them.
I agree with what you say, it's a very good chance. One player to keep an eye on is Pablo Andujar. He's short of match fitness but is a superb clay court player.
 
Weather badly affecting some of the bigger women's events this week. Lugano has hardly started and I see now that play has been suspended in Bogota, probably end up with players playing multiple matches. Likewise, an ITF event in Portugal where 6 British women were scheduled. They are just about finished qualifying now and the weather looks pretty poor for the rest of the week as well.
 
Weather badly affecting some of the bigger women's events this week. Lugano has hardly started and I see now that play has been suspended in Bogota, probably end up with players playing multiple matches. Likewise, an ITF event in Portugal where 6 British women were scheduled. They are just about finished qualifying now and the weather looks pretty poor for the rest of the week as well.
Is the event in Portugal on clay? I'd like to see more of the British youngsters develope their game on clay.

Have you seen the young Scottish kid Aiden McHugh play? He looks the real deal.
 
Edmund just rattled through the first five games in his first match in Marrakech, only dropped seven points before Vesely retired. Can't really tell from that match obviously but he was hitting the ball really well.

This is a really decent chance for Edmund to win his first title. Probably only Gasquet in his half and Kohlschreiber/Ramos-Vinolas in the other side who would be favourite against Edmund. Capable of beating all of them.

It's a good start. TBH, if he's a bit off his game, then Seppi could take advantage, assuming he wins in round 1. He's a wily old experienced player who's good on clay. Get through that and, like you say, only Gasquet and perhaps Simon in his half (but they'll meet first).

Davis Cup playoff is against Uzbekistan and at home, which seems decent.
 
Is the event in Portugal on clay? I'd like to see more of the British youngsters develope their game on clay.

Have you seen the young Scottish kid Aiden McHugh play? He looks the real deal.

It's outdoor carpet mate, but Emily Appleton had to have her final qualifier moved indoors which she ended up losing. There were 6 in qualifying but only 2 came through, so Freya Christie and Maia Lumsden join Katie Boulter and Katie Swan in the main draw and it's a 25k event. There's another Portugal event next week and possibly one the week after and those are amongst our better prospects along with Taylor and maybe Dart.

I was following Adrian at the Aussie Open Juniors and see that he has had a few decent results since in the futures. It really is too soon as he hasn't faced any one at that level, but I'd almost be tempted to give him a WC for Wimbledon just because there are hardly any other candidates. I'd definitely give him a QWC and see how he gets on.

It's a good start. TBH, if he's a bit off his game, then Seppi could take advantage, assuming he wins in round 1. He's a wily old experienced player who's good on clay. Get through that and, like you say, only Gasquet and perhaps Simon in his half (but they'll meet first).

Davis Cup playoff is against Uzbekistan and at home, which seems decent.

Didn't realise that, possibly the best one they could have got as 5 of the possibilities would have been away and the other 3 were drawing of lots. Wish the Fed Cup team had a home tie - been about 20-30 years since they had one at home.
 
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Edmund just walloped Jaziri this morning, semi final up next against Gasquet in the next half hour. Only dropped 9 games so far. Up to his career high ranking if he beats Gasquet and goes top 20 if he wins the tournament. It's being streamed in HD on Edmund's facebook page if anyone's bothered.

Djokovic, Thiem and Nadal all in the same quarter in Monte Carlo. Djokovic v Thiem in the third round and the winner gets Nadal in the next round as a treat. Djokovic has to beat Coric just to get to Thiem as well. Other than that the draw looks really bare. No Federer, Murray, Wawrinka, del Potro, Kyrgios, Tsonga, Monfils, Ferrer and none of the Americans.
 
Beats Gasquet in straight sets as well. Great chance for him to win his first ATP tour title tomorrow. Hopefully the Andujar-Sousa 2nd semi final goes long.

Mertens vs Sabalenka in the Lugano final tomorrow.
 
Unfortunately Edmund didn't play to his usual high standard and was beaten 6-2, 6-2 by Andujar in the final.

Good shout on Andujar. I thought he must have retired until I saw that clip a few months back of him crying after winning a match his first match in a few years.

Fair play to him playing like that after all those injuries.
 
2 disappointing final results today, Edmund losing but also Mertens beating Sabalenka in Lugano. Who was the last Brit to win a WTA or ATP tour title outside of Murray and Konta?

Obviously Monte Carlo for the men this coming week, but it's just a 125k event in China for the women (which features Naomi Broady) with Fed Cup taking the main stage.
 
2 disappointing final results today, Edmund losing but also Mertens beating Sabalenka in Lugano. Who was the last Brit to win a WTA or ATP tour title outside of Murray and Konta?

Obviously Monte Carlo for the men this coming week, but it's just a 125k event in China for the women (which features Naomi Broady) with Fed Cup taking the main stage.
Watson in the 2016 Monterrey Open I think.
 
Watson in the 2016 Monterrey Open I think.

Completely forgot about that. Not as long as I thought, but still not great. I remember her winning Hobart a few years ago as during her rare run to the semi final earlier this year it kept referring to that. Bar that semi final, she's had a horror 2018.
 

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