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

I'm not sure about this with regards to Murray. He's been off the tour for nearly one year but it's only 6 months since he had hip surgery.

I think it's too soon but I'm not well placed to make a worthy evaluation. I think he's trying to make a come back in a British tournament for sentimental reasons.

If I were him, I would write this year off completely and come back in Australia next year.
 


Dan Evans flying on grass. He's not playing word beaters, but he's just made it through to the Nottingham challenger final and is now at 340 in the live rankings. If he wins the final he will be up to 287. His record on grass these past 2 weeks is 10-1 and he is 16-3 since his comeback.

Interestingly, he has just been given a full WC into Queens where he plays Mannarino. I think they'd have rather given him a qualifying WC, but his run in Nottingham didn't allow this so it was either full WC or using a special exempt into Ilkley.
 
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There's a match that will be taking place in ~12 hours time that will also be taking place on Sunday the 15th of July for anyone that's interested.

JL1985 said:
I'm not sure about this with regards to Murray. He's been off the tour for nearly one year but it's only 6 months since he had hip surgery.

I think it's too soon but I'm not well placed to make a worthy evaluation. I think he's trying to make a come back in a British tournament for sentimental reasons.

If I were him, I would write this year off completely and come back in Australia next year.
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Yeah I agree with you. Think your second paragraph is bang on, although I do think he won't play Wimbledon. Any sort of pain against Kyrgios and I think he'll pull the plug.

Kokkinakis was a bit more candid about Murray than he maybe should have been the other day and it wasn't good news.
 
Aussies come out on top in the 2 finals at Nottingham

Alex De Minaur beat Evans 7-6 7-5 and Ash Barty has just beaten Konta 6-3 3-6 6-4.

De Minaur very likely to receive a main draw Wimbledon wild card after his form on grass, winning this and reaching the final in Surbiton last week. He is first alt, so may well get in directly, but will surely be playing now regardless.
 
MarcoG said:
There's a match that will be taking place in ~12 hours time that will also be taking place on Sunday the 15th of July for anyone that's interested.



Yeah I agree with you. Think your second paragraph is bang on, although I do think he won't play Wimbledon. Any sort of pain against Kyrgios and I think he'll pull the plug.

Kokkinakis was a bit more candid about Murray than he maybe should have been the other day and it wasn't good news.
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What did Kokkinakis say?

Queens available on BBC today, Halle on Sky Arena and WTA Birmingham on Eurosport 1
 
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Would have been a good week to be off work with Queens at the football on.

I think the Wimbledon final and WC Final overlap this year. Does the final normally start about 2pm?
 
Arkle said:
Aye, I don't think Wimbledon are big on changing for pesky oik sports. Depends who's in the Wimbledon final as to what I do. The British Grand Prix has been moved this year so it no longer clashes at least.
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Aye, both finals for me. If it is any of the big 4 then I'll probably prioritise that. If it is Federer vs Cilic, Raonic, Querrey, Anderson etc. then World Cup would take priority, be nice to see an exciting new face. I'll watch Wimbledon regardless from 2pm though and see how it goes. Last years final was finished not too long after 4. Will probably watch the one i'm less bothered about on the laptop at 4pm, or if it looks like Wimbledon is nearly over, record the football and watch when it finishes, fastforwarding the breaks and stuff. Obviously be a bit crap if someone texts you 'lovely goal' or something.
 
Andrew Castle should probably do some research before he starts mouthing off about players tanking. Kyrgios is clearly nowhere near 100% and wasn't last week either, obviously he'd realise that if he watched any of his match against Marterer or Lopez.

Only reason Kyrgios is out here is because he got his mate in the first round in his first match back. Doesn't help himself at times but people like Castle constantly criticising him makes it ten times worse.
 
Castle and Lloyd were relevant in 1988 but they live in the dark ages now. Pity the BBC couldn't get Barry Cowan, Jim Courier and Mark Petchey for Wimbledon.

6 year ban for Nicolas Kicker

Nicolas Kicker banned for six years and fined for match-fixing

Not sure why Liam Broady has been given a wildcard. Not a young prospect anymore and his form isn't up to much. A modern day Alex Bogdanovic.

I'm 100% certain he'll be knocked out in the first round.
 
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So no wildcard for Evans, not even a qualifying one and he will have to go to pre quallies for a chance of getting a QWC- basically having to play 6 matches just to reach the first round and effectively denying someone in the playoff a realistic chance of playing in the actual qualifiers.

I'd have given Broady one, terrible form and not going as JL says, but the options for the men are extremely limited as shown by 5 being held back. He would have been in qualifying by right so think he just about warrants one. Had McHugh, Loffhagen, Draper etc. Been a year further on in their development them it may have been different.

You could argue that his sister Naomi is equally fortunate given her age, form and previous handouts but she is not far off the main cut off and possibly as lukely as any to win a first round match. Taylor, Dart, Boulter and Swan make sense. Dunne perhaps a bit fortunate as well but had a good top 100 win on grass the other day which may have been decisive.

They've gone for youth in both qualifying wildcards.

Meant not young instead of going.
 
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The way wildcards are given out in tennis is dumb. Don't know why they don't just give them to players who might actually bring something to the tournament or attract a crowd.

Just give one to Tomic or Kokkinakis.
 
Evans came through pre quallies so now does have a Wimbledon QWC in the end but as he was a level above all those involved, it's just cost a Findel Hawkins who's been having some good results / performances on the grass or Willis a chance in the actual qualifiers.

Murray will be playing Eastbourne 250 next week.
 
Wawrinka has had his problems of late hasn't he?

He's been very quiet considering his standards.
 
Federer lost his Halle final and Novak on the brink of losing his Queens final to Cilic.

Smitkova and Stakhovsky won the Ilkley women and men's finals respectively and as a result, both claim a Wimbledon wildcard.

B-52_Bomber said:
Wawrinka has had his problems of late hasn't he?

He's been very quiet considering his standards.
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Aye big problems, knees. Came back a bit soon at the Aussie Open and now currently finds himself about 250 or something in the world. Crazy draw for a 250 first round.
 
The Bridge Lad said:
Federer lost his Halle final and Novak on the brink of losing his Queens final to Cilic.

Smitkova and Stakhovsky won the Ilkley women and men's finals respectively and as a result, both claim a Wimbledon wildcard.


Aye big problems, knees. Came back a bit soon at the Aussie Open and now currently finds himself about 250 or something in the world. Crazy draw for a 250 first round.
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Winner plays Edmond I think
 
chopsfc007 said:
Winner plays Edmond I think
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Aye. Another possible all GB 2nd round match as lucky loser Jay Clarke could meet Cameron Norrie in the 2nd round as well, although I'd be happy if just one of them made it.

Dan Evans plays the 3rd or 4th seed in his first round of Wimbledon qualifying tomorrow. Women's draw should be out tomorrow as I think they start on Tuesday.
 

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