[anunderwaterguy]

Sancho Panza, on 16 March 2012 - 08:30 AM, said:

Things are slow here between slams so here's reporting that Stephanie crushed Sancho today in Strasbourg 6:2 6:1.

On the plus side, using schoolyard logic if you've beaten Stephanie at some point and Stephanie has beaten Olivetti, and Olivetti has beaten Fish, you're almost in the top ten!

Just watching Roddick against Monaco. He played so well against Federer and yet seems to be on the way out right now. Disappointing as I think Roddick-Fish would have been entertaining.

[Sancho Panza]

anunderwaterguy, on 27 March 2012 - 02:46 PM, said:

if you've beaten Stephanie at some point and Stephanie has beaten Olivetti, and Olivetti has beaten Fish, you're almost in the top ten!

I wish.

Not gonna happen. It's not just that she plays for a team in a club where hitting partners like Olivetti come and go. At 24, her legs are 30 years younger than mine. If I play flawlessly when she has a bad day, then I take a set, but just one.

[Sancho Panza]

Stephanie took me down again in Strasbourg a few days ago. I started strong leading 1:0 in the first set, but an hour and a half later it was 6:1 6:2 Stephanie. She never makes an unforced error. Never. All hail Stephanie, the queen of the Stephanie-Sancho rivalry.That girl is in my head!

In Paris it's gonna be Nadal and Serena.

[Sancho Panza]

Oops.

[Sancho Panza]

Serena taken out by Razzano, Roddick by Mahut, both Harrison and Baker by Simon, and now our man Isner 16:18 in the 5th set by Mathieau. I mean, I always like to see home-grown talent go deep in their own slam, but this French dominance of our compatriots is way too much, so at 8 this morning Central European Time Sancho carried our colors onto the court in Strasbourg. On the other side of the net was - ta da - Stephanie. Sancho again started strong. Up to including 4:4 in the first set, things looked good for the Stars and Stripes. Eight games later? 6:4 6:0 for the tricolore . Dammit.

Mathieau by the way is Strasbourg born and raised.

[Sancho Panza]

Sancho Panza, on 05 July 2011 - 12:38 AM, said:

Cilbulkova, who barefooted is max 5 foot 3 inches above the ground! On the court the little one is my heart-throb.

And now she takes out world 1 Azarenka, 6:2 7:6!

[Sancho Panza]

Djokovic 8 games in a row following 0:2 sets and 0:2 games. He's dominating the king of clay. This could be the greatest comeback I've ever witnessed in tennis.

[Huindekmi]

Sancho Panza, on 10 June 2012 - 08:47 AM, said:

Djokovic 8 games in a row following 0:2 sets and 0:2 games. He's dominating the king of clay. This could be the greatest comeback I've ever witnessed in tennis.

Or not.

Congrats to Nadal on yet another clay court victory.

[Sancho Panza]

Stephanie, our guy did it!

[Huindekmi]

Meanwhile, in jolly ol' England... French Open champ Rafael Nadal gets bounced from Wimbledon in the second round by... well, by someone we'll probably never hear about again after this tournament.

[Sancho Panza]

Partly it was Rosol - that's the guy's name - playing in the zone, partly Nadal out of sorts. Form on the day is everything. Take French finalist Errani, 10th seed at Wimbledon, who in her loss to world 65 Shvedova could not score a single point in the 0:6 first set.

Things open up for Murray in his half of the draw. On paper he's a finalist, there is though that form on the day stuff...

[Sancho Panza]

It's Murray 6:7 7:6 6:4 7:6 over an extremely tenacious Ferrer. If Murray maintains the same form and above all mental toughness - clutch! - then he's an even chance against anyone left in the draw.

[anunderwaterguy]

Sancho Panza, on 04 July 2012 - 12:54 PM, said:

It's Murray 6:7 7:6 6:4 7:6 over an extremely tenacious Ferrer. If Murray maintains the same form and above all mental toughness - clutch! - then he's an even chance against anyone left in the draw.

Even Murray making the final would be a big thing over here. The last time there was a British player in the men's singles final at Wimbledon was 1938! Tim Henman made the semi-finals countless times and always fell short and this is Murray's fourth time in the semi-final.

Maybe a bad thing for Murray because our media has already gone into overdrive over it so there's going to be a huge amount of pressure on him come Friday.

[Sancho Panza]

anunderwaterguy, on 05 July 2012 - 05:47 AM, said:

Maybe a bad thing for Murray because our media has already gone into overdrive over it so there's going to be a huge amount of pressure on him come Friday.

I think he can do it. There, I just added to the hype. Murray should avoid the media, blogs included.

[anunderwaterguy]

Sancho Panza, on 05 July 2012 - 11:20 PM, said:

I think he can do it. There, I just added to the hype. Murray should avoid the media, blogs included.

Well it didn't do him any harm in the end! I think with Lendl in his camp he couldn't have a better character to help him deal with it.

Murray was speaking fairly recently about how he enjoys talking with other sportsmen, particularly boxers, about how they cope with the pressure. Some of the stuff was fairly interesting - such as Mike Tyson telling him that he was often full of fear in the dressing room before a fight, but by the time he stepped into the ring he thought he was invincible. Murray's obviously trying to capture the same attitude when he steps on to the court, and he's definitely going to need that come Sunday.

Anyway even though I hope Murray wins, it'd be a great story for Federer if he took the title as well. Either way it should be a good final.

[Sancho Panza]

anunderwaterguy, on 06 July 2012 - 06:41 PM, said:

Anyway even though I hope Murray wins, it'd be a great story for Federer if he took the title as well.

Yeah, more milestones for Roger or the first Brit since the Stone Age. For me though the biggest story is the one going on inside the head of an Andy Murray who in spite of world-class talent and 3 slam finals has yet to lift a big one. If he brings the same belief in himself as in the last two matches, then his time should come today. Good luck Andy!

[Sancho Panza]

It was more milestones.

With Andy serving at 1:2: sets and 2:3: games, this happened:

Quote

Murray went up 40-love, then began to crack as Federer walloped two backhand returns to 40-30. On the next point, Federer conjured up another beautiful drop shot and Murray tumbled head-over-heels while giving chase; both Federer and the chair umpire went over to check on him. A few points later, Murray did a somersault at the baseline when he slipped going after a lob. And on it went. At the 10th deuce, Federer sent another lob over Murray, who hit the deck yet again, but got up in time to see the ball plop on the baseline. This set up Federer's sixth break point, the last he would need - in the game and the set, certainly, but also in the match and the tournament, it seemed.

That was it.

Murray was valiantly game to the very end, but belief and courage were not enough against one of the game's greatest ever in form on the day.

[anunderwaterguy]

In his first three slam finals Murray turned up obviously struggling with nerves and played poorly. Yesterday however he played to his potential and gave it everything.

Maybe that's the Lendl effect, but that only gets you into the match and Murray ran into Federer in top form yesterday. There were a few moments that could have changed the direction of the match (that 20 minute service game and the game where Murray was broken at 5-6 in the second set) but ultimately Federer deserved to win.

[Sancho Panza]

anunderwaterguy, on 09 July 2012 - 04:00 AM, said:

Murray...played to his potential and gave it everything.

He did. The "began to crack" in the quote of my previous post was overcooked. There was some bad luck with his footing in that game of 10 deuces, but he did not crack.

anunderwaterguy, on 09 July 2012 - 04:00 AM, said:

Federer deserved to win.

He did. I have never seen a more complete tennis player.

This post has been edited by Sancho Panza: 09 July 2012 - 10:29 PM

[Sancho Panza]

Serena was up, then she was down, then she was so down that she had to break to stay alive. She did, and three games later she was champion. Congratulations.

Murray's gonna have to bring it from the get go. Del Potro was on top of his game, but Djokovic took him out - in straight sets! High quality start to finish from both players. For me, the best tennis at the Open.