Do you like tennis? Elizabeth Anne Holland loves tennis - Rule 5 - NSFW

I could be persuaded...

Women could boycott Indian Wells over comments per Martina Navratilova on BBC Sport

A whole report on this matter with nobody pointing out that women actually earn more than men for playing.  They play best of three sets, the men play best of five sets. So the women get more per set played. 

Also see how often the top women seeds win losing just one or two games across their two sets, compare that with the top mens seeds... The men's game is more competitive faster, more athletic and better to watch.

More feminist tripe here http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/35866641

Watson loses to Williams in thriller, BBC Sport show mastery of simple mathematics

'British number one Heather Watson gave top seed Serena Williams a huge scare before losing a thrilling third-round match at Wimbledon.

The 23-year-old battled back from a set down, winning six straight games from 3-3 in the second set.

Watson served for the match at 5-4 in the decider but five-time Wimbledon champion Williams recovered to win 6-2 4-6 7-5 in two hours and 15 minutes.'

Can you spot the mathematical mistake? 

If Heather Watson won six straight games from 3-3 in the second set, how did she win that second set 6-4 rather than 6-3?

The BBC article is here http://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/33390494

For your pre Wimbledon edification Caroline Wozniacki imitates Serena Williams

Male vs Female in sport

The other day I heard some women complaining about sexism in sports coverage and today I was told, contrary to the demonstrable facts, that 'women are NOT the weaker sex' - so this post is for @SexismInSports.

I thought I'd show the current world records for Olympic athletics events - with the addition of the mile because it's my favourite event and of historic importance, and the taking out of the walks and multi-discipline events. Then I compared the men with the women to show how much faster, higher or longer the men's records are. You will see a few lines where the women's records would seem to be better than the men's record, a glance at the last two columns will explain why. In the sprint hurdles the women run 9% shorter and over much lower hurdles and the men are still quicker. In the 3000m steeplechase the hurdles are lower and the men are still quicker. In the throwing events you'll notice that the men's objects are around twice the weight of the women's (apart from the javelin where it's only 33.3% heavier) and the men still generally throw further. Taking into account all of these adjustments the men are still 11.22% better than the women. Now do you see why people prefer to watch men compete, they are better.

In football and cricket, women play at a fair level but nowhere near the men's standard. But it is tennis that is the sport where women most often claim parity with men, I think not.  I have heard some women try and convince the stupid that women have beaten men on straight match terms. As far as I am aware there have been four such singles matches over the years.

The first two matches were between an ageing Bobby Riggs (55 at the time of the matches) and the then still top women players Margaret Court and Billie Jean King. Riggs won the first and lost the second. This was less about men versus women than old versus young.

The next match was between Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova. Jimmy Connors was then aged 40 and Martina Navratilova was aged 35. It was over the best of three sets and the hybrid rules favoured the female player in that Jimmy Connors was allowed only one serve per point, and Martina Navratilova was allowed to hit into half the doubles court. Jimmy Connors still won  7–5, 6–2.


The last match that I can recall was held during the 1998 Australian Open between the then 31 year old Karsten Braasch and the Williams sisters then aged 17 and 16 respectively. Prior to the matches the Williams sisters had claimed that they could beat any male player ranked below 200. Braasch was then ranked 203rd and challenged them both. Braasch first took on Venus and beat her 6–2. He then played Serena and won 6-1. It seems that Serena Williams has learned her lesson because when in 2013, Andy Murray responded to a Twitter user who asked whether he would consider challenging Serena Williams, by saying "I’d be up for it. Why not?" Williams reacted positively to the suggestion, remarking "That would be fun. I doubt I’d win a point, but that would be fun.

So parity in tennis? I think not.

Any sports where there is parity? How about where women out perform men? I'll wait, yes...

"There is no room for prejudice of any kind in sport or in society."

These were the words used by The International Tennis Federation who have suspended Tunisia from the Davis Cup tennis tournament after Tunisian player Malek Jaziri was ordered not to compete against an Israeli opponent last month. The International Tennis Federation said there was no room for prejudice in sport and the one-year ban was a "fitting penalty".

Finally a world sports federation takes action against one of the Muslim racist states. Plenty more need to follow suit.

Rory McIlroy describes Caroline Wozniacki as 'my girl' - Telegraph

'Rory McIlroy has hinted that he and Caroline Wozniacki are back together after describing her as "my girl".

After her Luxembourg Open victory on Sunday he congratulated her on the 21st win of her career, tweeting: "#21 #luxembourg #mygirl @CaroWozniacki."

Sources claimed that the pair had ended their two-year relationship before McIlroy boarded the plane to Seoul at the start of his month-long tour of Asia'

More here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/10392989/Rory-McIlroy-describes-Caroline-Wozniacki-as-my-girl.html


I am so relieved...

Oh Rory, why?

I read that Rory Rory McIlroy has dumped his tennis golden girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki, in the hope of getting back on course and retaining his former World Number One status.

Hmm...

Do you think you should reconsider Rory?

Tennis can be dangerous, for birds anyway

Naughty Boris!

Boris being Becker not Johnson this time.

On BBC Wimbledon coverage they were discussing the names for the area at Wimbledon where those without court tickets can watch the big match on a large screen and get very excited, and usually disappointed by the British player. This was first named Henman Hill and Boris was saying that Murray Mound had also caught on but that he likes Robson Ridge... Hmmm!

Laura Robson vs Maria Kirilenko

Whilst Laura Robson battles Maria Kirilenko at Wimbledon, striving to be the only British woman to make it beyond the first round this year, I thought a comparison of the two players was called for.

Laura Robson first

Maria Kirilenko second

Advantage Laura Robson?

Maria Kirilenko has tried to play dirty though with a spread for Sports Illustrated in 2010

Hmm unfortunately Laura Robson has not retaliated but she's still the winner here and indeed on the court today 6:3  6:4  Her only problem today was with her ball-toss in the last few service games.

Why has Rory McIlroy lost form?

Consnsus opinion is that it's the fault of his changing clubs in that massive deal with Nike. However  I wonder if he's been distracted recently...


His girlfriend, world tennis number 1, Caroline Wozniacki has been posing for promotional material for a new sports lingerie range. The Mail have some diverting stills.

Here are some others that I found that may illustrate why Rory is off his game.

 Maybe this has put Rory off of his stroke...

A truly nasty comment about Laura Robson by Matthew Norman

I was shocked to find the following comment about Laura Robson in yesterday's Matthew Norman column in The Telegraph

'...Robson ought to reach the top four and a grand slam final within two years given the obvious capacity for improvement. She moves with the speed and grace of an arthritic hippo'

I am staggered by that remark. Laura Robson is an athlete, an Olympic tennis silver medallist and WTA Newcomer of the Year for 2012.

Does Laura Robson look like 'an arthritic hippo' to you?

So that Matthew Norman must have truly high standards then?

Here's Matthew Norman...

Hmmm

Murray vs Djokovic

I was right!

Well done Andy Murray. I only watched the first set last night as needed a good night's sleep but that was exciting enough. Also the power those two guys put on the ball and the levels of fitness displayed.... Wow!

Murray vs Djokovic - Who will win?

It's a tight call but their record on hard courts runs thus:
Djokovic
Djokovic
Djokovic
Murray
Murray
Murray
Djokovic
Murray
Djokovic
Murray
Djokovic

So we are due a Murray victory...

 

"Wa-heh"

I think that's the closest I can get to the noise that Sara Errani makes when she hits the ball during a rally.

At 5'5" she is a little on the short side for a professional ladies tennis player but the Italian is through to the final against either Kvitova or Sharapova and I wouldn't write off her chances.

I will try and watch the final but if as it's also Maria Sharapova in the final then I may turn off the sound as her incessant even louder cry of "Uh-owww" " is even more disturbing.

A slip-fielder in the making?

One of the ball boys makes an amazing catch during the Federer Nadal Semifinal match at the Australian Open.

Are you annoyed by some players' grunting and screaming on court at Wimbledon?

Vanity Fair have a marvelous soundboard for you to play with... for me it showed that Maria Sharapova, as yesterday, is worthy only of second place, losing out in this instance to Michelle Larcher De Brito. A match between Sharapova and De Brito would be either ear-splitting or pornographic.

Are you going to Wimbledon today?

Are you going to Wimbledon today? Do you have tickets for Court Number 1? Do you want Laura Robson to win her match? Do you think that there is more than a touch of gamesmanship about Maria Sharapova's 'grunts' after she has hit the ball?

If you have answered yes to all of those four questions then why not follow Alex Masterley's advice and '... grunt just as Sharapova goes to hit the ball.'

The one hundred and thirty-sixth weekly "No shit, Sherlock" award

I know two in one day is hardly weekly but I did miss a week recently.

The Telegraph report:

'Exclusive: female tennis players who grunt too loudly are putting off their opponents and spoiling the game for the millions of spectators, the head of Wimbledon said yesterday.'

Loud grunts from lady tennis players are putting off spectators; "No shit, Sherlock"

I can only watch Maria Sharapova with the sound off.