Tennis!

[sahyder1]

Wow, the first morning and already we have a huge upset. Some French qualifier playing in his first ATP match named Jerome Haehnel defeats Agassi in straight sets.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I've not followed this yet. Anything else much happen on the first day? Usual suspects through etc?

I probably wont start following this until after the first few rounds

[lazy_arse]

Henman came from two sets down to beat some unknown french player and Rusedski got battered 7-6 6-0 6-0 by some unknown.

[sahyder1]

Anything else much happen on the first day?

I heard Roddick and Todd Martin had a verbal spar.....haven't seen it yet though. Watched a replay of the Agassi match......that guy was very impressive.

[sahyder1]

Who watched the Santoro/Clement match? Santoro wins 16-14 in the 5th set. The match lasted 6 hours and 35 minutes over two days. Longest match in tennis history.

[lazy_arse]

Anybody else watching the Henman semi-final? I'm suprised that he can play this well and he's taking it to the guy who's only lost on clay once in a year. Lets hope he doesn't just lose it all.

Come on Tim!

[evertonfan]

C'mon Tim!

As I type its 4-4 in the second set, with Henman 1-0 up and Coria to serve at 15-30.

C'mon Tim!

[lazy_arse]

Maybe I spoke to soon. He's 5-4, but still on serve. However, knowing Henman he can easily let this slip away.

[TheArsenal]

I'm glad it wasn't rained off.

If they had of cancelled Diagnosis Murder for a rained off tennis match I'd of complained

[botchedpiledriver]

Ah, Once again the nation is behind Henman... Wait untill he fucks up again, you'll all be talking about him as if he's pissed on your kids at christmas in a few days.

[lazy_arse]

Looks like he has let it slip away. He lost 13 games in a row. Current score is 3-6, 6-4, 6-0, 3-1 to Coria.

At least he gave it his best shot and exceeded everybody expectations.

Edit: Have I spoken to soon? He's now broken serve and is 4-3 up

Edited June 4, 2004 by lazy_arse

[Damian WayLNKe]

Coria and Gaudio in the finals.

[Jook]

Bah. Poor old Tim. Still, he did well to get that far, lets hope he does it at Wimbledon too

[IAceI]

I'm going to Wimbledon on the first day. I can't wait, i hope Coria's there. He'll fall flat on his face but he's so amazing, when i saw him a year ago.

I'm glad Gaudio beat Nalbandian. Nalbandian only wins because he pokes the other guy in the eye with his seven foot nose. Also i'm glad to see the Williams sisters wilt away, shame Clistjers isn't in it this year and Dimentiava (SP?) is fucking horrible. She can't serve, like Henman couldn't today

Seriously though i'm backing Tim for Wimbledon. He's a classic serve and volleyer and that'll be good for him, i hope to see him first. I can't remember who i was supposed to see, i think my Coach said Federer. I saw him last year when he was 5-3 up over Mardi Fish but it got rained off, we had to go then anyways. Federer could take Wimbledon again though, he's a great player, no doubt.

I hate it when i turn up for a Tennis session and everyone is on our local grass courts (normal grass, not the proper tennis grass) as if Wimbledon is the only tennis competition of the year. But yes, i'm hoping Coria to take the French, Guillermo > j00.

[naiwf]

I'm rooting for Myskina and Coria since I don't care about Gaudio, and Dementieva (?) hasn't beaten any big names in the tourney while Myskina knocked off Venus & Capriati back to back.

I really started to like Myskina after she ate that nasty vegamite back at the Aussie Open while the commentators laughed as she grimaced after tasting it. She seems like she doesn't take herself as seriously as say Serena who has a bug up her ass, and anyone who throws colorful tantrums when she's not playing well on the court is cool

[Guest Hit Man 3120]

I really wish Pete Sampras would've won this atleast once

[sahyder1]

I really wish Pete Sampras would've won this atleast once

←

He didn't.....get over it. He didn't have the game to win on clay and therefore the claims that he's the greatest "overall" player of all time is a big lie.

Agassi>Sampras

[IAceI]

I can't say Agassi is better than Sampras, but i hate Agassi with a passion so there you go.

When Roddick beat Agassi 6-1 in 25 minutes i was laughing so hard. I don't like Roddick that much, he's one of those i liked but when he got to the top i stopped liking, unlike Federer and Guillermo

[IAceI]

Damn, Coria's injured

Those serves are just, nasty, and if he can't do a proper one because of the pain he must be going through alot.

EDIT: I take it he just seized or tightened up or something. Looks good now.

Edited June 6, 2004 by IAceI

[sahyder1]

Navratilova wins opener at Wimbledon

Associated Press

6/21/2004

LONDON (AP) - Just like old times.

Nine-time champion Martina Navratilova returned to Wimbledon for her first singles match in 10 years Monday - and looked as if she's never been away.

Serving and volleying in classic grass-court style, the 47-year-old American crushed Colombia's Catalina Castano 6-0, 6-1 in 46 minutes in a rain-interrupted early match on the opening day of the 118th edition of the Grand Slam tournament.

It was a big turnaround from Navratilova's singles appearance last month at the French Open, where she lost in straight sets in the first round to Gisela Dulko.

``You can only play as well as your opponent,'' Navratilova said. ``She didn't push me until the end. I didn't do anything spectacular. I have an advantage because I know how to play on grass.''

If Navratilova represents the old breed of women's tennis, Roger Federer is the new breed of the men's game - and he, too, got off to an easy start.

The top-seeded Swiss player opened defence of his men's title with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 win over 290th-ranked British wild card Alex Bogdanovic on Centre Court.

Coming off a victory in a tune-up tournament in Germany, Federer won his 18th straight match on grass - the longest streak since Pete Sampras won 23 in a row from Wimbledon in 1998 to Queen's in 2000.

Riding his big forehand and serve-and-volley game, Federer was in control throughout and won the last eight games.

Australian Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 champion who is seeded No. 7, also advanced in straight sets, beating Jurgen Melzer of Austria 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

Granted a wild-card entry last week, Navratilova was back in her element on her favourite grass surface at the club where she made her debut 31 years ago. Winner of six straight titles from 1982-87, she hadn't played singles at Wimbledon since losing in the 1994 final to Conchita Martinez.

After receiving a warm ovation from the crowd on Court 2, known as the ``graveyard of champions,'' Navratilova took charge immediately. She played a style rarely seen in tennis these days: She served and volleyed from the first point, she chipped and charged on the returns, she hit for angles rather than power.

Castano, ranked No. 102 and playing only her second match at the All England Club, looked tight facing a Wimbledon legend and put up little resistance until late in the match.

Navratilova was up 5-0 after just 16 minutes when the match was stopped by rain. Further rain was forecast for later in the day as well as during much of the first week.

After a 40-minute break, Navratilova picked up where she left off, breaking for the first set and racing to a 5-0 lead in the second. Castana finally picked up her game, breaking for 5-1 and forcing a break point in the next game. It took Navratilova five match points before she finally closed out the contest.

Navratilova flashed a big smile and lifted her racket in the air as she sat on her chair, then stood up and applauded the crowd. She held up a clenched fist as she left the court.

Doesn't matter who she beat......at the age of 47 it's still impressive.