The Wimbledon 2007 Thread

[Guest FreeSpirit]

Preview:

 

Monday 25th June to Sunday 8th July 2007

Live on The BBC (BBC1, BBC2, Online, Interactive)

 

Mens Singles Preview: Here

Ladies Singles Preview: Here[/Quote]

 

As befits the world's premier tennis tournament, the 121st Championships will not only keep pace with the fast-changing face of the sport but will continue the impressive programme of improvement, both to the premises of the All England Club and to coverage of the game.

 

Most noticeably, ticket holders and television viewers alike will be surprised at the pace of the rebuilding which has gone on since last summer to meet the deadline of 2009 for the new-look Centre Court and its all-weather roof.

Though the cranes will have been dismantled and the site cleared of building materials for the duration of The Championships, Wimbledon will present a temporary face, most importantly in its total lack of any sort of roof over Centre Court - for this tournament only. So, then, fingers crossed for decent weather!

 

To offset any possibility of temporary spectator inconvenience there is the fascinating news that the Hawk-Eye electronic line-calling technology, so popular since its adoption in TV sports coverage, will be introduced on Centre and No.1 Courts, following extensive testing to verify the accuracy of the system on grass.

 

And if Hawk-Eye's introduction has been done with the public very much in mind, there is also good news for the players with the increase in total prize money of 8.7% to £11,282,710 and, for the first time, the decision to offer the women parity.

 

The men's champion's purse is up by 6.9% to £655,000, while the ladies' is boosted by 12% in order to match that sum. As the All England Club chairman, Tim Phillips, says proudly, "No tennis tournament has ever offered higher prize money than Wimbledon in 2007." The Championships have come a long way indeed since they pioneered Open tennis in 1968, when the men's champion, Rod Laver, won £2,000 while Billie Jean King collected just £750 for winning the women's singles.

 

So astronomically has prize money escalated throughout the sport, however, that it will be far behind thoughts of being a Wimbledon champion, especially Roger Federer as he bids for what would be his fifth consecutive Men's Singles Championship here. Not since the heyday of Bjorn Borg (1976-80) has any man captured the game's greatest honour in five straight years.

 

As Federer acknowledged recently, "Everything I was wishing for as a tennis player happened thanks to Wimbledon. That's why, emotionally, it's my number one."

 

Also number five, he hopes, having conceded a mere three sets in his four previous Centre Court finals, as he edges ever closer to Pete Sampras’ all-time mark of 14 Grand Slam titles and seven Wimbledon titles.

 

Certainly Federer will be the outstanding favourite once again to extend his astonishing victory run on grass, 48 in all and 28 in succession at The Championships, as the grass court segment of the 2007 season gets underway. Andy Roddick, who has twice finished as runner-up to the Swiss, has struggled with his form and fitness of late, so the strongest challenge could again come from his closest rival and clay court supremo, Rafael Nadal, or perhaps the fast-rising Serbian, Novak Djokovic. Hopes that Andy Murray might be line to repeat his 2006 Cincinnati win over Federer have been thrown into uncertainty by the wrist injury sustained by the Scot.

 

The women's singles appears much more open, having produced different champions over the past three years, though it would be unwise to discount the prospects of the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, who have held aloft the Venus Rosewater Dish in five of the last seven summers.

 

The defending champion, Amelie Mauresmo, is still searching for her best form following an appendicitis operation earlier this year. The 2004 winner, Maria Sharapova, will be hoping recent shoulder problems will not hamper the sort of tennis she unveiled to win the US Open last September. Or it might just be the time for Justine Henin, the world number one, to win a Slam on grass.

 

But even that would not succeed in raising Wimbledon's roof. Not this year, at any rate.[/Quote]

 

I guess Federer will win for the 5th year running in the Mens tournament, while the Womens is an open bag really, as I dont think Mauresmo will win it for the 2nd year running.

 

Still it should be an interesting tournament over the next 2 weeks, and I cant wait for the action to get underway this Monday. :good222:

[King 277]

Andy Murray pulls out with wrist injury.

[Guest frednut]

Andy Murray pulls out with wrist injury.

 

not like he was really going to win it though....

[King 277]

not like he was really going to win it though....

 

 

Probably not,although a quater/semi place who knows.

[Guest Danny Styles]

glad that Murray is out, firstly it spares the public his crap interviews and zero charisma and secondly we won't have to put up with him throwing a tantrum everytime he looks like losing a game

 

and i don't want him to be British, he's Scottish dammit, i'm English i don't want to be associated with him!

 

I see a Roddick/ Federer final with hopefully Roddick winning this one (i'm a big Federer fan but i feel sorry for Roddick because he never can beat him!)

[Guest Jung]

Zero charisma?

 

He's not that bad, I mean Henman makes him look like The Rock.

 

And Roddick won't beat Federer, he doesn't have enough variety to trouble him.

[Guest The Great Ahmar]

I'm glad Murray is out. I really, really don't like him. He comes off as such a ****, plus I find him The most overrated player around today.

[Guest SuperKick Kid]

I really hope Andy can overcome Federer this time and stop Federer from tying Borg's record.

 

Plus I dont want Federer to tie or break Sampras' record of Grand Slam wins.

 

Andy has the power to defeat Federer, he just has to apply it well.

 

Anyway, I hope these two clash in the tournament.

Edited June 25, 2007 by SuperKick Kid

[Guest FreeSpirit]

Damnit: Play was suspended at 9.18pm in the Henman match at 2-2 in sets, and 5-5 in games due to poor light. That was a really good match :xyx

[King 277]

I was in Paddy Powers today and they are paying out already on Federer winning.

[Guest big pau hoolinator]

So if I go in and put money on Federer I will get my winnings straight away ?!

[King 277]

So if I go in and put money on Federer I will get my winnings straight away ?!

 

 

God I wished it worked liked that:P:xyx

[Guest SuperKick Kid]

Is Federer a good thing for the sport of tennis?

 

He's like the John Cena of Tennis in that he is pretty much undefeatable.

 

I really want to see someone defeat Federer in a Grand Slam, besides at the French.

 

It's taken the fun out of tennis for me because he is too damn good.

 

There is no unpredictablity about it.

 

I miss the good times where we had Agassi, Sampras, Roddick, Hewitt etc... all with good chances of winning.

 

Now if there is a Grand Slam and it isnt the French Open, we basically know Federer will win. If it is the French Open, then Nadal will win.

[King 277]

Is Federer a good thing for the sport of tennis?

 

He's like the John Cena of Tennis in that he is pretty much undefeatable.

 

I really want to see someone defeat Federer in a Grand Slam, besides at the French.

 

It's taken the fun out of tennis for me because he is too damn good.

 

There is no unpredictablity about it.

 

I miss the good times where we had Agassi, Sampras, Roddick, Hewitt etc... all with good chances of winning.

 

Now if there is a Grand Slam and it isnt the French Open, we basically know Federer will win. If it is the French Open, then Nadal will win.

 

 

 

Federer is just to good at the moment,and on grass he should be unstopabble.

[Guest big pau hoolinator]

And in my opinion once Federer goes Nadal will reign over tennis in a similar way when you consider how young nadal is

[Guest FreeSpirit]

Is Federer a good thing for the sport of tennis?

 

He's like the John Cena of Tennis in that he is pretty much undefeatable.

 

Yeah but Federer has mastered the game of tennis by sheer skill, with Cena although he's talented, its just scripted so nobody knows just how good he really is, while with Ferderer every one knows he is the best.

 

Anyhow the Henman game was awesome this afternoon, he won the final set 13-11 in a back and forth game.

[King 277]

Anyhow the Henman game was awesome this afternoon, he won the final set 13-11 in a back and forth game.

 

 

Dont worry mate he won't go any further:greets4::lol

[Guest FreeSpirit]

Yeah I know, I reckon he will go out in the next round.

[Red05 343]

I watched the Henman/Moya game and it was really entertaining stuff, but I doubt Henman will go very far. I think so because he missed so many chances and played so many bad shots, and he was helped by quite a few Mayo double faults as well. If Federer were in that match, he'd have slaughtered old Henman.

[King 277]

To be honest I never heard of a bookies paying out so soon for any event ever!!!

[Guest The Genetic Jackhammer]

Come on Tim.......I mean um Federer because we all know he will more than likely win it as per usual.

[Guest Moobs]

The Henman/Moya game was really entertaining, you forget how good Henman actually is when he plays to his best. I doubt he'll go far though, unfortunately.

[Guest FreeSpirit]

The Henman/Moya game was really entertaining, you forget how good Henman actually is when he plays to his best. I doubt he'll go far though, unfortunately.

 

I'm sorry Moobs, but that was nowhere near Henman playing to his best IMO. He was lucky to win in the end as the match could've gone either way.

 

The match was great though for the sheer entertainment of both men deadlocked throughout the last set. It kind of reminded me of the penalty shoot-out between Holland and England last week.

[Guest Moobs]

I'm sorry Moobs, but that was nowhere near Henman playing to his best IMO. He was lucky to win in the end as the match could've gone either way.

 

True, but some of the shots he was playing were fantastic. I agree though, it was a very tight match in which the result could have gone either way, as you said.

[King 277]

To be honest Id love to see Federer lose this one,not because I dont like him but just to see Paddy Powers get burned:lol