2019 Wimbledon...ATP 2000...London, England

[stroke]

As far as I am concerned, even though I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of Meghan, Britain is getting what it deserves with its state sponsored royal family nonsense. As for as purple hair and Serena, what more is there to say. It is all in plain sight.

[don_budge]

The War on Men...not so subtle anymore

Is anyone else repulsed by the media fawning over "Coco"? I am and think it's not only premature but disrespectul to where she is in her career. I wish her the best but these kinds of expecations are ridiculous and could truly mess with this kid's psyche. Remember Melanie Oudin? Genie Bouchard? Cici Bellis? Let's wait til she does something significant besides win one match against Venus.

She's black and she's female. The perfect media darling. Reverse racism. But in a sense I think she may be an outstanding prospect yet, of course, the media overplays it's hand. It's no surprise that they gave this rather young and untested prospect a rather unreasonable of coverage. But we are in those times. Post 1984...Orwellian style.

I watched more of Serena Williams than I maybe ever have and that isn't because I chose to do so. Serena was playing Sanchez-Navarro and it was truly a horrible match. Just disgusting. The level was so bad that I couldn't take my eyes off of it. At the same time Rafael Nadal was playing on centre court but somehow the coverage was focused on Serena and I wonder if anyone else thought what I was thinking. It was amazing how much was made of the new "American Princess" Meghan Markle and how she was trotted out to hammer the point home. The British Monarchy will live to regret the choice of the idiot Prince if they haven't already. The Duke warned him...you play around with actresses...you don't marry them. Silly Prince. Thinking with the wrong head. More on Serena later.

This business of the American soccer team getting as much coverage and politicising the rather meaningless victory was another not so subtly example of the "War on Men" that I have been writing about. It goes hand in hand with the current "reverse racism" where it is okay to advocate reparations to a class of people at the expense of another class. It's all so convoluted and bizarre that the ensuing discussion will quickly devolve into accusations of the flavour of the day...take your pick. Racism, misogyinism or what the other nineteen other favourite go to charges. The purple headed bimbo wants to run for political office now on the "Hate Trump" platform. Silly idiot.

So that brings us back to the discussion regarding equal pay. The female Swedish female commentator who is sidekick to Jonas "what's his name" advocated that the women play best of five as a go along with the equal pay. I'll go one step further and suggest that the "ladies" are included in a draw without gender bias. Let's go the whole nine yards children. Jonas Bjorkman. Wrap all of them in the same enchilada...call it the "diversity" taco. Pink hair soccer player, Serena, Princess Markle...all of the advocates of the "new normal" and throw them head first into the mulch pile.

I did watch the entire "Ladies Final" and understandably happy that Simona Halep took the bully Serena Williams to the wood pile and gave here the ass kicking that she so richly deserved after bullying the girls on the tour all of these years. When Serena put her arm around Simona her hand was clearly visible for an extended moment and lo and behold here ring finger is so much longer than her index finger. It isn't the final proof...just another clue. What is life other than put the clues...the endless clues together? Like the three little dots there are no definite...there is no right or wrong. I am not agreeing or disagreeing. But I am not afraid of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

It's a "War on Men". It isn't so subtle anymore. The Prince and the Duchess were out on the town with Beyonce and Jay Z last night. That's normal now. The new normal. The Queen must be just rolling her eyes into the back of her head.

[stroke]

Oh, one last thing, Stroke missed another pick. Big surprise.

[stroke]

It is hard to believe that Roger will get another shot at a Major as great as he is.

[bman]

Better match than 2008 final but even more painful. Federer needs to commit to coming over his backhand return just like against Nadal and taking his forehand and backhand down the line more often. I honestly think in the return games he needs to try to bully Novak and if he misses, that's OK because he will lose most long rallies anyway. The dinky chips don't work. By the way, is Don Budge on suicide watch?

[John Yandell]

That was one of the best matches ever--just brutally painful at the end since of course I was pulling for Roger.

[stroke]

That was a massive win for Novak. He did it his way. He let some points/games go and still won it. Too good. Watching the match, I felt like Fed was the better player. This has to be one of Roger's most regretful losses. But Roger will be ok, he is good.

[arturohernandez]

Federer won 218 points. Djokovic 204.
Another Simpson's paradox match for Fed.
He also had 40 more winners than Djokovic. 15 more aces. A higher first serve and 2nd serve percentage, as well as a higher percentage of points won on 1st and 2nd serves. More net points won and a higher percentage. More break points won and a higher percentage. More receiving points won.

10 more unforced errors for Fed.

You don't have to win the most points. Just the important ones.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Amazing match! Djokovic escaped from the clutches of Fed. It reminded me of their FO semi a few years ago. Federer just needed to end it with an ace. And then wiggle his finger up at the sky. Djokovic looks like he is losing a step. Not as dominant as before. The USOpen will be very interesting.

[klacr]

Federer won 218 points. Djokovic 204.
Another Simpson's paradox match for Fed.
He also had 40 more winners than Djokovic. 15 more aces. A higher first serve and 2nd serve percentage, as well as a higher percentage of points won on 1st and 2nd serves. More net points won and a higher percentage. More break points won and a higher percentage. More receiving points won.

10 more unforced errors for Fed.

You don't have to win the most points. Just the important ones.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[bman]

I'm done. No more watching tennis indefinitely.

[stroke]

Fowler said Novak was a slight favorite per oddmakers at start of 5th set.

[don_budge]

I wonder what the odds on for the fifth set...

[arturohernandez]

Is it just me? Djokovic doesn’t look like himself. Suck?

[don_budge]

Once Federer got behind in that set he realised the amount of energy he would need to expend to get even and win it. He elected not to and to bank on the third set. I will refer to "The Book" and William Tilden to clarify. In his section on "Match Play and Tennis Psychology" he expands a bit on his thought about the psychology in five set matches. His thoughts are crystal clear and hit the astute tennis aficionado in the forehead like a beam of white light. Inspiration.

"In a three out of five set match, the climactic set in my opinion is usually the third. The first is naturally of great psychological value but it is not actually decisive. If you can win both the first two sets so much the better. Still the third set is the critical one. If the score is 2 sets to 0 a victory in the third means the match. If you are behind at 0-2 you must win the third or the match is lost. But in many three out of five set matches the players divide the first two sets and stand at 1 set apiece. Now the real importance of the. third set comes to the fore. If you win it and lead 2 sets to 1 the discouragement to your opponent is tremendous. By the end of a third set any player will be feeling the physical strain, more or less. To face the necessity of winning two sets in a row places a great burden on the mental and physical courage of your opponent. It looks like an awfully long road back. You may even be able to afford taking a chance of running him in the fourth set and even if you lose it, tire him so much that he will be easy in the fifth. It is, of course, better to keep pressure on in the fourth set and take no chances.

If your opponent leads you 1-2 then it's up to you to muster all the guts you have, go out for a quick victory in the fourth set and shoot the works in the fifth even if you wind up flat on your face at the end."

Federer looked like he was going to run through the fourth. Now he takes another chance to serve out the fourth. Djokovic has orchestrated this match like a virtuoso. As much as Federer has performed like the Maestro that he is...Djokovic is banking on the fifth. That is if he doesn't even the fourth and win it here.

[bman]

Huge tactical error from Federer. Hit the backhand! Every time he slices Djokovic controls the point.