Well, my favorite Tennis player, Marat Safin, is just about to beat Lopez - I hope, he just gave away a game, and make it to the Semi-finals of Wimbledon for the first time!


I'm so excited. Safin is one of the most talented players on the tour, but he often, mentally, gets in his own way. Of course, that's part of what I like about him, his racket throwing antics are quite exciting.

HA!

Yes!

Safin will play Federer in the Semis!

how is possible to be happy your fav player is playing federer next? fed and nadal in the finals.

i am so looking forward to this probable match up for the womens final.

Hey, Safin's one of the few men on Earth who has beaten Federer. That's how Safin won the Australian Open in 2005. He CAN do it if he stays out of his own way, but WILL he? I'm just thrilled to see him get this far in a slam. It's been a few years.

Here's where he's trying to comfort Federer.





See, I just feel terrible for the Williams sisters when they end up having to play each other in the finals. You know it's tough on them. It will be a wicked fight, though, that's for sure.

Yummy. That's all I'm saying.

I was partially rooting for Andy Murray because it's been so long since a Brit won Wimbledon. But I'm looking forward to Nadal winning his first major grand slam off the clay. Vamos!

127 MPH serve. Yes! Venus.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/tenn...f=si_topstories

Serena

Click to view attachment

He's a sweet boy . . . but you gotta dig this guy.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XrlpJpKb0Do

(BTW, can we embed videos here?)

YES!!! Venus already won her semi, and now Serena won hers against Jheng Jie (China) in two sets.

Serena and Venus will play for the championiship at Wimbledon!!!



This will be the third time they've competed against each.

(Daddy will be flying home, because he can't watch.)

Oh, and Zheng Jie was a great competitor and beloved in her country.

She was quite a surprise. It's tough to see these underdogs come so far and then get crushed.

I sometimes think the Williams sisters have it all figured out. They each win a slam most every year and don't play in very many tournaments otherwise. This strategy gives them plenty of money, keeps them relevant, AND may allow them both to have much longer careers than many who just burn themselves out playing every tournament they can squeeze in. I don't understand how they qualify though, playing so few tournaments. I guess their slam wins give them enough points.

I absolutely loved watching her play!! I thought for a moment she was going to turn the corner on Serena and win!!

Anyway, I look forward to seeing her again. And we will see her again and again.

Serena !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know venus needs love too

Venus and Serena again... You can't write this stuff. Go Williams!

No Chris, no Martina, no drama. Yawn.

Then again, Amelie Mauresmo....... Mmmmmm.....

I'm currently watching Safin get crushed by Federer. Safin has just smashed his racket and got a warning.



I agree with the above. All the other women in their age group have retired (Hingis, Henin, Klisters) or continue to see a decline in their game due to injury (Mauresmo, Davenport). The Williams sisters don't play as often, so they are fresh and healthy for the slams.

American tennis is in the gutter right now. After the Williams sisters retire who is going to represent us in women's tennis? Andy Roddick and James Blake continue to under perform on the men's side. I don't see any young American players (male or female) on the horizon.

It annoys me to no end that so many of the top players around the world are being trained in Florida. American tax dollars are going to create champions from other countries, while American kids for some reason aren't being given the same opportunities.

I've noticed a lot of tabloidy stuff on the Williams's sisters. I can't make the call on their character and will not. But I can watch their play and I will. I'm excited about Zheng Jie right now, and I failed to think of the American girls. Why is that? Because, yes, tabloidism is rampant. Media is trying to create a duststorm with Williams' girls right now, through a statement by Venus' opponent, that the final will be decided by the FAMILY.



Patooey.

Please let me watch my tennis. Brian Lamb, will you please carry Wimbledon on the span somehow so I don't have to deal with the bs. Brian you could legitimately do this, because in fact tennis has become politicized/polarized too. F'em. Thank you f'd up media. I watch with the sound off, b/c I detest McEnroe commentary.



That's a shame. Perhaps Zheng Jie can immigrate for us. Not worried about replacement for Williams' girls.


I'll look this fact up and study about this and get back to you.



In my little world, which is so isolated from the real world I guess, I volunteer my time teaching little ones the beginning rudiments of tennis.

I have a hunch that the women's final will be won by Williams.

Have you laid down any bets on this yet?

I don't gamble. It's illegal.

Did you know that illegal is a sick bird?

(Was a joke follow up on how you could make a killing on the untutored)


Neither do I -- gamble. Except once when in Vegas, to which I took all my Black Jack table winnnings up to my room and packed it carefully in the suitcase for the ride back home.

Please explain to me what YOU mean "illegal is a sick bird"

WHAT!!! I can't see that match here! It doesn't even start for another 40 min. here! WTF!?! OMG! Don't tell me any more!

Safin, Safin, Safin - cause that's me singing and dancing around. I'm SO EXCITED. I know it's a long shot, but I'm just happy that I get to watch him play! He's played so badly of late, that I have to buy an online subscription to a tournament just to see him play. Now, it's primetime, centercourt baby! Yipeee!

ESPN? I thought NBC had exclusive coverage, and now I see ESPN covering it live today.

Oh, are they owned by same conglomerate - G.E?


For me, when the Williams girls play tomorrow, will be an interesting look into the psychology of tennis. Will be complex, and I'm going to keep the sound off - mostly.

For instance, when Serena beat Zheng, how much of that was a psyche on her, because Serena is bigtime, established winner already.

Or is ESPN still owned by the Mouse?

OOoooopss, ESPN just switched to the National Hot Dog Eating Contest. (Oh, LOL!!)

Yep, ABC.

chestnut 33

kobayshi 29

5 min left

Tsk, tsk . . .

This is a prime example of the opponent "trying" to psyche out the other in the heat of a match . . .




Focus people, focus.

If you would like to follow this exciting cliffhanger more closely:

Mustard Belt thread:
http://forums.therandirhodesshow.com/index...?showtopic=3906

I know it's mine!!!

interesting stat: the two times that Serena won AELTC, she beat her sister.... got my strawberries and cream chillin in the fridge...

5 minutes until it begins to begin

think serena is going to win but not writing off venus

have a feeling this is going to be the best one yet

This is an incredible match! OMG! It's just epic. I have NO IDEA who's going to win. They are so evenly matched, and they're about the best there is on grass right now. WOW! 7 duces on that one point!

Oh, and Federer didn't "crush" Safin Up until the last point, there was only one break and one tie break between them, but that's enough alright, when Federer is player near perfect. The match was a lot closer than the score indicated. I'm actually very proud of Safin. He played Federer brilliantly, particularly on grass, which is Fed's best surface and Safin's worst, and he didn't defeat himself by unraveling mentally. Federer was incredible, as always, with all the talent Fed has, his mental game is his greatest advantage.

It will be one of the better slam finals between Federer and Nadal tomorrow. I have high hopes that Nadal may be able to beat Federer this year on grass.

*** NBC didn't show the darn match till noon here, and like an idiot, I panicked and looked at Wimbledon.org's scoreboard, so I already knew the score. WTF?!? Why didn't NBC show the thing live is what I want to know. That's ridiculous. If they're going to get the matches exclusively, they MUST show them live.

HA! I knew it. After seening Safin's match with Fed, I thought Nadal might just beat Fed this year, and WHAT DO YOU KNOW, Nadal's up two sets to love over Fed RIGHT NOW! Yippee! I know Fed's one of the "greatest," but I just think he's arrogant, and I'm sick of him winning everything. This year has been rough for him in the slams, but I didn't even dream it would get this rough. Though it looks like Nadal's knee is giving him trouble - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!


And good GOD, if I'm not seeing this match live, PLEASE don't anyone tell me.

fed wins after the rain delay

4-6 4-6 6-4 6-2 7-5

best match ever














(i'm kidding ~ we're both seeing it live)

OH THANK GOD! I was about to reach though the screen, lol. It could happen. Wasn't it his first Wimbledon win where he was down, and came back after a rain delay and won? And he was without a coach then too. His mental game is his biggest asset. He has this ability to mentally adjust his game, that no other player can touch right now.

GO NADAL!

i'm hoping it happens ~ yanking your chain was just an added bonus.

and i dunno. i remember that fed beat sampras in 5 sets the first time he won but if there was a rain delay i don't remember it. but it's wimbledon ~ so many rain delays, so little time.

go fed (i'm going for the miracle)

SHIT! I have a very bad feeling about this.

Damn rain delays!

omg

going to the 5th and remember no tie breaks in the 5th.

amazing tennis

OH . . . MY . . . GOD! Another RAIN DELAY! This is so tense it's driving me crazy - then they stop AGAIN! What if they don't resume today!?!?!?!?

What an incredible match!!!!!! I really think Nadal has choked a couple of times now under the pressure. This is a lot for a kid his age to take in. The biggest tennis stage in the world, playing the undisputed Master of that court.

I need a freakin' xanax!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geKU4rnCc6M



incredible tennis ~ hope it resumes today but they only have like 2 hours max of daylight left to play.

lol they'll come back and have to quit again because it's like 12 - 11

YES! YES! YES!


I CAN'T BELIEVE HE DID IT! YOU'VE GOT TO ADMIT, HE EARNED IT! HE NEVER GAVE UP, NEVER GAVE IN! I AM SO PROUD OF THAT KID! THE FIRST TIME ANY PLAYER HAS WON BACK TO BACK FRENCH AND WIMBLEDON IN THE SAME YEAR SINCE BORG DID IT 30 YEARS AGO!

THAT HAS GOT TO BE THE GREATEST MATCH I'VE EVER SEEN!

Sorry, Lucy. I know you're disappointed, but I just couldn't contain my enthusiasm.

lol ~ i'll live (i was just glued to the tv)

fucking epic textbook tennis ~ think i'll play tonight.

Okay, just one more

Man, wasn't it though! The shots those two were making just made you leap to your feet! Wow! THAT WAS INCREDIBLE! You wouldn't believe the screaming going on at my house! My son is a big Nadal fan, so he was ecstatic. I just new it was never going to end the way they were playing, staying dead even for so many hours! Whewwwww . . .

that's a nice pic but damn i wish he's quit digging his underwear out of his ass. it annoys me to no end

let's not forget about



wimbledon is my fav but us open is a close 2nd (shh but i rarely watch the french open)

Really? I watch them all. The french fascinates me. How the HELL do they play sliding around on that clay? Have you ever played on clay? I've never even seen a clay court.

Yup, the U.S. Open is going to be AMAZING this year. Fed hasn't won a slam yet, and he's going to be out for blood, but there's something about the U.S. Open that it seems anyone has a chance. I'd LOVE to see Roddick win there, but I say that every year. Of course, Safin is looking really good right now, and I'm dying to see him get another slam. But yeah, Wimbledon's always been my favorite too. I don't know what it is about that tournament, but it's just so grand, and the grass court seems to make it the most difficult. I've never seen a grass court either for that matter.

On the women's side, I really like Ivanovic, and Mauresmo's long been a favorite, but I find it kind of hard to get excited about women's tennis since Davenport and Clister's retired. I guess Clister was my favorite for so long.

Lol, yeah, that gets on my nerves too. And Nadal used to take FOREVER between points. That drove everyone nuts, but I noticed, in the 3rd set, Nadal slowed things down and started taking longer between serves. Federer likes a really fast paced match. So does Safin - that's why that match seemed so short. That was a smart move on Nadal's part. He's such a smart player for one so young, and he truly does seem like a sweet, uneffected kid. I hope he stays that way.

Hey! He should be ranked No. 1 after this!!!!!

the french bores me and the court is ugly reddish colour. no i've never played on it but it looks hard on the knees (hence the tape around nadals perhaps)

novak djokovic all the way (and venus vs serena always makes me happy)

i was a huge steffi fan then onto the sisters ~ i play like steffi (well not that good but i copied her style, except for her serve)