´óÏó´«Ã½

the girls capitulated (thank god for Heather Watson), Ward however fought like a Lion and in the end it was only Mardy Fish's experience that won it.

Until they get into the world's top 32 the draws will be hard for them. Errani was runner up at Roland Garros, Kvitova is probably the third fave to win the tournment and defending champion its unfair to suggest that either really had a chance.
Heather Watson next plays the thrid best player in the world and she is heavy underdog. Radwanska will not hit her off the court but I think like Errani will out think her.
Ward played really well but I love how Fish plays an old style grass court game and he deserved the win.
If you compare the UK with Australia we have one world class player at the moment (Murray) and they have one as well (Stouser). Asking the media not to overhype things is the probelm even bbc tennis on twitter were doing it.

James Ward was brilliant end of.

Because it isn't the Brits going out in the early rounds that bothers me; it's that they go out so easily, like their game is just a technicality for their opponent to get to the next round.

Maybe he wasn't technically brilliant, maybe he went to sleep for a bit but he fought like hell! And you know what? I don't dislike Murray, but I'd choose to watch Wardy play over him any day of the week.

As #1 pointed out, criticising Ward is extremely harsh, considering he saved match points, broke back when Fish was serving for the match and fought for every last point. I really thought he could win it when it went into a 5th set as Fish looked nackered and beaten after he messed up in the 4th.

As for the women, did anyone really expect anything else? Baltacha was never going to beat Kvitova and tbh, I was just surprised at how close the second set was. Kvitova is very, very good on grass. Keothavong's performance against Errani was disappointing, but not surprising. Don't forget, this woman made it to a grand slam final just a few weeks ago, so I expected it.

If Heather takes a set of Radwanska tomorrow, then I think we can consider that a successful tournament for the Brits (Minus Andy Murray, whose judgement will come later of course). Baker fought extremely well against Roddick, Golding showed huge potential v Andreev, Ward had a fantastic tournament by his standards, getting into R2 and nearly beating a Top 10 player. Goodall was disappointing but still took a set of Zemlja.

We had three women's first round wins, plus a woman in the third round (who may even make it further). Robson came so close to a victory against a former GS champion, whilst Naomi Broady was competitive and Johanna Konta (who I admit I had never heard of prior to the tournament) nearly beat a seed.
OK, none of them are competing for the title, but its progress considering, usually, the only Brit left in the tournament by Monday evening is Andy Murray.

Didn't see the Murray match; too busy watching Ward's antics, but Karlovic's comments are very controversial - I can't remember anyone ever saying something like that ever before. Good to see he got through though.

Oh, and on Nadal? No-one should be counting any chickens as far a Murray final appearance is concerned. He needs to take every match as it comes, starting with Baghdatis. Considering he's guaranteed to play one of Roddick, Nishikori, Ferrer and Del Potro in the quarters (and probably Tsonga in the semis) he needs to get through those matches first.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

#5

Grow up.

#6, I'm with #5.

Hang on guys, was Ward really that good? he was playing a guy who had a heart operation recently, that's why he was knackered from start to finish.

I've had an operation and couldn't even jog 100 yards for weeks afterwards. Surely a pro should be able to overcame any opponent with such a handicap?

Ward not winning today in those circumstances was a huge disappointment; he had a unique opportunity to reach the third round.

As for Anna and Elana, they're journeywomen. No shame in that, there's dozens of other pros like them. Criticising them for losing to top-ranked women is harsh, as both players clearly do not have the natural talent to develop their game further.

Until we find another Murray, someone who does have the shots to take on top players, we'll have this same debate every year.

An OK week. They all did about what was expected - good shows in a losing cause. There were one or two first round wins (which you'd expect on grass at home) but none of them really have the class once you get beyond that. Heather Watson has done well, but it is about beating the big names. Here real test is next.

The one i can't decide on is Laura Robson. Having won the first set, 3-2 up with 3 consecutive break points to come at 0-40 she was a shoe in for a straight sets victory. She'd outplayed her opponent, and made her to look like she is - a fading player, who has great guts, but no real weapons. Then, within a blink of an eye she was a break down in the final set.

Scared of winning? Surely not from someone who won Grand Slams as a junior. Inexperience? Despite her age this is her fourth consecutive Wimbledon as a senior. So how did she grab defeat from the jaws of victory? Her rally at the end of the 5th set was impressive - but again it is too little too late in a losing cause.

I just don't know what to think. My gut reaction is that they just don't want it bad enough, that winning isn't everything. Despite the ridiculous comments about Andy Murray above, you can't question his desire. Heather Watson neither. Is it this then that explains why they are the only two left? I hope not, but i do wonder.

@ 9, Laura Robson is an Aussie. We just claim she's British in the hope she has a good career and we can claim her as one of our own.

As for her loss, she's got far superior shots to Schiavone (poor womans Justine henin) Robson just got outthought. Having the right shots is little good if you don't have brains on court to back it up.

The commentators were saying Schiavone Junkballed Robson, well that's tennis! Someone who gets the coaching Robson does should be able to deal with that.

@10 ... I'm so tired of hearing this Aussie stuff already, and unfortunately I suspect we're going to have to put up with it for Robson's entire career.

Laura may have been born in Australia, but the country can claim absolutely no responsibility for whatever she may achieve in her career. She moved away from Oz to Singapore at only 18 months old, and then to England at 6 years old. She never even played tennis until she got to Britain. All of her coaching was done by the LTA.

Laura considers herself to be a Brit, she is proud to be a Brit. She has dual nationality and would have had the option to represent Australia but she chose Britain. As far as tennis is concerned, Robson is a Brit through and through. End of story.

Poor blog

@11, by your logic Murray is Spanish, because he got his important coaching in Spain from the age of 15 (he left the LTA because their coaching wasn't good enough for him)

Laura chose Britain in the same way Rusedski did, but she's still Australian. Nationality isn't important to a players career, but we still shouldn't try and pretend people are British when they're not.

13 - by your logic Leyton Hewitt is British - he was born in Britain to British parents who did not emigrate to Australia until he was 4. McEnroe was born in Germany! Where you mother happened to give birth is really pretty irrelevant. Laura Robson's father is British and mother Aussie and they moved away from Australia while Laura was still a toddler. She speaks like a Brit, was brought up here and has a British father. That should be enough We constantly hear about Balacha being 'Scottish' although she was born in Eastern Europe to easten European parents.

@13 Your attempt to compare Murray and Robson is laughable, which I'm sure you know... Murray decided to train in Spain for a year to hone his skills before he joined the Challenger tour. By the age of 15 he was clearly already a highly talented and promising tennis player. He also recently started training in Miami during the off-season. Does that make him American? Of course not.

One point I will actually agree with you on is Rusedki. He is not a true Brit. He is a "defector" of sorts. He changed his allegiance from Canada to Britain at the age of 22. He grew up in Canada, he speaks with a Canadian accent. I would consider him a Canadian at heart.

Laura is completely different. She has always considered herself to be British. She grew up here, became everything that she is today because of the surroundings she grew up in. She has British culture engrained within her. That, for me, is what defines nationality.

As always we Brits are always looking for someone to blame instead of throwing everything we have into supporting our team of players . Poor Andy Murray , who is 100% British is disowned by his own because he was born and raised in Scotland , which seems to over shadow the fact that he iis a number 4 world player ...... Any other country would get behind him 100% and be proud , not sit predicting his demise before the tournament begins! Half our top players are ' not british'. Beltcha for a start , in fact we wouldn't have much of a team without our imports ( let them come , lord knows why they do ). I also think judy Murray should receive more credit , not only did she coach a world no.4 and Wimbledon doubles champion , but Baker and Beltacha ....... Our players need more of the killer instinct she's teaching , instead of the primary school attitude of " it's the taking part that matters". Is it any wonder our players don't achieve when the country and media have such a negative attitude which allows failure to be ok , because we didn't expect you to win ? Why should Murray win ? Go on Andy you can do it !!!!!

Someone made a point about many of these players being hyped up beyond their capabilities. Surely you have to earn respect and reputation. Laura Robson, has potential, however, that's all it is.

I've watched her for the last three years and it appears her game hasn't improved. It's very one dimensional. Just slamming the ball and hoping, on a percentage basis, some of her shots will remain on the court. The girl's six foot plus. Obviously, her power is not in question. What is conspicuously missing is guile and craft. Why don't her coaches work on the subtle side of her game. Get her to spend hour after hour on perfecting her back hand slice as well as honing a top spin. Why don't they advise her to make her opponents play another shot, by merely getting the ball back into play? Why don't these coaches add other required elements to her game? Then her power, added to these necessary elements, would see her progress. If i were a professional at any sport, i'd work on my weaknesses rather than my strengths?

It's not rocket science.. just so blatantly obviously from watching her. It didn't surprise me her relinquishing a comfortable lead to Francesca Schiavone. The Italian was on the proverbial ropes, but unforced error after unforced error handed her the victory which she hardly deserved.

Nothing personal again Laura, more a critique against the coaching system in this country. Don't they watch replays of their matches. If i were Laura's parents i'd use her funding to hire someone like John McEnroe, whose games was about artistry allied to power.

Despite our own opinions I think you have to respect whichever country each player chooses to pledge their allegiance so to speak. If Robson says she is English then good enough for me.
My only real objection is getting our terminology mixed up... post #16 "we Brits"... "supporting our team of players"... "Andy Murray , who is 100% British is disowned by his own because he was born and raised in Scotland , which seems to over shadow the fact that he iis a number 4 world player ...... Any other country would get behind him 100%" - Britain isn't a country!
Personally, I consider myself English and do not see Scotland as any different from France or Spain - ie. non are my country of birth. That said I'm a Murray fan but stop using Britain as a convenient 'flag' to support a decent Scottish player if you're English, please!

A less than average English football team are hailed as heroes and overachievers while the tennis players get derided for having achieved much better results this time.

Talk of a media with rose tinted glasses!

To me, winning games at the highest level is mostly about having the mental edge, the confidence & the belief. The top 10 players can beat each other any day but the top 3 are so strong mentally they produce their best with their backs to the wall.

Our tennis players all have the game but they lack the belief for whatever reason - may be our upbringing, culture etc. Its not something you can address easily even with the best coaches in the world.

cfcboy23 I do agree with you in the sense that people support him when he's doing well and then put him out to dry when he doesn't but Andy doesn't play with SCO next to his name but instead GBR. Therefore as someone from GBR I will cheer anyone who plays for GBR 'till the cows come home. If you choose to make the distinction then that's your choice, but if it's good enough for ATP and him to represent Great Britain then it's good enough for me.

The sad thing with Robson is that if she had stayed in Oz she'd have had a better chance of being successful. Having moved to Britain and being coached here means she'll never be more than average. She will have also inherited the 'choke' gene that the whole of the nation is struck with.

In tennis - as in football - compared to many other sporting nations on the international stage, we're just not that good.

Why can't we just accept that and stop heaping ridiculously unrealistic and unfair expectations on the shoulders of British sportsmen and women?

@20 - If you're born in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) then you are British. I was born in England. I am British. Murray was born in Scotland. he is British. We have the same nationality. Stop this petty nationalistic clap trap.

@17 - Agreed. Robson needs some variation in her game. She won't progress by just hitting hard unless she is unerringly accurate, which she is not.

@10 - How dare you presuem to decide what nationality Robson is. It is for her to decide who she is. Stop taking this right away from her. Pathetic comment.

Overall the Brits have had a "better" Wimbledon than most, but far from what it should be. Here's hoping that the current crop of youngsters (Golding, Broady etc.) can step up to the plate and we can get a few more qualifying and prgressing a round or two into the tournament. Success breeds success.

#6, I'm with #5

---

Why on earth would you actively will someone to lose just because of their nationality? Absolutely pathetic in my opinion.
I don't understand why the English (btw, I'm English) give Murray a hard time. I do wonder if its still because of the ridiculous reaction to his "anyone but England" comment in 2006 prior to the world cup, which was taken so much out of context its untrue.
He's from the UK. The UK is a country. I also come from and live in the UK. So, therefore I support a player also from the UK. But even if I don't, I wouldn't will him to lose.

I think it's a bit harsh to say the Brits did poorly when the 2 women they lost to are top 10 and Fish is just outside of top 10-yes he has been ill but he's clearly a class player and still was favourite to win.

Also, I hate the argument that Britain should have more top tennis players because the LTA spend a fortune. Money doesn't equal talent, Murray is naturally a very talented player that is why he is top 5 and a slam contender.

You don't need money to be a successful tennis nation if all you want is a high volume of decent players. Look at Russian womens tennis, the Moscow academy gets a trolley full of balls and the girls hit groundstrokes all day long. This leads to a Dementieva/Myskina player who may be flawed but definitely gets results.

If you want slam winners then you need talent, as much as I respect both Baltacha and Keothavong for solid careers they aren't the most naturally gifted players. You can't make someone into a slam winner if there isn't that spark.

Final rant...LTA. Britain's tennis association is called the Lawn Tennis Association. Why? Because we're obsessed with the surface that is played on for 4 weeks of the year. Focus on clay already or even hard. British tennis bods seem more bothered about tradition then just getting the job done.

@18 The Olympics must be a very time consuming affair for you, deciding which members of Team GBR will get your support, based on the geographical location of their birth within Great Britain (very definitely a country...)

Why can't we get behind our players and stay behind them? Do we imagine that Rafa is being disowned by the Spanish fans right now or he is being lampooned in the Spanish press? I think probably not as that is a lovely British trait. Our players deserve our support and thrive on it too, there is a reason they perform better on home soil, so I personally think there should be less moaning and more cheering!!

#20... agreed and it is my preference but as I say Scotland means no more to me than any other country. I think Murray would probably prefer to play with Scotland next to his name... but I shouldn't second guess him.

#23... only clap trap in your opinion. I don't subscripe to a collective nation... there's enough about England to motivate me and be proud of sir without attaching myself to Scotland, Ireland or Wales as well. However, for the record I love those countries and the people but they are just other countries in my opinion.

As Scotsman I've always loathed the "anyone but England" mentality some people north of the border display. I feel that I'm Scottish first and British second (as I'd imagine most people in the other countries of Britain are) and in footballing terms there's nobody I'd rather beat than England - purely because they are our sporting rivals. That's it. In every way that matters Scotland and England are the closest of allies. And if someone competes under the Union Jack then I wholeheartedly support them. And if they happen to be Scottish? Well it merely makes me a little bit more proud of my little corner of the world, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Over the years, British Tennis players, especially Tim Henman have been helped by patriotic line calling. Hawkeye has now made that more difficult, so the Brits are losing more rapidly.