Concrete Elbow by Steve Tignor

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Keeping Tabs: 7/3	07/03/2011 - 6:53 AM

LONDON—“Outclassed, outfought, outthought.” Who is the Telegraph thrashing today on the front page of its sports section? Maria Sharapova, after her final-round fizzle? Or do they have secret tapes of Andy Murray losing at Playstation? No, the moron in question is British boxer David Haye, who lost the world heavyweight title last night. Or, as the Telegraph puts it, “A fight that was three years in the making ended in 12 rounds of dominance last night from Wladimir Klitschko and left David Haye to be remembered as another gallant sporting loser.”

It’s official: Wimbledon is over. The papers have a new victim.

*****

After roasting Haye, the Telegraph comes back to tennis to talk about the women’s final. Petra Kvitova, according to columnist Mark Hodgkinson, is the “anti-Maria,” an “unstarry, unaffected” young woman, a “jeans and a T-shirt” kind of girl who is only now figuring out how good she really is (she's pretty good).

—Elsewhere, Nadal and Djokovic do the pre-final dance of expectations. In boxing, two fighters walk out, chests puffed, and proclaim their greatness. In tennis, they walk out, heads down, and proclaim their opponent’s greatness. Nadal insists that Djokovic is “stronger mentally” because of his four wins over him this year. Djokovic says, wait just a second, “Physically we all know Nadal is superior.” So, I guess, neither player will win.

—Boris Becker advises Nadal to try to “land the first blow” in rallies, but he thinks Djokovic will triumph in five.

—The good feelings and anticipatory buzz can’t last forever. It turns out that there was one more Brit loser to kick around yesterday at Wimbledon. That would be junior Liam Broady, who blew a set and a break lead in the boys' final. Or, as the Telegraph says:

“TEENAGER WILTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Broady demonstrates same mental fragility as Murray by failing to build on early lead”

Roasting the new guy . . .

*****

The Sunday Sport returns, without a ton of coverage, but they do get to the heart of the matter:

KVIT BLOWS SHAR-AWAY!

The paper also proclaims itself “shocked” that Nadal would “admit” that his opponent has the mental edge today.

*****

The buzz loudens for the men’s final over at the Independent, where Greg Rusedski thinks it could be “an all-time classic,” and takes Nadal, 51-49.

—Elsewhere, columnist Paul Newman has high hopes for a Murray-Darren Cahill partnership, which should pick up after Davis Cup next weekend. And Wimbledon appears to be more popular with the royal family than ever. This year the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice (twice) have all been in attendance. In the Independent's words, they've been “relishing their freebies.”

—The paper also includes this stat: 71 percent of line calls that have been challenged over the fortnight have proven to be correct. Is that a good number or a bad number? I can’t decide.

*****

The Mail, maybe just out of habit, gets a few last Murray licks in:

MURRAY DIDN’T JUST LOSE ON THE COURT, HE WAS DEFEATED IN HIS HEAD AS WELL

Is there anything this mental midget can do? Murray’s brother, Jamie, tells him that, “it’s time to get married.” John Lloyd has a different, and much scarier, suggestion: Hire Jimmy Connors as his coach.

—Do the men really not come to the net anymore? The Mail says that 19 percent of winners hit in men’s matches were volleys or overheads. Again, I can’t tell if this is a high or a low number. I suppose it could be higher: Seventeen percent of winners were backhands.

—The paper doesn’t forget about poor Liam Broady, junior loser. It describes his final-round loss this way:

BROADY MELTDOWN HANDS IT TO SAVILLE

Never mind that Broady’s runner-up showing was a surprisingly good result, and a positive for British tennis overall.

*****

The Mirror reveals that Murray likely won’t be watching the men’s final today. He’s friends with fellow-loser Haye, and has had about as much disappointment as he can take for the moment.

The paper takes a break from shredding Murray for a second and trains its eyes on another beleaguered British tennis figure, LTA chief Roger Draper:

DRAPER’S HAD ANOTHER HARD FORTNIGHT OF PR CATASTROPHES

*****

Barry Flatman of the Sunday Times thinks that Kvitova’s entrance is perfect timing for the women, who are in need of a standard-bearer with her type of talent.

—Elsewhere, Pat Cash is picking Nadal today. He thinks he’s played his best tennis of the year in the last week or so, and that his French Open victory helped him put the earlier losses to Djokovic in 2010 behind him.

—Ah, but there is Murray talk here as well. Boris Becker says that he’s “more fragile between the ears than the big three.” Or, as the headline to a Flatman article puts it:

WINNING GRAND SLAMS IS ALL IN THE MIND FOR DESPONDENT SCOT

*****

That’s about it for the papers and the tabs today, and that’s it for this column, which was brought to you each morning by Nescafe (what’s in that stuff, anyway; two cups and I can barely type). It’s sunny and warm at the moment, three hours before the final, and my fingers are black with newsprint. Papers, real dead-wood papers, are fun to spend time with, more fun than scrolling a computer screen, even if they are a colossal waste of resources. I wish I had time for them every day. And I secretly wish I had the Sun to look at every morning. A sick laugh or two is not a bad way to start the day.

I’ll leave you with a final thought about Wimbledon and the suffocating scrutiny that British tennis players endure. It comes from former Brit pro Annabel Croft in the Sunday Times today. In a column, she says she hopes that Murray isn’t emotionally scarred from this defeat, and that it doesn’t hurt him for the rest of the year.

Croft then describes how she felt when Wimbledon approached each June: “I used to shudder.” And Croft, whose best result at the tournament was a third-round loss to Chris Evert, admits that she wasn’t in the same league as a player as Murray and never felt anything like the pressure he does.

So, after two weeks of frankly enjoying the media madness at his expense, and on a day when I get to enjoy a great final that won’t involve him, I’ll spare a moment for Andy Murray: I hope that one day you win this damn thing.

And then, when you don't defend the title, we can start ripping you again.

25
Comments

Posted by monika seles	07/03/2011 at 07:27 AM
cmon andy! win it today!

Posted by ladyjulia

07/03/2011 at 07:32 AM

"which was brought to you each morning by Nescafe (what’s in that stuff, anyway; two cups and I can barely type)"

if anything, the final should wake anybody up...

"Papers, real dead-wood papers, are fun to spend time with, more fun than scrolling a computer screen, even if they are a colossal waste of resources."

Feel the same way about books, as opposed to e-readers. But then, people probably felt the same about inscriptions on stone tablets at one time.

Posted by monika seles

07/03/2011 at 07:40 AM

martin scorcese lost his oscars for 'taxi driver', 'raging bull', 'last temptation', 'goodfellas', only to get it for nothing-but-solid performance on a 'the departed'..

andy still doesn`t have his 'the departed' let alone 'taxi driver'

cmon andy, the end of the world is coming..

Posted by cami	07/03/2011 at 07:41 AM
i've enjoyed the tabs so much! could you do it at the us open and australian, i wonder? or the american and australian press cannot compete with the performance of the british press? :))

Posted by Calu

07/03/2011 at 08:28 AM

This series has been fantastic, I've got used to logging on and searching for the next Keeping Tabs slot, I'm starting the campaign for a revival for the World Tour Finals at the O2 :P

On the line judges stat, I'd say over 70% is fairly decent considering that by nature the calls that are challenged are the marginal ones. So they're probably at over 90-95% on the overall calls and 70% on the marginals, the times when HawkEye zooms in and you squint your eyes to see if the shadowed bouncing ball trace overlaps the white line. I'll accept that, Mr McEnroe and pretenders surely won't.

Interesting also to see that players are increasingly learning to use Hawkeye tactically. At first they challenged more randomly, when the frustration got the better of them, when they perceived injustice at the world around them. Now it has become part of the strategy, to mount the tension on opponents at important opportune moments.

Echo the sentiments on Murray, any Slam kid, any Slam. It's becoming psychological, maybe it always was.

Posted by noleisthebest

07/03/2011 at 08:34 AM

Guys I'm in central court this condarella is living her dream. GO NOLEEEEEEEEE. LEt the Dream commence!

P.s.
Watch for that crazy fan with the flag now :)!!!!!!

Posted by Martina Navritalova	07/03/2011 at 08:35 AM
I try to climb mountain.....is too hardness, is not enough women on trip with me, is hurting my foots.

Posted by tina (napred!)

07/03/2011 at 08:42 AM

If we're talking Scorsese, Murray doesn't yet have his "Mean Streets" - he's at the Boxcar Bertha stage.

But at least he's got company in the Losers' Lounge - surely David Haye can handle it, but Liam Broady? Are these people intentionally trying to create another disappointment to milk in perpetuity?

Posted by legal eagle

07/03/2011 at 08:48 AM

http://myballsmyballs.blogspot.com/2011/07/wimbledon-mens-final-preview.html

Nadal leads Djokovic, 16-11. In the 28 instances they have met, Nadal leads on clay tournaments, 9-2, both losses came this year in the finals of Rome and Madrid. He is also ahead on grass, 2-0. Djokovic, on the other hand, leads Nadal on hard courts, 9-5. They have played more matches than Roger Federer has played Nadal (8-17). But Djokovic leads Nadal, 4-0, this year with all the matches played in the finals: Indian Wells, Miami, Rome and Madrid. Djokovic is 7-2 in their last 9 matches.

Nadal has won more matches than any player on tour this year. He is 51-7 and has 3 titles: Roland Garros, Monte Carlo and Barcelona, all on clay. But Djokovic has only lost one match this year against Roger Federer at the semifinals of the Roland Garros. Djokovic is 47-1 and has won 7 titles: Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Belgrade, Rome and Madrid. Nadal has won 20 successive matches in Wimbledon. He won the title in 2008 and 2010. He withdrew in 2009 due to injury.

Posted by jewell - Make tea, not war

07/03/2011 at 09:00 AM

I'm sad it's the last one! Enjoyed these so very much. I second Calu's proposal. :)

Elizabeth David liked Nescafe.

/completely useless trivia

Posted by Nordic Light

07/03/2011 at 09:04 AM

Steve,
no quote from The Great Simon Barnes today?:))
Loved your column.
One more thought about British losers:
The truth is, British people love the gallant, but doomed loser with a heartbreaking intensity, the winner can never hope for. Scott and Amundsen anyone? Doesn't matter, that Robert Scott's preparations for the South Pole were all wrong (to try it with ponies, is as dumb as it gets), but who is the tragic heroe? Certainly not the upstart crow Amundsen! Or take John Franklin,, who was made Sir John Franklin after a row of heroic blunders; in the last expedition he managed to disappear with over a 1oo men and 2 ships and tons of silverware, almost without a trace. One of the great arctic riddles, and the Brits loved him for that. So in good time Murray will be embraced as well; that is, if he doesn;t commit the blunder to win the damn trophy after all, lol. But Murray being Murray just might commit such a career threatening blunder!

Posted by Bone	07/03/2011 at 09:13 AM
Go Nole!

Posted by john smith	07/03/2011 at 11:54 AM
It's over!

Posted by jim	07/03/2011 at 12:06 PM
i think fernando it is time for you to admit:NOVAK IS NOW SIMLY BETTER THEN RAFA,in any way

Posted by Chams	07/03/2011 at 12:48 PM
Steve I have just loved reading the Tabs! Hope this becomes a regular piece for all the majors.

Posted by Kris

07/03/2011 at 02:19 PM

As interesting as it is seeing this collection of articles, I am really happy it's over. Seeing Annabel Croft as the voice of reason here with your final bit about Murray is exactly how I feel on the matter. I frankly just want him to shut these idiots up by winning one - preferably not Wimbledon, to be honest. They don't deserve the celebration coming here.

If I was Liam Broady, I'd figure out a way to change countries now before they really get to him. That a boys final match makes that level of news, much less that the poor thing blew a lead and is already labelled a loser, has smoking shooting out my ears. British men's tennis actually has a future, idiots!

Oh and talk about adding fuel to the press' bonfire: shut up Jamie Murray. Last thing Andy needs to have the press asking about his relationship with Kim.

Posted by Woody

07/03/2011 at 02:50 PM

Steve

Wonderful to receive the British Press through the Tignor filter - Pars(e)ing Shots, if you like.

I also note, with amusement, that you identified Simon Barnes' strange, prolix style.

Safe trip home - Woody

Posted by Eugene

07/03/2011 at 03:12 PM

to Jim@ 12:06

i guess ferndando will take a break till next french open.
Another perk from Nole's win.

Just kidding. I really can't wait what the fella come up with.
Better be something special ...

Posted by Nolefan

07/03/2011 at 03:30 PM

Andy Murray said that Nadal will be the winner so did so many others.
How wrong they have been proved. Nole is coming back to serbia tomorrow.

Its party time for all of us. Nadal was lost today and how easilt Djokovic won.
For nole fans, here is an int article:
Djokovic Demolishes Nadal To Become The New Wimbledon Champion http://t.co/79VTLUg

as per Nole- This is the best day of my career/life. so is for all the tennis fans!

Posted by wiseowl

07/03/2011 at 08:05 PM

Despite pleading with you to tell me who was in the Players box at every match (the one with the high hat and goatee who Fernando and I are fixated on) it took my daughter to pick up a feed from BBC saying he is an Honorary Steward of the Player's Box. I can now stop fixating on why he always has the best seat in the house. Apparently the Brits recognize him on the grounds and he poses for photos.But i would love someone to tell me how he inherited thise semi-royal title. Anyone would die to have those seats at every match.

Posted by ZDJ	07/04/2011 at 04:25 PM
NOLE IS THE BEST AT THIS MOMENT ,ROGER WILL BE SOON 4TH.

Posted by noleisthebest

07/04/2011 at 05:23 PM

Keeping Tabs 4/7

Bought ALL the papers today (felt particularly dirty as I was picking up The Guardian, and a little less dirty The Sun) and to my horror discovered The Times has gone up to £1 (last time I bought it it was 40p), but may I add, it was worth it.
Simon Barnes, the Bard of tennis writing was at his best....I was pleased to see he appreciated Nole's eyes and saw the fire and the madness.
As usual, he overcooked it just by 5 mins. on high, but it didn's stick out too much (it was the straight-jacket bit).
It was lovely to read him unburdened and unbiased, Simon is his own man....

I'll read the rest tomorrow, Nole the Chompion _ Super Novak has a bite of Centre Court who has Serbed us a treat ...

Apart from the fact that Djokovic Tastes Wimbledon Glory (The Telegraph) and even more limpid Guardian with Djokovic Wins Wimbledon Title, it's the Sun that nails it again:

Nobody is calling him a choker now!

Posted by G V K SHARMA	07/05/2011 at 02:39 PM
More strong in game but all the “more fragile between the ears than the big three.”

Posted by william	07/05/2011 at 06:53 PM
More strong in game but all the “more fragile between the ears than the big three.” http://www.filmizled.com/benim-adim-ask/

Posted by sesliserbest	11/08/2011 at 11:46 AM
bizim sitemiz acilmistir Sesliserbest herkezide hem buraya hemde Sesliserbest buraya bekjleriz thanks admin

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<< Wimbledon Royalty: The A-List

Men's Final Preview: The Match We Needed >>

Grounds Pass, Day 8, June 3
American Stories
Grounds Pass, Day 7, June 2
Letting It Get To Us
Mise En Scene: Court 2
Grounds Pass, Day 5, May 31
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