This season's tennis thread

[ChiangMai noon]

The season has just started with the Chennai open in India.

Nalbandian lost in the first round and another former winner Paradorn Srichapan wins his first game in 2 sets.

This could be a very lonely thread but you never know.
There might be one or two other tennis fans out there.

[ChiangMai noon]

The Dohar tournament is also underway.
I think Doha might be in Quatar.

4th seeded British hopeful gets his season off to a good start with a 3 set win against a middle ranked, largel anonymous Italian.

Can Murray live up to his promise this season?
Will he fizzle away like so many British sportsmen of recent times?

Does anyone gove a rat's arse??

[Wallalai]

Will someone succeed to destitute Roger Federer of his ATP 1st rank ? Seems nearly impossible with his 1674pts with Rafael Nadal second with 894pts.

When tennis become a kind of magic call it Federer.

[ChiangMai noon]

A contributor.

Not surprisingly, a Swiss contributor, but there will be noi discrimination in this thread.
Even the English are welcome, but they fail to realise that tennis happens outside of the Wimbledon fortnight and are probably running riot throught the streets of Liverpool and Amsterdam at the moment.
Fukking hooligans.

[klongmaster]

I think Doha might be in Qatar.

no 'u' in the country CMN...

good thread though and I'm a definate tennis fan...

if Paradorn got himself a new coach he might progress back up the ranks...but with nalbanian dropping at the first hurdle he might have a chance in this tourny...

[MeMock]

think this thread will make 1000 noony?

[Wallalai]

Not surprisingly, a Swiss contributor, but there will be noi discrimination in this thread.

Not in my mind to discriminate It's just that nobody can negate Federer is the best at the moment.

Though he haven't yet won Roland Garros, this year maybe ?

[slimboyfat]

Does anyone give a rat's arse??

not personally, but following tennis seems a fine way to pass the time while you are not drinking.

i think Cliff Richard has put most people off tennis.

[Wallalai]

but following tennis seems a fine way to pass the time while you are not drinking.

I agree, though I like to have a couple of Tiger when watching a match.

[Wallalai]

Martina Hingis is another of my fellow citizen that I will pay attention to, She seems to do good now at the WTA Gold Coast tournament. Maybe a successfull come back ?

[ChiangMai noon]

Andy Murray eases past Christophe Rochus in the quarter finals at Doha.

6-3
6-1

Looking like a confident start.

[Marmite the Dog]

Let me get this right, Murry is British today, but Scottish when he fucks up, right?

[ChiangMai noon]

^
Other way round Marmite.
Celtic when he wins.

[ChiangMai noon]

Another good win for the Scot.
Will now face top seeded Nikolai Davydenko in the semis.

Murray fights back to beat Mirnyi
Andy Murray
Murray has been struggling with a cold all week in Doha
A below-par Andy Murray showed his battling qualities as he overcame Max Mirnyi 2-6 6-2 6-2 to reach the last four of the Qatar Open on Thursday.

Murray has been suffering with a cold and also looked to have a back problem as Mirnyi raced to the opening set.

An irritable Murray then slipped a break down at the start of the second but somehow found his top form to dominate the rest of the match.

Murray will next play top seed Nikolay Davydenko, who beat Olivier Rochus.

"It was a slow start for me," said Murray. "The conditions were relatively better today, still it was pretty cold out there."

Having felt under the weather all week, the last thing Murray needed was to see doubles specialist Mirnyi blitzing the net at every opportunity from the word go.


Murray plays like a rocket from the baseline - it's important for me to keep fully fit

Nikolay Davydenko

The Belarusian started in great form and thoroughly deserved a 6-2 score line in the first set, as well as an early break in the second.

But with defeat looming Murray finally found his range, showing the gap in class when both men were playing well by firing a succession of passing and return winners.

The 19-year-old came through a scare in game seven of the final set, recovering from 0-40 and saving four break points to hold.

[ChiangMai noon]

Results from the second round in Chennai.
For a gu with so much talent, it looks like Paradorn might be headed for obscurity.

ATP Chennai Open, Chennai:

2nd rd:

Stefan Koubek (Aut) bt (7) Paradorn Srichaphan (Tha) 6-1 6-2

(6) Fabrice Santoro (Fra) bt Bjorn Phau (Ger) 6-4 6-2

(1) Rafael Nadal (Spa) bt Karan Rastogi (Ind) 6-4 6-1

Davide Sanguinetti (Ita) bt (8) Nicolas Mahut (Fra) 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 6-3

(4) Julien Benneteau (Fra) bt Igor Andreev (Rus) 7-6 (7-4) 6-2,

[ChiangMai noon]

Well, that's the first week out of the way.

The results from the ATP finals are as follows...

Chennai
(3) Xavier Malisse (Bel) bt Stefan Koubek (Aut) 6-1 6-3

Adelaide
(1) Novak Djokovic (Ser) bt Chris Guccione (Aus) 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-4

Doha
(2)Ivan Lubicic (CRO) bt (4) Andrew Murray (Scot) 6-4 6-4

Good start for Murray who beat top seed Nikolay Davydenko in the semi.

Nadal lost in the Chennai semi to Malisse.
No sign of Federer yet.

[Wallalai]

Federer is at the beach

[kingwilly]

This could be a very lonely thread but you never know.
There might be one or two other tennis fans out there.

umm - not me. and besides the cricket is still on








and then aussie rules season starts again! everyone knows that!

[Wally Dorian Raffles]

^sorry noony. wrong thread

[ChiangMai noon]

The tour moves to Australia ahead of the Aus Open.
Most of the big namers are preparing in the exhibition tournament in Kooyong.

Nadal bows out with an injury.
Srichapan bows out because he was losing again.

My money is firmly on James Blake for this one...

ATP & WTA Medibank International, Sydney:

Mens 1st rd:

Chris Guccione (Aus) bt (1) Rafael Nadal (Spa) 6-5 ret

Jurgen Melzer (Aut) bt Fabrice Santoro (Fra) 6-2 2-6 6-4

Ivo Minar (Cze) bt Paradorn Srichaphan (Tha) 6-2 3-0 ret

(3) James Blake (USA) bt Kevin Kim (USA) 6-3 6-4

Carlos Moya (Spa) bt Luke Bourgeois (Aus) 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-6 (8-6)

Paul-Henri Mathieu (Fra) bt Arnaud Clement (Fra) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4

(6) Richard Gasquet (Fra) bt Julien Benneteau (Fra) 6-1 6-4

Nathan Healey (Aus) bt Stefan Koubek (Aut) 6-3 7-5

(2) Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) bt Vincent Spadea (USA) 3-6 6-3 6-4

[Marmite the Dog]

Most of the big namers are preparing in the exhibition tournament in Kooyong.

Is the young 'Brit' not playing?

[ChiangMai noon]

playing in Kooyong exhibition along with Roddick, Federer, Lubicic, Stepanek etc.

[Wally Dorian Raffles]

Whoops!

did it again..

[ChiangMai noon]

Good start for Murray at Kooyong Classic.

Hands out a big revenge defeat to Ljubicic.

Murray gets revenge over Ljubicic

Murray has started the season in fine form
British number one Andy Murray won his first match at the Kooyong Classic event in Melbourne, beating world number four Ivan Ljubicic 6-4 6-2.

The result was revenge for the Scot, who was beaten by the Croat in the final of the Qatar Open last week.

World number one Roger Federer struggled past Radek Stepanek 7-6 6-7 7-6 while America's Andy Roddick defeated Germany's Tommy Haas 6-2 6-3.

[ChiangMai noon]

My money is firmly on James Blake for this one...

Well, I got that right.
could have had him at 5-1 when I made that prediction after the first round.


The Australian open is under way, no real surprises so far.