Never date a tennis player - love means nothing to them. vol.2

[judgejudy27]

It did seem people loved the Swedes, even Americans. Wilander, Borg, and Edberg were much bigger fan favorites than Lendl or Navratilova ever were (except Martina towards the end of her career), even in the U.S. The funny thing is the Swedes popularity was part of the facade they were potrayed as charming, innocent, and sweet. Borg was even nicknamed the Angel or something like that. In the case of Borg and Wilander and their subsequent drug abuse problems, and in Borg's case various legal scandals, it is so funny how far off that mark that stereotype proved to be.

It is intersting some potrayed Lendl's game as boring a well, but back then a power baseliner of that level was very rare. The only previous one had been Connors. Most everyone else was an attacking net rusher, a few all courters who had it all (eg- Laver), and the more defensive baseliners like Borg. He deserves credit for bringing baseline agression and fitness both to whole new levels in the mens game. When he played people feared his intensity, but that was one thing that was also so great about him. Given all the headcases we see today, especialy on the womens side, that can only be admired.

[aftershocks]

^^ Yes, good analysis, ITA.

IMO, today is a fantastic era in tennis as following the dominance of Sampras, and the often fleeting excellence of the charismatic Agassi, there was a less than interesting mostly boring period in the game which aside from the loveable Guga and a few others (including the ruggedly handsome Pat Rafter) was dominated by selfish, rude, me, me players such as Lleyton Hewitt and Marcelo Rios.

Now at the top of the game (as I said before) we are fortunate to have exceptional champions and true gentlemen such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal who have taken the game to new heights and set the bar for other players like Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Juan Martin Del Potro to follow (also Berdych, Tsonga, et al).

BTW, I'd also like to mention one of my former favorite players from the past, Guillermo Vilas! Also, altho' I always enjoyed watching Boris Becker on the court, and he was fairly charming, his early success at Wimbledon at the age of 17 also made him a bit of a nasty, boorish fellow.

Came across the below. Fun to look at these pics! My faves: Rafa and Rafter.

http://www.tennisperspective.com/201...-all-time.html

[Jimena]

Need a new thread!

[oleada]

Justine Henin is pregnant

[Jimena]

Wow!

Who's this Benoit? I gather he's the dad?

[Aaron W]

Sounds like a great dinner! But I would have been having lots of champagne!!


Andy Murray: sober & comped celebration for Open champ

The Post’s Helen Freund reports Murray, who defeated defending champion Novak Djokovic in the five-set final in Forest Hills, arrived at the pricey Chinese eatery on West 43rd Street after midnight just as they were closing Monday. The restaurant stayed open just for the group, who feasted on stir-fried Brazilian lobster tail and truffle-roasted duck on the $168 “signature menu.”

The total tab was $5,040 for food plus $1,408 for drink for a grand total of $6,448. But the restaurant only charged Murray (who earlier picked up a $1.9 million champion’s check) and his party the 20 percent tip, $1,289.60. A Hakkasan waiter told us: “[The restaurant does] that all the time. For them, it’s just good publicity.”