Push Forward to the Next Nadal v Djoko final!

It's sad! I have just returned from Court 1 and Center court, I have also watched matches sitting next to the line judge on the smaller courts and I am sorry to say but the conds are still dead slow. The balls again! They are big(ger), fluffy(ier), pressureless(er) and probably light(er). The shuttlecock effect has never been so obvious. The amount of balls you'd expect to see out which slow down dramatically at the baseline and fall in, the number of great serves returned and the amount of balls returned has never been as high. It's simply terrible.

I was hoping that things woudl change this year and the organisers would learn from the previous years mistakes but no, they are making things as bad as ever.

Let's not forget this is the first week, the first day even, in that second week, it's going to get worse!

My interest in tennis is dropping fast!

From Federer :“You do realise the moment you walk onto the court that it is a different place here than any other,” Federer said. “Just the respectful clap, and no music. The whole thing is very much focussed on the players and on the sport, which is beautiful.

“Today, the court played perfectly. It was virtually brand new in terms of the way the grass was. That felt special in its own way. I love playing on Monday. We had a great atmosphere on Court 1.”

I confirm the atmosphere was good.

BTW, considering Ruffin's points about Federer's serve, do we know how fast he usually serves on grass? THose are today's stats.

126 MPH	Fastest serve
113 MPH	Average 1st serve speed
98 MPH	Average 2nd serve speed

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Yes the WImbledon atmosphere is so stiff. BUt as Federer says, it's just about tennis, nothing else. And that is what I like very much. Of course there was no drama so people were even more restrained than usual...but as soon as it heats up and pimms and beers go down people can suddenly unleash all their emotions like they do for finals or when a great match is played.

It's just great....different in its own way and that is good.

Tenez wrote:From Federer :“You do realise the moment you walk onto the court that it is a different place here than any other,” Federer said. “Just the respectful clap, and no music. The whole thing is very much focussed on the players and on the sport, which is beautiful.

“Today, the court played perfectly. It was virtually brand new in terms of the way the grass was. That felt special in its own way. I love playing on Monday. We had a great atmosphere on Court 1.”

I confirm the atmosphere was good.

BTW, considering Ruffin's points about Federer's serve, do we know how fast he usually serves on grass? THose are today's stats.

126 MPH	Fastest serve
113 MPH	Average 1st serve speed
98 MPH	Average 2nd serve speed

What's your take on the serve speed Tenez? Did you notice anything with Fed? Could be lingering affects of back issues.

I'm going to go back and look but I would think his typical 1st serve avg at Wimby should be about 120........... I just saw Nadal who is having a poor match for the most part is serving 119mph avg and fastest of 130..............

I couldn't find stats myself, but it looks like his fans on Fed's official website forum have picked up on it. Lots of discussion there.. Here's some stats one person posted:

"HIs AVG. OVERALL serve speed in most Wimbledon matches from 2006 onwards has been about 117-120. His AVG. speed for the one down the T on deuce court has been 123-126. His AVG. out wide on the AD side has been 116-119. Over the past five years, he has been able to crank up literally a hundred + serves down the T on the deuce to 128+. He has served a dozens of bombs out wide on the AD at 120+. The screwdriver up the T on the AD is very difficult to hit as hard.

The fact that he couldn't hit one faster than 120 at all today is worrying (I'm hoping he is conserving energy), but I saw a lot of the same thing at Halle and RG. "

Considering he was down to 113 overall 1st serve avg does make you wonder. Of course, he didn't NEED to serve faster. It looks like in the past though- it's about what I thought it should be- 120mph range.

An interesting discussion about court pace at Wimbledon from JA606:

I don't knwo if you watched last night's six love six, but it was Mac who was opposing Henman's and Cash's view that the grass has slowed down.
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No I did not but Mc was saying exactly that when arguing with Woodford 4 or 5 years ago...if not more.

McEnroe can really come up with absurd comments....but strangely enough he was saying earlier while commenting that they purposedly slowed down the surface after Pete and Goran.

I am so glad Henman agrees with me (If I can say it that way around) regarding the 2001/2002 years.

Cause I have argued a 1000 times with Lydian that 2001 grass was fast and that 2002 was slow. Lydian's point was that 100% reye grass implemented in 2001 slowed down the conds. I completely disagreed saying that if anything extended the pace of and quality of grass till later in the second week. However I have always mentioned that 2002 was the introduction of bigger balls and that is what many players complained....including Henman and this is why we had for the first time in decades baseliners in the final.

So..once again I confirm I was right in just another argument against comical Lydian!

You should rub it in her face Tenez,lets see what BS excuse she comes up with for being wrong

She (Or He) would threaten to leave the forum again.

As you know I cannot post there anymore.

Tenez wrote:She (Or He) would threaten to leave the forum again.

As you know I cannot post there anymore.

Precisely,maybe she'll come here...
Ruffin and Common sense can still comment there,they should post it there in your defence to wind her up lol

Yep, though I suspect he will find a way out again of some sorts.