London Olympics Panic! - Britain's Useless Athletes Unable to Win Gold

vivatifosi

Blimey, get the tennis on! In the eternal words of Boris "the Olympometer is about to go zoink"!

chris_m

I can't make my mind up if Andy Murray is playing better than a month ago or Roger Federer is playing worse, especially considering that Federer has had 24 hours rest whereas Murray was on court in the mixed doubles yesterday.

I also wonder if Andy's being buoyed up by Olympic fever or if it's because it's the opportunity for a grudge match ;-)


Of course, Andy could do with getting it over and done with a quickly as possible - he's on court again later for the mixed doubles final.

purch

I think Murray is at about 50% of the standard he played at Wimbledon, and Federer is about 10%.

When Murray wins he will be pleased no doubt, but nowhere near as happy he would be to win a Grand Slam (any GS)

Tennis at the Olympics..........ridiculous :eek:

vivatifosi

chris_m wrote: »

I can't make my mind up if Andy Murray is playing better than a month ago or Roger Federer is playing worse, especially considering that Federer has had 24 hours rest whereas Murray was on court in the mixed doubles yesterday.

A bit of both I think, plus a remarkably partisan crowd. Either way, it has to be a huge monkey off the back for Murray.

chris_m

And it's an ace of a finish - well done to Andy.

purch

Federer has never won the Olympic singles Gold. (only a Doubles one)

He must feel a complete loser.

His career is totally worthless

chris_m

purch wrote: »

Federer has never won the Olympic singles Gold. (only a Doubles one)
He must feel a complete loser.
His career is totally worthless

Hehe, he has managed a Grand Slam or two though ;-)

TBH, I would never have put money on Andy beating him in straight sets. At the very best I'd expected it would run to five and, possibly a long tiebreak.

purch

I don't think Federer was that bothered to be honest, he looked disinterested after the 1st set.

For Murray, this is a good confidence booster, but until he actually wins something that matters in Tennis, the monkey will remain in place.

vivatifosi

purch wrote: »

I don't think Federer was that bothered to be honest, he looked disinterested after the 1st set.

For Murray, this is a good confidence booster, but until he actually wins something that matters in Tennis, the monkey will remain in place.

I heard a long article on tennis at the Olympics in the car on my way back from shopping. Said something along the lines of it was a highly-rated Olympic sport for many years but dropped off the schedule, it was reinstated but as a three set match. To take it seriously, they have moved it up to slam format with a view to getting it recognised as a grand slam peer event every fourth year and that it being at Wimbledon is a big part of that.

Having said that, I take your point about grand slam tennis. Personally I do rate medals in athletics, rowing, sailing, etc higher than in tennis because they are absolutely the pinnacle of those sports, but hey, it's another gold! Yesterday at the football I came to the realisation that having the football tournament, which doesn't even compare to the World Cup, is a way of allowing hundreds of thousands, if not millions more people get a ticket to go to experience the Olympics than would otherwise manage. It is strange though to have an Olympics where the largest capacity crowd wasn't in the Olympic stadium. I wonder if that is a first.

chewmylegoff

vivatifosi wrote: »

I heard a long article on tennis at the Olympics in the car on my way back from shopping. Said something along the lines of it was a highly-rated Olympic sport for many years but dropped off the schedule, it was reinstated but as a three set match. To take it seriously, they have moved it up to slam format with a view to getting it recognised as a grand slam peer event every fourth year and that it being at Wimbledon is a big part of that.

Having said that, I take your point about grand slam tennis. Personally I do rate medals in athletics, rowing, sailing, etc higher than in tennis because they are absolutely the pinnacle of those sports, but hey, it's another gold! Yesterday at the football I came to the realisation that having the football tournament, which doesn't even compare to the World Cup, is a way of allowing hundreds of thousands, if not millions more people get a ticket to go to experience the Olympics than would otherwise manage. It is strange though to have an Olympics where the largest capacity crowd wasn't in the Olympic stadium. I wonder if that is a first.

yeah, i think golf will be very similar when they introduce it in 2016. it's all very well dangling a gold medal in front of people and asking them to compete for it, but when there is an established professional tour with rewards of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, no-one is really going to see the olympic gold as anything more than something nice to have.

having said that, i thought murray played pretty well today, i don't think federer was not bothered, i thought he was just off-form and got completely outplayed.