Week 25 - ATP 500 - cinch Championships - The Queen's Club, London, Great Britain (grass)

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Week 25 - ATP 500 - cinch Championships - The Queen's Club, London, Great Britain (grass)

KK · Club Coach

I went to Queens yesterday and gained a few insights from the member who took us. He is not a tennis player (started out in squash, became world racquets champion and now plays real tennis), but said that many of the tennis members and most of the younger ones who are still working, dislike having the tournament there as there are 9 weeks at the height of the long evenings when they can't play tennis. The stands etc take ages to put up and are very slow to be taken down. Queens gets £1 million from the LTA for having the tournament there, but his view was that it would be better for the tennis playing members if the club just increased its membership. Clearly some enjoy it as the members area was packed throughout with people standing at the back.

A large part of one stand on the centre court was practically empty for the first match. I was told that was the corporate entertaining part and they were having lunch. It later filled up, most of the men in white or blue shirts who must have been in offices that morning. They stayed for the second match and then disappeared to the hospitality tent for tea or a drink. Apparently the LTA makes a huge amount of money out of this. So it is the LTA which is choosing to have prime seats empty. It is not as if the tournament doesn't have sponsors and they are not making money out of selling seats to people who want to watch tennis. It would be nice to think this extra money was being well spent.

-- Edited by KK on Friday 23rd of June 2023 11:29:18 AM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Very interesting insight, KK

Neil Gee · Club Coach

I didn't know beforehand that Korda's previous meetings with Cam were won 2-1 by the American, but you can see why that would be watching the early stages of this match.

It doesn't look like Cam is going to have an easy time of this.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Jaffa wrote:
Stircrazy wrote:
Kyle Edmund is now part of the BBC commentary team!
Did anyone watch? be keen to know what he said.

He didn't say anything relating to himself that I heard, but this afternoon, in the commentary box with Andrew Castle for Cam's match against Korda, Castle quizzed him a bit on his comeback from injury. He didn't say much that we don't already know (easing his way back by paying lower-level tournaments to give himself more time on court), but he explained a little bit about the protected ranking system at Castle's prompting & that he was now picking & choosing his tournaments, as he has only one PR of the 12 he was given when he first came back left. The rest of the time it's just basic match commentary.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

QF: Sebastian Korda (USA) WR 32 vs (5) Cameron Norrie WR 13 6-4 7-6(1) cry

Priesty · Challenger level

What did we think of Kedders's first attempt at commentating and punditry? From what I saw and heard I didn't think he did a bad job tbf. smile

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Priesty wrote:
What did we think of Kedders's first attempt at commentating and punditry? From what I saw and heard I didn't think he did a bad job tbf.

I liked it

He sounded a little unsure of himself, as anyone does on their first day on the job smile

It's good for him to be with someone more experienced

But I thought he had a nice balance, good technical insight without being boffin-esque about it, and very listenable

Also, well done to Korda - for someone who's been out for most of the year with a wrist injury, that's rather impressive.....

Neil Gee · Club Coach

Carlos Alcaraz makes really good players look ordinary.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Neil Gee wrote:
Carlos Alcaraz makes really good players look ordinary.

I like him - a lot. Since Andy obviously can't win it, I'll be well & truly rooting for the lad.

Neil Gee · Club Coach

Stircrazy wrote:
Neil Gee wrote:
Carlos Alcaraz makes really good players look ordinary.
I like him - a lot. Since Andy obviously can't win it, I'll be well & truly rooting for the lad.

Yes he has all the attributes to be a tennis superstar, sociability, panache, charisma and the way he conveys his enjoyment of the game. I heard that when it was announced Carlos was playing this tournament ticket sales went through the roof and the audiences have certainly had vfm.

Alex de Minaur is giving him a tough final however. Alex has a kind of rugged adaptability that makes him hard to shake off or bamboozle. Infact it's been a hell of a final so far. 4 all as I write.

-- Edited by Neil Gee on Sunday 25th of June 2023 01:22:20 PM

Neil Gee · Club Coach

At 6-4, 6-4 maybe the final wasn't as exciting as it looked like being when Carlos had just saved 2 break points to hold Alex at 4-4. In the very next game Carlos only needed one break point to go ahead and the same thing in set two converting a break point immediately.

That was the difference: he won the big points, which is exactly what Djokovich does.

A rematch between Carlos & Novak for the Wimbledon title anyone?