British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Weeks 26-27 - The Championships, Wimbledon - Doubles - grass

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

So, Serena skips her interview for singles, and isn't penalised because, supposedly, she tweaked her knee. And/or because she was in a tiff because she wasn't allowed to keep her 5 (!) courtesy cars

And yet the organisers are bending over backwards, completely changing the schedule, to try and get her doubles in

While at the same time, Venus - her doubles partner - failed to give her interview today after losing in mixed, not even an injured knee story, just didn't show up

I'm all for the commercial attraction of star players for the general public, but if they take the mick out of the system, and fail to engage with said public, then enough's enough, Jamie

"Every women's doubles match in the draw was scheduled for either Thursday or Friday, with the sole exception being the Williams sisters' clash against Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra. That match has been included on Saturday's schedule but remains 'to be arranged' and will not take place before 4.30pm. This means no specific court has yet been allocated.

On Friday, tournament director Jamie Baker said: "We are giving her as much time [as possible]. Obviously, we want her to play, if she possibly can. In terms of the days, it's a guideline. Like that's what we're hoping to do based on trying to get the tournament finished."

"There are actually sometimes exceptional circumstances, whether it's weather or injuries or actually sometimes also conflicts of players playing in two or three events. It doesn't happen that often, but occasionally you do get the odd match that carries over. And we wouldn't do that if we felt it was putting the rest of the competition in any type of danger of putting it back. Let's see."

the addict · Tennis legend

Copying this from the General thread.

Four of the seven doubles matches were against much higher-ranked opponents, and it would have been a real upset if GB had won any of them. Heather and Katie did very well, but Katie isn't a doubles player.

Of the rest, Harriet and Maia had a chance in their match, but were edged out by their experienced opponents.

Freya and Eden underperformed - I was disappointed in their play today.

As for Liv and Tereza - they didn't really get going (pressure of expectation ?). The way the draw went they could/should have made the QF, but as last year a bad day in the office from Liv (and in the mixed doubles).

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Exactly

Very disappointing that not one of the three reasonable chances got a win - and no outsider win either

indiana · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
So, Serena skips her interview for singles, and isn't penalised because, supposedly, she tweaked her knee. And/or because she was in a tiff because she wasn't allowed to keep her 5 (!) courtesy cars

And yet the organisers are bending over backwards, completely changing the schedule, to try and get her doubles in

While at the same time, Venus - her doubles partner - failed to give her interview today after losing in mixed, not even an injured knee story, just didn't show up

I'm all for the commercial attraction of star players for the general public, but if they take the mick out of the system, and fail to engage with said public, then enough's enough, Jamie

"Every women's doubles match in the draw was scheduled for either Thursday or Friday, with the sole exception being the Williams sisters' clash against Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra. That match has been included on Saturday's schedule but remains 'to be arranged' and will not take place before 4.30pm. This means no specific court has yet been allocated.

On Friday, tournament director Jamie Baker said: "We are giving her as much time [as possible]. Obviously, we want her to play, if she possibly can. In terms of the days, it's a guideline. Like that's what we're hoping to do based on trying to get the tournament finished."

"There are actually sometimes exceptional circumstances, whether it's weather or injuries or actually sometimes also conflicts of players playing in two or three events. It doesn't happen that often, but occasionally you do get the odd match that carries over. And we wouldn't do that if we felt it was putting the rest of the competition in any type of danger of putting it back. Let's see."

Sorry, she's tweaked her knee and they are delaying the Williams' match, giving her as much time as possible?

I find that stunning and utterly unfair on their opponents.

telstar · Club Coach

Let's go Camilla and Solana!

DF · Tennis legend

Serena pulled out of the doubles ! due to injury.

-- Edited by DF on Saturday 4th of July 2026 03:05:39 PM

PaulM · Tennis legend

Was never in doubt really.

PaulM · Tennis legend

And Sam Murray gets the final alternate slow with Tararudee. They were 9th on the list.

telstar · Club Coach

PaulM wrote:
And Sam Murray gets the final alternate slow with Tararudee. They were 9th on the list.

100% more deserving than the pair who withdrew!

the addict · Tennis legend

Good to see Sam getting a chance, but I feel sorry for Emily A, Emily W-S and Lissey, who are all ranked inside the top 200 but missed out.

L16:- Camilla Osario (COL) / Solana Sierra (ARG) CR589 (213+376) () v Samantha Murray Sharan (GBR) / Lanlana Tararudee (THA) CR1834 (1157+677) [A]

C & S Singles 68+58 Doubles CH 162+313 S and L CH76+371

Sam using her SR of 96 with Lanlana singles ranking of 93

Edit:- Sam's SR ranking added

-- Edited by the addict on Saturday 4th of July 2026 04:28:30 PM

PaulM · Tennis legend

telstar wrote:
PaulM wrote:
And Sam Murray gets the final alternate slow with Tararudee. They were 9th on the list.
100% more deserving than the pair who withdrew!

In what way? Sam isn't coming back on tour as far as I know, she was just using her PR on the grass to try and make a few draws and make some money. The doubles draw here had a few players coming out of retirement just to play a final slam and get an easy pay day.

I've no massive issue with players using the system to their advantage (I dont necessarily like it because to me this isn't what SRs are meant to be for), but I dont see how Sam particularly "deserves" this.

-- Edited by PaulM on Saturday 4th of July 2026 04:19:49 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

It was still to my mind shameful that the Williams were even given an extra day beyond the rest of the women's doubles schedule.

It just seems wrong re a troubling injury and would it have happened for anyone else?

I'm sorry, but it's good that they are out ( and I was originally perfectly happy to have them ).

Welcome, Sam+

wolf · Tennis legend

L64:- Camilla Osario (COL) / Solana Sierra (ARG) CR589 (213+376) defeated Samantha Murray Sharan (GBR) / Lanlana Tararudee (THA) CR1834 (1157+677) [A] by 6-3 6-4

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
It was still to my mind shameful that the Williams were even given an extra day beyond the rest of the women's doubles schedule.

It just seems wrong re a troubling injury and would it have happened for anyone else?

I'm sorry, but it's good that they are out ( and I was originally perfectly happy to have them ).

Welcome, Sam+

To my mind, this was such a sh*tfest from the Williams sisters, Serena in particular

If Venus and Serena had entered the doubles, and just the doubles, the two of them would have had a real chance to do some damage, AND would have been a real crowd puller, a great sight, of the two sisters back together etc etc etc

(Serena with Vicky Mboko at Queens was very good tennis and very entertaining, and Venus might not be Vicky now but she's not chopped liver)

Proper doubles (i.e. not veteran doubles or suchlike) would have been the perfect vehicle for them

But entering the singles for Serena was just daft - it became a circus show that she couldn't live up to, and then it went downhill rapidly, with missed interviews, fines (for Venus), controversy about lack of fines (for Serena), controversy about everything - as well as injury (probably), and the one thing that would have been wonderful - the doubles - ultimately eff-ed up