The Tennis Thread

[Return_of_the_STAR]

Unless those tennis players have links to the Kremlin or outright support the invasion of Ukraine I don't think it's right to discriminate against individuals or potentially put their families on Putin's radar by making them sign up to declarations against the Russian leadership. Wider Russian organisations and teams, sure, ban them from whatever international sport potentially forever but you shouldn't for example have an outright ban on sports teams from signing individual Russian players.

The LTA have made themselves a very obvious outlier within the tennis world when it comes to dealing with Russian and Belerusian individuals potentially representing their nations. Indian Wells, Miami, France, and Italy have all allowed those players to compete at the highest level by not representing any nation and I don't feel for example that the French Open will be compromised because it'll be the first Grand Slam do the same.

Hang the communist sympathiser

I do think it's a difficult call to get right.

[Drumstick]

Personally, my off the cuff opinion is that Belarusian and Russian athletes should be able to compete without representing a nation. If the Olympics, where nationality is actually a selection factor can manage it (albeit it for different reasons), then it shouldn't be a barrier in Tennis.

[Imrahil]

The Olympics have seriously got it in the neck from all sides in recent years though for allowing Russia to compete on the sly despite all their state-sponsored drug cheating. I don't know if that's a good example.

Wimbledon, as an individual organisation, have the right to take a stance on things like this. They have an agreement to operate as a grand slam and provide ranking points, but they're not as tied in with the sport's governing bodies as other slams if I recall.

[Drumstick]

I agree that Wimbledon has the right to make whatever decisions they see fit.

With regard to the Olympics, the athletes in question are heavily tested and verified as clean. There's no reason not to allow them to compete if they as individuals havent committed wrongdoing.

[Imrahil]

I disagree. Many drug samples take years to fully test for the latest combinations - medals are ripped away retrospectively and they are proven to have a broad performance-enhancing drug system, hence the official ban. You have to deal with them all firmly so that the maximum pressure can be applied to hopefully lead towards changes happening at the top.

[Memento Mori]

I think it's fairer to ban all Russian players than make Ukrainians play them.

[Drumstick]

Raducanu out in the first second round at Roland Garros.

Hopefully she'll be able to focus more on Wimbledon and go deep there.

[Tomous]

Raducanu out in the first round at Roland Garros.

Hopefully she'll be able to focus more on Wimbledon and go deep there.

Second round wasn't it?

[Drumstick]

Raducanu out in the first round at Roland Garros.

Hopefully she'll be able to focus more on Wimbledon and go deep there.

Second round wasn't it?

Apologies, I stand corrected.

[Imrahil]

I've only managed to catch a few highlights of her in the clay season. She's played well at times but seems to have had quite a few injury issues. I think that US Open win rather catapulted her high up the rankings before she was fully physically ready for the tour.

Hopefully she can go for a long spell now without any more retirements.

[Denster]

Mouthwatering quarter final now between Djoko and Nadal. Should be great. Last year's was a corker.

[Denster]

Match is a late one do should be able to catch most of it after work. Cmon Novak.

[Denster]

Good win for Zverev. Nadal looks like he's winning the first here.

[Denster]

Djokovic hasn't got going here at all. Could be over in 3 sets. Awful stuff from him so far. Nadal is all over him.

[Denster]

Never doubt him. Game on.
Could be another cracker here.

[PaperMacheMario]

Rafa.

[Tineash]

Never doubt him. Game on.
Could be another cracker here.

[Denster]

The anti Novaks arrive. Should have bet on that instead of Novak in 5.
He faltered there serving for the fourth set and Nadal punished him.
A fifth would have been deserved but you can't give that man a sniff of a chance on the red brick. Monster.
Unless his Injuries resurface he's gonna get Slam 22.
Don't bet against Novak coming back though.

Complete lack of class from the oafs in the crowd. Noisy when both players were serving. Piss poor.

[Tineash]

Just time for a quick holibobs to the healing pyramids again before the Wimbledon exhibition tournament.

[Denster]

I think its crystals and prayer.