[MK Chris]

I agree with Yudster again, but I don't think Nadal's injury is going to be too significant. I agree with timp, I can't see anyone beating those two. In which case (as much as Yudster would disagree), the final could be truly entertaining, as Nadal is the only player in the world (with the possible exception of Djokovic) who can beat Federer on grass in my opinion.

[Ballbag]

hahaha you well love Nadal don't you....you're always going on about how great he is... why don't you just marry him or give him a blowie or something.

[MK Chris]

'Tis true though, he's a cracking player and entertaining to watch. Plus I've got a couple of quid on him winning. Everyone goes on about Federer and I just think it's not a foregone conclusion this year.. it wasn't last year either, but Federer won in the end.

[Ballbag]

So in summary, you'd give him a blowie.... given the chance. I mean that's what you're saying right?

[MK Chris]

If you say so.

[Ballbag]

I do......... dirty boy.

[pjordan2000]

Well, he also said that he thought Hewitt would beat Federer, so there you go.

I did, and i also put money on Roddick to win and also said that Davydenko and Djockovic would have strong chances.......my predictions are almost as good as Dom's weather forecasts.

[MK Chris]

Djokovic should have had a decent chance, had he not played shit against Safin. He played too hard at Queen's.

[MK Chris]

Well that match with Dementieva v Petrova was a bit of an epic.. neither one wanted to win.

I'm not normally a huge fan of the BBC live commentary, but it has made me chuckle from about the point where Dementieva fell apart in the second set: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7483218.stm

[MK Chris]

My tip for the semis:

Women - Jie Zheng v Serena Williams; Elena Dementieva v Venus Williams...
Men - Roger Federer v Marat Safin; Arnaud Clement v Rafael Nadal...

Woo - predictions on target for the women.. although, granted, anyone could have predicted the Williams' making it.

I've been very impressed with Zheng, she's done extremely well and knocked out a seed in each round (except the second round where she knocked out Elena Baltacha, another useless Brit.) Granted, most of them were reasonably low seeds, but she is a wildcard and one of them was Ivanovic. Incidentally, the quarter-final match she just won was the first one she dropped a set in. Sadly, I'm sure she won't be able to beat Serena.

[MK Chris]

Ben Dirs has a funny name. He actually appears to tbe the funniest of the lot and the rest just seem to try to be like him.

[Munki Bhoy]

Oh dear, at 2 sets down and struggling at the start of the 3rd set, I changed the channel from Murray's match. Don't I feel like an eejit now...

Anyway, I still fancy Nadal to beat him. If his injury was going to be significant I think it would have affected the match it happened in. It was early enough that it should have. Then again, maybe the rest will affect it more. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

[Yudster]

My new assistant (who reckons she's a massive tennis fan, but knows nothing about it - a typical "tennis fan", only watches for two weeks a year and has never played it in her life) did the same thing, she was gutted!

[timp]

(who reckons she's a massive tennis fan, but knows nothing about it - a typical "tennis fan", only watches for two weeks a year and has never played it in her life)

That describes most of the country when it comes to tennis.

[Munki Bhoy]

At least I watch Roland Garros too. And I'm playing tennis next week.

[Yudster]

I won't be watching Roland Garros because I don't have Sky......I haven't played for a while either, but I used to win the ladies championship at the club we belonged to. Can't afford the membership at the moment though, maybe next year........

[Munki Bhoy]

Was the Nadal v Federer final of Roland Garros on BBC this year, or did I imagine that? I know its mostly on Eurosport.

[timp]

A Gasquet/Murray replay at Roland Garros should be interesting.

[pjordan2000]

I love tennis, just love it! It's ace!

[MK Chris]

I wish more tennis (not just Grand Slams) was on terrestrial telly, or at least Freeview. I know you get the odd Davis Cup match, but it's not on enough.

I am a racket sport fan in general though. I am looking forward to seeing Mr Yudster in the Olympics when his sport is finally included, which it should have been long ago.

[Yudster]

I'm proud of the fact I hate tennis, and for these two weeks I still hate tennis.

I love tennis, just love it! It's ace!

Oh I don't know. I like sport, I think thats the best way to describe me - tennis isn't my favourite these days, but having watched it for years and played a fair bit too I can't ignore it just because the people playing are all annoying spoiled brats. On that basis, I'd never be able to watch another football match again ever. I'm a competitive person, and I enjoy watching competitive sports. I wish I could see coverage of the other slams too though.

Wimbledon annoys me more because of the public and media response to it than anything else. You get people like my assistant, who when I said I wasn't really bothered about Wimbledon, starts "explaining tennis" to me - and I ended up explaining it to her because like most British tennis fans she is clueless in reality. It took ages to get her to understand how a set can be won 7-6 but could also be won 7-5, and I'm still not sure she gets the difference between a let and a fault. But she still thinks she's the tennis expert, because she buys into the hype and the nonsense and I don't. Weird.

She's bloody good at her job though, and a very nice girl.

[MK Chris]

the people playing are all annoying spoiled brats

I'm not sure I agree with that.. I agree about a lot of the women.. (how ridiculous that Jankovic and the Williams' were complaining about their courts, when clearly the matches that will draw the crowds are going to get put on the show courts.) Some of the men are, but the overwhelming majority seem to be women. You don't catch Roger Federer, Rafa or Djokovic making excuses for losing, they just get on with it.

It took ages to get her to understand how a set can be won 7-6 but could also be won 7-5, and I'm still not sure she gets the difference between a let and a fault.

You're kidding? I find that slightly ridiculous (but not unbelievable.)

[Yudster]

Federer I will give you, Djokovic I have never seen interviewed. As for Nadal, well, I haven't heard an interview from him for ages, but the last one I did hear he was whinging with the best of them. But to be fair, he may have been absolutely right for all I know. I wasn't meaning "spolied" in the sense that they complain and make excuses as such, more in that they are pamperered and cossetted and ridiculously overpaid.

[MK Chris]

I wasn't meaning "spolied" in the sense that they complain and make excuses as such, more in that they are pamperered and cossetted and ridiculously overpaid.

Ah I see.. well, as far as 'overpaid' goes, I think it depends very much on your definition of the word. Yes, the prize money is huge, but you have to remember that there is only one winner and one runner-up of a tournament. I don't have hard figures and I'm sure that the people who get knocked out in the earlier stages do get a bit of money, but I'm pretty sure it's a substantially reduced amount. It's certainly not like football, where you get paid a set (over-inflated) amount whether or not you win silverware and titles.

[Yudster]

The vast majority of the top 200 tennis players will never win anything, but they will get mighty rich doing it Topher.....