# Wimbledon 2008
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [June 25, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191 "2008-06-25T15:32:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/21 "2008-06-30T18:14:33Z")
I really thought Tipsarevic would keep it going. What Schuettler is doing in this draw is beyond me.
I don’t know the exact standings, but I’m sure Ivanovic is going to stay number one. If Jankovic needed to reach the semis to overtake her, it stands to reason that Sharapova and Kuznetsova had to do that well or better. I’m not sure Dementieva is even within striking distance, and I don’t think she’ll win it anyway.
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### Author:  [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2008, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/22 "2008-06-30T21:08:11Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23]
I really thought Tipsarevic would keep it going. What Schuettler is doing in this draw is beyond me.
I don’t know the exact standings, but I’m sure Ivanovic is going to stay number one. If Jankovic needed to reach the semis to overtake her, it stands to reason that Sharapova and Kuznetsova had to do that well or better. I’m not sure Dementieva is even within striking distance, and I don’t think she’ll win it anyway.
[/QUOTE]
We all have those days where everything you hit is golden. I guess Schuettler is just having his golden tournament. (I wish I could have a few more of those days!)
It makes sense that Ivanovic would remain number one. Duh. She has got to be feeling pretty lucky that she had such a poor performance and gets to remain #1.
This has to be one of the strangest Wimbledons I have ever watched. I can’t remember ever having so many top seeds go out so early!
Out of curiosity, do you play?
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/23 "2008-06-30T23:57:34Z")
So, should we be betting on how many games Murray will win against Nadal or how many points?
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### Author:  [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/24 "2008-07-01T01:03:33Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz]
So, should we be betting on how many games Murray will win against Nadal or how many points?
[/QUOTE]
Can we bet on how many times Murray will have a melt down and yell at his box during the match instead?
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/25 "2008-07-01T11:16:52Z")
[QUOTE=abbeytxs]
This has to be one of the strangest Wimbledons I have ever watched. I can’t remember ever having so many top seeds go out so early!
[/quote]
I’d been wondering about this. Turns out it’s never happened before: since the Open era started in 1968, there has never been a major where the top four seeds on either side failed to even get to the quarterfinals. So there’s a piece of history for you.
> [@](#):
>
> Out of curiosity, do you play?
Yes, but it’s been a little while - my youngest brother is usually my opponent, and since I’ve moved and he’s gone to camp we haven’t played in some time. But I’ve been playing since I was about 12, I think.
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### Author:  [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/26 "2008-07-01T11:40:52Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz]
So, should we be betting on how many games Murray will win against Nadal or how many points?
[/QUOTE]
If he can play like he did yesterday, it’s way too early to write him off. I missed the first three sets, but I saw some incredible tennis in the last two. However, Nadal is a lot stronger, fitter, and mentally tougher than Gascquet appeared to be yesterday. I think Nadal will win in 4.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/27 "2008-07-01T12:16:00Z")
Gasquet’s no slouch in the fitness department, though. He did come back from two sets down to beat Roddick in the quarterfinals last year. But nobody wears an opponent down like Nadal does and Murray is going to have to play the match of his life. I hope it’s at least close. It was great to see the way the crowd got into it yesterday.
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### Author:  [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2008, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/28 "2008-07-02T12:47:44Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23]
It was great to see the way the crowd got into it yesterday.
[/QUOTE]
Up to a point, yes. The constant shouting out between points gets old very quickly for me. At least they didn’t (quite) cheer Gasquet’s double faults, I fear it’s only a matter of time, though. Booing him when he came back on court after the 4th set was ridiculous.
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### Author:  [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/29 "2008-07-03T02:51:16Z")
[QUOTE=Dead Cat]
Up to a point, yes. The constant shouting out between points gets old very quickly for me. At least they didn’t (quite) cheer Gasquet’s double faults, I fear it’s only a matter of time, though. Booing him when he came back on court after the 4th set was ridiculous.
[/QUOTE]
I would guess the crowd was pretty darn quiet when Nadal schooled Murray big time!! I’m sorry I didn’t get to see it. Murray is maturing some, but he is still an arrogant butthead.
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### Author:  [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/30 "2008-07-03T12:40:20Z")
I thought he’d matured a bit, actually, but I haven’t really seen him interviewed recently. I wouldn’t say he was any more arrogant than your average top sportsman - a certain amount of arrogance is necessary to succeed.
I didn’t see Murray-Nadal as I was at work, but by all accounts Murray was just tired out by his efforts on Monday. No doubt that he is some way of Nadal’s class yet, but I would still expect him to win a major at some point in his career, which is better than any Brit has done since 1977.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/31 "2008-07-03T12:46:11Z")
I couldn’t watch enough of the match to say if Murray was too tired or just not good enough yet - the Gasquet match will be considered a turning point in his career if he lives up to his potential. But that match obviously wasn’t close.
I thought this was really interesting: Federer beat Ancic 19 games to 10 and never faced a break point. (That first set was over in an eyeblink.) Nadal beat Murray 18-9 and never faced a break point. We’ll see if Safin can challenge Federer on Friday; I expect Nadal to walk all over whichever one of the unseeded surprise semifinalists wins that match. Like Clement and Schuettler needed any more disadvantages before playing Nadal - they have to finish their match today because of darkness.
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### Author:  [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/32 "2008-07-03T13:00:33Z")
[QUOTE=Dead Cat]
I thought he’d matured a bit, actually, but I haven’t really seen him interviewed recently. I wouldn’t say he was any more arrogant than your average top sportsman - a certain amount of arrogance is necessary to succeed.
I didn’t see Murray-Nadal as I was at work, but by all accounts Murray was just tired out by his efforts on Monday. No doubt that he is some way of Nadal’s class yet, but I would still expect him to win a major at some point in his career, which is better than any Brit has done since 1977.
[/QUOTE]
I absolutely agree regarding needing some arrogance to succeed. If you don’t walk on the court knowing you are better than the other guy, you aren’t going to win many. However, how you display that arrogance is telling.
Murray is young, hopefully he will continue to mature and learn how to deal better.
By all accounts, Federer was a complete jerk on the court as a junior and look at him now!
I predict Murray will win a major within the next 3 years.
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### Author:  [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/33 "2008-07-03T13:06:42Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23]
I couldn’t watch enough of the match to say if Murray was too tired or just not good enough yet - the Gasquet match will be considered a turning point in his career if he lives up to his potential. But that match obviously wasn’t close.
I thought this was really interesting: Federer beat Ancic 19 games to 10 and never faced a break point. (That first set was over in an eyeblink.) Nadal beat Murray 18-9 and never faced a break point. We’ll see if Safin can challenge Federer on Friday; I expect Nadal to walk all over whichever one of the unseeded surprise semifinalists wins that match. Like Clement and Schuettler needed any more disadvantages before playing Nadal - they have to finish their match today because of darkness.
[/QUOTE]
Safin is not going to be an easy match for Federer. We are seeing vintage Safin this tourney and I don’t expect it to fade for the semi. I still think Fed will take him, but it most definitely wont be the easy match that Nadal is facing.
As much as I want Fed to win the final, I really think it can go either way. It should be a very memorable match.
Meanwhile, Venus continues to roll through easily.
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/34 "2008-07-03T13:34:15Z")
From what I’ve seen of Nadal, Federer’s reign ends this year. Get your mortgage money on the Spaniard. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/35 "2008-07-03T17:08:59Z")
Murray actually took only 10 points off Nadal.
Today’s matches have been exhilarating thus far. Even with the rain. 🙂
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/36 "2008-07-03T18:28:39Z")
It’s the Sisters for the women’s final. Most of their past matchups usually were anticlimactic, because they are very close (no sibling rivalry here) or something and didn’t have that extra “oomph” in their games they usually have against other opponents.
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/37 "2008-07-03T23:08:19Z")
“Okay Marge, its your child against my child. The winner will be showered with praise. The loser will be taunted and booed until my throat is sore!”
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### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/38 "2008-07-04T18:00:28Z")
So I’m currently watching the Federer-Safin match on NBC, and between games I figure I’ll hop on the Internet and check my email. And Yahoo has, on their front page, the matchup for the Finals, so I check and every major news site does.
Why would these sites, knowing damn well that NBC broadcasts this on delay, spoil the results in their headlines?
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### Author:  [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/39 "2008-07-04T18:44:39Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder]
Why would these sites, knowing damn well that NBC broadcasts this on delay, spoil the results in their headlines?
[/QUOTE]
So all the worldwide media outfits should wait until, what? _You’ve_ watched the game?
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-2008/454191/40 "2008-07-04T19:16:44Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder]
So I’m currently watching the Federer-Safin match on NBC, and between games I figure I’ll hop on the Internet and check my email. And Yahoo has, on their front page, the matchup for the Finals, so I check and every major news site does.
Why would these sites, knowing damn well that NBC broadcasts this on delay, spoil the results in their headlines?
[/QUOTE]
Why not set your homepage to a site that doesn’t post news? Like Google? There’s no need to go through the Yahoo homepage to get to Yahoo Mail.
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