Tennis

[Sean Regan]

Harriet Dart progresses further at the Transylvanian Open, ("Don't dream it! Be it!")
With a good win, she beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 5-7. 7-5, 6-3, who's ranked at 56, forty-seven places above her. Harriet plays Nuria Parrizas-Diaz of Spain, in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
Playing in Abu Dhabi, I've just watched, Elena Rybakina come back from a set down to beat, Danielle Collins, who could match Aryna Sabalenka in a screaming contest any day.
Heather Watson the last remaining Brit in this tournament, is presently playing Cristina Bucșa, they should be fairly evenly matched.

Half the spectators have gone home.

 

[Sean Regan]

"Oh! I just love success!"
(I'm running out of Rocky Horror Picture show quotes)


Harriet Dart marches on in Transylvania, now into the quarter-finals, today having beaten Nuria Párrizas Díaz 6-3, 6-2. Her opponent, will be either Karolína Plíšková or Sara Errani who play later today. She'll be busy on Saturday, playing that and the doubles semi-final.

The arena is very well presented, there are two courts separated by a heavy black curtain with a line of trees in pots in front of them.

The seating for the players is well designed. Two seats with a table between them, either side of the umpire's chair.

A nice touch is a rectangular vase in the middle of each table with blooms in it.

Harriet just had a box of tissues on hers.
Yesterday, one of the players had a couple of cans and bottles on the table and two bananas stuffed in the vase with the flowers.

Wimbledon is more spartan, they just get a couple of canvas backed metal framed chairs, the design of which goes back to the pre-WW2 era.
Well, it's not the Royal Box, is it?

Heather Watson progressed to the doubles semi-finals in Abu Dhabi with Linda Nosková they play Magda Linette and Bernarda Pera on Sunday.

 

[Sean Regan]

In Transylvania, Ana Bogdan had a good result last night against the number one seed Arantxa Ros in three and a half hours, coming from behind.
Maybe the leopard print top she wore intimidated her opponent?

She plays Jaqueline Cristian in the semi-finals today.
Our own Harriet Dart is in action later in her semi-final against Karolína Plíšková.
She has her doubles semi-final later.

In Abu DHabi, Beatriz Haddad Maia who had a straight sets win over Ons Jabeur on Friday (to most of the spectators' dismay) has a busy day today as she's first up against Daria Kasatkina in her semi-final match. Then later, she has doubles semi-final with Luisa Stefani against, Sofia Kenin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The latter is always entertaining, if only sometimes for the outrageous tennis outfits she occasionally wears.
She too, favours a leopard print here, but it doesn't do her any favours.

 

[Sean Regan]

I'm enjoying the new Sky dedicated Tennis Channel which started today, where you can choose different matches. A big plus at the moment is there is no annoying commentary! You can clearly hear the umpire calling the score and there's a strapline at the bottom of the screen with it also. You still get the annoying music at the change of ends, whether the few spectators like it I've no idea. So far there's been no adverts!

Our last competitor in Abu Dhabi Heather Watson and her partner Linda Nosková are up against it, as they are a set down and 4 -4 in the second set at the moment.

Harriet Dart to play her doubles match in Transylvania later today.

As I expected, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, turned up in a flamboyant tennis kit, but less so than on other occasions. She partners Sofia Kenin.

The "Tennis Circus" has already moved on to Qatar, where loses in the early rounds of Abu Dhabi, have already played some first matches.

 

[Sean Regan]

Here's a look of what's available with this system. There's presently three different tennis matches from which to chose. I'm switching between this and the football.

 

[Sean Regan]

Second seed Gauff dumped out by Siniakova 6-2, 6-4. Siniakova won the last six games of the second set.
There's a dozen outside courts all illuminated and with electronic line calls.

Looks very pleasant, though few spectators this early in the tournament.

Well over a week ago I e-mailed the BBC to tell them on the tennis calendar they provide on the "Red Button" news service, they'd 19 pages listing the dates of all ATP and WTA tournaments for the year, but completely omitted Wimbledon.
I've had a reply.

Thank you for contacting us about specific Sports details you refer to on the Red Button.
We flagged your comments with the Red Button team, who got back to us to say that this absence of information isn't restricted to Red Button; it's online too.
They say that this is a technical issue regarding the information feed provider. The team are prompting the provider now as a result of you flagging this. The team really appreciate you bringing this to our attention.

Typical BBC, "It's not our fault."

 

[Sean Regan]

I like Marion Bartoli, who won Wimbledon in 2013, of whom the BBC commentator John Inverdale, famously said "She'll never be a looker" on Radio 5 shortly after she'd won.. In her day I thought she was. Since then of course she's put on a tremendous amount of weight. She's done a lot of punditry lately for Sky and has turned up each time in a variety different outfits, which might give some the impression that after the tennis she's off to sing at a local opera house.
Today is more restrained, "fewer flounces and Stevie Nicks like embellishments."

 

[Sean Regan]

I know tennis tournaments need sponsorship, but there should be a limit to, "product placement."

I'm watching Taylor Fritz play Tommy Paul in the final of the ATP Delray Beach tournament.

There's a BMW saloon car parked in the corner of the court.

1

 

[Mr_Yan]

Members do have other hobbies and interests as well as gardening and you'll find we often discuss these as well.

No we don't. I'm just biding my time until winter breaks and I can get to gardening again. And riding my bike. Maybe hiking.

 

[Sean Regan]

I've been watching a lot of sport on TV, in the last few days, mostly Tennis and Golf, as it's too wet for gardening and my golf closed is closed as the course's many lateral streams which drain into the Mersey can't drain the water off some fairways as the sluice gates by which they drain into the Mersey automatically close when the river is high.

 

[zigs]

No we don't. I'm just biding my time until winter breaks and I can get to gardening again. And riding my bike. Maybe hiking.

True, when I'm not gardening I'm growing cacti, mowing grass, making compost, sowing seeds, making leafmold, washing pots, cutting hedges, chipping prunings etc. and if we get time we go down the garden centre and go to cactus meetings

 

[Mr_Yan]

True, when I'm not gardening I'm growing cacti, mowing grass, making compost, sowing seeds, making leafmold, washing pots, cutting hedges, chipping prunings etc. and if we get time we go down the garden centre and go to cactus meetings

Sounds like a prickly existence

 

[Sean Regan]

No gardening today, too wet. Should have been a golf day, but the course is closed.
Fortunately, if it's going to be closed, after an early inspection by the greens staff, members get an e-mail around 7.00 to advise this.

The weather has had an effect on the club's finances. The number of visitors paying to play, thirty-odd quid a time, has dramatically reduced this year, so we're expecting a big hike in our membership fee for the year beginning in April.
We didn't have an increase this time last year, which I thought was a bit daft at the time, but there you go.
I anticipate my membership fee for a five day membership, including a 20% age/length of membership related discount will go up by 15% to close to £1000. I can't play at week-ends, but I wouldn't want to, as weather permitting, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays is enough for me. Anyway, it would be hard to get an acceptable tee time at the week-end.
Most clubs have a discount system like mine. It was brought in decades ago when members who had retired were pensioners and were a bit hard up. But that has all changed, Now they've mostly have the money and many younger members with big mortgages have not. They also need to be seven day members as they work during the week.

 

[Sean Regan]

More tennis today. I watched Andy Murray "moan his way through a three set win over some twenty-four year-old." He has a day off tomorrow, he probably needs it.

The "women's circus" has moved to San Diego. Katie Boulter plays at 9.00 pm our time tonight. She's up against Ukrainian (there's a lot of them, aren't there?) Lesia Tsurenko, ranked 16 places above her.

The relative big guns are out tomorrow and Wednesday but no Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff, or Ostapenko, they are missing this one out.

Our other girl, Jodie Burrage was here, but didn't get through the "Quallies."

 

[Sean Regan]

"We need to order some kit for the ball kids at the San Diego Tournament."
"Right! What sizes should I order?"
"Sizes?"

Katie Boulter won this, against the 2nd seed, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.


She's through to the quarter-final.