Wimbledon Talking Points
It's that time of year again when everyone is talking about tennis (and there is a small football tournament happening at the same time).
But what are the key talking points?
1. Serena Williams gets a singles wild card but Dan Evans doesn't get one! Given the hype, I can understand why they gave Serena one but it's a bit tough on Dan Evans not to get one after all he has done for British tennis in Davis Cups, not to mention helping Andy Murray finish on a high in the Olympics while sabotaging his own ranking. Dan does get a wild card for the doubles with his new pupil Henry Searle. Apart from the Brits, wild cards have also been given to Grigor Dimitrov and Stan Wawrinka — both good choices in my view.
2. Alcaraz is not playing making Sinner the strong favourite but where is he at physically? We will soon find out.
3. Can Jack Draper make an impact? Let's hope so as he is such a dangerous player and will have Andy Murray's advice to help guide him through (hopefully) the early rounds. If his body holds up then he could be a contender.
4. Both Raducanu and Boulter have shown good grass court form with some notable performances in the lead-up. If the draw is kind, making the second week would be a big success for both in my view, but they are unlikely to go further.
5. Apart from Sinner who else can win? Now that Zverev has won the French he might be in a better place mentally to challenge? Grass is definitely Novak's best chance of winning another slam, given his experience on the surface and shorter rallies. In my opinion, there are many other good players but none can challenge the big three: Sinner, Djokovic, and Zverev.
6. In the women's draw, it's all up for grabs with no clear favourite but I'd watch out for Barbora Krejčíková, who is great on grass but again, it depends if her body holds up?
7. The best anti grass comment ever
- Ivan Lendl (8-time Grand Slam champion, never won Wimbledon):
"Grass is for cows."
This is probably the most famous anti-grass quote in tennis history. Lendl reportedly said it after skipping Wimbledon early in his career, and it followed him for decades. -
No Scotland no party - it's not possible to avoid mentioning the World Cup and I feel sorry for Brazil that they will have the daunting task of challenging Scotland for a place in the knockouts!
I seriously do wish England well and hope that their supporters can match ours in diplomatic relations when in Boston. I've lived through so many of our Scotland defeats that it would be amazing to finally be involved in the knockout stages. It's time for another overhead kick........
026 SPECIAL HOSTED WEEKS IN SICILY
TENNIS & PADEL combined
12th to 19th SEPTEMBER
OR
19th to 26th September
A minimum of 20 hours of organised tennis & padel, including coaching, a tennis doubles clinic, 4 game-based tennis sessions, social tennis, fun padel sessions and a tennis/padel tournament with prizes as detailed below
SATURDAY
A welcome drink upon arrival to meet the group in the evening at a local wine bar overlooking the sea in the centre of Trapani
SUNDAY
10 -12 noon - 2 hours tennis play followed by lunch at the club
2 - 4pm a mix of a tennis doubles clinic together with social padel tennis. Anyone new to the game of padel will be given a quick introduction to the basics and the main rules explained to help get them started
MONDAY, TUESDAY & THURSDAY
10 - 1pm group coaching and game based doubles play at Circolo Tennis Trapani (clay & hard courts)
4 - 6pm a social mix in for padel at our main padel centre together with local Italians - Circolo Tennis Canottieri - walking distance from all accommodation
Dinner on the Monday evening at a local restaurant with the group (cost of dinner not included)
WEDNESDAY
10am - depart from Trapani on the 30 minute ferry service to Favignana.
(Cost of ferry & bike hire included in the trip)
A day to relax and enjoy a full day's trip to the beautiful island of Favignana. Upon arriving on the island we pick up our hire bikes for a leisurely cycle, exploring the beautiful bays. beaches and have lunch overlooking the sea.
There will also be plenty of time to explore the centre of Favignana before returning to Trapani around 7pm in plenty of time to have dinner.
The bay of Cala Rossa on Favignana
FRIDAY
10 -1pm - A 3 hours fun tennis & padel tournament. Afternoon free to swim in the sea, or last minute shopping! Dinner and awards for the week with the group in the evening at a local restaurant (cost of dinner not included)
Ian & Laura are on hand 24/7 during the week to provide assistance for anything you may require to enhance your holiday experience.
Padel rackets available (if required, at no extra cost).
Daily transfers to & from the tennis club for morning play are also included!
We can arrange airport transfers (at a very reasonable cost) No need to drive which is always a bonus in Italy!
If your partner/friend is keen to come and would rather just have a sport-free holiday but join in with the other group activities, please get in touch with [email protected]
Click HERE for web page.
If you're interested in adding on a few days to explore the island we can help with recommendations and an itinerary.
TENNIS & PADEL combined
12th to 19th SEPTEMBER
OR
19th to 26th September
A minimum of 20 hours of organised tennis & padel, including coaching, a tennis doubles clinic, 4 game-based tennis sessions, social tennis, fun padel sessions and a tennis/padel tournament with prizes as detailed below
SATURDAY
A welcome drink upon arrival to meet the group in the evening at a local wine bar overlooking the sea in the centre of Trapani
SUNDAY
10 -12 noon - 2 hours tennis play followed by lunch at the club
2 - 4pm a mix of a tennis doubles clinic together with social padel tennis. Anyone new to the game of padel will be given a quick introduction to the basics and the main rules explained to help get them started
MONDAY, TUESDAY & THURSDAY
10 - 1pm group coaching and game based doubles play at Circolo Tennis Trapani (clay & hard courts)
4 - 6pm a social mix in for padel at our main padel centre together with local Italians - Circolo Tennis Canottieri - walking distance from all accommodation
Dinner on the Monday evening at a local restaurant with the group (cost of dinner not included)
WEDNESDAY
10am - depart from Trapani on the 30 minute ferry service to Favignana.
(Cost of ferry & bike hire included in the trip)
A day to relax and enjoy a full day's trip to the beautiful island of Favignana. Upon arriving on the island we pick up our hire bikes for a leisurely cycle, exploring the beautiful bays. beaches and have lunch overlooking the sea.
There will also be plenty of time to explore the centre of Favignana before returning to Trapani around 7pm in plenty of time to have dinner.
The bay of Cala Rossa on Favignana
FRIDAY
10 -1pm - A 3 hours fun tennis & padel tournament. Afternoon free to swim in the sea, or last minute shopping! Dinner and awards for the week with the group in the evening at a local restaurant (cost of dinner not included)
Ian & Laura are on hand 24/7 during the week to provide assistance for anything you may require to enhance your holiday experience.
Padel rackets available (if required, at no extra cost).
Daily transfers to & from the tennis club for morning play are also included!
We can arrange airport transfers (at a very reasonable cost) No need to drive which is always a bonus in Italy!
If your partner/friend is keen to come and would rather just have a sport-free holiday but join in with the other group activities, please get in touch with [email protected]
Click HERE for web page.
If you're interested in adding on a few days to explore the island we can help with recommendations and an itinerary.
