Space for Wimbledon final live chat.

Instead of discussing tennis nuances with your pets, TV or furniture, you may try this and maybe humans might respond back.

Remember the rules?

Happy birthday to Ricke: July 5.

TP my birthday is July 5th. I would love some photos of Andy Roddick or Roger without their wives please. I am sure Mike will love the photos of Andy as well!! LOL

Federer vs Roddick.

Abusing the ‘injury’ time out rule?

Most ecstatic moment of Roddick’s life.

Could it come on the hotel mattress after the Wimby win? Or could it happen in the players’ box? Who would fault him / her for that?

Our only request: Shreiks, please.

Two people who would shine / unshine the most if Roddick wins Wimby tomorrow.

Shine:

1. His coach – Stepanski.

2. Brooklyn Decker – good luck among other ‘ucks’?

Unshine:

1. Fat brother.

2. Connors?

If Roddick wins tomorrow, what’ll be the biggest upset of the year?

Isn’t this the dude from ‘Two and a half men’?

Nadal changes his priorities. From Fedal Fan. Thanks.

FEDAL FAN

Nadal decides to change his priorities..

Click here.

The rest of his 2009 schedule: Montreal and then Cincinnati, U.S. Open, Bangkok, China, Shanghai, Paris and London Masters

Revised: Cinci, Montreal, USO, Paris and London are mandatory so he’ll play those instead of the others.

What’s most precious to Federer at this Wimbledon final?

What truck load of stuff needs to happen for Roddick to win tomorrow?

While many have written off Roddick in most of his recent matches against Federer, particularly after the H2H passed 10, the conditions surrounding this one may force many to rethink that, if not revise their prediction.

Roddick is armed with some stuff he has NEVER had: Fantastic lay, smart coach, 15 pounds lighter, back to back confidence boosting wins, new and improved backhand and return and a first serve percentage hovering around 75 percent among others.

While Federer appears more than ready to handle that and more given his near flawless and consistent showing through six matches here, the matches they have had here have been very close, not reflected in the scoreline.

Additionally, Federer should have more than just winning another Slam on his mind when he walks out on the center court: Baby, No. 15, No. 6 etc. Add the experience of being a losing finalist with the on court drama, Sue Barker interview, McEnroe interview etc. etc. and Federer NEEDS to win this for a variety of reasons likely to stir emotions that may not all be congenial to playing natural tennis without shackles.

The one stroke that has conspicuously beaten Roddick over and over again is the time he approaches the net with Federer on the running forehand. The ball ALWAYS comes back crosscourt on Roddick’s forehand passing him EVERY freaking time.

You’ve got to be an absolute nut to not take corrective action on such a routine happening over and over again in the span of minutes.

Roddick also needs to use his improved backhand to force Federer to engage his weaker wing just like Nadal does. Easier said than done but Roddick has never been in a better position to execute it than now.

Roddick has to shoot for tie breaks like he did against Murray considering he has won what 90 percent of tie-breaks this year? Breaking Federer with his 66 first serve percentage and ace count may be too unrealistic to go all out for. Conserve energy for your own service games and the tie breaks and take the lumps then.

Of course the regulars have to show up as usual too: The first serve percentage, aces and forehand.

While it’s a lot to come together all at once, the one factor that may all make it possible this time is Roddick’s mental state. He knows this IS his last shot at that monkey and he knows he is better prepared this time than at any point in the past – physically and mentally.

Oh and he might need one more small nugget: Federer’s game unravelling BIG TIME.

Photos.

Federer vs Roddick: Stats. 160 freaking aces to 77?

Player	Aces	Ist serve pct.	Sets lost/ Bagels dished	Unforced. Errors - Total/ Winners	Bk pt conv %	Time on court.	Matches played
Federer	77	67	1 / 0	71 / 239	49	11:29	6
Roddick	160	71	6 / 0	112 / 331	31	15:45	6

Pathetic American coverage of Slams. From Murph. Thanks.

MURPH

A sad note regarding the pathetic American coverage of Grand Slams by Bruce Jenkins, great sports writer for the San Francisco Chronicle:

NBC’s Wimbledon coverage has been bafflingly inadequate. On days with crucial matches running throughout the day and into the evening at the All England Club, NBC checks in for three hours — on tape delay — and then, “Take care, now — gotta go.” Are they kidding? Really, it seems like some sort of practical joke.

Although ESPN has been a reasonably satisfying alternative, the NBC coverage is worth watching for one reason: John McEnroe teamed with Ted Robinson in the broadcast booth. If you’re with me on this, enjoy it while you can, because their longtime partnership will be dissolved, quite against their will, at the upcoming U.S. Open.

The McEnroe-Robinson pairing has been a U.S. Open staple for years on the USA Network, particularly coming to life in those wildly entertaining night matches. As opposed to the confusing NBC-ESPN setup we get at Wimbledon, USA throws a blanket over weekday coverage at the Open, essentially showing everything that matters.

Regrettably, ESPN purchased the U.S. Open rights last year. The network will undoubtedly employ McEnroe, but Robinson will be left out in the cold (and as a valued employee of NBC, he won’t be around when CBS takes over on weekends). I’ll guarantee you McEnroe won’t be happy about working with Chris Fowler, or whoever anchors the ESPN broadcasts, after years in the booth with Robinson.

The Wimbledon coverage, as well as that at the French Open (and past U.S. Opens), is particularly special because McEnroe and Robinson are teamed with Mary Carillo. All three are from the New York area, they’ve known each other for decades, and for my money they’re the best three-person team ever assembled in any sport. It’s not easy working with McEnroe, but these two bring out the best in him.

“Ted was the first guy who ever listened to me when I started doing commentary,” McEnroe said in a conference call the other day. “Most of the guys would be doing their own thing, but he’d actually respond to what I had to say, and that made it all much more fun. I’m a little biased here, but I think we make a great team — Ted, Mary and myself. Mary and I go way back as kids, playing mixed doubles together, so there’s something special, a synergy that will always be there. Ted knows when to let us do our thing. It’s really worked into a beautiful thing.”

That partnership will be renewed next summer, at the French and Wimbledon. The U.S. Open won’t sound quite the same.