Did you know…..

………….that human communication consists of 93 percent body language, while only 7% of communication consists of words themselves? Could that have happened at a recently concluded tennis match?

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Report card after Wimbledon.

Player	Points	Titles	Record	$	Tourn played	Rank
Nadal	10,745	5	47-5	5,506,278	10	1
Djokovic	6905	1	31-10	1,507,962	11	2
Federer	6885	1	31-9	2,887,135	10	3
Murray	5155	0	22-10	1,696,422	10	4

ATPWorldTour.com takes a look at the news and talking points the day after Rafael Nadal’s triumph at The Championships. From Bjornino. Thanks.

BJORNINO

Post Wimbledon Diary from http://www.atpworldtour.com

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2010/06/Wimbledon/Wimbledon-Diary-Day-Fifteen.aspx

ATPWorldTour.com takes a look at the news and talking points the day after Rafael Nadal’s triumph at The Championships.

What The Papers Are Saying

“Viva La Rafa-lution” leads The Telegraph as it ponders whether we should now consider Rafael Nadal to be the greatest player. “Usually people ask ‘is he the greatest’ when they are deep into emotional extra time after an epic match, but it is a deeper question after an anticlimax like this. Yesterday’s final took place in the shadowlands of greatness because Nadal was far too good for Tomas Berdych. Is he now the best tennis player of all time? It is that purity of thought at the big moments that gives Nadal the vote over Federer. It’s the brain against the body. It’s Fangio against his Ferrari. Surely no one has ever moved better than Federer on a tennis court, but he has never had Nadal’s strength of mind.”

Simon Barnes, The Times’ chief sports writer, considers the same debate. “He modestly assumed his rightful place as the line, the undisputed, the unquestioned master of his sport. Forget Roger Federer – no, not possible – set Federer aside, then, at least for now, because Nadal is not just champion of Wimbledon, he is not just the official world-ranked No. 1, he is not the supreme champion of his sport and the man all others – yes, Rodge included – must look up to. It’d Nadal’s game right now. Nadal’s game, Nadal’s world.”

Also in The Telegraph, three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker credits Nadal’s big-match experience as the key to his victory over Tomas Berdych in Sunday’s final. “He won not because he was much better than Tomas Berdych, but because he had been in that situation before, he knew what to do, and because he has a ‘B’ – or even a ‘C’ – game. of course, is the key to winning a major tournament, and the reason that Nadal is such a great champion. It is impossible to play seven straight matches at your best. That is what sets champions apart from finalists. Nadal finds a way to win — scrambling, fighting, putting the ball back one more time. It is not down to technique, but attitude, and it just goes to show the kind of player he is.”

The Telegraph provided another interesting nugget when it reported: “The Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood accepted an invitation to join the Nadal family’s post-match celebrations, but declined to partake in any of their champagne. When quizzed on the subject, he explained that he had reached the 100th day of a self-imposed booze ban.”

American legend and two-time Wimbledon winner John McEnroe told the ATP Champions Tour web site that he is tipping Nadal to complete the career Grand Slam at the US Open in September. “Nadal wants to win the US Open so badly. It’d be hard not to pick him at this time even though he’s never won it. The guy’s just an animal; he’s mentally and physically incredible and he can definitely do it if he’s in this shape. The conditions in New York don’t suit Nadal so well and he needs to make his body hold up. So I think after Wimbledon he is going to take some time off and get his knees recovered and then maybe not play too many matches before the Open.”

Cost of the queen: less than $1 per person a year.

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Berdych to miss Davis Cup quarterfinal in Chile. From Ymd. Thanks.

YMD

Berdych to miss Davis Cup quarterfinal in Chile

PRAGUE (AP)—Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych has ruled himself out of the Czech Republic’s Davis Cup quarterfinal against Chile because of an abdominal muscle injury.

“If I have a problem, it’s this muscle,” Berdych told Czech public radio on Sunday just hours after losing the Wimbledon final to Rafael Nadal 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

“The windy conditions (in the match) contributed to it,” Berdych said. “There are so many matches but I have just one body. Nobody’s a machine to cope with everything.”

On Facebook, the Czech team said that Berdych will take a three-week rest after his first Grand Slam final.

The Czech Republic’s No. 2, Radek Stepanek, was also ruled out of the July 9-11 Davis Cup tie in Coquimbo on clay because of a left knee injury.

The team announced later Sunday that Ivo Minar, ranked 255th, will replace Berdych to join No. 90 Jan Hajek in the singles.

Doubles specialists Lukas Dlouhy and Frantisek Cermak are also on the team

http://www.tennis.com/articles/templates/news.aspx?articleid=6407&zoneid=4

Letter to Federer and Nadal fans.

I don’t think the sport has EVER witnessed such overly designated boundaries containing fans of ANY player. Granted this is a by-product of an intense rivalry irrespective of the discipline but tennis has had Borg-McEnroe and Sampras-Agassi match ups among others with nowhere near as much passion, severity, fervency and depth. The lines are so indistinguishably drawn that even legitimate advance(s) posted by either player on the biggest stage is brushed aside if not ridiculed by the opposing camp. That cannot be all bad considering the splash, arguments from both sides generate across the board on the international media screen. It may even be good – within reason – to where the added attention the debate creates worldwide may promote an even wider awareness of the sport.

So following is what I think are INDISPUTABLE facts propping up the two stars beyond reproach. The mere fact that this is being discussed reflects on the class, caliber, competence and stature the two players have been able to distinguish themselves with – despite the inherent obvious and not so obvious short comings and deficiencies the two carry today. Contrast even a microscopic bit of it with ANY other sport in the world and you will come away with a sense of respect, adoration, appreciation and reverence. Both more than fully deserve our uncompromising and unyielding support as exemplary ambassadors of the sport in a world laced with drugs, violence, scandals etc.

And if even that doesn’t work for you, look in the history of the sport and attempt to pick an era which even remotely resembles the kind of buzz, quality of tennis, sportsmanship – oops, cancel that, social etiquettes – oops, cancel that too (you have to understand that this is REALLY hard for me) etc. this current run from these two jokers has produced. When all is said and done you will have lived through a patch in the sport that may remain unrivaled, unsurpassed, unmatched and incomparable to any tennis has EVER seen. One day you WILL look back and feel overcome with a sense of gratitude, admiration, awe and love for having lived through these golden years of tennis in more than one respect. Then these bickerings will ignite nothing in you except a wave of remorse and a lump in your throat from mere fondness and it’s mortality.

Federer:

-There certainly has NEVER been a more talented, complete and skillful player tennis has ever seen and there’s a strong likelihood that it may stay that way for the foreseeable future. Even his mind blowing stats DO NOT fully reflect the full breadth of his ability and appeal. BTW, if you have not seen him in action – in person – yet, please slowly step in your kitchen – AND DROWN YOURSELF IN THE KITCHEN SINK – NOW. Geeeeeeeeezzzzzzz!!!!!!!

Nadal:

-His entire career can be summed up in this: Never die attitude. He has taken that element to heights never seen in the history of the sport leaving previous benchmarks set by Connors etc. in the dust. He has won millions of hearts worldwide solely with this indistinguishable trait of his.

Code of conduct for posting on this weird site.

Here’s a chance for all you cheap lazy freaking freaks to draft a code of conduct. I know it’s like handing a gun to a toddler but you might have gained ‘some’ confidence for me to attempt this. So leave what you feel is appropriate and I’ll compress the ‘least childish’ stuff to draft the final code.

My final Wimbledon verse. From Stella. Thanks.

STELLA

OK, it’s all over, so, to wrap up, here is my final Wimbledon verse.
To those who liked the verses I say “Thanks” for telling me
To those who didn’t like them I say “Thanks” for not telling me.

so, as players assess how their grass court season went and look forward to the
American hard court season I will end with this.

The time has come the tennis coach said.
to talk of many things.
Of shots, and shoes and strategies.
And those Babolat RPM Blast strings.
And why England was boiling hot.
And what the hard court season brings.

that’s all folks

Current ranking as at 5th July and points to defend. From Jenny / Sergeant. Thanks.

JENNY

CURRENT RANKING as at 5th July, 2010 AND POINTS TO DEFEND [Source: ATP]

1. Rafael Nadal 10,745
To defend from Canada, Cincy, US Open 1,260

2. Novak Djokovic 6,905
To defend from Canada, Cincy, US Open 1,500

3. Roger Federer 6,885
To defend from Canada, Cincy, US Open 2,380

4. Andy Murray 5,155
To defend from Canada, Cincy, US Opoen 1,540

SERGEANT

Thank you, Jenny! And here is the

RACE to the 2010 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals
Last update: Sunday 4th July 2010. Source: El Burro from menstennisforums.

Pos, Player, Pts
01 Rafael Nadal (ESP) 8345
02 Roger Federer (SUI) 3795
03 Robin Soderling (SWE) 3315
04 Tomas Berdych (CZE) 3250
05 Novak Djokovic (SRB) 2905
06 David Ferrer (ESP) 2810
07 Andy Roddick (USA) 2740
08 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 2635
————————————-
09 Andy Murray (GBR) 2625
10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 2075

Photos.

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

Happy Birthday to Serran: July 5.

SERRAN

Well, my birthday is July 5th, headed right for my 27th birthday in 2010 ^_^

As for the pics, it would be awesome if I could get a backhand from Federer, and if possible, a nice picture of Ana Ivanovic and that great smile of hers.

Thanks TP, you rock!!