There must be a country, somewhere, where someone went to bed just before this match started, and when they woke up, it was still going on...
What a fabulous match! It should have been a draw, and both of them could have played with some of those sponge balls and a black plastic garage racket on Sunday, just to relive a bit of the six and a half hours of pure sporting pleasure!
Over recent years, Her Beautality the Senora O'Blene and I have tried to relive the days of Rod Laver, John Newcombe and Ken Rosewall, but much of this was squashed when some of the earlier Americans muscled in, and brought arrogance and unwelcome aggression to Wimbledon. Our interest waned...
Isner has changed all that, and Anderson has proved to his own country what a real game should be like. They both deserve a huge accolade for their strength, skill and guts.
We can't wait for next year!
I saw it too and was absolutely riveted to the screen. As I don't normally follow tennis I didn't know either of them but I certainly do now! Thing is, after all those hours (and only some slight towel-wiping of the brow) how did they still look as though they'd only just played a couple of games?? Bravo to both who now owe me a third of a bottle of gin plus several tonics, a pack of liquorice wheels, half a pack of salted cashew nuts, most of a big packet of wine gums, and any plants that didn't get watered would have to have keep their roots crossed for the time being. I remember a similar nail-biting tennis final in the late sixties / early seventies when my parents and I visited one of our rellies. I'm sure it was Stan Smith who played against someone possibly John Newcombe in 1971. I watched it with my fiancé and we didn't get married until 1972.
ReplyDeleteGoosey, when Stan Smith was in the final, I was with my mum (dad was away), and the future Mrs O'Blene, watching the screen as one should.
ReplyDeleteAs good chums do, we'd had a couple of tinctures, and settled down to the final you mentioned.
Bugger me, just as Stan was going to administer his coup-de-gras, I looked up, and saw mum's labrador out on the road, where he shouldn't have been! I rushed out to grab him and bring him back - silly old thing (loved him), and when I eventually got back and sat down again, Stan had won!
We still remember that little episode with proper affection...:0[
Disgraceful - ping pong for 8ft thugs - and that's only the "ladies". Nonetheless the distaff side of the house seem to be intent on watching the match today - which gives me a good excuse to go and get the runabout fed and watered -and if I am feeling rich - professionally cleaned and pampered (for a change!). But I will be cheering for the Croats to squish Les Grenouilles later today (although I do not think they will succeed).
ReplyDeleteOH has the men's tennis final on at the moment but I'll have the footie on later. Does your distaff usually wash-and-go your car? If so, she deserves more than to be a dissed-staff! I also hope your professional head-to-toe so-called cleaning followed by some sort of pampering doesn't involve a quick rub down with an oily cloth, sitting a little wooden hut where water is poured onto hot stones followed by ice-cold baths, Reiki (with or without tempura batter), Ikebana , Origami, or any other strange rituals. You can get these at home by cossetting your loved one with a surprise meal of fish and chips bought on your way home from what ever Eastern honey trap you visited where you had several glasses of saki.
ReplyDeleteET (aka rvi) - phones home. Darling, I will be a little late because I caught my shirt tails in the scanning machine. I will explain later but just wanted to know if you want cod or haddock and is that with or without salt and vinegar?
They didn't did they, Reevers! I was asleep anyway, it was far too hot to do anything else, so a darkened room after a satisfying lunch fitted the bill...
ReplyDeleteLuckily I missed both finals, Goosey!
ReplyDeleteA good friend of mine does reiki. I doun't know how he does it mind you, because he used to be an estate agent!
I suppose if someone tells you enough times, you eventually believe it! After all, this bloody government is trying its best, backed down by the awful bbc.
This week will be a turning point - you read it here first!
Brexit or Joe Corbyn.
GG - The distaff staff of this house utterly refuses to have anything to do with our transortation arrangements, so I get to do all the necessary chauffering. She gave up driving kver 20 years ago, a move of which disapproved aas she was a very competent driver. So I also get to go to the garage from time to time to give the car a shampoo and set. We also benefit from regular tropical downpours, so it I see one on the horizon, I merely shunt the car forward a few feet out of the car port and let the rain do all th hard work, leaving me to either let the car dry in the subsequent sunshine, or wipe a desultory leather chamois over it.
ReplyDeleteIt is really tough in the tropics!
Scrobs: I was unable to do this reply on my phone as that b...dy wordcheck wotnot asked me to identify cars, buses and store fronts 30 times before I finally gave up. I was sorely tempted to just give it up together - and you only have this little contribution because I needed to made a copy of something on my computer.
PS - Not having a go at you - just b... frustrated at that stupid captcha crap
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's good to have somebody who doesn't follow the rhetorical stuff so many people in power seem to need. I detest Trump as a person but maybe his unaccommodating stance has done a bit of good. I wonder what sort of PM Boris Johnson might make, or even Andy Burnham? Frankly, I don't give a damn as long as we get somebody with an honest backbone who isn't afraid to tell it like it is and in a language we can all grasp. Our past MP was Eric Ollerenshaw and a more down-to-earth and caring person you couldn't wish to have. He did so much for helping us with our sea defence problem but he lost the last local election. Hey-ho, there we go again as our current one is neither use nor ornament. End of my political views.
ReplyDeleteReevers, I can't change the captcha thing, it's automatic with Blogger!
ReplyDeleteIt does stop spam idiots and morons though...
Goosey, I like President Trump. He may not do things the way other devious politicians have squirmed away, and made millions from the public purse, but at least he does what he says on the packet. Andy Burnham (Staffs etc) I wouldn't trust further than I could throw him.
ReplyDeleteWe have Greg Clark, who, while he seems quite a decent bloke, is a remainer, and therefore unwelcome in The Turrets. I have met him about local issues of speeding in our village, and we really have got nowhere, so that's another reason to think 'tosser'. A good chum here knows him and confirms all this.
Other than all that, I agree with you that the old country needs a bloke - male or female - with some strength of character to keep us English. There's not a lot of hope there at the moment.
Maybe parliament needs a bit of "tree removing" to let some light into the forest as it were to enable some newcomers to get their feet under the table. We could start with ousting that sex-texting MP and anyone else proven to be a disgrace (such as an expense-fiddler, a bigot or a racist) in a public office. No-one is perfect by any means, and I don't care if they've been divorced or had depression issues, but I wouldn't like to be in the presence of one of those buggers who would rather concentrate on your bosom, bum, or legs than listen to what you're saying. Our past MP, Eric Ollerenshaw, was gay and I couldn't have cared less. One time I went to a meeting about our sea defences and he waited for me to get out of my car. When I got to him he looked over the whole of Thurnham Moss and said (with a glint in his eye) that it would make a lovely lake. My instant reply was bugger off then he and I had a good laugh. I'll just be glad when Brexit is all over and then we'll know what the repercussions will or won't do for our country.
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