Edmund replaces Murray as British #1

[Mainad]

Is tennis not popular in Britain? Why so few top players from a land that invented the sport practically?

Tennis tends to be popular mainly during the summer when Queen's and Wimbledon are on. For many years they were the only tennis tournaments shown on TV in the UK. Lots of questions have been asked over the years why so few top class British tennis players emerged in the years after World War 2 but no clear agreement on the reasons has ever been reached.

 

[EloQuent]

Back in Perry's day and right up to 1973 rankings were unofficial and usually estimated by a few tennis writers and commentators. In 1973 the newly formed ATP introduced the computerised rankings that we see today.

Wonder if there's a way to use ATP-style ranking and apply to the olden days.

 

[True Fanerer]

Back in Perry's day and right up to 1973 rankings were unofficial and usually estimated by a few tennis writers and commentators. In 1973 the newly formed ATP introduced the computerised rankings that we see today.

I didn't know that. Sounds much like the NCAA over here in the states.

 

[clayqueen]

Back in Perry's day and right up to 1973 rankings were unofficial and usually estimated by a few tennis writers and commentators.

A bit like the GOAT thing.

 

[Deleted member 307496]

Transitional champion.

Sure, that describes Murray - but mug I feel is apt for Edmund.

 

[letstakeourshirtsoff]

A bit like the GOAT thing.

except everyone but the nutjobs of the VB agrees on fedr goat

 

[EloQuent]

except everyone but the nutjobs of the VB agrees on fedr goat

I mean, there's a reason ppl look at my avi and know who i'm a fan of, even before looking at sigs

 

[letstakeourshirtsoff]

I mean, there's a reason ppl look at my avi and know who i'm a fan of, even before looking at sigs

true

fedr goat

 

[Sudacafan]

England's Brave Kyle Edmund
Scotland's Cowardly Andy Murray (formerly EBAM himself)

Edmund was born in South Africa. Are you sure that he chose England among the UK nations when he took British citizenship?

 

[letstakeourshirtsoff]

what are the chances the sad scotch will make any notice of himself outside these kinda threads ever again?

 

[Tennis_Hands]

"The list of greats"

Normally I hold back, but this, deserves..

 

[Tennis_Hands]

The weather. There are not enough outside courts available to the public and private clubs are too expensive.

That is not an explanation.

There are plenty of football playgrounds, yet.....

 

[Mainad]

Edmund was born in South Africa. Are you sure that he chose England among the UK nations when he took British citizenship?

It wasn't his choice to make. His parents took him to live in Yorkshire when he was 3 years old.

 

[spirit95]

He first became British #1 on 15 May 2006, his 19th birthday. Rusedski then took over for a week in July but Andy regained it a week later on 17 July 2006 and has been British #1 ever since, a total of 11 years and 7 months, by far the record for any British #1 male player.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UK_number_1_men's_tennis_players

When you look at it in a historical context like that we really have had a great couple of decades

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Now he just needs to overtake Kevin Anderson to become South Africa's # 1 player.

 

[EloQuent]

Now he just needs to overtake Kevin Anderson to become South Africa's # 1 player.

If we're not going by who you play for, I think you're missing someone.

 

[Goosehead]

Back in Perry's day and right up to 1973 rankings were unofficial and usually estimated by a few tennis writers and commentators. In 1973 the newly formed ATP introduced the computerised rankings that we see today.

what was this ledgendary computer the rank charts were first calculated on in 1973 ?.

did they get nasa to use 1kb of data available from the command module computer after the end of the Apollo moon missions in dec1972

 

[EloQuent]

"computer ranking" is a bit silly. There's no real calculation. It's just a points system. Each player gets points based on the previous year. Could do it with pen and paper.

 

[chjtennis]

If Murray comes back healthy, he will reclaim his British no.1 position quickly, but that's a big if. His injury looks rather serious. Wish him the best though.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

If we're not going by who you play for, I think you're missing someone.

Am I? Do you mean because Fed's mum is South African? I'm only saying that because both Anderson and Edmund were actually born there.

 

[EloQuent]

Am I? Do you mean because Fed's mum is South African? I'm only saying that because both Anderson and Edmund were actually born there.

And Denis Shapovalov was born in Israel. Mischa Zverev was born in Russia. etc. Where you were born is irrelevant.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

And Denis Shapovalov was born in Israel. Mischa Zverev was born in Russia. etc. Where you were born is irrelevant.

It was clearly a joke mate!

 

[EloQuent]

It was clearly a joke mate!

ah. ok then back to Federer being half south African.

Take half his points he's still ahead of Anderson and Edmund together

 

[D.Nalby12]

Edmund is Murray's poor copy especially on backhand side (both TS and slice very similar).

 

[Deleted member 688153]

What can you possibly mean?

Opened this thread solely for this picture.

 

[clayqueen]

except everyone but the nutjobs of the VB agrees on fedr goat

If you repeat it often enough it might come true.

 

[Wurm]

Is tennis not popular in Britain? Why so few top players from a land that invented the sport practically?

Tennis pretty much only exists for two weeks a year as far as the general public is concerned in Britain. It's only really during Murray's time at the top that the fact that tennis happens all year round seems to have started to catch on. When I was growing up a player making it to the third round of Wimbledon was practically cause for national celebration so it was hardly like there were any players inspiring kids to play the sport either and due to the knock-out tournament nature of tennis making it a bit of a pyramid scheme even someone as successful as Tim Henman was viewed as just a plucky loser...

Since we don't really have the weather for outdoor tennis most of the year, to the point that I think a couple of summers ago it might've rained at some point every single day of July and August where I live, you need indoor facilities to guarantee play and since there's still only 84 David Lloyd centres (up from 18 in 1995) throughout the UK then you might be **** out of luck there. Otherwise it takes a certain degree of bloody mindedness to commit to playing tennis all year round.

So, despite how popular Wimbledon is, tennis remains a fairly niche, generally summer only, sport in Britain. I'm not sure where it lies in relation to cricket, rugby and golf in terms of engagement these days but it's still a massively long way off football.

 

[clayqueen]

Tennis pretty much only exists for two weeks a year as far as the general public is concerned in Britain. It's only really during Murray's time at the top that the fact that tennis happens all year round seems to have started to catch on. When I was growing up a player making it to the third round of Wimbledon was practically cause for national celebration so it was hardly like there were any players inspiring kids to play the sport either and due to the knock-out tournament nature of tennis making it a bit of a pyramid scheme even someone as successful as Tim Henman was viewed as just a plucky loser...

Forget about reaching the 3R at Wimbledon. Do you remember this match?
2001 Wimbledon R64 Grass Pete Sampras def Barry Cowan 6-3 6-2 6-7(5) 4-6 6-3

The excitement of Barry Cowan taking Sampras to 5 sets at Wimbledon was the making of Cowan even though he lost the match. A few years ago a player from Sussex was giving an established player of the likes of Carreno-Busta a run for his money on CC at Wimbledon and the match had to be postponed to the following day. They went to Sussex to interview his parents in their garden and invited his gf to the Royal Box the next day for the completion of the match. He lost and was never heard of again.

 

[ReubenYTennis9]

Murray is over the hill I think and will be very surprised if he wins another grand slam. Edmund is the future of British tennis.
http://lastwordontennis.com/2018/02/12/kyle-edmund-is-the-future-of-british-tennis/

 

[Mainad]

Forget about reaching the 3R at Wimbledon. Do you remember this match?
2001 Wimbledon R64 Grass Pete Sampras def Barry Cowan 6-3 6-2 6-7(5) 4-6 6-3

The excitement of Barry Cowan taking Sampras to 5 sets at Wimbledon was the making of Cowan even though he lost the match. A few years ago a player from Sussex was giving an established player of the likes of Carreno-Busta a run for his money on CC at Wimbledon and the match had to be postponed to the following day. They went to Sussex to interview his parents in their garden and invited his gf to the Royal Box the next day for the completion of the match. He lost and was never heard of again.

Seems a bit of an over-reaction even by the sometimes hysterical standards of UK tennis fans for a guy like Carreno Busta, a player I doubt few of the Wimby crowd would ever have heard of! Are you sure it was against him and can you recall who this latest flash-in-the pan overhyped Brit player was by any chance?

 

[Mainad]

Murray is over the hill I think and will be very surprised if he wins another grand slam. Edmund is the future of British tennis.
http://lastwordontennis.com/2018/02/12/kyle-edmund-is-the-future-of-british-tennis/

I'm desperately hoping (and praying) Andy is not done yet but I certainly want to see Kyle succeed and make good on taking over the leadership of British men's tennis (but he needs to improve his fitness and hence his consistency first).

 

[Deleted member 756486]

Murray is over the hill I think and will be very surprised if he wins another grand slam. Edmund is the future of British tennis.
http://lastwordontennis.com/2018/02/12/kyle-edmund-is-the-future-of-british-tennis/

Ugh.
British tennis is gonna suck so much when Murray retires.

 

[Wurm]

I'm desperately hoping (and praying) Andy is not done yet but I certainly want to see Kyle succeed and make good on taking over the leadership of British men's tennis (but he needs to improve his fitness and hence his consistency first).

I don't think Murray's done yet. The indications are that it was minor surgery on his hip in the end. I reckon it's about 50/50 at this stage. Even then I don't see him getting close to #1 again. The odd Masters title and maybe one more slam might not be out of the question, though.

However, I think Murray's done if he returns and settles back into his propensity for relying too much on counter punching and scrambling. He's probably going to have to dig out the video of the first two sets of the USO '08 semi-final against Rafa where he did a bunch of s&v and net charges and remind himself that he's got the skills to play that aggressively, he just needs to commit to it full time and accept there'll be more inconsistency... otherwise I'd bet on his body going pop again within 18 months.