Wimbledon!

[julio_montoya]

Come on people! As if there wasent a wimbledon thread already Are there any tennis fans in this forum? Im a huge fan and a good player. The Agassi-Phillipousis match should be a big one, im tipping Agassi, my brother would eventually go to the semifinal between Henman and Agassi on Tuesday. I really want Henman to win for once, hes always come so close and he deserves it so much, England would go crazy if he did.

[Henrik]

Hmm, I used to love watching Wimbledon, until they sold out the TV rights to private TV!!!! It's been years since I have no longer been able to see any matches, and so the only Grand Slam tournament I get to see is Roland Garros.

I still have great memories of Borg/McEnroe and Becker/Edberg!! Edberg was to me the the best to watch as he seemed somehow to fly!

Oh well, so much for TV rights and money....

[raptor22]

watched both finals.
What a wonderful sight seeing the 2 Williams sisters playing each other in the final. Crowd was rather muted.......

maybe this explains it

Beset by white mischief

Martin Jacques

04 July 2003 10:33

When Justine Henin-Hardenne managed to beat Serena Williams in the French Open semifinal, the American was booed every time she questioned a decision — even when she was clearly in the right. And towards the end of the match every first serve she missed was greeted with loud cheers.

Unsurprisingly, Williams was reduced to tears. At the end she was booed off, just as her sister Venus had been after her defeat by Russia's Vera Zvonareva in the fourth round.

Various explanations were offered to explain the crowd's hostility towards Serena, including support for the underdog and the number of Belgians there. Both were no doubt part of the explanation, but the most likely one — racism — barely got a mention.

The antipathy of a tennis crowd is hardly a new experience for the Williams sisters. In the semifinals of the US Open last year, the US crowd supported Amelie Mauresmo of France rather than Venus.

For the overwhelmingly white, middle-class crowd, the bond of colour clearly counted for more than the bond of nation.

During a second-round match at this year's Roland Garros — when blonde American teenager Ashley Harkleroad knocked out Daniela Hantuchova — the Eurosport commentator, a former player, excitedly declared that perhaps the US had found the women's champion it was looking for. And the Williams sisters? Sorry, wrong colour.

At the Indian Wells final in 2001 Serena was jeered the moment she appeared on court and was booed throughout. Her father, Richard, described how, as "Venus and I were walking down the stairs to our seats, people kept calling me nigger.

"One guy said, 'I wish it was 1975 [alluding to the Los Angeles race
riots ]; we'd skin you alive.'"

None of this should be surprising. Tennis is an overwhelmingly white middle-class sport, both in those who play and those who watch.

Until the Williams's emergence the only previous black grand-slam champions were Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe and Yannick Noah.

Western societies, be they European or American, are deeply racist: notwithstanding that veneer of politeness and refinement, the middle-class is certainly no exception.

Although Venus and Serena got a warm reception in their opening matches at Wimbledon, the fact is there will be few brown or black faces in the crowd, and little under-standing or sympathy for what it is like to be black from spectators, commentators or tennis reporters.

For the great majority, the sisters are from an alien world compared with their white opponents. The extraordinary thing is that this is hardly ever written or said. As race courses through the veins of tennis, people pretend it doesn't exist.

Instead the Williams sisters, together with their father, are subjected to a steady stream of criticism, denigration, accusation and innuendo: their physiques are somehow an unfair advantage (those of African descent are built differently); they are arrogant and aloof (they are proud and self-confident); they are not popular with the other players (they come from a very different culture).

And, let us not forget, there is plenty of evidence of racism among their colleagues: comments made by Martina Hingis spring to mind, not to mention the behaviour of Lleyton Hewitt towards a black linesman in last year's US Open. And Richard, a man of some genius, is painted as a ridiculous and absurd figure, match-fixer, Svengali and the rest of it.

Most racism (especially middle-class racism) is neither crude nor explicit but subtle and nuanced, masquerading as fair comment about personal qualities rather than the prejudice it is.

The achievement of the Williams sisters is towering. Coming from a black ghetto in Los Angeles riven by drugs and guns, they have scaled the heights of what their father has accurately described as a "lily-white sport", with enormous verve and skill, and in the process have dealt with the prejudice of the tennis establishment, the players, the crowds and the media with great grace and dignity.

When the Williamses arrived on the scene they rarely received support even though they were the underdogs. And, by any standards, given what and where they have come from, Venus and Serena remain just that.

Now that sport has made the transition to the mainstream of society and, by the same token, from the back to the front pages, it is not good enough to pretend it is a culture-free, value-free zone.

The ubiquity of racism in football is just beginning to get the attention it deserves. And so it should — football houses the biggest single manifestation of racism in most European societies. And the same goes for other sports. It is no longer good enough for reporters and commentators to turn a blind eye to racism. Tennis — including lily-white Wimbledon — should be no exception. — © Guardian Newspapers 2003

[Henrik]

I have no doubt that there is a certain level of racism against the Williams sisters. I can't say for the US, although I am familiar enough with the fact that racism is indeed alive and well over there, and so some of the comments made by spectators to the Williams come as no surprise, as despicable they may be. It is the sad reality.

Now I don't intend to defend the French audience in particular, but I truly beleive that the majority of the crowd that were booing Serena were not doing this due to racism, but simply a dislike for the character. As mentioned in the article, Yannick Noah is indeed a black tennis player, who was raised to god status in France ever since winning Roland Garros. No racist feelings there.

I personally do not like the Williams sisters, and am as far away from being a racist as possible. Then again, I would also have a bit more sportmanship in me than to boo any athlete, regardless of how much I dislike them (well, except M$ maybe LOL!!!).

P.S. It was great to have another Swiss victory this year! First America's Cup, and now Wimbledon!

[raptor22]

whats next??
F1??

I'll drink to that

[Topcontender]

I dunno if this has been said, but i doubt the french would ever Boo Lance Armstrong, even though he has met dubya a few times and he is from Texas.

Just like here if a frenchman won the indy 500 i doubt he would get booed

[daSilva]

I think Serena is damn sexy and the best Tennis player in the world. The best thing she can do is to keep on winning and show class while doing it!

[raptor22]

well I don't find her sexy (too muscular - I like them petite and feisty..) but I think she's one hell of a tennis player and she showed Henin a lot of courtesy after their semifinal.

Actually Armstrong has been booed, all the way up Alp'd Huez last yr and on occasion in the 2001 tour. But i think that had more to do with him not speaking out against the doctor involved in the Festina debacle.

[Henrik]

And what was that doctors name?

Hmmm, something to do with those red cars, no?

[Danny Boy]

daSilva said:

I think Serena is damn sexy and the best Tennis player in the world. The best thing she can do is to keep on winning and show class while doing it!

You have just confirmed that you can take the man out of "The North of England" but you cant take "The North of England out of the man"
For the non english here, In the South of England we are taught from an early age that "Northeners" wear goat skins, eat their young and will shag anything.

[raptor22]

tis true, i confirm that
but if you live in the north of england you will understand why they need to shag anything.......