[Other Sport] Emma in the final - official thread

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Randy McNob

> > > > > > Cardiff > > > > >
Jun 13, 2020
4,725
I don't like tennis and didn't watch it. It doesn't interest me in the slightest. Growing up I kicked a ball around with my mates , none of us ever thought about playing tennis, that was for the posh kids who lived near Hove Park. Nothings really changed, kids from less privileged backgrounds don't aspire to play tennis, it's still a predominantly middle class thing and a bit elitist. Enjoying the binfest about whether she's British or not though, that's amusing.

so does Raducanu come from a priviledged background?
 


Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
I like tennis, not big hitter more aces than winning shots men’s tennis or clay (?) courts like Roland Garros, but Federer, Andy Murray type tennis and I love Wimbledon. I tend to avoid women’s tennis as it seldom thrills me and the grunting does my head in, there was none of that at all last night. Watching Emma over the last couple of weeks has been brilliant and last night’s game was, for me, the best women’s tennis match I have ever seen. Two very evenly matched players who were both in virtually every game. So many 0-30 or 0-40 or 30-0 or 40-0 games that changed around and were impossible to call. Absolutely fabulous that Emma won but it really was fantastic tennis from both players.
 


Hugo Rune

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 23, 2012
23,695
Brighton
When I was growing up, the local Rec had 8 courts and the secondary school had several too. It was just a game you played in summer; all the local kids did. That doesn't seem to happen now and it does indeed appear to have taken itself a bit "David Lloyd". Probably why we're no good at it anymore. (excepting Emma of course).

‘No good at it anymore’?

You must remember the 70’s when we had a bit more success but there were no British slam winners in the 80’s or 90’s or 00’s. When I played the game as a youngster we had Jeremy Bates and Jo Durie. Sure the later got past the quarters in four slams but my word, we were shit at tennis in this Country. To say we’re no good at it any more (looking at the 2015 Davies cup win along with Olympic or Slams for Murray & Radacanu) is absolute bonkers to be fair.
 


Poojah

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2010
1,881
Leeds
There’s a lot of truth in that. I never played tennis when I was a kid. When we had kids we enrolled them at the local tennis club because we had become a bit, well, middle class. We were put off by the obnoxious characters running the place and the final straw was our daughter and friends and coach being told to move off their courts to allow some important people on. The lady used the immortal phrase ‘I’m the club captain, don’t you know.’ We left and never went back.

It’s funny, I had almost the exact same experience as you, only of golf rather than tennis. I was eventually ‘asked to leave’ the club after having words with an old lady who turned out to be the club president, who insisted me and my mate let her play through despite the fact she was playing at a distinctly slower pace than we were. It was a very stuffy environment and you were looked down on as junior player - I never really got on with it.

I never really found that of tennis, which I played fo a pretty high level until I knacked myself after dislocating my shoulder falling down a hole pìssed up aged 17. Until that day I had always harboured perhaps unrealistic hopes of playing at Wimbledon myself one day. Would probably never have happened, but I could never really play after that stupid moment and it’s one of my great regrets.

My dad though did play at junior Wimbledon along with Virginia Wade. It was then though probably a sport for the wealthy, and my grandad had to sell his car to afford the accommodation costs - junior players were expected to be ball boys for the senior tournament and so you had to stay in London for about 3 weeks regardless of how long you lasted in the competition. He has a cracking scrap book of his time there and his training camp at Bisham Abbey.
 
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Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
I don't like tennis and didn't watch it. It doesn't interest me in the slightest. Growing up I kicked a ball around with my mates , none of us ever thought about playing tennis, that was for the posh kids who lived near Hove Park. Nothings really changed, kids from less privileged backgrounds don't aspire to play tennis, it's still a predominantly middle class thing and a bit elitist. Enjoying the binfest about whether she's British or not though, that's amusing.

I’m certainly not middle class but played tennis at school. We had grass courts and concrete courts.
 




Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
37,357
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
Christ, are we now arguing about her wealth as well as her ethnicity?

An 18 year old girl has just won a major title, having started as a qualifier, without dropping a set. THAT'S the story. It's incredible. It would be incredible if she was Royalty, if she came from Whitehawk or if she was American, Indonesian or Finnish quite frankly.

:shrug:
 






Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
Christ, are we now arguing about her wealth as well as her ethnicity?

An 18 year old girl has just won a major title, having started as a qualifier, without dropping a set. THAT'S the story. It's incredible. It would be incredible if she was Royalty, if she came from Whitehawk or if she was American, Indonesian or Finnish quite frankly.

:shrug:

You sound surprised, on NSC, really? :lolol:
 






Randy McNob

> > > > > > Cardiff > > > > >
Jun 13, 2020
4,725
Christ, are we now arguing about her wealth as well as her ethnicity?

An 18 year old girl has just won a major title, having started as a qualifier, without dropping a set. THAT'S the story. It's incredible. It would be incredible if she was Royalty, if she came from Whitehawk or if she was American, Indonesian or Finnish quite frankly.

:shrug:

There's the assertion that Tennis in Britain is a bit snobby and elitist, Raducanu certainly doesn't fit that stereotype
 


Neville's Breakfast

Well-known member
May 1, 2016
13,450
Oxton, Birkenhead
Christ, are we now arguing about her wealth as well as her ethnicity?

An 18 year old girl has just won a major title, having started as a qualifier, without dropping a set. THAT'S the story. It's incredible. It would be incredible if she was Royalty, if she came from Whitehawk or if she was American, Indonesian or Finnish quite frankly.

:shrug:

Nobody is arguing about her wealth. Someone mentioned they found tennis as a sport (not Emma) a bit elitist and I shared a similar experience from my local tennis club. Relevant only because it might serve as a disincentive for producing more fabulous tennis players like Emma. Someone else asked a question about Emma’s background and I answered it, that’s it really.
 


WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
27,779
Professional parents in the finance sector who sent their daughter to a state school, so I'm sure everyone can find something to moan about.

Only on NSC :lolol:

(And when my son was young he found Pavilion & Avenue Tennis Club to be right up their own arses, so changed to squash instead).

Emma :clap::clap::clap:
 




The Fifth Column

Lazy mug
Nov 30, 2010
4,133
Hangleton
I don't like tennis and didn't watch it. It doesn't interest me in the slightest. Growing up I kicked a ball around with my mates , none of us ever thought about playing tennis, that was for the posh kids who lived near Hove Park. Nothings really changed, kids from less privileged backgrounds don't aspire to play tennis, it's still a predominantly middle class thing and a bit elitist. Enjoying the binfest about whether she's British or not though, that's amusing.

so does Raducanu come from a priviledged background?

I've no idea but if i was a betting man I'd wager she didn't grow up on a council estate in Sheffield. The point I was making is that few kids from poor backgrounds play tennis but most kick a ball around at some stage. Middle class kids tend to play Tennis, Rugby and Cricket because mummy and daddy don't like the footballing oiks, I guess it's another reason I don't like Tennis or Rugby because it doesn't resonate with my past like football does. Strangely I love cricket but I think that has a lot to do with the Ashes and beating the Aussies. Strange world innit, the things you like or don't like. If it's your thing though that's fine but I can't imagine the Queen sending personal congrats to an 18 year old lad if he won the league title, champs league, fa Cup, World Cup etc all in his first season...
 




SK1NT

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2003
8,762
Thames Ditton
There’s a lot of truth in that. I never played tennis when I was a kid. When we had kids we enrolled them at the local tennis club because we had become a bit, well, middle class. We were put off by the obnoxious characters running the place and the final straw was our daughter and friends and coach being told to move off their courts to allow some important people on. The lady used the immortal phrase ‘I’m the club captain, don’t you know.’ We left and never went back.

My Grandad was a massive tennis fan and was a member at Angmering Tennis Club. He paid for me to have lessons at Worthing Tennis club where i was taught but Martin Lee's dad (Martin Lee ended up being GB number 3 behind Henman and Rusedski). I use to play regularly with Martin Lee from the age of 7-11. I always preferred snooker and football however i played tennis for my grandad and was pretty good. I totally stopped playing when i went to the club with my mum and step dad and they were playing and i wanted to play and a person from the club said children can't play in a derogatory manor. Barely ever played tennis again. Stuck up, pompous game.
 






Green Cross Code Man

Wunt be druv
Mar 30, 2006
20,756
Eastbourne
How come Emma didn’t flinch whilst gouging her leg on the court and drawing blood ? Perhaps a tennis fan could explain as I am used to watching footballers burst into tears at the slightest non blood drawing contact.
A very salient point. Footballers should be ashamed. But the authorities condone the play acting by taking no action.
 




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