Skyline Drifter

Still think that's under-rating Del Potro. He isn't that far behind (though he's far weaker on grass granted).

I'd be surprised if he didn't make the quarters. Depending on the draw he could easily make the semis, he will be seeded to do so after all. Unlike on clay, there aren't that many specialist grass courters lower down the draw who could blow the seeding wide open and Murray is himself decent on grass, better than he is on clay anyway, though it isn't his best surface. There's probably no Ivanisevic out there. He'll obviously be second favourite to Nadal or Federer but he couldn't meet them before the semi finals. A fit Roddick is certainly dangerous on grass as is anyone else with a big booming serve (Ivo Karlovic perhaps?). Five set specialists like Nalbandian (though way out of form) and Davydenko could also be a problem. But guys like Gonzalez and Verdasco are much less a threat to Murray on grass and should hold no great fears. Should be interesting. If Nadal is obviously having problems with the knees then Murray might not get a better chance to win Wimbledon (he'll get better chances to win at Flushing Meadow). Federer will see history opening up in front of him though and it's a long long time since anyone other than Nadal even gave him a game at Wimbledon.

Depends. It's not a mandatory counting tournament. It would count for players for whom it's one of their best "other" tournaments outside of the Grand Slam and Masters events. Last year's Queens Club points are included for Nadal for instance but not for Murray. I would imagine this year's points for Murray will be counted and replace those he won in Doha, though I'm not certain at what level Queens has been re-classified this year and it might actually not be any better than the points he got for winning in Doha. EDIT - A bit of research reveals points available for Queens this year HAVE been downgraded and Murray gets 250 for winning. That's the same as he's carrying for Doha so he's actually no better off.

Really? I thought the idea was fairly repulsive and Mrs SD was similarly inclined. There only is one pool at Cresswell so if someone is already using it when it's your time tough. You can't use it. As it happens it was available when she went into labour (induced) but we were never going to use it. I can't believe people made an obviously pregnant woman stand unnecessarily or asked one to get out of her seat on the bus!

I don't eat that much fruit and veg in an entire calendar year!

Precisely. Er no. The problem is that your analagy was absolutely ludicrous and had no relevance whatsoever. If you can't see the difference between a football match and a part of a tennis match then there's not really a lot more than can be said about it. I doubt anyone else on here thinks that's a remotely relevant analagy. And whilst I don't necessarily agree with Murray tanking the set (if he did) it's something he's discussed publicly before and conceded he's done and had done against him. It's not like it's a n unheard of tactic so I've no idea why you suddenly think it's so bizarre.

You may well be right. It doesn't change the fact your analagy was quite the worst and most completely irrelevant one I've ever seen. I still haven't stopped laughing.

That is without a shadow of a doubt the worst analagy ever. Bar none. Jesus Christ!

The notion that breaking his neck and wasting energy to save a game or two in that set would somehow achieve anything in the scheme of things is frankly laughable. It doesn't meant he wasn't up for the game. Face it the set was gone after the second break and he gave it up for what it was, a lost set. Get over it.

Not waiting for the results, no, but it wasn't a great time when they phoned shortly afterward and reduced the wife to tears by announcing that we were deemed "high risk". A little investigation subsequently revealed that "high risk" was a chance higher than 1 in 214 of there being something wrong and we had been assessed as 1 in 212 and that mainly because of her age! We could have eliminated all doubt with an amniocentesis but as it increased the risk of miscarriage we weren't having that in a month of Sundays. Not whilst the risk of there actually being anything wrong was as low as that anyway. Had it been below 1 in 20 or something we might have thought about it. Anyway, all was well that ended well on that front. Thomas is clear of all those things. So for God's sake if by any chance the results aren't wholly positive don't panic. It doesn't actually mean all that much unless it's seriously low. I'll take a 211-1 on shot any day.

I didn't see much of it (it was streaming on my pc but I wasn't paying much attention and it's difficult to see exactly what's going on with that anyway) but I'd guess when he lost a second break he probably gave it up rather than waste energy chasing it. He's done that before and people have done it against him. It's not the worst tactic ever.

Reading Saintee? And if you are including fathers me, Stewarty Mac, Pollymac and Napolean Dynamite off the top of my head without even checking back a few pages. However, can't speak for the rest but I'm not going to the Fives. EDIT - Quick check adds Half a Person to the recent dads list and Haitch and MB to the coming soon list.

You are perfectly at liberty to not be convinced by it and indeed to downright disagree with it. And like I said I'm certainly not saying that Del Potro WILL beat him just that he may well do and it's a close call, certainly not the walkover for Federer you are implying it will be. And snidey wee dig or not, my track record of predictions is better than yours lately.

To be pedantic I never said anything as definitive as "I'd make him favourite". I said I'd "almost" do so. And I stand by it. Federer's vulnerability at present was perfectly highlighted by Haas being six points from victory at the business end of the third set today and Haas is a pretty average player these days. He's certainly not as good as Del Potro. If Federer plays like that against Del Potro he will lose. Interestingly it's about a fortnight since you responded to my tipping Del Potro to knock Murray out in Madrid with this little gem: 24 hours before Del Potro beat him in straight sets I'd have thought you might refrain a little from comments about people "owning" other people's "skinny ass" on the back of that one biting you back.

Well I don't think he should be favourite but it's not hard to see why with the only player ranked above him still in the tournament two sets down at the time. He has a perceived easier run to the final than anyone in the bottom half of the draw too.

On the basis I already explained there. Nadal owned Soderling's skinny ass a few weeks ago in Rome too. Did you have a point? If Haas doesn't explode it's going to be irrelevant anyway. Two sets up on Federer already.

I'd guess it's East Stirling?

Mmm, just like Murray did before their last meeting. Del Potro is getting better all the time. Federer is heading the wrong way. I don't think it's anything like a gimme for Fed.

I certainly wouldn't rule out Del Potro on his favoured clay surface from Federer's half. I'd almost make him favourite for that if they meet.

Yes it's a "grow bag". He has three of them. One he's too big for already, that one, and one for over 6 months. we find them great and Thomas seems to like it fine. Much less hassle, no having to make sure bed covers are ok, less washing, etc. When he first came home he was swaddled like they did in hospital but he didn't like that. He likes his arms free and never really went to sleep until he worked them out and had them up either side of his face. The grow bag is ideal for that. I don't see how you could possibly slide inside it? Far less chance than of him sliding under the covers if we just used blankets. I wouldn't go past them.

The wife was determined before he was born that Thomas wouldn't be using a dummy. Ha! That idea lasted about a day after he got home. He doesn't use it that often but still sometimes to get to sleep at night.

I thought it certainly implied it and that most people would read it that way even if it's not what you actually meant. The last sentence of my previous post already acknowledged it may not actually have been what you meant.

Without especially wanting to direct the thread off topic, I'd like to again point out (as I do every time someone claims that) that Hamilton were not relegated directly as a result of the 15 point deduction and in fact the whole reason they got 15 points and not 3, 9, or 25 was precisely to place them bottom of the table but with their fate still in their own hands. It's why the SFL did what they did. Had Accies won all three remaining games after the deduction they WOULD have stayed up. So yes, the 15 points caused their relegation (and saved us) but no, they didn't directly relegate them. That may well have been what you meant but I thought I'd just clarify.

It's a very dangerous first round draw but looking deeper into it, if he can get past Chela, it's a pretty tepid draw for him and a semi final is quite feasible.

It was an exhibition match in Paris. I'm surprised Eurosport even showed it. They must have precious little else to show!