It’s becoming an interesting evening of sport on the television, and on the www. A teenager scored a century for Surrey (my team) in their T20 game. (I follow T20 cricket on cricinfo.com.) And Matt Prior scored a century in less than fifteen overs for Sussex, in their game. The USA, who seem to me to have a very good team, topped their group in the soccer World Cup, by beating Algeria with a very late goal, shading England from the top spot and elminating Slovenia, whom England beat, also 1-0. And the USA did this while having what looked like two perfectly good goals disallowed, one in today’s game, and one in their game against Slovenia, which might have won that for them. Now Germany are playing Ghana, and if they don’t score, they’ll be out. Hold that. Germany have just scored. If it stays like that, Germany will, I think, play England in the next round. Yesterday, France were eliminated, when they lost to South Africa. And I’ve just heard that Australia have beaten Serbia, which means that Ghana also go through.
But I heard nothing else remotely as strange as this:
“If you’ve just joined us, do not adjust your set. It is indeed fifty five all in the final set.”
I had just joined them. It’s someone called Isner versus someone called Mahut, at Wimbledon. Goodness knows how it will end. Or when it will end. Or if it will end. It is now fifty six all.
Make that fifty seven all. Now it’s fifty eight fifty seven to Isner. Still no breaks of serve in the final set. Apparently someone called Ron Mackintosh is commentating for the BBC. And this is his very first match. Follow this mate. Follow this. Mahut has now served fifty times to stay in the match. I think he is French, by the way, and Isner is American. John McEnroe just said he feels sorry for the umpire.
Fifty eight all. They are taking a break.
LATER: It’s fifty nine all, and there’s been an appeal against the light. Play is suspended.
The longest tennis match ever played, anywhere in the world. And tomorrow it will go into its third day.
Mahut made it through qualifying, where he won one of his matches by the score of 24-22 in the final set, which seemed amazing at the time.
Truth be told, though, it’s not the greatest of tennis, since much of it is serve and serve.
And it’s nice to see that the US avoided Germany and Argentina in the knockout stages (at least unless they make the final, which would be a most delightful shock).
Here’s an interesting piece of speculation- if Australia had done well in the soccer, would Kevin Rudd still be our Prime Minister? Tell Doctor Who that here, a female ginger (gingerella? gingella?) can even be PM! all without any direct say by us, the voters. Though it is our discontent that caused the Labor Party to try something new.
. . . and there are still many of us who would rather see our TV tax spent on something interesting.
So as a counter to T20 cricket we have Test Match tennis?
I started watching this at 25 all. Sadly it was rather boring since both guys were already far too tired to play. Few rallies went beyond a couple of hits and loads of aces because the receiver was too shattered to move.
Good serving though and special admiration for someone who can scarcely stand up serving at 130+ mph!
Jannie, sport like this is usually far more interesting than the usual crap they serve up on a mid-evening, like shows about cooking, clothes, depressing “gritty” soaps and all the rest of the Chavvy, mindless rubbish on TV.
She was born in Barry, Old South Wales, not New, too Nuke. More Gavin and Stacey than Dr Who, surely? 😉
Italy are out then, tee hee! Told you they wern’t a good team, And France, oh joy unconfined!
You know I even think we can take Germany this time, but the weekend will tell…