Say it ain’t Saudi

The news of a potential ATP, WTA and Saudi Arabia deal, has everyone talking, including the players.

The current discussions have been reported as ‘positive’ with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has made multiple investments in sports recently including in golf and football. But not all the reactions have been positive.

Much debate has been made of other sporting deals as Saudi Arabia has been heavily criticised of ‘sport-washing’ it’s human rights record. Now, several of the tennis greats and active players have come out with hesitations about the match-up.

John McEnroe and Chris Evert came out as biggest opponents of the deal with McEnroe saying “I don't know why the hell tennis would suddenly talk to the Saudis after the debacle that you're watching in golf,” and Evert backing up calls of “sportswashing.”

Djokovic has been more diplomatic, “I think from that example we can probably learn a lot, some positives, some negatives, and try to structure a deal – if it’s going in that direction – that is going to protect the integrity and tradition and history of this sport, but still be able to grow it in such way that it will be appropriate.”

Andy Murray, who has refused to play exhibitions in Saudi Arabia before, said that it would be a “different, difficult question” if the tournaments were official tour events. “When you start missing them, you obviously get penalised for that. It’s definitely something I would have to think about. Unfortunately it’s the way that a lot of sports seem to be going now,”

Women’s number one Iga Swiatek, believes that if the rumours were true and WTA was to play there that they could have an influence to change things, “I was more thinking what I can do as an individual player. For sure we as a community, I feel like we have some power, we could use that,”

Nick Kyrgios was the most optimistic about the deal 😅

Can Murray turn back the clock?

Two time champ Andy Murray says he’s in the best place he can be form wise ahead of the Wimbledon Championships.

“I do believe I'm one of the best grass-court players in the world, and I'm physically feeling really good. I prepared well, so there's no reason why I can't have a good tournament.”

There’s only one player in the draw with more experience and success on the surface than Murray, and that’s Novak. The two hit together this week on grass with Murray saying “I did well in the practice.” Murray holds a 60-12 record at Wimbledon and is the only player in the draw to have beaten Novak Djokovic at the major.

We all know that when Murray gets asked a question about Wimbledon, he doesn’t mess around, straight to the point. So don’t count him out for the final. How do you eat your strawberries at Wimbledon again Andy?

American grass triple

Two North Americans and one South American have won the final lead up grass tournaments ahead of Wimbledon.

First was N. American Madison Keys, who after 9 years since winning Eastbourne as her maiden title, and getting through an epic 15-13 tiebreaker in the second set, did it again winning this year’s Championship

Next N.American up was Chris Eubanks, who served his way to his own maiden title in Mallorca, beating inform grasscourt specialist Adrian Mannarino.

But probably the biggest surprise of all was Francisco ‘don’t feed the forehand’ Cerundolo, who captured the men’s title in Eastbourne, beating American Tommy Paul. Cerundolo, became only the second Argentine to win a grass court tournament at ATP level. Who was the other? Del Potro? Nope. Javier Frana. Who? Yes Javier Frana, former world no.30 in Nottingham, 1995.

And here we are thinking the only good Argentine player on grass was Lionel Messi 😂 

Freshly squeezed results

What were the juicy match results and upsets of the day?

ATP
Mallorca (Final) - C. Eubanks b. A. Mannarino 6-1, 6-4
Eastbourne (Final) - F. Cerundolo b. T. Paul 6-4, 1-6, 6-4

WTA
Eastbourne (Final) - M. Keys b. D. Kasatkina 6-2, 7-6
Bad Homburg (Final) - K. Siniaková b. L. Bronzetti 6-2, 7-6