News

‘I said sorry to Andy. He deserves to win a Grand Slam’

IAN COLE’s summary of the week in sports quotes lingers over Wimbledon, while taking in Maradona’s World Cup exit, Lance Armstrong on the Tour de France and F1’s Lewis Hamilton on his father

“I love the guy. As a player he is the best thing that has happened to tennis. I have so much respect for him” Andy Murray gushes praise for Rafa Nadal, as the Briton’s Wimbledon dream ends for another year.

“I just said sorry to Andy and wished him luck. He deserves to win a Grand Slam and I think he will very soon” Nadal proves that respect is a mutual thing where tennis is concerned.

“It is getting tougher to be the plucky Brit ” or indeed Czech ” at Wimbledon. The opposition grows stronger by the year, the pressure from a glory-hungry public and press becomes more oppressive, and Garry Richardson’s questions are getting longer” Martin Kelner in his weekly sports TV review in The Guardian.


“I don’t want to be remembered as Serena Williams the tennis player, but to be remembered for the things that tennis enabled me to do, like opening more schools in Africa” Serena Williams, the Wimbledon women’s champion.

“God, I can’t wait for Paris and Wimbledon to come round again. They have been frustrating tournaments for me. Quarters is a decent result. People think quarters is shocking, but people would die to play in the quarter-final of a Grand Slam” Roger Federer says he is not finished after his defeat to Tomas Berdych.

“I think he would have been proud to see another Stockport boy doing well at the tennis” Liam Broady, winner of the boys’ doubles with Tom Farquharson, comes from the same Manchester suburb as Fred Perry.

“Tired Gay succumbs to Dix” Reuters Athletics wire headline.

“This is the toughest moment of my life. We all had this hope, this dream. I’m totally disappointed like everybody in Argentina. Having so many great people, so many great players, this is really like a kick in the face” Diego Maradona after Argentina’s 4-0 thumping from Germany.

“So many excuses were put out. They were tired. Tired? Leeds played 60 games last season and weren’t too tired to come from behind with 10 men to beat Bristol Rovers and get promoted. Tiredness is an excuse. Maybe if they cut down their playboy lifestyles that would help give them better rest” Ken Bates, never short of a controversial word or two.

“Sports journalists are not going to like this, but I do wonder at their propensity for hyperbole. Victory is always magnificent. Defeat is always ignominious. There is so rarely any middle ground, any sense of proportion” Prof Roy Greenslade, writing on sports coverage of major events such as the World Cup and Wimbledon.

“My job is to explain that I have come to Liverpool because I want to work with people like Steven Gerrard. I’m also hoping he will have enough loyalty to the club and be interested enough to work with me. It’s a question of trying to sell myself and what I have in mind for him and hoping he buys it” Roy Hodgson, left, begins the task of rebuilding Liverpool.

“Free transfer… you can’t get cheaper than that” Jamie Redknapp offers more in-depth football analysis on the Joe Cole transfer.

“I was pretty excited to produce a 100mph ball. It’s only the third time in my career. That first over was the fastest I’ve bowled” Shaun Tait, the Australian bowler, blitzes England in the one-day international at Lord’s.

“We’re continuing to build on the relationship. Things are moving slowly. We’re letting things take their time and move naturally rather than forcing things” Lewis Hamilton has domestic issues to attend to with his dad in British Grand Prix week.

“Millions and millions of people on the road is a blessing and a curse. It’s great to have so many fans but it makes the guys super-nervous” Lance Armstrong after early pile-ups in the Tour de France.


SJA MEMBERS: Make sure your profile details are up to date in the 2011 SJA Yearbook by clicking here