View Full Version : WORLD TOUR FINALS, SEMI-FINAL: Andy foiled by Federer who wins 7'6(5), 6'2
supergran
11-11-2012, 23:57
I was there tonight, I thought the atmosphere was great, people cheered every good point. You could say there wasn't much support for andy but to be fair he didn't have any chances for much of the match!
The match itself, good start but his serving was very poor and his returning was maybe the worst I've ever seen it, particularly on the second serve. The fact is, every game Andy was broken he gave Fed one second serve after another. Fed played very consistently and Andy was just not good enough on the day!Sorry, but if you support Andy you do it loudly and continually throughout despite how he's playing. He needs support every game.
Message from Andy from his FBook page.........(posted here so everyone will see it)
Heading home. Would have loved to won the tournament but it's been a really great year for me. Thanks to all of you who have supported me through 2012. See you in January! Night.
Was a very tough match to be at today! There were Andy fans in the crowd but we were outnumbered! Tried so so hard to shout and cheer Andy really loud till the end but only so much we could do (me with my little union Jack flag). And as Patmoren said we tried so hard to outshout the fed fans, countering their chants and cheering for Federer (eapecially in first set)
Up until federer broke back it wasn't too bad. Andy perhaps had half or a bit more
Of the support. Then suddenly the Swiss flags came out of nowhere and took over! Then came the disrespect too! Shouting out at bad times, cheering an clapping or shouting support of faults. And the worse was booing Andy for changing his racket. Was disgusting. Horrible to be in the crowd let alone be Andy listening to that :(
Such a pity that the true fans who were there will not be remembered apart from being in that horrid crowd
Yes andy's serving wasn't at its best and he had his chances but the fact is that I was more upset at the crowd than at the loss. He'll be back am sure! #alwaysbelieve
Xe - Sorry you had a bad experience with the crowd, must have been very frustrating. :grouphug:
I believe that if Andy had been playing any other player this would not have happened. There would have been more support for Andy. Fed fans seem to be a breed of their own, much the same as Fed is!!!! We can't fathom why any Brit would support anyone other than Andy but I guess there are those out there that do. :shrug:
These Fed fans probably don't have the stomach for the murraycoasters. :coaster:
Let's face it you have to be tough to be a true Andy fan but to me that is part of the enjoyment. I would have got bored with Fed a long while ago when he was continually winning but that is what some people like. Some even change teams when there team keeps losing, something else I can't fathom. :shocked:
The crowd seemed to be very loud for Andy initially but then it became muted when Fed got his act together and his supporters got louder. Fed was the better player today and deserved to win.
Andy has had a fantastic year and I hope he doesn't dwell on this and the crowd reaction but has a break before training for next year. :surfing:
Roll on Australia. :skippy:
It seems to me the ignorant or dispassionate British tennis fans, many of whom have probably come just to see the Legend and not Andy, have short memories - gold, silver and Slam victories all forgotten when Fed does his thing!
Obviously I was desperate for Andy to win, but the way he looked (utterly exhausted), I'm not sure he would have had the energy for another battle with Novak even if he'd managed to come through this one.
Next year should be very interesting. Lots of work to be done in the off-season as although Andy has improved so much this year, there's still a lot more to come.
Can't believe the booing, ashamed to be British (but then I often am); critics say he's anti-English but on a showing like this, who can blame him? Couldn't watch it (no sky) but from the snippets on the news this morning, he looked spent; all of them are tired but they look fresher than Andy - possibly the emotions of the year have taken their toll on him - know he will be upset by his poor showing and the crowd reaction (unfortunately the Olympic crowd support was a one off) - so plenty to work on. But first a well deserved break from tennis, a holiday and then onwards and upwards in 2013.Don't dwell on it Andy, you've had a great year and we're all so proud of you! Hope Federer gets stuffed today!
But not in this country; I always said his best chance for a grand slam was US or Australian, both places where he has excellent support. Unfortunately, the Olympic support won't come again and I think the stress at Wimbledon will always get to him. Anyway, a well deserved successful 2012 and lots to look forward to in 2013.
I agree the Fed fans were appallingly badly behaved - even Mr P commented about them cheering Andy's mistakes. BUT that's their behaviour and we can criticise that. I truly do not understand this idea that you have to support a tennis player because of his nationality. Mr P supports Southampton football team..........he doesn't suddenly support Cardiff City just because Southampton are playing in Cardiff. Tennis - other than something like the Olympics - IMHO, is not about the nationality of a player, it's about who you support personally; whose tennis sends shivers down your spine;whose personality you love or hate. You can't change that simply because of a venue - sorry but you can't and again, IMHO you shouldn't. Andy and Roger were playing for themselves last night, not their country. I NEVER supported Tim Henman. I spent years supporting McEnroe and that would have been the same no matter who came along from Britain UNLESS their tennis had grabbed me more than his.
If I were Swiss and liked Andy - would I be expected to support Fed at the O2 or even in Basle???? I think not. How can you change how you feel? People on here clearly can't as regards Andy and why should they............so.............
Soap box put away until 2013 :getcoat:
millypops
12-11-2012, 08:31
Now I know why I didn't apply for tickets for the O2 , I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the crowd booing when Andy had to change his rackets, say what you like about the Wimbledon crowd and there have been some negative comments on here, but that would have never had happened there,
message from andy from his fbook page.........heading home. Would have loved to won the tournament but it's been a really great year for me. Thanks to all of you who have supported me through 2012. See you in january! Night(posted here so everyone will see it)is it me or is that phrasing very telling?
supergran
12-11-2012, 10:00
is it me or is that phrasing very telling?Read that J and strangely felt the same and then thought I was reading too much in it....glad you thought that.
I tell you what shocked me - a tweet from Ella Ling, also on the (lack of) support, but apparently Fed-supporting Scottish fans sat behind them.
Now I am not suggesting for one minute that there is some god-given obligation for Brits to support Andy, and heaven knows I had at least 2 Glasgow cabbies slagging Andy off as a no-hoper when I was up for DC last year.
But it does cast an interesting light on the whole (thoroughly yawnsome) English hate him, Scots love him debate...
I have two friends who are Fed fans but do also support Andy. I have never bothered to ask them where their allegiances lie when they play each other because I don't really care. I know who I support, and that's what counts for me.
I am more interested in how he and Lendl build on this stratospheric year in terms of his career gains.
pippadaisy
12-11-2012, 10:46
interesting take we all have on the crowd last night
I agree that we cannot expect all at the 02 to support our Andy and i say OUR Andy cause thats
the way it feels to me (true supporters i mean by that not cause hes Scottish) , i would also not expect people to change their allegance
What i would expect would be respect for the other player no matter who they are
I would not dream of booing , clapping mistakes or double faults at a tournament not even Feds, bad sportsmansip IMO
One of my aforementioned tennis acquaintances once punched me v hard in the arm in the pub after journo school when Fed was up against Nole somewhere and I commented "Ajde, Nole, Ajde"... there is no accounting for some fans!
I'd like to think none of us have been compelled to physical violence...!
Read that J and strangely felt the same and then thought I was reading too much in it....glad you thought that.
I thought that too, J and SG, and I also thought that the crowd really got to Andy last night. Had it been in Paris and the crowd had been fiercely partisan and booing he would have thrived on it - it would have put fire in his belly - but this was London and I felt the hostility was on a scale he had never encountered before. I think he genuinely thought that this summer he had a last won over the British public - be they English, Scots, Welsh or whatever - and it must have been very disappointing for him to realise that nothing has changed. I appreciate what you are saying about supporting your player wherever they are playing, Pabbers, but you can do that without being actively hostile towards the opponent. To me it felt like the Coliseum with the crowd baying for blood and left a very nasty taste in my mouth. Such a shame for Andy to finish his wonderful season on such a sour note - not because of the loss but because of the manner of it.
Madeline
12-11-2012, 11:08
I've just read this thread through this morning - I was too gutted to do it last night, I just turned the computer off when Andy lost - and somewhere in it somebody was asking about tennistv. I can't find it now. Well, I have had tennistv for several years and I love it. I get no buffering (although isn't some of that to do with the capabilities of your computer?), the commentators are usually good, and you can rewind the stream to watch a match later (as long as the stream is still alive). If not they have something called "catch-up" which lets you follow a match much later - I've never needed to try that, so I'm not sure how many matches are available.
As somebody who doesn't have Sky or Eurovision, and would have trouble wresting the tv from the other half if I did, I can thoroughly recommend tennistv.
I tell you what shocked me - a tweet from Ella Ling, also on the (lack of) support, but apparently Fed-supporting Scottish fans sat behind them.
Now I am not suggesting for one minute that there is some god-given obligation for Brits to support Andy, and heaven knows I had at least 2 Glasgow cabbies slagging Andy off as a no-hoper when I was up for DC last year.
But it does cast an interesting light on the whole (thoroughly yawnsome) English hate him, Scots love him debate...
I have two friends who are Fed fans but do also support Andy. I have never bothered to ask them where their allegiances lie when they play each other because I don't really care. I know who I support, and that's what counts for me.
I am more interested in how he and Lendl build on this stratospheric year in terms of his career gains.just a thought, but if a scot dislikes Andy because he is arrogant,dour whatever dose that make them just as bad as someone who dislike him for his nationality ? lets swap andy for say Anton Ferdinand is it ok then to dislike him for the colour of his skin because there will be some black people oot there who dislike him because he is arrogant dour whatever
just because not all scots like andy dosnt give cart Blanche to little englanders to be so disrespectful to Andy just because of his race/nationality
pippadaisy
12-11-2012, 11:20
I've just read this thread through this morning - I was too gutted to do it last night, I just turned the computer off when Andy lost - and somewhere in it somebody was asking about tennistv. I can't find it now. Well, I have had tennistv for several years and I love it. I get no buffering (although isn't some of that to do with the capabilities of your computer?), the commentators are usually good, and you can rewind the stream to watch a match later (as long as the stream is still alive). If not they have something called "catch-up" which lets you follow a match much later - I've never needed to try that, so I'm not sure how many matches are available.
As somebody who doesn't have Sky or Eurovision, and would have trouble wresting the tv from the other half if I did, I can thoroughly recommend tennistv.
Thanks for that Madeline it was me asking about tennis tv
did wonder if the buffering was due to internet connection as we have recently changed provider and I can't remember it being so bad before,
wouldn't want to pay for tennis tv to find it did the same
unfortunately dont get sky sports, not worth it as cant always guarantee which sky chanell it will be on and hubby not a sports fan at all
we are limited for choice as dont get fibre optic or cable will see how next streams work out then decide i think
here is how real supporters support
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xuym3w_ambient-a-celtic-park-celtic-fc-vs-fc-barcelona-hd-16-9-07-11-2012_sport?start=8
Tie-break
12-11-2012, 11:41
I hope that the positive way Andy talked after the match really matches his mood. He has so much to be proud of this year and I so want him to feel that, buiild on it and look forward to 2013.
I switched off the moment Roger won last night because I was so disgusted by the crowd - if I'd heard any more booing I don't know what I would have done... Judging by comments on the radio this morning even some commentators found it distasteful. What's to be done? I just hope I've calmed down about it by the time the tennis season starts next year.
Here is another vote for tennistv, which has increased coverage a lot since I subscribed two or three years ago. I just wish they also covered doubles!
How much does Tennis TV cost and how do you go about it?
Tie-break
12-11-2012, 12:22
Alis
There are subscription details on tennistv.com You can pay £13.99 a month or £84.95 for the whole year (I started with a 'gift' subscription from my brother when it was £45!). I think it is worth it because (for me) buffering problems are a thing of the past. They are now showing more of 500 tournaments and also some 250's (which I think accounts for some of the price hike. No slams, of course.
Just read through the thread. Very disappointed for Andy but he has had a great year. Feel more for him over the booing thing. I could not believe my ears and cannot believe he didn't notice that at his 'home' tournament.
I agree that tennis fans support their favourites for their play / personality not where they are from BUT the thing is tournaments as big as this one have plenty of people going for the spectacle and because it is a prestigious sporting event and not beacuse they are avid tennis fans. I would expect more of those people to support their home player!
However, I suppose the opposite also applies to someone as globally well known as Fed. People will cheer him wherever he is in the world, like it or not. I suspect that some of the casual attenders will have got caught up with the fedfans' fanaticism and just decided to go with the flow. Like it or not, those who shout loudest create the flow of the atmosphere and Andy's real fans there were outnumbered.
The most upsetting thing is not the non support, we can all sit there and just not clap or shout out for who we are not supporting, but the blatant and loud negative energy towards Andy at his 'home' tournament is what I have a problem with!! I was there for the Ferru / Fed match and cheered my heart out. There was more support for Fed but I wasn'rt surprised by that as Ferru is not British. there was not booing though or applauding DFs etc. Unfortunately we can't make people love Andy so we just have to love and support him all the more!
Once our Andy had lost the tiebreak I switched off - it was not an enjoyable match to watch. I cannot really judge the crowd since I was not in the Arena but just got an impression of overwhelming support for Fed. What makes it worse is that Fed when interviewed after receiving the Fans Favourite Award said that his fans are supportive of all players as well as himself. :shocked: Yes his fans support those players that Fed has no trouble in defeating.
No surprise really - he has great support wherever he plays. Last night is a marked contrast to the tremendous support given to French players at the recent Paris Masters - Andy could have done with that kind of support especially the drummer who was at every match in which a French player was playing.
I hope that Andy is not feeling too bad and focus now on having some quality time with Kim, his family and friends and then prepare himself for the challenges of next year.
Very best wishes to Andy and congratulations on an amazing year. We are very proud of him.
In the meantime hope Nole plays his best tennis to win the WTFs.
wriggles
12-11-2012, 13:38
im still wound up by it all no matter how rational the explanations given..andy opened his heart to the public this summer and they crushed it...i think we all were lulled into this this too but now that door is closed..im back in defence mode and under no illusion now that andy will ever be the darling of tennis no matter how many slams he wins..he just doesnt fit the mold, just like llendl didnt...and i love him for it! to be adored by these imbeciles in the uk he would have to be someone completely different, most likely from somewhere else in europe!
the only thing that can console me now is a straight sets novak victory lol
LC the fan
12-11-2012, 14:47
Why is everyone so surprised at the Fed fans ? On tuesday they were an outrageously behaved ignorant lot who made themselves felt - aggravatingly so - all through the match and especially at the changeovers.
Are they tennis fans ? I suppose so but it made me think they are just publicity seeking individuals who have supported Fed because there has always been a good chance he'd do well. Sorry - no fan should boo unless behaviour is obviously out of order - like perhaps querying a few drops of rain on a court as unsafe ?????
I felt sad for Andy - he was obviously spent - but then he did cut short his summer training programme and it is probably telling. I must say in the second set its the worst I've seen him return and second serve for a long time.
Ah well - on to a positive and even better 2013
I think most people are actually agreeing with the point I made - that it's the Fed fans' behaviour that's at issue and not that the majority there may have been Fed fans. Booing a player and cheering his errors is just sheer ignorance and out of order behaviour IMHO. BUT had they simply outnumbered and outcheered the Andy fans more generally and at appropriate moments, well I think that can hardly be cause for complaint.
I have e-mailed Sky Sports to express my concern at the hostile astmosphere in the auditorium last night and my concern too that no comment was made about the booing by the commentators. By not condemning in they are condoning it in my view. Not the way I would like to see the future of tennis in this country or anywhere else.
Madeline
12-11-2012, 15:53
True - it's not as if the entire crowd were booing - it was the very vocal fervent Fed fans, and those who support Fed because they are glory-hunters.
Edit - in response to Pabbers' post.
I have e-mailed Sky Sports to express my concern at the hostile astmosphere in the auditorium last night and my concern too that no comment was made about the booing by the commentators. By not condemning in they are condoing it in my view. Not the way I would like to see the future of tennis in this country or anywhere else.
Actually they did comment on it. Annabel, who I am not normally a fan of, mentioned it more than once.
Oh well, I guess we should move on. I'm sure Andy will. Here's to 2013 everyone :wino: :coaster: :yak: and most important of all :trophy:
jeannie13
12-11-2012, 16:04
I've only just felt able to comment as I was so upset by the treatment of Andy by many of the crowd last night- many of them British. It took me ages to get to sleep! My heart went out to Andy-he must be hurt by the lack of support in his own country. He is such a fine young man-I was touched by the fact that he had a poppy emblem on his shirt & wore a poppy at all his interviews all week. I noticed that Ivan wore one in the player box -also Kim.
People have a right to support who they wish, but not in such an aggressive & bad-mannered way- booing is unacceptable at any time towards anyone. Many of the crowd showed ignorance & some of them spite-did Tim Henman ever get treated like this?
Andy has had a wonderful year--I'm so proud of him & hope he will win more slams next year - 2 at least!!
Now I hope Novak thrashes smugfed tonight.
I've felt so depressed all day---I need something to cheer me up.!!!
:hug: Jeannie. I know how you feel. The fact that it was his last match of the season makes it worse somehow.
On a more positive note Patmoren said there were plenty of Andy Supporters where she was sitting so he does have a few of us ;)
Actually they did comment on it. Annabel, who I am not normally a fan of, mentioned it more than once.
Oh well, I guess we should move on. I'm sure Andy will. Here's to 2013 everyone :wino: :coaster: :yak: and most important of all :trophy:
Thank you Caro - if Annabel condemned the booing she has certainly gone up in my estimation. I thought she had merely commented on the level of the Federer support but I'm glad if I'm wrong.
This is the fourth year the ATP Tour finals have been held at the O2 and never before has there been such a discussion and reaction to the support or lack of, Andy has received especially when we'd been lead to believe this would be a glorious homecoming after the fantastic achievements of the previous 3 months, it was anything but. It shouldn't be explained away as Federer fans outnumbering Andy fans. In what was a predominantly a British audience it shouldn't be unreasonable for them to give the home player the respect he deserves. It's often said that tennis is the sport for people who don't like sport and there's much truth in that. Federer attracts and encourages a cult following who seem devoid of any sense of reason or fair play. Djokovic also seems to be heading that way given the interaction with his fans. Andy is never going to be like this (thank goodness) he thanks his fans for their support, Djokovic thanks his fans for their love.
I think most people are actually agreeing with the point I made - that it's the Fed fans' behaviour that's at issue and not that the majority there may have been Fed fans. Booing a player and cheering his errors is just sheer ignorance and out of order behaviour IMHO. BUT had they simply outnumbered and outcheered the Andy fans more generally and at appropriate moments, well I think that can hardly be cause for complaint.
exactly - people are free to support any player they like - but they should not be booing/disrespecting/trying to put off the opponent.
LC the fan
12-11-2012, 17:24
I cant help feeling there's been an over-reaction here. I was there on tuesday and Andy was cheered to the rafters, both when he came out and during the match. But then he was fighting Novak point for point and the crowd, while applauding every good shot of Novaks, were clearly behind Andy and willing him on. In all fairness during the second set last night the match was pretty dull and there wasn't too many chances to will Andy on - he was not really too near breaking Fed in any way.
I dont think we should get carried away with 'British crowds never support Andy' that just isn't the case
It's the Fed fans that we are complaining about LC - the behaviour of some of them last night was absolutely disgraceful.
I like the idea of Steven's tweet
Steven @GBtennis
We shouldn't moan re how loud Fed fans are, just resolving to be there en masse next year making even more noise than them! It'll be fun :-)
The Slice @TheSliceTweets
Kevin Spacey front row for Federer vs. Murray. FYI, he starred in a movie called "The Men Who Stare at GOATs." #finalshowdown
:rolling:
I do hope Andy reads this forum and knows just how fervent and loyal his true fans are. As for Novak, it is well known that he and Fed are not best buddies and personally I don't get the feeling that his fans are anti-Andy in the same way that Fed's are.
I am wondering now how Fed's popularity stands amongst the players? I know he and Tim were good friends (as were Tim and Sampras) but we don't hear much about friendships with others in the locker room, whereas we do know Andy is close to the Spanish players as well as Novak. I don't want to appear overly anti-Fed but I often wonder when seeing him interviewed exactly who the real Federer is? Does he actually revel in the idolatry of the so-called fans who follow him worldwide? I would like to think he may have been embarrassed by the rudeness of the O2 crowd last night and how nice it would have been had he spoken out in defence of Andy...
I think you are being far too charitable Reef. I would say that Fed absolutely revels in the idolatory of his fans. He thanked them for their support last night - I'm sure he wasn't in the least embarrassed.
I do hope Andy reads this forum and knows just how fervent and loyal his true fans are. As for Novak, it is well known that he and Fed are not best buddies and personally I don't get the feeling that his fans are anti-Andy in the same way that Fed's are.
I am wondering now how Fed's popularity stands amongst the players? I know he and Tim were good friends (as were Tim and Sampras) but we don't hear much about friendships with others in the locker room, whereas we do know Andy is close to the Spanish players as well as Novak. I don't want to appear overly anti-Fed but I often wonder when seeing him interviewed exactly who the real Federer is? Does he actually revel in the idolatry of the so-called fans who follow him worldwide? I would like to think he may have been embarrassed by the rudeness of the O2 crowd last night and how nice it would have been had he spoken out in defence of Andy...
Don't hold your breath.
Can't deny Fed is one of the best and most successful players ever, but as far as personality is concerned, I can't see anything at all remotely likeable.
david1610
12-11-2012, 19:24
Back to the match itself
Andy had a 47% first serve percentage in the match, 49% in the first set. Fed had 54% in the match and 56% first set. As I always mention, Brad years ago said that the better server on the day tends to win their matches and although Andy has greatly improved since then, if he does not get enough easy points on serve then it is tricky to beat Fed. If somebody has the better stats like that next time, I would expect that person to win.
I also feel if Andy could keep his concentration going for a tad longer, sometimes just a couple more points it would make a difference. Those Federer love service games when he was in his prime where he keeps the concentration on 40-0 to hold to love and has held in no time at all. Not to mention where there is an early service break and no service wobble. Andy sometimes seems to take his foot off the gas at 40-0, then 40-15, a bit of pressure, a drop shot goes wrong and suddenly an easy game has lots of pressure.
Andy was so close to a double break in the first set
As regards the noise I really would like to hear more first hand accounts. The other day on 606 footy phone in somebody stated that fans of one club had whistled during a minute's silence. Another caller rang to say they had not, but people coming in unware of the minute's silence had made noise. It was pointed out that it only takes a few people to give that impression. I wonder if we are talking about a few people here or .... what? I also wonder how much it influenced Andy.
Hopefully he will be ready for it next time. Anyway, Australia and the US love him and if he is sensible, as he seems to have indicated recently, and ignores the lure of the Dubai appearance money and stays in the States after the AO, he could spend most of the hard court pre-clay season in environments where he is appreciated! And get enough points e.g. at the Memphis 500, up the road so to speak from Miami (well, no continental flights at any rate).
Have a good rest Andy and spoil Kim rotten in terms of attention. Her time for a while! :)
banskogirl
12-11-2012, 19:53
I have felt awful today thinking of how Andy's game changed at the end of the first set. I have never had time for Annabel but when she is feeling sorry for Andy something is up! She was very verbal about the booing and how she was sure it was bound to affect Andy's game, she said it almost lifted the roof. I hope it was worse from where she was sitting and that wasn't what deflated him, but it did seem after it that he had no heart in it. As someone has said, I hope Andy gets a wee peek at the forum and remembers how many people are behind him. Andy we are so proud of you :) what a great year! US Open Champion AND Olympic Silver and GOLDThis year is yours, nobody else's!
As regards the noise I really would like to hear more first hand accounts. The other day on 606 footy phone in somebody stated that fans of one club had whistled during a minute's silence. Another caller rang to say they had not, but people coming in unware of the minute's silence had made noise. It was pointed out that it only takes a few people to give that impression. I wonder if we are talking about a few people here or .... what? I also wonder how much it influenced Andy.
If you look on twitter there are lots of tweets, some of whom are peeps you may know from the forum. Also some of the journos were there and twittering about it. Plus some of the newspaper articles mentioned it.
I felt so sad that Andy was booed. I only watched the tiebreak and livescored the rest, as I'm still on a pay-as-you-go-dongle (I'm supposed to be getting broadband later this week). I wonder if that (the booing) is why he fell apart in the second? Poor Andy :crying: I hate Fedfans.
RoastLamb
12-11-2012, 20:04
Forgive me but what on earth is a dongle?
banskogirl
12-11-2012, 20:11
Forgive me but what on earth is a dongle?
:rolling:
banskogirl
12-11-2012, 20:13
Sorry every now and again I use the 'dongle' word to confuse my husband!
Why is everyone so surprised at the Fed fans ? On tuesday they were an outrageously behaved ignorant lot who made themselves felt - aggravatingly so - all through the match and especially at the changeovers.
I think that the targetting of 'Fed Fans' en masse is a little unfair.
There are plenty of them who wouldn't dream of being the aggressive, ignorant type being portrayed.
There is what I'd call the 'Man Utd' effect here. Man Utd are of course a very popular football team. Their support base does however contain what might be called a more casual support base - the glory hunters, who just back the biggest names.
This is what happens here.
But that doesn't mean that there is not a strong support base for the guy, from people who follow tennis closely - and also appreciate Andy too.
I've already said my piece on this forum about the crowds at O2 this year - I've been really disappointed in them. I deleted my post because i felt that I was having an angry rant. And I don't like to do that online.
I saw the tweet of Steven's that cazza posted here - and I think that the spirit of it is absolutely right. Get behind the player that you believe in, cheer them on, back them to the hilt, and when the contest is over, celebrate victory or commiserate defeat. But always be respectful towards their opponents - don't stoop to the level of the obnoxious minority.
I was at both of Andy and Roger's previous matches at the O2 - in 2009 and 2010. At both of those matches, there were loads of Saltires on display, a few Union Jacks too, amongst the Swiss flags. Also, there was not a shred of the behaviour that was on display last night from those backing Federer. I shall repeat what I did say in my deleted post - I have been to many countries to watch tennis - and had never experienced such disrespectful crowds as at the O2 this week.
When I saw Andy play Berdych earlier this week, I was really surprised at how few Saltires there were. I saw maybe 1, or 2. It was very odd.
I don't like the booing element either. Many of the French crowd do it for fun, funnily enough. It was strange witnessing it first-hand. It can sound pretty hostile on the TV but many had smiles on their faces when they did it!
What also does sadden me is that whenever comments are opened up on Newspaper sites about Andy, there is all too often a mudslinging match about that old chestnut - Scotland/ England. The Guardian thread on it today is a disgrace! Sadly the ire of the footie crowd is deeply tribal and might take a long time to diffuse - if it does at all.
On the upside, I really enjoyed Andy's column on the bbc site today. I suspect that most of it was written before the World Tour Finals, with a minor tweak at the end. In it, he mentioned that he is looking forward to locking horns with Roger again next year.
And that raises one final thought about the match itself. The winner of matches between these two - whether best of 3 or best of 5 sets - is simply whoever plays more of their 'A' game on the day. Andy is categorically one of a very select few who can claim that against Roger - or Nole, for that matter. As Roger himself said in the post-match interview, Andy has had a stellar year. He has categorically cemented his status as a superstar of the game after the year that he has had - and has a future even brighter than at this stage last year.
Plenty to celebrate and look forward to, then.
Forgive me but what on earth is a dongle?
http://www.broadband-expert.co.uk/dongle/
I think you are being far too charitable Reef. I would say that Fed absolutely revels in the idolatory of his fans. He thanked them for their support last night - I'm sure he wasn't in the least embarrassed.
I couldn't bear to watch his interviiew so didn't see that and yes I was trying to be as fair as possible but really I have to say I agree with your comments!
Re. David's match comments - I also worry that Andy loses concentration sometimes at important moments and in those moments a match can turn. Whether it's simply due to mental and/or physical tiredness I don't know but something to work on. I often think he just has too many options and maybe confuses himself.
According to an article by Mark Hodgkinson, the Swiss had made some block bookings well in advance of the tournament.
Tennis Space (http://www.thetennisspace.com/why-andy-murray-should-win-the-bbc-award/) - Why Andy Murray is the sports personality of the year
Because it would annoy all the ‘Anyone but Murray’ jihadists (there is no more tiresome group in sport). ....... Ignore what happened at The O2 the other day, during Murray’s match against Roger Federer at the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Yes, there was some light booing of Murray, and the crowd favoured Federer, but, according to executives at the tournament, that was because the Swiss tennis public had block-bought tickets months in advance. .....
Sallydaisy
13-12-2012, 23:53
because the Swiss tennis public had block-bought tickets months in advance. .....
If they can do it so can the British fans next year .......
:p
supergran
13-12-2012, 23:56
Sorry, only just got round to reading all these. I must have been busy....going to funerals!!;)
I was at this match and was appalled at the treatment that Andy was getting from the crowd. We were surrounded by Fed fans who were mostly English and Scottish! We had a Scottish couple sitting next to us dressed in Swiss colours. We were chatting before the match and I asked her who they were shouting for at the Olympics? REPLY- Federer. OUCH
At the change of ends after the first game, Andy walked all the way around the net to avoid passing Fed at the change over. I've NEVER seen Andy do that before in a match.
Then the booing, it was just awful to be surrounded by Brits booing Andy. My sister and I were so disgusted and felt very uncomfortable that whole match. My sister is a 3 time Olympic athlete, I asked her how she would feel if she was being booed by the home crowd. Me and my big mouth, she had to leave and go have a wee greet.
My sister flew home early leaving me with an extra ticket for the finals and semis. Quick phone call and one of my friends flies down from Carlisle. We head out and buy Serbian flags! Our tickets were front row in the opposite corner from where the players come out. It's one of the few places you can hang a flag in the O2 because there's no advertising underneath.
The final. We are surrounded by the colour red and very loud Fed fans. We hang our 2 Serbian flags over the railings and get ready for battle. There were quite a few of the same people that were at the Murray match there. I have to say, we spent the day sight seeing, London Eye, and the clipper up and down the river, then something to eat with a bottle of wine before we headed to the O2, we were a wee bit tipsy, we also had a few beers when we got inside.
The players family and friends come out from the same side of the court accept the other corner. Novak's mum and dad weren't there because of his dads ill health. Vika and Jelana give us a wave as we're in full voice, wooohooo. We both had Game Set Murray shirts on with Serbian flags, lol
Fed came out first, and what did he do? He sits in Novak's seat, that's the seat closest to the corner the players come out from. Novak walks out, looks at Fed, then looks at the Ump and shakes his head. He can't really say anything as he's got a 4 year old kid in his hand.
Game on and we have a few more beers during the match, needless to say we were really loud and the folks in red were not liking it at all. Novak's team are sitting about 30 yards from us and laughing their heads off as they hear us shouting for Noel during the match. Our shouting starts to inspire a few other Noel fans that I think were too embarrassed, or maybe scared to shout because of the huge support for Fed.
We all know what happened, Novak wins and we wake up with a hangover. ;)
I felt I had to share this story with you guys. Most of you know that I have followed Andy since he was a junior. I was never a tennis fan until I saw this skinny Scottish red head kid fist pumping at the age of 14. I knew he was special!!
Federer, showing his true colours today, class? Classless!!
P.S It was unexpected, but nice to meet some other forum members at the O2 ;) You know who you are……..
:thanks:So much for sharing.....:thumbup:
Sallydaisy
25-01-2013, 22:57
Scooter - thanks so much for sharing your story. What a shame your sister was upset.
:sad:
Particularly I'm glad you posted this ...
We had a Scottish couple sitting next to us dressed in Swiss colours. We were chatting before the match and I asked her who they were shouting for at the Olympics? REPLY- Federer. OUCH
Ouch indeed. I imagine that came as quite a shock. But I have to say I'm reassured to know that because there have been numerous occasions when it's been suggested that it's the 'english' in the crowd who've been rooting for Federer against Andy and your anecdote indicates that isn't always the case. I truly don't have an axe to grind but as an ENGLISH born person, with no Scottish blood whatsoever, it becomes a bit tedious that a sector of the UK seems to think we're incapable of supporting Andy as fervently as his home nation.
I think part of the problem is that tennis isn't regarded as a mainstream sport. So, it gets less coverage and genuine tennis fans have to battle to watch it - easier with the internet. As a result most people who love watching tennis are interested in the game itself and those players who they believe best represent it. When Fed was winning all those Slams he was regarded by everyone in the tennis world as the business and that view permeated out via tennis professionals and the commentators. Unfortunately, for those not connected to the game or who are casual fans they're only seeing the back end of tournaments shown 'live' on TV and Federer featured large in the 2000s. It takes dedicated bods like us to source internet coverage and become aware of the amount of tournaments that exist in the sport.
Federer's career stretches back to 2003 when he really hit the heights of the game and appeared everywhere and won everything - partly because the competition at the top was sparse. So, a lot of tennis fans followed him because he epitomised the game at the time and they have continued to have him as their favourite. This is despite having 2 Brits in contention at the time in the form of Henman and Rusedski and I know many people in the country who preferred to support Fed instead of either of them!
Also, because he had so much success at the Slams he was shown on British TV a lot; many people probably thought he was the only player on the planet!!! Mostly that was at Wimbledon but at one time (yeah, really this happened) the BBC used to show quite a lot more of the Australian Open, the French and the USO - and far more than they do now. His reputation built up, as did his fan base, and in fairness to Roger he has not only performed exceptionally well but he's still reaching Slam Semi's 10 years later.
But it's the size of his fanbase that is staggering - and they are very organised.
We think it's good if we get 20/30/40 forum members at a DC event travelling from all over the UK.
Roger's fans organise buses from loads of towns when he's playing in Europe - they even have their own minibuses - and they co-ordinate meeting up so they look like big groups no matter where they are. So, it's no surprise that they monopolise the crowd when he is playing and to an extent that, at the time of writing, no other players fanbase does.
Also, and I'm sorry to rabbit on, you have to remember that events in London are easily accessible to tennis fans across Europe. That means it is very easy for bunches of Fedfans to come to the WTF/Wimbledon from Switzerland and support their man. I've seen lots of people on twitter suggest that it's British fans supporting Roger when quite often they're from across Europe.
Tennis is an international sport (witness to that is Davis Cup having the biggest country participation of any sport in the world) and everyone is entitled to have their favourites and support them. At the moment I'd say Federer still has way more supporters than Djokovic, Nadal and Murray ... but that is soon to change.
*Gulp*
I probably shouldn't have had a glass or three of wine before making this post ...
:getcoat:
I hear you. I just don't like it when Andy plays Fed. I feel there's a lack of respect from both of them. I can't wait for Fed to retire TBH. And I can't wait for Rafa to come home.
I think we're all waiting for Roger to retire! :rolling:
Thanks for your blog post, Scooter. :) Fed fans are very loud and very obsessed - a couple of years ago I was sitting watching him (cheering for the other player, of course, which happened to be Tsonga) and a man behind me kept shouting at the top of his voice 'You're a genius, Roger!' - this despite the fact that his idol was losing :lol:
I can't wait to see Rafa playing again, either. Not long to wait now!
Sallydaisy
25-01-2013, 23:15
You don't have long to wait for Rafa's return ...
;)
I just don't like it when Andy plays Fed. I feel there's a lack of respect from both of them.
Federer sure brings out the combative side of Andy 100% - and has done since their first encounter when the 18yr old took on the master in Bangkok and nearly won! Have to say that today even though I had faith that Andy would win there were still moments when it could have gone either way - until we got to the 5th set.
Are you going to the WTF's this year?
We have been to very ATP final, will be there again this year. We have it pretty sussed now, lol We stay at the Hilton @ Canary Wharf, an all day ticket on the clipper is £12, great deal. It can be quite manic with 2 sessions each day. We almost went to OZ, my health let me down :(
Were you at the finals last year with that daft pink or purple wig on? If so, I pointed you out to my sis.....
Sallydaisy
25-01-2013, 23:36
We have been to very ATP final, will be there again this year. We have it pretty sussed now, lol We stay at the Hilton @ Canary Wharf, an all day ticket on the clipper is £12, great deal. It can be quite manic with 2 sessions each day. We almost went to OZ, my health let me down :(
Sorry to hear about that ... are you on the mend?
Were you at the finals last year with that daft pink or purple wig on? If so, I pointed you out to my sis.....
:rolling:
The wig was BLUE for bonny Scotland!
:p
erm, and no I wasn't there this year and neither was the goddam wig!!! I had a knee replacement op on 26th October so was still on crutches/sticks when the WTF was on. It was great to watch the whole shebang on telly though - helped no end with the recuperation!
;)
Sorry to hear about your leg :( Hopefully you will make it to the finals this year. We can have a good old chin wag about the last 10 years. I have predicted that Andy will win 2 slams this year and open a hotel. lol.. G-Night and keep up the great work here on the forum....
RoastLamb
26-01-2013, 04:22
Not all Swiss people are Federer fans. When I was at Wimbly in '09 I tried to switch my Monday centre court tickets with some Swiss dudes so I could see Andy on Tuesday on centre but they didn't want to coz they wanted to see Maria Sharapova.
Well, that's true, of course. There is a Swiss member of VB who can't stand Federer. People don't always choose who they want to follow based on their nationality - there are a great many reasons why you might admire a particular sportsperson.
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.