The Andy Murray love-in for the first week of Wimbledon won't be happening this year, why do these way past their best tennis players not retire to save us all ( maybe not) from these last hurrahs that seems to run on for the last 5 years of their careers, where making the 3rd round is way beyond their grasp.

He's 37 years old, hasn't he had enough free strawberry's and cream over the years?, probably had 40 free towels over that time too.

He’s had numerous operation during the last few years hips back, ankle, you name it. The last one on his back about two weeks ago when apparently he was told not to expect to play for between six and twelve weeks yet he tried to make Wimbledon, which is against medical advice. By leaving it until the last minute he’s probably stopped some young player entering the first round in which the loser gets £60K. This has been pointed out over the last few years of players turning up injured and playing just to get first round loser money.

Daft sport for the upper class who don't mind paying a quid a strawberry.
Probably watch show jumping as well.
Oh one musent go to football n darts n boxing
We can't associate with that riff-raff.}
Daft sport.

Back in the day working class lads like me played tennis at council-run courts that were well maintained and free to use or cost pennies. For some reason they were usually built alongside a bowling green for the old folk, also run by the council. It was a long way from Wimbledon, which was always cut glass accents, but Wimbledon fortnight was the one time of the year when it was hard to get a court because every bugger suddenly wanted to play. Can't speak for Hartlepool but I'm sure it was the same.

The rot started to set in during the 90s when councils stopped spending as much on groundsmen and upkeep and neglect and vandalism took hold. Council-run courts seem to be long gone now, which is just one sign among many of how things have gone backwards as society gets more and more unequal.

Tennis a great game to play, but I've never been that keen on watching it - except when Murray was in his prime because he always looked like losing and found a way to win. And the Wimbledon lot hated him because he wasn't nice posh Tim Henman.

a posh jock instead. as for tennis courts themselves you cannot on this occasion blame councils for something used for a couple of weeks a year and many have seen sense in ripping them up and using them for kids play areas, skate parks an inclosed cages for basketball or football that ere used even in winter. at least without murray we might see less and less of his mummy who has rose to fame due to her son.

Wasn't blaming councils at all, at the end of the day if they have to make savings it's fair enough that the tennis courts went before the leisure centres and libraries started to be closed. Fair point about skate parks and basketball courts replacing them too. Times change.

Has his final doubles fling with his brother the other day, tears, speeches, last game etc then he's playing in the mixed today with Radacanu....process starts all over again no doubt