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Wimbledon's magic moments

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  • Posted at 1:13pm
  • 15 July 2008
  • by DavidButcher-RT
  • 4 comments

Has there ever been such a classic sporting event with such feeble commentary? More than 12 million people were gripped by the climax of the men's Wimbledon final (6 July, BBC1), one of the best tennis matches ever played. But all commentators Andrew Castle and Tim Henman could manage, when they bothered to speak at all, was the occasional limp platitude or hesitant aside.

As one exquisite rally followed another we got revelatory insights from Castle along the lines of "This is top tennis now," or "You have to take your hat off to Federer." Or my own favourite: "They wouldn't have had a rain delay if this was taking place next year." I'm sorry, what?

Yes, Andrew, that's right - next year, Centre Court will have a roof. But conjecturing a parallel universe in which the 2008 men's final takes place in 2009 doesn't add much to our enjoyment. If that's your line of thinking, stop doing TV commentary and start writing episodes of Doctor Who.

Some people will have been grateful for the commentators' mostly self-effacing blandness. But when you've been exposed to what John McEnroe in the right mood can offer in the way of analysis, there's no going back.

As if to taunt us, the cameras kept showing us shots of McEnroe speaking in a different commentary box, doing his bit for a US network. The third time they did this, I started to get cross. It was like visiting the Sistine Chapel and finding yourself in a tour party led by Norman Wisdom, while just out of earshot you can see another group who have got Brian Sewell as guide.

Still, the commentary, or lack of it, couldn't spoil a gleaming gem of televised sport. Afterwards, we got the dream-like post-match ceremony, too, with Roger Federer in his suave 1920s cardigan, from which you half expected him to produce a briar pipe or a Turkish cigarette, while Rafael Nadal clambered around the stands in the fading light.

The final's unprecedented length may have wrecked the Sunday-night television schedules (so long, George Gently), but boy, was it worth it.

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Comments

  • Posted on 19 July 2008
  • at 7:08pm
  • by PoolePeter

NO I utterly disagree as do many of the tennis players I know. Less is more: we have become too used to incessant chat from commentators. Remember Dan Maskell? I think Andrew Castle let the tennis do the talking, we do not need unnecessary commentary; rather the expert's job is to add to the viewers pleasure not distract. I must say I do have sympathy for the criticism of Mr Henman's input as he does seem to indulge in platitudes.

As to argument that Andrew Castle was one-sided, well I just do not see it...I think people can view Roger as perfect. I love to watch him, but Nadal, as Nick Bollitieri has pointed out just managed to get to places quicker than anyone else. It wasn't just Andrew Castle but the top coaches who were praising the new champion.

  • Posted on 17 July 2008
  • at 2:48pm
  • by Tennis Elbow

I cannot agree more with this excellent blog. Commentary was dire throughout most of the championship. Ditch Henman too.

  • Posted on 15 July 2008
  • at 1:18pm
  • by Marcus Wheeler

The one moment at which Rafael Nadal appeared momentarily to falter was not on court, but during his post-match battering at the hands of Sue Barker. Is it really necessary to impose this vexatious supplementary ordeal on players who have just completed five hours of gruelling but magnificent struggle, to which banal questioning - in, for most competitors, a foreign language - provides only a limp anti-climax?

  • Posted on 15 July 2008
  • at 1:18pm
  • by Mike Clayton

Please do not let Andrew Castle commentate on another tennis match! I have never heard such a one-sided description of a sports event in my life. If I had closed my eyes I would have had the impression that Nadal was playing on his own. He was being hailed as the new "King" before he had won.

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