What an incredible game between Kevin Anderson and John Isner yesterday! I didn't watch it all as I was too busy and dipped in and out but they played 99 sets of tennis over 6 hours 35 minutes! I meant to post this immediately afterwards but got distracted by other things. How could I forget to do that??!!
The fitness of these guys is simply amazing. Footballers gripe and moan about their sometimes heavy work load but it's not on the same planet as what is demanded of tennis players. As I well know, when you get tired playing football, there's always an opportunity to grab a rest and there's plenty of ways to do it. But on a tennis court there's no hiding place! These guys are running, stretching, jumping and using virtually every muscle in their bodies in a relentless way. I sometimes get exhausted just by watching them. There's no way they can sit back and take a breather while team mates share the load. It's down to them and no one else.
Same with boxing. Stopping working and moving is an invitation for the other guy to step in and punch your lights out, so you have to keep working or lose the fight. Once a fighter stops throwing, the ref stops the contest anyway. And having done both football and boxing training, I can tell you that football training is a breeze in comparison. And I only boxed as an amateur! What the top pro boxers have to go through is mind numbing.
But back to the tennis. With every joint in his body aching beyond description, Anderson will have to go again on Sunday and against either Novak or Rafa, two of the greatest and fittest players to ever grace the game. I don't think he stands a chance now tbh but credit to him for getting there. And equal credit to poor Isner who flogged his mind and body for over six hours to get nothing. Mind you, the prize money will be nice consolation and he gave full value for it.
The fitness of these guys is simply amazing. Footballers gripe and moan about their sometimes heavy work load but it's not on the same planet as what is demanded of tennis players. As I well know, when you get tired playing football, there's always an opportunity to grab a rest and there's plenty of ways to do it. But on a tennis court there's no hiding place! These guys are running, stretching, jumping and using virtually every muscle in their bodies in a relentless way. I sometimes get exhausted just by watching them. There's no way they can sit back and take a breather while team mates share the load. It's down to them and no one else.
Same with boxing. Stopping working and moving is an invitation for the other guy to step in and punch your lights out, so you have to keep working or lose the fight. Once a fighter stops throwing, the ref stops the contest anyway. And having done both football and boxing training, I can tell you that football training is a breeze in comparison. And I only boxed as an amateur! What the top pro boxers have to go through is mind numbing.
But back to the tennis. With every joint in his body aching beyond description, Anderson will have to go again on Sunday and against either Novak or Rafa, two of the greatest and fittest players to ever grace the game. I don't think he stands a chance now tbh but credit to him for getting there. And equal credit to poor Isner who flogged his mind and body for over six hours to get nothing. Mind you, the prize money will be nice consolation and he gave full value for it.