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Wow, Barty lost...and Naomi, and Sloane, and Petra...whom do I root for? A new slam champion on the women’s side, to make it interesting? I wasn’t able to stay up late to see Tiafoe win but am very happy to see his progress. Glad that Felix is still in the tournament as well though I believe they play each other next.

For anyone who wants to avoid the ESPN talking heads, ESPN plus or Watch Espn (whatever they call it now) is $6 a month and I was able to watch the court I wanted so far today with no commercials*. You browse until you find Tennis and it shows the matches. I only saw part of Murray/ Tsitsispas but I think it works for all the matches at least for now. *okay I am watching Tiafoe there now and there are a few commercials but it’s much better than the ESPN usual.

That "are you still watching" annoys me too, especially if it happens while I'm eating dinner! Maybe it is a Roku function, I think I've see it while watching a series of Youtube videos on my Roku as well.

I forgot to mention Gael Monfils has also been vaccinated. It's been fun to watch his improved play the last 2 weeks.

Yes even before reading about the latest cheating incident I was floored by Tsitsipas' astonishingly ignorant/selfish statements on Covid. Unfortunately he appears to be not the only prominent player not to be vaccinated after all this time. However I've noticed that several of the Italians: Berrettini, Sinner and Musetti, are all vaccinated (as well as Roger and Rafa and Andy - and Naomi and Ash Barty and I think Serena). After all their country went through I'm not surprised but happy to see. I'm also a fan of Felix and especially Musetti. Hoping for good things in the future for them even if it takes some time.

I'm old too because I can't look at Seb without thinking of how much he looks like his dad Petr!

I haven't seen Roger's video but I was watching the Toronto final on Tennis TV and the British announces said "sad news...Roger" and for a second I thought they were going to say he was retiring. I agree that it's coming. Maybe he will want to come back to Wimbledon for some kind of special appearance but to put himself through surgery and rehab and possibly living with pain afterwards just doesn't seem worth it for a man who clearly has a lot going on with his family and foundation and has been such a unique and memorable champion. I do think Roger is realistic enough that he will know when the time has come and will be able to deal with it and make his announcement. Sad but at least we all have great memories. I saw him play in person over Labor Day weekend at the US Open in 2008 (I have a photo somewhere, I will look for it) and I'm glad I went. No one ever played as he did :(

I may be wrong about this, but as a long time Odd Couple watcher I was under the impression that Tony Randall and Jack Klugman were wearing their own clothes on the show. I believe the show had a very cheap budget and I did read that the actresses who played the Pigeon Sisters in the early seasons did have to bring their own outfits!

So sad, but the tributes to Markie Post from everyone especially her daughters are so touching. She was so good in Night Court (especially as foil to John Laroquette as noted above) but it's so good to see her appreciated for herself as well. RIP.

I just re-watched the coverage of the women's balance beam. It was so good to see Simone so happy about ending the week on a positive note, earning her seventh medal after taking care of herself, with the support of her team mates, and with her support of them in return. Her statement about mental difficulties being "something you can't see" was moving to me. Best wishes to her.

It is horrible. I haven't been able to watch Z since this came out. Tennis clearly needs a policy governing domestic violence and other abuse but it may take a collaboration among the ITF, ATP and other prominent organizations to make it happen.

You’re welcome @CouchTater and also @Harry24 - hi to you too :) I recommend checking the webpage on a desktop or laptop if possible, it seems to display more courts than the mobile options. There are some tough early round matches - Andy Murray vs Felix AA for one!

For those who would like to watch the Olympic Tennis, it appears that it will be streamed at this page: https://www.nbcolympics.com/schedule/sport/tennis It also lists replays which is good for anyone in the Americas given the time difference. I was also able to download the Olympic Channel free on my Roku, it's supposed to show the tennis as well.

I was a big fan of Stefan Edberg and I seem to remember that when he let it be known he was retiring there would be a big to do made of it at each tournament he played. After he lost badly to Goran at the USO they announced the creation of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for example. I don’t know if I am just speculating, but perhaps when he and Roger were working together Stefan might have suggested that Roger not do a farewell tour when the time comes, so to speak. So maybe Roger is planning to retire this year but wants to wait on the announcement. I know how much he loves to play but I imagine he has to balance that out with the rest of his life, and the fact that he is 40 as you say @Spunkygal. There will never be another player like him that’s for sure.

You have to be my age to remember this kind of thing, but it would have been during the run of Get Smart that cigarette advertising was banned from US television. Something tells me about 1969? Up until then there was a ton of cigarette ads, and it's possible that some of the companies were sponsors of the various shows that featured the actors smoking.

Very sad news about Charlie Robinson. Rest in peace sir.

Congrats to Hsieh and Mertens!

I was so happy to see Barty win the final. She must have wanted it so much as an Australian especially, and in honor of Goolagong's victory 50 years ago, and Plishkova was making it so close after the first set. But Barty has such a great all court game and it was so great to see her stay calm and come through in the end. Congrats to her! By the way the great Hsieh Su-Weh is playing in the women's doubles final and I am going to be sure to record that one - I think it's tomorrow after the men's final?* She is an amazing talent to watch. Good luck to Matteo! *Actually the women's doubles is on now, it looks like another tight match in progress!

That was a great semifinal match between Ash Barty and Angie Kerber. I hope Ash is able to win the title on Saturday. Her grass court game is so great to watch and her outfit as tribute to Evonne Goolagong is touching. As for the men, I'd be happy with Denis, Matteo, or "HuHu".

I've been a fan of Roger since 2004 but I'm not surprised he wasn't able to win today - I wasn't home to see it but I had thought he was possibly going to lose to Mannarino in the first round before Mannarino got hurt. He's played very little this year after all. And I had watched Hurkacz beating Lorenzo Musetti in the first round and saw how tough his serve was to return. Maybe his serve overwhelmed Roger? It's sad that Roger's gone out but he has 8 titles and hopefully he can look back on that with satisfaction. I hope Shapo will have a chance against Novak, who knows. Sorry for Felix but he did well to get there at his age. I did see a little of Leo Borg's match in the boy's event last night on ESPN plus. The camera work was terrible - hard to watch either player very well but hopefully he will do well enough that I can get another glimpse of him someday.

I want to see Roger's last Wimbledon (if it comes to that) as well. I really hope that he ends up playing the stylish young Lorenzo Musetti in the last 16. That would be some grass court matchup! Other than that, yes, I am not really excited. On the women's side it's very hard to predict I agree. It's nice that Ash Barty will be wearing as a tribute an outfit inspired by the one Evonne Goolagong wore at her first Wimbledon victory 50 years ago.

Thanks so much @LisaM, that was wonderful. and that trailer at the end!

I tend to think that Stephen's demo is pretty young and a lot of younger people aren't vaccinated yet. However I'm sure they will be conscientious about checking for status. I hope they will continue having those intimate segments between Evie and Stephen, it's been a lot of fun.

I just read the Dick Van Dyke interview in the Washington Post this week. It's so touching to see him so alive and active at 95. And the tributes from various co-workers were great to read. So glad that he is being honored. I had known that Van Dyke befriended Stan Laurel in his last years but didn't know that he was also friends with Buster Keaton. As a huge Buster fan it warms my heart.

The Roku channel seems to have a similar habit of really bad commercial breaks, I was watching Barney Miller on it and they'd break right in the middle of a scene. I should check Pluto again to see what they have.