I'm a migrant from the BBC Radio Five Live message boards. I have been suspended from there after trying to show how certain individuals on the tennis MB have posted the same stuff with no intention of having a sensible discussion. Result: I was labelled a spammer, so off I went. Ironic, eh? Despite putting my case, and telling the MODs there that I promised not to register under another ID, Five Live don't want me (other Beeb MBs still accept me, though).

Anyway, something I've never seen discussed is the topic of which players do you enjoy watching, ie for non-hormonal reasons.

Here are a few of mine from over the years.

Rosewall, Goolagong, Mandlikova, Edberg, Henman, Hingis, Mauresmo, Henin-Hardenne. Only one double handed back-hander, and she's there because her style is based on tactical skill rather than blasting the cover off the ball. Also, Mauresmo is like a breath of fresh air with the use of slice and topspin.

On the other hand, these are some whose styles I have found DULL or ugly:

Connors, Tanner, Austin, Jaeger, Graf, Garrison, Seles, Courier, Ivanisevic, Williams (both), Sharapova. A lot of BIFF BOOM AAAGGGGHHH, ace, ace (YAWN!) in there. The choice of Steffi Graf won't please some. A magnificent athlete, yes, and a nice person as far as I know, but why did she have to keep running round the backhand? Because she hardly had one?

Any other views?

On the women's nowadays it has to be Mauresmo, becaese she has variety. great touch and is oen of the few who can actaully volley. Nice backhand too. And there is somethign fascinating abotu watching her becasue she is a bit diferent personailty wise to some of the others. JHH for he rall court skills and THAT single handed backhand. Great tactical awareness too. I love Kuzzy but not sure why! She can have such abysmal perfromances, but I enjpy seeign he ron a roll. I cannot say as I am wild about anyone else that much on the women's at present, there are some good youngsters like Vaidisova, Jankovic and Safina but I will have to see how I enjoy them after a few years. There are aspects of the games of others that i like, but as a whole game I don't see anyonethat is all round enjoyment for me. I appreciate Davenport as a clean ball striker, but often wonder why she doesnt; come in to the net more or serve and volley. The Williamses' power and brilliant striking abilities (when on) can be great, but I do find them frustrating when they go all error strewn and fail to use the net enough. I prefer players that can cover the whole court more and use the net. Sharapova is the most annoying as her shot makign just looks ugly to me, and I can't abide the noise and the over hitting on volleys. So one dimensional. And I just fidn Clijsters so boring and dull and predictable.

In the past, for me it was always Martina (and still is in doubles) for her brillince at the volley and superior athleticism. She is such a great personality and I enjoy seeing her compete even today. What a tactican. I appreciate Hingis's guile, court craft and deft touch but I have never warmed to her so don't consider her a favourite really. I also liked Novotna, again great volleying and lovely person - mentally so fragile but eventually a slam winner. Great story. You can't knock Evert Lloyd, although nto a fan of baseliners, she had a stunning career and I used to love her and Nav's rivalry. Same with Sanchez V, she was quite a fighter and very entertaining. I am a Graf fan too, but I know exactly what you mean about the backhand. You could get fed up with her forehand at times eh? But she was the real deal and a better fighter than she is given credti for. She used to almost play liek a predatory animal ready to pounce on that ball. Brilliant forehands. Sels got on my wick, ugly 2 handed shots everywhere and a bit too noisy for me. Also came across as a spoilt brat liek Hingis, but that is just my opinion. As a kid a remember BJ King, I used to like her a lot but cant; remeber much about why! Well she is a legend so that will do! roflmao

That's the women, I'll do the men later :)

How can people find venus boring!!!!!! :o :o

When she's serving well and approaching the net, and moving incredible, she's a tennis genius :D

I agree with you though SB, Sanchez vicario was a great player to watch, with all her defensive qualities and hustling and bustling. I have nothing but joy when watching graf play, her backhand slice was a lovely produced shot and that forehand was exhilirating in full flow. Especially in her finals against nav at wimbledon where she would unleash at the most unexpected moments with that backhand pass. Delightful :ok:

Nav is a volley genius, and a great placement server. Also she got some muscles roflmao

My least fav players to watch are Sharapova, kim, Vaidisova and Schnyder.

I used to love watching Seles SB, she was such a great ball-striker, but nothing like the error-strewn teenagers of today. She made very few errors.

Il keep the men short and sweet; Fed and his magic wand :lol:

You can't beat McEnroe in his Wimbledon Finals all the performances even when he lost were just sublime; tennis at its best.

For the women I obviously love the Williams sisters, when they're on form anyway. They have such supreme athletic skills and when they get into a rhythym they're almost hypnotic to watch and the way they dominate their matches is fantastic. What I also like about them is the way their personalities which are pretty prominenet off the court come into their play. When they're in the zone they're such instinctual players and they seem at one with the court and ball.

For similar reasons I like Steffi Graf. She had such an excellent adaptable game and atheleticism and also was such a dominant player in how she always found the answers to beat her opponents. Especially how quick she was on grass. Has every shot in the book and used it to the utmost of her ability. A joy to watch.

Martina Hingis is also great to watch when she's on form as she mixes things up so well and is in no way predictable (which isn't always a bad thing), she is a breath of fresh air though.

Martina Navratilova; so majetsic and can do anything on her day, a great champion, her serve and volley Wimbledon wins are what Wimbledon is about. Another reason I like watching her play so much is when she's playing Chrissie their rivalry was just amazing, the best we've ever had in women's tennis and possibly the best in tennis. Chrissie is such an excellent striker of the ball, a joy to watch also, these two used to push each other all the way, and it was great.

Oh and i have others( yes i wont shut up) roflmao

Mary pierce is another player i find so entertaining to watch. Her striking of the ball can be absolutely magnificent at times, really does cream a tennis ball. her diva antics are refreshing to watch as well. I LOVE to watch Lindsay play, such clean fluid hitting, and i even find her complete refusual to track down balls pretty entertaininng as well :lol:

I liked Pat Rafter in action, a maestro with the volley :ok:

I really dont like watching Rusedski, awful backhand, lumpy net game and a boring serve. Same applies to ljubicic and sampras to a smaller extent.

Oh crap, i've missed out a player i love to watch- Serena. When she's on she and Venus are the ultimate female tennis players for years :D

I forgot to mention Lindsay, she's such a clean striker of the ball, it's great to watch. She's a bit like america's 'new' Chris Evert really, apart from with a better serve and far worse movement :lol:

Indeed :ok:

Lindsay has a very stunning marquee shot as well, the lasoo forehand which is such a breath-taking shot :o

Yes she only saves that one for special occasions ;)

Like beating Juju for the first time since 2002 :pray:

I love watching Henin play - that backhand delights pretty much every time. I especially enjoy the way she rallies for a while keeping in the point and then suddenly unleashes a winner at full speed & power pretty much from nowhere.

Another joy to watch is Mary Pierce. When she's in playing well and she's in full diva mode her groundstrokes are devastating & I find her very charismatic. Her touch around the net is an underrated part of her game and adds an extra dimension to her play.

In the past I was always a big fan of watching Graf, Seles & Navratilova. Venus in full flight is also an awesome sight.

One I do find difficult to watch is Amelie sometimes - normally i'm a fan but when she goes into full on defensive mode she's a bore. When I was watching the Wimbledon SF this year I started supporting Sharapova because at least she was going all out to win the match!

Another player i find exceptional to watch is marat Safin. His power when its on is all-consuming, it even makes Federer look lightweight at times. he's so charismatic as well, and his tantrums are so entertaining. He endears himself to the crowd and you can help but like him roflmao

I like Hingis's game, but i'm a sucker for the power play i have to say :lol:

You're just gonna keep posting until you've named most of the players on the WTA and ATP aren't you Dl roflmao

Ill keep my post simple!

Justine Henin Hardenne .....:bow: Don't really need to say more as its probably all been said before. :ok:

Why not? we got all night! roflmao

I have have to mention Jennifer capriati, just the best grinder out there and a joy to watch when playing well.

Yep JCaps the best :ok:

Even though they don't really like each other, she and Serena have a strange chemistry on court, and I enjoy all their matches :)

On the women' side, I can only enjoying watching the marvellous Martina Hingis :bow:

I find Mauresmo a bore too, along with Sharapova and Clijsters. I enjoy watching Venus and Serena, and Henin can have good games on her day.

I don't watch the mens that much, coz it's boring.

I suppose you are right abotu Seles's errors. I may appreciate her more now if I saw her matches again, just that at the tiem she got on my wick! roflmao Yes you are right about the error strewn teenagers of today. And I worry what will happen when my heroine Nav retires - who the bloody hell will be able to volley like that?

I don't find Venus boring generally, but at times I do, but as you say when she is playing well she is great to watch. The inconsistency has made me enjoy her less though, but you can't be great all the time I guess. I do liek the williamses' fighting spirit though. Woudl liek to se emor eof that nowadays please, so have a word in their shell dl! roflmao

I agree about Pierce, her ball striking is something else when it is on. But she is very much a flow and confidence player I think, and can play bloody dire also. I actually donty; enjoy watchign he rplay much, cos she is soooooo slow and pisses about for hours with towels and stuff, but hey I guess she is different! I thought you woudl liek her beign a diva yourself! roflmao

You don't like Greg? Wow I neve rknwo that, you ar eusaully so complimentary about him ;) roflmao

Rafter- OMG YES!!!! He is fabulous to watch and nto just for hsi volleying. He's just pure grit out there, and what a body! :devil: My best friend doe snto watch much tennis, but her fave player to watch is definitely Rafter, it's his thighs apparently! roflmao Well, the rets fo him isnt; bad either ..... :D Nice ass too roflmao Seriously, an excellent serve and volleyer who digs in to the end and plays like a man, and he is so nice and polite. I loved his 'sorry mate' stuff and his casual surf bum attitude. Why the hell di dhe retire? He deprived all us serve volley fans of more years fo that style fo play and deprived all the ladie sof thos ethighs! roflmao

Well i dont think anyone will ever be as good as Nav in the volleying department, only mauresmo comes close, but even then she's still far off roflmao

I just love venus's athleticsm, its so effortless. She's right up there in the athletic department with Graf and nav :D

And Serena ;)

Although not so much at the moment roflmao

Definitely SW19, it used to great to see those lengthy rallies where they were trying to out-run each other :lol:

Ye I doubt there was so much running in a Wimbledon final since Steffi was playing Martina in them. She would just run around all Navrat's shots; not to mention her own backhand sometimes :lol:

Actually there was a heck of a lot of running in the ASV/Steffi finals too roflmao

God Vicario used to make me feel out of breath roflmao

I know, she was buzzing roudn liek a little bee. She was a joy to watch though, and a great personality, always a smile.