The Adria Exhibition started today. There are some decent players involved including Djokovic, Thiem, Zverev and Dimitrov. Unfortunately they are playing with amended rules such as sets being the first to 4 games with a tie break at 3-3. They are playing a match tie break(first to 10) in place of a third set.

1000 tickets were made available and all of them sold very quickly. Matches next week are expected to have 4500 fans with social distancing of 1 metre.

Be careful with stake size if you get involved. There are live streams on Bet365.

I have traded some exhibition matches over the last few weeks. Just enough to “keep my eye in”. It isn’t advisable to use your normal stakes on exhibitions and I normally wouldn’t get involved with them at all. Perhaps as we get nearer to the main tours coming back in August the matches might get more competitive and predictable as the top players attempt to fine tune their games.

I was going to get the front garden ready for the gravel delivery that’s coming on Monday. I changed the plan as I felt like watching some sport today. Sue is back at work tomorrow so I’ll be up at 6 am to take her there. I’ll sort the garden after breakfast. It shouldn’t take long. Just a bit of levelling to do and put the membrane down to keep the weeds down.

It was a quiet day yesterday. Someone was having a house party a few doors away last night. They were making a lot of noise although we could hardly hear it in the house. There was a lot of shouting coming from a garden a few doors away in the other direction. I think they breed German Shepherds. They don’t bother too much with training them. Not even the basic stuff. It isn’t unusual for one of the dogs to escape. From the angry shouts another had escaped and the dog had made it into a neighbour’s back garden. I’ll never understand dog owners who can’t be bothered to train basic obedience but when the dog gets away from them they start shouting commands and expect the dog to listen.

I heard the shouts when I was in the bathroom. Sit! Lie down! Here! Lie down! Leave it! Sit! SIT!

I went back downstairs and was telling Sue about it. She was pissing herself. Molly was behind me and was desperately trying to keep up with the commands that I was shouting out. She looked quite worn out!

Quiet evening planned. Sue will be in bed early. I need to find a couple of films to watch tonight. Any suggestions?

Stay safe.

 

Danielle Collins had a dig at Djokovic for him being against the Covid 19 measures that have been suggested for the US Open.

https://www.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/12004595/novak-djokovic-criticised-by-danielle-collins-for-opposition-to-us-open-restart

Serena Williams’ coach think the Coronavirus shutdown could help her to finally get her 23rd Grand Slam title.

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/tennis-coronavirus-shutdown-may-help-serena-s-grand-slam-quest-coach_sto7771115/story.shtml

Simona Halep is unlikely to play the US Open due to the US Open protocols being “incredibly difficult”. Her coach doesn’t think the Romanian could cope.

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/tennis-u.s.-open-protocols-won-t-work-for-halep-says-coach-cahill_sto7771971/story.shtml

‘My priority is not helping tennis players’ – Berrettini on Player Relief Fund controversy.

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/tennis-news-matteo-berrettini-addresses-player-relief-fund-controversy-on-tennis-legends-vodcast_sto7771411/story.shtml

The days are pretty dull at the moment. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I suppose that the wet weather means there are less people outside so the chance of drama is reduced. I have been watching quite a lot of Betfair trading related youtube videos. I don’t think I watched any of them right to the end.

Twitter is never the sanest of places at the best of times. It seems like the whole world is losing the plot. George Floyd obviously should not have been treated the way he was and for him to lose his life during an arrest for attempting to use a fake bank note is about as wrong as it gets. Racism has not just sprung up during the lockdown though. Why has this particular incident had such a huge effect all over the world? Are people so stir crazy after 3 months at home? In the middle of the biggest pandemic ever to hit the Earth, NOW is the time to gather in our thousands?

George Floyd’s “private funeral” was broadcast to the world. Would he have had such a grand send off in less news-worthy circumstances? Funerals in this country allow a tiny number of moarners yet George had a funeral that would have befitted a national hero. He was certainly no saint and spent time in jail for robbing a pregnant women in her own home. He and 5 friends forced their way in having pretended initially to be from a water company. George held a gun to the woman’s stomach before driving the getaway car.

Yesterday a police officer in London was set upon by a group of black men who took selfies as they kicked the shit out of the officer. If that’s the plan for how they intend to get equality they might need a plan B.

I saw a report from Australia that said someone who attended a ten thousand strong protest in Melbourne has now tested positive for Covid-19. The first of many?

Stay safe.