The men v women tennis debate always seems to pop up every once in a while but it never gets any less pointless.
I can’t think of another sport that bothers to talk about it.
Like pretty much every sport I can think of (including my own) physical strength is a big factor in tennis.
Who cares whether Serena Williams would be able to beat the number 700 man in the world, the number 600 or the number 500?
She’s the best female player – possibly of all time – and that’s all that matters.
Genetics, not skillset, will mean and women will never compete against each other. End of story.
We should just appreciate both games for what they are.
In curling you get a different type of game when you’re watching us play to when you watch the men play.
I would say it’s more varied with the women. You see more ups and downs and different tactical variations. The men’s game is becoming a bit more predictable.
I’m sure the fact that people like John McEnroe keep bringing up the comparison in tennis goes back to the equal pay debate (as well as the fact that he has a book to sell, no doubt).
I’ve been told that in the grand slam curling events the women’s events have taken over from the men’s in terms of viewing figures.
Maybe it’s time we started to look for more prize money!
* I was really pleased to hear that the Scottish women’s football team sorted out their disagreement with the SFA and have started speaking to the media again in the run-up to the European Championships.
What an opportunity this is to grow the sport.
Everything is set up for them – the men haven’t qualified for a finals for ages, the tournament is on terrestrial TV and they’re playing England!
It’s a great local story as well, with three Perth girls in the squad.
I can kick a ball, and I used to have keepy-up competitions with my brothers, but for one reason or another playing football for a team when I was growing up never became an option.
I do know that it is getting more and more popular with girls these days though, and the exposure the Scottish women’s game is about to get will see that accelerate.
* Dan Evans can’t blame anybody but himself for whatever drugs ban he gets.
The only upside of taking cocaine is it wasn’t performance enhancing so he’ll be able to look his opponents in the eye and know he hasn’t cheated them.
He’s cheated himself though.
People like Sharapova can comeback from long bans but a guy who has got into the top 50 the hard way and doesn’t have that sort of profile will find it much tougher. I suspect he’s thrown his career away.
* My golf game is in pretty good shape after making the semi-finals of the club championship at Pitlochry.
Here’s hoping that form comes down to Celtic Manor with me for the Celebrity Cup this weekend.
Scotland are defending champions and I’ll be playing against the likes of Gareth Bale. Give me the pressure of an Olympics over this sort of pressure anytime!
