The Commentators’ View: Wimbledon tennis special

Ali Bruce-Ball is joined by Conor McNamara & tennis correspondent Russell Fuller to talk about what it’s like commentating at Wimbledon. What is the secret to a good tennis commentary? Will any tennis-isms feature in the Great Glossary of Football Commentary? And will this correspondent come out on top in Clash of the Commentators?

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02:15 How does Russell prepare for Wimbledon? 04:05 Standing vs sitting & commentating in a booth, 07:15 Russell reveals the secret to a good tennis comms, 10:20 Ali & Conor on having a go at tennis commentary, 12:50 Russell reflects on the dramatic French Open men’s final, 17:30 Catering for a wide audience on 5 Live, 20:45 Conor’s ‘top top top’ player of the Club World Cup, 22:05 Tennis-isms & Americanisms in commentary, 30:10 Russell’s surprise Clash of the Commentators, 36:40 LIVE SHOW REMINDER, 39:50 Great Glossary of Football Commentary.

BBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries: Sat 2000 England v Germany in UEFA U21 Final, Sun 1700 England v Jamaica in women’s friendly, Wed 1700 Iceland v Finland on Sports Extra 2, Wed 2000 Switzerland v Norway on 5 Live, Thu 2000 Spain v Portugal on 5 Live.

Glossary so far: 2-0 is a dangerous score, After you Claude, All-Premier League affair, Aplomb, Brace, Brandished, Breaking the deadlock, Bundled over the line, Champions elect / champions apparent, Clinical finish, Commentator’s curse, Coupon buster, Cultured/Educated left foot, Denied by the woodwork, Draught excluder, Elimination line, Fellow countryman, Foot race, Formerly of this parish, Fox in the box, Free hit, Goalmouth scramble, Good touch for a big man, Head tennis, Honeymoon Period, In and around, In the shop window, Keeping ball under their spell, Languishing, Loitering with intent, Marching orders, Nestle in the bottom corner, Numbered derbies, Nutmeg, Opposite number, Park the bus, PK for penalty-kick, Postage stamp, Put their laces through it, Rasping shot, Red wine not white wine, Relegation six-pointer, Rooted at the bottom, Roy of the Rovers stuff, Sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, Sleeping giants, Slide rule pass, Small matter of, Smash and grab, Spiders web, Stayed hit, Steepling, Stinging the palms, Stonewall penalty, Straight off the training ground, Stramash, Sweeper keeper, Throw their cap on it, Thruppenny bit head / 50p head, Turns like an ocean liner / aircraft carrier, Put it in the mixer, Towering header, Turning into a basketball match, Turning into a cricket score, Walking a disciplinary tightrope, Wand of a left foot, We’ve got a cup tie on our hands, Where the owl sleeps, Winger in their pocket, Wrap foot around it, Your De Bruynes, your Gundogans etc.