CGI tennis is exactly what the world needed.

Rating: Null/10 (16 February 2008)

I know it's just a dumb, predictable, formulaic romantic comedy, but I feel the urge to nitpick at the tennis aspects nevertheless:
1. The extremely nerd-looking, X-legged Bettany wins the match in the 3rd round and then plays... in the quarterfinals! Whatever happened to the 4th round? Did he get a bye for being English? There is a 128-person draw in every Grand Slam tournament, not a 64 one, hence seven matches to play. Is it too much to ask to have the barest minimum of realism in a Hollywood movie?...
2. Bettany plays his semi-finale match on some crappy side-court. This NEVER happens, not even when it rains for days - especially not when a local player is in the semis!
3. The men's semi-finale match was played around the same time as Dunst's semi-finale. This also cannot happen - unless it rains for days. Yet there was no rain.
4. After Bettany predictably wins his semi-finale match, he goes to the locker room and finds a dozen male tennis pros there. What exactly are they all doing there at such a late stage in the tournament? After all, it's not the 1st round anymore. Apart from the singles, there are only the men's doubles and the odd guy playing mixed. Bettany should have found himself almost alone in the changing room, or at the most surrounded by agents, masseurs and organizers, not other players.
5. Dunst supposedly plays her first Wimbledon. That would make her 16 or 17. Dunst cannot pass off as that young. I can't remember the last time a female player debuted as late as this 20+ Dunst they gave us. Or are they implying she's 17? That would make her underage, putting Bettany in a bit of a spot. All top female talents play their first slams as early as when they're 16 or 17, some even earlier. There is no such thing as a super-talented U.S. gal reaching the semifinales on her first try - at the age of 20+.
6. CGI rallies do not in any way reflect what actually happens on a real tennis court. The second match point in the finale is like a CGI Star Wars version of tennis: utterly laughable. Yet another point, in the same match, was supposed to have a successful lob, but the ball wasn't high enough to lob a midget in a wheelchair, let alone a 6-foot pro; nevertheless, Bettany just apathetically watches it fly by him, doing nothing to smash it into the opponent's half. I understand the need to make the film exciting, but creating cyber-space-like tennis rallies is not the way to go - unless you think that only morons watch your movies.
7. Any pro veteran who needs a teenage Lolita to give him tips on how to attack/read a player's serve has to be an idiot.
And, finally...
8. LOVE does not win you grand slam finales.
9. Google "vjetropev 100 prettiest".
Halfway through this mediocre turkey I was thinking: "it can't be THAT cheesy... he's not actually going to win the title...?" But yes: the movie IS that predictable - and that corny. The washed up 30something player, whom everyone forgot about, falls in lurve with a U.S. Lolita, and this inspires him to go all the way.
Sam Neill's U.S. accent is in shambles.
There is not enough chemistry between Dunst and Bettany. Tommy Haas, who was mentioned at one point, should have been cast. He is far better-looking than Bettany and they wouldn't have needed to cover up for Bettany's crappy technique by CGI-ing all of his shots. Plus: anyone can act.