A reader has taken issue with The Guardian's description of British tennis player Arthur Fery as having a 'diminutive stature' in a recent Wimbledon match report. Fery, who is 5ft 9in, faced Alexander Zverev of Germany on 10 July.
Reader's Response
Derek Carline, who is 5ft 4in, wrote in a letter published on 10 July: 'You describe the 5ft 9in Arthur Fery as of “diminutive stature” (Report, 8 July). At 5ft 7in, Lionel Messi is even smaller than Fery, but I have never heard commentators describe him as diminutive. Closer to home, the previous Wimbledon winners Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver were of a similar height. Diminutive? You cannot be serious.'
Other Letters
The letters page also included comments on Donald Trump's interference in World Cup sendings-off, with Dr Colin Bannon suggesting an 'orange card' for those with friends in high places. Another reader, Dr Roger Merry, questioned educational jargon, writing: 'I learned to read in the mid-1940s... I have reached the age of 85 unaware of “basic decoding and automaticity” (Letters, 8 July). What on earth is it?'
Ann Parsons noted that doctors administering memory tests for dementia must be alarmed by patients who cannot name the current prime minister. Siobhán Ní Chuanaigh joked that after weeks of letters about memory tests, she feels coached and prepared. Finally, Mike Jones complained about the price of seeing the Bayeux tapestry, which cost him under £10 last year in Bayeux but £33 in London, blaming Brexit.
