Surprise semifinalists at Wimbledon are nothing new. After all, back in 2010 both unseeded Petra Kvitova and Tsvetana Pironkova broke through to reach the final four. But this year’s elite quartet is truly a head scratcher to predict in terms of who will reach the finals, since all are deserving in in their own way, yet only one will rise to become a brand new first time Grand Slam champion. Continue reading
For an event that prides itself on order, tradition and decorum, so far this year’s Wimbledon exhibited none of those noble features after one of the most turbulent weeks in recent memory. With seeded players falling from the draw sheet and literally falling on court, organizers will be forgiven if they decide to have an extra shot of brandy as they take a respite on this middle Sunday.
Here’s a look back at some of the highlights and lowlights of a very memorable first week. Continue reading
It is that time. For some tennis fans, Wimbledon couldn’t get here soon enough. For others, like myself, I feel like another week is needed to fully recuperate from the French Open. Two weeks is just too quick of a timeframe to acclimate fully to the grass court interlude that precedes the “Grandaddy” of them all. For some reason, this year’s Wimbledon feels a tad anticlimactic already. Maybe that’s because we already know, more or less, who is going to win. Continue reading
Jana Novotna.
Why do I mention the name of the 1998 Wimbledon champion? Because after Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic won her semifinal against Victoria Azarenka, ESPN flashed a graphic that Kvitova’s effort marked the first time since the great Martina Navratilova in 1994 that a Czech woman had reached the Wimbledon final. Even I fell for it and I’m sorry I did. But you can’t blame ESPN for being blinded so to speak by the incredible history of Navratilova who not only overwhelms Wimbledon history but the histories of her past Czech compatriots. Continue reading
Traveling cross country this week has made following The Championships a little more difficult, but thanks to the radio coming out of my cell phone, I’ve been able to keep track of most of the happenings during the second week. Listening to Maria Sharapova’s rout over Dominika Cibulkova, it was quite something to hear Sharapova’s screams echo out of my phone’s speaker as I drove through the rolling hills of Arkansas. Despite her prowess on a tennis court, it’s her “vocals” that seem to always get more attention, with fans either making the prerequisite jokes or complaints depending on how well their ears can take it. Continue reading
It’s strange how time seems to repeat itself or at least give you a feeling of déjà vu. I hadn’t realized until today that it was two years ago that I started this site, mainly as an experiment and just as a way to comment on the sport that I love. It’s telling to me that the first ever post I wrote was called “The End of An Era” and it was all about Marat Safin’s last appearance at Wimbledon during the middle of his final year on tour in 2009. Continue reading
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