The history books will note that Serena Williams won Thursday’s sensational Wimbledon semifinal against Elena Dementieva. When glimpsed from a higher vantage point, however, this ladies’ singles spectacular formed a mountaintop moment that will be shared by both performers, and an audience lucky enough to watch it.

Yes, Serena claimed this classic confrontation, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 8-6, in 2 hours and 49 minutes before an enthralled and effusive Centre Court crowd, but the main storyline of this heartstopper-a heavenly chorus in the cathedral of tennis–was that for once, Dementieva shared the Grand Slam spotlight with the 10-time major champion, instead of shrinking from it.

Indeed, when a measure of this match is taken, tennis historians will be sure to realize that while Serena–still the best closer in the women’s game–showcased the full range of her talents under pressure, it was Dementieva who was responsible for allowing Thursday’s thriller to attain such lofty heights.

Dementieva’s tennis journey has been a lucrative one (over $11 million so far), but a life on the WTA Tour has not netted the 27-year-old a Grand Slam trophy. Dementieva reached two major finals in 2004, but memorably choked at the French Open (against Anastasia Myskina) and faltered at the U.S. Open (versus Svetlana Kuznetsova). Since that season, Dementieva hasn’t been able to get back to the finals of a top-tier tournament. This match on famed Centre Court marked the Russian’s fourth semifinal appearance in her past five majors, but that consistency was somewhat overshadowed by Dementieva’s failure to win any of those matches. A fixture in the top 5 but a rarity in championship matches at the most coveted events of the year, this vexing veteran needed to play against type if she was to remain competitive against Serena’s expected onslaught.

Oh, how Dementieva answered that clarion call.

On this electrifying afternoon, the No. 4 seed did endure her share of hiccups, such as a botched backhand that allowed Serena to take the second set, and a nervous forehand that allowed the Serena to break back early in the third set after the Russian took a 3-1 lead. With that said, Dementieva didn’t descend into a pool of self-pity the way she normally has in semifinal slam showdowns. Whenever Dementieva dumped a ball into the net or sprayed a makeable shot wide of the sideline, she was able to play highlight-reel points immediately afterward. Forgetting her mistakes with uncommon poise, Dementieva exhibited the clearheaded crispness that elite athletes bring to the table in high-stakes situations. Adversity has typically toppled “Demmy” with ease in high-profile matches, but on July 2, 2009, this WTA workhorse found the tunnel vision that had eluded her for so long. Several instances revealed this encouraging development for Dementieva:

* Despite having to serve just to stay in the first set–at 4-5 and 5-6–Dementieva, long known as a fragile flower at the service line, stood tall on Thursday. The Russian wore out the corners of each service box, placing her first serves near the lines with a considerable amount of pace. No longer hitting cream-puff second serves as well, Demmy was able to hold for 5-all and 6-all, steering the set into a tiebreak that the Russian won when a Serena forehand landed just wide.

* In the second set, Serena–in the most controversial moment of the match–used a challenge from Hawkeye to save a break point at 3-4. Regular television replays indicated that Serena’s forehand hit the baseline, but was just wide of the right sideline. Hawkeye disagreed, however, and the second-seeded American made the most of her second chance by holding for 4-all. Normally, that kind of turnaround would have shaken Dementieva’s nerves, but in the next game, she held serve and stayed in the hypnotic trance that carried her through the day’s play.

* After she briefly flinched to hand back her break lead early in the third set, Dementieva then held convincingly in each of her next four service games. What was especially remarkable was that after Serena saved match point and held for 5-all in the deciding set, Dementieva shrugged off that disappointment to hold for 6-5.

* In a larger context, Dementieva–slugging with distinction for nearly three full hours–inevitably encountered a tidal wave of frustrating moments when the prospect of victory faded as soon as it appeared. (Any tennis pro will meet with such experiences in a match that runs long.) Yet, to the very end, the Russian was playing high-level tennis, giving as good as she got against the most accomplished player of the 21st century. This version of Demmy will win a Grand Slam; the key will be for the 27-year-old to maintain the mindset that served her so well this Wimbledon.

Now, what to say about Serena that hasn’t already been said?

Quite simply, a cinch for the International Tennis Hall of Fame actually managed to increase her stature in the sport with her performance against Dementieva. Serena Jameka Williams threw down 20 aces, most of them in the crucible provided by the latter stages of the third set. When down match point at 4-5, 30-40 in the third, Serena–who won just 9 of 19 net points on the day–had the courage to come to the net and correctly read a Dementieva passing shot. The Russian chose to go crosscourt, and Serena leaped to her left to knock off a backhand volley to stay alive.

As the heat of battle only grew more intense, Serena would play even better.

At 5-6 and deuce, the younger Williams sister traded sizzling two-handed backhands with Demmy, in a fearsome rally of breathtaking proportions. Serena’s final backhand was so viciously struck that it knocked the Russian to the ground. On the very next point, a dazzling, all-court rally ended with Serena nailing an artfully curled crosscourt forehand passing shot to level for 6-all. In the following game, Serena–twice fighting for her life in her own service games–decided to apply pressure to Demmy’s serve by ripping her returns and remaining willing to come to net. A steely volley at 6-all, 15-all landed on the baseline to give the No. 2 seed a 15-30 opening. A few points later, at 30-40, Serena uncorked a nasty return and, with the court pried open, hit a down-the-line forehand behind Dementieva to secure a break lead at 7-6.

With no final-set tiebreaks at Wimbledon, Serena had attained considerable scoreboard leverage, and when serving for the match at 7-6, that leverage turned into victory.

Finally able to serve for yet another Wimbledon final, Serena allowed her first serve to carry her to the finish line. Losing two points on second serves, Serena won all four first-serve points in the 14th and final game of the third set. When a Dementieva backhand barely missed the left sideline on match point, an unquestioned classic was complete.

Elena Dementieva simply played the best tennis match of her entire life, and yet, in the end, she still lost. That’s all you need to know about one of the great women’s tennis players of all time, and it’s a fair way of summarizing one of the most memorable matches in Wimbledon’s 132-year history.

Two years ago on Court 1 at Wimbledon, Andy Roddick lost a match he should have won. Wednesday evening on that very same patch of grass, the newly-married American won a battle he very easily could have lost.

In a riveting, rousing affair matching former world No. 1s and Grand Slam champions, Roddick nipped Australian star Lleyton Hewitt, 6-3, 6-7 (10), 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-4, in 3 hours and 50 minutes. The richly-deserved triumph carries the No. 6 seed into the “Andys Mountains” for a battle with a lad named Murray on Friday. Just as importantly, the victory wipes away the bitter taste of one of the most searing defeats in Roddick’s very successful career.

To understand the magnitude of this close-shave escape for Roddick against a longtime rival, you have to go back to the 2007 edition of The Championships. Roddick–in the very same quarterfinal round–took a two-set lead on France’s Richard Gasquet, and served for a semifinal appearance at 5-4 in the third. But Gasquet improbably broke Roddick, pulled out the third set, and raced home with the final two sets to win in five and leave a 24-year-old Roddick reeling. The force of that loss was so substantial that the 2003 U.S. Open champion did not make the semis at another major tournament until this year’s Australian Open. With the ascendancy of Rafael Nadal and the emergence of both Murray and Novak Djokovic on the ATP Tour, the past few years have marked lean times for Roddick, who–through 2005–was a player who could be counted on to play deep into Wimbledon and face Roger Federer in the semis or the final.

The Gasquet loss was damaging in and of itself, but that match had another adverse effect which Roddick simply couldn’t control. Critics have lost sight of the fact that other players have gotten better in recent years. Pundits–instead of viewing Roddick as a modestly-talented man whose hard work has carried him to considerable heights–have chosen to wonder why Roddick hasn’t appeared in more major finals or scored big wins against the likes of Federer and Nadal. In truth, Roddick has continued to squeeze every ounce of talent at his disposal; his only sin is losing to the top few players on the planet.

Because of the negative scrutiny that would automatically attach itself to any of Roddick’s losses–particularly at the slams–the American, who has rarely been afraid to disguise his emotions at press conferences or on the court, internalized the stress and pressure that began to rain down upon him. At least, that’s what his 2007 and 2008 tennis seasons indicated. Drifting through a period of doubt, Roddick knew he had to make a change, and in November of last year, a struggling player offered a man named Larry Stefanki the chance to retool a career in need of a boost.

Stefanki has established himself as one of the top coaches in men’s tennis. Having worked with John McEnroe toward the end of his career, Stefanki then tutored another pair of world No. 1s, Chile’s Marcelo Rios and Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov, in the late 1990s. Earlier this decade, Stefanki molded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez into the 2007 Australian Open runner-up, and was coaching Gonzalez when Roddick dialed his number. Stefanki was persuaded to make the change, and the results have vindicated the decision-making instincts of both player and coach.

Roddick, under Stefanki’s guidance, lost 15 pounds. That fact alone has made the American a fitter, faster player with better defensive skills and superior endurance. Those qualities–not seen in older incarnations of Roddick–helped the flailing 24-year-old of 2007 morph into a confident marathon man of 2009. More to the point, those qualities enabled Roddick to return to the late rounds of major tournaments. The top-ranked player in America reached the semis of this year’s Australian Open, before posting the best French Open showing of his career (the fourth round). Yet, as much as Roddick had to be encouraged by what he achieved in Melbourne and Paris, this act of survival against Hewitt has to rate as an even more redemptive moment.

Roddick cried at the end of this victory for many reasons, but one likely source of the American’s emotional outpouring was that he beat Hewitt at the Australian’s own game. Very simply, Roddick’s fitness won him this match.

On Wednesday, the 26-year-old Roddick and the 28-year-old Hewitt were battling just as fiercely as they had in the past, with the Australian refusing to fold the tent after losing the first and third sets. An unyielding effort allowed Hewitt to win the second and fourth sets, pushing the quarterfinal collision to a deciding stanza before an enraptured English audience. Normally, a fifth set is Hewitt’s domain; the Aussie entered this match 29-13 in five-setters, an unsurprising fact given Hewitt’s identity as the man who would never lose a tennis match due to physical limitations. Hewitt built his game and his reputation on conditioning and stamina; you’d always have to hit several extra balls to win points offf Hewitt, and usually, he’d run down more balls than opponents could throw at him. In the 2001 U.S. Open, Hewitt and Roddick–then 20 and 19 years old, respectively–locked up in a contentious quarterfinal under the lights in New York. The two men traded punches deep into the night, but in set number five, Hewitt owned the fresher legs and more positive body language. It was just one of many times when the diminutive Australian wore down a forceful foe. Without his peak fitness level, Hewitt never would have attained a fraction of what he ultimately did as a tennis pro.

How sweet it must have been, then–achingly sweet, in fact–for Roddick to turn the tables and beat Hewitt with his own fresher legs. The American–having saved break points with big serves in the early part of the fifth set–ultimately broke Hewitt at 4-all by running down shots. Roddick’s court coverage, combined with a reliable two-handed backhand, surprised Hewitt on a break point, and when the Aussie could only hit a tame half-volley off an attempted Roddick passing shot, the American raced toward the net and put away an easy forehand to grab a 5-4 lead.

Once again given the chance to serve out a Wimbledon quarterfinal at 5-4 on Court 1, Roddick didn’t crack under pressure. Hewitt did get to 30-all, but a forehand approach shot and a well-struck passing shot gave Roddick the final two points he needed. After three Wimbledons with premature exits, Andy Roddick battled back to the semifinals with the kind of lunch-pail persistence… and the help of 15 recently-shed pounds.

It’s true in many more ways than one: Andy Roddick is losing baggage. No longer weighted down physically or mentally, this mainstay of the top 10 is back where he belongs at the Big W. If he can derail the other Andy in Friday’s semis, Roddick will find himself competing for his first-ever Wimbledon championship.

It’s surprising enough that Tommy Haas finds himself in his first Wimbledon semifinal at the age of 31. It’s far more remarkable that a tormented soul defeated his frail nerves en route to the final four at SW19.

Haas not only turned back fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic in Wednesday’s quarterfinals; the 24th-seeded German did much to dispel the demons that have followed the veteran throughout his rollercoaster career.

Haas’s 7-5, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-3 victory on Court No. 1 was more than a hard day’s work at a lawn-coated office. This tennis graybeard wiped away the bitter taste of collapses and letdowns that accumulated over time.

Last week, as Haas had to spend a night sleeping over a 6-all fifth-set tie in his third round match against Marin Cilic, the former world No. 2–ravaged by all sorts of injuries and the psychological strain stemming from a motorcycle accident that nearly killed his parents–had to confront the ghosts of a snake-bitten past. Haas needed to come to grips with the blown two-set leads, the failures in five-set matches, and all the obstacles that stood in the way of a career resurgence after missing all of 2003 with a rotator cuff injury. When he did beat Cilic in the resumption of that match, Haas began to write a new narrative in suburban London, and this jolting of Djokovic marked a crowning continuation of that journey.

There were two moments in this match when the old Tommy Haas would have cracked and crumbled, allowing the Serb to advance to Friday’s semifinals. The first such occasion emerged at the end of the second set, when Haas–serving for a two-set lead at 6-5–missed an easy forehand at love-15 to help Djokovic break back and force a tiebreak. That untimely error sent Haas’s mind into a familiarly dark place, and after a series of loose groundstrokes, particularly from the forehand wing, the German found himself trailing, 6-3, in the breaker. Djokovic had three set points, and what was left of Haas’s early advantage was about to be cleared off the scoreboard.

But a funny thing happened on the way to a tied tennis match: Haas transformed himself in a hurry.

Belting two huge serves to knock off the first two set points, Haas then smacked a perfect down-the-line backhand to knot the breaker at 6-all. After Djokovic–in his most costly mistake of the whole afternoon–overhit an easy forehand put-away to give Haas set point, the No. 24 seed finished an extended rally with an above-average stab volley to take the second set. In just a few precious minutes, Haas went from a free-fall into free-flowing bliss. Armed with a big advantage, the underdog didn’t have to be perfect as the third set dawned, but he did have to find a way to close down Djokovic before too long.

In the fourth set, Haas pounced when the time was right, elevating his concentration at the first whiff of opportunity.

Djokovic played a tired and distracted game in which Haas broke for a 3-1 lead. Yet, the timeless wisdom of tennis says that a break isn’t a break unless or until it’s consolidated, and when Haas stared down the barrel of a 30-30 situation later in the fourth set, his nerves would receive a test similar to the second-set tiebreak.

On that 30-all point in the fifth game of the fourth set, Djokovic flashed some superb defense, forcing Haas to retreat from a winning position and choose between hitting an overhead or a traditional forehand from just inside the baseline. Haas chose to hit the overhead, a risky decision given the low margin for error on the shot. In the past, Haas would almost certainly have netted the ball, but on this day, the new-look German blotted out the gremlins and goblins that had bedeviled him once upon a time. Haas nailed the overhead to win the point and eventually hold for 4-1. Djokovic’s last, best hope for a comeback evaporated, and when Haas used some heavy, high-kicking second serves to fight through his final service game, the semifinal berth had been securely tucked away. Not bad for an old man who had never reached the semis at a major tournament other than the Australian Open.

While Djokovic will curse his subpar return of serve, and lament his inability to push past the quarterfinal round of a slam (the Serb has made just one semifinal in his past five majors), a 31-year-old with a lifetime’s worth of upheavals will rightly celebrate a special achievement that is magnified by its long-delayed nature.

Tommy Haas has been fleeing from his demons for years. On Wednesday, in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, he finally decided to chase them away. Roger Federer and Andy Murray might be the odds-on favorites at the All England Club, but when Semifinal Friday commences, it’s Haas who offers a winning story, a tale of perseverance in the face of life’s countless curveballs and absurdities.

The ladies had their day on Tuesday. Now, the gentlemen will own the Wednesday spotlight on Centre Court and Court No. 1, as The Championships continue. Who’s to be taken seriously as the round of eight arrives? The short answer: A majority of the field. The longer answer: Keep reading.

Gentlemen’s Quarterfinals – All Matches on Wednesday

Top Half of Draw

Lleyton Hewitt vs. (6) Andy Roddick; (3) Andy Murray vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero

Hewitt, at 28, is one of the many old-guard faces in this crowd of Wimbledon men. The average age of the gentlemen’s quarterfinalists is 27 years and 4 months; the only two competitors younger than Roddick’s 26 are Murray and Novak Djokovic (who resides in the bottom half of the draw). Hewitt has fought admirably to get to this stage so late in his career. The Australian has been hampered for much of the past two years by injuries, but the two-time Grand Slam champion has worked his way back to a major quarterfinal for the first time since 2006. Congratulations and commendations are in order for “Rusty,” but that’s all he should expect as the tournament moves forward. Hewitt: PRETENDER.

Roddick isn’t winning tournaments, but the man now coached by Larry Stefanki–who guided Fernando Gonzalez to the 2007 Australian Open final and worked with John McEnroe in the past–has become even more consistent at this stage in his career. Roddick has reached the quarterfinals or semifinals of each significant fast-surface tournament on the calendar: The Australian (semis), Indian Wells (semis), Miami (quarters), and now Wimbledon. In addition to those performances on hardcourt and grass, Roddick attained his best-ever showing at the French (fourth round), and also made the quarterfinals of the Masters-level Madrid Open event in may. A leaner, faster Roddick has improved his defense and added a small amount of juice to his groundstrokes. He still can’t excel at net, but then again, today’s men’s game doesn’t place a lot of emphasis on one’s volleying skills. Can this veteran win the title that’s eluded him for so long? It’s entirely possible: Roddick won’t have to deal with Roger Federer until the final, and even then, the newly-married man might not even have to face the Swiss if he earns a ticket to Sunday’s showcase. Roddick: CONTENDER.

Murray cruised through his first three rounds, but in round four, the Scotsman was ambushed by nerves and an inconsistent forehand that betrayed him repeatedly. Murray destroyed Stanislas Wawrinka in the round of 16 at the 2008 U.S. Open, but the No. 3 seed needed five erratic sets to get the job done on this occasion. Yet, all that matters in championship tennis (besides health, of course) is being able to advance, especially when all cylinders are not firing as they should. Murray would have lost the Wawrinka match two years ago; now, the 22-year-old possesses far more maturity. That should certainly serve him well in the coming days. Murray: CONTENDER.

Ferrero is the first wild card recipient to ride that generous invitation into the quarterfinals since Goran Ivanisevic made the round of eight–and then went on to win Wimbledon outright–in 2001. The joyride over the past nine days has served as a deliciously satisfying moment for “The Mosquito,” who–for a former world No. 1–has kept a low profile over the past several years on tour. That under-the-radar identity would cease to exist if Ferrero were to upend Murray on Wednesday. Don’t expect that to happen. Ferrero: PRETENDER.

Bottom Half

(24) Tommy Haas vs. (4) Novak Djokovic; (22) Ivo Karlovic vs. (2) Roger Federer

Haas, a former world No. 2 and a man who twice took Federer to a fifth set in the fourth round of a Grand Slam (last month’s French Open, but also the fourth round of the 2006 Australian Open), is to be taken seriously. Fortunately, Djokovic knows that already. The Serb lost to Haas in the final of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany, a few weeks ago. Haas owns some fabulously crisp groundstrokes, but the mentally erratic performer is not the kind of guy who is ready to win three matches against top-tier opponents. Haas: PRETENDER.

Djokovic’s down period–bridging the Madrid Open and the French Open–is apparently over. The No. 4 seed is playing like one of the big boys in men’s tennis, and that means any of his opponents–Federer and Murray very much included–will need to play close to their very best if they want to deny the Djoker his second Grand Slam crown. Djokovic: CONTENDER.

Karlovic might be playing in his first-ever slam quarterfinal at age 30, but with the way the 6-10 Croatian is throwing down service bombs, inexperience really doesn’t matter all that much. Perhaps “Doctor Ivo” will flinch in one more tiebreak than he can afford; then again, remember that another huge-serving stud picked off one Wimbledon, despite a lack of long-term credentials in the sport: Richard Krajicek. The Dutchman served Pete Sampras off the court in the 1996 quarterfinals, and eventually rolled to the title against Malivai Washington. Karlovic could be this year’s Krajicek; he has the ability–and the surging confidence–to pull off the coup. He’s more than just a floater if he can threaten the foe named Federer. Do take note of Ivo’s one big liability going forward: The Croatian is 0-11 in five-set matches at slams in his career. Karlovic: CONTENDER.

Gee–Federer wouldn’t be anything but a contender. What must be said, though, is that while the Swiss is in fine form at The Championships, the draw is not being kind to the 14-time major champion (which is thematically and situationally appropriate; the man has to earn these crowns if he wants to add to his already-considerable stature). Karlovic could serve Federer out of Wimbledon in much the same way that Michael Stich hit Stefan Edberg out of SW19 in the 1991 semifinals: Namely, by winning three tiebreaks despite failing to break Edberg’s serve. Karlovic shouldn’t get many sniffs against Fed’s serve, but if Ivo is serving up aces left and right, it might not matter. The quarterfinals will be enough of a challenge for Federer; a potential semi against Djokovic wouldn’t be a walk in the park; neither would a possible final against Murray. Fed’s playing well, but he might have to be even better in the days ahead if he wants to keep moving on. Federer: CONTENDER.

The second Tuesday of the Wimbledon fortnight is called “Ladies’ Day,” a nod to the presence of four ladies’ singles quarterfinals without a peep from the men. In this latest version of all-female fare at The Championships, the daughters of Richard Williams and Oracene Price were anything but ladylike.

Big sister Venus and little sister Serena served notice that they intend to reunite for yet another Wimbledon final. Starting the day two matches away from a fourth encounter in the championship match at SW19, the greatest sibling act in sports now stands one round removed from the promised land. Venus destroyed Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-1, 6-2, while Serena smacked around Belarus’s Victoria Azarenka, 6-2, 6-3. The dominating wins send the sisters into the semifinals on Thursday, against a pair of Russians who will be heavy underdogs. Venus will be opposed by leg-weary Dinara Safina in one semifinal, while Serena will take on Elena Dementieva in the other match on Centre Court.

Based on the form they displayed on Ladies’ Day, Venus and Serena are once again setting the standard by which all their peers must be measured. In this Justine Henin-free world, a tennis terrain stripped of the one woman who could credibly attack and defuse the arsenals of these supreme sisters from the hardscrabble American streets of Compton, California, Venus and Serena stand alone at the top of the women’s game. Safina might own the No. 1 ranking in the sport due to consistency on a 52-week-a-year basis, but when the majors arrive, it’s the Williams family that rakes in the cash and the trophies. Such an outcome is to be expected at the Big W, which stands for “Williams” as well as “Wimbledon.”

Venus and Serena own seven Wimbledon titles between them, and have met in three prior finals (2002, 2003, 2008). This year, an all-Williams final would net the sisters just under 1.3 million pounds. The battle would be to determine who would get the 850,000-pound first-place check, and who would “settle” for the 425,000-pound second place prize. If the victors claim the spoils in competitive athletics, the Williams family has been doubling its share of spoils in recent years at SW19.

As one could imagine, there simply wasn’t any suspense to be found in either sister’s quarterfinal conquest against an Eastern European opponent. When two players combine to concede just eight total games (three for Venus, five for Serena), it’s clear that a backyard whipping is taking place. When Serena rips 13 winners and commits just 1 unforced error, as she did in the first set against an accomplished top-10 opponent such as Azarenka, it’s of little use to say anything more; added details would only confuse the issue instead of clarifying it.

All one needs to say is that the Williams sisters were overwhelmingly good–scarily, enduringly, distinctively good on Tuesday. They didn’t let their opponents breathe, submerging Radwanska and Azarenka in a flood of shots that reflected both an aggressive mindset and precise execution. Justine Henin could have been competitive with the sisters today, but for all of the retired Belgian’s many on-court gifts, she wouldn’t have been (and has never been) imposing enough to take down Venus or Serena under anything less than optimal circumstances. These two quarterfinal spankings clearly showed that both sisters are humming with efficiency and reveling in their athletic superiority over the rest of the ladies’ singles field.

You can be their biggest fan or their harshest critic (goodness knows there’s a large number of both groups), but no one can deny that after more than a decade on the WTA Tour, the sisters Williams haven’t lost much of anything in the cauldron of major-championship pressure. Once again, Venus and Serena tower over every other woman at Wimbledon. Two successful semifinals on Thursday will only magnify the might of the family dynasty that still holds sway in women’s tennis.