Roger Federer needed 16 games in the fifth and deciding set to win his 15th major tournament. Such a poetically appropriate detail helps explain how a legendary athlete became even more of an icon on Sunday evening at Wimbledon, and yet, in the aftermath of another classic gentlemen’s singles final at the Big W, that [...]
For the past two years and three of the last four, Centre Court was Venus Williams‘s personal summer cottage. Now, another member of the Williams household has claimed ownership of the most famous place in tennis. Serena Williams had not won a ladies’ singles championship at the All-England Club since 2003, but this little sister now [...]
As Roger Federer and Andy Roddick meet once again at Wimbledon, two paths that meandered in such distinctly different directions have suddenly converged to create a rather remarkable backdrop to this year’s gentlemen’s singles final. When these familiar foes face each other on Sunday at Centre Court, they’ll find it impossible to ignore the match [...]
For the fans who packed Centre Court and Henman Hill on Friday afternoon at the All-England Club, the wrong Andy won the second gentlemen’s singles semifinal at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. Even then, however, the eyes of a commonwealth had to appreciate the power of the moment Andy Roddick created on the world’s most famous [...]
As Roger Federer keeps winning Grand Slam matches, the history of tennis will continuously be rewritten. Most professionals play for numbers that deal with money; for a champion like Federer, the meaningful numbers can be found in the milestones he attains each time he steps on court. Federer made more record-keepers and stat geeks happy [...]
All the quarterfinal matchups for both singles competitions are now set at the All-England Club. The round of eight has acquired a very unique composition in the ladies’ and gentlemen’s draws, but that doesn’t mean the occasion will be any less meaningful for the participants involved. Some members of the 2009 “Quarterfinal Club” at SW19 [...]
Remember what was said yesterday about the elusiveness of consistency in women’s tennis? Saturday’s play at the All England Club only affirmed the theme. Shortly after sixth-seeded Jelena Jankovic got taken out by no-name American Melanie Oudin, fifth-rated Svetlana Kuznetsova–the reigning French Open champion–succumbed to the firepower of Germany’s Sabine Lisicki. Unseeded but quite dangerous, [...]
After all he’s been through in his life, Tommy Haas finally found reason to smile at the end of another long journey on a tennis court. The German, along with Croatia’s Marin Cilic, produced a third-round match of considerable quality at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. The slugfest evolved into a sprawling and soaring showcase that [...]
Ivo Karlovic might be a one-trick pony, but oh, what a magnificent trick lies at this powerful pony’s disposal. Karlovic, the most fearsome server in all of tennis, rode 46 aces to the finish line on Friday, as the Croatian narrowly defeated France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four razor-close sets. The 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-5, [...]
Professional tennis might look like an attractive gig, especially at Wimbledon, but while the money’s good for those who reach the middle rounds of main draw events, the sport is unforgiving in the way it shapes reputations. One only had to watch Friday’s third round at the Big W to understand why. There are only [...]
