Elena Dementieva has had to endure the label so many tennis players and golfers dread: the best player never to win a major. Spain’s Sergio Garcia is widely regarded as the male golfer who ought to have won a prestigious championship by now, but hasn’t. In men’s tennis, Andy Murray and Nikolay Davydenko are battling for that double-edged distinction, which carries with it both a compliment and a deficiency.

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, Lisicki [...]

Did anyone outside Melanie Oudin’s family members, close friends, and coaches know about a 17-year-old from the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, Georgia, before the 2009 Wimbledon Championships began?
Didn’t think so.
But now, this uncommonly resourceful teenager is on the minds of every pundit, scribe and broadcaster at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Oudin [...]

For women with a last name of Williams, the official release of the Wimbledon singles draws on Friday morning provided a pleasing path to tennis riches. After years of being placed on the same side of the draw, Venus and Serena stand on opposite sides of the bracket at the Big W. If you loved [...]