Strange Days: Safina plays poorly, still advances to semis
Laboring for two and a half hours on a sweltering summer day in England, Safina played a reasonable standard game.
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Wimbledon 2009
The Great Eight: Ladies’ quarterfinal notebook
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 [...]
Robin Gets Robbed: Soderling shines, still loses to Federer
Unlike the 2009 French Open final, Robin Soderling played his best tennis on Monday against Roger Federer in the fourth round of Wimbledon. Sadly for the Swede, it didn’t matter one bit. Showing the fabulous form that eluded him against Federer in Paris, Soderling blistered the ball and kept it inside the lines for most [...]
Game On: Azarenka, Serena set up quarterfinal showdown
While Venus Williams enjoys a heaven-sent draw in the top half of the ladies’ singles bracket at Wimbledon, the bottom half of the draw is about to have its heavyweight encounter. On the best day of the entire tennis calendar–when every round of 16 match is played in both the ladies’ and gentlemen’s singles fields [...]
Lean, Mean Sabine: Lisicki conquers Kuznetsova as upsets continue
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, [...]
Wimbledon’s Wisdom and the Genius of Middle Sunday
In the eyes of many tennis fans around the world, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is a backward-thinking organization hopelessly attached to an outdated past. The idea that no tennis should be played on the “Middle Sunday” of the Wimbledon fortnight strikes your typical sports nut as absurd. Sunday, after all, is [...]
Melanie Who? Oudin comes from nowhere to stun Jankovic
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 [...]
A Low-Key Classic: After two days and five sets, Haas edges Cilic
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 [...]
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See No Ivo, Hear No Ivo: Karlovic, with untouchable serves, stops Tsonga
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, [...]
Inconsistency Incarnate: Cibulkova, Bartoli fall in third round
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 [...]