To use Andy Roddick's phrase, the old balls are in control of this Wimbledon. Only one member of the New Balls generation is into the Final Four. The other three men can be said to be part of the previous generation. The men's semi finals will be very interesting indeed.
I guess it's true that sometimes the best is saved for last. In an epic battle Andy Roddick defeated his old demons and out toughed Australian Lleyton Hewitt in five grueling sets. It was a half court volley, one Roddick calls the "best of his life" that kept him in the match and helped him wear down Hewitt who had played a lot of tennis coming into the match. Make no mistake about it. Roddick won the match. Hewitt didn't give him a thing.
Juan Carlos Ferrero had also played a lot of tennis coming into his match against British favorite Andy Murray. If you heard the match live the talking heads made it sound as if Murray were about to lose at love in each set. I'm not quite sure what they expected of Murray, or Ferrero for that matter. Maybe they wanted a beat down of some sort but Murray played his usual low key game and today it was enough against Juan Carlos who looked a step slower throughout the match.
Listening to ESPN's commentators after the match was surprising since they were discussing what Murray has to do to beat Federer. The ball is in your court Andy Roddick.
The only player who is getting as much hyperbole directed his way as Murray is Roger Federer. If as a casual fan you just wandered into the Monogram's match against Ivo Karlovic you can be forgiven for thinking Karlovic was going to take the Monogram to five sets. If you are a more serious follower of the game you already knew that the Monogram had already said that big serving is not tennis. I've said the same thing but I've said it about players other than Roger. I walked out early on Roddick's match against Santoro last year because all Roddick was doing was serving.
If you think Monogram's words didn't get to Ivo all you had to do was watch what happened on court today. Instead of playing the way he had to make it to the quarters Ivo started trying to do other things, things that don't work for him. The bloviators are screaming about 21 Grand Slam semi's. Please forgive me if I ask the tiresome question "who did he play?"
The Grand Old Man of this tournament is through to the semifinals and looks none the worse for wear. Tommy Haas is playing with no fear and today sent Novak Djokovic home in four sets. I've never warmed up to Haas but his play makes him deserving of his semifinal spot. He plays the Monogram. Don't forget to think about how the Monogram is going to play Murray in the final okay while the match is going on. I know the commentators will be.
Order of Play for Thursday 2 July 2009
SINGLES
CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START
1. Elena Dementieva (RUS) [4] 96 vs Serena Williams (USA) [2] 128
2. Dinara Safina (RUS) [1] 1 vs Venus Williams (USA) [3] 33
Doubles
CENTRE - SHOW COURT
3. James Blake (USA) and Mardy Fish (USA) 47 vs Daniel Nestor (CAN) and Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) [2] 64
COURT 1 - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START
1. Bob Bryan (USA) and Mike Bryan (USA) [1] 1 vs Wesley Moodie (RSA) and Dick Norman (BEL) [9] 25
2. Leander Paes (IND) and Cara Black (ZIM) [1] 1 vs Andre Sa (BRA) and Ai Sugiyama (JPN) [11] 9
3. Mark Knowles (BAH) and Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) [9] vs Bob Bryan (USA) and Samantha Stosur (AUS) [2]
COURT 2 - SHOW COURT
2. Kevin Ullyett (ZIM) and Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) [4] 17 vs Stephen Huss (AUS) and Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) [12] 25
Juniors
COURT 4 - SHOW COURT - 11.00 AM START
1. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) [1] 1 vs Sloane Stephens (USA) [7] 16 GS
2. Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 51 vs Dino Marcan (CRO) 58 BS
3. Tom Farquharson (GBR) and Stefan Sterland-Markovic (GBR) 26 vs
Alexandros-Ferdinandos Georgoudas (GER) and Andrei Vasilevski (BLR) 27 BD
4. Tennys Sandgren (USA) and Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) 30 vs Cheng Peng Hsieh (TPE) and Liang-Chi Huang (TPE) [2] 32 BD
5. Maximilian Neuchrist (AUT) and Tristan-Samuel Weissborn (AUT) 18 vs Julien Obry (FRA) and Adrien Puget (FRA) 19 BD
COURT 7 - 11.00 AM START
1. Zsofia Susanyi (HUN) 23 vs Miyabi Inoue (JPN) 27 GS
2. Valeria Solovieva (RUS) and Maryna Zanevska (UKR) [8] 17 vs Beatrice Capra (USA) and Martina Trevisan (ITA) 19 GD
3. Evan King (USA) and Denis Kudla (USA) [4] 9 vs Sandro Ehrat (SUI) and Dominik Wirlend (AUT) 11 BD
4. Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR) and Zsofia Susanyi (HUN) [4] 9 vs Fatma Al Nabhani (OMA) and Yana Buchina (RUS) 11 GD
COURT 12 - 11.00 AM START
1. Lewis Burton (GBR) and George Morgan (GBR) 5 vs Carlos Boluda-Purkiss (ESP) and David Souto (VEN) 7 BD
2. Timea Babos (HUN) [6] 49 vs Quirine Lemoine (NED) 60 GS
3. Nicole Gibbs (USA) and Camila Silva (CHI) 14 vs Daria Gavrilova (RUS) and Ksenia Kirillova (RUS) [5] 16 GD
4. Quirine Lemoine (NED) and Angelique Van Der Meet (NED) 30 vs Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) and Silvia Njiric (CRO) [2] 32 GD
5. Isabella Holland (AUS) and Christina McHale (USA) 21 vs Timea Babos (HUN) and Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) [3] 24 GD
COURT 14 - 11.00 AM START
1. Silvia Njiric (CRO) [11] 40 vs Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (THA) [4] 48 GS
2. Agustin Velotti (ARG) [4] 17 vs Jordan Cox (USA) 28 BS
3. Samantha Vickers (GBR) and Lisa Whybourn (GBR) 2 vs Jana Cepelova (SVK) and Vivien Juhaszova (SVK) 4 GD
4. Emi Mutaguchi (JPN) and Akiko Omae (JPN) 5 vs Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (THA) and Sally Peers (AUS) 7 GD
5. Andrea Collarini (ARG) and Agustin Velotti (ARG) [1] 1 vs Filip Horansky (SVK) and Jozef Kovalik (SVK) 3 BD
COURT 18 - SHOW COURT - 11.00 AM START
1. Dominik Schulz (GER) [9] 40 vs Bernard Tomic (AUS) [3] 48 BS
2. Alexander Domijan (USA) 5 vs Devin Britton (USA) 15 BS
3. Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) and Kevin Krawietz (GER) 14 vs Jack Carpenter (GBR) and James Marsalek (GBR) 16 BD
4. Magda Linette (POL) and Heather Watson (GBR) [6] 25 vs Miyabi Inoue (JPN) and Sachie Ishizu (JPN) 28 GD
5. Devin Britton (USA) and Jordan Cox (USA) 21 vs Marin Draganja (CRO) and Dino Marcan (CRO) 23 B
End Notes
American Travis Parrot has denied he has flu like symptoms.
Mrs Ivo Karlovic actually made it onto your television or computer screens today. She just wasn't identified by name.
So what can tennisheads do to get NBC to give up television rights to Grand Slam coverage? I mean why play the completed Federer vs Karlovic match when live tennis was being played? I mean why wouldn't you want American fans to see the Murray vs Ferrero match? Could it be because a tennis match is supposed to last no more than three hours?
It used to be that one letter was equal to sixty in the mind of the networks. They think we don't care. We do.
Last years girls Junior Wimbledon Champion Laura Robson went out in three sets today. Word is she was struggling with a back injury. She's fifteen right?
There's also a nice boys singles match on Court 18 tomorrow between Alexander Domijan and Devin Britten both from the United States. Alexander beat the top seed in today's play.
James Blake and Mardy Fish are still in doubles contention. I'm still surprised that Blake is on the US Davis Cup team especially since the rubbers will be played on clay in Croatia. Blake made it quite clear how he feels about playing in the dirt so why is he playing this tie? Inquiring minds and all that. Maybe the Captain feels it's better to leave a team of guys who get along together instead of bringing in a new guy or two.
3 comments:
Hi Savannah, have not posted in awhile. I have not seen Roger's match but this morning I was reading Craig's blog and during the Ivo/Roger match, I think Craig mentioned how good of a returner Roger was. I think that may have played a part in his win against Ivo. The thing with these big servers is that you have to get them moving. One of Roger's greatest assets is I think his ability to see the ball clearly, and I think that is one of the more underrated aspects of his game. Prior to playing Roger, Ivo had not even faced a break point and he got broken consistently during this match, even while out acing Roger.
Make no mistake about it. Roddick won the match. Hewitt didn't give him a thing.
::
Say it again.
Haas was most impressive today. All fortnight, really. His first Wimbledon semifinal.
He gets Comeback of the Year hands down.
I sometimes forget how old Ferrero is and what illnesses he's suffered. I oughtn't. Because then I wouldn't get my hopes up that he can actually win a best-of-five match after playing a five-setter.
Yes, Craig, he just isn't the same guy he was before chicken pox, is he.
Love that Tommy is in the final four. I really hope he can keep that form. He doesn't have that same awe for Mr. Monogram that some of the others do. Nevertheless, I don't think he's going to defeat Raja.
It's a bit heartening to me to read numerous articles that mention Rafa's absence and how exciting he makes tennis with his presence.
Heal up quick and hurry back, Rafa!
Post a Comment