SOMETHING’S FISHY HERE: Is it just us, or is it a tad ironic that Boris Becker‘s son has a goldfish named Sushi? After all, it was at the trendy London sushi joint Nobu where the German superstar infamously connected with Russian model Angela Ermakova — an encounter that destroyed his marriage to then-wife Barbara Feltus.
ON THE DL: Elena Dementieva (calf), Sabine Lisicki (ankle) and Virginie Razzano (hip) will miss Wimbledon with injuries.
WORLD CUP UPSET: Asked for a prediction on the Spain vs. Switzerland World Cup clash, Swiss star Roger Fededer said, “It could be an advantage or a disadvantage for us playing the best team of the group right off the bat. Obviously, they’re the huge favorites after the way they played at the European championships. Obviously, with a point we will be very happy. I don’t know if they can play outright aggressive, because you also want to kind of get into the tournament, and that could be our chance. On that, we hope to get through the knockout stages and into the last 16 or quarters…We’re at the World Cup, and everybody’s got a chance once you’re there.” His Spanish counterpart Rafael Nadal also weighed in: “My opinion is we have the best team.” Plus, his uncle/coach Toni Nadal went Joe Namath, asserting, “Spain will win the 2010 World Cup.” (Switzerland had never beaten Spain, but on Wednesday, they pulled off a miraculous 1-0 upset of the World Cup favorites.)
NO DAVIS CUP FOR MURRAY: Andy Murray says he will not play Britain’s Davis Cup relegation playoff tie against Turkey. “I’ll play Davis Cup in the future, that’s for sure, but not right now,” said Murray. “This is a match that should be won without me.”
THE NUMBERS
2: World No. 1 Rafael Nadal‘s seeding at Wimbledon (defending champ Roger Fedeerer got the No. 1 nod).
42: Age of Thomas Muster, who is launching a comeback. Said the former No. 1 Austrian, “I never formally retired, as I said after that [last] match I would go on a holiday. So now I am just returning from my holiday.”
24-22: Third-set score of Nicolas Mahut‘s Wimbledon qualifying win over Alex Bogdanovic.
QUOTEBOOK
“What I remember most from winning Wimbledon at 17 was that people suddenly looked at me differently — they thought I was from planet Mars. They thought that I had done something I wasn’t supposed to do, something that shouldn’t have been possible. But I did it. And then I did it at 18, just to make the point.” — Boris Becker
“He has a tendency to become a bit passive.” — John McEnroe on Andy Murray
“I like random, abstract artworks with lots of color — something that you just look at and go, ‘Whoa — what is that?'” — U.S. Open junior champ and art lover Heather Watson of Britain on her favorite paintings
“A year ago I didn’t hit a single ball. I had to build myself back up from zero.” —Justine Henin
