A TRANSFORMATIVE FIGURE: Tim Keown said Roger Federer has “transformed the sport, rescuing it from the square-jawed clench of the power serve generation while infusing it with variety, class and longevity.”
SWEDE ‘N DOUR: Calvin Tomkins said Swede Robin Soderling “doesn’t look like a tennis player. Tall (six feet four inches), ungraceful, and a bit bowlegged, he aims to batter opponents into submission with his powerful serve and windmilling groundstrokes. His court manner is dour, and he rarely bothers with the quaint niceties that still cling to the game.”
A LITTLE SPICE: As Anna Kournikova began to recount her numerous back injuries (“two herniated disks to four cracks that I have…The right side is smaller than the left…”), Martina Hingis interrupted, saying, “I don’t want to hear it.”
A SERVE FOR THE AGES: Pam Shriver called Serena Williams‘ serve “one of the best shots ever in women’s tennis.”
SOMETHING DOESN’T ADD UP HERE: The BBC packaged a video montage of Roger Federer‘s loss to Tomas Berdych to the Eagles’ “Desperado.” “Ohhhh, you ain’t getting no younger, your pain and your hunger, they’re driving you home.” A little harsh for a 16-time Slam champ, don’t you think?
THERE’S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR: After his upset loss to Berdych, Fededer said, “God, I can’t wait for Paris and Wimbledon to come around next year again.” Asked if he would tune in to watch the July 4 final, the Swiss asserted, “I don’t think so, no. I’ll be on vacation.”
RAFA TERRIBLE, SODERLING NOT A THREAT: When a reporter asked Federer if he thought this might be Andy Murray‘s year given that “some of the really threatening players haven’t been doing so well this year,” he glared, “Yeah, I mean, true, Rafa played terribly lately. Soderling is not a threat either. He’s got an easy ride to this victory, that’s for sure. Djokovic can’t play tennis anymore it seems like. Got to make your own work, please. Respect the players.”
THE TOP 10 (AS READ BY MR. ISNER HIMSELF): The top 10 thoughts that went through John Isner‘s mind during his 11-hour match from “The Late Show With David Letterman”:
10: “I’m exhausted.”
9: “We’ve been playing so long I’ve forgotten — am I Isner or Mahut?”
8: “Remember when I said I was exhausted? That was 8 hours ago!”
7: “Wonder if I’ll be sore tomorrow?”
6: “I’m going to lay back until 51-50, then make my move.”
5: “I’m asleep.”
4: “Why couldn’t I have played Federer? It would’ve been over in 15 minutes.”
3: “Cramp!”
2: “Honestly, I don’t care if I win or lose — I just don’t want to die.”
1: “Larry King has had marriages that didn’t last this long.”
HEADLINES
Roger, Over and Out
Something Missing In Venus’ Game
THE NUMBERS
1: Asian player in the last 15 years who has reached the last eight of a Grand Slam —Yen-Hsun Lu.
4,000: Fans who turned out at Court 2 for the much-hyped Kournikova/Hingis vs. Smith/Hobbs exo.
QUOTEBOOK
“I’m definitely struggling at the moment.” — Roger Federer, who was knocked out by Tomas Berdych
“Nadal never smiles during a match — not until the very end, when, if he’s won it, his transparent joy transforms him into a Caravaggesque seraph.” — Calvin Tomkins, The New Yorker
“It’s lonely in a good way.” — Andy Murray on the added pressure the Scot shoulders at Wimbledon
“He has been some tough contender here, for such a long time. One of the most famous contenders of all time last year. Keeps coming back, thinking it has to be his time at Wimbledon. Just not this time.” — Mike Lupica on Andy Roddick
“Hands up if you tipped this? Anyone? A Wimbledon semifinal day featuring unseeded Czech lefthander Petra Kvitova, obscure Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova, and the more seasoned Russian headcase Vera Zvonareva. Who would have thought it would be left to Serena Williams to provide a little sanity?” — Linda Pearce, The Age
“Now THAT’S the way tennis was made to be played. It’s like cricket, for God’s sake.” — David Letterman on the John Isner–Nicolas Mahut marathon
“Sometimes the sideshow can get in the way of the main event.” — Mark Hawthorne on the return of Kournikova and Hingis
“You would not want to be Martina Navratilova‘s cancer cells. They stood no chance once she had decided to whack them into submission.” — Elizabeth Grice, The Daily Telegraph
