BACK TO NORMAL: After perhaps the most tumultuous day in tennis history—thrills, spills, upsets, shocks and a Federerian disaster—Pleasant Valley (that would be Wimbledon) returned to form with gentle rains from gray skies; witty words from Serena Williams; inventive headlines; predictable scorelines in which favored players actually performed well; and—get this—finished matches, as fans, whether gray or giddy, offered proper applause and refined appreciation.
GLORIOUS SELF-DELUDING AMBITION AND OTHER FOND MEMORIES OF ROGER FEDERER: The London Times’ Simon Barnes reflected on Roger Federer. He wrote, “Having bestrode Centre Court as an immortal for so many years, Roger Federer was suddenly made to look all too fallible … [Still] he remains perhaps the greatest master of his sport any of us have seen … Who can we compare him to? Michael Schumacher for dominance, but Schumacher had a machine to do the hard work. Lance Armstrong? Certainly not. Tiger Woods? Perhaps, but golf is a still-ball game and can’t be compared to a game that requires physical fitness.
Besides, Federer’s dominance was not just of result. He was master of the game itself, master of every nuance. Tennis balls obeyed him as dogs obey their masters. He could be beaten but not outplayed. He used his No. 1 ranking like a sword. “You have to play Roger and Roger’s ego,” said Sergiy Stakhovsky.
There is always a reaction when great champions start to lose matches they would have won in comfort. It seems like an insult to their own glorious past, to our own glorious memories. Come on, hang up your boots, the game’s been good to you … So we have to brace ourselves for an unfolding experience of sadness: for further experiences of Roger failing again to be the Roger of the glory years. Respect the things that makes such a man carry on: relish for the struggle, sheer love of the game itself, glorious self-deluding ambition, and behind all that, the certainty that nothing will be as good ever again.
Ah, that terrible ballooning backhand error on match point. And Federer, the great Roger Federer, the Harry Potter of the Centre Court, standing there looking like a muggle. We shan’t see his like again. Not even when he next plays tennis.”
“I can definitely tell my grandkids I kicked the butt of Roger Federer.”
HEADLINES:
UNBELIEVABLE
MOWN DOWN
CARNAGE
WOBBLEDON
WIMBLEDON THRILLS AND ILLS
WIPEOUT WEDNESDAY
HOW THE MIGHTY ARE FALLING
NEW COURTS PLEASE
WIMBLEDON WINCES ON WOUNDED WEDNESDAY
FEDERER JOINS THE FALLEN IDOLS
FEDERER STRUGGLES AS STAKHOVSKY SLAYS THE KING
RASTA MAN BROWN SENDS HEWITT HOME
DUSTIN BINS HEWITT HOPES
NO LONGER THE BIG NOISE: SHARAPOVA MEETS HER MATCH
SHARAPOVA PONDERS THE GROUND BENEATH HER FEET
IT’S SHARAP-OVER AND OUT IN SW 19
MARIA TAKES THE FALL IN THE COURT OF MAYHEM
MARIA SLIPS AS STARS FALL FROM GRACE
PAIN IN THE GRASS
WIMBLEDON TURNS INTO A HOSPITAL WARD
MURRAY NOW ON EASY STREET
LAURA HAS KARMA TO STAY CALM
LAURA THE LIKELY LASS
MOST RADICAL HAIR CHANGE: Blonde Agnieszka Radwanska or silver-gray Judy Murray?
QUOTEBOOK:
“I was facing two players—Federer and his ego.”—Upset artist Sergiy Stakhovsky.
“I would just like to see a proper match. I want to see Serena have to work.”—Radio Wimbledon.
“When you get to Thursday [at Wimbledon], Monday is another country.”—Mary Rhodes.
“The only player who can beat Serena is Serena herself.”—Brad Gilbert.
“He wasn’t De Bakker, he was a debacle.”—Pam Shriver, on the weak first-round performance of Dutchman Thiemo De Bakker.
“To me the greatest moment for a tennis player is to walk out onto Centre Court at Wimbledon.”—Serena Williams.
“This is Grand Slam, so I think nobody’s relaxed.”—Agnieszka Radwanska, after being asked whether she was relaxed.
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE: While hopes about American women’s tennis are soaring, this is the first time since 1912 that no American man has reached Wimbledon’s third round. All eleven singles entrants are out. Georgia’s Bobby Reynolds, who lost to Novak Djokovic on Centre Court, was the last Yankee guy standing. A tragedy, yes? Then again, as Brad Gilbert notes, “There is no birthright that says we have to have champions.”
NUMBERS GAME: The record number of retirements from singles matches in one Grand Slam is 17, at the 2011 U.S. Open.
GO FIGURE: Federer’s loss in the second round to Sergiy Stakhovsky was his worst defeat since losing to No. 154 Mario Ancic in the first round of Wimbledon in 2002.
GRAND OLD LADY: Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm, 42-years-and-281-days-old, became the oldest woman to reach Wimbldon’s third round.
NOT-SO-GRAND OLD LADY: Our quote of the day came from a woman on a packed train, in “discussion” with a man over a seat: “Don’t mess with me, I’m hormonal.” For her: the seat. For him: the floor.
WIMBLEDON’S COURTS GO TO COURT: All the tumbles, defaults, and withdrawals at this year’s Wimbledon have sparked much defensiveness by officials. David Felgate, the former performance director of the Lawn Tennis Association, said, “You have to look at the injuries individually. Clearly, Victoria Azarenka’s was caused by the grass, but maybe Steve Darcis’s wasn’t. Before we start casting aspersion about the grass, we need to look at whether the players were [already] carrying the injuries.”
ONE UNHAPPY BARONESS: Baroness Angela Billingham told a committee of the House of Lords that the Lawn Tennis Association in Britain didn’t increase participation enough in Britain, and should not take credit for the success of Andy Murray or Laura Robson. A LTA official countered that the Baroness was wrong and last year was the best year for tennis in his lifetime, with participation increasing by 18 percent.
ANDY VS. SERENA: All the talk around Wimbledon was of Andy Murray saying he would be willing to play Serena Williams in a Vegas match. Serena said game on, adding, “Maybe we can have a little showdown. That would be fine. I get alleys. He gets no serves. I get alleys on my serves too. He gets no legs. Yeah.” Novak Djokovic then said he would be willing to play Maria Sharapova.
