MURRAY DARES QUESTION THE CURSE: Deep into Andy Murray‘s press conference after an epic, come-from-behind five-set victory over Fernando Verdasco, there was this silly exchange:
Question: There’s been talk about [Prime Minister] David Cameron having tweeted you this morning, and the so-called “Curse of Cameron,” which I think sort of spooked the country a bit. Is that something you were aware of? How superstitious are you about things like that?
Andy Murray: No. What he tweets has absolutely zero bearing on the outcome of my match today, zero at all. It’s nice to get messages from the prime minister, but whether I win or not, his tweet has no bearing on that at all. That’s just people trying to make a story out of nothing.
WHAT’S A BETTER STORY?: The joyful play of Serena’s German conqueror, Sabine Lisicki; the emergence of Polish tennis in general and Jerzy Janowicz—the first-ever male Polish semifinalist in a Grand Slam—in particular; or the rise of Kirsten Flipkens, who a year ago could not even get into the qualifying for Wimbledon?
HEADLINES:
AMID THE FEAR AND LOATHING, LISICKI SPREADS THE LOVE
LISICKI A WINNER BY SMILES
STEPHENS IS SHAKEN BY BAR BREAK
KIRSTEN: BATTLE OF THE BELG
MURRAY WARY OF BANANA SKIN AS HE STAYS FOCUSED ON QUARTERFINAL
THE LONELINESS OF BEING LAURA ROBSON
SERB IN SEA OF TRANQUILLITY AS SCOT DEALS WITH TIDES OF EXPECTATION
MURRAY’S ON THE MARCH TO TENNIS IMMORTALITY
SPANISH INQUISITION
BRING ON THE MUSCLES OF MADRID
ALLERGIC TO GRASS BUT IN THE SEMIS
TAKE FIGHT TO RAFA LITE
BLAME DEFEAT ON VENUS
NERVES SHOW SERENA IS HUMAN
GOLIATH IS GOOD: The press room exploded with sounds of shock unlike any I’ve heard in any press room at any tennis match in 33 years. At 30-30 all in the first game of his quarterfinal against David Ferrer on Centre Court, Juan Martin del Potro, the 6’8″ giant, was running behind the baseline when his ankle buckled. The problematic courts of Wimbledon, which had taken down so many—including Victoria Azarenka and John Isner—appeared to have struck again.
“It seems like it was David vs. Goliath,” said John McEnroe, “And Goliath got hit with that slingshot. I would be amazed if he goes beyond a set.” But brave Delpo did. In fact, he won in straights, moving on to the semis.
A MAN OF FEW WORDS: After reaching the semis, an emotionally overwrought Jerzy Janowicz struggled to declare, “This is my first Grand Slam semi and I have nothing to say.”
BIG MACS: When a fan called out “Hey Mac” during a Senior Doubles match that included John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Peter McNamara, and Paul McNamee, JMac called out, “Which one?”
DOUBLES DIALOG OF THE DAY:
Peter McNamara: “Go, go, go!”
His partner Paul McNamee: “I can’t, I can’t.”
