By Bill Simons
MELBOURNE, Australia—Somber Saturday, that’s what they called it.
After all, for far too many years, by the time most Grand Slams got near the end of their first week, a vast swath of the US contingent had been swept aside.
Americans were left with a vacant feeling. “Oh dear,” we muttered.
Somebody called this “the American century,” but unless you’re a Serena Williams fanatic, it sure hasn’t felt that way lately on the world’s tennis courts.
The unhappy stats sting. (For instance, in 1980 we had 118 men and women in the top 100. Now we have just 18. Or there’s that standard lament that an American man hasn’t won a Slam in almost 12 years. Ouch!)
American tennis fans suffered from a common malady: slump fatigue. All the hand-wringing got old. When asked about the state of American tennis the other day, John Isner said, “You guys know the drill.”
At times it seemed all you could do was find refuge in that old Sam Cooke adage, “A change is gonna come.”
Still, our slump has been hard to take. After all, we’re Americans — Yankee proud, our expectations are stratospheric.
Now, at long last, there is plenty to be proud of. Madison Keys was thrilled that for two straight press conferences usually gloomy reporters were actually upbeat about American tennis. “Lots of fun,” said Madison. “Go USA.”
Nine Americans made it into the third round.
Sure, both big John Isner and the rising Steve Johnson fell today (to Gilles Muller and Kei Nishikori). For the eighth time in the last nine Slams, no American guy reached the fourth round.
But things were much brighter on the women’s side. True, for a while it appeared Camila Giorgi would join Andreas Seppi as another little-known, blue-eyed, blond Italian with a two-handed backhand taking down a legend. Against Venus Williams, the hard-hitting Giorgi won the first set, and was up 4-2 and 0-40 on Venus’ serve. Then Venus rallied, even overcoming the loss of an eleven-deuce game early in the third set. Never mind that Venus had lost five straight three-set matches in Slams and hadn’t reached the second week of a Slam since 2011. She played vintage Venus tennis, reeling off 11 of the last 14 games to win her eighth straight match this year. For the first time since 2010, she was into the Aussie Open fourth round.
Billie Jean King tweeted, “I am inspired by Venus Williams. Every time she takes the court. Great to see her healthy, competing and loving what she does.”
Venus was more succinct. She told the crowd, “Well, this old cat has a few tricks left in the bag.”
But for much of the first set of her match, it seemed as if Serena left her game in her racket bag. “Oh my,” said her fans, as she lost the opener to the prospect from Odessa, Elina Svitolina. Williams seemed indifferent and passive, and she served slowly. Then she did some timely scoreboard watching. She saw her sister was kicking butt—up 4-1 in the third set. So she kicked things into gear, like only she can, and swept to a 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 win over the No. 26-ranked twenty year old from the Ukraine.
In other American results, the “girl from Allentown” (Pennsylvania), Varvara Lepchenko, was sliced and diced by Aga Radwanska. Then the little-known but oh-so-appealing late-bloomer Madison Brengle delivered a performance much better than her No. 64 ranking. The fast-rising 24-year old from Delaware was ranked 145 last year when she was faced with skin cancer. Today, she dismantled fellow American Coco Vandeweghe to help set up a showdown with another Madison: the 19-year old power maiden Madison Keys, who scored the win of her life, a powerful late-night 6-4, 7-5 dismantling of two-time Wimbledon champ, world No. 4 Petra Kvitova.
Serving big, crushing her forehand, disciplined, returning with confidence, unafraid of her foe or the big stage, Keys crafted points beautifully, broke often and showed improved movement. Then, when it came time to close the match, she felt “weirdly calm” as she unleashed a breathtaking display of big babe tennis. Earlier in the tournament, Casey Dellacqua said Madison hit so hard she knocked the racket out of her hand. And last year at the French Open, the average speed of Keys’ relentless groundies was said to be faster than any woman or man.
Three years ago, Chris Evert said that the raw kid from Illinois was the future of tennis. Tonight, the future was now. The sometimes awkward girl, who seemed so lost and tactically clueless on a hot outer court here last year, now was cool: a wondrous woman to contend with. Afterward, Kvitova said, “She can be one of the top ones for sure,” and Pam Shriver insisted she could win this year’s Australian Open.
No wonder the tiny contingent of Americans here left Rod Laver Arena smiling. After all, forget Somber Saturday. Forget the the still not spectacular results in American men’s tennis. Forget our long dreary slump.
Now we know, “a change is gonna come.” It’s a new day. As Keys told us, “Lots of fun. Go USA!”
SATURDAY BUZZ —
PURE ELATION: Madison Keys, after she beat Petra Kvitova.
THAT’S FOR SURE: A Madison – Keys or Brengle – will reach the Aussie Open quarterfinals. Keys said, “Obviously we are representing our name pretty well” … After losing to Madison Keys, Petra Kvitova said “I’m not the first to lose here and I won’t be the last.”
THE MOST IMPORTANT DRESS IN TENNIS HISTORY? A four-year old Madison Keys told her Dad that she really liked the dress Venus Williams was wearing at Wimbledon and she wanted one. Her Dad said sure, but only if she played tennis.
CRUSH CITY: After recalling how Serena bounced back from devastating losses to Sharapova and Sam Stosur, Pam Shriver said, “When she wants revenge, it’s crush city.”
LIFE IS GOOD: Rafa is back in the ATP mix.
SUPERMAN: Rafa said he doesn’t like to sleep because he considers it a waste of time.
SAY IT ISN’T SO: Lindsay Davenport got pooped on by a bird … Both Madison Keys and Madison Brengle do not know who World Series star Madison Bumgarner is … Brengle’s nervous father went to sleep rather than watch her third-round match.
LESS IS MORE: Sometimes losing can benefit your career. After Andy Roddick dramatically lost to Federer in a Wimbledon final his popularity soared. Andy Murray dropped the 2012 Wimbledon final, but it somehow gave him confidence. Here in Melbourne, the classy Tim Smyczek, who fell to Nadal, won a lot of new fans.
MR. WOBBLYBOOTS: Darren Cahill’s nickname for Frenchman Gilles Simon, whose cramping legs almost gave out on him during a semi-marathon match against David Ferrer.
PARTY GIRL: Serena said, “These days if I get beyond the fourth round it’s like party time.”
THE GOODBYE GUY: German Benjamin Becker famously beat Andre Agassi on Ashe Stadium at the US Open in the last match the American ever played. The other night Becker came back from two sets down to beat Aussie legend Lleyton Hewitt on Rod Laver Arena in what might be Hewitt’s last match on his home center court. Now to get a career Grand Slam in such farewell matches, all Becker has to do is beat Jo-Willy Tsonga, Richard Gasquet or some other French star in their last match on Court Centrale, or Andy Murray on Centre Court when he’s about to hang ‘em up.
VICTORIA’S X-RATED SECRET: When asked about a key error in her third-round match, Victoria Azarenka told the Margaret Court Arena crowd, “When I missed the overhead, I said, ‘Oh s—.’ Sorry, you can blip it out.”
JUST GLOWING: Victoria Azarenka, who beat Barbora Zahlavova Strycova today, is relishing her resurgence after enduring what she felt was a lost year in 2014.
OVA THE TOP: Barbora Zahlavova Strycova has two “ovas” in her name.
ONE BUSY MULTITASKING MAMA: Madison Keys said her new coach Lindsay Davenport was wearing four hats: mom, coach, TV commentator and a competitor in the legends draw. BTW: Mary Joe Fernandez said Davenport was “so invested in Madison. It’s like she’s taken her on as another child.” And that is some kid, wouldn’t you say.
