Category Archives: Wimbledon

July 6, 2011

WIMBLEDON: ESPN Brings End to Two Most-Hated Words in Tennis, Matt Lauer. (Just Kidding: Tape Delay)

By gregcouch

Novak Djokovic wins Wimbledon in last match on NBC

It took years for my friend, Dave, to let me talk to him during Wimbledon. It would have been nice to talk with a tennis nut during what might be the most important time of the sport’s year. But he shut off his phone, turned off his car radio, stayed away from newspapers and TV.

He couldn’t work out because his fingers were in his ears. He covered his eyes.

Hid under a desk.

And waited.

Over 43 years, NBC brought us things such as Breakfast at Wimbledon, Dick Enberg, Bud Collins. But it also turned my friend into a hermit. After years of building his trust, I finally got him to answer his phone. But the greeting wasn’t “Hello’’ so much as “Don’t tell me how the Roddick match is going.’’

Every American tennis fan knows what I’m talking about. It takes a contortionist to be a tennis fan, thanks to the two most-hated words in tennis.

Matt Lauer.

Just kidding: They are “tape delay.’’

ESPN has pushed NBC out of Wimbledon. You won’t have to hide anymore to avoid finding out how matches went, won’t have to wait for NBC to get around to showing matches after the Today show, or after Martha Stewart shows us how turn hydrangeas blue instead of pink. Continue reading

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July 3, 2011

WIMBLEDON: Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal to Become King. Will Casual Fan Accept end of Nadal-Federer?

By gregcouch

 

 

Novak Djokovic wins Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic dropped to Wimbledon’s Centre Court in celebration and then. . .ate some blades of grass. “Well-kept,’’ he said. A few months ago, when he won the Australian Open, he started taking off clothes, throwing them into the crowd, then taking off more. Knowing him, he wasn’t sure to stop before it got embarrassing. But he did.

The thing is, Djokovic isn’t just for comic relief anymore. He is the king of tennis after beating Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 Sunday to win Wimbledon.

Djokovic has been crushing everyone, including Nadal and Roger Federer, all year. But you don’t prove that you’re best in Rome or Madrid, Indian Wells or Miami. It happens at Wimbledon (or the U.S. Open). He is now 48-1 this year, winning two of three majors and beating Nadal five times with no losses.

He officially earned the computer No. 1 ranking on Friday, but proved Sunday that he deserved it.

“Couple good days at the office, yeah,’’ he said, not just holding the trophy, but sort of hugging it. “Really, honestly, the big day of my life.’’

What kind of a day is it for tennis? It is a changing-moment. The game had been led by the greatest individual rivalry in sports: Federer and Nadal. That’s what the casual sports fan wanted to see. Tennis has been living on it since Nadal’s classic Wimbledon win over Federer in 2008.

The tennis world already accepts Djokovic and knows he has ruled the game this year. But without Nadal-Federer at the top, will tennis still sell to anyone outside the club? Continue reading

6 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Wimbledon

July 2, 2011

WIMBLEDON: Breakthrough of a Generation, Petra Kvitova Wins While Maria Sharapova Folds

By gregcouch

 

Petra Kvitova beats Maria Sharapova to win Wimbledon

 

This was the breakthrough of a new generation and the breakdown of a champion. Those things worked together, as Petra Kvitova won Wimbledon Saturday, beating Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-4. Every major in women’s tennis lately seems to produce a heart-warming story of some emerging 29-year old, or the dominance of someone coming back from retirement/maternity leave. Kvitova becomes the first player born in the 1990s to win a major.

So this is a big welcome to women’s tennis’ Generation Next. It’s about time you’ve arrived. Finally, women’s tennis has something to look forward to instead of something to try to hang onto.

“I like the big, big challenges like this one,’’ Kvitova said in an interview with NBC as she left the court. “I like the final and the big crowd and big matches. It’s, uh, I don’t’ know, I just played my best tennis and I won.’’

Nervous?

“I was nervous before the match. When I came on the court, it was OK.’’

And that described the match perfectly. Kvitova was impressively calm. Sharapova, the experienced one, was a mess. Continue reading

1 comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova, Wimbledon

July 1, 2011

WIMBLEDON: Best 2 Players, Best Court, Best Moment. Who’s Real No. 1? Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal?

By gregcouch

Novak Djokovic reaches his first Wimbledon final, moves to No. 1

Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic. The best two players on the best court in the best moment. For tennis, The New Rivalry gets its big day Sunday in the Wimbledon final. Sure, Nadal already beat Djokovic in the U.S. Open final in September, and that will count when people tally up this rivalry years later. But Djokovic wasn’t at Nadal’s level yet. He still might not be, to be honest, but here’s his chance.

This moment could be to Djokovic what Nadal’s classic win over Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final meant to him. On the other hand, if Nadal wins, he will be the champ of five of the past six majors, and on one of the most dominant runs in tennis history.

Amazing how one match can change things so much. How perfect that it will happen at Centre Court, Wimbledon. It is the ideal way to build interest in the game, too, among Average Joe sports fans who aren’t into tennis otherwise.

Both players won their semifinal matches Friday. Djokovic beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 6-7 (11-9), 6-3, and Nadal beat Andy Murray 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

Whoever wins Sunday is the best player in the world, even though Djokovic will move to No. 1 no matter what. That’s right, even if No. 1 Nadal beats No. 2 Djokovic, the next day the rankings will read 1 Djokovic, 2 Nadal.

Dumb. Continue reading

3 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Wimbledon

June 30, 2011

WIMBLEDON: Maria Sharapova Double-Faulting Her Way to the Top

By gregcouch

Maria Sharapova

 

It’s a nice story, that Maria Sharapova is back in the final at Wimbledon. It’s about courage and patience and stick-to-itiveness. It’s great for women’s tennis, which gets the star power it needs in its biggest moment.

But I’ve already talked about that stuff. And after watching her semifinal match, I would like to talk about what stood out most: Sharapova’s serve. What does it say about women’s tennis that someone who can’t serve might win Wimbledon? And what does it say about Sharapova that she can compartmentalize so well that she’s a nervous wreck on the most important shot in tennis, yet a killer everywhere else?

At some point, quality of play has to sell the sport beyond Sharapova’s looks. Her 6-4, 6-3 win Thursday against Sabine Lisicki was awful. It’s nice to think of Lisicki as a rising star, just 21. Good for her. But in the big moment, she lost her serve, too.

Continue reading

4 comments   |  tags: , | posted in Maria Sharapova, Wimbledon

June 29, 2011

WIMBLEDON: Roger Federer’s No-Mas Moment. Tsonga Played Great, but Federer Folded on Centre Court

By gregcouch

Roger Federer loses to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

From my column in Sporting News:

He just stood there and let it happen to him. That’s what was so disturbing. He let himself be pushed around. He dumped shots into the bottom of the net. Did Roger Federer just give up?

Yes, he did. He was beaten into it, but this was his “No Mas” moment.

He blew a two-sets-to-love lead, losing 3-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Wednesday in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Then Federer sounded calm, accepting. He said that Tsonga was making shots he normally wouldn’t. So Federer said he could stomach this loss, that the opponent was just too good, that it was just one of those days, that he was “not discouraged in any way.”

Not discouraged? Keep telling yourself that, Roger. You were so discouraged that you stopped fighting. “I thought I played well,” he said. “At least it took a special performance to beat me.”

This is not going to be easy to come back from. A great tennis player relies on his endless fight, his self-motivation. A champion thinks he’s going to win even if his opponent is playing out of his mind.

Please read the rest of the column here

4 comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Roger Federer, Wimbledon

June 28, 2011

WIMBLEDON: Desperate for a Leader, Women’s Tennis Getting Old, New Champion in Maria Sharapova

By gregcouch

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova is about to win Wimbledon again, and take over women’s tennis. I wish I felt comfortable with how confidently I just put that.

But every sport needs someone on the mountaintop, someone you would say is the best, someone everyone wants to beat. Women’s tennis has no leader, and that’s not just about whether Caroline Wozniacki, ranked No. 1, is a real and deserving champ (She’s not).

No, this about the game not having someone that everyone either loves or hates, pulls for or against. Someone with star power, who is noticed when she walks into a room. Women’s tennis is a mish-mash. But in four days, Sharapova will change that, becoming the game’s new leader. Or maybe its old leader, renewed.

That’s what the game needs, and is going to get. I’m sure of it. Mostly.

It has been a good Wimbledon for women’s tennis, but not a great one. The game is thirsting for greatness, craving it. Missing it.

Continue reading

5 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova, Williams sisters, Wimbledon

June 27, 2011

WIMBLEDON: Venus, Serena Williams Lose on Same Day at Wimby. Is Great-American Tennis Story Ending?

By gregcouch

Venus, Serena Williams

From my column in Sporting News

Serena Williams couldn’t move to the ball. Venus Williams couldn’t hit it onto the court. This was the worst day ever at Wimbledon for the Williams sisters, and maybe their worst tennis day anywhere. For the first time, they both lost on the same day at the All England Club. Is it the end of their era, the end of their Great American tennis story?

Best bet: For Venus, it is. For Serena, it probably is not. But that’s going to be up to her. It won’t be so easy anymore, and will be about what’s inside. That’s not to question Serena’s fight, but instead her desire to commit to a game after worrying about her life. A few months ago, doctors discovered blood clots in her lungs.

“I can only get better,’’ Serena said. “That can potentially be really scary, because I can only go up from here and I can just do so much more.”

That sounds great, and she surely meant it. But the truth will come on the practice courts on hot days, and in the less-important tournaments. Those haven’t been her best places over the years. And now, she’s three months from turning 30.

In the end, maybe it was too much to ask either of them to win Wimbledon again this year.

Please read the rest of the column here

 

2 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Serena Williams, US tennis, Venus Williams, Williams sisters, Wimbledon

June 26, 2011

WIMBLEDON: When Superstars Play Like Kids in a Park. Remembering Novak Djokovic, Robin Soderling, Others

By gregcouch

Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova on the Wimbledon practice courts

It’s the middle Sunday at Wimbledon, and everyone takes the day off. I decided to follow their example. But if you want to know that the place is like, here’s what I wrote from the practice courts on the middle Sunday last year, where the world’s best players either worked hard or messed around. It was like a tennis playground for superstars. This column ran in AOL FanHouse on June 27, 2010:

WIMBLEDON, England — Just two guys out playing tennis at the All England Club Sunday. Sure, their names happened to be Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling, and it’s very possible that seven days from now, those two won’t be on practice court No. 1, but instead a few hundred yards away, on Centre Court, playing in the Wimbledon final in the most important tennis match of the year.

But not today.

“I’m so nervous,” Djokovic said, teasing Soderling, who was about to serve. “It’s unbelievable.”

Soderling served, and then ran Djokovic around the court, back and forth, until Soderling finally crushed a forehand winner. When the ball got past Djokovic, who was on a full-out run, he wound up and threw his racquet all the way across the open court next to them.

“I mean, come on,” he said. “Really.”

The second Monday at Wimbledon, tomorrow, is the most exciting day of the year for tennis, with only the U.S. Open’s Super Saturday as competition. But on Monday, all of the final 16 men and 16 women will be playing. So the order of play includes Sharapova vs. Serena Williams, Henin vs. Clijsters, and also Federer, Nadal, Murray, Roddick.

So much tension, so much at stake.

On Sunday, it was the same characters, different setting. Continue reading

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June 26, 2011

WIMBLEDON: Serena Williams or Kim Clijsters, Who had Better Comeback? Also, Wimby Grades, More on Court 2

By gregcouch

 

Serena Williams

A few random thoughts and grades on Wimbledon.

Serena Williams is stealing the tournament. Her touching tears of joy after her first round followed by her complaints about being shoved to an outer court after her second round and then her complete domination in the third round, with this proclamation:

“Don’t bet against me.’’

The idea that this is an amazing comeback, after a year away with foot injury and then illness, is hard to argue with. But I always thought she was going to win the tournament anyway. She’s great. The rest of the tour is not. Two statements are being made here.

The question is this: Which is the more amazing comeback? Williams’ or Kim Clijsters?

Clijsters retired for a while, then had a baby, then came back. After two warmup tournaments, she won the U.S. Open. Williams had two surgeries, she said, for cut ligaments in her foot. Then, forced to sit around while she healed, blood clots formed and worked their way up into her lungs. She played one warmup tournament. Continue reading

4 comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Williams sisters, Wimbledon

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