July 7, 2012

WIMBLEDON: Sania Mirza Only Adult in India Olympic Room. Fights `Blatant Humiliation of Indian Womanhood.’

By gregcouch

REPORTING FROM WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND – If you still believe in the Olympic spirit, then you know it hasn’t been entirely hijacked by corporations and commercials and made-for-TV and shoe-company showdowns. You know it can have meaning bigger than gold, about cultures coming together, about celebrating the best of humanity.

Sania Mirza understands. And when three male tennis players from India were bickering, looking small and refusing to play with each other in the Olympics, Mirza was offered up as the solution, placed in what amounted to an arranged tennis marriage for the Olympics.

But the All India Tennis Association messed with the wrong woman.

Calling the arrangement “blatant humiliation of Indian womanhood,’’ Mirza courageously, gracefully and very publicly wrote a letter that served as a public statement and a reminder of the values of the Olympics.

“As an Indian woman belonging to the 21st century, what I find disillusioning is the humiliating manner in which I was put up as a bait to try and pacify one of the disgruntled stalwarts of Indian tennis,’’ she wrote. “While I feel honored and privileged to have been chosen to partner Leander (Paes), the manner and timing of the announcement wreaks of male chauvinism …’’

Mirza was the only one given real reason not to play. Yet she’s also the only one who didn’t threaten to pull out.

Here’s what happened:

Please read the rest of my column at FoxSports.com

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Olympics, Wimbledon

July 7, 2012

WIMBLEDON: How Does a Champion Know When it’s Time to Say When? Andy Roddick, Venus Williams Face the Big Question

By gregcouch

REPORTING FROM WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND — If you’ve never seen Venus and Serena Williams play doubles together, it is a beautiful thing. There is something about the body language, the togetherness, the love. But on Wednesday at Wimbledon, it was painful. They had two long matches in one day, when Serena would have been better off resting, as her singles semifinal would be coming the next day.

She was there for her sister, and that was nice, but it was also the uncomfortable part. They won both matches, but Serena was carrying Venus. It was Venus double-faulting, double-faulting, double-faulting. Three times in a row. The opponents trying to hit everything to Venus, who was missing easy volleys close to the net. Venus not moving well.

Earlier in the tournament, her tournament, Venus looked even worse while losing in the first round of singles.

Who wants to remember Venus Williams like this? Thirty-two years old, fighting Sjogren’s syndrome, which steals her energy, and struggling on the court.

“Am I struggling?” she said uncharacteristically defensive after losing her singles match. “Am I? I don’t know. Tell me what the struggle is.”

To win matches, someone said.

“I don’t know. I just want you to be clear,” she replied. “If you say I’m struggling, tell me how I should do better, you know? I feel like I am a great player. I am a great player.”

How does a great athlete know when it’s time to say when? That question is up with Andy Roddick, too. Roddick and Venus have been two of the three faces of American tennis (with Serena) for the past decade. Both are in decline.

Are both in denial?

Please read the rest of my column at FoxSports.com

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Andy Roddick, Venus Williams, Wimbledon

July 7, 2012

WIMBLEDON: What’s Wrong With Overly Emotional Serena Williams? She Almost Lets Us in to Find Out

By gregcouch

REPORTING FROM WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND – Serena Williams never quite lets us in.

Her news conferences and interviews are acts. So when she throws a tantrum or breaks down crying or, better yet, plays doubles with her sister, Venus, and interacts in such a loving way, it is so different and revealing.

Something has been wrong with her lately, and it’s hard to know what it is. But she was awful at the French Open and was overly emotional during her early matches at Wimbledon, pumping her fist and screaming “Come on!”even after her opponent would miss a simple shot. She was winning close matches but not playing well.

On Tuesday, in the quarterfinals against defending Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova, Williams sat between games with a dazed look in her eyes, held her hands up and took slow, deep breaths. She was calming herself as a routine.

It would end up as the best big match she has played since last year’s US Open, when she was still in her 20s. Williams beat Kvitova 6-3, 7-5, and it was the old Williams, dominant with the serve, powerful.

Still not moving particularly well, but whatever — Williams is two wins from her fifth Wimbledon title.

Please read the rest of my column at FoxSports.com

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Petra Kvitova, Serena Williams, Williams sisters, Wimbledon

July 7, 2012

WIMBLEDON: Line judges beware. Here is video of Mardy Fish’s 118 mph serve to judge’s eye (Also Video of Nalbandian Judge Incident)

By gregcouch

REPORTING FROM WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND — You wouldn’t think a tennis line judge would have a dangerous job. But two weeks after a player was defaulted for having a temper tantrum that injured a line judge, another line judge was hurt Monday.

This time, at Wimbledon. American Mardy Fish hit a 118-mph serve into the right eye of a female line judge.

Fish led Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4-3 in the first set and crushed a serve up the middle, wide. The line judge yelled that the ball was out, and the next sound you heard was a thud off her face.

Please read the rest of my column at FoxSports.com

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Line judge, Mardy Fish, Wimbledon

July 7, 2012

WIMBLEDON: So Much for the Reborn It Girl. Sharapova Loses Instead of Sticking it to Gilles Simon

By gregcouch

REPORTING FROM WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND — So much for Maria Sharapova as tennis’ reborn “it girl.”

While men’s tennis thrives on Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal making history every few months, the women’s game plays on without a leader.

When Sharapova won her first French Open a few weeks ago and became No. 1 again, bringing her star power along, the question was whether women’s tennis finally had a leader it could count on and build from, or whether Sharapova was only “It” in lieu of anyone else.

On Monday, she lost to 15th seed Sabine Lisicki 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round at Wimbledon and will lose her No. 1 ranking when Wimbledon is over.

And just like that, women’s tennis is a mess again.

Please read the rest of my column, at FoxSports.com

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Maria Sharapova, No. 1, Serena Williams, Wimbledon

July 7, 2012

WIMBLEDON: Rafael Nadal Loses in Biggest Upset in Tennis History

By gregcouch

 

(Published June 29, 2012) We are prone to overstatement. Everything is bigger than the biggest, better than the best, faster than the fastest. It sells. But it also blurs reality, and confuses things when the oh-my-God stuff really does happen.

On Thursday, it really did happen. Rafael Nadal lost in the second round of Wimbledon. Who did he lose to? That’s what someone asked me a few minutes after it was over, a few minutes after I had watched every single point of that match for hours.

The answer: Um, uh. Can’t remember. Some guy with the same number of letters in his name as Nadal.

Some guy turned out to be Lukas Rosol, a 26-year-old from the Czech Republic who had never done anything before. He has lost more matches in his career than he has won.

And he beat Nadal 6-7 (11-9), 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

It was the biggest upset in the history of tennis.

That is not hyperbole.

Please read the rest of my column here at FoxSports.com

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Lukas Rosol, Rafael Nadal, Wimbledon

July 6, 2012

WIMBLEDON: While Men’s Tennis Thrives on Great Rivalries, Women Can’t Get The Rivalry on Court

By gregcouch

Don’t let a friendly moment between rivals fool you

(published June 24, 2012) Tennis cannot get The Match on the court. It never plays out. It’s funny, too, because tennis has been thriving on rivalries. Fans know that history will be made at Wimbledon, which starts tomorrow, because it happens every major. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were the best individual rivalry in sports, and when that one slipped a little, poof, Nadal and Novak Djokovic became the best.

It was seamless. They are always playing for some record, reaching some new height. It’s in such contrast to the women’s game, which has the best rivalry in sports that never happens.

Can we finally get Serena Williams to play Maria Sharapova in a Wimbledon final? They are still the marquee women’s rivalry, complete with tension between players and fan bases, different looks, different styles.

“Tennis is more interesting when you do have rivalries, and you do have contrasting players and you do have different sets of fans for different players,’’ Chris Evert said this week on an ESPN media conference call. Evert has a little experience with game-defining rivalries: Evert-Martina Navratilova.

Williams-Sharapova looked like the start of a big thing back in 2004, when Sharapova, the teenager, crushed Williams in the Wimbledon final. Eight years later, they have played each other just. . .

Eight more times. And women’s tennis has been more like men’s golf than men’s tennis, with a different winner in every major.

Some guy named Webb won the U.S. Open in golf. Do you remember who won the Masters? Bubba. Nine majors, nine different winners.

Please read the rest of my column at The Daily

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Williams sisters, Wimbledon

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