Wimbledon Tidbits 2008: Upsets Galore Plus Soaring and Sinking Serbs
Welcome to my first Wimbledon Tidbits post of 2008. It's the time of year when I keep the strawberries in the fridge, the Pimm's in the cooler and the tennis on the telly 'round the clock. It's been a couple of rollicking days at the All England Club, so I'll get right to it. Let's start with the Serbs.
Image details: The Championships - Wimbledon 2008 Day Three served by picapp.com
My first soaring Serb? Ana Ivanovic. Ana shouldn't just be kissing that net on the Court 1 at Wimbledon. She should wrap it up, pack it in her bag, and then have it gold plated. That's 'cause if it wasn't for that cord and the ball that dribbled over it on match point, Ana would be watching the rest of Wimbledon on the plane flying home.
Image details: The Championships - Wimbledon 2008 Day Three served by picapp.com
Poor Nathalie Dechy. The 29 year old Frenchwoman takes the number one player to the max in their second round Wimbledon match only to lose 6-7, 7-6, 10-8. By the end of the match I was rooting for her like crazy, but it was not to be.
Image details: The Championships - Wimbledon 2008 Day Three served by picapp.com
On the men's side, it's obvious little sister, Dinara Safina's run to the final of the French put a tennis ball up the butt of her talented, yet sometime slacker, older brother Marat Safin. I was kind of pissed when he didn't fly over from England to watch Safina's French final against Ivanovic, but I'll forgive him now that all that practicing on grass paid off with a win yesterday over No. 3 in the world, my sinking Serb, Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic had been touted by some---not me, mind you---to win the
whole tournament, but the former two time grand slam champion Safin put
a stop to that notion with his straight set demolition. Will Safin go
much farther? It would be nice, but I doubt it.
Image details: The Championships - Wimbledon 2008 Day Four served by picapp.com
My second soaring Serb is Janko Tipsarevic. The No. 2 Serb played like the No. 1 today when he unceremoniously kicked Andy Roddick to the London curb. Good for you Janko.
Image details: The Championships - Wimbledon 2008 Day Four served by picapp.com
Now on to the Russians. Alla Kudryavtseva evidently decided she was
tired of being upstaged by a certain Russian, blonde, grass court
grunter who's a former Wimbledon title holder.
Playing inspired tennis against a surprisingly dispirited Maria Sharapova, Kudryavtseva knocked out the No. 3 seed in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.
You all know Maria and I don't have the warmest relationship, so I won't be losing sleep over her loss, but it was puzzling to see her play so badly at a tournament she seriously wants to win again. How great was it though to see the 154th ranked Kudryavtseva jumping up and down with glee after her big win?
Of course that and Roddick's loss were the big stories today, but
the loss of seeded players just kept coming: Saniz Mirza, Daniela
Hantuchova, and Vera Zvonareva all lost. Meanwhile Lindsay Davenport had to pull out with a knee injury.
And the less said about James Blake's loss to Rainer Schuettler, the better.
Tomorrow's big match? Serena Williams vs. Amelie Mauresmo.
