Tennis Chatter

Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal this Sunday to win his fifth title in a row, matching the record of Bjorn Borg. The final itself, was extremely entertaining, going five sets, before Federer came out victourious, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2. The commentators were continually stating that this was a match for the ages, and it is one of the greatest matches in the history of the tournament. They are wrong. Although the match wasn’t a disappointment, and was extremely competitive, neither player was at their best (especially Federer). Nadal played very good, hitting amazing passing shots and great winners, but missed some shots that he usually makes. Federer on the other hand, seemed like he was playing NOT to lose, instead of to win. His shots lacked depth and he failed to move Nadal around much. He continually pushed Nadal’s service games to 40-30, but then would just let Nadal win an easy game point. I felt he lacked his usually explosive ground game. The proof of that is his winners line. He hit 65 winners, but 24 of those were service winners. He only hit 41 winners off his ground strokes, to 34 unforced errors. Not bad, but not Federer. However he was able to dig deep, and play a very good fifth set to win the match.

The women’s final was much less competitive. Venus Williams defeated Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-1. Bartoli hit a paltry 7 winners to William’s 29. This was Venus’s fourth Wimbledon title, showing she still can compete at a level higher than most WTA players.

Wimbledon also gave some insight into the future of men’s tennis. Djokovic, Gasquet, Berdych, Nadal, and Bagdatis are all young players who had great showings. I’d say the Djokovic, Gasquet, and (of course) Nadal are the ones to watch the most in the future. They all have strong games that can succeed on most surfaces.

On the subject of surfaces, they all seem to be getting more and more similar. The grass this year at Wimbledon was even slower than it was last year, a far cry from the grass of the 90s. During the Djokovic and Hewitt match, there were 40 shot rallies that looked like they belonged on clay. The commentators (McEnroe especially) even commented on the speed of the court several times.

Finally, I heard a lot of criticism directed toward the tournament this year. A lot people (and a few players) were complaining about the tradition, and how there was no play on Sunday. It would of made it easier on a lot of players if matches would have been played on the middle Sunday.

Federer at the champion’s dinner

Williams at the champion’s dinner

Venus Williams rolled through quarterfinals today, beating S. Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-4. She played well at the net, winning 11 out of 12 chances. However, she looked a little vulnerable off her second serve (winning 43% of her points off of it) and tightened up a little in the second set, allowing herself to be broken. She held on for the win however, and will face French Open finalist A. Ivanovic in semifinals. Ivanovic defeated N. Vaidisova in quarterfinals, hitting 21 unforced errors to Vaidisova’s 39. I expect Venus to win and advance to finals, with J. Henin defeating M. Bartoli on the other-side of the bracket.

Men’s quarterfinal brackets are complete, after finishing all remaining fourth round matches today. Berdych took care of J. Bjorkman 6-4, 6-0, 6-7, 6-0. He hit 48 winners, to 35 unforced errors. In addition, he hit 15 aces. Nadal won another tough five-setter, this time against M. Youzhny 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Youzhny had Nadal in the first two sets, until Nadal settled down and hit 57 winners, to only 18 unforced errors. I expect Berdych to beat Nadal in quarterfinals with his powerful ground strokes and big serving.

Djokovic won a great match against Hewitt, 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6. This win shows how clutch Djokovic can be, fighting off many set points for Hewitt, and winning three tiebreakers. Despite this, he needs to cut down on his 49 unforced errors. His oppenent in semifinals will be Bagdatis. Bagdatis defeated Davydenko 7-6, 7-6, 6-3. I expect Djokovic to win this match-up.

It’s important to note that this side of the draw is extremely young. Berdych, Nadal, Djokovic, and Bagdatis are all extremely young. If you add Gasquet (on the other side of the draw), you see a very bright future for tennis (American tennis on the other hand…not so much).

Federer’s match against Ferrero was delayed at 5-5 in the first set due to rain. I think Federer wins this match in three sets.

Roddick and Gasquet’s match didn’t get on court due to rain. Roddick is the conventional pick (he is consistently good on grass). But I give Gasquet a great chance.

J. Henin defeated a hobbled Serena Williams (calf injury) to advance to Wimbledon semifinals today. She won 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Henin was up two breaks in the third set, but hit two double faults to allow Serena to take one back. However, Henin held on to win the third set. Henin played pretty good at the net, converting 15 out of 22 chances. However, she was a little shaky on serve, double faulting seven times and only serving 50% off her first serve. She will face M. Bartoli in semifinals after the Frenchwomen beat M. Krajicek in quarterfinals 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Bartoli played consistently, hitting only 10 unforced errors, to Krajicek’s 31.

Venus Williams advanced to quarterfinals with a win over second seed M. Sharapova. Venus won in convincing fashion, 6-1, 6-3. She dominated every aspect of the match, winning 77 points, to Maria’s 51. Sharapova looked vulnerable off of her second serve, only winning the point 39% of the time. Venus will play S. Kuznetsova in quarterfinals.

On the men’s side of the draw Andy Roddick advanced to quarterfinals with a 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 win over P. Mathieu. Roddick’s serve was on, serving 73% first serves, with 19 aces. He also limited himself to 13 unforced errors with 29 winners. He will need to that kind of performance in quarterfinals, as he will face his biggest test yet, Richard Gasquet. In his fourth round match, Gasquet defeated fellow Frenchman, J. Tsonga, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. He showed great consistency, with only 11 unforced errors to 23 winners. Gasquet continued his solid net play, winning 20 of 26 approaches. This is his first quarterfinal appearance in a Grand Slam, and I believe he has what it takes to beat Roddick. He actually is holding his serve better this tournament than Roddick is. He had a few hiccups this match, being broken twice in the first set, but if he comes out firingin quarters, he could pose a threat to Roddick.

N. Djokovic finished his match against N. Kiefer. In the end, Keifer’s 56 enforced errors did him in, losing 6-7, 7-6, 2-6, 6-7. Djokovic plays former champion L. Hewitt in the round of 16.

R. Nadal completed his marathon match with R. Soderling today. Nadal finished on top, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 4-6, 7-5. This match was rather icy, as Soderling annoyed Nadal, by imitating his messing-with-his-shorts routine he does in between points. In addition, Nadal was displeased when Soderling didn’t apologize for winning a net cord point (as is customary). As a result, the two didn’t linger at the handshake. Nadal has another big test next round against M. Youzhny. Nadal had words for the Wimbledon committee after his multi-day match saying:

“I don’t understand why we don’t play on Sunday when the weather was OK,”

“It was so much better than yesterday, Monday and today too. I don’t understand why they cancelled yesterday, when at 8.10pm the sunshine is here for one hour so we can play.

“I don’t understand why we are going to the courts to play for (only) 15 minutes, and they know because they have the (information).

“That’s very tough for the players. They don’t think very much about the players here, maybe.”

Guess what happened today at Wimbledon? More rain delays. In fact the rain delays have forced Nadal’s match against Soderling to be suspended (I believe) eight times, becoming the only match in the history of tennis to last over a year. The score in that match is 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 4-6, 4-4. As for complete matches, Ferrero advanced to quarterfinals, where he will face Federer, by winning 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 over J. Tipsarevic. Ferrero hit a great ratio of 37 winners to only 11 unforced errors. He’s going to need that kind of performance (or better) to even compete with Federer. In addition L. Hewitt (a former champion) defeated G. Canas 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Ferrero:

There were several large upsets in the Women’s side of the draw. Defending champion, A. Mauresmo, went down 6-7, 6-4, 1-6 to Vaidisova. Mauresmo hit 13 aces to only one by N. Vaidisova, but was hurt by her 14 double faults. In addition, Mauresmo hit more unforced errors than winners. J. Jankovic lost 6-3, 5-7, 3-6 to Frenchwomen M. Bartoli. The usually consistent Serbian was uncharacteristically erratic, hitting 31 unforced errors. Once Venus and Sharapova finish their rain suspended match, the women’s quarterfinal bracket will be complete. You can see it so far here: link.

Today’s headlines in the tennis world are dominated by MORE rain at the All England Club, and NBC’s Bud Collin’s being let go after 35 years of tennis commentating. Wimbledon match scheduling is going to be tight this week with only a few matches being completed today. Henin advanced to quarterfinals today with her win over P. Schnyder 6-2, 6-2. This wasn’t a pretty match with both players hitting more unforced errors than winners. Henin will face Serena Williams in quarterfinals. Serena had a three set win over D. Hantuchova today, 6-2, 6-7, 6-2.

L. Granville’s Wimbledon run ended today when she lost to M. Krajicek 6-3, 6-4. Krajicek hit 41 winners to only 18 unforced errors. Venus Williams finished her rain suspended match today with a win over A. Morigami 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. She plays Sharapova in her fourth round match. I think Sharapova wins this, unless Venus is absolutely on-fire (which she hasn’t been so far this tournament).

On the men’s side of the draw, M. Baghdatis advanced easily over D. Nalbanian 6-2, 7-5, 6-0. Baghdatis has a great chance of making quarterfinals, as he will likely play Davydenko next round (he leads Monfils 6-3, 7-5, 6-0). Davydenko has historically been very weak on grass, despite his (career best) showing this year.

Things are shaping up in Nadal’s section of the draw. T. Berdych defeated H. Lee 6-4, 7-6, 7-6. He plays J. Bjorkman in his fourth round match. Bjorkman was a quarterfinalist last year, but I think Berdych takes this match. Berdych has been coming into form on grass lately, with his title at Halle. Finally, Nadal is in a tight one with R. Soderling, at 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 4-6, 2-0. Nadal has the advantage in the fifth set, being up a break. The winner will play M. Youzhny.

It was announced today that Bud Collins has been fired after 35 years of tennis commentary for NBC. NBC stated that it was a “management decision to save money.” Collins doesn’t harbor an resentment, he was quoted saying:

“So I had 35 great years with them,�

“I have no complaints about them, but I hope to stay in tennis. “I’m not retiring; too young to retire.�

I’m kind of split on how I stand on this issue. There are a lot of articles on blogs around the net saying this is a travesty (Link 1, Link 2), but I don’t really agree. I thought Collins was an interesting personality, and sometimes had an interesting word on tennis, but overall his coverage wasn’t spectacular. He fits NBC’s strategy of appealing to Americans who know very little about tennis (as evidenced by them showing only mainstream tennis players), and for reason he is a loss. He was a well recognized commentator, who brought a lot of attention to tennis, in the 80s and 90s. However, everything he writes at MSNBC.com is about Venus, Serena, Roddick, Federer, Nadal, or Sharapova (as I wrote about here). It would be great if NBC was firing him to bring in some new analysts who would shed light on the entire field, but I’m sure they’re not. He probably just didn’t fit with their image, and for that reason they let him go. Overall, in my view, it’s an acceptable firing, for the wrong reason. NBC’s coverage does need to be overhauled, but this wasn’t it. They’ve been fazing Collin’s out for a while (he stopped doing in-match commentary a while ago), and now it’s complete. Just don’t expect any radical change with his departure. When you turn on your television, you’ll still see some Roddick match from several hours ago being replayed, even if there is a more exciting live match between Djokovic and Kiefer.

Sunday is traditionally a day off for Wimbledon play, and today is no different. Only three times in the past (last one was 2004) has weather forced matches to be played on the Sunday of week one. Yesterday all but two matches were suspended until Monday due to rain. It’s a little surprising with all the rain, that matches aren’t being played today. Instead, Wimbledon will start earlier (at 11:00) Monday to compensate.

Mauresmo and Sharapova were the only winners Saturday, Mauresmo over M. Santangelo 6-1, 6-2 and Sharapova over A. Sugiyama 6-3, 6-3. Sharapova has an interesting fourth round match-up against Venus Williams, if Venus holds on to win over A. Morigami. Venus was up 6-2, 1-4 when play was suspended. The rain delay probably helped her, because she was playing pretty bad in the second set.

Federer was guaranteed a quarterfinal berth when Haas pulled out of Wimbledon today. Haas cited a torn abdominal muscle as the reason for his withdrawal. I don’t really know how Federer’s draw could have gotten much easier. His first two rounds were against nobody special. Safin was the Safin of 2006 and 2007, and not the Safin of 2000 US Open or 2005 Australian Open, when he played Federer. Federer played his match last Friday, whereas players on the other side of the draw have to play their third round matches Monday. And, Federer gets another day off by not having to play a fourth round match. If he makes it to finals, his oppenent will have had to play five matches in seven days, while Federer will have had to play three matches in nine days.

Last week Safin was quoted saying he hated Wimbledon because of the prices (primarily of spaghetti) and the security. Link I’m not going to lie, but both complaints seem rather trivial. Security? Who needs that? Especially in London. Prices? It must be tough when you’ve won millions in your career. But, he’s not alone in his complaints of Wimbledon. His fellow countryman Davydenko stated today that Wimbledon is too boring. Davydenko even went as far to say that:

There’s hardly anything to do apart from tennis. You constantly find yourself yawning, there’s no entertainment here

Well…its really unfortunate that a tournament of Wimbledon’s class hasn’t established some form of entertainment for the competitors. Apparently hosting a tennis tournament isn’t enough, Wimbledon needs to set up some carnival to please the Russians (neither of which have been any good at Wimbledon).

More news:

Wimbledon tightens security in response to Friday’s attempted car bombings

Wimbledon is going to refund fans who missed action on Saturday due to rain delays

Men

Day five came and went and with it so did the championship hopes of F. Gonzalez and I. Ljubicic. Both were upset in the third round to unseated players. In addition J. Blake lost 6-3, 3-6, 3-6, 7-6 to an absolutely on-fire C. Ferrero. Ferrero hit 33 winners, 8 aces, and 17 unforced errors. He also volleyed well, winning 19 of 23 points at the net. He’ll face J. Tipsarevic next (the Serbian who upset Gonzalez) and with a win, he could play Federer in quarterfinals. On the subject of Federer, the match between Safin and him was a little bit of a disappointment. Federer won 6-1, 6-4, 7-6. Safin was his usual self in the first two sets, playing inconsistently and putting up very little fight. However, in the third set he elevated his play, pushing it to a tiebreak. During the last several games of the third set and the tiebreak, Federer served better than he has in months, holding off Safin’s comeback. He ended with 12 aces and served 65% first serves, an improvement over his first two matches. Federer’s next round oppenent, Haas, defeated Tursunov 1-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-4. Haas has played extremely well so far this tournament, hitting 41 winners, to only 20 unforced errors today. He could give Federer problems during backhand rallies, as Haas has one of the best one-handed backhands on the tour. Of course, so does Federer.

On the subject of great backhands, Gasquet used his to dismantle E. Roger-vasselin today, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. He hit an amazing ratio of 41 winners, to only 12 unforced errors! Of course his next round oppenent, J. Tsonga, did even better with 46 winners and 13 unforced errors in his win over F. Lopez. The two Frenchman will play for a quarterfinal berth (probably to be played against Roddick). I feel Gasquet should probably win this match, and if he is returning well, he could beat Roddick in quarters. Roddick obviously has an edge in serving (12 aces today), but Gasquet has a much more explosive ground game.

Complete Results

Women

Very few sunrises on the women’s side of things. Serena Williams has improved her form since her first round match, defeating M. Sequera 6-1, 6-0. Serena had 6 aces, 27 winners, and 11 unforced errors. If she wins fourth round, she would face (probably) Henin in quarters. Henin won their last encounter, at the French Open, however grass should aid Serena’s powerful game.

M. Hingis and A. Chakvetadze were the first two top ten seated players to lose. Hingis lost to American Laura Granville 6-2, 6-4. Granville has a great opportunity to make quarterfinals if she can beat 31st seated M. Krajicek. Krajicek has proven herself to be a little inconsistent (33 unforced errors, 9 double faults today), yet she is still very explosive (12 aces, 43 winners today).

Complete Results

Misc

As for other American hopefuls, the Bryan Brothers (Bob and Mike Bryan) won their first round doubles match 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 over G. Garcia-Lopez and F. Verdasco. The Bryan brothers will be playing a World Team Tennis match in my hometown this summer, so I’ll try to make it out there to take some pictures and give a recap.

Wimbledon was listed as number 9 of the top 101 things a sports fan must witness before they die.

Safin believes no one has the ability to beat Federer at Wimbledon saying:

“I don’t see anybody who can hurt him because everybody knows how to play against him but they don’t have enough weapons to beat him, unfortunately”

Results:

Men

There is still yet to be a big upset in the men’s draw. Henman lost in another thrilling 5 setter to F. Lopez. Lopez was up two sets to none, until Henman put things into gear and won two. In the fifth set however, Lopez took care of business and ended up winning 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 2-6, 6-1. Davydenko beat Guccione 3-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2, to make it to the third round (a career best at Wimbledon). However, if he doesn’t lose to Frenchman G. Monfils this round, expect him to go down to Nalbanian or Baghdatis in the fourth round.

Women

No big upsets in the second round as Henin, Mauresmo, the Williams sisters, Hingis, Sharapova, Jankovic, Ivanovic, and Dementieva all won. Additionally, Henin and Jankovic, already advanced to the third round, by winning today.

Today:

The first major (seated) upset occurred while I am typing this, with F. Gonzalez (5th seed) going down a minute ago 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-8 to J. Tipsarevic. Gonzalez hit more aces, winners, and less unforced errors, but still only won 148 points, to Tipsarevic’s 161. Gonzalez won a paltry 48% of points off of his second serve. This upset opens up the draw for whoever wins in the Blake vs. Ferrero match (currently 6-3, 3-6, 1-1). In addition it is one less seated player Federer would have to play (even though he has owned Gonzalez head to head).

Finally:

The match to watch today is Federer vs. Safin. Serena Williams vs. M. Sequera just started on center court and when they’re done, Safin and Federer will go on. Safin is one of the only players that can match-up with Federer talent wise. He is 2-7 against Federer including a win in the 2005 Australian Open semifinals. However, although Safin’s groundstrokes and serve are huge, and he has good volleys, he doesn’t like or move well on grass. Despite this, if he is “on” and not mentally out of it, he could make this a great match. Federer understands this, saying:

“I expect a tough match. I played him on grass in Halle last year and I had a difficult three-setter against him.

“He’s a player who can cause an upset against anybody on any day. I hope he’s not going to have one of those crazy-good days against me.

“But I think I can pretty much control how things are being played on grass.”

Of their match-up Safin said:

“It’s a huge challenge”

“If I want to have a chance to beat him, I have to put up my best game, go for it.

“I have nothing to lose. I need to play my tennis, stay focused and take my chances - because there are going to be chances.”

Mens

Matches today at the All England Club were delayed due to rain. Henman and Lopez were pulled off their court tied at one all in the first set. Likewise, Federer, Haas, Ljubicic, and Ferrero all had matches delayed until tomorrow. Of those players, only Federer had reached the third set, leading J. Del Porto 6-2, 7-5, 2-0. To this point Federer served a medicore 57% first serve percentage, however that really doesn’t matter when he is winning 64% of his second serves like he is.

Despite the rain, several matches were completed, including an erratic Roddick defeating Udomchoke 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. Roddick increased his net play this match, approaching the net 36 times (and converting 24 of those times). F. Gonzalez once again, ran into trouble early, losing the first set before he defeated A. Falla 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. He hit 40 unforced errors to only 37 winners. Gonzalez also continued to serve and volley well winning 65% of his 71 net approaches. Gasquet throughly handled Mahut (who has been extremely hot lately), winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Gasquet’s serve remained a question mark as he only served 58% first serves in. Despite this, he was brutal when he got it in winning 93% of his first serves. He hit an impressive mark of only 15 unforced errors, to 41 winners! Finally he was unstoppable at the net winning 19 out of 21 net approaches. Gasquet’s form has been great so far at Wimbledon. This tournament could be his chance to breakout, with Roddick appearing vunerable. Even if Gasquet doesn’t have what it takes to beat Roddick, it certainly wouldn’t be a bad showing “just” making it to quarterfinals. Gasquet has stated that he likes playing at the All England Club saying:

“I really like to play at Wimbledon. There is a lot of history here - it’s my favourite Grand Slam. ”

“I like to play on the grass courts. It is a good surface for my game; it’s fast, I can serve well and I can use my backhand.”

He also feels less pressured here, than in his home country, at the Roland Garros:

“I have less pressure here than in Paris,” said Gasquet.

“A lot of people are waiting for me to do well, and I try to do my best because I want to do good for the people who like me in France.

“But it’s much better for me to play at Wimbledon with less stress. I prefer it here because in France it is very difficult for me.

“I can understand how the British players feel here. Tim Henman has a lot of experience dealing with the pressure but it will be hard for Andy Murray in the next few years because it is never easy to play with this crowd.”

Apart from a large upset, Andy Roddick and Richard Gasquet are on a course to meet each other in quarterfinals

Womens

In the women’s draw, Serena Williams, J. Henin, M. Hingis, and J. Jankovic all won their matches with little trouble. Serena showed no signs of being troubled by her thigh injury beating A. Molik 7-6, 6-3.

A few important stats from the women’s matches:

13 of 18 - J. Henin’s net approaches in her 6-0, 6-4 victory over V. Dushevina
121 MPH - S. William’s fastest serve
4 - Number of unforced errors J. Jankovic hit in her 6-1, 6-1 victory over Gajdosova
3-20 - M. Bartoli’s unforced error-winner ratio in her 7-5, 6-2 win over O. Govortsova
10 - number of aces S. Williams hit
74% - J. Henin’s first serve percentage

So the first two days of Wimbledon are past us and what have we seen so far? No major upsets with Henin, Sharapova, Federer, Roddick, Mauresmo, Jankovic, Nadal, Djokovic, etc all breezing through their matches. Both the Williams sisters encountered trouble early in their first round matches, but prevailed. Reports are out that Serena was been hindered by an injury in her first round match. Of course this “injury” wasn’t mentioned a few days ago when Serena said she would breeze through the competition if she was at the top of her game, which she implied she was. Hmm…perhaps we’ll hear more of this injury if she suffers an early upset.

One upset (albeit not a ranked player) was Nottingham champion Ivo Karlovic losing to F. Santoro. This opens up the draw a little for Djokovic (one less big server he’ll have to face) and Hewitt (Karlovic has dominated Hewitt in recent years).

Henman and Coria finished their thrilling match that was suspended yesterday at 3-6, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 5-5 and it didn’t disappoint. Both players held strong for 13 more games, until Henman won the fifth set 13-11. The match showcased some classic grass court tennis, with 178 net approaches between the two players. With this win, the road to quarters is rather open for Henman. He faces Lopez next round (always a touch oppenent on grass) and could face Gasquet or Mahut fourth round. Henman has a game that matches up well against all, but the shotmaking Gasquet, however Gasquet’s play has been extremely inconsistent and he is unproven in Grand Slams. Although I would never recommend betting on Henman, since he is past is prime and had to play a tough (and tiring) first round match, he has a chance. I wish somehow he could dig deep and make it to the final to defeat his oppenent in a thrilling five setter. The sound from the crowd on center court as Henman finally comes through for Britain would be unforgettable. Of course it is a million to one chance.

For complete results you can view the Wimbledon draws here:
Men
Women

So far today nothing too big has happened. Both Federer and Roddick won easily, while Gonzalez took care of business after losing the first set to Ginepri.

Federer defeats Gabashvili 6-3,6-2, 6-4
This match probably did a lot to silence Federer’s critics who were stating he wouldn’t be ready for Wimbledon and there was something psychologically wrong with him. He served a decent 62% first serves and only allowed one (unsuccessful) break chance for Gabashvili. He hit only 13 unforced errors, while he hit 33 winners and 9 aces.

Roddick defeats Gimelstob 6-1, 7-5, 7-6
Roddick took care of business this match, serving well and playing consistent. He served 74% first serves and had just one double fault. He also kept his unforced errors down with only 11, while he hit 36 winners and 16 aces. Roddick didn’t approach the net as much as I expected, with only 16 approaches, but he was 75% on converting his net chances.

Haas defeats Fleishman 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Haas looked good in his match, easily dispatching Fleishman. He didn’t allow a single break point, while winning 92% of his first serves. He hit 31 winners, while only 9 unforced errors. To top it off, he played well at the net, converting 18 out of 24 chances.

Gonzalez defeats Ginepri 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-2,
Gonzalez had a little trouble at the beginning of this match, but ended up taking control in the third and fourth sets. He hit 22 unforced errors and 48 winners. The best sign that I saw from Gonzalez was his 27 of 34 (79%) net conversions.

Complete Men’s results

Right now I am watching an absolute gem of a match between Henman and Moya. Its most exciting match I’ve seen today with Moya and Henman trading sets (Moya taking the first and third and Henman taking the second and fourth.) Neither players are what they used to be, but the match is still extremely entertaining. Henman is one of the few remaining serve and volley players, while Moya has been coming to the net and finding success. It looked like the match was over after the third set, but Henman came back, and has gotten the crowd back into it. As I type this, Moya breaks Henman in the fifth, showing how much of a roller coaster this match has been. The best part is that this is on ESPN 2, giving Americans exposure to some exciting tennis. The winner comparison so far is Moya:39 and Henman:39. The atmosphere is absolutely great, with the British crowd cheering Henman on after every point. This is tennis! I’ll update as the fifth set progresses.

Henman just won his service game after being down 15-40. He resort to some big serving and some crafty chip and charging to pull it even to deuce and eventually win it. He’s still down and break, and Moya has looked good this set on serve, but hopefully the crowd can will Henman onto a break!

MOYA DOUBLE FAULTS AND HENMAN BREAKS! The crowd is absolutely going crazy between points. The score is 4-4 with Henman serving.

And Henman wins a tough service game on an ace! He was down 30-40, but once again fought his way back, through two deuces. Its Moya’s turn to serve and the momentum is in Henman’s favor, but that can change easily.

Match point for Henman after two great passes!

Oh, and he then misses two more passes Adv Moya. Double fault! Deuce.

Amazing point for Henman! Returned an overhead, and then hit a great pass. Second match point. Henman nets the return, deuce.

Great return by Henman, third Match point. Service winner by Moya, followed by an ace. Adv Moya.

Double fault! Deuce number five! Late call on long groundstroke by Moya. Fourth match point, after a challenge by Moya.

Good drop shot by Moya, Moya goes on to take the game. 5-5, Henman’s serve.

And the match gets postponed (due to light)! Wow, talk about anti-climatic. Henman failed to convert four match points, and its been postponed until tomorrow. What a match so far. C

Wimbledon released all the seedings today. They are as follows:

Men’s Singles

1. Roger FEDERER (SUI)
2. Rafael NADAL (ESP)
3. Andy RODDICK (USA)
4. Novak DJOKOVIC (SRB)
5. Fernando GONZALEZ (CHI)
6. Nikolay DAVYDENKO (RUS)
7. Tomas BERDYCH (CZE)
8. Andy MURRAY (GBR)
9. James BLAKE (USA)
10. Marcos BAGHDATIS (CYP)
11. Tommy ROBREDO (ESP)
12. Richard GASQUET (FRA)
13. Tommy HAAS (GER)
14. Mikhail YOUZHNY (RUS)
15. Ivan LJUBICIC (CRO)
16. Lleyton HEWITT (AUS)
17. David FERRER (ESP)
18. Mario ANCIC (CRO)
19. Jarkko NIEMINEN (FIN)
20. Jonas BJORKMAN (SWE)
21. Juan Carlos FERRERO (ESP)
22. Dmitry TURSUNOV (RUS)
23. Guillermo CANAS (ARG)
24. David NALBANDIAN (ARG)
25. Juan Ignacio CHELA (ARG)
26. Carlos MOYA (ESP)
27. Marat SAFIN (RUS)
28. Philipp KOHLSCHREIBER (GER)
29. Robin SODERLING (SWE)
30. Agustin CALLERI (ARG)
31. Filippo VOLANDRI (ITA)
32. Juan MONACO (ARG)

Ladies’ Singles

1. Justine HENIN (BEL)
2. Maria SHARAPOVA (RUS)
3. Jelena JANKOVIC (SRB)
4. Amelie MAURESMO (FRA)
5. Svetlana KUZNETSOVA (RUS)
6. Ana IVANOVIC (SRB)
7. Serena WILLIAMS (USA)
8. Anna CHAKVETADZE (RUS)
9. Martina HINGIS (SUI)
10. Daniela HANTUCHOVA (SVK)
11. Nadia PETROVA (RUS)
12. Elena DEMENTIEVA (RUS)
13. Dinara SAFINA (RUS)
14. Nicole VAIDISOVA (CZE)
15. Patty SCHNYDER (SUI)
16. Shahar PEER (ISR)
17. Tatiana GOLOVIN (FRA)
18. Na LI (CHN)
19. Marion BARTOLI (FRA)
20. Katarina SREBOTNIK (SLO)
21. Sybille BAMMER (AUT)
22. Tathiana GARBIN (ITA)
23. Anabel MEDINA GARRIGUES (ESP)
24. Venus WILLIAMS (USA)
25. Alona BONDARENKO (UKR)
26. Lucie SAFAROVA (CZE)
27. Ai SUGIYAMA (JPN)
28. Samantha STOSUR (AUS)
29. Mara SANTANGELO (ITA)
30. Francesca SCHIAVONE (ITA)
31. Olga POUTCHKOVA (RUS)
32. Michaella KRAJICEK (NED)

Men’s Doubles

1. Bob BRYAN (USA) & Mike BRYAN (USA)
2. Jonas BJORKMAN (SWE) & Max MIRNYI (BLR)
3. Mark KNOWLES (BAH) & Daniel NESTOR (CAN)
4. Fabrice SANTORO (FRA) & Nenad ZIMONJIC (SRB)
5. Martin DAMM (CZE) & Leander PAES (IND)
6. Paul HANLEY (AUS) & Kevin ULLYETT (ZIM)
7. Jonathan ERLICH (ISR) & Andy RAM (ISR)
8. Simon ASPELIN (SWE) & Julian KNOWLE (AUT)
9. Lukas DLOUHY (CZE) & Pavel VIZNER (CZE)
10. Arnaud CLEMENT (FRA) & Michael LLODRA (FRA)
11. Mahesh BHUPATHI (IND) & Radek STEPANEK (CZE)
12. Ashley FISHER (AUS) & Tripp PHILLIPS (USA)
13. Jaroslav LEVINSKY (CZE) & David SKOCH (CZE)
14. Jeff COETZEE (RSA) & Rogier WASSEN (NED)
15. Martin GARCIA (ARG) & Sebastian PRIETO (ARG)
16. Mariusz FYRSTENBERG (POL) & Lukasz KUBOT (POL)

Ladies’ Doubles

1. Lisa RAYMOND (USA) & Samantha STOSUR (AUS)
2. Cara BLACK (ZIM) & Liezel HUBER (RSA)
3. Yung-Jan CHAN (TPE) & Chia-Jung CHUANG (TPE)
4. Katarina SREBOTNIK (SLO) & Ai SUGIYAMA (JPN)
5. Kveta PESCHKE (CZE) & Rennae STUBBS (AUS)
6. Alicia MOLIK (AUS) & Mara SANTANGELO (ITA)
7. Janette HUSAROVA (SVK) & Meghann SHAUGHNESSY (USA)
8. Anabel MEDINA GARRIGUES (ESP) & Virginia RUANO PASCUAL (ESP)
9. Tathiana GARBIN (ITA) & Paola SUAREZ (ARG)
10. Elena LIKHOVTSEVA (RUS) & Tiantian SUN (CHN)
11. Maria Elena CAMERIN (ITA) & Gisela DULKO (ARG)
12. Maria KIRILENKO (RUS) & Elena VESNINA (RUS)
13. Dinara SAFINA (RUS) & Roberta VINCI (ITA)
14. Vera DUSHEVINA (RUS) & Tatiana PEREBIYNIS (UKR)
15. Vania KING (USA) & Jelena KOSTANIC TOSIC (CRO)
16. Sania MIRZA (IND) & Shahar PEER (ISR)

Wimbledon is unique because it is the only Grand Slam that seeds not only on world rankings, but also on a surface based system. This means that players are readjusted based on their success on grass over the past two years.For example, Andy Murray and Berdych were seeded higher than their ranking, while Davenyko was seeded lower.

After previewing the grass season and Wimbledon for the ATP tour, I felt it was necessary to provide a similar preview for the WTA. Where there is a clear favorite for the men (Federer), there is a wide open field for the women. Wimbledon for the WTA is very similar to any other grandslam. Whereas big serving, crafty chip and charge, strategic slice, and volleying are still surviving tactics in the men’s game, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles style power baselining has taken over since the serve and volley days of Martina Navratilova. However, a few players, such as Justine Henin-Hardenne, still display an all-court style of play.

Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL)-World Ranking: 1

Henin enters this year’s Wimbledon as the slight favorite. She’s just off her third straight Roland Garros win, and the fourth of her career. She has six slam titles, needing only Wimbledon to complete a career slam. She hasn’t enjoyed as much success on grass as she has on other surfaces, possibly due to her height (5-6), making it easier for players like Williams and Sharapova to overpower her on the fast courts. Despite this, her results have been solid, with two semifinal and two final appearances at the All England Club. She uses an all-court style of play, with one of the best backhands in the game of tennis. She can serve and volley, and probably has the best variety of any WTA player.

Maria Sharapova (RUS)-World Ranking: 2

Sharapova has one of the most powerful baseline games on the WTP tour. Her power suits the fast style of grass well, as indicated by her two semifinal appearances and a title at Wimbledon. As I write this, she is in the 3rd round of the DFS Classic suggesting she is in form. If she can rise past her alleged coaching issues (critics claim Sharapova recieves coaching in the form of hand signals during her matches-she was fined during the 2007 Australian Open for this) expect for her to repeat her past success at Wimbledon.

Serena Williams (US)-World Ranking: 7

S. Williams is a two time Wimbledon champion (2002-2003) with another finals appearance in 2004. S. Williams is probably the most powerful player on the WTP tour, able to outgun even Sharapova in this years Australian Open. However at times she can be extremely inconsistent and some question her commitment to training. However when she’s on and focused, she can beat anybody.

Venus Williams (US)-World Ranking: 31

The story on V. Williams is almost identical to her sister. She is extremely powerful and inconsistent. Although she hasn’t been in form lately, she could catch a hot streak (like she did at the All England Club in 2005) and add a fourth Wimbledon title to her collection.

These are the players who I feel are the most likely to have great success on grass this year. Covering the WTA tour is a little harder than the ATP tour because there is not as much difference in the competitors’ games. There aren’t low ranked players, who are consistently successful only on grass (like Max Mirnyi, Ivo Karlovic, and Mario Ancic for the men’s game). At the same time, I admit that I am less familiar with the players on the women’s tour, than the players on the men’s. If you have an opinion or anything to add I’d love to hear it.

Last Sunday Rafael Nadal showed, once again, why he is the king of clay; besting the World’s number one, Roger Federer, for the third year in row on the red dirt at the Roland Garros. But as Federer pushed the final ball of the match long leading him to come one win short-again-he had something to look forward to. Clay season is over, and grass season is beginning. For non-tennis gurus, to envision how dramatic of a change this is, imagine batting against a 12 year pitcher throwing 65 mph. And then replace him with Randy Johnson hurling 98 mph. Sure, grass doesn’t make the ball fly faster through the air, but the way it interacts with it changes its movement dramatically. The ball skids, instead of bouncing, giving the returner less time to hit a 130 mph serve. If the Roland Garros is the tournament for gritty players with heart, Wimbledon is the tournament for players with shot-making talent.

Since this is the week of grass warmup tournaments, I thought I’d be a good time to go over the contenders and their chances.

The Proven Contenders
These are tried and proven players who generally excel on all surfaces and are highly ranked.

Roger Federer (SUI)-World Ranking: 1

If Nadal is the king of clay, then Federer is the absolute tyrant of grass. Seriously, if I’m talking about players who have a chance to win Wimbledon, I could stop after discussing Federer. He is that good! Federer is going for his fifth title on the lawns of the All England Club. Grass suits his all-court style of play well, with his big forehand and his ability to serve and volley well (something he’s been doing a lot more of this year). He doesn’t have the most powerful serve, but is still able to rack up the aces with his excellent placement. However, his first-serve percentage has been low lately which is something he will need to improve on to defend his title. Federer has the ability to either hit winners out of nowhere with his excellent crosscourt backhand and overall amazing forehand or construct points better than anyone else on the tour. Both of these are reason why he is the favorite to win this year.

Rafael Nadal (ESP)-World Ranking: 2

Nadal has worked hard on improving his game for grass recently, however he is still a long shot to have a chance to win. He was last years runner-up, however, he is no sure thing to make it to the final this year. He is benefited by the slowing of the lawns at Wimbledon, however his spin-heavy strokes are still foreign at the All English Club. Topspin doesn’t have the kick on grass that it does on clay, and that is Nadal’s primary weapon. In addition grass doesn’t give him the time to play his excellent defensive, grinding game that he accomplishes on clay. Nadal chances are further hurt by his serve which is a slower-kick serve variety.

Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)-World Ranking:3

Davydenko is no force on grass. His best showing at Wimbledon was in 2005 when he lost in the second round. He is small (5-10) and can be overpowered by larger servers. He takes the ball on the rise well and hits very clean ground strokes, however that matters very little against talented shot-makers on grass.

Novak Djokovic (SRB)-World: 4

The 6-2 20 year old really has a chance to make some noise on grass this year. He’s having a breakout year with a masters series win and a Roland Garros semifinal appearance. His 5-2 record at Wimbledon is great for his age, showing he has some talent on grass. He plays a big baseline game, being able to generate great pace off of both wings.

Andy Roddick (US)-World Ranking: 5

Andy Roddick was the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2004 and 2005. He’s always to force to compete with, largely due to his massive serve (clocked at 150+ mph). However his ground game is lacking. His forehand has regressed since he won his 2003 US Open title, and his backhand remains a weakness. Although he has worked hard and improved at the net, he remains no natural from the part of the court.

Fernando Gonzalez (CHI)-World Ranking: 6

Gonzalez has yet to mature into a force to be reckoned with on grass; however this could be the year. He doesn’t move the best on the lawns, however his aggressive playing style benefits from the fast surface. He has what is considered to be one of the largest forehands in the game, coupled with a new slice backhand that should skid low at the All England Club. He has a big serve and decent net play. Gonzalez, with the right draw, has a great chance to best his 2005 results when he appeared in the quarterfinals.

The Talents
These are players who are extremely talented and have the ability to get hot at anytime, but aren’t consistent with their results. The exception is Hewitt who is a proven champion, however he is on the downside of his career.

Andy Murray (GBR)-World Ranking: 9

Britain’s best hope with a solid game and good results last year-upsetting Roddick.

Richard Gasquet (FRA)-World Ranking: 11

One of the most talented shot-makers on the tour, Gasquet struggles with consistency and has trouble winning matches he should. He always remains a threat due to a fantastic backhand and great net play.

Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)-World Ranking: 16

Former Wimbledon Champion (2002).

Marat Safin (RUS)-World Ranking: 24

Absolute head-case, who also happens to be the only player talented enough to present a significant threat to Federer. To add to the fact that he breaks more rackets then he hits winners, the big Russian doesn’t move well on grass.

The Dark Horses

These are players who aren’t highly ranked and don’t always excel on all surfaces. However they are always a threat on grass, usually due to strong serve and volley games.

-Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)-(solid all round game)
-Mario Ancic (CRO)-(big serve and volley)
-Max Mirnyi (BLR)-(big serve and volley)
-Tim Henman (GBR)-(good serve and volley game
-Ivo Karlovic (CRO)-(MASSIVE serve)

Thats the rundown for what to expect this grass season. As for my predication, I’ve got Federer and Gonzalez in the final, with Federer taking home his 5th straight title.

Feel free to discuss or throw out more players.