Nothing Ventured , Nothing Gained ..

Well Wimbledon has ended . And with a triumphant Serena Williams having won the women’s singles title in defeating her elder sibling Venus Williams 7-6(3), 6-2, in two rather compelling and riveting sets. It can be said that women’s tennis now finds itself in good standing. Unfortunately, the WTA rankings would suggest otherwise at this juncture with the idiotic notion that Dinara Safina still remains ranked #1 , with Serena now ranked #2.

The 2009 Men's and Women's singles champions at Wimbledon Roger Federer (left) and Serena Williams. This was part of the post celebratory event known as the Champions' dinner held at the Intercontinental Hotel , Park Lane, in London. picture appears courtesy of afp/getty images/ Martin Pool ..................

It may well be that the WTA doesn’t always look at the results when coming to the assumption of the makeup of its rankings. Especially when it comes to the Grand Slam tournament events anyway. They however state that the rankings are indicative of the year’s commitment and form of the players. But then again the Grand Slam events are in-fact what essentially makes up the most productive part of the WTA’s calendar in terms of the interest shown by the attendance, tv audience and by the fans of the sport in general.

Serena Williams having just defeated her sister Venus Williams in the women's singles finals at Wimbledon 7-6(3), 6-2 to secure her third Wimbledon singles title and her 11th Grand Slam singles title overall. picture appears courtesy of afp/getty images/ Carl de Souza .......................

On the men’s side of the draw in the finals. We had the privilege of being part of one of the truly great finals of the modern era. There, we saw world #2 Roger Federer take on Andy Roddick in what truly was an epic event. What the fans encountered and witnessed bordered on being sublime as a well as riveting in terms of sheer raw emotion , passion and everything that these two brilliant players could muster up on a Sunday afternoon.

Those who were privileged enough to be in attendance witnessed a match that was thrilling and where both players gave it their all. Wherein at the end of it all absolutely nothing was left to give of themselves physically. A match that lasted in excess of five hours and a total of 78 games . And wherein the fifth set alone was the fifth longest of the modern era, encompassing thirty games in the deciding set which took 90 minutes to complete.

The realization ofa triumph as Federer acknowledges his feat and accepts the acclaim and applause forthcoming from the crowd. His five set thrilling victory over Andy Roddick sets a number of Wimbledon singles' finals records. The five set epic , 5-7, 7-6,7-6,3-6, 16-14, produced all of the excitment that one would expect . picture appears courtesy of getty images /Paul Gilham ......................

This epic produced by Federer and Roddick will go down in the annals of tennis history. And the result speaks for itself as to how thrilling this men’s singles finals was in its being. The match ebbed and flowed like the currents of of a stream. And at the end of it all both men slumped to the ground after their physical excesses. The undeniable fact was that the better man prevailed on the day. But it’d be remis to think that the 5-7, 7-6(8-6),7-6 (7-5),3-6, 16-14 , result won by Federer wasn’t duly also also contributed by the valiant efforts of Andy Roddick. He was noble in defeat and if anything it may well have garnered him a new circle of fans.

Federer pictured second from the right is joined by former champions Bjorn Borg (left), Pete Sampras (center ) and to the far right Rod Laver. picture appears courtesy of afp/getty images/ Martin Pool ....................

Certainly there were no villains to be found in this thrilling masterpiece. If anything it was about two heroic figures who had a great deal of respect for each other. And that reverence was shown in the way that they allowed their appreciation to manfest itself for each other at the end of the match. The speeches were congratulatry and reciprocated as to the efforts put forth by each.

A solemn Andy Roddick looks on as Federer is given the due acclaim worthy of a champion as he accepts his trophy. picture appears courtesy of afp/getty images/ Martin Pool ...............

Now with but one remaining Grand Slam championship to be played as part of the Grand Slam calendar year. The US Open from Flushing, New York , takes on a life of its own . And it will have a great deal to live up to in terms of sheer excitement and drama provided. If we are provided with only half the excitement exhibited by both the men’s and women’s singles finals at Wimbledon. Then we’ll most certainly be in for a terrific treat !

In Defeat, Roddick Has His Shining Moment

The scoreboard said Roger Federer won his sixth Wimbledon championship and 15th Grand Slam title. It said he won 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14.

The scoreboard said that Andy Roddick lost in five sets to the greatest tennis player of all time. Sometimes, the scoreboard doesn’t tell the whole story.

Going into the match, Roddick was had a record of 2-18 against Federer. Two of those losses came in the finals of Wimbledon in 2003 and 2004. Despite the fact that Roddick was playing his best tennis going into Sunday’s match with Federer, few gave him a chance to come out on top. In fact, some felt that based on past performances against Federer, Roddick would not even put up a fight. Those people were sorely mistaken.

Roddick came out of the gates blazing, using his trademarked fast serve to make push Federer back behind the baseline. From the beginning, it was clear that Roddick was going to use his serve to his advantage — and did he ever. His first serve percentage hovered around 90 in the first set, an extraordinary feat even for someone with as good a serve as Roddick. In order to win the match, however, Roddick would need to do more than simply win his service games. With the set tied 5-5, Roddick did, and won the first set 7-5. Federer was serving well early, acing Roddick often, and a break of Federe’s serve had to do wonders for Roddick’s confidence. Moreover, Roddick had depended on his serve heavily to the win the set, but what was different from previous matches was his ability to spar with Federer on ground strokes. Roddick was always dangerous because of his serve, but a solid ground game makes him difficult to defeat.

Looking for his first Wimbledon championship, Roddick was off to a great start. With both he and Federer serving extremely well in the second set, a tiebreaker was inevitable. Just like the beginning of the match’s opening set, Roddick came out firing, and he was jumped out to a 6-2 lead. He was one point away from taking a two sets to love lead on Federer, arguably the greatest grass court player of all-time. Roddick had four set points to try and crack Federer. Predictably, Federer continued serving well, and he was also able to win on Roddick’s serve. The set — and momentum — was starting to sway to Federer’s corner. Up 6-5, Roddick had an easy volley to win the set and bring momentum and a commanding lead to his side. He had the entire court available to him, but he mishit the ball, and Federer went on to win the set and tie the match at one-set-all.

At that moment, Roddick could have gotten down on himself and mentally checked out; he had every right to after losing the set the way he did. Maybe it was just another typical match against Federer — no matter what he was going to do, Federer would still win. Roddick, however, kept fighting.

Though Federer won the third set in another tiebreaker, Roddick once again did not lose his serve. Even though he was down two sets, he continued to execute the gameplan. Federer was serving just as effectively as Roddick, and with Federer’s talent, Roddick had to make sure his serve did not get broken. The pressure of having to break Federer back would be far too difficult. What’s more, Roddick had the confidence to make a comeback and get right back in the match. Thanks to his serve, he did.

The fourth set was a thing of beauty for Roddick. He broke Federer’s serve for a second time in the match, and that ultimately led to Roddick winning 6-3. Against all odds, Roddick had pushed Federer to a fifth set — the third straight five-set Gentleman’s final at Wimbledon, all of which involved Federer. ‘

It was a whole new match, and Roddick was armed with a huge serve, and the confidence that he could prevail and be Wimbledon champion. For the first time in his career, he appeared to fully believed that he deserved to win the title.

Federer, on the other hand, was fighting for his place in tennis history. The fifth and final set would come down to who wanted it the most — and who had the most strength.

At Wimbledon, there is no fifth-set tiebreaker. It is the only Grand Slam event that does not, meaning the players keep going until someone wins by two games. That also meant that Roddick or Federer would have to break the other’s serve — a difficult proposition considering how well the two served throughout the match. Quickly, it became apparent that neither player was going to budge on his serve.

Roddick continued to serve beautifully, striking the ball with incredible power while at the same time remaining accurate and finding all the right angles. Federer was just as brilliant, and the statistics proved that the two men put on a serving clinic in the match: Roddick had 27 aces, Federer 50. Roddick won 83% of his first serves, Federer 89%. Roddick won 44% of his second serves, Federer 60%. Roddick’s fastest serve clocked in at 143 MPH, while Federer’s came in at 135 MPH.

With the way the two were serving, it appeared that the match might go on all night — and it almost did. As the match started getting longer and longer, neither player appeared tired.  Roddick, even deep into the fifth set, was still serving over 125 MPH on a consistent basis. Incredibly, his serve still had not been broken. The amount of games played in final set was remarkable; it seemed to go from 7-6, Federer to 15-14, Federer in a flash. With yet another chance to win brake Roddick’s serve — in the 77th game of the match — Federer buckled down, stepped up his game and won the championship. Not only did he win his 15th Grand Slam title,the most ever,he set and Roddick set history: they played the longest fifth set in the history of Grand Slam tennis — 30 games.

It was an incredible performance from both sides, and no one wanted to see the match come to an end. Both kept fighting and pushing to achieve greatness.

Roddick played the match of his life. Never before had he pushed Federer to a fifth-set. Never before had he made Federer so nervous against him in a Grand Slam final.

Roddick worked extremely hard to get to the point of having the opportunity to play so well against Federer. The last few years have been a time of change for Roddick. He parted ways with his coach, Jimmy Connors, and last year hired Larry Stefanki. If Roddick was going to compete against the likes of Federer, he need to improve his all-around game, and improve his physical conditioning. Under the tutelage of Stefanki, Roddick did both, and the work showed in this tournament. So much so that possibly the two greatest matches of his career came in his final two matches. Against Andy Murray in the semifinals, Roddick executed his gameplan to perfection, beating Murray in every aspect of the game. And against Federer, Roddick used his previous biggest weakness, his backhand, to his advantage. There was no better indication of how far his game has come than the image of Roddick smacking two backhands winners down the line.

After the final point of the match, both Roddick and Federer dropped to their knees. They did it for different reasons, as Federer was the victor and Roddick the runner-up. Maybe the scoreboard got it wrong, because in defeat, Roddick gave the performance of a lifetime. He showed grace, courage, maturity and an incredible desire to win.

The record books may not show it, but Roddick came out a champion.

A Finale Worth Watching

Well the matchups have been set . And the finalists in the men’s and women’s singles finals have been revealed. In the men’s singles finals it’ll be number one seed and world # 2 Roger Federer facing off against American, Andy Roddick.

Roger Federer serves in his semi-final match against Germany's Tommy Haas at Wimbledon. Federer won the match and will be making his seventh appearance in the men's singles finals at Wimbledon. He'll be chasing his sixth singles title and fifteenth Grand Slam singles title overall. picture appears courtesy of afp/getty images/ Adrian Dennis .....

On the women’s side it’ll be the Williams sisters Venus and Serena facing off against each other in another Grand Slam tennis final. And it will be a women’s final that will have the tennis world eagerly affixed to their every move. Venus Williams will be seeking to win her sixth women’s singles finals championship at Wimbledon and her third straight title. Having last won the title in ‘07 and ‘08. Should she prevail then she’ll become the first woman to do so since Steffi Graf achieved the feat in 1991 then in ‘92 and ‘93. Whereas Serena Williams will be seeking her third Wimbledone singles title. This will be the fourth time that the sisters have met in the women’s singles final at Wimbledon.

Andy Roddick here makes his double fisted backhand a part of his repertoire of strokes used in defeating Andy Murray. Roddick won the match in a thrilling and exhilerating four set victory 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(9-7), 7-6(7-5). Roddick now meets Federer in the men's singles final on Sunday afternoon at Wimbledon. It will the third meeting of the duo in a men's singles final at Wimbledon. In each of their previous meeting Federer prevailed. And it is viewed that he will prevail again. picture appears courtesy of afp/getty images/ Glyn Kirk .........

And whilst Venus may well be viewed as the prohibitive favorite to win the tournament. Serena will surely go out and try to derail her big sister’s ambitions of winning her sixth title. The two have also have also made it to the women’s doubles finals. There they’ll meet the Australian pairing of Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs. And in all likelihood it’ll be plain sailing for the sisters against the Antipodean pairing. When their doubles’ game takes shape they’re virtually unstoppable. And it would be viewed as a major surprise should the pairing of Stosur and Stubbs prevail.

Venus Williams (left) and her younger sibling Serena consult each other on strategy during their semi-final match in the women's doubles at Wimbledon. The pair won their match with a lopsided 6-1,6-2 victory over Lisel Huber and Cara Black. picture appears courtesy of afp/getty images/ Carl de Souza ...........

Experience counts for everything they say. And in this case with the pairing of the two sisters in this final. We ought to see a thoroughly entertaining and physically demanding match. However that’ll be predicated upon the mindset of both sisters. Venus combines a game of power in terms of her serving and a great deal of finesse when it come to her groundstrokes. Serena on the other hand is no stranger to either. But her game is built around her physical attributes. And that comes from her amazing speed around the court. And in the backcourt she tends to prevail with her powerful forehand strokes. Enough cannot be said as to the game of both players. But this is one thing that you can be sure of. In no way will this be a boring or mundane women’s singles final. Whenever the two tend to meet in a Grand Slam final , it has to be said they’ve never failed to disappoint the fans in attendance or those watching on television.

Serena Williams makes a return backhand to her sem-final opponent Elena Dementieva of Russia. Serena would go on to win the match in three sets 6-7(7-4),7-5,8-6 . picture appears courtesy of ap/ photo/ Anja Niedringhaus ...........

And as an avowed fan of the game. I for one am very much looking forward to this women’s singles final. It ought to to provide us with some thoroughly thrilling entertainment one way or another. As to predicting a winner. Prognostication has never been a forte’ for me. I’m a fan first and foremost. And that for me is what sports is essentially about if I’m not a participant in a particular recreational endeavor.

Dinara Safina (left) congratulates Venus Williams after their semi-final match. Williams would obliterate Safina in two scintillating sets of power tennis wining the match 6-1,6-0 in convincing fashion. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Anja Niedringhaus ...........

On the men’s side we’ll be seeing history made by Roger Federer. He’ll be making his twentieth appearance in a Grand Slam singles final. A record he shares with Ivan Lendl. At it will be his sixteenth consecutive appearance in a Slam singles final. For Roddick this can’t be something that he’ll relishing. And that’s despite a wonderful display of tennis in defeating Andy Murray in a thorougly riveting four set match 6-4,4-6,7-6(9-7),7-6(7-5). Thereby denying the young Scottish player a chance of becoming the first British player to make an appearance in the men’s singles final since the late Fred Perry won the last of his three straight singles titles in the late thirties.

Whilst no one might covet the task now said to be facing Roddick. If he’s able to produce a semblance of the form used in defeating Murray. Then he may well be in with a chance. Even slight as it might be on appearance. Roddick knows that in his two previous meetings against Federer. It has been the Swiss player that has proven to be victorious.

And for Federer while his name has already been etched in tennis folklore and immortality. He can now rewrite the record books and dispel any thought as to who is the best player of his generation. Or for that fact the best player male player ever to play the game professionally. These are now the analogies that are and can be used to descibe Federer’s complete mastery of the game. And that’s with due respect to world number one Rafael Nadal. For Nadal who has proven to be Federer’s nemesis as of late. His none appearance here at Wimbledon and being unable to defend his title due to a recurring knee injury has left us somewhat wondering what might have been.

But the game isn’t played on the premis of supposition. It’s all about the intangibles being displayed at the time and the events as they unfold. If nothing else we can watch and appreciate what in effect will be history as it manifests itself in front of us all. This will be the culmination of a finale well worth watching and then some ! And no matter who proves to be victorious we can be enamored with it all.

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So Far, Murray is Handling the Pressure

Of all the reasons many sports stars have not lived up to their potential, pressure may be at the top of the list. Whether it be from fans, media or coaches, an incredible amount of pressure tends to be put on athlete’s who they deem have the chance to be great. A great example of this dynamic is the Scotland’s Andy Murray, currently the No.3 tennis player in the world.

Murray will be playing Juan Carlos Ferrero in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon tomorrow, and realistically, a loss is not acceptable. You see, Murray isn’t just playing to win this tournament for himself. No, he is playing for an entire kingdom.

The United Kingdom takes great pride in everything. They are very nationalistic, and they certainly love rooting for their own. That includes rooting for their countrymen in sporting events, which is where Murray comes into the fold. Murray, as the nation’s star player, will be playing on Centre Court, and he will be expected to win, no matter the circumstances.  That’s because, quite frankly, the British are tired of losing.

The last British man to win Wimbledon was Fred Perry, in 1936. That’s a stretch of 73 years, and it has been an extremely difficult stretch at that. The UK has had a few hopeful contenders in during that time period, the most notable being Tim Henman. Henman was very talented, and he was expected to be the  player to finally win Wimbledon for all of the UK. All of the Britain seemed to come out and support him when he would play in the country’s Championship. During his time in the sport, he became a staple of Centre Court — the most famous court in all tennis.

Everyone wanted to see their man win matches for all of Britain, and eventually win it all. Further explaining their excitement, there is a grass area outside of Court 1 with a TV screen where fans can watch the match being played on Centre Court. Henman was always featured, and fans packed the area to its capacity. Soon enough, the area affectionately came to be known as “Henman Hill.” Fans would wait for hours, drinking champagne and Pimm’s, waiting to watch Henman play.

Henman was a man with a flair for the dramatic, as all of his matches seemed to be close, and tense. Unfortunately for the British, that style became the story of his career. He made it to the semifinals of Wimbledon four times, but was never able to win.

Someone else would have to come along and once again give the British hope. That man was Murray.

Murray burst onto the scene at Wimbledon in 2005 as a player with tons of promise and potential — the kind of promise that gave the British heavy expectations. Murray made it to the third round, but lost a tough match in which he had a two sets to love lead against David Nalbandian. It was an acceptable finish for someone who was playing in his first Wimbledon.

But as he continued to grow as a player, expectations were only going to rise. How Murray would be able to handle those expectations was a big question mark. He seemed to struggle with the astronomical expectations early in his career, as he was a fiery player who at times had trouble controlling his emotions. As time went on, however, he would learn to stay much more calm during his matches.

Gradually, his results began to improve at Wimbledon. In 2006, he was defeated by Marcos Baghdatis in the fourth round; in 2007, a wrist injury forced him to withdraw from the tournament; and last year, he lost to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.

Since the loss to Nadal, Murray has become an even better player, as evidenced by his run to the final of the U.S. Open in 2008. Coming into this year’s Wimbledon, the pressure has become exceedingly great. With the way he had been playing leading up to the tournament, fans expected him to reach the final.

Up to this point, Murray has done an excellent job of playing under the intense pressure of the hometown fans. He has been featured on Centre Court in all four of his matches, and he’s performed admirably. He has gone through his competition with relative ease — with the exception of Monday’s match against Stanislas Wawrinka. The match was the first ever to be played under the roof at Wimbledon, and it also became the latest match ever to be played on Centre Court (it ended just after 10:30pm England time). In dramatic fashion that even Henman could admire, Murray lost the first set, won the next two, lost the fourth and won the fourth. The atmosphere was incredible, as the fans seemed to be even louder with the echoes that accompanied being under the roof.

Now, Murray will face Ferrero in a match that he is once again expected to win. Just like they did when Henman was making his runs at Wimbledon, the fans will pack Centre Court and what is now known as “Mount Murray.” The pressure that is mounting on this 22-year-old is extraordinary, but he things are only going to get more difficult if he advances. His potential semifinal match would come against either Lleyton Hewitt or Andy Roddick, two former champions who still have the ability to play well in this tournament. Murray has a solid serve that has variety, excellent ground stroke and the ability to counterpunch, then become the aggressor when it is least expected. His game would fare well against either of the two, and he most likely would want to face Hewitt, who does not boast the power that Roddick does.

First, he needs to make sure he doesn’t overlook Ferrero, which would seem hard to do considering how much pressure he has on him.

It is not going to be easy for Murray to win this tournament. The British fans have placed tons of pressure on him; the fans want to erase what has become the curse of Fred Perry.

Moreover, they are craving to salute one of their own as champion of one of the most prestigious events in Britain.

They hope Murray is their man.

Strawberries And Cream, All The Pomp, Ceremony, And Circumstance That Is Wimbledon

 This is the time of year that I so long for.  And being a Brit who’s now living in the US.  I just miss the days wherein I’d make it my rite of passage each year to attend one of the major sporting events that’d be taking place during the height of Summer.

A panoramic view of Center Court at Wimbledon as a match takes place on Day 1 of the event. picture appears courtesy of afp/getty images / Leon Neal .................

In soccer it would be the FA Cup. Basically it’s English soccer’s answer to the Superbowl. In horse racing it would either be The Derby from Epsom racecourse or attending Goodwood racecourse “ “Glorious Goodwood” for the pageantry and the exciting thoroughbred racing that’d take place there over the course of several days.

Roger Federer of Switzerland seeded #1 here at Wimbledon in absence of reigning champion Rafael Nadal. Federer would earn a straight sets' victory over Lu Yen Hsun of Chinese Tapei . Federer seeks to surpass the 14 Grand Slams singles titles' record that he now shares jointly with Pete Sampras. The defeat of Hsun makes that passage appear somewhat easier as he makes his way into the second rond. picture appears courtesy of ap/ photo/ Andra Niedringhaus ..................

At heart I’m an avid sport’s fan and within reason just about any sport that elicits excitement and athletic endeavor . And you’re liable to get me hooked on it as either as a passive observer or an avowed fan. Within reason they’re also several sports that I’ve no real time for. But to relate those to you would take up far too much time. And as they say …..” time is of the essence “. Suffice to say boxing and the martial arts are also two of the great loves of my life ! But it is Wimbledon that seems to elicit all of the emotions within me. And the mere fact as a sporting event it’s where I have some of my fondest memories. Over the years I’d attended six Wimbledon events prior to my departure for the United States.

Fans watch a tennis match on a giant tv screen within the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club at Wimbledon. There've been a number of improvements made at the venue. Including an automated domed roof that covers Center Court. The installation was completed in time for this year's event. picture appears courtesy of afp/ getty images/ Leon Neal ................

Which brings me on to Wimbledon and the All England Tennis Championships. The formal name given to the most prestigious event in the sport. And despite the formalities of the sport at heart it is very much the fact that although the All England Tennis Club’s President is presided over by a member of the Royal Family, HRH Prince Edward The Duke of Kent. It’s merely a ceremonial title and although the Prince is a passionate follower of the sport. He likes to be treated as an ordinary fan or member of the public would like to be viewed when it comes to tennis. Don’t let that dissuade you from the fact that the ambiance and emotional highs that one can get from watching the sport.

Ai Sugiyama returns a cross court forehand shot against Patty Schnyder in the first round of the women's singles tournament at Wimbledon. Sugiyama would win the game in straight sets 6-4,6-4 and make her way to the second round. picture appears courtesy of afp/getty images/ Gly Kirk .................

At the heart of Wimbledon is the empathy and passion that players and fans reciprocate between one an another. I doubt that there’s any sporting event in the world that elicits that sort of unbridled passion between the fan and the players. The intimacy of being that close to the action as it takes place is what in large part plays into it all. And as a venue the All England Lawn , Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC) exhibits that.