feather_ghyll (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
feather_ghyll) wrote2016-07-10 08:26 am
feather_ghyll) wrote2016-07-10 08:26 am
TENNIS: Wimbledon week 2 Thur-Sat
Thursday Ladies semi-finals – I knew the results by the time I came home to see that various doubles matches were on. The fact that Williams & Williams vs Vesnina & Makarova featured two losers and a rematch of the singles semi-finals added a certain spice. There were some huge rallies. I wonder if all this play will help or hinder Serena, although I would think fatigue was more of an issue for Venus.
By the way, I haven’t said how much I like Serena’s outfit this year, with the unusual skirt and sleek top. Consider it done.
Watson and partner’s story – two walkovers and then beating last year’s champions in their first match – was certainly striking.
Friday Men’s semi-finals - I arrived home to discover that Raonic was leading Federer in the first! Federer did regroup to win the next two, and Raonic was under a lot of pressure, but he did not buckle (apart from the double in the second set tie-break). He really didn’t. He’s obviously been improving and continued to do so – I thought he won at the net and his general game was much better than it’s ever been. To reach a point where he could win Federer in five must be sweet.
Now, I want him not to be able to take a much further step, frankly, because Murray is through. He absolutely contained and bossed Berdych, who hadn’t been playing badly, but...could not win. Unflashily, Murray was good on serve, more obviously pushed Berdych around the back of the court, and he looks as if he has put in the groundwork to get him to a position where he could win Wimbledon again. EEK! It’s not a bad pressure to be going into the finals favourite, is it!?
I was a bit distracted towards the end of the first match and the start of the second, because I kept switching over to see the welcoming parade for the Welsh football team on S4C and BBC1. So many people there to show their pride! The players’ excitement at seeing the crowds and a reflection of the support that there’s been at home was palpable, and I liked the way they were taking selfies/pictures of themselves with the fans as the fans took selfies/pictures back. And the mutual singing – it was inevitable that the end destination was a concert at Cardiff City stadium.
Saturday No distractions for the ladies finals, at least.
In the build-up the (American) former champions were talking Serena up so much, making her the favourite as I’m sure they did at the Aussie Open (and the French and the US Open) that I got a little grumbly. At the same time, I loved hearing so many knowledgeable women talking.
I hoped it would be competitive and, I must admit, favoured Kerber. Certainly I wanted to see if Serena’s nerves would get the better of her again, if Kerber could find a way to win again, or if, later than we thought last year, Serena could make it 22.
I was glad to see that there were no nerves that got in the way of play, just competitiveness. The wind was another factor. Kerber showed mental fortitude and the movement that is her great strength, but Serena’s serve and determination were also there to see. There were some great tussles and if a rally went long, Kerber was more than equal to it. But she blinked when serving at 6-5 after doing so well to stay in the first set. Serena’s celebration was telling.
Kerber still strove and believed, though, but Serena’s serve meant that every half-chance was rare and precious. It demanded too much of Kerber. She lost a game and, it seemed clear as she only got one break point, the second set and match.
Williams’s serve lived up to its reputation. Her achievement is immense, of course it is, and she deserves her enjoyment of it. Kerber did herself proud in her play and demeanour afterwards.
The numbers that I’ll remember of the many we were bombarded with is that since Serena’s latest stint as world no. 1 started, there have been 20 different players at no 2. It’s testament to her durability and the volatility on the ladies side. Everyone else is playing catch-up – no wonder everyone fell on Muguruza’s success in Paris, hoping it was the start of a rivalry, which Williams vs. Sharapoa never was and injury prevented Williams vs. Azarenka from being, even if it was Kerber who made a second grand slam final this year. We await to see further developments.
I can’t say that I followed the men’s doubles with any great intensity, but the ladies doubles final was fun. Serena seemed slightly liberated, there was great power mixed with fast-paced, even dangerous play at the net and it was competitive until it came to the big points, when the Williams sisters won. Sam Smith made a cogent case that playing doubles had helped sharpen Serena’s game for the singles.
Heather Watson and partner have made it through to the mixed doubles finals!
By the way, I haven’t said how much I like Serena’s outfit this year, with the unusual skirt and sleek top. Consider it done.
Watson and partner’s story – two walkovers and then beating last year’s champions in their first match – was certainly striking.
Friday Men’s semi-finals - I arrived home to discover that Raonic was leading Federer in the first! Federer did regroup to win the next two, and Raonic was under a lot of pressure, but he did not buckle (apart from the double in the second set tie-break). He really didn’t. He’s obviously been improving and continued to do so – I thought he won at the net and his general game was much better than it’s ever been. To reach a point where he could win Federer in five must be sweet.
Now, I want him not to be able to take a much further step, frankly, because Murray is through. He absolutely contained and bossed Berdych, who hadn’t been playing badly, but...could not win. Unflashily, Murray was good on serve, more obviously pushed Berdych around the back of the court, and he looks as if he has put in the groundwork to get him to a position where he could win Wimbledon again. EEK! It’s not a bad pressure to be going into the finals favourite, is it!?
I was a bit distracted towards the end of the first match and the start of the second, because I kept switching over to see the welcoming parade for the Welsh football team on S4C and BBC1. So many people there to show their pride! The players’ excitement at seeing the crowds and a reflection of the support that there’s been at home was palpable, and I liked the way they were taking selfies/pictures of themselves with the fans as the fans took selfies/pictures back. And the mutual singing – it was inevitable that the end destination was a concert at Cardiff City stadium.
Saturday No distractions for the ladies finals, at least.
In the build-up the (American) former champions were talking Serena up so much, making her the favourite as I’m sure they did at the Aussie Open (and the French and the US Open) that I got a little grumbly. At the same time, I loved hearing so many knowledgeable women talking.
I hoped it would be competitive and, I must admit, favoured Kerber. Certainly I wanted to see if Serena’s nerves would get the better of her again, if Kerber could find a way to win again, or if, later than we thought last year, Serena could make it 22.
I was glad to see that there were no nerves that got in the way of play, just competitiveness. The wind was another factor. Kerber showed mental fortitude and the movement that is her great strength, but Serena’s serve and determination were also there to see. There were some great tussles and if a rally went long, Kerber was more than equal to it. But she blinked when serving at 6-5 after doing so well to stay in the first set. Serena’s celebration was telling.
Kerber still strove and believed, though, but Serena’s serve meant that every half-chance was rare and precious. It demanded too much of Kerber. She lost a game and, it seemed clear as she only got one break point, the second set and match.
Williams’s serve lived up to its reputation. Her achievement is immense, of course it is, and she deserves her enjoyment of it. Kerber did herself proud in her play and demeanour afterwards.
The numbers that I’ll remember of the many we were bombarded with is that since Serena’s latest stint as world no. 1 started, there have been 20 different players at no 2. It’s testament to her durability and the volatility on the ladies side. Everyone else is playing catch-up – no wonder everyone fell on Muguruza’s success in Paris, hoping it was the start of a rivalry, which Williams vs. Sharapoa never was and injury prevented Williams vs. Azarenka from being, even if it was Kerber who made a second grand slam final this year. We await to see further developments.
I can’t say that I followed the men’s doubles with any great intensity, but the ladies doubles final was fun. Serena seemed slightly liberated, there was great power mixed with fast-paced, even dangerous play at the net and it was competitive until it came to the big points, when the Williams sisters won. Sam Smith made a cogent case that playing doubles had helped sharpen Serena’s game for the singles.
Heather Watson and partner have made it through to the mixed doubles finals!