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An almost overwhelming amount of tennis yesterday (over the last few days, the clouds and blue sky above Centre Court have taken on a hyper-real aspect, as if some Michaelangelo put them there. What that says about how much Wimbledon is a mediated/simulated experience through TV, I don't know. Something.)
Both Gasquet and Bartoli managed to avoid the dip that everyone feared, didn't regain the form that had got them there, but made themselves proud. In fact, it was only in the last points of the first set that Federer truly outplayed Gasquet, and then, with his nose in front, he pressed and made it harder and harder for Gasquet to even think about pulling off what he did yesterday. that and the injury. There was a point in the first set (when the new that Djokovic had won his first set filtered through) when I seriously considered a Gasquet/Djokovic final. I thought it'd be hilarious. However, more seriously, I didn't think Nadal was down - hes the sort of player you would only think was down and out, well, if he was comprehensively being outplayed and two sets and a break down. Furthermore, one suspected that Nadal would have more in the tank - as it turned out. I've seen more of tennis player's feet that i needed to - they seem normal and yet their blisters in particular ar very much not.
So the men's final we all wanted/expected - but these semis proved that the young guns are knocking. Navratilova gloatingly made the point that the women's game is improving in its depth (I admit to falling for the old adage), because apart from the duopoly at the very top, the semis were nearly all the top seeded four, whereas with the women, you have the randomness of the Williams sisters, up-and-coing -Sovas and -Vics, and Bartoli. There was less talk of Pierce Brosnan and more of Monica Seles during and after the match. Fair play to her for coming back from the first break and ramping things up. Venus's reach and athleticism helped her reach a lot that others wouldn't, plus she was stronger and had more weapons and maybe energy and experience. hopefully, Bartoli will capitalise n this, because she's a real character and her tennis is unorthodox, but works.
Then there was oodles of mixed doubles. Jankovic and Murray pressing their advantage to win their quarters, (re they going to be called Smiler and Stretch now?) another set of quarters on Centre Court. As I didn't care who won, I hastened to make my supper then, knowing Murray and Jankovic would be back on Centre for their semi. And they were a notch better (until they got a little nervy right at the end) than in the quarters, as if that had been their warm up. I can't remember if Murray had been on Center before.
A really, really entertaining match, Likhotseva (sp?) pulling off some amazing angles, ditto Murray, not to mention the impressive reflexes (with those volleys, he should be tearing up the doubles rankings). Hilarious that they broke the Nestor serve more. As was said by the commentators, one of which was John 'Delighted to be Davies cup Captain' Lloyd, pointed out, Murray and Jankovic combine really well, really well for a scratch team. Countless times, he'd cross or poach at the net and she'd just move to cover. Sometimes, it wasn't necessary, because his volley was too good, but then she had excellent ground strokes and solid volleys.
It only occurred to me at 5-3 in the final set that they were on course for the mixed doubles finals. I mean, I'd been thinking of it as 'the match', and it looked as if they would win, because if they didn't break, Murray would serve it out, and his serve had been rock solid, but then I realised it. And so did they players, but the went through their nerves, and what a prospect. Also, Jankovic has completely endeared herself as a Wimbledon crowd favourite, cf the antics with the so very embarrassed ball boy. Playing with a British hopeful - and a class act at that, otherwise, why bother? - she's raised her profile here. add to that she's part of the new Serbian wave fascinating the media (the Chinese and Russian ladies are so last cycle). And I loved her hair band. I mean, i don't know how dependable the seedings are in doubles, but the mixed seeds seem to have tumbled (reminder that South and Bogdanovic beat the number 1 seeds). Anyway, it's a shame to hear that doubles is doing badly, because it's so entertaining to watch the rat-a-tat exchanges at the net and the use of the extra court-space for breathtaking angles, in both types of doubles, although it's great to see men and women competing on the same court (and the men missing their returns sometimes, when the women serve).
As for today, well, Federer should win, but Nadal has improved on grass, so it should be a fascinating encounter. It had better be. And I don't even know who the smiling ones are facing, but obviously, the crowd will be hysterical over that, as they were in the final points of the quarters - celebrating a win when the serve was actually called out.
Suggested alternatives for the tennis players' names by lj's spell cheack: Federer - Fedora, Nadal - Vandal, Boganovic - Bacteriophage, Jankovic - Jungfrau, Djokovic - Reykjavik, Bartoli - Tartly, Gasquet - Disquiet.
Both Gasquet and Bartoli managed to avoid the dip that everyone feared, didn't regain the form that had got them there, but made themselves proud. In fact, it was only in the last points of the first set that Federer truly outplayed Gasquet, and then, with his nose in front, he pressed and made it harder and harder for Gasquet to even think about pulling off what he did yesterday. that and the injury. There was a point in the first set (when the new that Djokovic had won his first set filtered through) when I seriously considered a Gasquet/Djokovic final. I thought it'd be hilarious. However, more seriously, I didn't think Nadal was down - hes the sort of player you would only think was down and out, well, if he was comprehensively being outplayed and two sets and a break down. Furthermore, one suspected that Nadal would have more in the tank - as it turned out. I've seen more of tennis player's feet that i needed to - they seem normal and yet their blisters in particular ar very much not.
So the men's final we all wanted/expected - but these semis proved that the young guns are knocking. Navratilova gloatingly made the point that the women's game is improving in its depth (I admit to falling for the old adage), because apart from the duopoly at the very top, the semis were nearly all the top seeded four, whereas with the women, you have the randomness of the Williams sisters, up-and-coing -Sovas and -Vics, and Bartoli. There was less talk of Pierce Brosnan and more of Monica Seles during and after the match. Fair play to her for coming back from the first break and ramping things up. Venus's reach and athleticism helped her reach a lot that others wouldn't, plus she was stronger and had more weapons and maybe energy and experience. hopefully, Bartoli will capitalise n this, because she's a real character and her tennis is unorthodox, but works.
Then there was oodles of mixed doubles. Jankovic and Murray pressing their advantage to win their quarters, (re they going to be called Smiler and Stretch now?) another set of quarters on Centre Court. As I didn't care who won, I hastened to make my supper then, knowing Murray and Jankovic would be back on Centre for their semi. And they were a notch better (until they got a little nervy right at the end) than in the quarters, as if that had been their warm up. I can't remember if Murray had been on Center before.
A really, really entertaining match, Likhotseva (sp?) pulling off some amazing angles, ditto Murray, not to mention the impressive reflexes (with those volleys, he should be tearing up the doubles rankings). Hilarious that they broke the Nestor serve more. As was said by the commentators, one of which was John 'Delighted to be Davies cup Captain' Lloyd, pointed out, Murray and Jankovic combine really well, really well for a scratch team. Countless times, he'd cross or poach at the net and she'd just move to cover. Sometimes, it wasn't necessary, because his volley was too good, but then she had excellent ground strokes and solid volleys.
It only occurred to me at 5-3 in the final set that they were on course for the mixed doubles finals. I mean, I'd been thinking of it as 'the match', and it looked as if they would win, because if they didn't break, Murray would serve it out, and his serve had been rock solid, but then I realised it. And so did they players, but the went through their nerves, and what a prospect. Also, Jankovic has completely endeared herself as a Wimbledon crowd favourite, cf the antics with the so very embarrassed ball boy. Playing with a British hopeful - and a class act at that, otherwise, why bother? - she's raised her profile here. add to that she's part of the new Serbian wave fascinating the media (the Chinese and Russian ladies are so last cycle). And I loved her hair band. I mean, i don't know how dependable the seedings are in doubles, but the mixed seeds seem to have tumbled (reminder that South and Bogdanovic beat the number 1 seeds). Anyway, it's a shame to hear that doubles is doing badly, because it's so entertaining to watch the rat-a-tat exchanges at the net and the use of the extra court-space for breathtaking angles, in both types of doubles, although it's great to see men and women competing on the same court (and the men missing their returns sometimes, when the women serve).
As for today, well, Federer should win, but Nadal has improved on grass, so it should be a fascinating encounter. It had better be. And I don't even know who the smiling ones are facing, but obviously, the crowd will be hysterical over that, as they were in the final points of the quarters - celebrating a win when the serve was actually called out.
Suggested alternatives for the tennis players' names by lj's spell cheack: Federer - Fedora, Nadal - Vandal, Boganovic - Bacteriophage, Jankovic - Jungfrau, Djokovic - Reykjavik, Bartoli - Tartly, Gasquet - Disquiet.
