TENNIS: Wimbledon 2009 in review
Jul. 6th, 2009 07:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feather_ghyllI feel almost unqualified to talk about the final, as I had to leave for church at around 7-6 in the fifth, knowing it would be the last man standing (but 16-14! I don't think my nerves could have taken it, and, as everyone said, if it had been Murray, they probably couldn't). I'd pegged Federer to win, but as soon as the heavily Roger-oriented 'greaest this', 'record that' build-up began, I found I wanted Roddick to begin. Well, it may have been either that or knowing that he had to get off to a good start, and wanting that for the sake of having a good match. But he did, great saves when he was facing break points, he took the first and the second looked like it was going to a break, which we knew he was good at. And good? Oh yes, at first. I think I got a little overset and thought that the point for 6-1 would have won him the breaker, but when I realised my mistake, I was confident that he'd take his four set points. And he didn't. He flunked it, while Federer did no less than you could expect him to do. Roddick fans either groaned, or like me and was it Henman? sat in stunned silence. The third set seemed to go by fast, but credit his resilience, although he must have been dreading the upcoming tiebreaker - I know I ws. Federer showed him how to do it and I was worried that the containing game wouldn't work and Federer's brillianc might become untethered and Roddick would fold up, regretting the second set bitterly, and the face that he hadn't lost a service game. But no. I wanted him to have the double-break to serve first, but he couldn't - Federer was too good, that old refrain - and anyway, the miracle was that it was down to the fifth set. Whoever won that would be the champion (time to think of the second set tie-break later by one and the overly defensive play later by another). And their serves wee awesome, and there was to be no tie-breaker, which Roddick must have relished, but there could be no loose games, but how could they play one now, at the end, anyway, in this, the final crystalised in the fifth set. AND I HAD TO GO.
I entertaned myself during the course of the match, repeatng my 'you're not on GMTV now, castle' refrain whenhe over-expalined. "We call this lined-off piece of grass the court, but not, of course, the tramlines, because this is a singls match, where you have two mewn playing each other. Those lines - tram lines the're called - are for doubles matches, that is when wo people play. Together. There are four people on court." Also, I liked to imagine Ndal crying manly tears into the Med (he really was the unmentioned missing presence) and Murray sitting on a sofa, making acid remarks about the tactics. I think thiswas inspired by the anecdote of roddick catching the last set of last year's final and it motivating him to come back. And come back he did, more serious, more intent. Fitter, yes, with Stefanki's game-plans, but older and more focused on his chances. And, whatever else, he was part of another final that can be rightly dubbed 'epic'.
As for the Championships, I'm hopeless at this, because i can't say which was the best match I watched - I have a feeling that I only saw bits or highlights of the matches that will go down as classics: Serena and Dementieva for the women; the final, Roddick versus Hewitt, Murray versus Wawrinka, Haas versus Cilic. What I missed the most, though, was a Michael Stich commentary. Where was he? Away? On radio? He's great. I'd rather him than John Lloyd.
My favourite ladies outfit - eh - this is a stab, but I really liked the back strapping of Venus's dress, o I'll give it to her (either she wears something really tasteful or reallu outre). The only reason I put that in is parity, because I want to talk about the excellent neck-line of Djokovic's tshirt. Seriously, I covet it. (So I would have thought would the men, with the Andies twitching their t-shirts like irritated toddlrs all the time). And with that (not the roof and the weather or how it's still Henman Hill or the dissection of the women's game or the British game) I leave Sw19 - mentally - for another 50 weeks or so.
I entertaned myself during the course of the match, repeatng my 'you're not on GMTV now, castle' refrain whenhe over-expalined. "We call this lined-off piece of grass the court, but not, of course, the tramlines, because this is a singls match, where you have two mewn playing each other. Those lines - tram lines the're called - are for doubles matches, that is when wo people play. Together. There are four people on court." Also, I liked to imagine Ndal crying manly tears into the Med (he really was the unmentioned missing presence) and Murray sitting on a sofa, making acid remarks about the tactics. I think thiswas inspired by the anecdote of roddick catching the last set of last year's final and it motivating him to come back. And come back he did, more serious, more intent. Fitter, yes, with Stefanki's game-plans, but older and more focused on his chances. And, whatever else, he was part of another final that can be rightly dubbed 'epic'.
As for the Championships, I'm hopeless at this, because i can't say which was the best match I watched - I have a feeling that I only saw bits or highlights of the matches that will go down as classics: Serena and Dementieva for the women; the final, Roddick versus Hewitt, Murray versus Wawrinka, Haas versus Cilic. What I missed the most, though, was a Michael Stich commentary. Where was he? Away? On radio? He's great. I'd rather him than John Lloyd.
My favourite ladies outfit - eh - this is a stab, but I really liked the back strapping of Venus's dress, o I'll give it to her (either she wears something really tasteful or reallu outre). The only reason I put that in is parity, because I want to talk about the excellent neck-line of Djokovic's tshirt. Seriously, I covet it. (So I would have thought would the men, with the Andies twitching their t-shirts like irritated toddlrs all the time). And with that (not the roof and the weather or how it's still Henman Hill or the dissection of the women's game or the British game) I leave Sw19 - mentally - for another 50 weeks or so.
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Date: 2009-07-06 09:17 am (UTC)I had to stop watching every now and then and do something else with the radio on. Michael Stich was on Five Live and he was excellent.
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Date: 2009-07-08 07:11 am (UTC)I KNOW! And despite the gutsy fightback, the second set tie-break is going to be the heartbreaker for him.
I've always been a TV coverage girl, though there were times when I was doing other stuff instead of giving it my whole attention because of the tension. That is to say, the world should revolve around me and they should put Stich on TV.