Thursday, July 05, 2007

Wimbledon: Days 9 & 10



Yesterday Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic won their third round matches, while Andy Roddick and Richard Gasquet won their fourth round matches. (That's what a mess too much rain makes.)

Today Nadal, Djokovic, Marcos Baghdatis, and Tomas Berdych won their fourth round matches.

Yesterday Venus Williams upset second seed Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-3 in the fourth round. In the quarterfinals, Marion Bartoli defeated Michaella Krajicek, and top seeded Justine Henin defeated seventh seeded Serena Williams.

Today, in the quarterfinals, Venus defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Ana Ivanovic Defeated Nicole Vaidisova.

The men's doubles has been a hodgepodge of second and third round matches, with one more third round match remaining to to be completed.

The women's doubles likewise has one more third round match remaining.

The mixed doubles is still in the first round!

The results of so much rain delay can be pretty unfair. For example, Roger Federer, being the match on court in the first round and managing to finish before the rain delays, has had an extended vacation during the tournament, prompting all sorts of joking about where he is.

Richard Williams is desperate for attention and shouting anything he can think of to get it.

According to Serena Williams, Justine Henin had nothing to do with her victory over Serena yesterday. It was the thumb. Or the calf. Or the hamstring. Or whatever.

Apparently Richard never taught her that after a match, you should be honest about your play but should never make excuses and should give credit where credit is due - to your opponent for BEATING you.

Because it is unsporting, not to mention narcissistic, to devalue your opponent's achievement by saying that "basically all she had to do is show up" that day. We are getting really tired of hearing that.

Then Serena wonders why people react negatively to her. She ain't a teenager anymore.

She can play that game if she thinks to gain advantage through the mind games of gamesmanship that way. But then she will also have to pay the price in what people think of her for it.

Robin Soderling tried some psychological warfare of his own on Rafael Nadal, not that Rafa is a Wholly Innocent in that department himself. Soderling showed contempt for Rafa in every way possible.

Soderling even grabbed at his shorts in such a way as to imitate Rafa's well known habit of doing stuff like this...

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