Tennis FanHouse

Wimbledon Ratings Best in 10 Years

FanHouse Newswire — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:16:00 EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Roger Federer and Andy Roddick's epic Wimbledon final last Sunday was the most-viewed men's final at the All England Club in 10 years.

NBC said Thursday that an average of 5.71 million people tuned in to watch Federer win his record-setting 15th Grand Slam title. The number was the highest since Pete Sampras beat Andre Agassi in the 1999 final, attracting 5.85 million viewers.

The 3.8 rating and 10 share was the best for a men's final since Sampras defeated Patrick Rafter in 2000, and surpassed last year's classic between Federer and Rafael Nadal by 9 percent.

Federer beat Roddick 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14 in a match that lasted 4 hours, 16 minutes. The fifth set was the longest in major final history.

Wimbledon Ratings Best in 10 Years originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roger Federer Hopes to Play Rafael Nadal at the US Open

Michael David Smith — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: U.S. Open, Wimbledon

In winning French Open and Wimbledon, Roger Federer has taken the 14th and 15th Grand Slam titles of his career and become the No. 1 men's player of all time in Grand Slam singles titles. But if there's one thing missing from the great 2009 Federer is having, it's that he's won those two Grand Slams without facing his chief rival, Rafael Nadal. And Federer says he hopes that changes at the US Open.

Federer told ESPN's Chris Fowler that he's hoping by the time of the Open -- which begins August 31 -- a healthy Nadal will be in the draw.

"I've never played him at all in the US Open, so I hope he comes back strong," Federer said. "I'm quite confident that he will. I'm looking forward to the US Open because it's going to be quite something, with Roddick also playing so well right now."

Federer has won five straight US Opens, and he's beaten five different opponents in the finals, Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agasi, Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Nothing could be better for Federer than to win his sixth straight US Open and beat Nadal in the final.

Roger Federer Hopes to Play Rafael Nadal at the US Open originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roddick Valiant in Defeat, Federer Takes Place in History

Greg Couch — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:41:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon, ATP

I have never seen such pain in an athlete's eyes. Did you see Andy Roddick's eyes, wide open, and something deep pleading to come out?

"No," he said to the crowd afterward, "I'm one of the lucky few that gets cheered for."

And he thanked the fans.

Yes, Roger Federer had just won Wimbledon. He beat Roddick 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 16-14 Sunday for his record-breaking 15th major title.

That's right, the last set was 16-14, or 10 games longer than any previous fifth set in a major. Turns out that while this wasn't quite the drama or quality of last year's final, Rafael Nadal didn't have to be here for a classic Wimbledon. Instead, Pete Sampras, who had won 14 majors, was there. And Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg. History came together to watch history being made.

"It was a crazy match with an unbelievable end," Federer said. "My head is still spinning."

But he also said this: "Definitely it doesn't feel as great, maybe, as winning in straight sets where people feel better for you. This is a tough moment for Andy."

Despite all those greats there, and Federer's new record, and the usual ghosts on Centre Court, Roddick stole the moment. He stole the crowd, too, even though he was the one who had dumped their hero, the Great Brit Hope Andy Murray, in the semis. We knew Federer would break the record eventually. What we didn't know until these past two weeks was that Roddick had this in him. Greatness. Humility. Class. Maturity. A backhand. A brain.

"I just want to say congratulations to Roger," Roddick said to the crowd. "He's a true champion and he deserves everything he gets. Well done, Roger."

Then he looked to Sampras, who had just watched his record broken, in the crowd: "Sorry, Pete. I tried to hold him off.

"It was a pleasure playing here today in front of great champions ..."

His voice cracked and wavered, as he listed those greats, and he said he still hopes to have his name up there, among them, someday.

It feels a little weird talking about Roddick here. After all, the day will be remembered for what Federer did. John McEnroe, doing the NBC telecast, asked Sampras whether there is any doubt now that Federer is the best ever. Sampras discounted himself and mentioned that Laver had won two Grand Slams, all four majors in one calendar year.

I'll stick with this: Federer is the best of all time, for now. But his story isn't finished. In the past year, Nadal, who didn't defend his Wimbledon title because he has tendonitis in his knees, has owned Federer. If that keeps up, then no, you can't say Federer is the best ever when he can't even beat the rival of his own time. But if Federer, who now climbs to the No. 1 ranking, starts beating Nadal, then he actually will go down not only as the best tennis player ever, but also one of the most dominant athletes of all time.

On Sunday, Federer just looked like the golden boy out there, floating around the court as a legend. Roddick was fighting a human battle, scrapping and struggling, seeming lower to the ground somehow. Still, in the past 12 months, Federer lost that classic Wimbledon final to Nadal and then lost his mojo for a while. In one tournament, he smashed his racquet on the court.

When he won the French, finally winning a major on clay, his confidence came rushing back. So good for him. He is so smooth out there that I think he could do an intentional belly flop into a pool and still not make a splash. He wore that sweat jacket with the gold piping, and the No. 15 already prepared on the back.

And they already had a TV commercial ready for after the moment, showing his friend Tiger Woods, and Sampras, McEnroe and other greats congratulating him. McEnroe cried and said "That's double what I got."

Meanwhile, Roddick, in real life, was sitting on his chair staring at the ground, with his racquet lying by his foot. Roddick not only served great, as always, but also mixed things up, came to the net, never panicked, played defensively when he needed to. People are portraying this as his resurgence, but that's wrong. He was never at this point, not even when he won one U.S. Open, or lost to Federer twice before in Wimbledon finals.

That guy came in at the tail end of the power era, and was all big serve, hustling attitude and cocky personality. As the face of American tennis, he was an embarrassing cliché, someone who could muscle up, but nothing else.

Last year, he lost in the second round to Yanko Tipsarevic and started thinking he wasn't meant to win another major. He left London immediately to get away from Wimbledon, but nearly two weeks later found himself trapped in an airport, and guess what was on the TV there. The Federer-Nadal final.

From there, he had deep talks with his now-wife, Brooklyn Decker, about his future. He hired a new coach, Larry Stefanki, lost 15 pounds, found some foot speed and, basically, found more dimensions for his game.

In the past, Roddick fell apart in fifth sets. It's an inner-moment in a tennis match, and he had nothing to turn to. On Sunday, he smacked backhand winners down the line. For much of the match, he was pushing Federer around.

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Anna-Lena Groenfeld of Germany partners Mark Knowles of the Bahamas against Leander Paes of India and Cara Black of Zimbabwe in the Mixed Doubles Finals at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 5, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld (R) and Bahama's Mark Knowles hold the trophies after beating after India's Leander Paes and Zimbabwe's Cara Black during the mixed doubles final match on Day 13 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 5, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Groenefeld and Knowles won 7/5,6/3. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

India's Leander Paes (L) and Zimbabwe's Cara Black hold the runner's up trophy after losing against Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Bahama's Mark Knowles during the mixed doubles final match on Day 13 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 5, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Groenefeld and Knowles won 7/5,6/3. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Leander Paes of India partners Cara Black of Zimbabwe against Mark Knowles of the Bahamas and Anna-Lena Groenfeld of Germany in the Mixed Doubles Finals at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 5, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld (R) and Bahama's Mark Knowles (C) receive the trophy after beating India's Leander Paes and Zimbabwe's Cara Black during the mixed doubles final match on Day 13 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 5, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Groenefeld and Knowles won 7/5,6/3. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld (R) and Bahama's Mark Knowles hold the trophy after beating India's Leander Paes and Zimbabwe's Cara Black during the mixed doubles final match on Day 13 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 5, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Groenefeld and Knowles won 7/5,6/3. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Mark Knowles (R) of the Bahamas celebrates after partnering Anna-Lena Groenfeld (L) of Germany to victory in the Mixed Doubles Finals against Leander Paes of India and Cara Black of Zimbabwe at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 5, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

If it weren't for his meltdown at the French, we could proclaim him a newly matured, 26-year old married man. Maybe he's going to pull an Andre Agassi on us and become something to look up to rather than some loud punk.

He seemed relaxed throughout the tournament, even having a running joking-feud with Brooklyn on their Twitter accounts, as they divulged embarrassing things about each other. Roddick is a fan of singer Rick Astley.

"You know," Roddick said, "Brook has been a very calming influence, and someone that I can kind of confide in and not have to put up, you know, a super brave front in front of."

Roddick had a chance to win. Up a set, and 6-2 in the second set tiebreaker, he had four set points for nearly unbeatable momentum. Federer won six straight, with Roddick missing one easy backhand volley that will haunt him for a long time.

Roddick had his last chance at 8-all, up 15-40 on Federer's serve. But he couldn't break. When Federer won the final game, if was the first break of Roddick's serve all day.

So Roddick gives America a men's tennis star again, one much more likable. But his name still isn't with the legends who watched him from courtside, or from the other side of the net. No, the golden boy floated down and stole the tournament and history.

Like what you read here? Follow me on Twitter: @gregcouch

Roddick Valiant in Defeat, Federer Takes Place in History originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wimbledon Men's Final: Roger Federer Beats Andy Roddick in Epic Fifth Set

Michael David Smith — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:26:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon

Roger Federer beat Andy Roddick Sunday in an epic five-set Wimbledon men's singles final, a 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14 classic that gave Federer an unprecedented 15th Grand Slam singles title.

"I just want to say congratulations to Roger," Roddick said afterward. "He's a true champion and he deserves everything he gets. ... It was a pleasure playing him today."

Said Federer to Roddick, "Andy, you played unbelievably. Don't be too sad. ... You're going to come back and win it."

With the win, Federer broke his tie with Pete Sampras and became the all-time leader in Grand Slam titles, an achievement that makes Federer, in the eyes of many tennis observers, the greatest player in the history of the sport. It was Federer's sixth Wimbledon title, and it also puts him back atop the rankings, moving ahead of his chief rival, Rafael Nadal.

It was the second consecutive year in which Federer played a classic match in the Wimbledon final, following his loss to Nadal last year -- a match widely regarded as the greatest in history. It was also a match in which Federer had to dig down and beat an opponent who played one of the greatest matches of his career: Even in defeat, Roddick looked brilliant, winning the first set and appearing poised to put Federer away when he took a lead in the second-set tiebreaker.

But Roddick lost four set points in that tiebreaker and ultimately lost the second set to Federer, and when Federer won the third set as well, it appeared that Federer was ready to win without too much trouble.

Roddick, however, wasn't going down without a fight. He looked more fresh than Federer in the fourth set, breaking his serve in the fourth game and ultimately winning the set 6-3.

And that set up an epic fifth set that made the match the longest men's final in Wimbledon history. For 30 games Federer and Roddick went back and forth, always winning their own service games, until finally Federer broke Roddick to end the longest fifth set in men's finals history, and to make history as the greatest Grand Slam champion of them all.

Latest Tennis Images

Switzerland's Roger Federer returns a ball to US Andy Roddick during their final match on Day 13 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 5, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Switzerland's Roger Federer (R) walks past Andy Roddick of the US in the Men's Singles Final of the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 5, 2009. AFP PHOTO/JULIAN FINNEY/POOL (Photo credit should read JULIAN FINNEY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 05: Andy Roddick of USA looks thoughtful as he walks past Roger Federer of Switzerland during the men's singles final match on Day Thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 5, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Andy Roddick;Roger Federer

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Switzerland's Roger Federer plays against Andy Roddick of the US in the Men's Singles Final of the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 5, 2009. AFP PHOTO/CARL DE SOUZA (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Andy Roddick of the US returns to Roger Federer of Switzerland, during the men's singles final on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Sunday, July 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Andy Roddick of the U.S. returns the ball to Roger Federer of Switzerland during their Gentlemen's Singles finals match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, July 5, 2009. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN SPORT TENNIS)

Reuters

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 05: Andy Roddick of USA looks thoughtful during the men's singles final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland on Day Thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 5, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Andy Roddick

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WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 05: Actor Russell Crowe, director Woody Allen and his wife Soon Yi watch the action during the men's singles final match between Roger Federer of Switzerland and Andy Roddick of USA on Day Thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 5, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Woody Allen;Russell Crowe;Soon Yi

Getty Images

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 05: Director Woody Allen and actor Russell Crowe watch the action during the men's singles final match between Roger Federer of Switzerland and Andy Roddick of USA on Day Thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 5, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Woody Allen;Russell Crowe

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Wimbledon Men's Final: Roger Federer Beats Andy Roddick in Epic Fifth Set originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wimbledon Finals Live Chat

Shane Bacon — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon

They have faced off two times in the finals of Wimbledon, with Andy Roddick winning just one set against the most dominant tennis player ever. On Sunday, Roger Federer goes for a record 15th Grand Slam victory, but will have to take out a feisty American that apparently bought a backhand on eBay.

Starting at 9 AM ET, Roddick will try to join Serena Williams for an all American sweep of the singles while Federer will be trying to put himself in a league all by his lonesome.

Swing by for the live chat, and don't forget to wear white. It's the Wimbledon finals, and we will be around to chat about it all morning. (Update: Federer wins following epic fifth set)

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=8d73480add&quot; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Wimbledon Finals Live Chat&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Wimbledon Finals Live Chat originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Serena Simply Best at Wimbledon, but She Doesn't Show It Often Enough

Greg Couch — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:22:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon

Quite frankly, to use her own words, Serena Williams really is the best. She said so a few months ago, when the computer dropped her from the No. 1 ranking, and then embarrassed herself a few times, even losing to a journeyman hours after her self-proclaimed greatness.

But on Saturday, she proved it. She's right. Serena beat her sister, Venus Williams, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 to win Wimbledon.

Serena is the best.

More Coverage: Serena Triumphs Over Venus in Sister Act

"It feels so amazing; I feel so blessed," she said, giddy while still on the court. "I feel like I shouldn't be holding the trophy. I'm holding it and Venus isn't. She always wins. It's like, Wow."

Then she thanked everyone in her family. And also, oddly, Nike.

It's always fun to see these athletes fresh after wins, see their honest emotions and feelings. Then, a few minutes later, she talked to an NBC-TV reporter and threw a purpose pitch:

"Nothing like working hard to get back to where I feel I belong."

And that opened up an awful lot. She feels she belongs at No. 1. She has been criticized for not working hard.

But let's start with the three basic truths of this match.

First, Serena, who has won three of the past four majors, deserves to be No. 1 again, but the computer is not only sticking with Dinara Safina, but also increasing Safina's lead. I'll get back to that later.

Second, Venus' knee is a problem. She has denied it, danced around the question of her knee wrap. Support, she said. Because of an injury?

Because it feels good. You need to feel good? It feels so good that others probably will start wearing it.

So she won't complain about her pain, but it was clear during Saturday's final that she was limping at times. The support grew bigger and bigger during the tournament. And by Saturday, her serve wasn't effective because, in my opinion, she couldn't put the pressure on her left leg, to lean hard into her swing.

Rafael Nadal missed Wimbledon with tendinitis in the knees, and I wonder if we're about to lose Venus for a while.

And the third truth is that this match was just a ceremonial thing. It served to honor the sisters' greatness, but not to show great tennis.

In fact, this match was awful, as all Williams sisters matches are.

They have played each other 21 times now, with Serena winning 11, and I can remember just one decent match.

They simply can not play well against each other. They grew up together, travel together, live to together. They love each other, and they surely have the natural sibling rivalries. It's all mixed up in there.

But they play the exact same style, too, so when they face each other, there is nothing to play off each other, no differences or contrasts.

The crowd sat quietly, politely while few points lasted longer than three shots. Both players banged away, never slicing, never mixing things up. They just swung as hard as possible and played angles. Venus couldn't run some of those angles down because of her knee and couldn't get enough on her serve. And Serena served well, particularly in the tiebreaker.

That was it.

"Today, she was too good," Venus said. "She had an answer for everything."

Too good? No.

Serena Williams Snapshots

Serena Williams of U.S. speaks at a press conference after defeating sister Venus Williams of U.S. in their women's singles final on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Saturday, July 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Neil Tingle, pool)

Serena Williams (Foreground) of the US plays against her sister Venus during their Women's Singles Final of the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 4, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Serena Williams of the US plays against her sister Venus during their Women's Singles Final of the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 4, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

US Serena Williams returns a ball to US Venus Williams during their final match on Day 12 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 4, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Serena won 7/6,6/2. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

So I'm torn. I think it's the best thing for women's tennis when the Williams sisters face each other in a major final. The game's two biggest stars, and two of only three -- also Maria Sharapova -- whose appeal have broken into the mainstream. But is it good for the game when lots of people tune in and see a poorly played, boring match?

The positives outweigh the negatives. Go with that.

"We really love Grand Slams," Serena said, having won her 11th, including three Wimbledons.

"We really love to win at every event, really, whether it's a smaller tournament or the Big Kahuna."

Oh, if that were only true.

A few weeks ago, I wrote that Serena should be bigger than Tiger Woods.

She is the best, biggest, strongest women's player ever. But she's too caught up in enjoying her celebrity, and doesn't commit to the game unless she's playing for the Big Kahuna.

Put more into the majors, fine. But at least try the rest of the time.

Imagine Serena in shape and committed. She would have everything that sells in women's tennis: talent, looks, smarts and lots and lots of victories.

Instead, she isn't even ranked No. 1. The rankings are done by computer, giving players points over a rolling 12-month period. So Serena is dominant eight weeks a year, and gets big points for majors.

And then Safina cleans up the other 44 weeks.

Now, Safina erases the points from her third-round loss at Wimbledon last year and replaces them with semifinal-loss points. Serena replaces her second-place points with first-place points.

Safina's increase is greater than Serena's for the tournament.

Women's tennis has a big problem here. Every minute Safina stays No. 1 is a humiliating minute, condemning the rankings and worse, Serena.

Safina lost to Venus in the semis 6-1, 6-0 in an embarrassing display for a champion. Tennis historians are scouring the record books to see if a No. 1 player has ever lost that bad.

So far, nothing.

And when someone asked Serena about Safina being the No. 1 player, Serena corrected that she's "ranked" No. 1.

Serena can grumble, but this is all her fault. At one point this year, she actually showed up at a tournament when she didn't want to, complaining that her appearance was tour-mandated and that she didn't want to suffer the fine because she needed the money to redecorate her house. Her own legacy suffers and women's tennis is stuck with the wrong No. 1 because Serena is letting it happen.

Come on Serena. We saw it again on Saturday. Quite frankly, you are the best. Time to make the most of that.

Like what you read here? Follow me on Twitter: @gregcouch

Serena Simply Best at Wimbledon, but She Doesn't Show It Often Enough originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wimbledon Women's Final 2009: Serena Wins Battle of Williams Sisters

Michael David Smith — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon

Serena Williams won the 2009 Wimbledon women's singles final Saturday, beating older sister Venus Williams 7-6, 6-2.

"She was too good," Venus said afterward. "She had an answer for everything and she played the best tennis today. So, congratulations."

It was Serena's third Wimbledon title -- beating her sister in the final all three times -- and 11th Grand Slam title. It was also the eighth time in the last 10 years that a Williams sister has won Wimbledon and the eighth Williams vs. Williams Grand Slam final.

In the first set, the sisters alternated winning service games, and Serena taking the tiebreak to win the set. They alternated winning their service games at the start of the second set as well, but when Serena finally got a break point in the sixth game of the second set, Venus double faulted and Serena led the set, 4-2.

From there it was clear that Serena was going to win the match. Serena held serve to go up 5-2, and won a lengthy, hard-fought final game to take the championship.

"It feels so amazing," Serena said of beating the big sister who had won the last two Wimbledon singles finals. "It hasn't settled in that I won yet."

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Serena Williams Snapshots

Venus Williams of U.S. plays a return to Serena Williams of U.S. during their women's singles final on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Saturday, July 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Serena Williams of U.S. plays a return to Venus Williams of U.S. during their women's singles final on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Saturday, July 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Serena Williams of U.S. reacts while playing sister Venus Williams of U.S. during their women's singles final on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Saturday, July 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Serena Williams of U.S. plays a return to Venus Williams of U.S. during their women's singles final on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Saturday, July 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Venus Williams of U.S. plays a return to Serena Williams of U.S. during their women's singles final on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Saturday, July 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Serena Williams of U.S. plays a return to Venus Williams of U.S. during their women's singles final on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Saturday, July 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Venus Williams of U.S. plays a return to Serena Williams of U.S. during their women's singles final on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Saturday, July 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 04: Venus Williams of USA plays a forehand during the women's singles final match against Serena Williams of USA on Day Twelve of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 4, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Carl De Souza/Pool/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Venus Williams

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WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 04: Venus Williams of USA plays a backhand during the women's singles final match against Serena Williams of USA on Day Twelve of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 4, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Carl De Souza/Pool/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Venus Williams

Getty Images

US Serena Williams returns a ball to US Venus Williams during their final match on Day 12 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 4, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Wimbledon Women's Final 2009: Serena Wins Battle of Williams Sisters originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roddick Advances to Wimbledon Finals, Regains Place Among Tennis Elite

Greg Couch — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon, ATP

America finally has a new men's tennis star.

Andy Roddick.

I know, he's been around forever. But now he's for real. Finally, he has a strategy and a coach and a brain and some actual footwork and speed. And even a backhand. Finally, he's not just a serve, not just a one-stroke gimmick with an empty head.

And finally, he is back in the Wimbledon finals. Roddick won the Battle of Andys Friday, beating Scotland's Andy Murray 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-5) in the Wimbledon semifinals, and crushing Great Britain's hopes for the first Brit champ since 1936.

Also: Tape-Delayed Semis Frustrates Fans | 7 Straight Finals for Federer

Roddick dropped to his knees, put his hand on his head, clapped politely to the crowd, which, of course, was strongly for Murray, and then walked to his chair, sat down and buried his face in his hands.

"To be honest, the last couple of years, I didn't know if I'd get another chance to play for another grand slam title," he said. "Now, I do. It's just a dream."

This is the story of a guy who decided he was not done. That's all. He arrived at the end of tennis' mindless-power era, won a U.S. Open, reached a couple major finals, climbed to No. 1 in the rankings.

And then Roger Federer came in. And then Rafael Nadal. And Murray. And Novak Djokovic. And Roddick was just pushed down by people who dared to play with thoughts while his game became outdated.

For all his failings, he is the American tennis star, which actually, has served to condemn American tennis.

That's what American tennis is about?

Still, Roddick stayed in the top 10 and had a pretty good gig going overall, really, with his millions, his fame and his beautiful wife. But he went to coach Larry Stefanki, was willing to listen and to change. And he worked his way into the modern era of tennis.

"Throughout my career, I've had a lot of shortcomings," he said.

"But trying hard hasn't been one of them."

True enough.

But it wasn't just hustle that won it for him on Friday. Roddick played serve-and-volley at times, dinked at times, floated the ball at times. And having lost 15 pounds, he ran well, rather than his old plodding. Not to mention, he still has the big serve.

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WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Andy Murray of Great Britain attends a press conference after defeat during the men's singles semi final match against Andy Roddick of USA on Day Eleven of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 3, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Pool/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Andy Murray

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US Andy Roddick jubilates after winning against Britain's Andy Murray during their semi final match on Day 11 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 3, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Roddick won 6/4,4/6,7/6,7/6. AFP PHOTO / ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS /POOL (Photo credit should read ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS/AFP/Getty Images)

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WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Andy Roddick of USA celebrates during the men's singles semi final match against Andy Murray of Great Britain on Day Eleven of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 3, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Pool/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Andy Roddick

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Britain's Andy Murray waves after loosing against US Andy Roddick during their semi final match on Day 11 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 3, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Roddick won 6/4,4/6,7/6,7/6. AFP PHOTO / ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS / POOL (Photo credit should read ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS/AFP/Getty Images)

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WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Andy Roddick of USA dives during the men's singles semi final match against Andy Murray of Great Britain on Day Eleven of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 3, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Pool/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Andy Roddick

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Andy Murray of Britain reacts during his semi-final match against Andy Roddick of the U.S. at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, July 3, 2009. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN SPORT TENNIS)

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Andy Roddick of U.S. , right, commiserates with Britain's Andy Murray, after defeating him in their men's singles semifinal on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Friday, July 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Andy Roddick of U.S. commiserates with Britain's Andy Murray, after defeating him in their men's singles semifinal on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Friday, July 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Tennis fans react as they watch a television screen showing Britain's Andy Murray playing against Andy Roddick of the US in a Men's Semi-Final match during the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 3, 2009. AFP PHOTO/CARL DE SOUZA (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Does that mean he's going to beat Federer? I can't say that. But I can ask the question now without giggling.

Roddick has a chance now. He's on the top level now.

As for Murray, well, the guess is that the Queen won't show up for the finals now. She had written fan letters only to Murray. Fans were packed on the grounds on what was once called Henman Hill, where people sat and watched year after year as Brit Tim Henman failed to win. Murray is the new Brit hope, and the hill renamed Mount Murray.

And now, those poor Brits feel like, well, Cubs fans.

Wait till next year.

"To be fair, he had all the pressure on him, and I could come out and swing,'' Roddick said. "Make no mistake, he's been a much better player than I have over the past year, that's for sure. I was a little better today."

Murray has been the anti-Roddick, thinking too much and too hesitant to just let go. But in the past year, that has changed and he was adding just enough power. On Friday, he was too conservative again. And Roddick, now 26, was a mix of everything. Finally.

"I had to play my best tennis out there to win today," he said. "I can't say enough good things about Andy's game, but I can play some tennis sometimes. Not many people were giving me much of a chance at all."

Well, after his disaster at the French Open, why would anyone feel confident that this was a new Roddick? For the first time in his career, he reached the second week at the French. On the red clay, you have to play with care and strategy. But then when Roddick lost to Gael Monfils, he had one of his classic meltdowns, arguing with the chair umpire, lecturing him about the darkness, and complaining to other tournament officials between points.

But then at Wimbledon, on Wednesday, he finished off a five-set classic against Lleyton Hewitt, and it was clear something had changed. We didn't know how much, though, until Friday, beating one of the game's real stars.

So the same old guy is a new face of American tennis now. And this is something much more acceptable.

American tennis, which has seemed dead for so long, now has three of the four Wimbledon singles finalists. Venus Williams will play Serena Williams for the women's title on Saturday.

On top of that, American Melanie Oudin, a teenager, beat former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic at this Wimbledon, and American Jesse Levine emerged in the early rounds.

Friday's match was supposed to be about a guy named Andy carrying the hopes of a nation.

Turned out, it was.

Like what you read here? Follow me on Twitter: @gregcouch

Roddick Advances to Wimbledon Finals, Regains Place Among Tennis Elite originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBC Denies Fans Hoping to Watch Wimbledon Semifinals Live

Greg Couch — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon, ATP

If tennis wants to be taken seriously, then this can't be happening. If you tried to watch the Andy Roddick-Andy Murray Wimbledon semi live Friday, well, good luck.

During the match, ESPN2 was showing last year's Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal final. NBC? Well, the Today Show followed by, in Chicago at least, the Martha Stewart Show. I mean, I'm all for learning how to turn my hydrangeas blue instead of pink, but come on. Can you imagine seeing that during the NFC Championship Game coming to you on tape, a few hours later?

Apparently, that's the plan with Murray-Roddick.

Also: 7 Straight for Federer | Sister Act Rules Wimbledon

If you're reading this, and the match is still going on, well, I do happen to have some advice. At least, I thought I did. Go to the Wimbledon website, and you can purchase the matches live through your computer.

They promote the thing big on their site; you can't miss it. But, assuming you live in the U.S., this is what you get:

"Unfortunately, due to rights restrictions in your territory, you are not able to purchase Wimbledon live."

NBCsports.com has been showing live matches through the tournament. But not this match.

OK then. In other words, NBC and ESPN, which have contracted in some way to lock you out.

Sorry guys, but it's 2009, not 1975. You cannot hide the news until later this afternoon.

Roddick won the first set, by the way. As I write this, he's down 4-3 in the second.

Tennis has had a resurgence in the past year or so, stats show it from TV ratings to hits on tournament websites to attendance. Wimbledon broke its attendance record this year. The U.S. Open broke its record last year. Numbers show a big increase in racquet sales and number of people playing in the U.S.

And then the last American man standing at Wimbledon, Roddick, who is playing the best he has ever played, is facing Murray, a Brit trying to win this thing for the first time since the 1930s. This is a selling-point moment for tennis, but apparently, tennis has sold itself out, taking the TV dollars without regard to how its product will be shown.

If you want to be a mainstream sport, and not a niche, then you can't allow this to happen.

Just imagine the buzz on this court now. Live.

Radio Wimbledon! It's also on the Wimbledon website. Try listening to it.

I dare you.

The guy is talking so fast, trying to keep up with each shot. It isn't working. "Backhand by Roddick, pushed to the forehand of Murray, great shot down the line to Roddick. Roddick runs to the . . .blah, blah, rat-a-tat-blat-blat. SOLD!"

It sounds like an auction.

The other day, ESPN2 announcers said they couldn't, under contract, show the Venus Williams match. It was under embargo for the use of NBC. So instead, ESPN2 showed Venus' post-match press conference, and guess what? It wasn't hard to figure out from the questions about her victory that she had won. By the time NBC got around to it, well, Martha Stewart would have been more interesting.

This whole "internet" thing must really be a burden to NBC. A buddy of mine has been going to the Challenger level pro tournament all week in Chicago, taping Wimbledon on his DVR. He turns off his phone so no one will call with results. He won't listen to the radio in fear that an update will tell him what's happening.

When he sits in the stands, he hears people starting to talk about Wimbledon, he covers his ears. Cover your eyes, cover your ears, isolate yourself.

NBC wants you to do the same thing.

By the way, Murray just won the second set.

Like what you read here? Follow me on Twitter: @gregcouch

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Andy Murray of Britain celebrates a point won against Andy Roddick of U.S. during their semifinal match on centre court at Wimbledon, Friday, July 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts, during his men's singles semifinal against Tommy Haas of Germany at Wimbledon, Friday, July 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Roger Federer's wife Mirka, left. chats with US actress Sara Foster, girlfriend of Germany's Tommy Haas, before the men's singles semifinal between Federer and Haas, on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Friday, July 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Switzerland's Roger Federer acknowledges the crowds applause after beating Germany's Tommy Haas 7-6, 7-5, 6-3, in a Men's Semi-Final match during the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 3, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

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WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Andy Roddick of USA reacts during the men's singles semi final match against Andy Murray of Great Britain on Day Eleven of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 3, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Andy Roddick

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WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Judy Murray (L), Kim Sears (2L), girlfriend of Andy Murray of Great Britain, Brooklyn Decker, wife of Andy Roddick of USA and Andy Murray's coaching team look on during the men's singles semi final match on Day Eleven of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 3, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kim Sears;Brooklyn Decker;Judy Murray

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WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Andy Roddick of USA plays a backhand during the men's singles semi final match against Andy Murray of Great Britain on Day Eleven of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 3, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Andy Roddick

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Andy Murray of Britain reacts during his semi-final match against Andy Roddick of the U.S. at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, July 3, 2009. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN SPORT TENNIS)

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Andy Roddick of U.S. serves to Andy Murray of Britain during their semifinal match on centre court at Wimbledon, Friday, July 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Andy Murray of Britain serves to Andy Roddick of U.S, during their men's singles semifinal on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Friday, July 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

NBC Denies Fans Hoping to Watch Wimbledon Semifinals Live originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roger Federer Makes Historic Seventh Consecutive Wimbledon Final

FanHouse Newswire — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon, ATP

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Five-time champion Roger Federer delivered a masterful grass-court performance Friday to beat Tommy Haas in straight sets and reach his seventh straight Wimbledon final, putting him within one win of a record 15th Grand Slam title.

Seeming to get stronger with every match, Federer put on a serving clinic and took advantage of his break-point chances to subdue the 31-year-old German 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-3 in just over two hours.

Federer never faced a break point as he beat Haas for the ninth straight time to reach his record 20th Grand Slam final, pulling out of a tie with Ivan Lendl.

Sister Act Rules Wimbledon, Again | Scoreboard

"I'm very happy with my performance and it's unbelievable to back into another Wimbledon final," Federer said. "I've had a lot of pressure over all the years, so this is just another great match, great opportunity for me to get into the history books."

Federer is the first man to make it to seven consecutive Wimbledon finals in the history of a tournament that began in 1877.

Federer, who will meet the winner of the second semifinal between Andy Murray and Andy Roddick, has won 18 straight matches as he closes in on his 15th major title. He is currently tied with Pete Sampras with 14.

If Federer wins Sunday, he will be the third player to win six or more Wimbledon titles. William Renshaw and Sampras both won seven.

"It's not the only reason why I'm playing tennis, because mostly because I love it and I enjoy playing tennis, but sure going for something that big this coming Sunday, it's quite extraordinary," Federer said.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

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Roger Federer of Switzerland, right, shakes hands with Tommy Haas of Germany after defeating him in their men's singles semifinal at Wimbledon, Friday, July 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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Roger Federer of Switzerland, right, shakes hands with Tommy Haas of Germany after defeating him in their men's singles semifinal at Wimbledon, Friday, July 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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Tommy Haas of Germany appeals a point, during his men's singles semifinal against Roger Federer of Switzerland, on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Friday, July 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Switzerland's Roger Federer waves after winning against Germany's Tommy Haas during their semi final match on Day 11 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 3, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Federer won 7/6,7/5,6/3. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Switzerland's Roger Federer (L) waves after winning against Germany's Tommy Haas (R) during their semi final match on Day 11 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 3, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Federer won 7/6,7/5,6/3. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Switzerland's Roger Federer plays against Germany's Tommy Haas in a Men's Semi-Final match during the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 3, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

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Roger Federer of Switzerland leaves the court after defeating Tommy Haas of Germany in their semi-final match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, July 3, 2009. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN SPORT TENNIS)

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Tommy Haas of Germany reacts during his semi-final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, July 3, 2009. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh (BRITAIN SPORT TENNIS)

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US Serena Williams (L) and US Venus Williams play against Zimbabwe's Cara Black and US Lizel Huber during their doubles match on Day 11 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 3, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. AFP PHOTO / CARL DE SOUZA (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Roger Federer Makes Historic Seventh Consecutive Wimbledon Final originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sister Act Rules Wimbledon, Again

Greg Couch — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon, WTA

It's still a Williams sisters world. That's the big statement from Thursday, when they both won to set up the big event: an all-Williams sisters final at Wimbledon. Again.

It's always a big event when they play each other, with the discussion covering their play, their clothes, their father, their attitude and whether they're deciding in advance which one will win. (The answers are: Serena better overall, Venus classy and Serena showy, weird but successful, good at the big moments and no.)

More From Bleacher Report: Men's Semis Preview

The beauty of it all is that no other match in women's tennis gets so many people noticing, watching, talking. They both won Thursday; both made big statements. Serena beat No. 4 Elena Dementieva 6-7 (7-4), 7-5, 8-6 in a classic. It was everything Serena should always be, if only she cared enough to try the other 44 weeks a year -- when she isn't playing a major.

Venus' statement? She played No. 1 ranked (stupid computer), No. 1 seed (stupid Wimbledon seeding committee) Dinara Safina (stupid player). And we've heard grumbling from Williams fans, and from Serena herself, about that ranking and who's best. So this was Safina's chance to prove herself.

Venus won 6-1, 6-0. Safina won 13 points. Just 13 points for the No. 1 player in the world.

"She's ranked No. 1 in the world," Serena said. If you missed it, she had a catty, yet true, distinction. Not the best, just ranked as the best. Serena is best.

Funny thing is, Safina's lead in the rankings will actually increase over the Williams sisters now. Did I mention that the rankings computer is stupid? Safina is picking up points from her improvement over her play last year at Wimbledon. The Williams sisters don't gain, basically, because they didn't improve. All-Williams last year is the same as All-Williams this year.

A quick thing about Safina. She must be the worst No. 1 player women's tennis has ever had. The talent is there, but not the head, not the role and attitude of a champ. In her last two times on the big stage, Safina turned to her coach nearly in tears on court during the French Open final, asking why she's "such a chicken." Thursday, she won 13 points.

Her statements? Embarrassing. For a champ, she doesn't send much of a message of strength and power to young girls.

"She gave me a pretty good lesson today," Safina said. "Judging by this one, I cannot say anything."

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US Serena Williams returns a ball to Russia's Elena Dementieva during their semi final match on Day 10 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 2, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Williams won 6/7,7/6,8/6. TOPSHOTS/AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Mardy Fish, left and James Blake, right returns to Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia, during their doubles match at Wimbledon, Thursday, July 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

Mardy Fish, right and James Blake, left while playing Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia, during their doubles match at Wimbledon, Thursday, July 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

Venus Williams of the U.S. plays a return to Dinara Safina of Russia during their semifinal singles match at Wimbledon, Thursday, July 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Sean Dempsey, pool)

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 02: Venus Williams of USA plays a forehand during the women's singles semi final match against Dinara Safina of Russia on Day Ten of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 2, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Sean Dempsey/Pool/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Venus Williams

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Britain's Andy Murray attends a practice session ahead of his semi-final game against Andy Roddick of the US during the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 2, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

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Russia's Dinara Safina wipes her mouth during play against US Venus Williams during their semi final match on Day 10 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 2, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Williams won 6/1,6/0. AFP PHOTO / CARL DE SOUZA (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Elena Dementieva of Russia sits on the court, after falling during her women's singles semifinal against Serena Williams, on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Thursday, July 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Stefan Wermuth, pool)

Venus Williams of U.S. serves to Dinara Safina of Russia, during their women's singles semifinal on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Thursday, July 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Venus Williams of U.S. reacts as she defeats Dinara Safina of Russia, in their women's singles semifinal on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Thursday, July 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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This is the day when every anti-Williams person has nothing to say, no statements. So who's going to win? I'll take Venus, who is unbeatable here and now. Just one person is capable of beating her, someone named Williams. Richard Williams. What we don't know is which daughter he has picked to win. Venus won last year. Does that make it Serena's turn?

That was just a joke. I don't believe for a minute that they fix these matches, as people have accused. It all comes from Richard's goofy comments, from a hard-to-understand, amazing sister-relationship, and from the fact that in the 20 times they've played each other, going 10-10, there has yet to be one good, well-played match. But come on, that's based on the confusion and emotion involved in playing your sister, someone you grew up with on the courts, travel with, live with on the road. How can you separate the sister from the opponent?

"It's real easy when you get a serve at about 127 [mph] and it comes back as a winner," Venus said. "You soon realize you're playing against an awesome player and you better really get ready on your toes."

Nice words. Not true.

Listen to this.

"I'm happy for her to be in the final, but I have to face her and defeat her," Venus said. "I don't necessarily want her to lose, but for sure I want me to win. Maybe that doesn't make sense.

"But when I'm playing someone else, for sure I want them to lose. I don't like to ever see her [Serena] disappointed in any way. But at the same time, I don't want to see myself disappointed. So I'm still the big sister, but I'm still going to play great tennis."

This sibling stuff gets in your head, stirs things around. And that has created the bad matches.

It's also the best thing possible for tennis, now that Rafael Nadal is out with a bad knee and can't have a rematch with Roger Federer. The only negative that stuck out about the sisters came during Serena's match. She had match-point against her, and just kept fighting and fighting. It's her trademark. And it's true that big players step up for big moments.

But seeing her play like that is a reminder of how Serena throws away so much of her legacy. She doesn't fight like this, or even show up fit or ready to fight, for non-majors. So you could get a nervous thrill from watching her Thursday, but also feel a little cheated that she's not providing that all the time. Or at least more often.

In fact, that's why she's not No. 1, because Safina builds up enough computer points with her consistency the rest of the year.

"It's two completely different players," Dementieva said, "when [Serena's] playing Grand Slams or other tournaments."

Well, at least we see her like this now. Someone else is No. 1 because Serena allows it. But with Venus-Serena on Saturday at Wimbledon, we get another event, another statement.

Like what you read here? Follow me on Twitter: @gregcouch

Sister Act Rules Wimbledon, Again originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wimbledon Semifinals: Venus Williams Wins, Sets Up All-Williams Final

Michael David Smith — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:17:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon

Serena Williams' victory over Elena Dementieva to enter the 2009 Wimbledon finals was an epic struggle. Venus Williams' victory was a walk in the park.

Venus beat Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-0, in a match that wasn't the least bit competitive. Venus won the first nine points and never looked back, having no trouble at all dispatching Safina, who is ranked as the No. 1 player in the world but is clearly not the best.

Serena said after beating Elena Dementieva that she planned to return to the stands at Centre Court to cheer on her big sister, but if Serena took a long shower after her nearly three-hour match with Dementieva, then she missed most of Venus's match, which lasted only 51 minutes.

The Venus victory sets up an all-Williams Wimbledon final for the second straight year, and the fourth Williams vs. Williams final at the All England Club. It will mark the eighth time in the last 10 years that a Williams sister has won the Wimbledon single's title. If Venus beats Serena on Saturday, she'll be the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1993 to win a third consecutive Wimbledon title.

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Wimbledon Semifinals: Venus Williams Wins, Sets Up All-Williams Final originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wimbledon Semifinals: Serena Williams Beats Elena Dementieva

Michael David Smith — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:16:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon, WTA

In a classic Wimbledon semifinal match that left both players exhausted and the spectators exhilarated, Serena Williams beat Elena Dementieva 6-7, 7-5, 8-6 to advance to the Wimbledon final.

"It was really, really tough," Williams said afterward. "Elena played so well and we gave the crowd a wonderful match."

Dementieva played very well in the early going, and it looked like it was going to be her day. She broke Williams' serve in the first game, and although Williams returned the favor in the second game, Dementieva was strong throughout, winning the first set 7-6.

More Coverage: Venus Advances Too | Couch: Roddick on a Roll

But Williams drew on her superior conditioning as the match wore on. Williams' strength and power appeared to be affecting Dementieva, and Williams won the second set with an ace.

The third set was one that will be remembered forever. Williams saved match point with a brilliant backhand volley while down 5-4, and she went on to win 8-6, concluding the longest match of her career by drilling a backhand that bounced off the net and that Dementieva returned wide.

Williams is now in her fifth Wimbledon final, where she'll try to win her 11th career Grand Slam. She'll face either her big sister Venus Williams or Dinara Safina, who play in Thursday's second semifinal match. Venus and Safina have a tough act to follow.

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Wimbledon Semifinals: Serena Williams Beats Elena Dementieva originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roddick Overcomes Hewitt, Himself

Greg Couch — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:42:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon, ATP

This is the Andy Roddick we should have been watching all these years. It's the guy we saw early in his career, when he was going to be the next great American star, smoothly making the transition from Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

Somewhere in there, Roddick's brain stopped developing. Or maybe the sport just kept developing while he was stuck in the power era, when finesse and style and smarts, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, moved in. He was a Neanderthal, while modern man arrived.

Whatever ... Andy Roddick has been promising a new Andy Roddick lately. And on Wednesday, there he was. He beat Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-7 (12-10), 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-4 in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, and now will face No. 3 Andy Murray in the Battle of Andys, on Friday.

"I'm ready to go," Roddick said as he left the court. "No time to be tired."

Twenty-six years old, and has he finally arrived for real? I can't go that far yet. Maybe by Sunday.

I still think Murray is going to win the tournament, but the pressure is on him now, trying to be the first British Wimbledon champ in 73 years. And if Roddick plays Federer in the final, that big serve gives him a puncher's chance.

In fact, though, that puncher's chance is exactly why you can't consider Roddick's change official. He had a personal best 43 aces, and also nearly had one of his classic fifth-set meltdowns. And Hewitt, who depends on foot speed, hurt his leg in the match. But the point is, Roddick would have lost this match at any point the past five years.

Last year, Roddick has hired a new coach, Larry Stefanki. He has changed his diet, lost 15 pounds, added a decent backhand, even developed some brainpower. He also got married, and now is 26. It's so easy to believe you've changed while you're beating up on lesser players in the early rounds. In one match, Roddick started hitting soft as part of a -- yes, you can use this word with him now -- strategy.

But it's when you get to a match like this, though, in the fifth set against a real player, that you find what's real and what's not. Roddick broke Hewitt's serve at 4-4, then held for the win. He should have been doing this for years. He won the U.S. Open in 2003, when he had just turned 21. He moved up to No. 1 in the rankings, but hasn't won a major since. Modern man, Federer, moved in, and beat Roddick in two Wimbledon finals and one U.S. Open.

But others started beating Roddick, too. He has stayed in the top 10, but well, even Sampras, on ESPN this week, listed the great players and didn't mention Roddick. So where did Roddick go?

"I don't really feel like sitting here," he said the other day, "and talking about now versus five years ago."

Well, Roddick is now just 11-12 in matches that reach a fifth set. That fifth set is a special moment in tennis. It's what determines who you are. The pressure has gotten to him, and without any strategy or brain work, he has resorted to the only thing he can: Swinging harder.

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Andy Roddick of U.S., left, shakes hands with Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, after defeating him, in their men's singles quarterfinal match at Wimbledon, Wednesday, July 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Andy Roddick of the US (L) shakes hands with Australia's Lleyton Hewitt after beating him 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, in a Men's Quarter Final match on the ninth day of the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 1, 2009. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Spectators watch a match through the rails of a gate on Day 9 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 1, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. AFP PHOTO / CARL DE SOUZA (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Andy Roddick of U.S., gives the thumbs up, after defeating Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in their men's singles quarterfinal match at Wimbledon, Wednesday, July 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Andy Roddick of U.S., reacts, as he defeats Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in their men's singles quarterfinal match at Wimbledon, Wednesday, July 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Andy Roddick of U.S., applauds the spectators, after defeating Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in their men's singles quarterfinal match at Wimbledon, Wednesday, July 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Andy Roddick of the US celebrates he after beat Australia's Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, in a Men's Quarter Final match on the ninth day of the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 1, 2009. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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A court attendent carries the net post ath the end of play on Day 9 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 1, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. AFP PHOTO / CARL DE SOUZA (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Hewitt knows. He wasn't convinced that this new Roddick is real, either, so he took pace off the ball and simply kept it in play. The plan was that Roddick would blow it. And at one point, Roddick got upset for no real reason. He was getting nervous. He was cracking. A line call went in his favor after the instant replay, but Roddick kept arguing anyway.

During a changeover in the fifth set, he sat in his chair and complained to the chair umpire. Just a few weeks earlier, when he lost his nerve against Gael Monfils at the French Open, Roddick did the same thing, arguing that it was too dark to keep playing. He just kept arguing and arguing, even in between points. Eventually, he lost.

So on Wednesday, the chair umpire asked the line judge if he had signaled the ball in originally, as Roddick insisted. The line judge said he had not. "You think the guy lied to you just now?" Roddick snapped back at the chair ump.

And this is where Patrick McEnroe, ESPN analyst and U.S. Davis Cup captain put it best. McEnroe had embarrassed himself during Roddick's meltdown at the French, gushing over Roddick and at one point even calling Monfils bush league just for rallying a supportive crowd.

"It's not worth it for Roddick to get into it," McEnroe said Wednesday. "That's part of the reason he's 10-12 in five-setters. [You can't] let something like that get to you. You don't want to give Lleyton Hewitt that kind of message, that you're rattled."

So that was a big moment for Roddick, for his future. Finish the meltdown, and we might never see him in a big moment, a big match, again. But Roddick closed. It took three hours, 50 minutes, a classic between two former No. 1s, and he did it.

"We used to get into it a little bit when we were younger," Roddick said of his rivalry with Hewitt. "Now we're just a couple of old married dudes. Maybe we've grown up a little bit."

Something has changed in Roddick for sure. Over the next four days, we'll find out how much.

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Roddick Overcomes Hewitt, Himself originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Travis Parrott to the World: I Do NOT Have Swine Flu

Shane Bacon — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:55:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon

If the Internet was ever going to crash and burn, it might be now, because of the following two (well, three) words meeting in the same sentence: Travis Parrott, an American doubles player, has taken to Twitter to deny the reports that he has swine flu. All he needed to work in was Michael Jackson, Iran and Follow Friday, and it would be the equivalent of hitting for the cycle in current events.

Here is the deal. The Daily Mail reported that Parrott, along with three other doubles players, were believed to have swine flu (it's baaaack). Problem is, Parrott has a Twitter page, and has treated the news like someone who has been falsely accused of having an STD.

Parrott's initial reaction on Twitter was pretty calm, admitting 15 hours ago, "Too funny...just saw that article." Well, I guess the humor in the whole, "coming down with something that made the entire world freak out for a month" ran out, because he is now pleading with people to report he really isn't sick.

Parrott has messaged Andy Roddick, the Bryan Brothers, the BBC, CNN and even Jim Courier, all via Twitter, asking, "Help me spread the word that I was NOT diagnosed with swine flu."

The initial report read as this.

They were named as Slovakian doubles players Michal Mertinak and Filip Polasek and American Travis Parrott.

All three are now out of the tournament, with Mertinak having withdrawn from the mixed doubles because he was unwell. Mertinak and Polasek shared a hotel room during the tournament, while Parrott was Polasek's doubles partners.

So, a report that someone had swine flu was discredited by Twitter.

Honestly, I wonder how confused my grandmother would be reading that last sentence.

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Andy Roddick of the U.S. reacts after defeating Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in their quarter-final match at the Wimbledon tennis championships, in London July 1, 2009. REUTERS/Kieran Doherty (BRITAIN SPORT TENNIS)

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Andy Roddick of the US celebrates after beating Australia's Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, in a Men's Quarter Final match on the ninth day of the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 1, 2009. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Australia's Lleyton Hewit reacts to play against US Andy Roddick during their quarter final match on Day 9 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 1, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

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WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 01: Andy Roddick of USA celebrates victory during the men's singles quarter final match against Lleyton Hewitt of Australia on Day Nine of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 1, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Andy Roddick

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Andy Roddick of the U.S. reacts during his quarter-final match against Lleyton Hewitt of Australia at the Wimbledon tennis championships, in London July 1, 2009. REUTERS/Kieran Doherty (BRITAIN SPORT TENNIS)

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Andy Roddick of the U.S. returns the ball to Lleyton Hewitt of Australia during their quarter-final match at the Wimbledon tennis championships, in London July 1, 2009. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN SPORT TENNIS)

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Lleyton Hewitt of Australia falls after a dive during his quarter-final match against Andy Roddick of the U.S. at the Wimbledon tennis championships, in London July 1, 2009. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN SPORT TENNIS)

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Lleyton Hewitt of Australia dives to reach the ball during his quarter-final match against Andy Roddick of the U.S. at the Wimbledon tennis championships, in London July 1, 2009. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN SPORT TENNIS)

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Bec Cartwright, wife of Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, watches as he plays against Andy Roddick of the US in a Men's Quarter Final match on the ninth day of the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on July 1, 2009. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Australia's Lleyton Hewitt falls as he returns a ball to US Andy Roddick during their quarter final match on Day 9 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 1, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

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Travis Parrott to the World: I Do NOT Have Swine Flu originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Haas Upsets Djokovic, Will Meet Roger Federer in Semifinals

FanHouse Newswire — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:33:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Tommy Haas's dream Wimbledon run continued on Wednesday when he unseated fourth seed Novak Djokovic 7-5, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 in their quarter-final at the All England Club.

The German 24th seed, a first-time quarter-finalist here, broke in game 11 of the opening set and served out to take the lead after 45 minutes.

Djokovic wasted three set points in the second set tiebreak before Haas wrapped it up 8-6 before the Serb mounted a comeback by taking the third.

But his recovery failed to convince and the German, a former world number two whose career has been blighted by injury, stormed to a 4-1 lead in the fourth and sealed it when Djokovic netted a forehand service return.

He will play Swiss second seed Roger Federer for a place in Sunday's final, who neutralized Ivo Karlovic's huge serves Wednesday to reach the Wimbledon semifinals and move a step closer to a record 15th Grand Slam championship.

In a match featuring short points and few rallies, Federer conjured up a few great returns to break the 6-foot-10 Croatian twice and secure a 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (3) victory on another sunbaked day at the All England Club.

Federer, closing in on his sixth Wimbledon title, reached his 21st consecutive semifinal at a Grand Slam tournament and extended his winning streak to 17 matches with another vintage performance on his favorite Centre Court.

"I love the record I have of reaching so many semifinals in Grand Slams in a row-21 is quite a number," Federer said. "It shows how consistent I've been."

It was Federer's ninth win in 10 matches against Karlovic, who was playing in his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

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Haas Upsets Djokovic, Will Meet Roger Federer in Semifinals originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who's No. 1? Where Do We Begin

Greg Couch — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:50:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon, WTA, ATP

Revenge. It's the perfect time for the Williams Sisters, particularly for Serena. Who's No. 1? Dinara Safina? Right. So Serena has grumbled about it, saying everyone knows that's she's the real No. 1.

Well, now Venus and Serena are dominating Wimbledon. Venus will beat Safina in the semis on Thursday. And if Serena wins this thing over her sister (I'll take Venus), then the grudge is over. Serena is the champ and
No. 1.

Well, not quite. Safina is going to stay No. 1. But here's the weird thing: No matter what happens, Safina's lead in the computer rankings is going to increase. Does this compute? If Safina loses in the semis, and Serena wins the title, then that will be enough for Safina to pad her lead.

Huh?

"I'm staying there [at No. 1]," Safina said.

What a mess. And I've argued before that while Serena is the best, as she said before losing to a journeyman player, she also has earned her No. 2 spot. Yes, Safina has never won a major. But the rankings not only reward majors, but also 52-week consistency.

Serena doesn't try particularly hard unless it's a major. But come on. If Serena wins this Wimbledon (I'll still take Venus), then she will have won three of the past four majors. Whatever happens, this Wimbledon has been a sign of what we expected the sisters to do all the time, everywhere, for years. They have been the best, but have not dominated the sport as expected.

Still, when Safina won Tuesday to advance to the semis, she said that people can't look at her performance in majors anymore and say she doesn't deserve to be
No. 1.

"I mean, all four Grand Slams, I've been in the semis," she said. "So I think it's something impressive."

Not really. Serena has won all of them. Serena and Safina have started a little rivalry over this, with Serena saying that "quite frankly," everyone knows she's the best. Safina responded that some people are jealous of her youth and No. 1 ranking.

Here's how it works: The rankings compute a player's past year of play. So the 2008 Wimbledon results will disappear as soon as the 2009 Wimbledon is finished. Well, Venus scored 2,000 computer points for winning last year. She is now forced to defend those points. Serena scored 1,400 as the runner-up. And Safina scored only 160 for her third-round loss. Now, when Venus beats Safina in the semis, Safina will replace those 160 with 900 for reaching this year's semis. That's a 740-point increase. If Serena wins, she replaces her 1,400 with 2,000, a 600-point increase. You think that's a mess, look at the men's rankings.

If Roger Federer wins the championship, then he will pass Rafael Nadal, who is out with sore knees, and move back to No. 1. If Andy Murray wins, then he'll pass Federer -- the greatest player of all time falling to No. 3? -- but will fall five points short of Nadal. Murray was penalized more than that for skipping out of Indy last year without an excuse. However, the penalty wears off in mid-July. So if Murray wins Wimbledon, he will be No. 1. In a few weeks.

Well, this is Safina's big chance. And she has been impressive at Wimbledon, considering how she choked away the French Open final, at one point looking to her coach during the match and asking why she's such a chicken. But this has been her best Wimbledon. And of all the women who have been No. 1 since Justine Henin quit last year, it turns out that Safina has the best staying power. And if she beats Venus, and then Serena in the final, the credibility will rush in.

"I cannot go on court thinking I lost already," Safina said. "No, definitely I think I have a chance there."

No chance. I'll take Venus.

Like what you read here? Follow me on Twitter: @gregcouch

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US Bob Bryan (R) and US Mike Bryan jubilates after winning against Brazil's Bruno Soares and Zimbabwe's Kevin Ullyett during their doubles match on Day 8 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on June 30, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Byan and Byan won 6/2,6/1,6/4. TOPSHOTS / AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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A couple rest on the lawn beside Court 7 during a Men's Doubles match on the eighth day of the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London, on June 30, 2009. TOPSHOTS / AFP PHOTO / CARL DE SOUZA (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Serena Williams acknowledges the crowd after winning against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus on Day 8 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on June 30, 2009. Second seed Serena Williams reached the Wimbledon semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Belarusian eighth seed Victoria Azarenka. AFP PHOTO / Glyn KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Serena Williams celebrates after winning against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus on Day 8 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on June 30, 2009. Second seed Serena Williams reached the Wimbledon semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Belarusian eighth seed Victoria Azarenka. AFP PHOTO / Glyn KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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A spectator uses a cushion to sheild himself from the sun during a doubles match between US Bob Bryan and US Mike Bryan versus Brazil's Bruno Soares and Zimbabwe's Kevin Ullyett during their doubles match on Day 8 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on June 30, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Byan and Byan won 6/2,6/1,6/4. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

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US Bob Bryan (R) and US Mike Bryan play against Brazil's Bruno Soares and Zimbabwe's Kevin Ullyett during their doubles match on Day 8 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on June 30, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Byan and Byan won 6/2,6/1,6/4. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

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US Bob Bryan (2L) and US Mike Bryan (R) shake hands after winning against Brazil's Bruno (L) Soares and Zimbabwe's Kevin Ullyett (2R) during their doubles match on Day 8 at the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on June 30, 2009. The event, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from June 22 to July 5, 2009. Byan and Byan won 6/2,6/1,6/4. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

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Who's No. 1? Where Do We Begin originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks, Not Tennis, Is Central Factor on Centre Court

Greg Couch — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:03:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon, WTA

Maybe they ought to just stop messing around and have the women's tennis players at Wimbledon compete in bikinis. When did women's tennis become beach volleyball, anyway?

I missed it. But the evidence keeps pouring in. And in the past few days, we've seen Svetlana Kuznetsova (right), the French Open champ, complain that she wasn't placed on Centre Court while some young unknown women were. Even more strange, she thought, was No. 1 Dinara Safina playing on an outer court.

"Of course it's not fair," Safina said. "But, I mean, I'm not doing the schedule."

Turns out, Wimbledon officials say success alone doesn't earn women a spot on Centre Court, a court of honor. Wimbledon wants the best-looking women out there.

That's about getting TV ratings. And meanwhile, BBC officials said that yes, they would like Brits or babes, to use their words.

Each day, we seem to be getting a clearer picture of what Wimbledon thinks of women's tennis. And it's insulting to women.

How hypocritical for Wimbledon, of all places, which portrays itself as the example of class in a crass world -- even forcing players to wear white -- to sell babes for these matches, as soft-core porn.

A few days ago, Maria Sharapova played Gisela Dulko, and on Wimbledon's official website, the report of the match said, "As Sharapova and Dulko ran and stretched and lunged, most of the male spectators could not have cared less about their topspin forehands and would no more have recognized a western grip from a western movie -- this match was about hormones, pure and simple."

Women's tennis is just hormones?

Silly me, I was actually watching tennis. Did I notice that many of these women were attractive? Yes. I'm not blind. But I was still watching for the tennis.

Sharapova Falters at Wimbledon

Maria Sharapova of Russia returns the ball to Gisela Dulko of Argentina during their match at the Wimbledon tennis championships, in London June 24, 2009. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh (BRITAIN SPORT TENNIS IMAGES OF THE DAY)

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Maria Sharapova of Russia plays a return to Gisela Dulko of Argentina during their second round singles match at Wimbledon, Wednesday, June 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

Princess Michael of Kent watch Maria Sharapova of Russia plays Gisela Dulko of Argentina in their second round singles match at Wimbledon, Wednesday, June 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

Former Australian rugby union player Michael Lynagh (Centre) watches a game between Russia's Maria Sharapova and Argentina's Gisela Dulko on Centre Court at the All England Tennis Club on the third day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in southwest London, on June 24, 2009. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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British television entertainer Bruce Forsyth (Top L) and former Australian rugby union player Michael Lynagh (Bottom R) watch a game between Russia's Maria Sharapova and Argentina's Gisela Dulko on Centre Court at the All England Tennis Club on the third day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in southwest London, on June 24, 2009. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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British television entertainer Bruce Forsyth (L) watches a game between Russia's Maria Sharapova and Argentina's Gisela Dulko on Centre Court at the All England Tennis Club on the third day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in southwest London, on June 24, 2009. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Argentina's Gisela Dulko plays against Russia's Maria Sharapova at the All England Tennis Club on the third day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in southwest London, on June 24, 2009. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Russia's Maria Sharapova gestures as she plays against Argentina's Gisela Dulko at the All England Tennis Club on the third day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in southwest London, on June 24, 2009. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Argentina's Gisela Dulko celebrates after beating Russia's Maria Sharapova at the All England Tennis Club on the third day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in southwest London, on June 24, 2009. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, Wimbledon put Victoria Azarenka against Sorana Cirstea on Centre Court Friday. Guess why. And while Serena Williams was out on Court 2, and showing up late (protest?) Russian Maria Kirilenko was on Centre Court.

"Good looks are a factor," All England Club spokesman Johnny Perkins told London's Daily Mail. "It's not a coincidence that those [on Centre Court] are attractive."

The argument for this is that Wimbledon is a business, and it needs to put on Centre Court the best players for TV ratings and ticket sales.

So if that's all this is, then why not take it another step or two?

"Add fuel." That's what the p.a. guy was yelling at one point during the gold medal women's beach volleyball match at the Beijing Olympics, and there were dancing girls who would run out between points and move to bagpipe music, or "La Bamba" or "Sex Bomb."

I'm in a good spot to advise Wimbledon here, having been to the past two Olympic women's beach volleyball gold medal matches.

Beach volleyball is a mix of sport, party and sex appeal. And it's fun.

But I thought tennis was holding itself at a higher level.

Surely, Wimbledon has. Maybe that was just pretend.

Women's tennis has had an uncomfortable mix of sex appeal and sport, especially over the past few years. Sharapova is on the cover of ESPN the Magazine, and has some sexy pictures inside. But in the interview, she also complains about players worrying too much about their appearance.

Anna Kournikova, who led the sex-appeal generation of women's tennis, talked about the balance last week in a teleconference announcing that she would play World Team Tennis this summer.

"Women are going to always probably get attention for that, for looking a certain way, pretty or whatever," she said. "I think it happens not just in tennis, but in all sports or anywhere. People kind of pay attention to the way women look.

"Whether it's an office or in some other environment ... But really at the end of the day, it's about the sport and it's about the game. But it's promoting it a certain different way. As long as it's classy and it brings more people in, why not?"

Meanwhile, former men's champ Michael Stich said just before Wimbledon that the women's game is just there to sell sex, and rather than refuting that strongly, we keep getting evidence.

When Dulko finished beating Sharapova, she was asked about that balance.

"I always said, I'm not only a tennis player, I'm a woman," she said.

So someone asked Venus Williams how she felt about Dulko's answer.

"When I'm on the court, I want the point," Williams said. "So it doesn't matter at that point. I'm not thinking about anything except that point, so that's all there's room for."

Look, tennis is the one women's sport that has broken into the American mainstream. No doubt, sex appeal has helped it to get there.

But playing on Centre Court, the sport's most important court, is supposed to be an honor of accomplishment, not of hotness. It is for the men. And Wimbledon shouldn't be here to dismantle the credibility of the women's game.

Wimbledon is a leader in sport. It's time not to just act like one, but to be one.

Like what you read here? Follow me on Twitter: @gregcouch

Looks, Not Tennis, Is Central Factor on Centre Court originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chris Evert Calls 'Grunting' in Female Tennis Both 'Shrill' and 'Distracting'

Will Brinson — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Media Watch, Wimbledon, WTA

Is there anything hotter than complaining about grunting in women's tennis right now? First you have Michael Stich complaining because the "grunting" is "unsexy" and now we get to listen to Chris Evert complain in a similar fashion for a different reason.

See, Evert doesn't care for grunting, and even seems to imply, in some recent quotes, that she may or may not think that the noises are being used in a purposeful and distracting manner.

"Grunting is one thing but the shrill sound that you hear with players nowadays, and especially they get louder when they hit a winner, that's the thing that I observe as a player," the former world No. 1 told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

[...] "It is distracting when you are hearing this and I think the grunts are getting louder and more shrill now with the current players," she said.

"The next time you watch say a Maria Sharapova -- the grunting is consistent but all of a sudden when she has a set up to hit a winner.

In other words, Evert would prefer not to say that players are making the loud noises on purpose in order to make their shot more effective, but that seems to only be the case (her remaining quiet) if they'll ease up on it.

Obviously, Evert's not the first person to complain about the grunting -- Martina Navratilova also panned the noises -- and because she's a former tennis great, her opinion carries a lot more weight than, say, someone like Stich, who appears to be mentioning it just for the shock value.

But at the same time, I think it's at least worth mentioning that many of these young girls grew up watching women like Sharapova, who always grunted, and maybe that affected the way in which they practiced and played during youth tournaments. Long story short, there's little chance that the grunting is going to be regulated unless things get so out of hand that the WTA is forced to step in. So, for now, let's all just move on, please. Thanks.

Maria Sharapova Photos

Reuters

Maria Sharapova of Russia plays a return to Gisela Dulko of Argentina during their second round singles match at Wimbledon, Wednesday, June 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

Princess Michael of Kent watch Maria Sharapova of Russia plays Gisela Dulko of Argentina in their second round singles match at Wimbledon, Wednesday, June 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

AFP/Getty Images

Chris Evert Calls 'Grunting' in Female Tennis Both 'Shrill' and 'Distracting' originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Murray Takes Big Step in London Thriller

Greg Couch — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:20:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon, ATP

Mount Murray was packed. Hundreds of people, maybe thousands, who knows? It was pitch dark Monday night, and they all sat together, watching the Great Brit Hope, Andy Murray, on the big-screen outside Centre Court.

Inside, Murray played Stanislas Wawrinka under the new roof. It was the first full match ever played under that roof, closed because of the rain during the previous match. And it was awe-inspiring to the crowd in itself, and the Queen had already written Murray a note wishing him luck, and she's expected to be there if he gets to the final, and the match went to a dramatic fifth set, and it was just so many things all at once.

Also See: Roddick Triumphs | Wimbledon Scoreboard

This is how legends are started, good or bad. And that explains Murray's scream when he did it. He won 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals, dropping to his knees, letting out a yell that echoed off the roof and throughout the place.

"When you've got 15,000 people supporting you, it makes it extra special," he said over the p.a. after the match, which ended at 10:39 p.m. London time. "So thanks a lot."

Next up for Murray is Juan Carlos Ferrero, and then probably Andy Roddick, and likely Roger Federer. That's all that's left on the path to becoming the first Brit to win the men's title since Fred Perry did it in 1936.

I think he's going to do it.

No, he has not looked as, well, perfect as Federer has. He has scrapped much more than Federer, and also more than Novak Djokovic, the No. 4 player who has managed to go unnoticed.

But Murray has held up under the pressure, and that was the only question about whether he was ready to break through and win his first major.

"I believe I can win Wimbledon" he said. "That has not changed since the first match. I have to play great tennis to do it, and had to play some great tennis tonight to come back.''

This has been a quiet Wimbledon. Just dominance from Federer and the Williams sisters. Roddick has been hot, too. Also a thrill from an American teenager, Melanie Oudin, who lost Monday. And for Murray, it has been mostly nervous hopes from the Brits.

The tournament is seriously missing the flash and star power of Rafael Nadal, out with sore knees. Murray isn't ready to take Nadal's superstar, but he did provide a spark. He gave this Wimbledon its first special moment.

In the development, the process of growing into that first major title, Murray took another step Monday.

His stumbling points have had to do with losing his head under pressure and running out of steam. Also, as a defensive player, he used to think too much, and needed a little more grip-it-and-rip-it mentality.

All of those things have changed now. And with this match, under this pressure, Murray, ranked No. 3, showed that he's a finisher now.

"He used to get upset," ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert, Murray's former coach, said. "He had trouble putting points behind him. He would yell at me. He would yell a lot. And that would linger. It would tire him out physically and mentally.''

So Murray, now 22, is learning. He has had the experience of a major final, losing to Federer in the U.S. Open. But he also now has beaten Federer the past four times they've played.

None of those four came on Centre Court, Federer's place, though.

And if Murray does get past Andy Roddick, who is playing the best tennis of his life, to the final, imagine the moment: It will be the Cubs in the World Series, trying to break the slump, with the pressure coming from past and present, and all throughout the stands and the city.

And, in Murray's case, all of Great Britain.

Imagine Murray trying to beat the king (Federer) in front of the queen (Elizabeth II).

"Got a nice letter from the Queen saying well done for winning Queen's," Murray wrote on his Twitter account after he won the pre-Wimbledon, Queen's Club tournament. "Put it in its own pile away from the bills.''

She hasn't been to a match since the 1977 women's final, when Brit Virginia Wade won.

But all of that is a ways ahead. And this day was big enough. History was made from the roof alone, which was closed in the middle of the Dinara Safina-Amelie Mauresmo match. For the record, Safina won.

For some reason, that roof has created a buzz. Fans love it. When they closed it the other day, apparently just for sport after the final match on Centre Court was done, fans stayed inside and took pictures.

The points played much slower indoors in the dead air, so both players swung harder and harder. And every noise made a loud ECHO, ECho, echo, ec. . .

"It's very, very heavy and very humid,'' Murray said. "Sweating so much, sweating a lot. Like form the start, I noticed both of us trying to get white towels from the locker room.

"Your hand was drenched. When I finished, it was like I had been in a bath.''

It's just like that in tennis, when you are so close to losing and can turn it right back around and make a statement, the first one of this Wimbledon.

And it reverberated off a roof, a packed hill in the dark and a country. Murray is here for the FIGHT, FIGht, fight, fi. . .

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Murray Takes Big Step in London Thriller originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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