Wimbledon 2013

[Krakalakachkn]

So Nadal [spain] has been sent home early with his straight sets defeat by the brilliant Darcis [belgium] who saw him off with a variable mix of serve and volley, baseline, and great net play.  Nadal looked off-form, sporting a weak knee, unable to plant well on his back foot.  He fought hard though, in true Nadal form, never giving up and complaining; he kept chipping away and made Darcis work for his final set.  In the end, Darcis was the clear winner in every category - If he continues to play as well as he did here, I think we're in for more upsets in the tournament.

 

 

 

And now we have Lleyton Hewitt [Aus] coming back from a 1-4 deficit in the second set (having won the first) to win it, playing as though the clock were rewound ten years.  I haven't seen strokes this smooth and measured from Hewitt since he and Marat Safin were consistent finalists (and opponents) from about 2001-2005.  Of course, I hope to see Hewitt make it to the final and beyond, but I'd be perfectly happy to see Haas with the trophy-in-hand as well.

 

 

 

And, of course, the always enjoyable Marcos Baghdatis again succumbed in the first round, continuing a streak of bad luck for the underappreciated Cypriot.

[MasterAblar]

Guess Nadal wasn't joking when he said he wasn't particularly confident. Still, quite a shock. Federer must be the happiest man on earth right now.

[Krakalakachkn]

This is one of the craziest draws I've ever seen.  It seems like the injuries have straightened out a little bit and we're seeing a more steady rhythm to play (besides the rain, that is).  

 

It was a shame to see Dustin Brown go out so soon, especially after beating my boy.  I didn't get to see the match, but hopefully we'll see more of him in the future.

 

I gotta say, my two to win are Ferrer (who I think deserves it more than anyone else besides maybe...) and Tommy Haas.  Ferrer is possibly the hardest working player on tour and it would be beautifully poetic to see him win the championship (if we're lucky, he'll beat Djoko in the finals).  Haas is one of those that has been around forever (and is one of the oldest on tour because of it) and could have been a longer top 10 contender if he wasn't so plagued by injuries.  It would be good to see him win and reclaim some former glory.

[MasterAblar]

Yeah this is a bit ridiculous: Federer, Nadal, Tsonga. Even Cilic and Wawrinka. Even worse on the women's side.

 

You're a bit optimistic there aren't you? When is the last time someone not named Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, or Murray won a Slam? Djokovic just barely lost against Nadal at Roland Garros. I don't see anybody beating him here. Possibly Murray, but I doubt it. Unless someone comes up with something really special, but over 3 sets? I wouldn't bet on it.

[Krakalakachkn]

And a heartbreaker in the 5th set sends Djokovic to the final over Del Potro.

 

 

As for my optimism, yeah, a bit, but we've seen it before - some brilliant young player makes a great run.  Some stodgy old coot rediscovers the strength in his/her limbs.  I think we'll see a Murray v Djoko final, but who knows, maybe Janowicz will win out?

[Krakalakachkn]

And a brilliant match by Murray gives Britain its first Wimbledon title in 77 years.  

 

 

My god I haven't enjoyed a finals result so much in quite a long time.

[MasterAblar]

He deserved it, and it suggests Djokovic won't dominate tennis so easily in the years to come, not even considering Nadal.

[Suttree]

Until Nadal can be consistently healthy he is on the outside looking in along with Fed. Brilliant match by Murray yesterday and a huge moment for the UK. There were a few moments where the old Murray would have likely had a melt down but he hung tough.

 

@MA

 

Hey as an aside I have been watching some of that young Frenchman, Benoit Paire. Dude has a pretty awesome game and huge two handed backhand. Will be interesting to see what he can do in comparison to La Monf and Gasquet.

[MasterAblar]

 

Hey as an aside I have been watching some of that young Frenchman, Benoit Paire. Dude has a pretty awesome game and huge two handed backhand. Will be interesting to see what he can do in comparison to La Monf and Gasquet.

 

He's definitely a promising one, and he's had a pretty good first half of a year. Just hope he can fulfill his potential unlike those two. Tsonga remains the best bet as far as french players go. But even when he gets to the last rounds of the slams, the big 4 is like a wall that neither he nor any other player, Del Potro aside, has succeeded in climbing as of yet.

[Krakalakachkn]

Give Tsonga a little credit - he can beat Federer somewhat consistently, and he could Murray and Ferrer too.

 

As far as French players go, I really miss Gael Monfils. He is always extremely entertaining to watch.

[MasterAblar]

Give Tsonga a little credit - he can beat Federer somewhat consistently, and he could Murray and Ferrer too.

 

As far as French players go, I really miss Gael Monfils. He is always extremely entertaining to watch.

 

Oh for sure Tsonga does well against most and he's not that far away from the best, but that last hurdle is a tough one.

 

Monfils is pretty awesome yeah, always puts on a show. Probably to the detriment of his game but oh well. When he's playing well and motivated though, he can be tough to stop. He's the kind of player you don't want to get momentum, otherwise he's gone, especially when he has the home crowd. Which is most anywhere all things considered.