By Chris Oddo | Friday, June 27, 2014
Did Venus Williams wave goodbye to the Centre Court crowd on Friday for the last time? Fat chance. Next question?
Photo Source: Kieran Galvin/ Camerasport.
We watched, and watched, and watched. Here's what we learned from all that watching during the first five days of Wimbledon.
1. Andy Murray is the world’s best grass-court player right now
Forget about who coaches him, forget about what he said when a dog interviewed him on YouTube, Andy Murray is the man to beat in week two of Wimbledon.
The defending champion hasn’t dropped a set all fortnight, and he appears to be every bit as invincible as he was when he shellacked Roger Federer in the Olympic finals in 2012 and when he whooped Novak Djokovic in last year’s Wimbledon final.
2. Nick Kyrgios has a very bright future ahead of him
The 19-year-old tied an Open Era Grand Slam record by saving nine match points in taking down Richard Gasquet on Day 4. That speaks volumes about the intangibles of Kyrgios. Not only is he gifted, athletic and creative, he’s also got the will to persevere when his back is against the wall (against a former Wimbledon semifinalist and a player who is ranked significantly higher than him, no less), and the passion to keep improving his game through hard work. Talent alone won’t take Kyrgios to the top, but with his passion and dedication it’s not hard to imagine him reaching his self-proclaimed goal (said with conviction, mind you, not just lip service) of reaching No. 1 in the world.
3. Petra Kvitova has another Wimbledon title in her
It may not be this year, but the 24-year-old Czech, who boasts a 22-5 career record at Wimbledon, has once again demonstrated why she can be such a terror on the grass. If she continues to serve like she did today—particularly under pressure—Kvitova could find herself hoisting the Venus Rosewater dish high above her head by week’s end.
4. Rafa Nadal is only going to get stronger as Wimbledon's second week begins
The king of clay can also be a pretty formidable grass-court player when he sets his mind to it. Nadal passed two very difficult tests in rounds one and two this week, taking down Martin Klizan and Lukas Rosol, and now the Spaniard appears to be in a place--both mentally and physically--where he can start to zero in on yet another colossal title run. Nadal may have been a target in the early rounds, with his game not yet fine-tuned for the grass and the fatigue of a long grind on the clay still weighing on him, but now that he has emerged--battle-scarred yet gaining in confidence--Nadal appears refreshed and ready to embrace the grass.
With the grass worn down to dirt at the baselines, expect Nadal to start to move more freely in the backcourt, and with two long matches under his belt, expect the Spaniard to start to demonstrate better feel and timing going forward.
5. Quietly, Agnieszka Radwanska has become the highest seed remaining in her half of the draw
Is Agnieszka Radwanska the best player in women’s tennis to have yet to win a major? Hard to argue with that, but what also isn’t hard to argue with is that Radwanska has fallen short at times when she’s had golden opportunities to break through at the Slams. Last year at Wimbledon, she was the highest seed remaining in the draw, just two matches from the title, and she couldn’t finish off Sabine Lisicki in the semis.
Don’t look now, but Radwanska is the highest-seeded player remaining in her half of the draw as of Friday (thanks to Li Na). Another chance at glory is calling, will Aga answer?
6. The Czech Women are on fire right now
For the first time in the Open Era, four Czech women have reached the last 16 of a Grand Slam, and they are all in the same half of the draw!
Who is Tereza Smitkova? Good question. Here’s something we found out >>>
7. Venus Williams is NOT RETIRING
As soon as Venus Williams, who barely missed out on upsetting Petra Kvitova in what is probably the best match of week one of Wimbledon, was defeated, talk turned to whether or not it was time for the 34-year-old to retire. Sort of rude, considering that Williams nearly knocked off a player that is ten years her junior and played some of the most brilliant, convincing tennis that we’ve seen from her this season.
The facts: Williams was a game away from going deep into this draw.
Our Opinion: Whether she goes deep or not, Williams is still an asset for the sport and an inspiration every time she steps on the court. Drop the retirement talk. Williams wants to play, and in our humble opinion, has the talent and the drive to go deep in Slams and maybe even win another one. She'll let you know when it's time to go. Until then, watch and admire.
8. Roger Federer is serving better than he has in a long time
Judging from what we’ve seen from Federer in his first two matches, he’s in good enough form to win this title. His serve looked as good as it has in years during his methodical drubbing of Gilles Muller on Day 4 (he ripped 25 aces and dropped nine points on serve), and it wasn't too bad in his first round victory over Paolo Lorenzi (he dropped 15 points and saved five of five break points). Throw in the fact that he’s probably the world’s best mover on the surface, his backhand also looks dialed in, and he’s totally in the zone with his newer, larger-framed racquet and all we can say is: Why not Federer?
Roger Federer's Diary: Return to the Grass
9. Either Nick Kyrgios or Jiri Vesely will make the second week
Two promising but somewhat unheralded youngsters will battle for a spot in the fourth round, as 20-year-old Jiri Vesely—a lefty whose serve has been clocked in the 140’s this week, and 19-year-old wild card Nick Kyrgios will battle in what is what is a massive match for both.
10. Grigor Dimitrov is Coming of Age, but not quite ready to win a major
There are sure to be bumps along the road, but Grigor Dimitrov has won eight straight matches on grass, gained his first Wimbledon Centre-Court experience, and continued to blossom under the stern and watchful eye of his coach Roger Rasheed. Is he ready to break through and win his first career major at Wimbledon? We think not.
But the 23-year-old has a clear path to his second Grand Slam quarterfinal of the year (he plays Leonardo Mayer in the round of 16), and when he gets there, he will have the chance to show us all what he’s made of when he squares off against Andy Murray (if the seeds hold).
If that matchup with the defending champion occurs, it will be a great experience for Dimitrov. Will he have the courage and the conviction to lay it all on the line against Murray? Or will the occasion prove to be too big for him? One thing’s for certain: dropping to his knees after defeating Alexandr Dolgopolov in five sets today was a little bit too big of a celebration for Dimitrov. It was a match that the Bulgarian should have won, and the type of match he’ll have to win often and with great regularity if he plans on fulfilling his potential in years to come.