By Chris Oddo | Sunday July 10, 2016
Serena Williams' 22nd major title was the crowning achievement at Wimbledon this year, but not the only one.
Photo Source: AFP
The champions have all been crowned and the last batch strawberries and Kentish cream has been consumed at the 2016 Championships. The brown patches of grass can now start their long road to recovery. Trophies, dishes? They’ve been earned, hoisted. Applause? Let it now fade into memory, to be forever cherished. Another year, another £ 2 million. That’s it, pack up the tents, fold up the sentiment, and let us steal away.
More: Serena Williams Claims 22nd Major Title at Wimbledon
But before we do, allow us to make sense of what we’ve just seen and experienced.
1. 22 and counting -- It’s not every day that we get to witness a supreme athlete at the height of her powers, but fans were treated to just that in the second week of Wimbledon, as Serena Williams slid yet another notch higher up the ladder of the tennis pantheon by claiming her 22nd major and seventh Wimbledon title. The American summoned all that is transcendent about her game and tightened her focus into a tiny little knot that refused to unravel even against a more than worthy challenge from Angelique Kerber in Saturday’s final. Williams went her final three matches at Wimbledon without dropping serve, proving once again that she’s the game’s quintessential big-match player. Now the focus shifts to more Olympic hardware, and more majors for the venerable Williams, who has become more than just a great champion in this latest and greatest phase of her career—she’s also warmed to the public and begun to take responsibility for her influence, using it to shape and inspire. Where the train stops for Williams, nobody knows, but we’re all excited to see it rumble on to New York, where more mystery awaits.
2. Murray’s on the Money -- Call it the Lendl effect if you like, but don’t forget to call it utterly brilliant. We’re speaking of Andy Murray’s methodical takedown of Milos Raonic in the Wimbledon final. The Scot, somehow, managed to win 33 percent of first-serve return points against one of the nastiest servers in the business. Raonic nearly broke the Wimbledon record with a 147 MPH body serve at 3-4, 30-all in the second set and it came straight back off the Murray racquet, in play and deep. Murray scorched a winner past a net-rushing Raonic on the next ball to earn a break point, and even though he didn't break in that game, it was Murray’s constant pressure, both on return and whilst serving, that served to wear the Canadian down over the course of this contest. The 29-year-old played with remarkable poise, never letting his level drop on serve, where he won all 17 of his service games and snuffed out the only two break points he faced. There was not a single misstep by Murray in this match. He counterpunched brilliantly and passed from the backhand like a wizard, finishing with a whopping 15 backhand winners, many of which whizzed past the outstretched arms of an attacking Raonic. It was a breathtaking performance and it was also eye-opening. Watching Murray meticulously pick apart a high-octane player in his first Grand Slam final against a player other than Djokovic or Federer makes one wonder how dominant a player Murray could have been in another generation. He was that dominant player at Wimbledon, and deserves a lot of praise for making the most of his every opportunity at SW19.
3. Federer’s Plight -- The clouds parted way briefly and the sun came out on Roger Federer at Wimbledon. The Swiss managed to single-handedly sweep all negative sentiment out the door with his comeback from two sets down in the quarterfinals against Marin Cilic, but an outlying, unexpected thunderstorm struck in the semis when he coughed up a winnable match and may have further injured his surgically repaired left knee in the process. Where does Federer, who was clearly heartbroken after falling in five sets to Raonic, go from here? A draw without Djokovic at Wimbledon was a dream scenario for Federer. But that dream died a horribly disappointing death at Wimbledon, one that will no doubt be difficult to get over.
4. Kerber is a comin’ -- Angelique Kerber fell in straight sets to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final, but a glance at the bigger pictures suggests the German might be the next No.1 in the women’s game. Not only did she return to her second major final, she also held sway over Williams in baseline rallies during the course of her 7-5, 6-3 loss. It makes one wonder: Is Kerber emerging as the true rival to Serena, the one that the dominant American has not had for years?
5. Djokovic, back with a vengeance? -- Is there anybody out there who doubts that Novak Djokovic will come back from his shock loss at Wimbledon reenergized and determined to continue his historic run with a title at the U.S. Open? The long-term picture is difficult to predict, but there’s no reason why Djokovic can’t win in New York and even take another run at the Calendar Slam in 2017. That said, how did he lose to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon? And how will a rejuvenated Andy Murray push him now that he has his mojo—and Ivan Lendl—back?
6. Cilic, future Wimbledon champion? -- Marin Cilic has reached three Wimbledon quarterfinals in succession and in two of those three seasons he’s been within a whisker of taking out one of the big four. What is going to keep the Croatian, who turns 28 later this year, from making a serious run at the title in the next three years? Murray and Djokovic will both be 30 next year. The field could be more wide open at Wimbledon than it has been in a decade.
7. Turn back that clock, Venus Williams -- For those counting Venus Williams out since 2011 when she was diagnosed with the energy-sapping Sjogren’s Syndrome, does the five-time champion’s run to the semis with a doubles title change your perspective about the current state of her game and potential at the majors?
8. Kyrgios at a crossroads -- Nobody—even Nick Kyrgios—would argue that his fourth-round hit-and-giggle with Andy Murray wasn’t bitterly disappointing. But acknowledging it is one thing—and kudos to Kyrgios for doing that—while embarking on a path to bring about serious change is entirely another. Your move, talented Mr. Kyrgios.
9. Match of the fortnight -- Dominika Cibulkova and Agnieszka Radwanska wowed us for three hours in the round of 16 on No.3 Court, and those who were in attendance will never forget it. 93 winners, 60 rallies of five or more strokes, many of which were utterly jaw-dropping, all capped off by a show of sincere sportsmanship at the finish. Mark your scorecards and be sure to refer back whilst compiling your year-end wrap-ups.
10. Isner, and the fifth-set tiebreak -- John Isner and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s four hour and 24-minute marathon kicked the fifth-set tiebreaker debate into high gear again. Tsonga won the match, which featured 59 aces and four breaks of serve in 73 service games, 19-17 in the fifth. But wouldn’t it have been better to decide it by a tiebreaker at 12-all? Roger Federer said yes that might be good in press. John McEnroe concurs. They are not the only ones who agree.
11. Gasquet wins Wimbledon -- Well, kind of. Richard Gasquet had to retire from his round of 16 match with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga with a bad back, but earlier in week one the Frenchman staked his claim as the best racquet wrapper in tennis. Here’s what he had to say about his affinity for rapidly regripping his sticks at every single changeover: “Of course, I'm the fastest to do it. I'm sure about it. I didn't win a Grand Slam, but to do that I'm the best. Sure about it.”
12. The meaning of Muguruza’s early out? -- The Roland Garros champion had a lot to deal with here at SW19. She was defending runner-up points at Wimbledon despite making it clear that she was still sheepish about playing on grass. She was dealing with the media maelstrom that comes with winning a maiden major. So an early departure wasn’t so difficult to understand. What was difficult to grasp was her lack of passion during her straight-sets loss to Jana Cepelova. Thought to be a player with a chance to be a future No. 1, Muguruza showed little resolve in getting bounces out of the second round. A loss is one thing, but hardly looking for solutions during said loss is entirely another. Muguruza seems to only play her brand of tennis when she is thoroughly impassioned, so her challenge going forward will be to remain engaged emotionally, because without that fiery presence she’s a very beatable foe.
13. Good on ya, Sam Querrey -- Maybe Djokovic was ailing, or off his game. But by god, what a performance by American Sam Querrey to knock off the World No. 1 and snap his 30-match winning streak at majors. Even better that he backed it up in the round of 16 against Nicolas Mahut to reach his first major quarterfinal. Once the top-ranked American, Querrey has long been considered an underachiever. Let’s hope that this experience will spark his belief and his desire for more.
14. Fragile Kei -- Another major opportunity, another retirement. That’s been the unfortunate story for Kei Nishikori for much of his career. At this point it’s hard to wonder if the injuries and the frailty are the aberration, or is it his run to the U.S. Open final in 2014 that is the peculiarity? Is Nishikori battling a long-term limiting psychosis, and will he ever completely overcome it so that he may reach his potential? He does have three major quarterfinals to his name since his U.S. Open run. He’s not exactly chopped liver on a tennis court, but those who have seen Nishikori at the top of his game know that he’s got so much more in him than what he’s produced of late.
15. Williams doubles perfection -- In front of a packed Centre Court crowd in fading light, long after the women’s singles final and the men’s doubles final on Saturday, Venus and Serena Williams improved to 14-0 in Grand Slam doubles finals with a win over Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova. Their win in the final was one of those rare instances where their level of play matches the impeccability of the milestone.
16. Remember the names -- Wimbledon junior girls’ singles runner-up Dayana Yastremska is probably disappointed that she lost to Anastasia Potapova in the final on Saturday. But a quick glance at the Wimbledon Junior honor roll shows that there were many players that lost the final and went on to have brilliant professional careers. Gabriela Sabatini, Jennifer Capriati, Amelie Mauresmo, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, Agnieszka Radwanska. Yastremska, a high-energy, intense player from the Ukraine, is long and lean and looks like she needs time to grow into her body. But boy is she a fun watch. So is the 15-year-old Potapova, who looks headed for stardom as well.
In the boys’ singles final, Denis Shapovalov of Canada took the title, brandishing his big lefty serve and a powerful game for a 17-year-old. He’s another one to keep an eye on.
17. Reid, Griffioen win inaugural wheelchair singles -- For the first time ever Wimbledon featured wheelchair singles on its venerable grass courts. The winners: Great Britain’s Gordon Reid on the men’s side and and Jiske Griffioen of the Netherlands on the ladies’.
18. Kasatkina shows diversity, craftiness -- Russia’s Daria Kasatkina proved to be a relatively quick study on the grass despite the fact that she really isn’t comfortable playing on it. In her Wimbledon debut she reached the third round and nearly took out Venus Williams, falling 10-8 in the third. Kasatkina has reached the third round of all three majors this year, falling in Australia to eventual runner-up Serena Williams, at Roland Garros to eventual semifinalist Kiki Bertens (10-8 in the third) and then to eventual semifinalist Venus at Wimbledon. The recently turned 19-year-old seems to be on the cusp of something bigger.
19. Hello again, Delpo -- Juan Martin del Potro introduced himself to Grand Slam tennis for the first time since the 2014 Australian Open by notching his first Top 10 win since his return to tennis from multiple surgeries on his left wrist. For a guy who says he doesn’t plan to truly be “dangerous” until next year, his four-set victory over Stan Wawrinka on Centre Court was a pretty impressive result. More important, he played in physical Grand Slam matches on three consecutive days it didn’t appear to be any worse for the wear. All signs are positive for the Tower of Tandil.
20. Short work -- The shortest singles match of the championships that did not feature a retirement was Serena Williams 6-2, 6-0 victory over Elena Vesnina, which took 48 minutes. Longest match was on the men’s side, where Jo-Wilfried Tsonga battles past John Isner in five sets. Total elapsed time 4:24.
--