The Last Four

When we first set out on this incredible journey of tennis frenzy, we had our odds packed in the corners of the "Big Four": among the gentlemen - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray - and among the ladies - Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska. We hadn't the faintest idea that all our little notions and predictions were about to be thrown out the window.

The Wimbledon Trophies

Yet here we are, on the eve of the semifinals, with more than half of each "Big Four" team missing.

The first to go was Rafael Nadal. No amount of praise for his remarkable comeback from career-threatening injury is going to take away from how unprepared he was to compete in back-to-back Grand Slam tournaments with a knee that was - pardon the pun - just learning how to walk again, or, more importantly, how extraordinarily well his conqueror Steve Darcis played on that humid first Monday on Court 1. Camp Nadal deserves a serious conk in the head for fumbling with the Spaniard's tournament schedule. An ostentatious over-estimation of one man's bounce-back-ability has probably worsened Rafa's physical match fitness, possibly irreparably and in both knees.

On Tuesday came the withdrawals, most notably that of second seed Victoria Azarenka. The Belarusian was literally crying after she fell and hurt her right knee during her first round match against Maria João Koehler, again on Court 1. That slide in the grass did not hinder her winning that match but it impeded her continuing her contest for the title; she withdrew shortly before her second round match that Wednesday. She was a serious contender for the trophy and would have played Flavia Pennetta.

Roger Federer's loss was the one that very few saw coming from afar. The seven-time Wimbledon champion failed to defend his title in what should have been an easy second round win against a player ranked outside the top 100, Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine. The first set was already under Federer's belt with an easy tiebreak hold when the tides began to change in the second. Stakhovsky was refusing to go away and forced another tiebreak in the second set. A wild forehand mishit would give the Ukranian the chance he needed to equalize. With things drawn even, a tantalizing set of cat and mouse ensued in set three, with Sergiy miraculously ending up on top after breaking Roger's serve at 5-5 to win the third set 7-5. The fourth set was the lengthiest by time at 50 minutes, but it seemed like no time at all had elapsed before Federer was serving to stay in the match in yet another tiebreak. He managed to overcome the first match point against him, but a crafty backhand slice from the Ukranian forced his backhand return just wide of the service line and Stakhovsky so achieved a great feat in Wimbledon tennis.

Maria Sharapova was also a casualty among the fallen at the All-England Club. Portugal's Michelle Larcher De Brito was the one who uprooted the third seed from the ladies' singles draw with a straight sets win in the order of 6-3, 6-4. In Maria's defense, the grass on Court 2 was so slippery that any change in direction had her stumbling like the "cow on ice" she once described herself as (referring to her clay court form earlier on in her career). But the Russian seemed too shaken to even hold her own and really let Larcher De Brito get the best of her.

Serena Williams has been the latest of surprise losers in the draw; her defeat comes at the hands of Sabine Lisicki, the German 23rd seed. Sabine proved to be the tougher opponent in their face-off on Center Court on Monday. Serena's winning form was nowhere to be seen during the match, except for the second set. Lisicki had just enough pressure match experience to keep her composure at all the right times. That's how you take it to Serena Williams.

So neither of last year's names will be etched into the Gentlemen's Singles gilt cup or the Venus Rosewater Dish this time around; history will be made one way or another, and new ground will be trodden upon by the brave and kicking contenders left in the draw......

With two finals spots up for grabs, Sabine Lisicki will face Agnieszka Radwanska while Marion Bartoli will battle Kirsten Flipkens in the semifinals on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the quarterfinals in the Gentlemen's Singles draw features Novak Djokovic/Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer/Juan Martin Del Potro, Lukasz Kubot/Jerzy Janowicz and Fernando Verdasco/Andy Murray.

The Big Four may be, for all intents and purposes, gone.....but the Last Four are palpably close to defying the odds at Wimbledon to give us new and refreshing champions.

Breathe tennis!!