Two-Day Report: Catch-Up Complete

Wimbledon, Days 5 and 6

We need more sunny days like this.

Although it means some have had to play back-to-back matches the past few days at Wimbledon, we are all done playing catch-up and will resume regular schedule fourth round match play for everyone on Monday. Here is some of the action from Friday and Saturday which has brought us to this point.






GENTLEMEN'S SINGLES

Jerzy Janowicz sent an exuberant Spaniard packing; he beat Nicolas Almagro in straight sets - 7-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Great Britain's greatest hope for a local champion, Andy Murray, did more than keep their expectations high and inspired; he outplayed tour vet Tommy Robredo in a 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 victory that was marked by the World No. 2 breaking Robredo's serve on a number of occasions. The 26-year-old seems more than capable of reaching the finals here again this year and, without the mental monster that is Roger Federer standing in his way, his only real obstacle to the trophy seems to be Novak Djokovic.

Despite the comforting presence of one Maria Sharapova in the audience, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov could not stop the tenacious Grega Zemlja of Slovenia from striking the last blow in their second round match on Friday, which ended 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9. Now, Dimitrov and Sharapova can only watch the proceedings at home. Zemlja would, if it's any consolation to Grigor, be stopped by Juan Martin Del Potro in the third round match the next day.

To make it into the Round of 16, David Ferrer of Spain would beat countryman Roberto Bautista Agut and then the Ukranian Dolgopolov. This may not be his surface of choice but he will try, as always, to break through and win his first Grand Slam title. Seeing that Rafa and Roger are out of the draw, his chances look better than usual.

Stakhovsky couldn't continue his run after beating Federer; Jürgen Melzer gifted him the trip back home with a hard-earned four-set win.

After reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last month, Germany's Tommy Haas is having another great Grand Slam run; he's defeated Taiwanese Jimmy Wang and Spain's Feliciano Lopez to book a spot in the fourth round.

Near perfection, Novak Djokovic is the easy favorite left to win.

Jeremy Chardy may have beaten Struff in the second round but had his deep run aspirations snuffed out by the man himself, Novak Djokovic. Nole looks downright unstoppable and is playing the sort of top rank tennis that has frustrated just about every one of his opponents and earned him the No. 1 spot as well as six major titles. Don't believe me? Take a look at a Day 2 point he won against Florian Mayer here. It'll soon be seven big ones for Novak and we all know it.


Ninth seed Richard Gasquet also fell to the wayside in a thriller from which Australian youngster Bernard Tomic emerged victorious - 7-6, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6. Bernie will face Tomas Berdych in the Round of 16 on Monday.

I sort of see VIktor Troicki and Mikhail Youzhny as having the same traits in personality and somewhat in playing style. So it does surprise me that their third round match wasn't a marathon five-setter that had its ups and downs, and wild swings in momentum. Instead, Troicki essentially rolled over to give Bulldog Youzhny a straights victory in the line of 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.

Italian Andreas Seppi managed an "upset" by beating Kei Nishikori, the twelfth seed at this tournament, in a match that ended 3-6, 6-2, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4.

And Fernando Verdasco made Ernests Gulbis seem like a rookie in their third round match on Saturday, easily dismantling the Latvian 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

For a full view of the R16 draw for Monday, July 1st, click here. That, by the way, is the beauty of a Grand Slam with no byes: you get such variety in the later rounds. Just like the players have been saying - there are no easy rounds. You give it your all every single time you step on court. No wins are handed to you. You have to reach your racket out and take them.


LADIES' SINGLES

19-year-old Laura Robson (GBR)

After Andy Murray, Laura Robson is Great Britain's next hopeful for a homegrown champion, and the 19-year-old seems up for the task, having beaten Marian Duque-Marino and Maria Erakovic to reach the fourth round, matching her best performance at a major since last year's US Open.

Will Kaia Kanepi be able to stop Robson's deep run? Monday will tell us.

Kanepi's losing opponent in the second round Angelique Kerber of Germany has received death threats on her social media accounts and although the persons have been identified, it is unclear what steps will next be taken. American Alison Riske also fell to Kanepi after beating Urszula Radwanska in the second round.





Germany still has expectations in the person of Sabine Lisicki who, despite her sometimes erratic performance, has reached the fourth round by defeating former US Open champ Sam Stosur 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Petra Kvitova, Sloane Stephens, Li Na and Agnieszka Radwanska are also through to the Round of 16.

Serena Williams (L) and Kimiko Date-Krumm (R)

Breaking records as she progressed, 42-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm is the oldest female to reach the third round at Wimbledon but had the misfortune of meeting reigning champion Serena Williams there. Not to be condescending, but Kimiko moves great for her age and actually frustrated the meticulous Serena with her persistent and varied court presence. She wouldn't surrender a single point and the final scoreline of 6-2, 6-0 does little to laud the trouble she caused  Williams in almost every service game. For match highlights, click here.

Portugal's Michelle Larcher De Brito made history by beating Maria Sharapova in the second round but couldn't capitalize on the upset and was defeated 7-5, 6-2 by Italy's Karin Knapp. Knapp faces Marion Bartoli in the fourth round.


As Week 2 draws closer, we're divided in our expectations: more breakthroughs and upsets or more top stars finishing extravagantly? Maybe Wimbledon has a bit of both in store for us. Keep watching and....


Breathe tennis!!

Suspense at Wimbly

Wimbledon, Day 4

Match play at the All-England Club had us in suspense today. Wait, I mean lack of play....and we weren't really in suspense - matches were just being suspended. The rain really reigned at Wimbledon today; at least seven matches were suspended or postponed due to inclement weather at the British tennis club grounds.

Rain over Center Court on Day 4 at Wimbledon 2013

Gentlemen's Singles

Novak Djokovic made light work of the USA's Bobby Reynolds, dismissing the thirty-year-old in straight sets - 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, 6-1.

Gasquet, Berdych and Nishikori all made it through, the latter two in straights.

Argentinian Juan-Martin Del Potro made a convincing entry into the third round by defeating US-turned-Canada representative Jesse Levine by a 6-2, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 straight sets scoreline.

And of course, what would the day be without some injury claims?

Spaniard Feliciano Lopez got a free ticket into the third when Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu retired after being down a set and a double break.

And then another Frenchman Michael Llodra said that his hamstrings were acting up and forfeited his singles match against Italian Andreas Seppi, but somehow found the strength to play (and win) his doubles match later in the day with compatriot partner Nicolas Mahut. What a quick and convenient recovery.

The suspended matches among the guys were Chardy vs Struff (6-2, 5-7, 1-2) and Dolgopolov vs Giraldo (6-4, 3-0), while Haas vs Wang and Spanish face-off Ferrer vs Bautista Agut were both postponed until tomorrow.

Who has what it takes to stop Nole? No one, methinks.

Ladies' Singles

Defending champion and top seed Serena Williams defeated Caroline Garcia with a 6-3, 6-2 victory. Don't be fooled though - Garcia, at a career-high ranking of 99, was very impressive in the wee stages of the first set, and it was only Williams's smashing serve and mental refusal to lose that settled things back to normal before it was too late.

Other Grand Slam winners who earned their spots in the third round are Li Na (French Open, 2011) who defeated Simona Halep 6-2, 1-6, 6-0 - if you're wondering what caused the second set blunder, Li admits that she lost concentration at the tail of the first set (post-match interview here, very interesting to watch) - and Sam Stosur (US Open, 2011) who beat Olga Puchkova by a 6-2, 6-2 tally.

Aggie Radwanska, Roberta Vinci and Madison Keys are all in, as well (full results).

Suspended matches were as follows:

• L. Robson vs M. Duque-Marino
• A. Kerber vs K. Kanepi
• U. Radwanska vs. A. Riske

Serena, perfectionist in her ways, really cleaned up her act to get the win.

Remember that you can watch live matches at the link here and, of course, do come back here to the Breathe Tennis blog for more tennis news.

Breathe tennis!!

Birthday Greetings

The management and staff of the Breathe Tennis Blog would like to extend heartfelt 28th birthday greetings to 2004 US Open and 2009 French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. Russia and the tennis world at large are pleased to have a heroine as exemplary as you. Do have a splendid day!!

Svetlana Kuznetsova with Roland Garros trophy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

No Ordinary Cup of Tea

Wimbledon Days 2 and 3

If you thought Nadal's loss to 135th ranked Darcis in the first round on Monday was shocking, wait 'til you hear this: no less than SIX top players in the gentlemen's and ladies' singles draws are out of the competition, some due to injury but a few (if you don't know, you'll never guess) due to shocking losses.

Among the ousted are:

Victoria Azarenka

 The Australian Open champ from Belarus screamed in pain on Monday when she fell awkwardly on the slippery grass but trudged on through the match towards a hard-earned victory. However, her withdrawal was announced shortly before her match against Flavia Pennetta of Italy today.

Maria Sharapova

Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito now has the privilege of reaching the third round of Wimbledon for the very first time after upsetting 3rd seed Maria Sharapova. The petite Portuguese fighter was all over Sharapova, preying on her less than perfect net approach and producing stunning passing shots that were a splendid surprise for the English crowd. Sharapova was becoming more and more flustered about the slippery grass conditions on court after a few falls here and there, one of which cost her a break. But her opponent Larcher de Brito would not let up and broke the Russian's serve several times on her way to serving out a straight sets victory on her fifth match point.

 For match highlights, click here.

Caroline Wozniacki

2-6, 2-6 was the final scoreline, one that will probably have Camp Wozniacki thinking long and hard about the young Dane's consistency on court. Petra Cetkovská is responsible for yet another upset at Wimbledon this year, beating in straight sets a former World No. 1 with relative ease. Cetkovská had the edge on Wozniacki in virtually every department, including 1st serve points won and break points converted. Caroline was only able to muster 6 winners and a 69% 1st serve percentage, whereas Cetkovská was brilliant at the net, winning 14 of 15 points there and converting four times out of eight on break opportunities. Wozniacki will want to end the drought of Grand Slam titles if she does not want to be remembered as the "no-hit wonder" of our time.

Roger Federer

Another multiple Grand Slam winner and personal favorite of the All-England Club, Roger Federer, is down and out after losing to Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine, ranked 116th in the world. A series of netted backhands on break points from Federer would give the twenty-seven-year-old the lead he needed to push Federer over the edge and into the loser's circle, Roger's worst performance at a major in ten years. Stakhovsky won most of the big points and kept the pressure on and precise to give the crowd yet another startle after Nadal's loss on Monday. 2 for 2 is the tally as far as the fallen of the Big Four are concerned. Is there more astonishment left in the bag for us or is a Murray-Djokovic final around the corner?

Federer waves goodbye at Wimbledon 2013

Jo-Wilfriend Tsonga

This is not the way Frenchman Jo-Willy Tsonga wanted to imitate the form of Spanish conqueror Rafa Nadal, I can safely assume. But both men have now lost their bids to be crowned Wimbledon 2013 champ thanks to bothersome left knees. The odds of Tsonga actually taking the title weren't very high in our minds to begin with, but now that he's given Latvian Ernests Gulbis a free pass into the third round, we must begin to wonder which country - or even continent - has a Grand Slam that the twenty-eight-year-old can win. He was well on his way, after defeating Federer in straights, to claiming the home crown at Roland Garros (and his first major title) less than three weeks ago but it was Rafa who took home the title for a record eighth time. Now, both France and Spain have lost their top players and the path looks clear as day for Djokovic to lift the trophy for the second time. Oh well, maybe next year Jo....

John Isner

Towering over most of the other contenders on tour at 6'9", American John Isner came into All-England Club this year among the few players with warm-up tourney titles under their belts. Isner had impressively won the Campbell's Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, Rhode Island just a few days ago by beating Aussie legend Lleyton Hewitt. High hopes are what he had to reach further in the rounds this year on the grass courts at Wimbledon, but after an injury timeout, he was forced to retire in his second round match versus Adrian Mannarino of France. Now America's last hope probably rests on the racket of 16-time major winner Serena Williams. Now, that's not so much of a wild dream, is it...

Steve Darcis

We said the gods of fortune wouldn't favor Steve Darcis - the man who beat Nadal on Monday - for too long. Darcis, the Belgian who seems to have instigated this upset domino effect, did not even step on court today for his second round match against Kubot of Poland, but withdrew with right shoulder pain after revealing to the press that a dive during his match against Nadal left him unable to move his arm after the adrenaline had worn off. So sorrow follows joy, but Darcis should be back next year for more; this isn't the first time he's had to deal with shoulder injuries and Ye Olde English Club could use a jaw-dropper of a match like that next year.

Also out, says tennis.com: "10th-seeded Marin Cilic (walkover, left knee); 2006 quarterfinalist Radek Stepanek (retirement, left hamstring); and Yaroslava Shvedova (walkover, right arm)."

The plot does grow thicker as the doubts shrink thinner for Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams. If the misfortune plaguing their best rivals does not touch them, they're almost guaranteed the singles titles. But, as we very well know.....it's too soon to say.

Top contenders left in the draw at Wimbledon 2013

For more information, stay here!

Breathe tennis!!

Nadal Can't Cope With Grass

Wimbledon, Day 1

Serena Williams avenged her early round upset at the French Open last year by claiming the title this year, eleven years after her first title victory there. Nadal couldn't even match his second round loss here last year to Lukas Rosol; he fell to Steve Darcis of Belgium on Monday, who is ranked 135th in the world, in his first round match on Centre Court.

Rafa warded off break points in his first two service games, already seeming shaky with some slips in the grass. Darcis would be quick and merciless in exploiting what was obviously his best chance to beat a top ten player for the very first time.

Commentators assumed that Nadal was merely finding his range during the first few games, wherein he was misjudging and mistiming shots, and eventually found himself triple break point down at 2-2. Tenacious net play and smart serving allowed him to save all three and then hold for a 3-2 lead.

But surprises were more than in store as Darcis broke Nadal in the eleventh game to lead 6-5 in the first set.

Counter-puncher Rafa would never concede defeat without a fight and broke back to force a tiebreak (It's strange, watching a twelve-time Grand Slam champion struggle to play catch-up), but Darcis was rolling with the momentum and quickly took the first set after one hour of play.

Set two was where the source of the problem became abundantly clear. The delicate knee, which held strong to give Rafa a record eighth French Open trophy just one week before, was finally showing signs of weariness and weakness after almost five months into the Spaniard's comeback tour.

Nadal's massive upper body strength facilitated decent serves and service holds for the first ten games of this set. He did not get a decent look at a break point on Steve Darcis's serve until the eleventh game, at which point Nadal was visibly uncomfortable - moving tentatively, returning awfully and barely allowing his body weight to fall on the left leg. Yet still, he broke for a 6-5 lead.

Serving for the set, I doubt anyone in the crowd anticipated the stroke of misfortune and immovability that brought him to 0-30 down in a matter of seconds, with the net cord and his knee both conspiring against him. Darcis's relentless play would then produce a break back to play out the second set in another tiebreaker.

In no time at all, Darcis had earned the second set 7-6 (10-8), dismissing Nadal's set points with ease.

Now chipping in every return of serve short and without much pace, chasing nothing, limping around, trying to run around every backhand (and failing miserably), missing practically all his first serves and struggling just to hold serve, Nadal found himself in heaps of trouble and in a more painful predicament than last year when the knee pain first arose: by favoring the right knee so greatly, he was essentially putting it under the same pressure that caused the left knee to fail.

But Darcis would not be distracted and maintained his assault on the injured Mallorcan, quickly making his way to 5-4 after two hours and fifty-three minutes. With the chance to serve it out, and Rafa looking as despondent and brave-faced as ever, the twenty-nine-year-old from Belgium whipped an ace down the tee, to which Nadal barely responded, and pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Wimbledon history by beating a former champion in the first round, and certainly the greatest match win of his life.

Did Rafa predict that playing back-to-back majors with no warm-up tournaments and only a week of recovery in between would place far too much strain in transitioning his body? He has never lost in the first round of his previous 34 major campaigns but was keen in pre-match interviews not to admit whether he felt he could win the title and, although 1987 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash expressed his confidence in Nadal's ability to pull through and win the title, someone in Rafa's camp must have known what an ask this was.

This takes nothing away from Steve Darcis, who played an amazing match chock-full of hot shots and such daring improvisation as is only really expected of players 125 spots or more above his ranking. The 5'10" right-hander is due to play Lukasz Kubot of Poland on Wednesday.

The lowest ranked player to ever win at the All England Club was Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia, who was ranked 125 at the time, BUT Australian Mark Edmondson who took his homeland title in 1976 when he was ranked 212th in the world, so it isn't entirely impossible for Darcis to defy the odds and win the championship.

However, with the top four players still looming in the imminent later rounds, I predict the Belgian isn't going to strike lightning twice, thrice or four more times.

For match highlights, click here.

Steve Darcis (L) d. Rafael Nadal (R) in Round 1 at Wimbledon

Federer Dismisses Hanescu

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer got off to a great start earlier on Monday with a  3-0 lead over Romanian Victor Hanescu. Hanescu was only able to hold serve in the fourth game but the score would soon be 5-2 and Roger would serve it out 6-3 after a must-hold from the Romanian.

Six minutes into the second set, Fed was again up 2-0, breaking Hanescu in the opening service game. Hanescu was trying to be aggressive but only came up with a pile of errors and handed the set to the Swiss former No. 1, 6-2.

By the third set, Roger was almost toying with Victor, turning virtually every shot into a winner. Down 0-4, Hanescu had reached the point where the crowd would cheer wildly on the rare occasion that he did win a point. On Hanescu's serve, Fed hit a lob good enough to foil the 6'6" frame of the Romanian to go up 5-0 and serve out the match.

After just one hour and nine minutes on centre court, Roger Federer had gotten the best of Victor Hanescu 6-3, 6-2, 6-0.

For match highlights, click here.

Victor Hanescu of Romania

Sharapova Must Fight to Best Mladenovic

Maria Sharapova did not breeze through her opening match on Court 1 this Monday. Serbia-born French player Kristina Mladenovic (ranked 37th) stayed toe to toe with the 2004 Wimbledon champion throughout most of the first set.

Suffering a lapse in concentration over a scuff with the umpire about a serving rule during a point replay (about which she was sorely mistaken), Sharapova almost lost the first set but regrouped with excellent serving to take it 7-6 (7-5) in a tough tiebreak.

Finally remembering her ranking, Mladenovic began serving poorly in the second set and allowed MaSha too much leeway with a 4-1 lead over her.

Much more resolute than in her earlier years, Sharapova did not falter in grabbing the match with a 6-3 second set win.

For match highlights, click here.

Maria Sharapova (R) d. Kristina Mladenovic (L) in Round 1 at Wimbledon

Murray and Azarenka Also Through to 2R

Murray had little trouble displacing Benjamin Becker of Germany with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win on the grass courts at Wimbledon. British #1 Murray surrendered an early lead in the first and was late on seizing a break point, but it came with a set point then and there was nothing more Becker could do.

Vika battled through knee pain after an awkward slide in the grass to win her match against

Maria João Koehler of Portual 6-1, 6-2, after eliminating break point in the last service game.

Match highlights of Murray/Becker can be watched here; Azarenka/Koehler here.

Continue staying with us for all the latest updates at the All-England Club.

Breathe tennis!!

Wimbledon Live Streaming

I'm so sorry I forgot to post the link for live streaming.

You can watch today's matches and much more by clicking right here.

Enjoy it!

Breathe tennis!!

Wimbledon Preamble

We've undergone a fantastic start to the grass season this year. The draws are out, the schedule is set, and the regular crop of superstars is already settled in and practicing ahead of the Royal Games at Wimbledon.

A series of warm-up tournaments have been rolled up inside the trophy cases of such contenders as Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Nicolas Mahut.


Murray Wins at Queens

At the Aegon Championships in Queens, Andy Murray uprooted Croatian defending champ Marin Cilic to reclaim the ATP 250 series title since he (Murray) last won it in 2011. The two exchanged the first two sets at 7-5, with Murray losing the first and Cilic showing some smart moves that even the defending US Open champ couldn't conquer. But the British No. 1 was not to be pushed around in the decider and impressively earned his third Queens title (the first being in 2009).

Andy Murray d. Marin Cilic 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 at Queens, London

Federer Wins at Halle

At the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, meanwhile, Mikhail Youzhny of Russia could do precious little to stop top player Roger Federer from claiming his sixth victory at the ATP 250 series tournament. The crowd was eating up both men's performances, even as Mikhail won the first set 7-6. But the second set went more in Roger's direction, as Youzhny double-faulted himself into a 3-5 pit amid yells of frustration and increasing errors on both wings. The decider was much the same story; Federer sped through it to win, all smiles, his favorite warm-up tourney ahead of Wimbledon.

Roger Federer d. Mikhail Youzhny 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 at Halle, Germany

Mahut Wins in the Netherlands

Swiss  No. 2 player Stanislas Wawrinka was more than a bit out of rhythm in his finals match against Frenchman Nicolas Mahut. Stan was outsmarted, outmaneuvered and outpaced by Mahut's noteworthy finesse with the ball on the grass court at 's-Hertogenbosch (or Den Bosch, to avoid the mouthful) and surrendered the match in straight sets. This is Mahut's first title win at the Topshelf Open (formerly known as the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships) and his first title of the year.

Nicolas Mahu d. Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-4 at Den Bosch, Netherlands

Lopez Wins at Eastbourne 

Spaniard  Feliciano Lopez recorded his first ATP title win in three years by defeating Gilles Simon of France at the Aegon International in Eastbourne, UK. The first set tiebreak went the way of the lefty Lopez, while Simon took the second set in another tiebreaker. However, Lopez got an early break in the deciding third and raced to a 5-0 lead against Simon, who seemed too discouraged to turn things around. Lopez had match point with a break opportunity on Simon's serve when the Frenchman slipped on the grass and sailed the final forehand long, awarding Lopez the win while he sat, defeated, on his bum.

Feliciano Lopez d. Gilles Simon 7-6, 6-7, 6-0 at Eastbourne, UK

 Isner Wins at Newport

American John Isner has made it a hat trick at the Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, Rhode Island by beating Australian Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4. [The highlights video for this match will be posted when available.]

John Isner with Hall of Fame trophy in 2013

Other ATP top players like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have opted to show up at Wimbledon without warm-up titles under their belts, so how can we expect them to perform on the grass at the All-England Club, where play begins on Monday, June 24?

For Novak, it will be a much smoother transition as his athleticism is unlikely to be hampered by the surface on which the 2011 Wimbledon champion has proven he can handle. For Rafa, however, with his recovering knee and preference for faster surfaces, this may be a real challenge. Roger Federer, a seven-time champion here, will not be feeling too unfamiliar, while Andy Murray must have a bit of vengeance on his mind as he fell to the Swiss No. 1 just last year in an emotional battle that ended in tears.

Moreover, the draws have placed Djokovic in a world of his own in the top half, whereas Nadal, Federer and Murray are all crowding up the bottom half. An upset seems inevitable and we can't really tell at this point who's going to be sent packing prematurely.

What we can do is watch closely for signs of strength (and weakness) and continue to.....

 Breathe tennis!!