Yardbarker: Tennis

The Gift and the Curse of the Student-Athlete

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:54:54 -0500

They are dedicated and busy- very busy. Student-athletes are renowned for balancing heavy academic workloads with lofty athletic goals. Moving seamlessly between the lab and the court, they do it without the faintest hint of difficulty. They do so not because it's easy, but rather because of an innate appreciation for gamesmanship and competition. There exists a voice only athletes can hear. It is the voice that drives a twenty-one year old full-time student to stay late on weekdays perfecting a stroke, serve or volley. Jessica Ruth has an unimposing and friendly presence off the court. In a match though, an audience is likely to see her brows furrowed with a tenacious intensity. Standing at 5'4, the Novato, California native isn't especially intimidating, yet her aggressive, quick play has her ranked 4th in the western region in singles. Ruth lost only one singles match all the season- to the regions top ranked player, and leads a 2008 team ranked 19th in the nation in DIII play. She's played the game since she was eight years old, battling between the highs of success and the lows of injury while tight-roping the academic, athletic line. As a freshman at UC Irvine in 2005, Ruth injured her left shoulder before transferring to UC Santa Cruz the following autumn. As a senior neuroscience major with a 3.2 G.P.A. Ruth has proven capable of finding time for both academia and athletics. Yet she has not been aided by the sympathy of the UCSC academic staff, as is often the case at Division I universities with prominent athletic programs. "In the spring we travel a lot because of tournaments and the fact that we're the only DIII team in the region," Ruth said. "But professors don't understand the athletic program here, or the amount of time involved." Ultimately, students are constantly striving to stay caught up in class and on the court. On the court at least Ruth has had the support of fellow teammate Megan Sweeney. For the past two years Sweeney and Ruth have been doubles partners and this year are ranked the 3rd best doubles team in the region. As a four-year veteran of the team, Berkeley native and senior Megan Sweeney is one of three fourth-year players, including Ruth and Chayla Furlong, whose leadership proved instrumental this season. The two are now thriving in their second year as doubles partners. "This is their second year playing together," Head Coach Erin Ness said. "They understand where to move; they read each others body language well and adjust quickly-when ones off their game the other helps reignite the fire." Sweeney, a fourth year Sociology major and education minor plans to give back to the community as a teacher. She will look back at her last year with fond memories. "I'll remember how much heart this team has," Sweeney said. "How much pure determination, will and heart can accomplish." The two's individual play has also greatly improved in the past year, and has resulted in an even more venomous doubles team. Sweeney improved her range and last summer Ruth worked meticulously to improve her volleys -a shot the player hits before the ball hits the ground, usually nearer to the net. A combination of athleticism, intensity and camaraderie has helped them to lead a young team. Outside of tennis, Ruth and Sweeney are housemates and close friends. "They've become more aggressive, they move more to the net; take more chances and are wholly more fearless than in the past," Ness said. "They're really good friends and their personal relationship outside of tennis is really strong." Both players are primed to graduate this spring, "This is the end of the road," Ruth said. Senior Chayla Furlong alluded to the special quality of the current team's make-up. "I'll never forget how much we cared about each other," Furlong said. "How we came out and played for each other, it's something I don't know I'll ever be able to have again."

Serena Williams is Queen of the Washington Kastles

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:19:28 -0500

If I were a member of the Washington Kastles, I'd be pissed at Serena Williams. She gets to sashay in for one match, catch all of the area blogging heat, and roll like the city's World Team Tennis franchise is her own personal vehicle for a field trip to the nation's capital.

Rafael Nadal Is Coming for That Number One Spot

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 05:33:22 -0500

"Whoa! Don't slip up or get got! (Why not man?) I'm comin' for that number one spot!"--Ludacris, "Number One Spot" The official computer rankings still say otherwise but Rafael Nadal's 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7 victory over Roger Federer in the Wimbledon Final certainly seems to signal a changing of the guard at the top of the tennis world. Nadal became the first male player to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year since Bjorn Borg, who incredibly accomplished this feat three years in a row (1978-80). Federer retains his number one overall ranking but no one can really consider him to be the best player in the world now: Nadal not only owns a 12-6 head to head advantage over Federer but Nadal defeated Federer in this year's French Open and Wimbledon Finals. The clay at Roland Garros is Nadal's best surface and he has won four straight titles there, matching Borg's record (1978-81), but Wimbledon's grass had been home turf for Federer, who was seeking to break another Borg record by capturing a sixth straight Wimbledon title. After Federer beat Nadal in a tough five set match in last year's Wimbledon Final, I predicted that Nadal would flip the script this year: "I think that Nadal is closer to beating Federer on grass than Federer is to beating Nadal on clay and that 2008 could very well be Nadal's opportunity to match another Borg feat: winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year." Then, when Nadal destroyed Federer in straight sets in this year's French Open Final, I declared, "For quite some time, people have been trying to anoint Federer as the greatest tennis player of all-time but despite his impressive accomplishments it makes no sense to confer that title on him when it is not even certain that he will be considered the best player of the current era: his main rival Nadal owns an 11-6 head to head record against him and has come much closer to beating him on the grass at Wimbledon than Federer has come to defeating him on the clay at the French Open. Considering that Nadal is almost five years younger than Federer it is entirely possible that he will eclipse what Federer has done; after all, five years ago Federer had just won his first Grand Slam, while Nadal already owns four Grand Slam titles, beating Federer along the way each time." It is interesting that it takes the combined efforts of the two best players of this era to challenge the marks that Borg set three decades ago; Nadal has been taking aim at Borg's French Open records, while Federer has been pursuing Borg's Wimbledon standards. By winning at both venues this year Nadal has elevated himself above Federer and if Nadal adds some more Wimbledon and French Open trophies to his collection then it will be possible to compare his career to Borg's. Prior to the Federer-Nadal Wimbledon Final, three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe recalled his two Wimbledon battles with Borg. In the 1980 Wimbledon Final, McEnroe won the fourth set tiebreak and seemed poised to end Borg's Wimbledon winning streak at four titles, but Borg bounced back to capture the fifth set and thus earn his fifth Wimbledon crown. McEnroe recalled, "When I won that fourth set breaker, I said, 'This thing is over. I think I'm going to get it done. He's won four in a row. He can't dig that much deeper and want it that much more badly.' He taught me a lesson that true champions--great, great champions--find another gear and find some more willpower. He made me hungrier. I think there is a very similar situation with what happened last year with Federer. He was in the fifth set and Nadal had him on the ropes...I know Nadal thought he should have won the match and I know I thought that I should have won that match in 1980. Federer showed that extra will...(In 2008) Nadal has found another gear and he's gotten quite a bit better." McEnroe's words proved to be very prescient. McEnroe added, "We should really appreciate this moment for what it is, the magnitude of the occasion for our sport. We do try to build up every Final but in this particular case I think that it is justified. When I played Borg in 1981 and won that match little did I ever think that that would be his final match here at Wimbledon. Who would have thought that (Justine) Henin would quit 10 days before the French Open? I'm not suggesting that's going to happen with Federer...but I think that we should enjoy this for the spectacular occasion that it is." Nadal jumped on Federer right from the start, taking advantage of three of his first four break point opportunities to claim a two sets to none lead; Federer actually had more break point opportunities during those sets (six) but he only converted one of them. As ESPN commentator Patrick McEnroe put it late in the second set, "Every crucial point somehow Nadal has found a way to win it." While Nadal was making points, Federer was making excuses, visibly upset that gusts of wind affected some of his shots; of course, the same thing happened to Nadal as well and Patrick McEnroe said, "Federer has to get it out of his head because nobody is going to remember that it was windy if he loses this match." Federer did not convert any of his break point opportunities in the third and fourth sets but he scored "mini breaks" in both tiebreakers to win those sets. Nadal raced to a 5-2 lead in the fourth set tiebreaker and later squandered two match points, including one on his serve. Incredibly, after taking a two sets to none lead Nadal came within three points of losing the match in the fifth set before rallying to win the 14th game. Nadal then broke Federer--the first break by either player since the second set--and held serve to win the match. Nadal and Federer both played at a very high level in this match and it is doubtful that any other player in the world could have beaten Federer on Sunday. Nevertheless, Federer's candidacy for the hypothetical title of greatest player of all-time has taken a serious beating this year. The lack of a French Open title is a giant hole in Federer's resume, as is the fact that his main rival is much younger than he is and has a dominant score in their head to head encounters; it does not seem likely that Federer will be able to do much to address either situation: if Federer could not win the French Open or have an overall advantage versus Nadal during his prime years then it is not logical to expect him to reverse those trends now. Even when Federer was at the absolute peak of his powers Nadal still held the head to head advantage, a fact that some people dismissed by noting that the vast majority of Nadal's wins over Federer came on clay--but that is not relevant in a discussion about the greatest player of all-time, because the greatest player of all-time should be able to win on multiple surfaces and should not have a losing record against his main rival. Nadal is just entering his prime years but he already owns four more Grand Slam wins than Federer did at the same age. Just like I thought that it was too soon to call Federer the greatest of all-time two or three years ago, I think that it is too soon to call Nadal the greatest of all-time now--but in many ways Nadal seems to be making a more potent case to claim that title than Federer ever did. Who can say for sure that in four or five years Nadal won't own more career Grand Slam titles than Federer's 12? Nadal has more speed and hits with more power than Federer and Nadal is also in better physical condition; perhaps Federer has a more delicate touch on certain shots but that is not enough to cancel out Nadal's advantages. The closeness of the Wimbledon Final--Nadal scored just five more points than Federer--is a little deceptive because, as Patrick McEnroe noted, Nadal seemed to win all of the big points. Obviously, that is not literally true or else Nadal would have triumphed in straight sets but whatever mystique or aura that Federer has relative to other players simply does not affect Nadal at all.

Venus vs. Serena

Venus Williams — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:27:17 -0500

In the 2008 Wimbledon match the two finalists were of course the two Williams sisters. Venus received her fifth Wimbledon singles crown since she last won in 2001. After Venus's win in the Grand Slam in 2001 the tables turned and it was her kid sister Serena who became the dominant tennis player between he two. The match was intense and exciting to watch. However, when it was all over and Venus claimed her victory, Serena was not happy with the results. But of course who would be happy with a loss to an older sibling. I would like to congratulate Venus on her win and many accomplishments but more importantly for being a gracious as well as an outstanding big sister. When interviewed, Venus spoke very highly of Serena and was very modest with the win. Oh but lets not forget that Serena was wearing the facial expression "I cannot believe I just lost to her!" Again Venus was very classy with her victory and for that she has proven she is indeed a true champion. "No one can possibly know what is about to happen: it is happening, each time, for the first time, for the only time." (James Baldwin) Sincerely Yours, Lady Luck

Is Anna Kournikova as hot as she used to be?

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:35:07 -0500

I know how much you all like the new Ana, but tell me, is the old Anna still bringin' her A-game?

Liga Dekmeijere

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:29:43 -0500

Liga Dekmeijere's shirt says "All men are dangerous." But we think Liga is pretty dangerous herself. The Latvian beauty has a WTA doubles ranking of 87, and won her first WTA doubles title earlier this year at Vina del Mar, Chile. She reached another WTA doubles final a few weeks ago at S'Hertogenbosch.

Liga began playing tennis at age six and is coached by her father. Perhaps that's who taught her the two-handed backhand. She has a sister who captains Latvian women's national hockey team.

In addition to Liga's recent highlights on the WTA doubles circuit, she has won around 16 career doubles title in ITF tournaments.

Venus Wins Wimbledon

Venus Williams — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:29:38 -0500

She's Venus, and yeah, baby, she's got it: Venus Williams won Wimbledon 2008. It's her fifth Wimbledon singles championship, and she beat sister Serena 7-5, 6-4, to get it. Venus also won Wimbledon in 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2007.

Venus And Serena Williams To Meet In Wimbledon Final

Serena Williams — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:33:53 -0500

Venus and Serena Williams will face each other in the Wimbledon final for the third time in their careers. Saturday will mark the seventh time the sisters have battled in a Grand Slam final with the younger Serena holding a 5-1 record over big sis. Venus Williams is a five-time Wimbledon champion, but it’s gonna [...]

Venus and Serena Williams inspirational for six-foot tall African-American multi-millionaire women everywhere

Serena Williams — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:33:36 -0500

WIMBLEDON — As Venus and Serena Williams advanced to the finals of Wimbledon's womens singles to play each other for the third time, Candace Parker took note. "Venus and Serena are… Read more

Federer tears ACL

Marat Safin — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:33:36 -0500

ALL ENGLAND LAWN TENNIS AND CROQUET CLUB — Reports from Wimbledon indicate that Roger Federer has torn his ACL prior to the finale of the annual lawn tennis tournament. Apparently, Federer intentionally blew… Read more

Email from George Bodenheimer to Roger Federer regarding proposed Wimbledon coverage

Rafael Nadal — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:33:36 -0500

SSNN has obtained an exclusive communication from George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN, to Roger Federer, regarding Wimbledon. The text of the email is below. From: George Bodenheimer [espnsenor@yahoo.ca] Date: Thu, Jul 3, 2008 at… Read more

Nadal proposes that Wimbledon final renamed, played in a better location

Rafael Nadal — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:33:35 -0500

WIMBLEDON — SSNN has learned that Rafael Nadal has made an unusual request on the eve of his Wimbledon finals date with Roger Federer. According to sources, Nadal has requested that… Read more

A match everyone could love: Nadal/Federer

Rafael Nadal — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:48:28 -0500

When we look back, the 2008 Wimbledon final will prove to be the best tennis match of this generation. The quality of play between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer was way beyond that of any match that I have seen in my lifetime. Spectacular shot followed by spectacular shot. Even John McEnroe called it, "the greatest match ever." Watch the epic fifth set again, I had to.

Roger Federer's Wimbledon Dominion Ends

Rafael Nadal — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:10:19 -0500

The Wimbledon ambiance, if asked by any tennis player or person, their response will undoubtedly be, "there's nothing like it". The history this tournament strikes in the mind of a person is extraordinary and the matches played on the soft grass court, brilliant. And with a typical England afternoon brewing – History wasn't about to change itself. www.rawsportsblog.com

Greatest Tennis Match Ever?

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:26:50 -0500

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were both playing at the top of their games, and they turned in one of the great performances of the year. So often these "epic" matches don't live up to the hype and the media-manufactured rivalries are duds. This match was one of the rare times that reality exceeds expectations.

2008 Wimbledon Final (Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal) Fifth Set Replay

Rafael Nadal — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:53:00 -0500

Relive the dramatics, courtesy of NBC Sports!

In the Midst of Greatness

Roger Federer — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:52:39 -0500

The rivalry between the Top Two Men's Tennis players was already intense going into the Wimbledon finals, but everything got ratcheted up a few notches after one of the most exciting Grand Slam Finals ever. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have built an epic rivalry that has given the sport a huge boost in popularity. The sky's the limit for Tennis right now.

Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal = Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Manny Pacquiao of Tennis

Rafael Nadal — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:20:20 -0500

The Spanish soccer team got it done at Euro 2008, and it was Rafael Nadal's turn to break Roger Federer's 5-year Wimbledon winning streak on Sunday. This was the tennis equivalent of Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez III or Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Manny Pacquiao II, two hard-hitting boxing punchfests that were so tight that they went down to split decisions. If you are a yuppie, then Tiger Woods' playoff victory over Rocco Mediate in the U.S. Open may be a more apt comparison. Thanks to ESPN

Junior Wimbledon summary

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:39:27 -0500

While everyone on centre court and around Britain was watching Andy Murray get annihilated by Nadal a few days ago, another British tennis sensation slipped in under the radar. Shining new star Laura Robson became the first home player since Annabel Croft in 1984 to win the girls' singles title with a victory Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand - and then full of confidence served notice that she's after Venus Williams' crown as the queen of Wimbledon.

Women More Versitile Players Than Men?

Serena Williams — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:18:22 -0500

At the end of the day, are the Williams sisters better players than Rafa and Rog, who only play singles? And if Rafa and Rog *did* play doubles often, would their singles careers suffer or would they also thrive in doubles (whether they played together or with other partners)? Attached is an old article describing a time when Rafa played against Feds, in doubles! This year, both of the Williams sisters could not win singles, but one did and the other was runner-up. Additionally, they did win the Ladies' Doubles. And get this, one of the losers of Ladies' Doubles, Sam Stosur, did win in Mixed Doubles with Bob Bryan, who made it to the Men's Doubles semi's with twin Mike. Usually you're a doubles specialist or a singles player. Rafa does play doubles here and there, usually paired with his buddies Feli Lopez, Tommy Robredo or Carlos "Moyini" Moya, but Roger rarely plays doubles. Is Feds just selfish? Most of the top male singles players do not really play doubles, or succeed in both. Interesting that there are generally more top female singles players who play both singles and doubles than men. Why is that?

Rafael Nadal Has An Oral Fixation

Rafael Nadal — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:24:17 -0500

After his epic win over Roger Federer at Wimbledon, racqueteer Rafael Nadal subjected his new hardware to his strange tradition of the trophy bite. Not many people know where this originated from, but here is some totally unfounded speculation that you can pretend to pass off as fact.

Rafael Nadal breaks through with epic win at Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:54:31 -0500

He had to fail in the previous three Wimbledon finals to Roger Federer before he could win here. He had to endure several rain delays. He was up two sets before losing two tiebreakers. He had to go up against history. Federer was on his way to winning a sixth straight Wimbledon title, this was a championship the Swiss Number One owned, and he probably felt more at home on Centre Court than he did at his home in Switzerland. Nadal was also trying to become the first person since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win both Wimbledon and the French Open in the same year...

New WTA Rankings: Ivanovic and Jankovic No. 1 and No. 2; US Open Series Just Got More Interesting...

Ana Ivanovic — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:07:31 -0500

Ana Ivanovic will retain her No. 1 ranking and Jelena Jankovic will rise to the No. 2 spot when the new rankings are released next week. The other big news is that Agnieszka Radwanska will debut in the top 10, in the 10th ranking spot. Maria Sharapova will drop a spot to No. 3. Next in the rankings: Svetlana Kuznetsova at No. 4, Serena Williams at No. 5, Elena Dementieva at No. 6, and Venus Williams at a ranking of 7th in the world. The new rankings might not represent a huge "shake up" to casual observers or even most tennis fans, but I think the US Open Series might be pretty interesting considering how much movement in and out of the top 5 could occur before the US Open. Jelena Jankovic over-scheduled last summer and has a ton of points to defend, for example. Serena Williams has no points to defend, however, and is scheduled to play Stanford and Los Angeles. I think we'll see some blockbuster match ups this summer that actually build anticipation, like the summer Kim Clijsters rolled. And, I think what happens this summer might also impact the rankings a bit, meaning a quarterfinal or semifinal in Los Angeles or Montreal might actually determine who meets who in the quarters or semis in Flushing. Even though players say publicly that they don't care about the rankings, it's not inconceivable that the road to the final would include for someone like Sharapova, current No. 3, would include at least one Williams and both Serbs. And given the way everyone in the top 10 has been playing this year, I think players will really want to avoid this if possible... STANFORD Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, and Anna Chakvetadze are entered, as is Marion Bartoli, who might be able to work her way back into the top 10 over the course of the summer. LOS ANGELES Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Anna Chakvetadze, and Dinara Safina are entered. MONTREAL Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova, Elena Dementieva, Venus Williams, Anna Chakvetadze, and Dinara Safina are slated to play. NEW HAVEN Dinara Safina is the highest ranked player to commit so far. Agnieszka Radwanska, Marion Bartoli, and Agnes Szavay are also scheduled to play. In years past, big names have played the event (Davenport, Henin, and Mauresmo), and Svetlana Kuznetsova is the defending champ, so it's a safe bet that the entry list for this event will grow in the weeks to come. CINCY (I'm actually not sure if this event counts). Really too early to tell who'll play and Marion Bartoli is the only "top ranked" play to say she'll be there. Anna Chakvetadze is the defending champ, so I expect Chakvetadze to return, and would be disappointed if Agnieszka Radwanska didn't also enter the event.

HAS ANYONE NOTICED THIS BUT ME??

Rafael Nadal — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:32:23 -0500

Has no one commented on the striking resemblance between the tennis balls and Nadal's strings and a majority of the color on his racket? Doesn't this create an unfair advantage of seeing the ball come off the racket? I can't remember the last time I saw someone use these same exact colors. I think it's like hiding the ball in table tennis servers which is not legal. Any comments??

Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal Wimbledon 2008 Final: Preview

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:44:22 -0500

The final of the most celebrated Grand Slam cannot get better than this. Roger Federer aims to become the first player in 122 years to win Wimbledon for Six consecutive times and the challenger from Mallorca Nadal is aiming to be the first man since Bjorn

Venus ousts sister Serena for Wimbledon Championship

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:54:33 -0500

The Williams sisters have been two of the more dominant tennis players in the past few years, and today they squared off again in the Wimbledon Final with Venus coming out on top. This is only the second victory for Venus over younger sister Serena, and is "the seventh Grand Slam singles title for Venus Williams, who has also won the U.S. Open twice."

Venus Beats Serena For Wimbledon Championship

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:14:58 -0500

For older siblings everywhere, Venus Williams' Wimbledon championship victory over her sister Serena Williams was a bittersweet triumph. No one wants to one up their younger sibling, but you got the sense in this match that Venus and Serena have reached a competitive point in their careers when they are willing to give each other their best. In prior championship match-ups, the Williams sisters looked all the part of nervous sisters not trying to make the other look bad. Time, fame and prestige seems to have taken the awkward nature out of their rivalry, as Venus was unwilling to concede early struggles in the match, and Serena was unwilling to be a gracious loser in the post-match presser. It must be difficult to to be the best tennis player in the world and realize your most worthy rival is your own flesh and blood. But that's the nature of the Williams' strangle hold on tennis, and it looks like they are finally allowing their competitive spirit against each other a chance to breathe.

Federer vs. Nadal at Wimbledon: A Historic Matchup

Roger Federer — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:53:26 -0500

There are only a few times in sports when you know history will be made before the event even happens. Sure, each champion in any sport will be duly recorded, but certain games and matches are always remembered as being classics or changes of the guard. Some events transcend the normal interest in the sport. Decades from now, the 2008 Wimbledon final Sunday between Federer and Nadal will be remembered. Even if the match itself isn't outstanding or doesn't go 5 sets, the result will be monumental for the victor and put either man even more decisively in the record books. Roger Federer has dominated men's tennis for the past 5 years. He is poised to win a record 6th straight Wimbledon Championship, thrusting himself within one of the record for Wimbledon Championships and career Grand Slam titles. With a victory in the French Open, Bjorn Borg would have declared Federer the greatest player ever. However, this year has been relatively tough for Roger. His record streak of 10 consecutive Grand Slam singles finals was broken at the Australian Open, and he was beaten badly by Nadal in the final at Roland Garros. Winning at the French would give Federer the Career Grand Slam and probably secure his status as best ever, but Nadal seemed to have stretched his advantage over Federer on the clay. In addition to the records, a win by Federer reaffirms his status as the #1 player in the world, a status which is in danger for the first time in years. Rafael Nadal is the young upcomer, dominant at the French Open, expanding his game and dominance ever outward. Last year, he took Federer to the absolute limit in 5 sets in the Wimbledon final. A victory by Nadal would make him the presumptive #1 player in the world, winner of 2 Grand Slams this year to Federer's 0. Nadal would be the first player since Borg in 1980 to win the French and Wimbledon in the same year. This is already his 7th Grand Slam final at the age of 22, all of them at Wimbledon (3) and the French (4). In addition, Federer and Nadal is the greatest current individual sports rivalry. This is the modern version of Sampras and Agassi, except not as popular here because neither player is American. This is the third consecutive year that Federer and Nadal have played each other in both the French Open and Wimbledon finals. How awesome is that? That's the kind of drama and intensity we want from Tiger and Phil. It's what we could have hoped for from the Williams sisters. Federer, the older, composed veteran with all the titles, against the young Nadal, full of emotion and raw power looking to take the older man's crown. On the court, both men have been at the top of their games, losing only 1 set combined throughout Wimbledon. Nadal's punishing pace looks just as effective as it was on the clay, and he's served great. Federer has won 5 straight in London, and even though he struggled earlier this year, he's been in top form so far this fortnight. Both men have confidence, both know they are capable of winning. There is no underdog angle to play, even Vegas has it pretty much even money. For most Americans, this is a great opportunity to sit back and enjoy some incredible tennis, at a level at which only 2 players can perform. This could be the match of the decade. You just have to wake up early to watch. Prediction: Nadal over Federer, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-7, 10-8. Don't forget there's no tiebreaker in the 5th set.

The Venus vs. Serena Matches Rigged?

Venus Williams — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:00:36 -0500

After Elena Dementieva was ushered outta Wimby by Venus, she commented on what the Finals will look like. "It's really hard," she said. "For sure it's going to be a family decision. They know their game very well. So maybe there is not so much fight in the end." Made it sound like dad, Richard, just flips a coin to see who should win the match when the Williams sisters go head-to-head, or that maybe they just take turns winning. Venus' response: "I'm extremely professional in everything that I do on and off the court. I contribute my best in my sport and I also have a ton of respect for myself and my family. So any mention of that is extremely disrespectful for who I am, what I stand for, and my family." No matter what Dementieva meant by her comment, and whether or not her English is just struggling, it'll be another duel for the ages. When asked a few days ago what she thought of the fact that her sister is favored between the two of them, Serena replied, "I don't know why anyone would say that when I'm still in the draw, what are you ON!?"

The Death of Tennis Is Greatly Exaggerated

Rafael Nadal — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:33:38 -0500

Sports fans don't care about tennis. At least that's what you always hear from blogs, television reports, your friends, the drunk guy outside that falafel stand downtown ("Did you hear, man? No one cares about tennis. Also, Jesus is coming tomorrow and he's purple, man.").