What a day!

It's a shame the Best Day in Tennis falls on a Monday. (At least for those of you required to work full-time during the summer.) The Wimbledon action was terrific today! So much so that Prince William and Kate Middleton initiated a standing ovation.

My heartiest applause wasn't for British hope, Andy Murray, but rather for Marion Bartoli AND Serena Williams. (Yes, I said 'Serena.' She may not be a gracious sportswoman, but she's a gritty fighter, and I can't help but admire that.) "Definitely not our best day," said Serena's sister, Venus, who (SPOILER) lost in straight sets today, just like her little sister. However, and particularly in Serena's match against Bartoli, the level of play was incredibly high. Tons of power, tons of amazing angles. So fun to watch! Bartoli was amped up the whole match, like a female version of Nadal. And, to her credit, Serena was determined and focused the whole way through, despite clearly not being in top condition. The match was dramatic, intense and impressive -- everything a Grand Slam tennis match should be.

Unfortunately, I missed Wozniacki-Cibulkova. The score indicates that it was a tough fight, too. Anybody see any part of that match?

Speaking of (typically) tough fighters, Nadal lost some favor with me today. Near the end of the first set against Del Potro, and with the score 6-6 and the momentum clearly on his opponent's side, Nadal took an injury timeout. That's not my complaint. My complaint is that Nadal got up from his chair and raced around like crazy during the subsequent tiebreak, which he won, with no evidence of any sort of injury or even a tweak. He then (SPOILER) went on to win the match in four sets, again with no evidence whatsoever of an injury. Nadal was/is the better player, but it was a shame to see such a clear display of gamesmanship from him. He's always been a class act, so let's hope this was just an isolated incident and not the start of a pattern.

Praise on the men's side? Props to Tomic, who played brilliantly against Malisse -- at least in the single service game I was able to catch on ESPN. And a special shout-out to Minnesota native, Mardy Fish, the (SPOILER) lone American standing in either draw. All of us in the Midwest (even Bess, I would venture to guess) are cheering for you.

On to the quarters!