Early morning stunner

Posted by BESS: So Baghdatis is out. Tipsarevic is out. Del Potro (my pick to win it all) is out. It seems my favorites on the men's side are dropping like flies.

Two people decidedly not dropping like flies?  Djokovic and Wawrinka.

I woke up at 6 a.m. this morning to find quite a match going on. It was the beginning of the fourth set, Djokovic up 2 sets to 1 and a battle ensuing for the fourth set. The match ended up running another 2+ hours... until it ended with Djokovic winning 12-10 in the fifth.  A match full of intense points, tension galore and the previously unheard of (for me) hope that Wawrinka might end Djokovic's Aussie Open run before the quarterfinals. (C'moooooooon, Stan!)

As you may recall, I'm not a Djokovic fan. And while I have been rather "meh" about Wawrinka overall, I have been impressed with him in the past. I tend to put him in the Ferrer camp--two athletes making perhaps more than the most of their talents in an era that relentlessly rewards only the giants of the sport.  But while Ferrer has established himself as a legitimate threat to the top men, Wawrinka doesn't tend to get that serious a consideration when the draw comes out.  My thought process is--he'll do well until he runs into a top 10 player.

He certainly proved me wrong today. What a gutsy performance. Another 5+ hour epic for Djokovic, but this time I really felt like he didn't have enough to pull it off. I was rooting for and truly believing in Stan's ability to stun the tennis world. Time and again Stan had the answers and Djokovic couldn't summon a response. 

In the end, it really was anyone's game. They were both fatigued and playing to survive. Stan had his chances, and finally Djokovic got his.  On his third match point opportunity (after Stan declined to challenge a call he clearly should have), Djok went for broke, and the match was over.  Devastating for Wawrinka. And for me.

How is it that Djokovic keeps ending up on the winning end of these matches? Last year's final with Nadal left me in tears. The six-hour unfairness of it all! The futile rooting on behalf of my fave! The obnoxious winner ripping off his shirt in celebration!

I wasn't in tears this morning, but it was not my ideal way to start the day... rooting intensely for someone who comes up *just* *this* short.  Ugh! 

And seriously. Again with the ripping off of the shirt, Djokovic?

No.
Stop that.
Just stop it.

Stan played with racquets that read "Stan" and shoes that read "The man." He was all that and more today. And he should have won. Gosh darnit.

My only hope is that the Djoker is unable to bounce back in time for his next round opponent--the well-rested and always dangerous Tomas Berdych.

Although it's a battle of two of my least favorite players, so there really will be no winner in my book.

Can they both lose? Let's work on that.

Surgery count: Six

Posted by Bess: Make that six surgeries for Brian Baker. Torn lateral meniscus, it seems.  Out for about four months. You could say, "So. Not. Fair!" Or you could say, "Better plotline for the eventual biopic."

Key question: Is your glass half empty or is it rose-colored?

In other news, Ferrer and Baghdatis are through. And Tipsarevic won a tight five-setter in the wee hours of the morning.

And my new favorite is 17-year-old American Madison Keys. Not only is she from the Quad Cities (rock on, east coast of Iowa), but she's talented, fun to watch and gives an effortless interview. Oh, and she's heating up the courts with her impressive play. All while being a teenager. Good heavens. 

I can't wait to see her play again. And I'll have to look back at my bracket to see how far I took her. I hope I had faith.

I'm also predisposed to liking this Jerzy Janowicz character. If only because his name looks like it should be pronounced Jersey. (Sadly, it's not.) And without Jersey Girl Christina McHale to cheer on or Jersey Girl-by-marriage Kim Clijsters, I need someone to root for who makes me feel closer to my roots!  So, Jerzy it is. 

Although, he might be a tad, uh, argumentative for my taste. Evidently his outburst from last night is going viral.

One final note from last night's action: Brad Gilbert was completely right. Is Big Bird the presenting sponsor this year? Why all the yellow? Do the sportswear companies only have three bolts of fabric to choose from between them? I find it odd that they all manufacture the same color at the same time and so many players choose to wear it at once.

Do they not have back-ups?

It's beyond me.

Like a clay court match, only better!

Posted by Dave: Totally digging the Ferrero/Tipsarevic match! I couldn't even tell you who's winning, but I love the way they're both moving around the court. Some really spectacular, sharp, cross-court, backhand-to-backhand rallies, and some great finesse at the net, too. This is like watching the French Open, only with more pace and power. Love it!

Loving Ferrero's shirt, too. It's the best-fitting Dri-FIT shirt I've ever seen. Where do I buy one? Is JOMA a brand? Also, how do I build chest and shoulder muscles like his? Wow.

(c) Julian Finney / Getty Images

We've only just begun

... and already I'm having trouble leaving for work in the morning thanks to breakfast at Wimbledon with my good friends Chris Fowler, Brad Gilbert and now Chris Evert as well. Oh, and this morning Rafa was also invited. Pretty entertaining guest list.

I'm trying to avoid some of the updates during the day, which is tough, but I haven't had anyone pop over the wall yet saying, "Did you hear what happened at Wimbledon today?" so I'm guessing Rafa didn't lose to the American I had never heard of.

I did complete my brackets last night, and although I didn't know Tipsarevic was hurt (Dave is always up on this stuff), I didn't pick him to win the first round against Karlovic. So here's hoping he's really hurt. For the sake of my draw. Not that I wish injury on anyone. How un-Dostoyevskyesque that would be!*

Unsurprisingly, I have chosen Rafa on the men's side. For the women, I went with Sharapova. I made that pick before I knew the oddsmakers favored Sharapova, so I guess it's not as "out there" as I thought it was at the time. Oh well.

Here's my one unsolicited comment on Dave's pick of Djokovic to win because "he deserves it." I say what the Djoker deserves from his "stunning first half of the season" is pretty much what he's gotten--a stunning first half of the season. End of story. It was impressive and noteworthy and interesting. And it ended with a loss at the French. All credit to him for that amazing string of wins, but I have moved on.

Here's the deal. I have admiration for him. But I have very little love for him after some of his behavior the past few years. What with the ripping off of the shirt after wins. With the fist pounding of his heart. With the parents saying classless (and clueless) things about "the king" being dead when Djokovic first beat Federer. With Djoker's on-court war of words with Roddick at the U.S. Open. (The Djoker may have a had a point there, but he handled it so poorly.) With the family wearing his image on their T-shirts every single day. It's alllllllllll a little too egocentric for me.

Perhaps he has matured. I've seen glimmers of hope that some of that behavior is behind him. I just found it all very unattractive. And it's going to take me time to get past it.

So I'm willing to concede that he's had a phenomenal 6-7 months. But I'm doling out admiration sparingly until I can gauge where his sportsmanship is these days.

The fact that he seems to be pretty friendly with Rafa now does bode well for him, I'll tell you that. :-)


*I don't know if that's true or not, because I really am not up on my Dostoyevsky.

Yes on the tattoos, but ...

Alright, I'll admit that I'm also a fan of Tipsarevic and his Dostoyevsky tattoos. It's true. But he's questionable after the Eastbourne final. So enough about him, Bess. At least for now.

My official picks to win Wimbledon 2011? Djokovic and Venus. Djokovic, because he'll be hungry and he deserves a Slam as his reward for a stunning first half of the season. Venus, because she'll be hungry and she deserves another Wimbledon trophy (moreso than Serena) for being a confident yet consistently gracious ambassador of this fine sport. The oddsmakers favor my perennial favorite, Sharapova, but I think Venus will rise to the occasion.

Let's get this party started!

I commence shaking my head

Dave's rooting for Jankovic? And Djokovic? Blurgh.
And here is where our disagreements begin.

Lest you think I have something against the Serbs, I agree with Dave about the Ivanovic/Oudin first round match. I'd be happy for either of them to get a win.

And I find Tipsarevic compelling, as well. The facial hair, the quirky glasses, the Dostoyevsky tattoos... what's not to like?

Dave's right about Hewitt, though. Off you go, mate!