'It's gonna be OK.'

POSTED BY BESS: Day three of Wimbledon 2013 was a doozy, to put it mildly.  Mary Joe Fernandez called it Wacky Wednesday. The Twitterverse dubbed it #Wimbleweird.

• Seven withdrawals, many due to slips and falls on the grass, including a few top talents. Azarenka, Tsonga, Cilic, Isner, Darcis (STEVE! The guy who beat Nadal), Stepanek. Who am I forgetting? Wild. 
• Seven former number ones took the court; all lost.
• #3 seed Maria Sharapova lost to #133 in the world. 
• And late in the evening (at least when I finally got to watch it), #3 seed, 7-time and defending Wimbledon champion Roger Federer lost to #116 in the world, breaking his streak of making it at least as far as the quarterfinals in 36 consecutive majors. A NINE-year record.

I mean.

It was crazy.

Players voiced their incredulity. Commentators struggled to make sense of it. But in the wee hours of this morning, as I watched the Federer post-match press conference, the voice of a tennis legend, yes perhaps the GOAT, put it all in perspective.

When asked how his fans should feel after watching his incredible quarterfinal streak broken, Federer quickly replied (and I paraphrase because it was late and I wasn't taking notes), "It's gonna be OK. I'm gonna be OK."

Yes. It will be OK. And hopefully order can be restored to the All England Club today.

But it *was* a bit insane.  And yes, wacky. Weird.
Wonderfully so.

After all, it's Wimbledon. It doesn't get bigger than this.

In the midst of all the shocking withdrawals/defeats, a whole host of lesser known players had banner days they'll remember forever--for all the right reasons. If you missed Dustin Brown (who?) beating former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt, you missed a talented, entertaining, gutsy player make the most of the best opportunity his chosen sport has presented to date.

Brown was brought to tears on court after winning. And soon after, he delivered a compelling and poised post-match interview in which it was clear just how much this meant to him. Just great stuff.

Will he be a factor in this tournament or any in the future? Too soon to tell.  But the possibility is there.

And either way, it'll be OK.

Rafa beaten by a guy named Steve

POSTED BY BESS: I was watching that Rafael Nadal match yesterday (on TiVo, long after hearing the results), thinking that for some reason it seemed even more inexplicable that Nadal lost... to a guy named Steve. I can't really say why - but it struck me as funny. Wrong. Nadal.? Beaten by a mere mortal who might just be the guy next door? Inconceivable.

Before I had a chance to post on this blog along the lines of, "Really? Steve?"... I checked Twitter, only to find that (hours earlier) Grantland had Tweeted nearly that exact thought, "Rafael Nadal falls at Wimbledon to a guy named Steve."

Argh! If only I had been quicker to the draw! If only it was my job to watch sports during the day (you know, while they occur live) instead of what I'm actually paid to do! If only, if only.

Rafa's loss definitely put a damper on my day. But even though I knew the results and didn't like them, I watched that whole match on TiVo. I had to know. Had to see it for myself. When I texted Dave that I was watching, his reply was, simply, "Masochist."

Perhaps so. But I'm glad I did watch. When you're a loyal fan you're there in the good times AND the bad... am I right, Dave?! I wanted to experience it right along with Rafa (minus the TiVo delay and the thousands of miles and the many hours time difference separating us.)

So I watched. And it's over. And Nadal is out. And now I can only hope this knee thing isn't going to do him in for the rest of the year like it did last time. I'm rooting for you, Rafa!

If you've been watching the early morning ESPN coverage, what made the loss all the more interesting was that just that morning during the commentator roundtable prior to play beginning, John McEnroe made the somewhat shocking statement that he's really becoming convinced that Rafa is the GOAT. LZ Granderson actually sort of sputtered a "What!?" response to McEnroe's proclamation, so shocked was he. But McEnroe was adamant.

A point that was not lost on the other commentators THIS morning, while rehashing Nadal's loss. Something to the effect of, "Yesterday, mere hours ofter you, John, anointed him perhaps the GOAT, Nadal lost in the first round of Wimbledon."

Nice laughs all around.

McEnroe did say that one loss in one tournament didn't immediately disqualify Nadal from GOAT status, but it does seem to me that now is not the best time to make the case for Nadal. Two weeks ago, for instance, would have been a better time. And hopefully many times in the future...

All this to say:
Wimbledon is here! I am excited!
Rafa is out. I am sad.

More to come... regarding the other 255 players. As soon as I wipe away my tears enough to watch more tennis.

Worth your time

Posted by BESS: A few post-Wimbledonisms...

• I always enjoy Jon Wertheim's "50 Thoughts" columns after each major. Here's his "50 Thoughts from Wimbledon." Two things really stuck out to me. First the link to a Tennis Channel piece on a farmer in Charles City, Iowa, who's built his own grass tennis court. Second, Nadal's writing an autobiography? Can I preorder it NOW? w000t!
  
• NBC compiled the Top 10 Shots of the tournament. This is especially a must-watch for those of you who don't really get why Dave and I love this sport so much. Entertaining stuff! #7 is a personal favorite--crazy reflexes for someone that age.

On a related note, I think everyone else has forgotten about tennis but me...

Live-blogging the women's final

Posted by BESS: I'm going to attempt to live-blog the women's final, starting in a mere one minute or so. Feel free to chime in via the Comments section (during the match or after the fact!)

Maria Sharapova v. Petra Kvitova

9:47 - Trophy ceremony. A very brief comment from Maria - she hopes to be back to win the "big" trophy (dish) in the future. Kvitova acknowledges all the great players in the royal box, including both Martina Navratilova and Jana Novotna--both from her home country of the Czech Republic. Both of them look very proud, and Martina, particularly, looks great! Kvitova takes her "lap of honor" around the stadium. Is it just me or does she look like an older version of little Mary Grace Leyda? (My co-workers will know what I'm talking about here.) Congrats to Petra, but I'm sad for Maria. Dave is, too. He just texted me the following message: :-( .

9:39 - Kvitova serving for the title. Up 40-0. Hammers her first and only ace to win. She drops briefly to her knees. In the stands, her dad erupts out of his seat, cheering and immediately begins to cry. So touching! Kvitova and Maria share a handshake/two kisses at the net. Kvitova appears cool and calm now. No tears that I can see. Just happy. Kvitova wins the title with a 6-3, 6-4 win over former Wimbledon champ Maria Sharapova.

9:33 - Kvitova comes back from 15-30 to win. She's now one game away from the championship title. She's doing some jumping squats to tame her energy/nerves as Maria starts serving. Maria holds an easy love game with some tough serving. Kvitova serves for the title at 5-4.

9:27 - Kvitova's serving. Sharapova has two chances to break and take advantage of the second with a huge return winner. Back on serve, 3-3. In her next service game, Maria commits double-fault #6 en route to two break points for Kvitova. On the second one, Maria hits a shot wide and Kvitova breaks. She's now ahead 4-3. Can anyone hold serve here?

9:16 - Kvitova serves a tight game, including one double-fault. Maria finally breaks her with a tricky lob. Back on serve. Maria seems to be on a mini-roll. Maria then plays from behind most of her next service game. She hits a number of great shots, but the game goes to multiple deuces, and Kvitova eventually breaks. Kvitova 3-2. Maria's mini-roll (perhaps imagined by me) appears to have ended.

9:01 - Sharapova double-faults to give Kvitova break point. Kvitova breaks with a winner that barely hits the line. In Kvitova's next game, she now seems to be clearly outplaying Maria. They're both hitting big shots, but Kvitova's got fewer errors, more consistency. Kvitova wins a tight game. 2-0 Kvitova. Up a set and a break. Maria then wins an easy game. 2-1 Kvitova.

8:51 - Sharapova wins a tight game--with three deuces--including an ace on what would have been set point for Kvitova. Way to hang tough, Maria! Kvitova then delivers three service winners, combined with one Sharapova error, to win her game and the set. First set to Kvitova, 6-3. You get the feeling they're pretty on par so far. Kvitova's ahead, but it's not like she's completely dominating Maria. Remains to be seen if the momentum will propel Kvitova to a lead in the second set.

8:41 - Annnd, as soon as I said Maria looked pretty solid, she committed her second and third double-faults to lose serve. Kvitova then held an easy game. She's up 5-2. Maria's really got to get those double-faults in check! Her serve is so much better than it's been over the past two years or so, but it's still an unpredictable weakness.

8: 33 - Despite her first double-fault, Sharapova holds and is looking pretty solid so far. Kvitova holds, as well. And we're on serve. 3-2 Kvitova. Can we stop for a moment to appreciate the visual charm of Centre Court? The almost completely advertising-free surroundings, the green grass court, the dark green walls, the players in all white. When the sun shines brightly it all seems to gleam!

8:24 - Kvitova broke Sharapova's serve in the second game and appears to have shaken off some of the early jitters, winning a tight third game on her serve. 2-1 Kvitova.

8:14 - Sharapova breaks Kvitova in the first game. But it's still early folks! In many respects...

8:00 - While awaiting the start of the match, I'll note one point of (?)interest: Today the Royal Box is said to include Anne Hathaway and Condoleezza Rice.

Fed up, indeed

Posted by DAVE: My week isn't going at all as planned. (See earlier post titled "Fed up?") Clearly Federer feels the same. He looked fine -- not great, but fine -- today at the start of the Tsonga match. Comfortably in command. Then Tsonga just sort of slowly and solidly took hold. Was age a factor? Conditioning? Who knows. Fed was relatively upbeat in the press conference afterward, when asked about his chances at adding to his record total of Slams. Guess I'll remain optimistic, too.

Thought Fish had a chance today against Nadal. I was wrong. Again. [shrug]

Looking ahead, I couldn't care less who wins between Murray and Nadal. I'm certain Rafa will win, especially if the match stretches to four or five sets. Then again, Rafa's ankle "injury" may come into play, particularly if the score gets tight like it did against Del Potro in the quarters. LOL (I'm cracking myself up at Bess' expense!)

My money is still on a Djokovic/Nadal final, with Djokovic coming out on top.

The women? Er, I mean ... the ladies? I'm now thinking it will be Azarenka/Sharapova in the finals, with Maria rising to the occasion. She's playing solid, and, let's face it, the competition isn't anywhere near as tough as it could have been. This seems like Sharapova's golden chance to reclaim Wimbledon glory.

Then again, nothing is going as planned this week. Why should this coming weekend be any different? Maybe Murray and Kvitova will surprise us all ...

Fed up?

Family friend got buried today. Everything else, including tennis (and even tonight's installment of "The Voice") seems insignificant. Regardless, I'll share an observation.

Anyone sick of the plethora of Federer endorsements? He's the King of Wimbledon, yes, but pleeeaase. Enough already. Wasn't in the mood to watch the women's quarters on DVR tonight, so I read The Economist instead. Fed's in this issue, in three different places, promoting three different companies. And, at last count, I've seen Fed ads on TV endorsing nine different companies. Crazy. The man doesn't need to win any further $lams (note: dollar sign intentional, with apologies to Ke$ha). He and his family could retire comfortably on Wimbledon-timed endorsements alone.

Perhaps I'm just jealous.

Anyway, I'm still pulling for Federer (and Djokovic) in the quarters, because their meeting in the semifinal would be heaven for me. Pure heaven. I love how graceful and composed Federer is on court, yet I also love how raw and boldly Djokovic plays. (Bess might say "brashly.") Fed leads 14-9 in their series, but Djok has won three of their last four matches, and each of those in straight sets. Yes, Fed took Djok out at Roland Garros, but it took Fed four sets, include two tiebreaks. I think Djokovic can and will power through Fed, should they meet in the semis ... and then go on to win this whole thing. Fed would rather dance with Nadal again in the final. Of course he would. It would mean even more endorsement money!

Fourth round bracketology

I'm still in the lead, but Dave did slightly better than me in this round, so he's gaining.

Current standings...

Bess
Men: 88/120
Women: 70/120
Total: 158/240

Dave
Men: 75/120
Women: 67/120
Total: 142/240

w00t!

As far as I know, all four of my picks for the men's and women's finals are still in the mix--at least they were when I left the house this morning.

Fingers crossed both Sharapova and Azarenka make it through today.

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!

Looking ahead to Week 2 ...

Some matches I'd love to see happen this week are Nadal and Fish in the quarters, and Azarenka and Venus in the semi's. Why? Partially because they'd be intriguing match-ups of players who compete with tremendous heart. But mostly because they'd keep my hopes alive, in terms of beating Bess this Grand Slam. (I'm saying this based on pure speculation that I've taken Fish and Azarenka, and maybe even Venus, farther into their respective draws than Bess has.)

How about Australian teenager Bernard Tomic taking on Xavier Malisse, who's 30 years old, in the round of 16? I'm ashamed to admit I know nothing about Tomic. It's always fun, though, seeing a young gun take on a veteran at Wimbledon. And I trust the Aussies will be even more loud and raucous than usual. Plus, if Tomic wins his way into the quarters, maybe we can all officially put Leyton Hewitt in the past, where he belongs. I'm sure Kim Clijsters would appreciate that.

Such beautiful people ...

...playing such beautiful tennis today! Exhibit A: the British upstart, Laura Robson, against mi amour Maria Sharapova. (You may recall Robson as the teenager who got in trouble last year for calling her WTA competitors 'sluts'; she's been back in the news lately as part of the 'planking' craze.) Both players are such beautiful people who also happen to strike the ball beautifully. Truly a joy to watch!

Before you call me sexist, the equally beautiful (and long-maned, just like Robson and Sharapova) Feliciano Lopez is playing my other 'mi amour' Andy Roddick. I would post photos of all of these peeps, for your convenience, but Bess and I are still working out how we can post images without breaking copyright law. In the meantime, enjoy the links provided to their official tour profiles.

Speaking of beautiful people, have you seen Rabbit Hole starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart? I was caught up on matches last night, so I took a break to watch this movie. It's a powerful film about grief with some subtle, yet superb, acting. Plus, Eckhart's character, Howie, plays squash. (Squash!!!) Who plays squash anymore?! Or ever, for that matter? I so want to try playing squash now. And preferably against Eckhart. Or, better yet, Roddick. His shoulder should be wearing out soon, so maybe I'd stand a chance. Maybe?

Djokovic Going Nuts?

Let the Wimbledon officials worry about how loud the grunting has become at AELTC . My greater concern right now is that Djokovic has declared a new goal for the fortnight: to get this squirrel to eat from his hand. What?! I'll personally go nuts if Djokovic blows his chance at a Wimbledon title, all for the sake of winning over a backyard rodent. (However, this further proves my point that he has heart and wit, neither of which Bess seems to wish to acknowledge.) On a loosely related note, who's the nut at ESPN who's styling Chris Evert and Mary Joe Fernandez? The economy is tough, but these aging champions and millionairesses deserve better than Old Navy cast-offs. Sheez.

On the Edge of Glory?

Not so much, at least for Bethanie Mattek-Sands and her Gaga-inspired outfit today. If you're going to dress like a superstar, you should at least win your first-round match. Maybe she should have taken a page from Kimiko Date-Krumm, who dressed conservatively but played aggressively, showing she's still got game at age 40. (Yes, 40!) A performance both inspired and inspiring today, vs. my pick to win it all, Venus. Hope your DVR caught that match.

Hell, yes!

Bess, wherever you are, I hope you're sitting down as you read this post. I agree with you (to some degree) about Serena's tearful return. It was the shining moment of Day Two. For those who watched the match, you could see Serena was truly struggling in the second set. She roared back and then, yes, in a rare display, Serena shed a few tears. Wonderful to see, especially after all she has endured.

It remains to be seen, however, if Serena will do more than talk about herself. Great champions consistently and sincerely acknowledge their opponents and thank their fans. Didn't hear a lot of that (any of that?) yesterday from Serena. My bar is higher for her than any of the other women, because she's been at or near the top of the sport so long. I'm grateful we have had Federer and Nadal on top of the men's side. Class, grace, a degree of humility and even some self-deprecation? These are all endearing qualities in one of the few dignified sports left on the planet.

On that note, a nod to the always classy James Blake. Will his tough five-set 1R loss to Baghdatis mark the end of Blake's Wimbledon career? Hard to say (though ESPN was already writing him off last year). Let's hope Blake stays around through at least the US Open. He's good for the game, and, no matter how much his ranking has plummeted, he's a great ambassador for sportsmanship.

Love This!

It's Bess' turn to post, but I couldn't resist quickly sharing this gem, which ESPN just re-broadcast. I've taken Djokovic all the way this tournament; maybe I should have stuck with Wozniacki, too. Love their collective spunk!

Really?

Poor Bess is off to work, while I'm home enjoying -- rather, watching -- live Wimbledon coverage. (For the record, I'm a college professor, so it's not like I'm an unemployed slacker or something. Just wanted to set the record straight.) Anyway, I'd say enjoying the coverage, but I'm really not digging the commentary by ESPN virgin Chris Evert. A short while ago, while calling the Serena-Rezai match, she proclaimed while commenting on Serena's heavy breathing, "You have to keep in mind that tennis is a game of both power AND aerobics." Really? To borrow a phrase coined by "Amazing Race" contestant Zev Galssenberg -- "Thanks, Captain Obvious."

Forevernomore Young

Dave's rooting for Donald Young, too? I'm seeing a pattern here, Dave.

Young's been pretty obnoxious lately and resisting of team USA's recommendations on how he could improve. It's one thing to be stubborn and resist advice if you have your own plan that's working. But his results have been dismal of late, and I'm afraid he's digging a pretty deep hole as far as patience and support from the powers that be. And as far as my fandom goes, as well.

Speaking of Venus's outfit (Dave mentioned it in his post below), please note that we will definitely be discussing the best and worst ensembles of the tournament. It's just another great aspect of the game. Even at Wimbledon, where the rule is to wear "mostly white," players can express their individuality through their attire. Sometimes individuality in tennis attire is good, like Sharapova's glamorous black look which she only wore for night matches at the U.S. Open. Sometimes that's bad, like many of Agassi's early looks or this head scratcher by Serena.

I had a lot of complaints about retired champion Justine Henin. She was just... not my favorite player. But my biggest complaint was that for about four years she wore the same lame outfit. I think she bored herself into retirement.

I'm off to work. I hope Dave watches enough tennis for both of us today. I hope to check my brackets later to see how I'm doing so far. I know all of our readers -- all two of you -- are interested in who's ahead... Dave or Bess!? I'm interested, as well.

Oh, no, she didn't!

Oh, yes, she did. Bess just had to trash Djokovic. Please note, dear readers, that I had not trashed Nadal in any of my previous posts. (Just sayin'.) Anyway, Agassi (whom Bess and I both admire) pulled a lot of crap early in his career, and his ego was out of control, too. But he grew up and grew into his own. (Check out Agassi's perspective on Djokovic.) That growth process is one of the things I love most about tennis. We get the privilege of seeing most players (except the likes of Serena) grow from self-absorbed teenagers to gracious adults. I believe Djokovic is on that path. I could be wrong, and Bess will certainly never let me forget, if that becomes the case. But, I think there's a heart underneath all of that aggressive showmanship.

Speaking of showmen, and this is random (sorry), but doesn't Ben F on ABC's "The Bachelorette" look a lot like Nadal? But I digress.

Bummed about Haas and Young going out early. And Peer and Craybas, too, for that matter. Nice seeing "old man" Schuettler pull off a win. I've got him through to the 3R, where he'd face Roddick, who's playing more and more like an old man every day. (I can cast these judgments for I am, indeed, an old man myself, at the ripe age of 42.)

As for young blood? How about Christina McHale taking out Makarova, 8-6 in the third? Nice! Too bad she got less buzz than the toga get-up Venus wore.

And so it goes. On to day two ...

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!

It's elementary, my dear (Heather) Watson ...

... that neither Bess nor I are swept up in the hype about Serena's comeback. She didn't get a mention in either one of our initial posts to this blog. (Hooray!) I'm sure Serena will do great and all. She always does (annoying). And I suppose she could win, despite being fully Slam-ready. And, regardless, she probably won't threaten to shove a ball down a linesperson's throat at this Slam, and that will be good for everyone, especially young children interested in the sport. But I still don't care. Haven't missed her self-absorbed swagger one bit.

Now Venus' comeback? That's another story. Can't wait to see her back in action at AELTC.

And who's Heather Watson, you ask? British dark horse. Gotta love the name.

As usual, my hopes are with Sharapova. Admire her fight. And her game looked to be back on track at Roland Garros. Could she win it all? We'll see. I like to think of myself as an optimist, but I'm being more of a realist with age. So there's every chance she'll go out to Chakvetadze in the first round. Stranger things have happened at Wimbledon.

Typically, I like to root for Jankovic and King, as well, even though their results have been so erratic. The match that really tears me apart, though, is Oudin and Ivanovic, both of whom are overdue for a return to Slam glory. This time around, maybe?

And when did Patty Schnyder retire?! Totally missed that news. Oh well. [shrug]

The men? Djokovic. (Deal with it, Bess.) Federer. (All hail!) Roddick. (A guy can dream.) Haas. (Hey, why not?) And Nishikori, because his name is fun to say. And because ESPN-UK called him a "starlet." But mostly because he'd knock Hewitt out first round. And that's something Bess and I could both celebrate. You, too?

Let the Battle Begin ...

Bess adores Nadal. So, it's fitting that he's been named top seed for Wimbledon just as she and I launch this blog. (The blog was her idea, after all.) You should anticipate lots of ooh-ing and aah-ing from Bess, about Rafa, as the fortnight gets underway. As for the women's side, Wozniacki is top seed, and that's fine with me. People can talk trash all they want about her lack of a Slam, but you've got to love her spirit. Don't you? Don't you?!