It was surprise upset, a victory out of left field - but if it’s remembered for anything, it will be the loser, not the winner.
The 2007 Ladies Wimbledon championship was a grueling match under a hot English sun, with both Venus Williams and Marion Bartoli getting hurt. It was also one of the least expected match ups in any recent Grand Slam tournament.
Both players faced hard roads to this final and neither player was expected to make as far as the semi-finals, let alone win the championship. Williams faced a young, fiesty and unranked Russian named Alla Kudryavtseva in the first round, nearly losing in a dramatic match. Later on she faced a #2 seeded Maria Sharapova, upsetting her in the process.
Bartoli, on the other hand, went a different route. She not only upset both the #1 and #3 seeds (Justine Henin and Jelena Jankovic, respectively), but had to come from behind in each match as well! The Frenchwoman quickly went from being virtually unknown to a fan favorite among the crowds at Wimbledon, who did The Wave in support and cheered her during stoppages in play, dubbing her “Maid Marion”.
The final match started off a bit slow, with Williams taking a quick 3-0 set lead, but Bartoli battled back, eventually tying her at 4 sets apiece. However, William’s game was too fast for Bartoli, forcing her to run back and forth all game just to keep up.
This eventually was too much for Bartoli to bare. By the second set she was visibly fatigued and looking sluggish. Before long the running was getting to her - she had to call for a trainer: all the running had created a large and open blister on her foot.
However, this method of play also proved to be too much for Williams as well. During the same injury time-out, she also called for a trainer to deal with a sore thigh. And despite a wrapping for it, she looked hurt and finished the game despite a visible limp.
She limped, in fact, all the way to the Venus Rosewater Dish, winning in just two sets - 6-4, 6-1, ending the match with a blisteringly fast ace that hit Bartoli. Williams is now the fourth player to have won Wimbledon four times, joining such tennis legends as Billy Jean-King, Steffi Graf and Martina Natrilova.
Granted, Williams never looked to be in trouble. Marion started off with some sloppy play, such as her double faulting a number of times, and was never able to get the ball past Williams with much success.
In a world where seemingly every Men’s final is Federer vs. Nadel, it was refreshing to see a tournament that was as wide open as this years Wimbledon. Bartoli was seeded #17 going into the tournament, while Williams was #23. And while this win cemented Williams as one of the greats, it also thrust Bartoli into the spotlight.
Who knows what Maid Marion will come up with next?
Showing posts with label Wimbledon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wimbledon. Show all posts
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
What's wrong with Venus Williams?
If it seems like an odd question to ask, that’s because it almost is, since she just won her first round match.
But, at the same time, it was a match that she was supposed to win and almost didn’t, even looking like she couldn’t at times. Williams was making unforced errors all throughout her match against Alla Kudryavtseva, and had to grind her way out of a 6-2, 2-0 hole early on.
And, by the end of match, it didn’t look so much as Williams won, but that Kudyavtseva lost it, in more ways then one.
About halfway through the third set, with the match tied 4-4, an unknown spectator yelled “Out” on a close shot. Kudryavtseva, believing it to have come from an official, stopped playing and allowed Williams to take a lead.
This was the beginning of the end for Kudryavtseva, whose frustration overcame her fantastic start to this match. By the end of the match, she was slamming her racket into the grass, and as the ESPN commentators noted, looked to be holding back tears.
It was a fitting end, however, to match that was simply electric. By it’s end, the stands were full, the restaurant reduced to standing room only, as everybody that could tried to get a view of court #2, watching to see what would happen.
So, then, what is wrong with Venus? In a match where she should have dominated - this was Kudryavtseva’s first Wimbledon match - she let herself get behind early and never dominated like she used to, despite ample chances.
Perhaps she’s getting too old. Tennis, especially women’s tennis, is a young persons game, and Venus turned 27 just a few days ago. Her opponent, on the other hand, just turned 19 this year. Can she keep up? She’s definitely past her prime; it’s been almost five years since she was ranked #1.
Perhaps we’re simply overrating her. Yes, she’s a three-time winner of Wimbledon, she hasn’t made it past the third round since 2005. In fact, she hasn’t won a tournament since then. Are we judging her on her past merits, not on her current play?
However old or overrated as she may be, she’s still a threat. She showed that by battling back against Kudryavtseva, forcing a third set and eventually overcoming her.
Still, this match showed both the good and the bad of her game. It showed that she still has the grit and determination of a winner, but it also showed that her play is getting increasingly sloppy, as she made unforced errors in the double digits in two of the three sets she played.
So, maybe nothing is wrong with her. For a player seeded #23 and who is 27 years old, she seems to be about right where she should be.
Just don’t expect her to win.
But, at the same time, it was a match that she was supposed to win and almost didn’t, even looking like she couldn’t at times. Williams was making unforced errors all throughout her match against Alla Kudryavtseva, and had to grind her way out of a 6-2, 2-0 hole early on.
And, by the end of match, it didn’t look so much as Williams won, but that Kudyavtseva lost it, in more ways then one.
About halfway through the third set, with the match tied 4-4, an unknown spectator yelled “Out” on a close shot. Kudryavtseva, believing it to have come from an official, stopped playing and allowed Williams to take a lead.
This was the beginning of the end for Kudryavtseva, whose frustration overcame her fantastic start to this match. By the end of the match, she was slamming her racket into the grass, and as the ESPN commentators noted, looked to be holding back tears.
It was a fitting end, however, to match that was simply electric. By it’s end, the stands were full, the restaurant reduced to standing room only, as everybody that could tried to get a view of court #2, watching to see what would happen.
So, then, what is wrong with Venus? In a match where she should have dominated - this was Kudryavtseva’s first Wimbledon match - she let herself get behind early and never dominated like she used to, despite ample chances.
Perhaps she’s getting too old. Tennis, especially women’s tennis, is a young persons game, and Venus turned 27 just a few days ago. Her opponent, on the other hand, just turned 19 this year. Can she keep up? She’s definitely past her prime; it’s been almost five years since she was ranked #1.
Perhaps we’re simply overrating her. Yes, she’s a three-time winner of Wimbledon, she hasn’t made it past the third round since 2005. In fact, she hasn’t won a tournament since then. Are we judging her on her past merits, not on her current play?
However old or overrated as she may be, she’s still a threat. She showed that by battling back against Kudryavtseva, forcing a third set and eventually overcoming her.
Still, this match showed both the good and the bad of her game. It showed that she still has the grit and determination of a winner, but it also showed that her play is getting increasingly sloppy, as she made unforced errors in the double digits in two of the three sets she played.
So, maybe nothing is wrong with her. For a player seeded #23 and who is 27 years old, she seems to be about right where she should be.
Just don’t expect her to win.
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