Forty Deuce

Aw...The Nike Pro Ruins It.

@31 seconds, please.

They Are Very Very Good. Simple As That.

Interesting stuff from Navs re Venus, Serena, and bunch of fat ugly chicks.

Fortunately, by that time, Martina Navratilova had weighed in with a more seasoned view. When we sat down in the lobby of the locker room after her match in what they call the Ladies Invitation Doubles (a euphemism for seniors), she agreed that women’s tennis lacked clarity and conviction at the top, and mainly because of Venus and Serena’s chronic absences apart from non-Grand Slam events.

“They play in the playoffs but not in the regular season,” said Navratilova, always quick with a cross-reference. “But I don’t want to say their success is because the other women aren’t that good. I would prefer to look at it more as what it says about them, how great they are.”

At that moment, Serena walked by, smiling. “I was just talking about you,” Navratilova said. With Serena gone, she added, “I just wish you would play more.”

The amazing Williams story is often viewed through the prism of race, and at times, they have been held to more demanding behavioral standards than their peers. In this case, defining them competitively based on the quality of their competition, Navratilova raised a different stereotype.

“That old women’s double standard, which I hate,” she said.

She remembered resentment here five years ago, some grumbling over her wild-card entry into the singles draw. She won her first-round match, 6-0, 6-1, against Catalina Castaño of Colombia.

“People said, big deal, look at the opponent,” she said. “But when Mario Lemieux comes back to hockey and scores a goal, it’s, Oh, he’s great.”

Her point was that she was 47 at the time of her last Wimbledon singles victory. How great was that?

To expand her argument, couldn’t we pose similar questions about the men’s tour, where Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have won a combined 20 Grand Slam events in the last six and a half years?

“Does that mean the other guys aren’t any good or that Roger and Rafa are great?” Navratilova said.

Serena has 10 Grand Slam victories to Venus’s 7. You hear all the time that both should have Federer numbers by now. It is not an unreasonable argument, but the effective counter is that they have still managed to outachieve and outlast a generation, with ease and without burning out.

I liked Martina's comments there.  Why does Venus and Serena's awesomeness have to mean that everyone else sucks?  Why can't people just focus on their awesomeness?  The American Press seems to want to anyway.  Go with it.

SW19: Wednesday OOP -- Snausages!

Centre Court  13:00 Start
1. Gentlemen's Singles - Quarterfinals
Ivo Karlovic (CRO)[22] v. Roger Federer (SUI)[2]
2. Gentlemen's Singles - Quarterfinals
Andy Murray (GBR)[3] v. Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)

Court 1  13:00 Start
1. Gentlemen's Singles - Quarterfinals
Tommy Haas (GER)[24] v. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[4]
2. Gentlemen's Singles - Quarterfinals
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v. Andy Roddick (USA)[6]

Link to the full OOP here.

Also in action: Robbie is up on singles and dubs on Court 18 (2nd and 4th, respectively), Stosur/Stubbsy, Mike Bryan/Mattek vs. HuRRay, and aTomic on Court 14.

C'mon, Robbie!

Proceeds to the third round with a 63 62 win.

Pic This: Va-JJ Edition

Go up and get it, Dina.


Am I drunk at a bar in hell right now?


I'm pretty sure Agi Radwanska can help you with that. She's got nothing but time.


You can do it, put your back into it, Racquet.


Mardy Fish?


Well, yeah.  Then don't bang your head on it, idiot.

Hmm...so many ways I can go with this.  Most of them involve calling Vika a tranny.  But since I'm classy and way better than that, I'm not going to make those jokes.  And shame on you for even thinking them.

You can't even see me, my road is so high.

On The Line

Looks like Muzz got a load full of pizza in his belly, a good 12 hours of sleep, and he was all smiles and relaxation during his light practice.

C'mon, Andy!

If you're wondering how crazy Murray Mania is, look further than the queue for walk up tickets. 

These people have been camped out since before yesterday's match ended. 

Oh, and 54% of the TV sets in Britain were tuned into Mr. Muzz's match.  So...yeah.

ZOMG YOU GUYS!1!1! FINALLY!!!

So I've been waiting for this thing to be uploaded all week.  Amaze.

And just because I can, here's Dina's genius piece again.

God, I Love The Internet

Gotta love that they use the "IW smackdown" with the "When I can find the words, you teach my heart to speak" line.

Tore Up

Baby E suffered a micro tear in her left thigh muscle.  She'll need 1-2 weeks of recovery.

OK. I Love You Again, ESPN.

I might forgive the Safina heaping if you keep putting together awesomeness like this.

This Is Getting Ridiculous.

From ESPN's Tennis home page:

With all eyes on the seemingly invincible Williams sisters, will Dinara Safina wash away her miserable Slam failures or crack under the pressure of the Wimbledon semis?

With a link to this article.

Hello!  EVERYONE THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO LOSE IN THE FIRST ROUND.  Now we're putting pressure on her to beat Venus in the semis?  Really?

Whatever, ESPN.

KneeWatch 2010

Hey, remember that Nadal guy?  No?  Oh, then don't read this.

Rafa won't be playing Davis Cup due to his knee tendinitis. 

Coach Albert Costa has called up Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo, plus Nicolas Almagro as a standby.

Nadal "is not well and we have to let him rest," Costa told a news conference.

Oh, Yeah. She's Here.

Lena D., who has quietly made her way through the draw (and let's face it, hasn't really been tested) is into her second straight Wimbledon semifinal.  Good luck against Serena.  You're gonna need that and then some.

Air Quotes: I'm Assuming This Is Before It Was A Dildo

Q. Okay. But when the time comes to sit down and look at your marvels, what do you think the first marvel will be?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, I don't know. I have no idea. I'll just ‑‑ I don't know. I think I'll be a little amazed because, uhm, you know, I never even take the time out to even think about the tournament.

I mean, I use some of my trophies for makeup brushes, so, you know, maybe I'll just take a step back and be like, Hmm. Take all the makeup brushes out and really appreciate every title and every trophy.

Q. What trophy makes the best makeup brush holder?

SERENA WILLIAMS: My Indian Wells '03 (smiling). Or was it '01? Whatever year that was.

-- Serena, with an awesome "fuck you very much" to Indian Wells.

Well...That Was A Letdown.

Well, in their first "no excuses" match, Vika gets dusted by Serena, 2 and 3.  That was disappointing.  I didn't want Vika to win but I at least wanted her to make a match of it.  I guess there best matchups (from a competitive match perspective) is going to be on hard courts.

Q. How, if at all, is Serena's game different on the grass than on the hard courts?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, the serve I think is more efficient, you know. It's harder to return. The groundstrokes are also faster on the grass.

But, I mean, the game she played today, if she would play on hard courts or on any other surface, it would be pretty good, you know. It was just her day, you know, and she played amazing tennis.

Serena to her credit looked awesome.  It was definitely her best match of the tournament.  She'll take on Lena D. next.

Outclassed.

 

Different tourney, same result.

Question: When is the last time you remember Agi taking down a major scalp?  And I don't mean a slumping Ana from a couple of months ago.  I mean a legit, sit up and take notice, she's so wily and crafty, win?  I can't remember any significant takedown since Masha two years ago.  Sometimes I feel like she's still trading on that win. 

But anyway, once again, Agi was completely outclassed by Venus at a major.  Maybe this is just a pure matchup problem, but I'm definitely on the "SELL" side of A-Rad.  I'm just not feeling it anymore.  I like you for your off-court artistic skills and your propensity to stink-eye, neither of which require you to hold a racquet.

As for Venus, that's 30 straight sets on grass.  She hasn't lost here since 2006 when she lost to JJ (or Ana, if you believe the LA Times).  I don't generally like watching either Williams Sister on any surface, but I do like watching Venus on grass. 

It's pretty:

Good stuff.

Boom Boom, Pfft.

Yup, this ugly sack of shit won despite serving 15 double faults.  Or, you know, more, according to her:

Q. Are you working specifically on the mental side of your game?

DINARA SAFINA: If I would work, I would not serve 250 double‑faults today, (laughter) because it's just my brain sometimes doesn't do the things that I have to do.

...

Q. Where did these 15 double‑faults come from?

DINARA SAFINA: 15? I thought it was much more (smiling).

Yeah, I don't know. Sometimes even I don't know what I'm doing with my serve. I mean, yesterday's match I'm serving the whole third set very good. Suddenly I warm up, I'm serving good, everything good, and suddenly I come and just... I think for the serve, it's not me there serving.

Because there I say like, Okay, go down, go up, do this. Then I toss the ball and I'm already by the fence running. I am just escaping the serve.

But seriously, nice gut out win by Dina.  No, it wasn't pretty, but she's a fighter and that's what she did again after dropping the first set.  She's now been to the semifinals of all of the last four Slams.  Not too shabby for the faux #1.

A really impressive run by Boom Boom but it she just ran out of gas today.  How else can you explain the fact that she can't even beat a fat ugly girl who served 15 double faults?  Can't wait to see what she can do during the hardcourt season.  That said, rest up, kiddo.  Your body is falling apart.

So Dina will face Venus in the marquee matchup of the semifinals. 

Well, if you like ugly people on your marquee.

Air Quotes: Ugh. Now You're Ugly *And* Cocky.

Q. Amélie just said that she thought that the ball was flying a little bit more once the roof was closed. Did you sense any change?

DINARA SAFINA: By me wasn't flying. Was flying in (smiling).

Air Quotes: I Have To Confess, I'm Kind Of Loving Serena This Fortnight

Q. Is it better to be young and hungry or a little more elderly and savvy?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Be careful (smiling).

Q. I was trying to be careful.

SERENA WILLIAMS: We don't want a scuffle.

...

Q. Do you need someone to push you to find that next gear?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Maybe I just need an espresso.

...

Q. There's been some controversy about the Wimbledon playing committee perhaps picking players for their looks rather than their tennis talent on Centre Court. They are saying that good looks are a factor with who plays on Centre Court. What do you think about that as an extremely accomplished tennis player who should be on Centre Court?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I think Roger's hot, but he's married, so...

...

Q. I'm sure you see your sister every day. Are you aware of her presence on the other side of the draw?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Am I? I was hitting with her the other day. She was beating me, so I was mad. I thought I was playing really well, so it was just like frustrated.

...

Q. What's happening here? You said you were getting mad at her, admitting differences. Are we getting a differential between Serena and Venus that we didn't see before?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You said I was getting mad at her?

Q. You got mad at losing to her.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm always mad. You guys know I'm really bratty. This is nothing new, so...

But my favorite, soda out the nose Serenage:

Q. Why is [Venus] so slow to adopt things like Twitter and Facebook?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, she's really artsy and into smart things like ‑‑ I don't know, she's into getting ‑‑ learning languages and getting degrees. I'm into Twitter, so... We're quite different, so...

LOLz.

Air Quotes: L-Rob. Still Awesome.

She's awesome.  That is all.

Q. Does it feel like starting all over again?

LAURA ROBSON: What, to seniors you mean?

Q. Wimbledon.

LAURA ROBSON: No (smiling). I've already been here for a week.

Q. But it's a fresh start.

LAURA ROBSON: Yeah, but I've still like been here. I don't know. But yeah, it's a new tournament.

Q. Was it a bit nerve‑wracking defending a title?

LAURA ROBSON: Defending it?

Q. Yeah, trying to win it again. You know, you are the champion there to be beaten.

LAURA ROBSON: Yeah, but it was only first round.

Q. That's what I mean, though; every girl is playing you as the champion, aren't they?

LAURA ROBSON: Yeah, I wasn't really nervous today, so it was fine.

...

Q. How many autographs did you have to sign after your first round fixture in the girls' championship last summer? Because you were detained quite a long time when you came off court tonight.

LAURA ROBSON: Yeah, I got a letter, as well. A young guy slipped me a letter.

Q. What was in the letter?

LAURA ROBSON: Don't know. Didn't read it.

Q. It's not a proposal, is it?

LAURA ROBSON: I wouldn't know. I hope not because then I would have to decline. (Laughter.)

No, last year I think there were still quite a few people, just like, oh, it's a tennis player, might as well get her autograph. But this year, hopefully they know who I am.

Q. Last year did you have to sign any autographs and then say who you were?

LAURA ROBSON: No, but I got a couple last year where they were like, "Yeah, can you sign this," and then they'd ask, "No, can you actually like sign your name rather than just your signature." But yeah, this year they seemed to know who I am, which is good.

...

Q. Do you feel as though you are a marked woman, a marked girl, in this championship? You are, as it's been said, the defending champion. You're there to be taken down. Last year you came onto the scene sort of under the radar. This year you're very much ‑‑

LAURA ROBSON: Well, I'm not the No. 1 seed, and I've lost to a couple of the girls in the draw, so I wouldn't say I'm the one ‑‑ I'm probably the one everyone wants to beat because I won it last year. But there's quite a few other girls in the draw that are pretty tough, too.

Q. Do you feel that weight of expectation?

LAURA ROBSON: No. Nope. Simple answer.

...

Q. I spoke to Melanie Oudin that you beat in the second round last year. She decided not to this year because she had done enough juniors. Is that just an age thing?

LAURA ROBSON: No, it's up to the individual because I know Michelle Larcher De Brito stopped playing juniors when she was like 14, which in my opinion might have been a bit young because then it really limits the amount of tournaments you can play each year.

No, I mean, it's up the individual. I'm happy to keep playing juniors.

...

Q. Will you read the letter you received or has it already gone in the bin?

LAURA ROBSON: I didn't put it in the bin. My coach took it and I don't know what he's done with it. But I think it all goes into a pile, which I might read and I might not.

...

Q. Will you be replying to them?

LAURA ROBSON: I don't know, yeah. It depends. If it's from ‑‑ no, it depends. I'll stop there.

...

Q. What about the smaller crowds? Is that noticeable when you're on court, and you're not playing on Court 2, you're on Court 14? Do you notice?

LAURA ROBSON: I don't mind which court I play on. They're all the same grass courts to me, so yeah.

It would have been a bit silly if they put me on a bigger court for my first round junior match, so it was good scheduling.

SW19: Tuesday OOP -- HEY LADIES

Yes, all the dubs and kids are playing too.  But let's be real.  We need to focus now and give the pootang some love. 

Centre Court 13:00 Start
1. Ladies' Singles - Quarterfinals
Dinara Safina (RUS)[1] v. Sabine Lisicki (GER)
2. Ladies' Singles - Quarterfinals
Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[8] v. Serena Williams (USA)[2]
3. Gentlemen's Doubles - Quarterfinals
Bob Bryan (USA)[1] v. Bruno Soares (BRA)[5]
Mike Bryan (USA)[1] Kevin Ullyett (ZIM)[5]

Court 1 13:00 Start
1. Ladies' Singles - Quarterfinals
Venus Williams (USA)[3] v. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[11]
2. Ladies' Singles - Quarterfinals
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) v. Elena Dementieva (RUS)[4]
3. Gentlemen's Doubles - Quarterfinals
Lukasz Kubot (POL)[8] v. Daniel Nestor (CAN)[2]
Oliver Marach (AUT)[8] Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)[2]

Pic This: "It's Business, It's Business Time..."

The BEST.DAY.EVER. started with a whimper and ended with a bang. 

We can't have it all, people.


Unless your name is Mirka.  In which case, you *can* have it all.

 
Um.  No thank you.


"You want a piece of this?"

It's official.  Tennis needs to have pre-match staredowns, a la boxing.  Because they are both awesomely intense and you never know if you're about to watch a sporting event or porn.  So, win-win!

Shhh!  Do you hear that?  Listen oh so carefully and you can hear the sound of a thousand blades of grass screaming.

Yes.  He did it again.  Oh, and FYI, reporters, "slapping the bull" is nothing even close to resembling "The Robot."  Come on.

Did anyone else think it was really inappropriate for the world feed cameras to be shooting Ana all gyno style?  Show some class, fellas.

Seriously?  What is this, 2002?


Yes, she won.  No I have no idea when she's due.


But what does it all mean....


Yeah, so I'm gonna need some of that in and or around the general vicinity of my JJ area.


Sometimes it's really creepy how much Andy looks like Judy.  Oh, and while I'm at it...

K.SEARS IS WAY HOTTER THAN B.DECKS!!! Suck it!


Yes, Tranny scares me.  But she has one of the most awesome "Win Smiles" in the game.  Pure joy.

 
Open your heart, Andy.  Let us in.

In an unfortunate setback for race relations, Venus and Serena double bageled Jay-Z & Co.  Thanks a lot ladies. 

So...you refuse to sign with a clothing company but an insurance company with a lizard mascot put together a deal that sounded appealing to you?  O...k....

Oh, Dina.  Inapporpriate.  In.a.propriate.  Besides, Momo has no idea what that means.

Andy Murray Wants To Get Inside Your Head.

He's all...not dour. Shock!

"I'm Not Invisible"

Boots/Boom Boom Bumpgate. Sabine probably thought it was just her reflection coming back at her in a mirror.

Raise It.

So...I think that roof is going to work out pretty well. 

I couldn't watch the zamazing Stan/Muzz match, but I was listening on Radio Wimbledon and the crowd sounded awesome.  Gave me chills.  The atmosphere was absolutely electric.

Stan played so well.  But in the end Muzz's quality won out with the help of the support of an entire nation.  And for all who think he's the Big Blue of Tennis, kid got pretty emotional after he won.  Word on the street (read, cbox) is that he cried a little bit. 

But a hearty salute to Stanley the Manley, who played his guts out and pushed Muzz to the brink.  Stan is one of those players who I always frazzle over when I see him in my fave's part of the draw.  That backhand is a thing of beauty.

Great Expectations

Loving that Nole has proved all the haters wrong and has found himself in the quarterfinals after beating Dudi in straight sets.  And Roger played a solid match against an in form Sod, playing the big points better, and in winning in three tight sets. 

Roger will face Ivo next.  Nole gets Tommy, who beat him two weeks ago in Halle.

It's Just Not Right.

So I've seen it now.  That was fun.

 
AI dropped the first set at 6-1, though to be honest it didn't seem like it should have been 6-1.  It felt closer.  But nonetheless, serving at 30-40 in the first game of the second set she fired her first ace and immediately felt a twinge in her left groin. 

She tried to continue, missing her first serve and immediately started crying as she walked to her chair to sit and wait for the trainer.  After getting the leg strapped she came back, gamely was able to close out the first game, but in a flood of tears walked up and retired. 

To Venus' credit she was really classy with how she handled it.  She gave Ana a hug and walked slowly to allow Ana to keep pace as they walked off together.  Once they got of the court Venus showed genuine concern as she talked to Ana as they headed into the tunnel.  I will add that I would expect nothing less from Venus.  She's class all the way.

Ana after the match (the video is kinda heartbreaking):

Horrible way to go.

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, definitely. Uhm, that's the most disappointing thing because I felt like I wasn't given a fair chance, you know, to fight.

But, yeah, it was really disappointing, especially that, you know, all of a sudden I felt pain after that serve. And, yeah, I'm really disappointing.

Q. Did you have the problem in the first set?

ANA IVANOVIC: No, no, nothing. I didn't feel anything up until that point. Over past few days I felt muscle tightness, but that was, you know, normal after playing so much on the grass.

Just when I was serving 30‑40 down in that first game, and after my first serve when I landed I just felt a sharp pain on my inner thigh and I couldn't step on my leg ever since.

Q. It was very hot today on Centre Court. I think it was 31 degrees in the shade. Did the heat have anything to do with it?

ANA IVANOVIC: It was very hot, but I made sure I stayed hydrated. I had a lot to drink before the match and also last night. Yeah, it was a different day in London.

But, yeah, you know, I enjoyed. I thought I had some chances in the first game of the first set. Even though it was 6‑1, I still thought it was pretty close. She played really well. She wasn't missing much.

But, yeah, I just felt like, uhm, maybe I should have had a fair chance to fight back.

Q. How big a disappointment is it compared to anything else you've endured?

ANA IVANOVIC: Obviously it's very disappointing. You know, especially that I felt my form was getting better and better. So, yeah, it's really frustrating (tearing up.)

Q. Is that part of the problem, because you hadn't had the best year, but you were coming back?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, just frustrating because, like I said, I felt, you know, good out there. I was playing better each match. I just thought, you know, it was great challenge for me today to play against someone like Venus.

And, yeah, just disappointing I didn't get the right chance, you know, to finish the match.

And Venus:

Q. Probably not the way you want to advance, but you advance nonetheless. Can you just talk about that.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I don't even know the last time that I had these circumstances. I don't think ever in a slam. So I think she was in a lot of pain.

You know me, I'm one of those players I just only pay attention to what's going on on my side of the net. But today I felt really sad for her actually. She was really upset.

This is Wimbledon. It's the last place you want to have an injury that you can't overcome. So I'm wishing her a lot of luck in her recovery.

Q. Did you notice the moment when she was injured?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just think it happened in the last game, and I guess it was painful. You know, she's tough. She tried to not show it. But, you know, professional players, we're always in a little bit of pain of some sort. So you get used to the pain level, but I guess it was something she couldn't work through.

So yeah.  Really tough luck for the kid.  It seems like every time she's on her way to gaining momentum something happens. 

Pic This: If It Ain't Broke...

Why, Fer?  Why did you go gel today?  I thought athletes were superstitious.

Bounced.

I hear ya, Gilly.  I hear ya.

 
Here are three of your men's quarterfinalists, who took out Gilly, Fer, and The Sex, respectively.  JCF had a pretty easy go, and Ivo's serve was cracking so Fer, much like Jo, didn't have much of a chance.  Ivo held way too easily.  But Lleyton was down two sets to none before a rain delay took effect.  Lawnmower Lleyton must have had some Wheaties during the break (or not considering Wimbly's "no eating" rule) because he came out firing and Steps was flat.  Lleyton would reel off the next three sets in fairly easy fashion.

Most interesting thing here?  Ivo will face Fed in the quarters.  Always an interesting matchup.

Whatever. You're Still Ugly.

Nice comeback from Ugly Girl.  Drops the first set to Momo and then goes on win the second and fight for the third in a 46 63 64 win.  Welcome to the quarterfinals on your worst surface, Dina. 

And thank you tennis gods for coordinating the awesome fuck you to the Wimbly organizers.  Dina gets dissed throughout the first week, being relegated to the outside courts because she's ugly.  So they finally give up the fight and put her on Center, sandwiched between two high profile matches (Fed and Muzz), presumably to give people a Pimm's break.  And what happens?

First match on Center Court played under the roof. 

Neener neener.

So Dina will meet Boom Boom next.  That's a tasty one.

"Boom, Shake Shake Shake The Room!"

That was impressive.

The Bobbsy Twins went to battle for a quarterfinal spot, and is usually the case in the women's game these days, power won.  Boom Boom was unbreakable and Boots was frustrated.  Matches like this reinforce in me why I'm still not totally on the Caro train.  I really like her and I want her to do well, but she really needs to develop a weapon, something that will help her hold her serve more easily.  Beef up that serve, Bootsie, otherwise you're going to continually get owned by the Vikas, Soranas, and Boom Booms of the world.

This is the first match I've ever seen where Caro was visibly frustrated and negative.  It was possibly influenced by BumpGate:

Oh come on, Sabine.  You *totally* saw her.

The WTA: It's like any high school hallway in America.

If It's Any Consolation, Your Girlfriend? WAY Hotter.

I've never really been able to explain my Igor love.  Is it that he looks like Billy Zabka?  His adorable service set position?  The fact that his favorite book is The Master and Margarita?  Yes, yes, and yes.

So while Tommy has the feel good story on his side, I'm super bummed Igor bowed out so easily.  He's got a huge serve, moves well, but in the end I guess his game is too much of a clay court game to really work on grass.  He just doesn't hit flat enough.

So congratulations, Tommy.  Two straight Slam quarterfinals.  Not bad for an old fogey.  You seem like a nice enough guy, but I just can't get onboard when I see pics like this:

Uh...unnecessary, dude.

Rematch

So Viko outlasted the always ridiculous non-closer Nads in three sets and Serena shoved Dani aside in easy straight sets (last time I checked a it's first person to 6 games, right Pammy?) to set up yet another eagerly anticipated matchup.  Woozygate obviously went to Serena, though Vika had her on the ropes, and then the Miami final went decisively to Vika, though Serena wasn't 100% there. 

Here's hoping for a quality match.  That said, who the hell am I rooting for here?   On one hand I would love for Vika to spoil the All-Williams love fest going on.  On the other hand, Serena's been on her best behavior this tournament and she's not really on my bad side.  And we all know how I feel about the umpire berating Belarussian.

So...go...Se...re...na???

I guess.  We all have to sell out at some point.

Sleepers

Agi and Lena are quietly into the quarterfinals via straight set wins.  Agi took care of Melanie Oudin in two tough sets 64 75, and Lena dispatched Vez 1 and 3.

Agi will play Venus next.  Lena on the other hand looks well on her way to making her second straight Wimbly semis.  She'll play the winner of Tranny/Gypsy.

Can You Say "Chocolate Cake" One More Time?

So I'm pretty sure this is the commercial I was destined to direct.

Um...Yeah.

Today...has not been great. 

Ana was forced to retire from her match with a groin injury sustained in the first game of the second set.

Well Done, Martina. Well Done.

Please, kid. Blowdry your hair before doing your press tour. It's not difficult. Also, did Ana slap Martina on the thigh as a thank you for cock blocking? Cuz if so? Amaze.

Air Quotes: Mmmm, This Medicine Is Tasty. Is It Your Own?

"But, you know, from what I have seen, you know, she can play if you let her play. But she cannot hurt you with anything. She doesn't have any weapons, you know, from what I've seen...  She's a consistent and quite solid player. She doesn't make so many mistakes. But she doesn't do anything either, so it's like she's depending kind of on you."

-- Jelena Jankovic, describing hersel-- I mean, Melanie Oudin's game.  Consistent and solid with no weapons?  Yeah, she sounds like a crap player to me too, JJ.

"Dunblane Is Andy Murray. Simple As That."

Nice ESPN piece on Andy's hometown of Dunblane, site of the 1996 schoolyard shooting.

Again, no pressure, Andy.

Air Quotes: If It's On A T-Shirt It Must Be True

Q. We saw Svetlana go out today. Obviously you're No. 1 because of your consistency. Is that something you're proud of, how week in and week out you're really there most of the time?

DINARA SAFINA: Of course. You know, I guess sometimes the people say, yeah, I'm No. 1, but I don't have a Grand Slam. But I'm always there. You know, it's not that you win one tournament and then you lose four first rounds, you know, and one by luck you can win.

I'm consistently there. I'm consistently doing my results. I'm sure if day to day like this, one day I will get the Grand Slam and nobody can talk anymore that I'm No. 1 without Grand Slam.

Q. Does that bother you?

DINARA SAFINA: Annoying. But what can I do? They keep asking this.

Q. You know what you can do. But do you think you can win here?

DINARA SAFINA: You know, everything is possible. There is nothing impossible in this.

Pic This: XOXO

Chace Crawford hanging out at Wimbly.

I refuse to believe that guy is straight.  Refuse.

Pic This: "You're Good Enough, You're Smart Enough, And Gosh Darn It, People Like You."

Aw, how sweet. 

But I've read Revelations.  God may love you if you lose, Andy, but the apocalypse will come.  No pressure!

Boom Boom in da hizz.  Kind of a surreal shot there.


Boo.  You lost.  How dare you.


Yeah, I made the same face when I found out too.  Everyone loves Gonzo.


This just looked like a picture I should post.  But I honestly have nothing witty to say about it.

Convo during the Muzz/Viktor match:

Cousin: Diadora makes tennis clothes?
Me: Apparently.
Cousin: Does Kappa make tennis clothes?
Me: How awesome would it be if someone was sponsored by Umbro?

Ok, it was a much funnier conversation than it seems.  Take my word for it.  That Umbro line is GOLD.

Oh, Flavs.  We still love you.

Dinara: "So...should we cancel the surprise party?"
Nads: "NAAAAAHHHH."

Oh, Tomas.  Don't ever change.

SW19: The Best Day In Tennis OOP

So many interesting match ups.  Fernando vs. Ivo? Dina vs. Momo?  Big Berd vs. A-Rod?  Really interesting stuff.  A lot of 50/50 matches.

Also, Sammy Stones is playing mixed dubs with Bob Bryan?  Random (at least to me).

Centre Court 13:00 Start
1. Gentlemen's Singles - 4th Round
Robin Soderling (SWE)[13] v. Roger Federer (SUI)[2]
2. Ladies' Singles - 4th Round
Dinara Safina (RUS)[1] v. Amelie Mauresmo (FRA)[17]
3. Gentlemen's Singles - 4th Round
Andy Murray (GBR)[3] v. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)[19]

Court 1 13:00 Start
1. Ladies' Singles - 4th Round
Venus Williams (USA)[3] v. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)[13]
2. Gentlemen's Singles - 4th Round
Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[7] v. Ivo Karlovic (CRO)[22]
3. Gentlemen's Singles - 4th Round
Tomas Berdych (CZE)[20] v. Andy Roddick (USA)[6]

Court 2 12:00 Start
1. Ladies' Singles - 4th Round
Elena Vesnina (RUS) v. Elena Dementieva (RUS)[4]
2. Ladies' Singles - 4th Round
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) v. Serena Williams (USA)[2]
3. Gentlemen's Singles - 4th Round
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v. Radek Stepanek (CZE)[23]

Court 3 12:00 Start
1. Ladies' Singles - 4th Round
Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[8] v. Nadia Petrova (RUS)[10]
2. Gentlemen's Singles - 4th Round
Dudi Sela (ISR) v. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[4]
3. Gentlemen's Singles - 4th Round
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) v. Gilles Simon (FRA)[8]

Court 4 12:00 Start
1. Gentlemen's Singles - 4th Round
Igor Andreev (RUS)[29] v. Tommy Haas (GER)[24]
2. Ladies' Singles - 4th Round
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)[9] v. Sabine Lisicki (GER)
3. Gentlemen's Doubles - 2nd Round
Wesley Moodie (RSA)[9] v. Igor Andreev (RUS)
Dick Norman (BEL)[9] Evgeny Korolev (RUS)
4. Mixed Doubles - 2nd Round
Mike Bryan (USA)[6] v. Philipp Petzschner (GER)
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)[6] Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)

Court 5 12:00 Start
1. Ladies' Doubles - 3rd Round
Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) v. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP)[2]
Monica Niculescu (ROU) Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP)[2]
2. Ladies' Doubles - 3rd Round
Cara Black (ZIM)[1] v. Iveta Benesova (CZE)
Liezel Huber (USA)[1] Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)
3. Ladies' Doubles - 3rd Round
Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) v. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)[10]
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) Nadia Petrova (RUS)[10]
4. Gentlemen's Doubles - 3rd Round
Max Mirnyi (BLR)[7] v. Simon Aspelin (SWE)
Andy Ram (ISR)[7] Paul Hanley (AUS)

Court 6 11:00 Start
1. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Jana Cepelova (SVK) v. Akiko Omae (JPN)
2. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Tamara Curovic (SRB) v. Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO)[8]
3. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Jennifer Ren (GBR) v. Nastja Kolar (SLO)
4. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Harry Fowler (USA) v. Emanuele Molina (ITA)

Court 7 12:00 Start
1. Gentlemen's Doubles - 3rd Round
Lukasz Kubot (POL)[8] v. Christopher Kas (GER)
Oliver Marach (AUT)[8] Viktor Troicki (SRB)
2. Gentlemen's Doubles - 3rd Round
Rogier Wassen (NED) v. Bruno Soares (BRA)[5]
Igor Zelenay (SVK) Kevin Ullyett (ZIM)[5]
3. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)[1] v. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN)
4. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Facundo Arguello (ARG)[14] v. Dino Marcan (CRO)

Court 8 11:00 Start
1. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) v. Richard Gabb (GBR)
2. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Beatrice Capra (USA) v. An-Sophie Mestach (BEL)
3. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Ana Bogdan (ROU)[3] v. Magda Linette (POL)
4. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Timea Babos (HUN)[6] v. Tara Moore (GBR)
5. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Gianni Mina (FRA)[6] v. Oliver Golding (GBR)

Court 9 11:00 Start
1. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Dominik Wirlend (AUT) v. David Thomson (GBR)
2. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Khunpak Issara (THA) v. Alexandra Walker (GBR)
3. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Kevin Krawietz (GER) v. Guilherme Clezar (BRA)
4. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Olivia Rogowska (AUS)[5] v. Lesley Kerkhove (NED)
5. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Johannes Robert Van Overbeek (USA) v. Cheng Peng Hsieh (TPE)[13]

Court 11 11:00 Start
1. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Alessandro Bega (ITA) v. Tom Farquharson (GBR)
2. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Tiago Fernandes (BRA) v. Sandro Ehrat (SUI)
3. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Chantal Skamlova (SVK) v. Ilinca Stoica (ROU)
4. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Andrei Vasilevski (BLR) v. Marin Draganja (CRO)

Court 12 12:00 Start
1. Gentlemen's Doubles - 3rd Round
Martin Damm (CZE)[15] v. James Blake (USA)
Robert Lindstedt (SWE)[15] Mardy Fish (USA)
2. Ladies' Doubles - 3rd Round
Mariya Koryttseva (UKR) v. Kristina Barrois (GER)
Tatiana Poutchek (BLR) Tathiana Garbin (ITA)
3. Mixed Doubles - 2nd Round
Andrei Pavel (ROU) v. Robert Lindstedt (SWE)[7]
Monica Niculescu (ROU) Rennae Stubbs (AUS)[7]

Court 14 12:00 Start
1. Gentlemen's Doubles - 3rd Round
Bob Bryan (USA)[1] v. Leos Friedl (CZE)
Mike Bryan (USA)[1] David Skoch (CZE)
2. Gentlemen's Doubles - 3rd Round
Mahesh Bhupathi (IND)[4] v. Prakash Amritraj (IND)
Mark Knowles (BAH)[4] Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK)
3. Mixed Doubles - 2nd Round
Lucas Arnold Ker (ARG) v. Bob Bryan (USA)[2]
Gisela Dulko (ARG) Samantha Stosur (AUS)[2]
4. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Katarena Paliivets (CAN) v. Laura Robson (GBR)[2]

Court 15 11:00 Start
1. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Miyabi Inoue (JPN) v. Fatma Al Nabhani (OMA)
2. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Julien Obry (FRA)[10] v. Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP)
3. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Jocelyn Rae (GBR) v. Sloane Stephens (USA)[7]
4. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Alexander Domijan (USA) v. Liam Broady (GBR)

Court 16 11:00 Start
1. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Karim-Mohamed Maamoun (EGY) v. Sudarwa Sitaram (IND)
2. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Alexandros-Ferd Georgoudas (GER) v. Jordan Cox (USA)
3. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Alejandra Granillo (MEX) v. Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (THA)[4]
4. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Malou Ejdesgaard (DEN) v. Sally Peers (AUS)

Court 18 12:00 Start
1. Ladies' Singles - 4th Round
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[11] v. Melanie Oudin (USA)
2. Ladies' Singles - 4th Round
Virginie Razzano (FRA)[26] v. Francesca Schiavone (ITA)
3. Ladies' Doubles - 3rd Round
Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)[11] v. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[7]
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP)[11] Elena Vesnina (RUS)[7]
4. Ladies' Doubles - 3rd Round
Serena Williams (USA)[4] v. Zi Yan (CHN)[13]
Venus Williams (USA)[4] Jie Zheng (CHN)[13]

Court 19 11:00 Start
1. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Heather Watson (GBR)[12] v. Valeria Solovieva (RUS)
2. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Devin Britton (USA) v. Shuichi Sekiguchi (JPN)[7]
3. Girls' Singles - 1st Round
Sachia Vickery (USA) v. Luksika Kumkhum (THA)
4. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Filip Horansky (SVK) v. James Marsalek (GBR)
5. Boys' Singles - 1st Round
Riki McLachlan (NZL) v. Stanislav Poplavskyy (UKR)

TBA
Not Before:16:00
1. Gentlemen's Doubles - 3rd Round
Jamie Delgado (GBR) v. Daniel Nestor (CAN)[2]
Jonathan Marray (GBR) Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)[2]
Not Before:17:00
2. Mixed Doubles - 3rd Round
Leander Paes (IND)[1] v. Mahesh Bhupathi (IND)[13]
Cara Black (ZIM)[1] Sania Mirza (IND)[13]
3. Mixed Doubles - 3rd Round
Lukas Dlouhy (CZE)[15] v. Marcin Matkowski (POL)[3]
Iveta Benesova (CZE)[15] Lisa Raymond (USA)[3]

Pic This: Judy's Knowing Smile Really Says It All

Spoiler Alert!

 

So these guys are into the second week of Wimbly, each pulling off a pretty significant upset to get there.  Big Byrd dumped Kolya, Tommy finished off Tuxedo, Lleyton popped Elf, The Sex outlasted Daveed, and JCF swashbuckled his way to a win over Gonzo.

So if you had these guys in your week 2 bracket please call me to explain the meaning of life.  Thanks.

"When you were a baby, the Gods reached down and turned your right arm into a thunderbolt."

Looks like we have a new German "Boom Boom" on our hands. 

That serve is going to get you far, kid.  First stop, dumping out the French Open champ on her birthday in straight sets, 62 75.  She'll face good buddy Ski Boots on Monday.  The last time they met was Charleston, where Sabine took her out in straights.   Should be a good one.

As for Kuz, the letdown was expected, though her inability to figure out Sabine's game was rather surprising.  She just wasn't moving her feet to get around the ball, leaving it short or just missing altogether.  This win shouldn't have been this easy.

After the match Boom Boom got a little emotional.  Understandably so.


 
This is the first time she's ever been through to a second week at a Slam. 

"I Can't Help It If I Have A Wide Set Vagina And A Heavy Flow."

So...this was a new one.

I mean, really, who other than JJ would go into a presser hell bent on talking about her lady times?  Who?  Just say you're sick, weren't feeling well, have a virus, whatever.  But leave the "riding the crimson wave" excuses for school.

And she couldn't even just leave it at that.  The Queen of Drama brought it:

Q. Can you tell us just how difficult conditions were for you.

JELENA JANKOVIC: Conditions were quite tough. It was very warm out there. But that was not, you know, my problem. After the first set, I felt really dizzy, and I thought that I was just gonna end up in the hospital. I started to shake. I was losing my ‑ how you say ‑ consciousness.

I didn't know. I was really gonna lose it, you know, to fall down and just, you know, probably go ‑‑ call the ambulance and leave the court. But I came back. Like I started to feel a little bit better.

...

Q. Have you been struggling for a few days, or is it just today?

JELENA JANKOVIC: No, I felt okay, and then all of a sudden I won that first set. I felt, you know, I was like a ghost, you know, white in the face. Really, I didn't know where I was.

The physio came out and she asked me, Do you know like what is your name? I just saw blurry. I didn't know. It was really strange feeling. I was scared and I started to cry in this kind of situation.

But what can I do? These kind of things happen. Didn't have, you know, enough energy to hit the shots, to go after the shots, to do the right things. But I did the best that I could. And what can I do?

And of course, the money question:

Q. Is that the first time your monthly cycle has affected you so dramatically like that?

JELENA JANKOVIC: No, I never had problem like that in the past. It was my first time experience, so...

It's just so weird.  Always something with her. 

 
Hopefully JJ's menses don't overshadow young Melanie Oudin's guts and courage.  She really should have taken the first set but just kept missing by *thismuch* on set points.  But I loved her shot selection and she had the balls to go for her shots while JJ was just dumping the ball back.  Then in the second set she just kept plugging away, refusing to allow a let down after losing the first set.

That's two really huge wins for Melanie this year in some high profile, big stakes matches.  Well done, kid.  And it may not end on Monday.  She'll play Agi, who definitely isn't going to blast her off the court.  But either way, great run for her from qualifying through to the second week. 

"We're Still Cool, Right?"

Uh, yeah.  She won again.

And much to her relief, she's still got a friend in Kristin Flipkens.  Nice to see Dina smile.  Even nicer to her make it into the second week of Wimbledon. 

Now go ahead and lose, you big fat loser.

Wait...What?

So the whole reason I stayed up all night to watch Ana play at 4am was because I was convinced that this would be the only match I'd get to see her play at Wimbledon (ESPN didn't cover the other two).  So imagine my shock and awe when she broke in the first game and then served three aces in the second game to consolidate the break. 

What the hell is going on here?

Of course, she still had her Ana moments, lapsing in the middle of the first to give Sam the break back before breaking (via two double fault gifts from Sam) and holding to take the first set.  From there Sam kind of disappeared and Ana cruised to victory, 75 62.  She served well (lapse notwithstanding), the forehand was cracking, and she was moving her feet and covering the court well.

So Ana makes it to the second week of Wimbledon.  Huh.  Wasn't expecting that.  Luckily it's all going to end on Monday at the hands of Venus (who's 5-0 up on CSN right now).  But I like that match.  Ana can play with no pressure and the goal is simply not to get double bageled.  Still a tough task, but somewhat doable. 

Especially with Adam in her box.  Adam for President!

Three Dani Posts In One Day? Don't Mind If I Do.

She is smiling! And she calls her "Sugi"!  Zadorbz.