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| Will Federer's reign ever end? [AFP] |
Two former Champions regained their crowns on the lawns of SW19, as Roger Federer and Serena Williams won Wimbledon 2009 for the sixth and third times respectively.
Naturally, these two 27-year-old stalwarts of the game will be very happy with their performances over the two weeks in London, but who else had a good tournament? And who will have wanted more from their efforts?
No doubt that the emerging star from the tournament will have been Sabine Lisicki, the 19 year old German sensation, who routed through seeds Anna Chadvetadze, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Caroline Wozniacki, before falling to top seed Dinara Safina in the quarter finals.
Having won Charleston earlier in the year, Lisicki will have been waiting to break through in a Grand Slam, and having done that, we should expect great things from this confident teenager.
On the men's side of the draw, young American qualifier Jesse Levine surpassed all expectations in reaching the third round, dispatching 14th seed Marat Safin along the way.
At 21, he has a long way to go and should take the confidence of some impressive performances to move towards the top 50, and maybe even higher.
Serbs struggle
It's difficult to say who has had a disappointing tournament. As a whole, Serbia has had a shocking time of it, with only Novak Djokovic making the quarter finals of the five players in either draw, beforelosing tamely to Tommy Haas.
After a fantastic 2008, in which Djokovic won the Australian Open, Ana Ivanovic winning the French and both Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic reaching the pinnacle of women’s tennis, their form has dropped off – Ivanovic has even fallen out of the top 10 in the world.
True, grass is not a surface many countries are able to provide to allow their players to practice, but despite this, the top players have shown themselves to be versatile on all surfaces.
Individually, Svetlana Kuznetsova, who recently took Ivanovic's crown in Paris, had a terrible time of it on the grass.
Falling in the third round will not have pleased her, and she should've expected more of herself. Victoria Azarenka will too feel aggrieved at having fallen so tamely to eventual winner Serena Williams.
Caroline Wozniacki too, another young star, was looking good for a semi finals spot, but lost easily, again to Lisicki.
The same goes for Juan Martin del Potro, the world number five, who was beaten in the second round by a resurgent Lleyton Hewitt. True, Hewitt has seen a return to form of late, but more should’ve been expected of a top five player.
Murray succumbs to pressure
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| It is 73 years and counting for Great Britain after Andy Murray failed to win [AFP] |
The home pressure certainly got to Andy Murray in the latter stages of the tournament.
Getting to the semi finals and losing to runner up Andy Roddick – who has now lost three Wimbledon finals, all to Federer – is no mean feat, as he came up against some tough opposition along the way. But it was certainly obvious he struggled with the expectations of a nation.
Britain as a whole will once again see the tournament as a disaster, with just Murray and one other Brit, Elena Baltacha, winning first round matches. Having seen what happens to French players at Roland Garros, the nation shouldn't be too downhearted!
The best match of the two weeks in South West London has to be the epic struggle in the women's semi final between Elena Dementieva and Serena Williams.
Probably the best match in nearly 20 years in the women's game, Williams prevailed 6-7 7-5 8-6 in the longest recorded semi final match at Wimbledon, saving a match point along the way. Some claim women’s tennis is boring. That statement cannot be used any more.
A mention also has to be given to the men's final, which went the distance, ending in a 16-14 final set. Another staggering final, 2008’s final between Federer and Rafael Nadal was also tantalising, it should really encourage young fans to pick up the racquet and start playing.
Worst match
The worst match was, sadly again on the women's side in the other semi final, again between a Russian and an American.
World number one Safina had a torrid time, winning just one game in her match against runner up Venus Williams. How the best player in the women's game could lose so handily bemuses every follower of tennis, and clearly the ranking system needs to be addressed.
A championship full of upsets and new players emerging meant the two weeks on the hallowed turf of Wimbledon will be remembered for some enthralling encounters, and the first use of the new roof over centre court.
But it will mainly be remembered for Roger Federer becoming the most successful men's tennis player in history, winning his 15th Grand Slam, and his 6th Wimbledon title. Will it ever be beaten? Watch this space…
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