Steve,
I may have flown several thousands of miles, but I still just witnessed a good old-fashioned NYC street mugging. Poor Tim Henman stood in front of his entire nation and got completely undressed by Roger Federer. I watched the mismatch with the legions of Henman supporters that blanketed “Henman Hill.” Never before have I seen so many not utter a sound, yet speak volumes. I’ve been to more festive funerals than the final two sets of this match. The loudest noise, other than the occasional Bronx cheer anytime Henman managed to win a point, was the perpetual hum coming from the huge screen displaying the match at the bottom of the hill.
The only other group of fans I’ve witnessed firsthand that came closest to this silent lot was when I watched Colorado QB Kordell Stewart heave an 80-yard TD pass to Michael Westbrook with no time left on the clock to beat my Wolverines and suck the life out of Michigan Stadium. Conjuring that memory still gives me shivers.
Probably not much to say, but what’s your take on Tim’s demolition?
At his post match presser, Henman didn’t give any reason to believe he won’t be back playing, and I hope he does continue. I’m sure the local papers will spend some columns taking the piss out of Henman, but the truth is nobody was going to touch Federer today. It would be a shame if Henman’s last moment on Centre Court was this thrashing. He’s been too loyal a soldier, and punching bag, in his country’s quest for another champion to go out in this fashion.
Someone else who met a gruesome end today was me…in our suicide pool. Thanks to Schiavone’s loss to someone who the WTA didn’t know existed, I’ve bombed out in the first round of our bet. First my brolly gets snatched, now this. I’m counting on Mr. Clutch, Tommy Haas, to keep me alive in the men’s draw. I thought you were finished once Bags collapsed to the court holding his groin, but he clearly has more guts and soccer player in him than I gave him credit for.
Had some fun today watching the David and Goliath match-up of “The Magician” Fabrice Santoro and Tomas Berdych, who definitely needs a nickname. Something like “Lurch” or “Drago” would suit. At the moment, Berdych looks pretty buggered, down two sets to one and struggling with his control. Santoro is simply amazing to me. Even on a grass court, which is supposed to favor a monster hitter like Berdych, the diminutive Santoro more than holds his own, with a two-handed slice freakin’ forehand. He’s definitely one of those players I can’t get enough of watching.
Who makes your must-see list?
Well I still have yet to catch a match on Court 2, but tomorrow is another day at Wimbledon. And I have a ticket with a pretty choice seat.
Have a good one, and I’ll be in touch tomorrow.
JL
Jon,
I’m happy that Henman Hill didn’t turn into Mackin Mountain for a day. Just goes to show you that Marcos Baghdatis can make anything interesting. Sorry to hear about Schiavone: You didn’t actually go out and watch any of that, did you? For the second round of the suicide pool, I’m going to take Sebastien Grosjean, a solid performer at Wimbledon who I don’t see getting by either Roddick or Hewitt in his part of the draw; and Ana Ivanovic. She’s got another no-name Brit, though those have proved more dangerous than we thought, haven’t they?
Who’s everyone else got?
ESPN gave us plenty of Federer and Roddick today. (The first week of any Slam does seem to be all about the men; the focus switches to the women for the second). Federer just had so much more of everything. His shots managed to be heavier and more penetrating, and at the same time safer than Henman’s—that’s the kind of combination that wins you 6-0 sets. Once Fed gets comfortable in a match, once he has again confirmed to himself that, yes, he is the best player in the world, you are done. It’s funny how little of the hoopla over Henman and Murray is conveyed over here, despite ESPN’s shots of the colorful British crowds on the Hill. Last year I found myself drawn to every one of their matches when I was at the All England Club—it was the power of the saturation press coverage in London. In the U.S., Henman and Murray revert to their status as physically challenged (you know what I mean) long shots. Speaking of British non-specimens, did you catch any of Bogdanovich against Nadal? He looked like a high school kid who’d won a contest to play in Wimbledon.
I do want to see Murray-Roddick, which will happen if they both win their second-rounders. Murray outcrafted Andy earlier this year in a pretty shocking upset indoors in San Jose. Roddick was shaky again today. It was plain throughout his match with Tipsarevic that this unknown Eastern European had more feel from the ground than Roddick, and that the American survived by the good graces of his serve and unwillingness to take what might have been the most devastating defeat of his career (I wonder what Roddick would have been ranked post-Wimby if he had lost this one?).
This brings up a question, at least in my mind. In the office there was some debate as to what Roddick would be ranked if he didn’t have That Serve (this is the kind of thing that will be debated at lunch at a tennis magazine, I suppose). The consensus was: somewhere outside the Top 20. But is this a fair thing even to consider? Would you ask the same question about, say, Federer’s forehand? Or Agassi’s timing? Or Nadal’s head? I guess it’s just because the serve is one simple shot, so it seems unfair that a player should benefit so much from it. But that’s tennis, right? It’s kind of like saying the 1988 L.A. Dodgers wouldn’t have won the World Series without Orel Hershiser. OK: so what?
A few interesting matchups are in the works:
Hantuchova vs. Jamea Jackson: Is the sudden rise of Jackson for real? The winner may face Alicia Molik, someone that any women’s tennis fan has been hoping to see come back.
Martina Hingis vs. Patty Schnyder: Schnyder needs to win two matches to make this happen, but we’d have the Alpine Smackdown. Also, I thought it was classic Hingis (i.e., unintentionally insulting) that she said that practicing with Schnyder was what inspired her to come back. She basically said, If this chick is in the Top 10, I can be too.
Mashona Washington vs. Dinara Safina: The battle of the late-blooming sisters.
Maria Sharapova vs. Ashley Harkleroad: The battle of the post-Annas.
Mauresmo vs. Stosur: Just when you think Stosur is ready to make good on her athleticism, she doesn’t do it.
Wawrinka vs. Ancic: Two heavy-ball-hitting baseliners. Is this the Other Swiss Player's breakout match? We’ve been waiting.
James Blake vs. Max Mirnyi: What they call heavy artillery (go James!)
And, of course, Nadal vs. Agassi: For history’s sake, let’s hope it happens. There’s a good chance they’ll never face each other again.
Next time: The other players I’ve never rooted against.
Tignor