The finales were predictable—the No. 1s won—but the rest of Wimbledon this time around was a string of surprises, from the Williams sisters’ doubles defeat, to the rise and fall of Yen-Hsun Lu, to the strong run of the highly vulnerable Novak Djokovic. Who outdid themselves? Who disappointed us? Let’s wrap it up.
Andy Murray
Has he started to look like Tim Henman, just a little? The early hopes, the mid-tournament triumphs, the blown volleys, the blank stare that says "I knew this would happen," the mournful wave good-bye after a not-as-close-as-it-may-have-seemed-at-the-moment semifinal defeat to the eventual champion: It’s all so familiar, and as with Henman, it may start to be all too predictable. Tiger Tim, despite the nickname, never had the big shot that would let him dictate play and make life a little easier. Neither does Murray. Still, he played well. A-
Petra Kvitova
At first I was turned off by her extra-vehement fist-pumps in the direction of the player box. But I was won over by her athleticism and fearlessness against Serena in the semis. Anyone who can stick and attack like that has a future. A-
Tsvetana Pironkova
The last time Pironkova appeared on the radar screen was in 2006, when she beat Venus Williams in Melbourne. Will she fade for another four years? I hope not. I like the slice backhand. Tennis can always use a little craftiness. A-
Ron Wood
Apparently, judging from the younger woman sitting next to him, the smiling, smoking crone of rock and roll still has it. Whatever, at this point, it may be. A-
The Queen
I was impressed that Serena granted her an audience. It's amazing where royalty can get you. A-
Novak Djokovic
He was solid against his lesser opponents, but couldn’t hurt Berdych in the semis. He appears to still have the ability to let it rip and attack from anywhere, but maybe he doesn’t anymore. Good defense and balanced all-around play just aren’t quite enough. B+
Yen-Hsun Lu
He put on one of the best performances of the tournament against Roddick, then returned to oblivion against Djokovic. Would we be disappointed if we asked the real Lu to please stand up? B
Maria Sharapova
Still creeping back toward her former status, she looked great for a week, and went toe-to-toe from the baseline with Serena for one long, exciting set. But then, at the end, she double-faulted wildly. No matter how well she plays otherwise, you have to wonder if her serve will keep her from going all the way at a major again. B
Roger Federer
Maybe the outfit was too bland this time. A close-to-awful first round, a shaky second, and a defeat in the quarters: It wasn’t a good tournament for Federer. He’s always been the master of taking what his opponents give him, but this time the tables were turned; one bad patch of forehands was enough to cost him the first set against Berdych. Those little lapses spell the difference between titles and quarterfinals. He said that this was a “decent result.” I don’t believe for a second that he actually thinks this, but in the real world, the one where Federer may have to live from now on, it’s true. B
Robin Haase
An easy walk, a smooth serve, and lightning stuff for the better part of four sets against Nadal. I’d like to see it again. B
Sam Querrey
The man has a dilemma: His calm during the storm helps him get through the matches that he should win, but it doesn’t help him raise his game in the ones that he shouldn’t. B
Robin Soderling
As he blitzed through the early rounds looking brutally confident, it almost appeared like he might bully all the way through this tournament. It continued to appear that way as, looking more brutally confident than ever, he took the first set from Nadal. Then Rafa shook off the nerves and punched the bully back. You know what happens after that. Soderling lost the fourth set 6-1. B-
* !Rw Andy Roddick*
I felt like he suffered from a lack of grass-court preparation this time. It’s hard to get any in the first place, and it didn’t help that he lost early in Queen’s. He served well enough not to be broken for five sets against Lu, but otherwise he was the more passive player; Roddick himself said he was horrible for the better part of two sets. The topspin rally balls he used to win on hard courts this spring landed right in Lu’s strike zone on grass. C+
Kim Clijsters
You never know with her these days. First she runs away from Justine in the third set, looking as confident and determined as she ever has. I wondered, briefly, if this was the start of a new Kim. In her next third set, against Zvonareva, she ran in the opposite direction, folding up shop against a player she should beat. C+
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
You could never trust the guy, but now you really can’t trust him. Up a set on Murray in the quarters, and serving at 5-5 in the second set tiebreaker, he lets a ball land on the baseline. Then he completely folds. That’s called finding a way to lose. C
Brooke Shields’ Eyelid
There were a few questionable ads on Tennis Channel and ESPN over the course of the two weeks. We had the inexplicable Caveman with the wooden racquet (please stop it), Federer dreaming about himself in the mirror for Rolex, a couple in their wedding clothes jumping off a cliff for Ramada Inn (marriage really isn’t that bad, is it?), a Dinara Safina lookalike hitting a Wiffleball in an otherwise well-produced K-Swiss ad, and, most annoying, a wife who won’t let her husband dance on vacation in a Chase commercial (is “stick in the mud” what advertisers think when they think of tennis viewers?).
Or do tennis viewers just want longer eyelashes? All paled—or shone, I should say—in comparison to the eyelid, presumably Brooke Shields’ eyelid, in the spots for Latisse. This is a company that seems to be able to make your lashes not just appear to be longer, but also to scurry along like a centipede. I have to hand it to them, it’s the visual I may remember the longest from this year’s Wimbledon. F