Next for Big W: A new roof, maybe 5th set tiebreakers
CHANGE? The sixandhalfhour marathon between Anderson and Isner is forcing a rethink
I can honestly say, on the record, that is not a record (Isneranderson match) we want to be broken. Having a tiebreak at some stage probably is going to be the outcome.
WIMBLEDON: Despite stiff competition from a certain soccer tournament in Russia, it was a memorable Wimbledon.
There were upsets galore, superstar comebacks, marathon fifth sets and poignant scenes of parenthood. There was even a throwback dance involving the men’s champion, Novak Djokovic, and the women’s champion, Angelique Kerber, late on Sunday night at the champions’ dinner formerly known as the Wimbledon Ball.
This anachronistic tournament - who plays tennis on grass anymore? - somehow remains one of the essential events in global sports and a pillar of its own game. But with professional tennis seeing more infighting over change, Wimbledon is continuing its transformation.
Centre Court finally got a roof in 2009, guaranteeing that rain could no longer disrupt an entire day’s play at the All England Club.
ROOF ON COURT NO.1
No. 1 Court will have a roof for next year’s tournament, and the massive white structure is already on the grounds, looking like something Santiago Calatrava might have designed as it sits near Church Road waiting to be hoisted into position.
“I think it’s going to change the tournament more than people realize,” said Richard Lewis, Wimbledon’s chief executive, in an interview.
“I think because of the roof on Centre Court, all of us, not just the organizers but the players, have slipped into thinking that there was this huge difference between Centre and No. 1. But it will be good to have two courts on pretty much equal billing.”
Roger Federer, the eight-time Wimbledon champion and the biggest draw in the sport, made his first trip to No. 1 Court since 2015 and responded by squandering a match point in a five-set quarterfinal loss to Kevin Anderson. Djokovic had successfully lobbied to play that day on Centre Court, where he defeated Kei Nishikori on his way to his fourth Wimbledon title, but Lewis said Djokovic’s request was not a decisive factor.
“It just felt right that Roger and Kevin were put on No. 1 Court,” Lewis said.
FIFTH-SET TIEBREAKER
Wimbledon officials sound increasingly open to the idea of a fifth-set tiebreaker - currently used only at the US Open and in Davis Cup.
Anderson’s six-hour-36-minute defeat of John Isner in the semi-finals stretched to 26-24 in the fifth set. It was the secondlongest match in Grand Slam history, behind Isner’s firstround encounter with Nicolas Mahut in 2010.
“I can honestly say, on the record, that is not a record we want to be broken,” Lewis said with a chuckle.
The marathon disrupted the schedule of the final weekend.
Since 2000, there have been 28 men’s matches that have had fifth sets stretching past the 20-game mark at Wimbledon.
Only once did the winner go on to win more than one more round. The U.S. Open’s fifth-set tiebreaker comes at 6-6, but the best compromise for the other three Slams might be 9-9 rather than the 12-12 that Anderson, Isner and others have suggested.
That would preserve some of the advantage-set tradition and yet set a finish line that would give the winner a chance going forward.
“Having a tiebreak at some stage probably is going to be the outcome,” Lewis said. “But I wouldn’t be 100 percent certain about it.”
Another issue raised over the weekend was when a roof could be reopened during a match.
It was closed for the start of Djokovic’s and Nadal’s match because of darkness and it stayed closed when they resumed on a sunny Sunday because Djokovic declined to approve its reopening.
Lewis said there was no written rule, just a protocol, but he intends to clarify the policy. “The referees’ office were unanimous in saying the match must be played under a roof unless both players agree,” he said. “I think we will clarify it.”
What seems increasingly clear is that the plan to cut back from 32 seeds to 16 next year at the Grand Slams is dead.
Gender equity in scheduling remains an issue on main show courts, though the club made progress this year in the early rounds with a more-even mix.
We should give Novak credit because he won the championships this year and played on court two, and he didn’t make any bones about it.
RICHARD LEWIS, Wimbledon’s chief executive