A bubbly Coco ... and flying corks
THIS has been a singularly lacklustre first week of singles action at Wimbledon with a slew of big names biting the dust on the men’s side of the draw for all the wrong reasons – Stefanos Tsitsipas for being too rushed in between points, Nick Kyrgios for self-sabotage, Stan Wawrinka for being aced into oblivion by a giant and Kevin Anderson for not having enough match play under his belt going into the tournament. And the list goes on ...
When fourth seed Anderson (his highest seeding to date), one of the most lethal servers in the game and who was the ‘Tie-break King’ last year, loses every tie-break on grass one knows that that elbow injury is haunting him.
It was shades of his defeat at the hand of Diego Schwartzman, whom he dwarfed, at the French Open 2018 as another short, feisty Argentinian, Guido Pella, sliced and diced, attacking relentlessly. The highlight of the match was a flurry of reflex volleys, whereby Pella came out on top in the third and final set. And it is that ability to volley that gave him the edge.
Yet the talk of the tournament is young American teenager, ‘Coco’ Gauff, ranked No313 in the world and the youngest to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon since Jennifer Capriati.
She has been a phenomenon and an inspiration, taking over where Anderson left off, against Roger Federer last year, in fighting to the death in her marathon three-setter against Polona Hercog and simply refusing to capitulate no matter how dire the circumstances. Not that Anderson nor young Lloyd Harris gave up in either of their ultimate defeats – they were simply outplayed by Federer and Pella respectively.
Federer is looking marginally slower against younger opponents, perhaps preoccupied by going out to Buckinghamshire to play tennis with Prince George, who has declared Federer his favourite, Not difficult to achieve, as Fed facetiously pointed out, when you are the only professional whom the five-year-old prince has had the chance to hit balls with.
And both duchesses have been at large this past week – the Duchess of Sussex casually ensconced on Court No 1 watching her friend, Serena Williams, and the Duchess of Cambridge on the eve of the British Lionesses’ fateful semi-final spreading herself thin, between five odd courts, where British players including British No 1, Joe Konta, battled in the noonday sun.
Williams, looking as sluggish as Federer, prevailed on this occasion against Kaja Juvan, but is getting more attention in the mixed doubles partnering the very man she once challenged to a Bobby Riggs v Billie Jean King-like face-off, ex Wimbledon champion Andy Murray.
While Annabelle Croft reminded us that mixed doubles used to be taken with a pinch of salt in the 80s and you played with guys you fancied or even married like Americans Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert, it’s now serious business and you pick your partners based on their volleying prowess, namely Williams or current world No2 Ashleigh Barty. The much anticipated ex-no1 pairing was delayed by Gauff’s Friday night comeback, from a set and three games down on Centre Court .
If one considers how much attention was generated by Williams and Federer’s first time confrontation on opposite sides of the net at the Hopman Cup earlier this year, there is no doubt this current champion combination will raise the roof. Murray moreover hasn’t blotted his Women’s Rights Copy Book, being the first man to hire a female tennis coach in Amelie Mauresmo.
The Scot has to face his brother, Jamie, another Wimbledon titleholder, in the men’s doubles third round and has admitted it may have been a mistake not to partner him. Mum Judy, a staunch courtside supporter of both her boys, has declared that on this occasion she cannot bring herself to watch and will retire instead to a local pub.
In terms of celebrations, flying champagne corks have become such a menace at the All England Club that several have interrupted play and another almost took out a spectator’s eye. Such naughty patrons, as strict rules say bottles must be uncorked prior to taking one’s seat.