Wimbledon diary: serving up a storm
Originally published on: 03/07/10 18:58
Serena serves her way to the title
Serena may have won her thirteenth Grand Slam title today and picked up a cheque for £1 million when she beat Vera Zvonareva 6-3 6-2, but the statistic that has captured the imagination is 89. Yep, that’s 89 aces that she has served during this tournament. Stats amazing.
Vera’s two finals
She wanted to play doubles as coming into the Championships she had not had much grasscourt practise. In those circumstances, reaching both the singles and doubles finals seems like a good result. But for Vera Zvonareva, claiming the runner’s up prize in the Ladies’ singles wasn’t good enough for the self confessed perfectionist “Well, you know, I think I’m such a perfectionist that I wouldn’t consider it as a fabulous result, because you know how I always want everything perfect. Even if I lose, you know, I feel like I could have done better.”
Flippin’ great day
9-year-old Hana Pearce had the day of her life when she tossed the coin at the start of the Ladies’ Singles Final. From just down the M2 in Rainham in Kent, Hana was representing UK Youth, a charity that supports young people across the UK. She plays tennis herself and in her submission for the role today she said, “I really like tennis. I play it on the street outside my house because it’s difficult to get to any courts…. Maybe I can ask someone to put a court in Rainham that I can use.” Perhaps someone at the Tennis Foundation will come up trumps but for today she got to enjoy the toin coss, watching the match with her family on centre court and lunch and tea in the Competitor’s restaurant, courtesy of the All England Club. Not bad for starters.
Warm words of advice
Just before 12 noon the Club reverberated, as each day, to the announcement about the day’s action and weather, and spectators were informed that as temperatures were once again expected to be in the mid 20’s they might like to heed the advice to have at hand “plenty of sunblock and water and adequate head protection.” Today, he might have added, especially a helmet if you’re on the receiving end of a Serena serve.
Gor-antics
At 12 noon on Court 5 Goran Ivanisevic was on court with partner Cedric Pioline in the Gentleman’s Invitation. They took on Jaco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis from the Netherlands. The spirited match was broadcast in the ground on the big screen and kept spectators on Murray Mount entertained. Unfortunately the crowd favourites lost 6-4 6-3 but proof were it needed that Goran can still pull a crowd. Best book those tickets now for the AEGON Masters at the Royal Albert Hall from 30 November – 5 December.
Movin’ on
“Keep your legs movin’and your hips shaking” was the cry of the security guard who tried to stop spectators blocking up the gangway near Court 17 where at 1 pm Rafa was practising. The Spaniard looked very relaxed, with baseball hat worn Lleyton Hewitt style, and yes, he was still wearing that watch, the Richard Mille Tourbillon RM 027 – judging by the way he played yesterday against the home boy, this accessory offers the wearer precision in all departments.
Junior Winners
The Girls singles Final was won by Kristyna Pliskova, the left handed Pliskova sister, when she defeated Japan’s Sachie Ishizu 6-3 4-6 6-4 on Court 1. It was Ishizu you may recall who put Laura Robson out of the event yesterday.
Junior Marathon
On Court 5 in the Boys doubles semi final, British pairing Lewis Burton and George Morgan were finally victorious against the German pair of Peter Heller and Kevin Krawietz 6-3 3-6 15-13…a final set of a mere 28 games.
Keothavong makes finals day appearance
Shame it wasn’t sister Anne on Centre court today, but her brother James was given the honour of umpiring the final of the Gentleman’s doubles between Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau and the unseeded pairing of Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzchner.
Box Watch
Athletes and women tennis legends abounded in the Royal Box today; Rebecca Adlington, Denise Lewis, Maria Bueno, Jana Novotna, Virginia Wade, Martina Navratilova, Christine Janes, Ann Jones, Angela Barrett, Yvonne Goolagong Cawley and the great Billie jean King, who saw her Grand Slam record of 12 titles beaten today by Serena with 13 “Hey Billie, I got you” were Serena’s first words in her on court interview. The Champion sure knows her place in history.
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