Having just played their semifinal matches yesterday, the women are not given the same amount of rest as they do at other slams coming into today. Same for the men tomorrow.  I understand that it is for the benefit of the fans, but how many others besides me are willing to set aside an entire day to watch tennis? (pathetic enough?)

At least the women don’t need to play their final sandwiched in-between the men’s semis anymore.  You’ve come a long way, baby?

First on, Rafa vs. Youhzny.  The lead stories coming into the match were grand. 

By reaching the final, Rafa could set himself up to become just the seventh man ever to win the career grand slam.  If Federer also won, it would be the first time in tennis history that the two same men would play each other in the title-round of every grand slam.

Rafa held up his side of the bargain with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 win.  Youhzny was actually in his second US Open semifinal, but likely his claim to fame will remain his self-masochistic assault from a few years ago.  (Click here if you are not afraid of blood.)  After 2 hours and 17 minutes, the match really just proved to be an opportunity for Rafa to show off his fitted yellow shirt.

Next up was Federer-Djokovic.  For the fourth year in a row, these two would play at the Open and, for the first time, the match went the full five sets.  The contest was a see-saw battle.  Roger won the first and third sets, 7-5.  Nole won the second and third sets by surrendering only three games total.  The fifth and final frame was all New York drama.

Roger led 5-4, and had two match points on his opponent’s serve.  Djokovic unloads the two best forehands he would hit the entire match and stays in it.  The set is leveled at 5 games all.

Djokovic’s forehand continues its relentless incisions all over the court.  Roger does not give in and keeps each game close.  However, Djokovic would refuse to be eliminated for a fourth consecutive year by the Swiss Mister and prevails 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5. 

What makes a match an instant classic? A comeback from match points down? The wave on the upper deck? Three hours plus? Whatever it is, this was it.

The women’s final was on last – the Belgian defending champion, Kim Clijsters, against the Russian hothead, Vera Zvonareva. I didn’t have high hopes for this match.  I wasn’t disappointed.

For the fifteenth year in a row, the US Open women’s championship match was a straight set borefest.  The last time the women dueled to three was when Steffi defeated Monica in 1995.

You gotta feel for Vera.  She exhibited great efforts this year at reaching two back-to-back slam finals.  But, at Wimbledon earlier this summer, she is overwhelmed by the occasion and bombs out against Serena. Then, she arrives in Flushing Meadows today and is overcome again by her nerves in a 6-2, 6-1 beatdown.

Kim is a classy champion and revealed in her post-match interview that she gave encouragement to Vera that she will breakthrough one day.  Kim, after all, lost her first four grand slam finals before becoming the three-time US Open champion that she is today.  Wisdom that only comes with age, but also, titles that only come with steely resolve and persistence.

“I grew up with playing soccer on the streets, remember being engrossed in the matches in front of the TV at home and collecting decals/transfer pictures.”

More here!

And for you history buffs, a pic of Steffi from her last Wimbledon triumph in 1996:

I can’t believe I woke up at 6am to watch yet another ho-hum final!  Nadal was just head and shoulders above Tomas Berdych this morning.  I suppose we have been spoiled in the last several years for men’s finals with Federer-Roddick’s 16-14 fifth set from last year, 2008′s historic match, and even the 2007-2006 finals with Federer-Nadal.

Kudos to Tomas for eliminating Federer and Djokovic to make it to his first final, but he didn’t bring enough game to notch the W.  Juan Martin Del Potro blasted Roger and Rafa off the New York hard courts at the US Open last year (and hasn’t been seen since).  I don’t blame ya for being hopeful at a repeat.  But, c’mon, you gotta do yourself a favor and convert on the break points.  0-4? That’s the same boring storyline as Soderling in the French final last month, who was 0-8.

At this rate, Nadal looks to surpass his historical antecedent, Bjorn Borg, for all time grand slam titles.  Rafa’s win today broke his tie with Mats Wilander and John McEnroe.  He is now in the ranks of Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendlova at 8.  Rafa still has lots of mileage left in him to distinguish himself from Borg, and already has by way that he has won a hard court slam at Australia in 2000.

The one record that Rafa will easily surpass in the coming years is most appearances in French Open finals.  Borg holds the record at 6 and Rafa is already at 5.  Overall, I think Rafa will be able to hold on for at least 3-4 titles assuming he continues to be judicious about his tourney selection over the course of the year.

Will the Spanish World Cup team find inspiration from Rafa? After having won four straight World Cup matches, they are in the semifinals for the first time. Next up is Germany whom Spain beat in the European Championships in 2008.  Whatever the outcome, Rafa (who’s favorite position on the pitch is, unsurprisingly, striker) will be in Johannesburg for the final and he wants to invite you! But is he forsaking his Davis Cup obligations as Spain’s tie against France is happening on the same weekend as the WC final? Maybe it’s part of his sustainability plan….

In one of the boringest finals in my lifetime, Serena Williams womanhandled all comers including today’s unlucky victim, Vera Zvonereva, on her way to a fourth Wimbledon singles crown.

Probably the second boringest match was the 1992 final when Steffi beat down Monica, 6-2, 6-1.  Steffi was the underdog in that match and had lost her previous two grand slam encounters against Seles in the 1992 and 1990 French finals.  Payback was sweet then, so I didn’t mind the one-sidedness.

In today’s 6-3, 6-2 drubbing, Zvonereva was outmatched in every stroke. Her offense was a pittance and her defense reminiscent of Custer. The match remained close for the first six games as the newly ninth-ranked Russian kept her forehand errors to a minimum. In the seventh game, Serena ripped a backhand return that blew Zvonevera’s mind.  The American broke serve to go up 4-3 and then allowed a deflated Zvonereva to win only 2 more games.

Frankly, this match would have been more interesting if Vera unveiled one of her as-of-yet unpatented meltdowns.  Crying on court, smashing racquets, yelling, screaming, hitting herself – you name it, she’s done it. But, on this sunny Saturday in London, she kept her composure and submitted willingly to her opponent.

0-8. That’s really the only stat you need to know about today’s men’s final in Paris.  Robin Soderling went o for 8 on break points against Rafa.  How you gonna act like that and think you got a chance at winning against the best clay court player of this generation?

Well, that’s pretty much the only interesting thing to say about the match.  Chalk one up for the women in the competition for more interesting final.

This past year has been tough on Rafa fans. He couldn’t defend his French Open and Wimby crowns in 2009, and actually went title-less for 11 months. It was heartening to see him re-evaluate his approach to tennis in 2010 by playing less tournaments, taking time to heal, and just being more like himself on the court.

That being said, it seems hard to believe that Rafa will be able to sustain this level over the long haul.  His bludgeoning style of play is so physical and stressful on the body.  I imagine that he has 3-4 more good years ahead of him.  He is only 24, but as he inches closer to 30, I think we will see the cumulative toll that his game will have on him.

As far as the rest of the year, I predict 2 more titles through the summer. The hopeful side of me says maybe even Wimbledon #2.  Either way, wouldn’t a re-match of Roger v. Rafa a la 2008 just be smashing? I would love to see Rafa extend his domination to later in the calendar year, and he may go a bit deeper this year because of the many months out due to injuries. But, the last time Rafa won a title later than August was in 2005.

For now, Rafa is just going to keep supporting his buddy, Pau Gasol, and the Lakers (boo) in the NBA Finals and hope for Spain to better their round of 16 showing at the 2006 World Cup. In 2008, Spain was the first team ever to become number #1 on the FIFA world rankings and never to have won a World Cup, ie. the futbol version of Jelena Jankovic.

Go Celts!

But by the end of the 1.5 hour contest, I was utterly thrilled for Schiavone.

You see, this year, I had already become acquainted with the peoples and culture of Italia vis a vis Julia Roberts’ NYT best-seller, Eat, Pray, Love. (or was it Elizabeth Gilbert’s?) Breaking through the morass of her self-pity and self-indulgence – pausing briefly to get over my own predilection against First World middle-class women’s woes and empathizing with her pain – what I actually got out of Eat, Pray, Love was an appreciation for that boot-shaped nation.

I had even gotten a chance to see Schiavone play in person a few years back at the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford. It was a late afternoon doubles match, and I thought, this woman has got great arms.  Not as muscular as Stosur’s, but taut and impressive all the same.  She played with pizazz and several kilos of personality.

I remember thinking, it’s great that women can still play this type of game and still make a living on the professional tour.  But how can a 5’5″ woman ever hope to win a slam? Schiavone doesn’t have even the power of a comparable shorty, Henin.

This morning, Schiavone drew us all into her time warp as her all-court style of play defused the Australian’s biggest baseline shots.  Her Graf-like slice backhands, Sabatini-esque topspins, and Navratilova-ish serves constituted a rarely seen formula in the modern era.  By match’s end, she was also nearly perfect at the front of the court, winning 14 of 15 net points.  Can you say, winning percentage?

Schiavone’s defensive play was not surprising.  What was surprising was how rattled Stosur was by Schiavone’s aggressive play.  Sam never settled into her power zone comfortably.  She managed an impressive 25 winners, but undid her own cause with 28 unforced errors.

Witnessing Schiavone become her country’s first grand slam singles winner in the open era was such a pleasure.  This was a woman who played for love of the game, not for the endorsements, the money, or her own ego.  Her excitement was palpable and irresistible.  As each point in the tiebreaker brought her closer to the magic score of 7, the French audience got more and more electrified.  Heck, even at match’s end, she was still floating!

This year’s final was the crowning of a first time slam champion, the second time in three years.  Whereas two years ago, Ana Ivanovic was proclaimed to be tennis newest “it” girl as she ascended to world #1 ranking, expectations of Schiavone are not nearly as high.  Who cares! Francesca, you worked it and you deserve the champagne e prosecco. Let it runneth over.

(T. Lovelock)

Notwithstanding the fashion displayed above, Wimbledon 2008 was the finest show of tennis I’ve ever seen. The women’s final was outstanding, but proved to be just an appetizer for the epic final in the gentlemen’s division. The five set encounter between the Swiss #1 and Spanish #2 was – and will likely be – the finest ever played on Centre Court, perhaps even in grand slam history.

On Saturday, Venus Ebony Starr and sister Serena squared off in their third Wimbledon final. The match began with Serena emphatically asserting her presence, easily winning the first two games. The last two finals contested between the siblings were won by Serena, and it looked as though Venus might been headed for another loss to the eight-time major winner. But at 0-2, Venus got her head into the match and showed off why she is the best grass court player of this generation.

Serena played magnificently, but Venus – impeccable.

The match ultimately boiled down to break point conversions: Serena went just 2 for 13. The younger Williams may have been expecting lesser offerings on her sister’s second serve, but Venus averaged 92 mph and won a remarkable 56% points on the second ball. While Serena is a masterful returner, Venus’ serve held up under the pressure.

After 1 hour and 51 minutes, Venus held aloft the Wimbledon rosewater plate for the fifth time. She also entered the number five position in all-time singles titles behind Billie Jean King and Suzanne Lenglen (6 titles), Steffi Graf (7 titles), Helen Wills Moody (8 titles), and Martina Navratilova (9 titles).

On Sunday, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal faced each over for a record sixth time in grand slam finals. They had previously been tied with Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi who faced each other five times over the course of their amazing careers. Federer was poised to eclipse Bjorn Borg as the champion with the most consecutive Wimbledon crowns. He also was trying to turn around a year that had produced only two titles at relatively minor tournaments and, by his standards, was his worst since 2002.

For his part, Nadal was attempting to become the first player since Borg in 1980 to capture back to back French and Wimbledon championships, arguably the toughest feat in all of tennis.

The match was a virtuoso display of power, precision, athleticism, and artistry. Federer blasted winning shots from his serve and forehand wing; Nadal’s backhand was unbelievably consistent, his court coverage was unparalled. All credit to Nadal, Roger was a bit unlucky to find himself down two sets to love for the first time in her career in the finals of Wimbledon.

Unlike his whimpering finish in Paris, Roger stepped up his game. He sharply reduced his unforced errors, and produced an impressive offensive strategy of baseline aggression and penetrating netplay. Even so, Federer still could not find a way to break Nadal’s serve. The third and fourth sets went the distance and are decided in tiebreakers. The third set breaker was exciting, though handily won by the Swiss. The fourth set tiebreaker will go down in history. It was simply the most dramatic and courageous display of tennis I’ve ever seen.

Federer faced two championship points against him, but managed to emerge victorious with pinpoint accurate groundstroke winners. Nadal did not waver in his unrelenting attack. It was Roger who raised his shotmaking to impossible heights. Federer was again on the verge of making history by attempting to become the first man since Henri Cochet in 1927 to come back from two sets to love to win Wimbledon.

The two would battle through a 16 game final set. After nearly five hours of play, Rafa won his first Wimbledon on a final forehand error by the Swiss Mister. The match was pure entertainment, but toss in a heaping of history, the highest level of tennis ever produced between two players over five incredibly competitive sets, and finally a whole lotta emotion, you come up with the best match possibly ever.

Rafa was the consummate sportsman in stating in his acceptance speech that Roger was still the game’s best player. Roger was similarly cordial, but his utter despair was palpable. He should take heart in knowing that even in defeat, he showed off more heart and grit than most commentators ever imagined was possible for him.

It’s a testament to the nature of the game of tennis that had Federer won two more points while at 5-4, 30-all in the fifth set, the sports world would be crowning him the best ever. Instead, we remark on the changing of the guard or otherwise metaphorize ad nauseum on Federer’s defeat.

It was truly an amazing match. Rafa, I predicted you’d win this. Roger, my heart goes out to you. I hope that you will come back and show us why you deserve to be called the Greatest of All Time.

(C. Brunskill)

Watching Rafa on grass this week, I’ve been converted. I believe that a clay court specialist can go all the way in London!

Rafa secured his spot at the Tennis Hall of Fame last week when he won his fourth French Open in a row. But his winning ways stayed with him over the English Channel as followed up with his first title on grass at the Artois Championships in England. He fought back an inspired Novak Djokovic, 7-6, 7-5. While it was his third straight win over the Serb, it was the manner in which he won all his matches this week that made me see the light.

Rafa has been simply awesome in striking forehand winners from all corners of the court. His groundies have adapted to the faster surface and his serve is intimidating. He never misses a passing shot and his movement is superb. Most impressive have been his trademark mental fortitude and aggressiveness. He is simply unrelenting.

For instance, in his 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 win over Ivo Karlovic in the quarters, Rafa wasn’t able to break serve a single time, but he still found a way to win. He blasted Roddick off the court in the semis, and while mental fatigue started to creep in during his final match against Novak, he demonstrated true grit and desire.

Many are speculating if Roger can win his 6th straight Wimbledon. I think the buck stops here this year. Rafa is going to be the first player since Borg to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. Can I get an Amen in here?

(www.artoischampionships.com)

(PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/Getty Images)

Ana Ivanovic was picture perfect in nabbing her first grand slam title on Sunday. She clearly benefited from the experiences of her prior two runner up finishes in grand slams, including last year’s French Open and this year’s Australian Open. Against Dinara Safina, herself in her first grand slam final, Ivanovic kept her wits and calmly played within her abilities.

Watching Ana in last year’s final against Justine was painful. It was as bad as Mary Pierce’s implosion in 2005. But Ana has clearly grown, matured, and did not let the experience get bigger than her. To her credit, Safina kept the match competitive the whole way through, but her serve, surprisingly timid for her own considerable stature, allowed Ivanovic to pressure her in each game.

Wimbledon will be a good test for Ivanovic. As the pace of the game quickens on grass, she will lose the luxury of time, especially in her stellar return game. Ivanovic made the semis last year, but was taken out by the hard-serving American, Venus Williams. In fact, Ana’s record against big servers is less than stellar (1-4 vs. Venus, 0-1 vs. Serena, and 2-3 vs. Sharapova).

What’s more, through her title run, Ana did not face a single big server in the latter rounds at the French (Safina, Jankovic, and Schnyder), which obviously worked out perfectly. She won’t be so lucky in London, but for now, she can sit pretty with her trophy and a new number 1 world ranking.

(Getty Images)

Her departure from tennis has been written on and pondered over by writers the world over. Not too much I can add there. But given the many comparisons drawn between the two over the years, often stated in terms such as commitment to the sport, temperment, and even style of play, I thought I might contribute to the field by offering a comparison of accomplishments of Steffi at age 25 vs. Justine at age 25.

- In 39 slams played, Steffi won 15 (38%). In 31 slams played, Justine won 7 (23%).

- Steffi had won at least one Slam each year from the age of 17-25. Justine won at least one Slam each year from the age of 20-24.

- Steffi won at minimum seven tournaments per year from the age of 17-25. Justine won a minimum of two tournaments per year from the age of 20-25.

- Steffi’s most remembered year was 1988 when, at 19, she won all four Grand Slams and the Olympics, won 11 tournaments, and amassed a 72-3 win-loss record (96%). However, her most dominant year was 1989 when she won 13 tournaments and had a 86-2 win-loss record (98%). Justine’s most dominant year was 2007 during which she won 10 tournaments and picked up a 63-4 record (94%).

- By age 25, Steffi had won 85 singles titles and been runner up in another 25. Justine finished her career with 41 and 16 runner up appearances.

- They both won Olympic Gold for tennis, Graf in 1988 and Henin in 2004.

- At 25, Steffi had finished the year atop the world rankings six times (1987-90, 1993-94); Justine 3 times (2001, 2006-07).

- Steffi was the highest ranked player ever to retire when she was #3 in the world until Justine retired while she was number #1. (That’s the one stat the Justine will have forever over Steffi!)