Wimbledon Highs and Lows: Day Four

By Steve Pearce at Wimbledon

Posted June 24, 2011 09:03:00
Updated June 24, 2011 09:19:00

OK. Lleyton Hewitt. This is the match Australian tennis fans have been waiting for since the draw was made nearly a week ago here at the All England Club. The 2002 champion against the number five seed. And of course it's on Centre Court.

Now Hewitt is on an awful run both on and off the court. Injuries have nearly crippled the former world number one, but he keeps battling on despite a ranking that is in freefall. His record here is amazingly consistent. He's reached the third round or better for the last eight years, ever since that stunning first-round loss to Ivo Karlevic as defending champion in 2003. That said, he's only once got past the quarter-finals other than in 2002, and that was six years ago when he lost to eventual winner Roger Federer in the semi-finals.

The tightest of first sets goes the way of Hewitt in a tie-break, with the Australian in good form, although neither player faced or gained a break point, so there's little in it.

While this is all happening on Centre, women's defending champion Serena Williams has continued her topsy-turvy week with a come-from-behind win over Romanian Simon Halep. German Julia Goerges has also won, which I only mention because she is a very good young player, and an outside chance to challenge for the title. She's also very pretty which gets her plenty of attention too, but it's her tennis that's really getting her noticed by most. Anyway, back to Centre Court.

Hewitt's really warming to this. At 3-2 up on serve, he forces two break points, the first of the match, which Soderling saves, one with an ace. But Hewitt is dictating terms with his greater court nous and he's moving the Swede around the court and out of his comfort zone. Then comes the moment of the match and the shot of the tournament so far. On his third break-point at 4-3, Hewitt makes a great return which just drops in. Soderling then thumps his backhand for what he thinks is a certain winner across the court but somehow a scampering Hewitt gets a racquet on the ball and falling over he hits a stunning winner from outside the tramlines. This is vintage stuff. Serving for the set, he makes no mistake, and against all the odds leads by two sets.

The third set continues much as the first two, with very little in it, but Hewitt just in control, physically and tactically. As the match continues, Novak Djokovic is through on Court One, but nobody is looking in any other direction than at Centre. Can Hewitt do it?

Not yet. Serving behind at 5-6 proves too much of a strain and the first sloppy service game of the afternoon hands Soderling his first break points and two set points. He only needs one and we're going to four under the roof.

In the press room, Serena is bleating about her scheduling on Court Two, which she does most times when she's put there. Pretty tiresome really, although of course, she's right - they'd never put Federer or Nadal there. But commercial realities can be harsh. Sharapova v Robson clearly has great interest in the UK and is on Court One, and the French Open champion and third seed Li Na has every right to be put on Centre. So is it about her or about women? There's the facts, you decide. Truly, you would have thought she would have learned there are more important things in life. Anyway.

All is as it has been on Centre. Two breaks of serve all afternoon, and none yet in the fourth . But the pressure of serving from behind again gets to Hewitt, who's lost the momentum in the match and some of the control as Soderling works his way back into it. The Swede levels it with his second set point after a 40 minute set and we're going the distance. The veteran Australian must find a way back into the match, and he'll be serving second which has hurt him in the last two sets. He's produced three of the best shots you'd want to see, but he could be on his way out.

And that's exactly what happens. Hewitt manages the break, but then makes the cardinal error of handing it straight back and when the crunch moment comes to serve to stay in the match at 4-5, his service crumples and he's broken to love. The match goes the way of the Swede, just.

Serving first in the deciding three sets helped him, no doubt, but probably more so is just the fact that that Hewitt couldn't maintain the standard of the first two sets and Soderling gets some free points with his thumping serve and booming forehand.

So, we're down to two Australians in the singles and it's only Thursday. Jarmila Gajdosova is a set up in her match and Tomic is yet to go on court as the heavens open again and for the umpteenth time this week, play is suspended.

When the players come back onto court, I have to tell you it is FREEZING! This cannot be summer, although I did grow up here so you'd think I'd be ready for this sort of climate, but after the last two years of 25 degrees every day, this is a rude shock.

Anyway, Gajdosova is through now. She did it easily in the end as you may have expected she would. It's third round time for Jarka now, the last 32 players, so she's reached the point where she was supposed to. It's Caroline Wozniacki next. Probably. The top seed didn't get on court today against France's Virginie Razzano but when she does tomorrow she should beat her and set up a Saturday match with our girl.

Well, she is ours now isn't she?

So, Hewitt out. Not up, not down, but out. He still remains positive about his future, and you have to respect him for that. He's talking Davis Cup in China, and then the American hard court swing leading up to the US Open. Let's hope that foot heals well.

Bernard Tomic is now on court and after not too long finds himself two sets down against Russian Igor Andreev. A man who for many years dated Maria Kirilenko; a fact that he was almost better known for than his tennis. Anyway, he's playing pretty well, against my predictions, and Bernie doesn't look like he's enjoying the weather much at all.

But from somewhere he finds the will to fight his way back into the match and grabs the third set to keep his Wimbledon campaign going just as the sun is setting in London. Not that we have really seen it all day, or we would all be a lot warmer than we are.

So, back tomorrow for Tomic and Andreev to decide who will meet Robin Soderling in the third round.

Surprise of the day goes to Sabine Lisicki for knocking out Li Na, the third seed and French Open champion. Li had two match points and twice served for the match, but the German managed to win. Now that is a serious boost for the injury-prone 21-year-old, and a serious reality check for Li after two consecutive major finals.

And comeback of the day has to go to Soderling. To be two sets down against Hewitt takes a big effort to come back and win. That's a big upside for the Swede, who may yet still be given the task of ending Australia's involvement in the men's singles here for 2011. On today's performance it's an opportunity he'd clearly relish.

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Wimbledon Highs and Lows: Day Three

By Steve Pearce at Wimbledon

Posted June 23, 2011 10:21:00
Updated June 23, 2011 10:25:00

Venus Williams has had some highs and lows in her career. She's a five-time winner of this very tournament and around the turn of the century, she was the most dominant player in the game. It was a time when she also added a couple of United States Open crowns.

Now 31 and on her way back after six months out of the game with injury, she's through to play Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm on Centre Court.

As is normal for Wimbledon this year, it's raining of course, but these days, that doesn't stop anything on the main arena.

Nobody gave the 40-year-old much of a chance against Venus, but those are the best times for an upset are they not? And Kimiko clearly agrees.

She races away to a big lead in the first set, it's 3-0, then 5-1, and the tennis from the veteran is outstanding. Date-Krumm blows her first chance for the set with a pair of double-faults, Williams won't give in and she fights and blasts her way back to 5-4. The stage is set. She has a third set point, but Williams finds the angles to take the point, and it's back to deuce. Now a break-point for 5-5....and a netted volley gets us back on serve.

It's high-level tennis and Williams is sensing blood... she forces a set point of her own at 30-40 on the Date-Krumm serve. Can she complete the comeback? Not yet. A point for the breaker. 54 minutes in and nothing can separate them. But this will.

D-K (I have to shorten this!) has the early advantage at 3-0. Now it's 4-1. Then a stunning winner from D-K gives her four set points. Make that three. And now two. A backhand wide and we're back to one. A big serve and it's time to change ends again. D-K then somehow grabs an eigth set point with a forehand that just catches the line, by coincidentally an eighth of an inch. Then finally a backhand error into the net and D-K takes the first set. Outstanding.

Let's get a bit of background. D-K made the semi-finals here in 1996, losing to Steffi Graf. Yes, 1996. She reached number four in the world a lifetime ago. She took 12 years off, and then came back in May 2008. She won a WTA singles title in 2009, the day before her 39th birthday, and made another final last year in Osaka. It's a great story. Right, now we're all up to speed, let's press on as this is good.

Williams goes a break of serve up early in the second set and despite some rocky moments, she holds onto it until setting up a set point at 30-40 and 3-5 on the D-K serve. Williams is largely in control now with her forehand dictating the play, she misses the first set point with a smash into the net, but grabs her second chance and we're level.

Williams knows a thing or two about grass and she takes the early break in the decider. But almost astonishingly D-K has a break point at 0-2 and Williams double-faults. Two hours and 11 minutes in D-K serves her first ace on break point down. It's been that sort of match. Now it's a fifth break point at 1-2... but it too slips by for Williams. Six saved. Nine minutes in this game and it's back to deuce. And after 10 minutes and six break points it's 2-2.

At 5-5, the level of the tennis is back to where we were in the first set, although maybe the tiredness is beginning to set in as both players make a couple of mistakes. But this has been a physically draining match. And it's 5-6 and D-K must serve to stay alive again. She does but the problem with serving second is that unless you break serve you are always up against it. Just ask Nicolas Mahut... if you dare.

6-7, 0-15, then a forehand long and 0-30, the pressure builds, 15-30 as Williams goes long... then a mishit forehand five minutes short of three hours, it's two match points for Williams and she grabs her chance as D-K goes wide with the pass. 6-7, 6-3, 8-6. Best match so far this year... two hours and 56 minutes.

Andy Murray is really giving German Tobias Kamke the run-around on court one. It's just one of those mismatches, not of seismic proportions, but enough to be very comfortable for Murray.

Midway through the third (and final) set, Kamke ends up on his backside as Murray strolls back to win another point. There is no upside in this for the German. Enough said and Murray takes the match, albeit with a bit of a wobble at the end.

It's time to take a wander down to the outside courts to consider the fortunes of the two Aussies playing today. Both weren't Australian two years ago, but in the parochial nature of international sport, that is hardly relevant. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, etc.

Jarmila Gajdosova (more recently Groth until her split with Sam) wasn't in the mood to hang around against a decidedly thin and unwell looking Alona Bondarenko. She did though find herself a break down in the first set at 4-5, and in a degree of trouble. But Jarka (as she's known) is a fighter, and she takes the next three games and the set. Bondarenko is consistent in a sort of Davydenko-type of way, but much as Bernie was always the winner yesterday, so Jarka was today. It was just a matter of time, and not much of that elapsed before she was through on a blustery court 10 7-5, 6-3.

Things are looking up for Gajdosova, but not so for the other former East European to join our ranks Anastasia Rodionova. She was thumped 6-1, 6-2 by Andrea Hlavackova, who'll now meet Jarka in the second round.

So one from two, and overall three from seven. Neither good nor bad really. We shall see how they all fare from here.

On the way back, one of the bright up-and-coming stars of the women's game, German Julia Georges, thrashes her opponent to move into the second round. That's what the outside courts offer you really... a chance to see three matches in the space of an hour or so. Well sort of.

But the day belongs to Venus and Kimiko. Great match. Full of drama and plenty of highs and lows. What else could anyone want? Oh, and Rafa got through too.

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Wimbledon Highs and Lows: Day Six

By Steve Pearce at Wimbledon

Posted June 26, 2011 11:42:00
Updated June 26, 2011 11:44:00

Good start by Jarka here on Centre Court. She's going for her shots (which she has to) and she's held her first service game with some ease. Now you may need some background, as we've flown straight into this.

It's day six and there's the last two Australians in action at the All England Club. One is Jarmila Gajdosova (Jarka), and the other is Bernard Tomic, but more about him later.

Let's focus on Jarka as she's first on Centre Court, after the traditional first Saturday welcome to a host of sporting stars including Australia's own 1958 champion Ashley Cooper. The welcome for the armed forces personnel who volunteer their time to help run these championships is particularly uplifting.

After the formalities it's back to the tennis. 3-2 to Wozniacki on serve in the first set. No hiccups for either player to this point and we've played 13 minutes.

A poor service game though hands Wozniacki a crucial break of serve 11 minutes later and at 5-3 she can serve for the first set. A couple of missed first serves, some poor placement on the second and a netted backhand could prove costly, and probably will.

The Australian isn't far off though at 30-all in the next game, she's in control of the next point but a beautiful back hand lob lands on the baseline and Wozniacki takes the set on the next point. At this level the margins are wafer thin, and it's going to be tough from here against the top seed.

Jarka then plays her best game of the match so far, beginning to dictate play with her deep pounding groudstrokes, moving the Dane around probing for the opening. Now can she break? The answer is not quite, but she's getting closer.

Then trouble as a backhand into the net is followed by a backhand from Wozniacki that just catches the line for love-30. A mis-hit forehand flies long and 15-40 and two break points. Two nice volleys at the net save them both.

But then another unforced error on the backhand hands a third break point to the Dane, and her incredible defence eventually forces the error from Jarka and she's a set and a break down on Centre Court.

A cross court backhand brings up a break point for Jarka, but she doesn't take her chance and Wozniacki hits back with a forehand winner. It's 3-1. Now a backhand wide puts Jarka under immense pressure at 0-30, but with impressive serving and groundstrokes she digs her way out.

She is finding her range and some good angles but can she find the consistency to break the Dane? The backhand is still the problem. Too many errors and too many free points for Wozniacki.

We've played an hour and it's nearly over for the Australian. 2-4. Amazing defence from Wozniacki makes it a tough game to hold, a missed forehand handing Caroline a second break point.

A backhand (you guessed it!) goes wide and that's 5-2 and a set down in an hour and two and that's it.

A couple of minutes later and that really is it. She had to be at her best to beat Caroline, but sadly she wasn't quite at the level needed and we're down to one. Not a bad effort, but still just short of what's needed to beat the really top players. Neither down nor up, just middle really, par for the course.

You have to say for Bernard Tomic to be the last Australian standing is an achievement in itself for the 18-year-old whatever happens on court number one this afternoon. For Jarka, she's got to play far more consistently against players who give her absolutely nothing like Caroline, who had just five unforced errors for the match. Gajdosova had 12, and importantly served just 53% of her first serves in against 70% for the Dane.

Let's move on.

It's Davis Cup in a few weeks, in fact a bit less, and the new captain Pat Rafter just had a word with a few of us here. Hewitt is looking a likely starter for the tie in China which is quite surprising and along with Tomic and the odd support act; maybe Australia might be halfway to getting a competitive team back together. Not competitive yet in the sense of winning the thing, not that they can do that this year anyway.

All this reminds me that last night, Tennis Australia threw a bit of a bash for John Newcombe to celebrate the anniversary of the last of his singles wins here in 1971.

Most of the tennis hierarchy is in London at this time of year, and therefore it was a very packed 'Australian' house last night that celebrated all things Newcombe, with a barbecue and a couple of beers. Inside of course, because it's been raining all week, but it was well attended and so it should be.

It does also appear that Rafter's captaincy of the Davis Cup team has thawed relations between Australia's top two men. Not thawed to the point of speaking much or arm around the back type of thawing, but a thaw none the less. If it's the case it can only be to the benefit of all. And Australian men's tennis needs a boost.

Excellent start from Tomic. He's broken Soderling to 15 with a mixture of great defence, good returns and superb passing shots. He's held comfortably too and leads 3-0. For good measure he breaks him to love this time and it's 4-0. Now it's 5-0 and we've played 12 minutes. Am fairly sure this is happening so will just pinch myself hard to check.......yes, it's real. What a start for the 18-year-old. Soderling has no idea what's happening.

Belatedly, he wins a point. But he looks stunned. Brilliant back hand winner from Tomic. But the Soderling takes a game. 14 minutes in. The next game goes to love and Tomic takes the set in 17 minutes 6-1. Absurd. A couple more of those and we'll be done inside the hour.

Two break points saved by Tomic in the second game of the second set. Could be pivotal. Great hold by the Australian, his slice on the backhand is definitely the shot Soderling is enjoying the least.

The trainer is then on for the Swede who's feeling dizzy on court and has had an upset stomach for a couple of days. He says he's been taking Voltarin. They give him something else and we carry on, but he doesn't look great. But then again neither would you if you were being pummelled by Tomic.

Two more break points for Tomic both saved by the Swede at 2-2. Now another. The slice again provokes the error with Soderling's footwork all over the place and it's 3-2.

It looks like once again an Australian will lead Soderling by two sets to love here this year.

But now Tomic is getting involved in some heavy hitting and the Swede's liking that. A serve and volley to finish and that'll do it for 4-2. And then after an hour and seven minutes on court it's two sets to love 6-1, 6-4. What's the script from here?

At 3-4, we're treated to two of the most marvellous rallies you'd wish to see if you enjoy the sliced backhand. Both points have more than 10 exchanges over the net by a mere whisker, with the spoils shared by each player. But the match itself is going the way of Tomic.

Soderling's serve is coming under increasing pressure again, but he holds his nerve and leads 5-4. Now the pressure is on Tomic. This is where it all changed for Hewitt on Thursday. But Tomic holds with ease and it's 5-all. Maybe this story ends with a tie-break?

Xavier Malisse is leading Jurgen Melzer in their match and is looking the likely opponent for Tomic on Monday. A backhand down the line makes it 30-all on Soderling's serve, then Soderling nets a forehand and it's break point for the Australian.

He saves it with an ace on a challenge. Dramatic stuff. A sprayed forehand and it's another break chance. This time the Swede goes wide with the forehand and Tomic is on the brink.

But suddenly Tomic has tightened up and the errors come - a sprayed forehand which gives up two break points. He saves one with an ace.

Then Soderling is a 16th of an inch wide with a forehand. It's Deuce, that would have been a tie-break. Then the Swede is just long with his trade mark forehand and it's match point. The Australian takes it with his first opportunity with a big serve out wide and it's fourth round time for Tomic. 1 hour 52 minutes. That is a significant win for him and for Australian tennis.

Afterwards, Tomic can hardly contain his pleasure at the win and Soderling is grumpy and short on plaudits for the 18-year-old. But never mind, he's heading back home and Tomic will play Malisse on Monday.

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Wimbledon Highs and Lows: Day Seven

By Steve Pearce at Wimbledon

Posted June 28, 2011 10:59:00
Updated June 28, 2011 11:17:00

So day seven of the Championships has dawned. It's a beautiful sunny warm day in London for the first time this year, when there has actually been tennis to be played. What a perfect day for a Queenslander to play tennis. We shall see.

Bernard Tomic is 18 years old. He was born in Germany before his parents immigrated out to Australia to live on the Gold Coast and bring up their son, who from a young age was quite handy at tennis. He started playing the sport when he was about seven which is around 12 years ago, so we're thinking 1999, the year that Pete Sampras beat Andre Agassi in the final, Pat Rafter was the second seed and made the semis, and another Aussie long forgotten but not yet officially retired - Mark Philippoussis - was seeded seven and made the last eight. So this is what greets the young Tomic when he picks up a racquet in Australia.

Fast-forward 12 years and here is Tomic hitting up with the 30-year-old Belgian Xavier Malisse in a fourth-round match, the last Australian standing in the singles draw. Tomic is just coming off the best win of his career in beating fifth seed Robin Soderling in the third round, and is about to find out what it is to be expected to win a big tennis match.

The Fanatics give us an appalling rendition of the Australian national anthem. There is little tune although your correspondent can hardly talk (just ask Kathy Bedford on ABC Radio), but the fact they are here illustrates the weight of the nation. Tomic's in a cap today because of the sun, so gone is the headband that has become so much a part of his admittedly short tennis career.

It's fourth-round day so there are plenty of good matches on traditionally the best day of top-level tennis in the calendar. Andy Murray v Richard Gasquet is taking much of the attention on Centre Court, but here around the 'Isner/Mahut arena', the attention is solely on Tomic and what he can produce.

And he is certainly producing. He's already a break of serve up when he delivers a beautiful forehand winner up the line to set up another break point. Malisse nets a simple forehand and it's 4-0 in the first set. Reminding anyone of Saturday?

A moment later with some more strong serving it's 5-0 and we've played 16 minutes. Just an argument between Malisse and the umpire delaying things a bit. The Belgian is clearly unhappy, but then again who wouldn't be with this score?

Malisse holds for 5-1. Good serving but he needed it. A powerful forehand cross court brings up a set point... the sliced backhand provoking the error from Malisse and it's 6-1. Thirteen winners to seven and two unforced errors to seven. Good stuff from the Aussie. Djokovic on Wednesday anyone?

A double-fault for Malisse to start the second set. Then another double. But he digs his way out and gets on the board. Can he trouble the Tomic serve? A backhand deep brings up deuce. No problem for Bernie, good serving and 1-1. Now 2-1, good service game for Malisse. Tomic holds. He chooses the right shot quite often for such a young guy. Malisse holds easily again. 3-2.

At 5-5, Tomic again puts Malisse under pressure and after forcing a break point, he hits a wonderful forehand winner down the line for 6-5. Two set points follow shortly after and the 18-year-old makes no mistake.

The racquet of the Belgian now pays the ultimate price for its poor showing today and ends up in a mangled heap, after a lengthy argument with the veteran's left foot. Could make a nice arty piece down the road at the Tate modern maybe?

In the fourth game of the third set, Tomic plays a superb backhand on the turn, almost blind, from behind the baseline at the back of the court for a winner. This is great stuff.

Tomic is well on top now, but Malisse also has nothing to lose and in the sixth game of the third set he forces two break points, but Tomic serves his way out of trouble and then with a diving backhand volley he secures the game. At 4-4, Tomic again senses his chance, as he seems able to do, and with a stunning forehand, a beautiful sliced lob he set up three break points, only one of which he needs after a wonderful forehand winner on the run. It may have been a break point, but it felt like a match point and shortly afterwards, he only needs one of two chances to book his place in the last eight.

Murray meanwhile has just edged the first set in a tie-break against Gasquet in a high-quality hour of tennis on Centre Court.

We'll come back to Tomic as there is more to be said on that, but our fighters from a couple of days ago are engaged in an enthralling battle on court one, with Marion Bartoli a set up against Serena and looking determined. It's 5-5 in the second and a tie-break here is looming, which looks like it will effectively decide the match.

Serving for it at 6-5, there's three match points to Bartoli, but they all slip by, as Serena breaks back and we're at 6-6. Surely she can't dig herself out of this? I have said that before and regretted it.

Soon, we're in the tie-break and we're on serve at 4-5 with Bartoli serving. Ace. Big point. Ten aces now for Bartoli. Brilliant point from Bartoli brings up match point number four on Serena's serve. Ace. Outstanding from Serena. 6-6. Backhand into the net from Williams now off balance and it's match point number five, and it's on her serve. Big serve out wide and it's hers, and the Frenchwoman is back in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon for the second time. It's Serena's eighth loss in the singles at Wimbledon. Ever. One hour 57 minutes, 6-3, 7-6.

And Murray is through too in two hours and five minutes, a straight sets winner over Gasquet on Centre Court. No dramatic two set comeback needed on this occasion.

Then another shock. Well, a shock of sorts, as the top seed but 'major-less' Caroline Wozniacki exits the tournament at the hands of Dominika Cibulkova 1-6, 7-6, 7-5. So the top three seeds are all gone, Serena is out and Venus in trouble. Interesting day on the women's side. Sharapova awaits for Dominika.

Now another Williams is out! Venus is beaten again by the same scoreline and by the same person who beat her last year, 32nd seed Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2, 6-3. She made the semi-finals her last year and has hardly won a match since, but she obviously loves playing here. She's into the last eight again. It's the lefty Kvitova next for her.

It's always a long day to cover this one, and the ups and downs are coming thick and fast. Roger Federer is down for a bit on Court One, but hits back to beat the Russian Mikhail Youzhny in four sets and he's into the quarters. For his long-time adversary Rafael Nadal things are looking much trickier as towards the end of the first set against Juan Martin Del Potro he injuries his foot to the point where he feels he may have broken it. In typical Nadal fashion he has some treatment before overcoming the dangerous Argentinian in four high quality sets of tennis, played at an incredible physical intensity.

Speaking afterwards, Nadal is relieved to get though, but needs a scan on his foot to make sure he's OK for a last eight clash with Mardy Fish. 'Phew'... what a day, it's 10:30 at night and finally we're done. The women's draw is stripped of many big names, but still has Sharapova, Azarenka and Kvitova as the big guns. In the men's, the heavy artillery is all still there, the top four intact, with a few extras thrown in like 10th seed Mr Fish, the unseeded Feliciano Lopez as well as 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. And of course, the man who's turned a lot of heads these last few days, Bernard Tomic.

Even the man himself is struggling to explain his sudden upturn in form. From the point where he was two sets and a break down against Igor Andreev in the second round, just about nothing has gone wrong. According to Bernie, it could be the house where he's staying, or maybe it's his lucky shower that he uses in the locker room? If it's busy, he's willing to wait! Either way, he's not sure, and nor is anyone else, but he's riding the wave, so why not jump on and enjoy the ride, it is a bit of fun isn't it? Novak may bring it all crashing down on Wednesday.

Bernie says we'll know by his first return of serve whether he's 'on' or not, and the way he's going, we should all be willing to take him at his word.

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