A (Belated) Wimbledon Update: Back from the States

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

I have been in America. So I apologize for not being around and missing the first two days plus my draw preview. I loved America and I would definitely live there. I visited the Cambridge/Boston area and it was fabulous. I wasn't there long, but it is an amazing country. I love the people, the culture, the transport. All of it. I love Dunkin' Donuts, too. I would literally write for like four hours on why I love America, but I am not here to do that. I am here to talk about Wimbledon. Blame jet lag for the fact that I am writing this so late. I'm still on American time which means bed late and waking up late.

Anyway, here is what happened on Day 3...


Match Of The Day : DJOKOVIC d. STEPANEK
...I cannot do this incredible match justice. It was the best match of the championships so far, no question. I would not even know where to begin. So, you should watch it for yourselves. I was astounded by the consistent brilliance of play from both, the match up of offence and defense (BBC). Djokovic has Simon next. That is going to be boring. Sorry, but it is going to be. Long rallies and long sets await Djokovic. He plays utterly different from Stepanek.
=============================
Another cracking match: BERDYCH d. TOMIC
...Behold -- a rematch of last year's French Open fourth round. Tomic is pudgy. He is not fully fit. He also looks and plays like it. He does not want to turn into the new Nalbandian, sometimes called 'Fat Dave'. You could get away with being a bit fat thirty years ago but not now. Tomic needs to stop partying and hiring strippers during the offseason. He needs to look at his diet and he needs to get fit. The picture shows the difference. In fact, Tomic has put on weight since then. Hey, I'm not thin, but I'm not a proffessional tennis player.

In exactly two and a half hours the Australian went down 4-6/7-6/7-6/6-1 to the Czech. 68 winners, 25 aces, and just 18 errors. This was an exceptional match from the Czech. He just did not miss. Tomic only went 32-14. He could only manage 11 aces. Berdych played an exceptional match here. If he had been playing even five per cent less than what he was he would have lost. It was a great match and Berman played clutch tennis. He made shots he had no right to make. It is worth a watch if you see the highlights come up. The Aussie's slice backhand is a real weapon. He is going to have a good end of year, I feel. Next up for Berdman is Cilic. I won't call the upset but I think it will go five and there will be at least two breakers. I would not want to be a tennis ball in that match. The balls are going to get the Ike Turner treatment. Anyway, Berdman can relax for now.
=============================
ROSOL MOMENT: KUZNETSOV D. FERRER
...Upset of the tournament. Of that there is no doubt. Ferrer is getting on a bit. I think this year is his last in the top ten. I do not think he will be at the Barclays World Tour Final, either. He is starting to roll down the hill quickly now. He is starting to lose to players he should not. Sheer grit got him to the Wimbledon quarters the last two years. Kuznetsov is a journeyman, the kind of player Ferru usually blows away. I get this Kuznetsov mixed up with the other Kuznetsov, but this one has not applied for or been succesful in becoming a US citizen. I would love to have a dual nationality, however. In three hours ten minutes, the Russian won 6-7/6-0/3-6/6-3/6-2. I cannot remember the last non-top ten player who bageled Ferru. He made the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2010. Since then Ferru has not missed the second week of a slam. That is the longest streak in men's or women's tennis, Novak Djokovic aside. Ferru managed just 26-22 with the winners but his opponent was 77 to 38. Both had nine aces. The Russian had 21 break points and broke nine times. Ferrer was not on his game here. Kuznetsov was on form here but he does not have weapons to threaten the top tenner. Kuznetsov and Kuznetsov have played once before. That was in the French qualies. Kuznetsov won in straight sets. As in Russian Kuzsetsov. Anyway, he now plays Mayer and if he wins that he gets to be steamrollered by the Dimitrov/Dolgopolov winner.
=============================
ISNER-MAHUT WANNABE'S: CHARDY D. MATOSEVIC
...The Aussie seems to struggle in the second round of majors. He has finally discovered how to win the first round matches but it seems he gets a little lost in the second round matches. He had a huge chance here, however, to correct that. He even played an unseeded player after beating seeded Verdasco last time out. I think the depth of the top fifty is now so incredible that being a seed does not give you as much protection as it did. You are likely to meet a very strong player in the second round. Anyway, the Aussie came back from two sets to one down but still could not find a way. The man born in a country that doesn't exist anymore could not find a way past the talented Frenchman. 6-7/7-6/7-6/4-6/7-6 Jeremy won in 4 hours and 15 minutes. The scores in the breakers were 7-5, 9-7 and 11-9, respectively. Matosevic is a dangerous player and is deservedly in the top sixty. He does well on hard courts and with this new-found form he should be a threat in the permanent hardcourt swing we are going to go into after Wimbledon. Chardy, however, moves on to play Stakhovsky and then Cilic or Berdman. He has a real shot to make the quarterfinals if he can just keep it together. Whether or not he can remains to be seen.
=============================
BLINK AND YOU MISS IT: DIMITROV D. SAVILLE
...Two recent junior champions did battle. It was a surprisingly dominant performance from Dimitrov. He only needed an hour and a half to dismiss Saville. The Aussie is very talented and was junior number one for a while. The future of Australian tennis is very bright. Hewitt is still there and always will be it seems. Hewitt seems to age at about a fifth of the way a normal man does. Dimitrov hit is one handed backhand spectacularly. 38 winners and 11 aces in this match. Dimi made just 16 unforced errors, too, which is remarkable. This shows clearly just how far he has come. He has finally turned into that which we thought he would. He is fulfilling his potential, in other words. (Ed.note: Would Maria drop him in a heartbeat otherwise?? Hmmm. - tds) He showed incredibly consistency, but also aggression. Consistent aggression with those weapons paints a scary picture. He could easily make the final. (Ed.note: I actually picked him to win the title -- of course, this means he has no chance, but he COULD reach the final, though. - tds) He plays Dolgopolov next. The winner of the match between the 21st and 11th seed is going to be a classic. Or it should be anyway. Whichever of the grass specialists [it's what I call anyone who actually knows how to play on grass] wins is almost certain to get to the quarters. There they will almost certainly play Murray.
=============================
MURRAY WATCH: D.ROLA
...6-1/6-1/6-0. Too easy. One hour and twenty-five minutes. Twenty-seven winners, seven aces, and complete control were all featured here from the Scot. Rola is not a bad player but he is not in the class of even Murray let alone anyone else in the top ten. The lefty has a handy serve and has done well at college. He has some nice shots. He can approach and volley well. Murray was just too good, though. He out-hit and out-thought his inexperienced opponent. Rola was always going to be cannon fodder and so it turned out to be. Rola kept trying, but everyone knew he was outclassed. Murray moves onto the third round. Agut is up next and the 27th seed shouldn't push Murray too much. He is on form and very talented, but he is mainly a dirtballer and doesn't hit many aces. Still, it is the first thing resembling a test the Scot will face. And, yes, I have decided it is going to be difficult to talk about too many British people here so it is mainly just going to be 'Murray Watch.'
=============================

Any other notes?

* - The weather seems to be good, but not as nice as it was in Boston. Also, the strawberry crop is good this year.

* - What has happened to the French dominance? It seems to be a faded memory.

* - McEenroe and Evert should commentate together more often. They work so well together. Not sure I agree with McEnroe when he says Nadal and Stepanek are the top two volleyers in the top 100, but hey.

* - Azarenka looks like she is going to be back soon. Watch out WTA unless your surname is Williams.

* - I know fashion all looks pretty much the same but I am nevertheless impressed I haven't seen anything awful yet.

* - Remember when Tomic made the quarters here?

Thanx all and visit WTABACKSPIN please.

Read more!