Wimbledon Day 10/11: The Final Four are Set

Hey, all. Galileo here.

This BACKSPINNER saw Vesely/Siniakova lose 7-5, 7-6[5] to Safarova/Stepanek, but was still impressed and surprised by the talent on display. Vesely being brilliant and big-serving was more expected. He is still honing his doubles skills and is a little sloppy in certain areas like shot selection. But his partner was brilliant; a future top-ten player. Great movement, great shot-selection and very intelligent. The serve is good enough to be going on with and the groundstrokes were always perfect. The lob was always spot on, too. This girl is the future of Czech tennis.

Vesely, of course, lost to Berdych 6-3 in the 5th set. It took Berdych some four hours to get the win but both men played a great match. The mental resilience of his younger opponent was refreshing to see. He saved eight of thirteen break points and hit 53 winners to Berdman’s 52. He only hit 33 errors, two more than Berdych, and broke thrice. It was a brilliantly played match from the young star who will win this event one day.

Also seen yesterday by BACKSPIN’S man on the ground was the end of the Bryans' straight sets loss. The crowd seemed a bit shocked. The Bryans' had been on the comeback trail and were rising again in the rankings. But, honestly speaking, they seemed a tad off. They also had no idea how to deal with their opponents’ red-hot form. And they now have not triumphed since the 2014 U.S. Open. The last one before that was the 2013 edition of Wimbledon.

The top seeded men, Herbert and Mahut, were also witnessed and they played well. They played a tactically astute match and won in four. But the crowd in attendance was small. It should have been larger. Quite disrespectful to the world’s best pair.

So, lots happened. Let’s go straight in...


CENTRE COURT: FEDERER D. CILIC
...The escape of the year? This match can be described in numbers. Three and a quarter hours. Federer won from two sets down, 6-7[4], 4-6, 6-3, 7-6[9], 6-4. Three match points saved. But it was more than that. I was sitting on Henman Hill watching with bated breath. I was sitting on an outside court looking at the score that is displayed on the side of Centre Court. Waiting for the raucous cheer or ominous silence. If there is a more beloved sports star anywhere, tell this BACKSPINNER. Because he cannot think of even one. Federer knew the match would come down to the fourth set but the telling moment came earlier. At 3-3, 0/40 in the third he edged through the game and then broke for 4-3. It was a different match after that. It was Federer’s match. Federer out-aced Cilic 27-23 and found a way to win despite breaking just twice. Federer won a solid 72 per cent of service points, better than Cilic. But this match was about heart and soul, about the refusal to give, the mettle. Federer was too tough and too mentally focused to fold. Against Raonic he is the favourite. He needs to try and find the Raonic backhand and make him move. He should hit droppers and take the net away. The inside out backhand could also work well as a surprise tactic.
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CENTRE COURT: MURRAY D. TSONGA
...Murray let Tsonga back in. He faltered. He cannot afford to do that against either Berdych or, god forbid, Federer. He triumphed in some four hours [longer than Fed’s match] 7-6[10], 6-1, 3-5, 4-6, 6-1. He was lucky his opponent hit 47 errors along with the 59 winners. For a little while it looked like Tsonga would storm back and win it. Muzza still managed to win 41 per cent of return points. It was a nervy victory but the Scot did have the upper hand. He has a way of winning those five set matches. He also seems to always get the best of Tsonga. Next he faces a less flashy, more solid version of Tsonga. Berdych has none of the thrills but he has weapons and he has the physical ability to really challenge Murray. The Scot also has that magic home support. Henman Hill is never as crowded as when Murray steps onto Centre. To beat Berdych one must make him move and defend well. Murray will be just fine, though he cannot afford to be too passive.
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NO.1 COURT: RAONIC D. QUERREY
...Querrey hit 15 aces to the Canadian’s thirteen in the match but still lost in two and a half hours. Raonic won 81 per cent of serve points on the way to a 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 decision. The Canuck also hit 58 winners to just 16 errors in a quite remarkable performance. He broke three times and made his second Wimbledon semi-final. He also tied Isner for most aces at Wimbledon with 114. The world number seven has justified his Dark Horse tag at Wimbledon this year. This was a classic server’s match and a serving masterclass from North America’s best player. This was Querrey’s career defining slam, at least. With Federer dominating ten Wimbledon semi-finals, barely dropping games let alone sets, Raonic will have to play out of his skin. He has to serve big and take any chances he can. Mix up the serve and come in on some of Fed’s floatier slices. He also has to return alright and put away anything midcourt. He is the underdog but he won’t mind that at all.
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NO.1 COURT: BERDYCH D. POUILLE
...This was easy, this was simple. The Czech had struggled through his last match but was inspired here. The opening set was tight but once Berdie won it the rest was easy. It didn’t even take the tenth seed two hours to win 7-6[4], 6-4, 6-2. Four breaks to one and 35 winners were enough for Tomas but he has to cut down on the 24 errors. He is looking in ominous form and has never played Murray on grass. He beat Novak here in his last semi-final and had a bad record against him, too. This also feels similar to that 2009 Wimbledon. To win he needs to just open fire with the cannons. He has to try to hit through Murray and be careful when taking the net. Murray’s the favourite but that will take pressure off the Czech. Can he spring one of the upsets of the year?
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Kiki and Garcia played yesterday against Parra-Santonja/Medina-Garrigues and this BACKSPINNER was in attendance. The girls looked crisp and were playing at a decent level. But the match was over before photographic evidence could be compiled. Medina called the trainer before the warm-up and had her shoulder strapping reapplied constantly. She could only serve at 50 per cent of her usual power, flicking it in on each delivery.

But today they fell to the 8th seeds 7-6[9], 6-3. Luckily the top seeds fell so the French women will stay at number two, well three and four. But their opponents only won two more points and Goerges/Pliskova are an established and talented team. This is not a a bad loss. Besides, it’s common for players to implode after winning their first slam. This is a great follow-up to the French triumph.


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