Wimbledon Day 5: Keep Calm and Ignore the Rain

Hey, all. Galileo here.

Well, let’s go on with it. The rain has wrecked everything. The storylines are few and best explored individually. So let’s ignore the rain and the fact that no seeds are safe and proceed.

Actually, hang on. Djokovic has imploded.

Querrey was up 4-2 in the breaker and squandered chances to win the breaker early before eventually taking it 8-6. After winning the opener he won the second set 6-1. So now Djokovic will have to play tomorrow and then four times in seven days. Federer is one of the few who gets two days off. Could it make the difference?

With the rain hitting Wimbledon so badly we have just five matches to focus on.

*Suicide Picks*
MS 1st Rd: Mahut d. Klein {W}
MS 2nd Rd: 2nd Rd: Karlovic [21] d. Lacko [Q] {L}
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WS 1st Rd: Makarova d. Larsson {W}
WS 2nd Rd: Vandeweghe [27] d. Babos {W}
WS 3rd Rd: Suarez Navarro [12] d. Erakovic [Q] {W}
WS 3rd/4th Rd: Lisicki d. Shvedova


CENTRE COURT: DEL POTRO D. WAWRINKA
...This is the big moment, the match we remember. It is the match that kick-started Delpo’s 78th career and also the match where Wawrinka may just have started to show his decline. The Argentinian’s ranking will improve and he can slowly find his way back. His serve and forehand fired while his slice backhand was surprisingly effective. With Djokovic in trouble, Wawrinka out and only Federer looking competent, could Murray finally win his long-awaited third slam? Delpo hit 70 per cent of his first serves in and of those he won 75 per cent. Those numbers are enough to see him through most matches, though his winner ratio of 23-25 is far too low. 32nd seed Pouille awaits and after that Tomic or Agut. One of those players is going to make a big run here, possibly to the final. Could it be Delpo?
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CENTRE COURT: FEDERER D. EVANS
...This Brit was actually less effective than the previous one, losing in just 80 minutes. Federer seemed to get bored during the 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 decision. Up 4-0 in the first he weathered the British storm and then slowly picked apart his opponent. The last set was Federer playing at a level rarely seen since the Australian Open. Federer does not even know his next opponent yet. On paper neither Dimitrov nor Johnson pose much of a threat to Federer, but this is not a slam played on paper. Still, would you want to play the GOAT after two days of rest? No, me either. What about if he has just hit 29 winners including 11 aces and won 76 per cent of his serve points? The Swiss is gearing up for what would be a tenth final here. How many different ways can you say dominant?
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NO.2 COURT: KYRGIOS D. BROWN
...This is like playing yourself. Kyrgios may be seeded and he also does have a slightly tighter grasp on reality, but both these players are equally mad and brilliant. Fiery, pleasant off-court and funky hair are also points in common. Kyrgios has the bigger serve, so far he has hit 52 aces, which is good enough for joint 5th with Raonic. He edged the German 6-7[3], 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. The last two sets he showed his mental strength and his solidness. He proved he has mettle. The Aussie went 55-16 on the winners count while his opponent went 78-30. This match was not just insane, it was something you couldn’t write into a movie. Neither player returned anywhere near decently. Brown won just 35 points on the Kyrgios serve. This had dropshots, serve-volleying and bad-temperedness from Nick. Pure excitement and fire from both men. And the Australian’s reward is a clash with somebody who really should have exited in this round.
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NO.3 COURT: BERDYCH D. BECKER
...Sometimes a player or a sports team is simply outmatched. Raiders fans, Bills fans, Oilers fans and Utah Jazz fans all know what I’m talking about. So do fans of the Rockies. Getting roundly thrashed is part of sports. It’s almost always ugly and never leaves anyone feeling very good unless you’re with the winning team, of course. When Becker ran into Berdych in the second round of this year’s Wimbledon not even he expected the drubbing that was to come his way. It took Berdie just 80 minutes to come through 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. 43 winners and 5 breaks later the German had permission to leave. The Czech lost just 16 service points in some 12 games. This BACKSPINNER thinks it's time to move on, frankly. Berdych gets Zverev or Youzhny up next. And then Sousa or Vesely. So the quarterfinals beckon. But if there was ever a player capable of mucking it up it is Berdych.
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OUTER COURT SELECTION: LOPEZ D. FOGNINI
...Let’s not think about the days and hours [only three actually] it took to complete this match between two of our most attractive players. Attractive as in, you know, tennis and stuff. But Pennetta is still a lucky woman, winning that U.S. Open title and all. Lopez came back from the dead and won 3-6, 6-7[5], 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. Lopez hit 61 winners to Fognini’s 50 and only 43 errors, less than his opponent. In the end this was about the surface. Fognini has never quite understood the grass while Lopez thrives on the green stuff. He managed to break eight times, double the Italians. It was a very watchable five sets. The BBC kept flicking onto the match every now and then. It seemed to go on forever. And now Lopez gets Kyrgios. Kyrgios is the slight favourite, but the talent on show will dazzle all those in attendance. Look for them to combined crack 50 aces there.
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Kiki will possibly play tomorrow. Honestly, who knows? The rain has been truly abysmal and it has been non-stop.


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