There are busy days at the majors, and then there’s the second – better known as manic – Monday at Wimbledon. The Championships is famous for its traditions, and one of its most inspired is to put all 16 fourth-round matches on the schedule in a single afternoon. There isn’t a better day for tennis fans all season.
Over the years, it has become something of a journalistic tradition to send a reporter out to try to catch at least a glimpse of all 16. Now, with streams or satellite TV, you can do it yourself at home. Here’s my attempt to keep that tradition alive, with more than a little help from the coverage on WatchESPN. It’s amazing how much can happen on a day when there aren’t all that many surprises.
Serena Williams d. Venus Williams 6-4, 6-3
The most anticipated showdown of the tournament, from a US perspective, turned out to be a straightforward affair, if you go by the scores. Of course, nothing is straightforward when siblings face off, and especially these two siblings. Despite coming up with her best performance since before the French Open, Serena was subdued in victory – there were no post-match twirls, and only the hint of a smile. In fact, Serena was all-business all day long. Her strokes were short and sharp and to the point, and there were no signs of nervous panic. Serena knew she couldn’t afford any lulls in form; it’s not often, or ever, that she faces opponents who have beaten her 11 times.
Andy Murray d. Ivo Karlovic 7-6(7), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
Each time I happened by this one, I was struck by the near-operatic intensity with which Murray filled Centre Court. The tension was palpably higher there than anywhere else; it was, at times, hard to watch, and I’m not even British. In his third-round and fourth-round victories, Murray has won the first two sets before suffering a dip in concentration and losing the third. It’s not surprising, really. He gets so keyed up for Wimbledon matches that, once he builds a safe lead – or as safe as possible in tennis – he has a letdown. Then he gets keyed up again.
Roger Federer d. Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
If the vibe on Centre for Murray was operatic, it changed quickly to one of light, buzzing entertainment when Federer stepped onto the grass. He’s a favourite at Wimbledon, but he isn’t family, the way Murray is. Federer has played all of his matches inside the cosy confines of Centre so far, and each has felt like an encore performance of the Maestro’s showstoppers. Why wouldn’t he keep coming back for that?
Maria Sharapova d. Zarina Diyas 6-4, 6-4
I saw only the final game of this match, so I can only note that the decibel level of Sharapova’s grunt seemed to rise as she came closer to victory. Fittingly, she peaked with her last, winning backhand on match point. Who says grunting doesn’t help? Noise or no noise, she’s playing well.
Stan Wawrinka d. David Goffin 7-6(3), 7-6(7), 6-4
Everyone loves the Wawrinka backhand; John McEnroe has even taken to calling it the greatest shot in tennis history (to which Steffi Graf asks, “You do remember my forehand, right?”). But Wawrinka’s wasn’t the only backhand worth watching on No.1 Court on Monday. Goffin has an elegant way of sliding into a hard-hit shot on his backhand side, absorbing the pace with his two-hander and redirecting the ball with ease. Still, Goffin’s counter-punch wasn’t enough for Wawrinka’s punch.
Novak Djokovic vs. Kevin Anderson, tied two sets-all
Djokovic must be relieved to be alive in this one, but he may also be kicking himself a little for getting his swagger on early during the second-set tie-break. Djokovic, nodding at his own good play, went up 5-2 only to give the mini-break back and eventually lose the set. Who knows, maybe the world No.1 was nodding because he knew he would win eventually. Call it long-term swag.
Richard Gasquet d. Nick Kyrgios 7-5, 6-1, 6-7(7), 7-6(6)
An Australian tennis writer called Nick Kyrgios a “mystery wrapped in an enigma” after his loss to Gasquet today, and that’s a good summation even if it does misquote Winston Churchill. Aside from removing his socks (and getting permission from his opponent to do it), hugging a ball boy, and being fined for a profanity, Kyrgios also managed to do what he does so infrequently on the big stages: falter in the clutch. In the third-set tie-break, Kyrgios ripped two winners to save two match points.
But when had a set point in the fourth-set tiebreak, and looked sure to take it to a fifth, he double-faulted twice. Kyrgios plays high-wire tennis, and I’ve marvelled at his ability to stay on that wire. But even the most brazenly self-assured of young players fall off eventually. Leave it to Kyrgios to dominate the conversation about a match in which his opponent played supremely good tennis. Gasquet finished with 67 winners against 21 errors, and did well to hang on in the fourth set after squandering those match points – and smashing his racket – in the third.
Garbine Muguruza d. Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4
Wozniacki, as she usually does, looked every inch the tenacious competitor against Muguruza. Even when she’s down, Caro never appears to believe she’s out. But when the time came to stay in the match with Muguruza serving for it at 5-4 in the second set, Wozniacki flinched. She netted a routine backhand early in the game, and netted an equally routine return of serve at break point, before Muguruza closed it with an ace.
Gilles Simon d. Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-3, 6-2
Normally, this would be a stunning result and a stunningly listless performance from the No.6 seed Berdych. But the Czech had a similar run of bad form at this time last year. At the time, I thought he could be in permanent decline. He wasn’t, but it looks like his trademark consistency will be harder to replicate from now on.
CoCo Vandeweghe d. Lucie Safarova 7-6(1), 7-6(4)
It’s the middle of a tie-break and Vandeweghe can’t stop smiling. And why not? It’s all working for her against Lucie Safarova at the moment. Up 3-0, Vandeweghe comes in and hits a mediocre high forehand volley. But a mediocre volley on grass is not always such a bad idea. The ball skids harmlessly down the middle of the court, but it’s still far enough out of Safarova’s reach that she can’t do anything with it. Where did Vandeweghe, who has never been this far at a Grand Slam, get her carefree confidence? Look no further than the way she finished the match. Up 5-4 in the second-set tie-break, she used her Samprasian service delivery to fire two unreturnable balls.
Agnieszka Radwanska d. Jelena Jankovic 7-5, 6-4
“I don’t want to talk to you,” Jankovic tells the chair umpire. Except that JJ does seem to want to talk to him. In fact, she has just spent the last minute berating the man for handing her three time violations. One game later, her run at Wimbledon is over at the hands of Radwanska, who has taken to the grass this year like the former Wimbledon finalist she is. Jankovic may not want to talk to the umpire when it’s over, but she does forgive him long enough to shake his hand on her way out. The 30-year-old has been around too long to start holding grudges now.
Marin Cilic d. Denis Kudla 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
I only caught a fleeting glimpse of this one, but it told the whole story. Cilic was walking off court, his arm in the air, giving the cheering crowd a thumb’s up.
Vasek Pospisil d. Viktor Troicki 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
Last year Genie Bouchard reached the Wimbledon final and Milos Raonic made the semis. This year it’s Pospisil’s turn to pick up the slack for Canada with his first run to a Grand Slam quarter-final. I confess that, despite the length of this match, it mostly eluded me. I tuned in long enough to mistake Pospisil, whose family is Czech, for Berdych. It was the big legs that fooled me.
Victoria Azarenka d. Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-3
This was power and athleticism vs. court savvy; power and athleticism, as they tend to do when they’re working well, won easily. It was also one of Azarenka’s finest performances of the season, and it comes not a moment too soon. For the third time in as many months, she’ll take on Serena Williams.
Madison Keys vs. Olga Govortsova 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
Keys winning with...defence? That’s how it worked out on one crucial point. Down a set, with Govortsova serving at 4-5 in the second, Keys scrambled across the court and hoisted a top-spin lob that landed smack on the baseline. Then she won the set by doing what she does best: smashing a forehand winner.
Timea Bacsinszky d. Monica Niculescu 1-6, 7-5, 6-2
Fans of the long-moribund slice forehand, this fortnight is for you. First we saw Tsvetana Pironkova and Heather Watson nearly win with it, and now we have seen Monica Niculescu do the same. It took Bacsinszky the better part of two sets to solve the riddle of the Romanian’s underspin, and she was pleased with her effort. When it was over, Bacsinszky let out the celebratory scream of the tournament so far.
