WIMBLEDON 2010 WRAP-UP

 
Well, another Wimbledon fortnight has come and gone…and I watched every second of it! So, of course, I have some wrap-up thoughts on the whole tournament.

Most notably, I’m just sick over Roger Federer, the stranger I love the most, losing to Tomas Berdych, in the quarterfinals. I really do get way too upset for someone I’ve never even met! (An old guy friend once told me that I’m an “empath.” You think???)

More disappointing than the loss, to me, was that some idiot journalists said he was ungracious in the press conference. Are they morons??? Roger’s always been noted for his graciousness and complete honesty. When asked, which is always, he just comments on his matches like he was a sportscaster commentating on any match, and tells it like it is.

He’ll even say when he was playing great, which I found strange at first when he was younger, but he’ll just as often admit when he hasn’t played well. Even when he almost went down in the first round to un-seeded, unknown Alejandro Falla, he said the guy did great and that he (Roger) was lucky to get out of that match.

So, after his quarterfinal loss to Berdych, he told the truth that he was slightly injured. Roger has NEVER been a complainer–even when he had mono for almost a year, he tried to play it down. You could tell this whole tournament that something was wrong with him. In his first round match, everyone was speculating that he didn’t feel well or had a malady or injury. So, when he finally admitted to back and leg issues, now some of them hint that he’s making it up! I’ve never seen more fickle folk. If they thought something was wrong, and then he admits it, why are they calling him a liar?

I just don’t get it. He played like he was hurt, they wondered if he was hurt, and then he admits it and they call foul. What jerks. The reason they didn’t hear about it before is that he wanted to keep it private and not have it as an excuse. Then it comes out in the press conference, as simply his honest assessment of what just happened, and they blow the comment up. Ugh.

Meanwhile, Roger has always credited his good health as part of why he’s been able to achieve and maintain such a high level of excellence for so many years. If Raphael Nadal hadn’t come along, Roger would have even more than his record sixteen grand slam titles, possibly even seven more. No active player has even come close to him. So now, even though he had some injuries here, which would explain at least some of what’s been going on with him recently, everyone saying he’s done! At least one commentator, Patrick McEnroe, said perhaps it’s because he has kids! Even Roger wouldn’t blame it on them! That’s disgusting!

So, since he’s always credited his good health, why is it wrong to finally admit to a touch of bad health? Why are they vilifying him for that? He’s one of the few players who doesn’t take injury time-outs or get treatment on the court. He’s always on time and respectful to his competitors, on and off the court. He gives very generously of his time to the press. Now, when asked, he said he wouldn’t be watching the final because he’ll be on vacation. A well-deserved one I might add. And they’re ragging on him for that. But when Rafa said he didn’t watch last year’s final because it was too painful for him, (he was out due to injury,) then everyone was like “Poor Rafa.” Here’s a news flash for other sports writers–NO ONE WHO’S DEFEATED WATCHES THE FINAL!!! NO ONE!

Venus Williams didn’t even stay around to watch and support her sister try to win her fourth Wimbledon singles title. If another journalist replaced one of these sports writers at their paper, (or magazine or website,) would they read the newbie’s column? I think not. (Except, perhaps, for trying to compare the work and saying the new guy is awful.)

And Roger’s one of the very few who waited for his defeater to exit the court together, as is the protocol at Wimbledon. Most of the other players just rush off, which I can totally understand, but it’s not what’s dictated at this tournament. When Andy Roddick practically ran off after his stunning defeat to Lu, the #82 player in the world, everyone was sympathetic towards him, and never once suggested that he was rude or ungracious. When Andy then said that Lu had beaten him because he himself had “played like crap,” rather than lauding his opponent, no one accused him of being ungracious. (I’m not saying he was; I’m just pointing out that Roger’s not the only one with an honest assessment of his play.) And when Venus Williams got beat by Svetana Pironkova, also in the quarters, and said, “I don’t think I did anything right today,” nobody batted an eyelash, even though Pironkova deserved all the credit in the world.

And how’s this for ungracious? When the Williams’ lost in the doubles, (more on that in a few paragraphs,) which they cockily expected to win, they didn’t even show up at the obligatory press conference after! I’m glad they got fined a cool four thou each, but there was barely a mention of that little incident in the press.

And a former grand slam champ, Svetlana Kuznetsova, didn’t even shake hands with the girl who beat her, and seriously, they never said a word about it on the TV coverage. But Roger admits he’s hurt, and he’s ungracious? These people need to get a dictionary. (For tons of other words, too, btw.)

Are sports journalists all so desperate for something to write about in tennis that they want to claim to be the first to find something bad to say about Federer? I just don’t get people sometimes. (BTW–Roger must have rubbed-off on some of the other top men’s players because Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray waited for the rivals who had just beaten them, as well. There were just a few others I noticed having the same respect for the club’s rules, but the only ones I can remember now are the always classy Kim Clijsters, Yen-Hsun Lu, and Jarkko Nieminen, but he was defeated playing Andy Murray in front of the Queen, so he had the whole event choreographed out for him. Not the actual match, of course.)

To sum up all of the above, Roger is still the stranger I love the most in the world and the best player in the history of tennis, and the idiot commentators, who have no hopes of ever coming close to being as good at their jobs as Federer is at his, should have stuck up for him in his sad loss. Now to just a couple of other Wimbledon notes:

The match that made me the happiest was when the Russian ladies, Zvonareva and Vesnina, defeated the uppity Williams sisters in the quarters of the doubles. I was thrilled. And so did the crowd appear to be. Which brings up another problem I find with the commentators; they never mention how the crowd often roots against the sisters, and usually only offer up tepid applause for them, when necessary. Venus was even booed for making one of her opponents wait almost ten minutes at the net for her to appear on court. Then, in the post-match press conference, she stated that she wasn’t “familiar” with the procedures on that particular court! And she had already played on it often, so I think it was just to let the organizers know that she thought she shouldn’t play on any court other than Centre.

And Mary Carillo, who rightfully had severely chastised Serena for her unconscionable behavior at last year’s US Open, (when Serena famously threatened to shove the ball down the lineswoman’s throat for making a call she didn’t like,) kissed her rear end at this tournament, never once mentioning her lack of grace. Very fickle. (And cowardly, I might add. But he cohorts all did the same.)

Okay, I’m sick of tennis for a few minutes now, so here’s my last note on the broadcasting of it in general: can the announcers please learn how to pronounce the athletes’ names? It’s just rude not to. Can’t the producers just ask each player to say his or her name on tape at the beginning of the year, and insist the broadcasters learn them? Enough already! Until the end of August, for my US Open insights.