Wimbledon 2014 - Of new champions, new talent and old traditions!

Defending Wimbledon isn't easy

There is a reason why very few people have been able to defend their Wimbledon titles successfully in this era. In the past decade, only the Wiliams sisters and Roger Federer have been able to win back-to-back titles at SW19, and this year was no different. Serena lost in the third round and Andy Murray lost in the quarterfinals to rising Dimitrov. Perhaps the short transition period from clay to grass and the fewer warm up events leading up to Wimbledon when compared to other Slams could be a reason. Nonetheless, reports suggest that the grass court season is set to be extended from next season, which could perhaps lead to a more compelling and competitive Wimbledon.

Who is Maria Sharapova?

Maria Sharapova sitting courtside during the Dimitrov vs Djokovic semifinal

This was the Twitter hashtag that was trending in India for two consecutive days. Caused by a harmless statement made by Sharapova where she admitted to not knowing who Sachin Tendulkar was, Indian fans, or rather Sachin fans, wreaked havoc on the Russian tennis player’s Twitter and Facebook pages. Personally, I think it is sad how sensitive and easily flammable our emotions as a sporting nation are. The unhealthy obsession with just one sport and constant reference to Sachin as God does not reflect well on us. Isn’t it hypocritical that we get offended when a Russian-born, American-bred player does not know a cricket legend, but we let ourselves off the hook for not knowing great athletes across other sports in India itself?

Depth in women's tennis

There are some people who look at women's tennis and say it lacks the consistency of the men's tour - no 'Big Four', early round exits, new names making it to the second week of Grand Slams – the list of ‘reasons’ is endless. I prefer looking at it from another perspective. There are no Big Four or Five in women's tennis because it is extremely competitive. On a given day, any player in the top 50 is capable of causing an upset, and that makes things more interesting. How will new talent emerge or be encouraged if the same set of players keep making the final rounds?

People argue that the gap between the Big Four of men's tennis and the rest is, or used to be, so wide that it reflected greatly on the talents of those top guys. True. That does not mean that the top female players are not talented enough. It just means that the rest of the women on WTA think they can catch up to the cream and beat them. The likes of Simona Halep, Eugenie Bouchard and Lucie Safarova flourished at Wimbledon because they were gutsy and not intimidated by the player or the situation. With the top two ranked women - Serena Williams and Li Na both aged 32, there is going to be a change of guard sooner than later and this exciting new pool of players is knocking at the door of greatness.

What about the Williams?

Serena and Venus have won 10 Wimbledon singles titles between them, and their domination on grass is a story for generations. Serena was the clear favourite coming into the tournament despite lacklustre performances at the Australian Open and the French Open. Thus, her third round defeat at the hands of Frenchwoman Alize Cornet came as a shock to not only tennis followers but also to Cornet herself. This was in sharp contrast to Venus’ exit at the hands of eventual champion Petra Kvitova in an instant classic match 5-7, 7-6, 7-5 that saw just two breaks of serve.

Venus (L) and Serena Williams

While Serena was evasive in the aftermath of her defeat, her histrionics during the doubles were what set tongues wagging. In an unusual performance, Serena was disoriented while serving and mistimed balls so badly that the chair umpire had to stop play to assess the situation. The situation was later explained to be because of a ‘virus’, but how the 17-time Grand Slam champion bounces back from these not-so-positive incidents will chart the next phase of her career. As for the elder sibling, Venus is universally respected for being a dignified presence both on and off the court. Despite making an early exit; her desire to continue playing is evident from her post match remarks.

"People have been trying to retire me since I was like 25. For some reason in tennis we always do that to our players. It's weird," said Venus, who three years ago was diagnosed with an energy-sapping autoimmune disease. "We don't encourage them to stick around," she added. "It's like, 'Get out of here.' So I'm not getting out of here. I think this year has been a great year for me. I've had some tough losses, but I've learned a lot from them. I'm finding my way back on my feet. I'm proud of myself for what I'm achieving on the court."

Rain, rain go away

The British monsoon has always played a key part in the proceedings at Wimbledon. This year, a significant part of a day’s play was lost due to rains forcing several matches to be carried forward to the second Monday. This of course was a scheduling nightmare for the organizers and a point of contention for the players, some of whom like Swiss Stan Wawrinka ended up playing matches on three consecutive days.

Many experts suggest that the All-England Club should consider finishing off pending matches on Sunday, which is usually a day off at the tournament. A stickler for tradition and the old ways, it remains to be seen whether the club will take this advice on board or not. But given that only Center Court has a retractable roof (with Court No. 1 to follow suit shortly), it is perhaps not a bad idea to work on a Sunday!

From innumerable celebrity sightings to seeing the likes of Becker, Edberg and Mauresmo in players’ boxes; from cheering for a small but happy sight of serve and volley to watching pristine white against lush green grass – Wimbledon always holds a special place in the tennis calendar. It is the oldest tennis tournament in the world but has managed to find a balance between the changing landscape of tennis and time-tested traditions. We now move on to the long and grueling hardcourt season, and here’s wishing it continues to bring more delight to tennis fans around the globe.