Not a bookish topic today.
Wimbledon, or the All-England Club Championships is the absolute pinnacle of the tennis year. After watching the 12-month progression of the tennis year go by for many, many years, I feel strongly that all the champions who are lucky enough to play at Wimbledon manage to present their "A" game and do their ultimate utmost to win at Wimbledon, grasping for a level of play that is even higher than they play at any of the other three Grand Slams.
I think it's the all-grass surface that keeps every player on edge. The grass surface's relative unpredictability in the way of ball bounce (as compared to hard courts and clay courts) is what makes players reach and push forward their very best game. The necessity of being always on-alert and on-edge brings forth some of the most incredible tennis games and matches.
Victories are so much bigger, because the winner bested their opponent and THE GRASS.
The other great thing about Wimbledon is that there are always so many UPSETS and SURPRISES.
I am extremely eager to see Johanna Konta (from the UK) play in the semi-finals against Venus Williams. Konta has been playing brilliantly. What a match that will be on Thursday. Venus has come so far. At 37, she is playing as well as she has ever played, and with a tricky auto-immune disorder. Konta is such a likeable, strong player from the UK--I'm rooting for both of them.
Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink, for the #1937Club
15 hours ago
Congrats to your Sam Querrey on his win over Andy Murray today. Obviously I was sad for Andy but Sam played brilliantly and such a nice chap. A very good match too. Yes, Jo plays tomorrow. The first British woman in the semis for about 30 years! LOL If I'm honest I don't know if she can beat Venus, let's just hope it's a good match.
ReplyDeleteThe sports announcer said that Virginia Wade was the last British woman in the semi-finals in 1977--I guess that's 40 years. I hope Jo plays really well and wins. I always like to see a so-called less-favored-to-win player clinch it.
DeleteYes Virginia Wade won in 1977 - beating Betty Stove, I remember it well. It was especially good as it was the Queen's Silver Jubilee year.
ReplyDeleteI think that the players nowadays play too many tournaments, they're on a treadmill and it leads to them being worn out and injured often.
A great memory you have, Katrina! And I 100 percent agree with you that players today expect too much from their all-too-human bodies. And of course some bodies can take more punishment than others.
DeleteI think that forcing the men to play a minimum of three sets, when most matches go to 4 and 5 sets, is too much as they go from one round to the next, over and over. Those five-setters that last 5 and sometimes 6 hours are ruinous to players' health, though I don't think anyone will listen to me.