LCCTA Tourney and More

The Lee County Community TennisAssociation (LCCTA) and Three Oaks Park hosted the Next Step Super Series (level 6) this past weekend. We had a number of local juniors entered in the eight draws, Boys and Girls 16s and 18s, Singles and Doubles, but, to date, few fared as well as they might have hoped. There are still a few in the hunt tomorrow though.

Zach Blythe of Cape Coral was seeded fourth in the Boys 16s, but ran into Bryan Yoshino of Dublin, Ohio in his first match and his event was over. Ian Ziegler of North Fort Myers got a walkover in the first round, but crossed paths with third-seeded Eric Poland of Fort Myers and he too was finished. John Peterson of Fort Myers Beach also fell victim to Yoshino in straight sets.

In addition to Poland, another local bright spot in the Boys16s was John Carlin of Fort Myers who upset No.1 Seed William Shkrob of Lakewood Ranch in straight sets. Carlin and Poland meet each other in one semifinal match tomorrow (Monday, 8/13) at 3:30pm.  Chase Burton of Naples, seeded No.2, will play in the other semifinal against Yoshino at 10:45am tomorrow. Prior to their singles matches, at 7:00am, Carlin and Poland will face off in doubles against Burton and John Peterson of Fort Myers Beach.

Fallon Burger of Fort Myers came into the Girls 16s as the top seed, but fell in the first round to Melanie Allen of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina in straight sets. Chandler Novoa of Fort Myers also participated but fell in her first match to Gabrielle Rodriguez of Tampa in straight sets. Fallon has the opportunity to redeem herself as she teams with Sydney Nowak in Girls 16s Doubles and will play in the final tomorrow at 4:00pm.

In the Boys 18s, Kyle Yates, Nicolas Alexander, and Prasanna Nagaraian of Fort Myers and Michael Raymond and Zachary Mearsheimer of Naples represented the local area. All but Mearsheimer, who was seeded second, fell in their first matches. Mearsheimer will play his semifinal match tomorrow at 8:00am. None of our locals made it past the first round in doubles.

Ja’cara Gillis, Sydney Nowak and Hailey Grillo of Fort Myers, and Shannon Etten, Shari Sanders and Miranda Mearsheimer of Naples all took part in the Girls 18s. Etten, the second seed, won a tough quarterfinal match and will play her semifinal tomorrow morning at 8:00am against Gabriella Casteneda, the third seed. Grillo teamed with Alexander Sexton of North Palm Beach to claim the Girls 18s Doubles.

Kudos to the LCCTA for continuing to organize and host tennis events in the area, and to those who participated and gave it all they had. Thanks to John Ziegler for the phone call. Sorry I couldn’t make it out there.

Women's Club Giving Back 

CWC Scholarship recipients
Lucinda Sutton, Thuy Nguyen, 
and Marilese Ras  

Have you heard of the Continental Women’s Club of Greater Fort Myers (CWC)? Well, despite hitting many a tennis ball and talking to more than my share of tennis lovers in Fort Myers over the past six years, I had not heard of the CWC. No, it isn't a tennis organization per se, but it is through tennis that I finally found out about it.  

In any event, according to my source (thanks Bert Ann) the CWC has been in existence for 37 years, and “donates to the Salvation Army each month and other civic organizations, such as:  Abuse Counseling & Treatment, Angel Flight, Animal Refuge Center, Child Protection Team, ECHO, Goodwill Industries, Heart Association of Lee County, Habitat for Humanity, Hope Hospice, Humane Society, Lee Adolescent Mothers Program, Lee Cancer Society, Hope Hospice, Humane Society, Make A Wish Foundation of Lee County, Meals on Wheels of Lee County, Lee Adolescent Mothers Program, Lee County Mission, Lee Visiting Nurses, Local Churches in Memory of Deceased Cub Members, Nature Center of Lee County, Nations Association, Ronald McDonald House of SW Florida, Shady Rest Nursing Home, Southeastern Guide Dog, Inc.” Now I just have to get the LCCTA on that list and I'll be happy.

Wow! That is some list of recipients! You can imagine that I was happy to say, “Yes” when the CWC recently requested donations for their 2013 Annual Game Day Fundraiser to be held on January 28, 2013. I told them I would be more than happy to donate tennis lessons for auction, and I know the Continental Women’s Club would be grateful for any contributions you could make as well. I’ll be sure to remind you when it gets closer to Game Day, but meanwhile, to pledge your support to this 501c organization and their efforts, you can call Bert Ann Haas at 239-810-4480 or email gameday2013@aol.com. A fundraising tennis event on Game Day would certainly be fitting, particularly with proceeds going toward local junior tennis development. I would love to hear thoughts on that.

Anyway, that’s all I have for now folks, but for those who follow the ATP Tour, check out my Cincinnati preview on Ubitennis.com tomorrow. All the big guns except for Rafa are scheduled to play the Western & Southern Open this week. Game, set, match….T.A.

Reflections on 95th Annual ATA Nationals

Chuck & T. A. in Puerto Rico, June 2011

For some, such as my old friend Chuck Hitt, who is 93, a quarter of a century isn’t all that long. For someone like me, it is half a lifetime. It had been that long since I ventured into the world of ATA tennis. The last time was both bitter and sweet. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, in that ATA/NETA event at Yale in New Haven, I won a coveted prize and spent a painful few hours in the hospital. 

Amp Myers delivers championship trophy

This time around at the tennis Club of Fort Lauderdale in (you guessed it) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, it was all sweet, with just a tinge of sadness. The sweet was hanging with some old mates from back in the day and winning the Men’s 50 Division at the 95^th ATA National Championships. The sad was noting the significant decrease in the size of the draws over the past twenty-five years.

Wilson Blade Team BLX

Kirschbaum
Evolution

Once I noted, pondered and got over the draw sizes, it was all good. The Wilson racquet-Kirschbaum string combination (BLX Blade Team racquet, and Pro Line Evolution 17 strings, respectively) worked their magic for me once again. Funny, how things work. I wasn’t thrilled at the time, but it is a good thing that the Babolat rep didn’t honor his word and get back to me, because I might not have captured my second National 50s title of the 2012, and I might not have these delusions of grandeur.

Val Wilder

What delusions you might ask? Well, as unrealistic as it may be, I am setting a goal of winning the USTA Men’s 50 Clay Court Championships held at the Bath & Racquet Club in Sarasota in October. Why is it unrealistic? Well, let me put it this way: The two players in the final last year, Val Wilder and Mark Vines were ranked as high as No.105 and No.110, respectively, on the ATP Tour in their heydays. And by the way, Wilder won the National Grass and Clay Court Championships last year, and the ITF Seniors World Individual Championship this year.

Having a good time!

But enough with delusion and back to the reality of the ATA event. The competition may not have been close to the standard that I will encounter at the USTA Nationals, nor even the USPTA Nationals, but the camaraderie was far superior. There aren’t many fist bumps during matches at USTA and USPTA events. At the ATA Nationals, there was the sense that, although you want to win every match, the sharing of a good time, on and off the court, is just as important as winning. You won’t find that at USTA and USPTA events. 

Players & spectators hang out

Interacting with players of African descent from just about every state in the Union, and a few other countries as well was a treat for me, since it was vastly different than any other tennis event I’ve played in the past 25 years! Players of vastly diverse backgrounds, with a wide assortment of skill levels, ranging in age, literally from eight to over 80, made the ATA Nationals experience unlike any other I have had in decades. 

Katia Jordan- Girls 18 Champion

Watching someone like James Clayton win the 60 and 65 Singles, and Mixed 60 Doubles with Mildred Azizi of Glenside, Pennsylvania was inspirational. Observing the fire that Girls’ 18 Champion Katia Jordan of Pikesville, Maryland brought to the court was uplifting. Having Lonnie White of Moultrie, Georgia, my final opponent, agree to play at 8am Friday morning, after having spent several 

hours on court the previous day, finishing some time after 9pm, was mind-boggling.  Even more jaw-dropping was the fact that tournament officials ran an event at two sites that included 52 adult and 42 junior draws! 

Lonnie White & T. A. after final

Willie Emerson & Amp Myers run tourney desk

I’m not sure who ran the junior site, but Amp Myers and Willie Emerson, with ample assistance from the roving umpires and other volunteers, kept things moving along with the adults as well as or better than one could expect with that many draws and matches to manage. Kudos to the team!

It would be totally impractical for me to try to list all the event winners, but some of the champions demand mention by virtue of their herculean accomplishments. I’ve already mentioned three-event winner James Clayton of Washington, Maryland, but how about Lisa Robinson of Roswell, Georgia, who won the Women’s 45 Singles, the 35 Doubles with Sherrie Barnes of Atlanta, Georgia, and Mixed 40 Doubles with Mark Williams of Delray Beach, Florida.

Lonnie White volleys while
Amp Myers looks on

In addition to running the tournament desk with Willie Emerson, doubles specialist Amp Myers managed to win the Men’s 45 Doubles with Lonnie White, the Mixed 35 doubles with Sherrie Barnes, and Mixed 45 Doubles with Tenagne Yohannes, both of Atlanta, Georgia! There were a number of two-event winners as well.

Harrell Thomas

Harrell Thomas of Jacksonville, Florida, one of Florida’s Junior Team Tennis pioneers, who claims that he hadn’t played a tournament in five years (I ain’t believin’ it), won Men’s 55 Singles and teamed with Stan Myrie-G of St. Croix, Virgin Islands to take 55 Doubles as well. Marcus Freeman of Dallas, Texas also claimed a double, taking the Men’s 75 Singles and Doubles with Hatcher Day of Mansfield, Ohio. Chuck Jones of Glenside, Pennsylvania took Men’s 35 and 40 Doubles with Ralph Simpson and Tim Pope respectively. 

Alice King of Chester, Virginia won both the Women’s and Mixed 45 Doubles, the former with Rachel Brown-Wright of Chesterfield, Missouri, the latter with David Barnes of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. In addition to her already mentioned mixed win with James Clayton, Mildred Azizi also won Women’s 60 Doubles with Cecilia Hodge of Philadelphia. In the rated divisions, Elaine Parker of Baltimore, Maryland won the Women’s 3.5 Singles and teamed with Ivy Dench, also of Baltimore, to win the 3.5 Doubles.

Stan Myrie-G, T. A., Harrell Thomas

All in all it was an experience worthy of repeating, and I hope the ATA Nationals are within reach again 2013. I’d love to defend my title. I may work on a double or triple, but I don’t think I could pull off three titles in three different divisions like Lisa Robinson did. I think I’ll just stick to my own division.

James Walker volleys with
Chuck Nelson in background

Thanks to Oliver Stenger of Park Meadow, Jarrod Gore, Chuck Nelson, and James Walker, all of whom ran me around the court in preparation for the event. A shout out must go to Tim McClary who drove across the alley to check out the event, and Cap't Jim Garner who stuck till the end. 

Jim Garner & T. A.

I probably wouldn’t have survived the heat without MaJiC Noone’s creation, and nothing happens without Steph’s love and support! And those of you who email and text your support, it is truly appreciated! I’m looking forward to the next time. Game, set, match…T A  PS: Pictures of the event can be viewed here for adults, and here for juniors. 

At 95th Annual ATA National Championships

2012 ATA Nationals Tourney Desk

I wonder how many of you would know what, in tennis terms, ATA stands for, had I the opportunity to ask you? If you happened to be a diehard tennis fan, and of African Descent (commonly referred to as “Black”) you just might know. Otherwise, regardless of your heritage, there’s a good chance you would have no clue.

Big things were happening in 1916. Pancho Villa (freedom fighter or rebel, depending on your perspective) was on the run with President Woodrow Wilson’s troops in pursuit; China’s last Emperor stepped down; Daylight Savings Time was born in Britain; the Boy Scouts were born in the U. S.; the first woman was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives; and, relevant to this piece, the American Tennis Association (ATA) was born.

Unlike other organizations that contain terms like “Black,” or “African American” in their names, the ATA gives no hint that it is an organization which arose from the bowels of racism. It may be uncomfortable for many in today’s world to discuss, hear or read about racism in the United States of America; however, unlike today, where it may be argued (futilely in my opinion) that racism is dead, in 1916 there was no doubt that the scourge of human society was alive and well.

In response to denied opportunities, a group of African American businessmen, professors and physicians, created the ATA. In 1916, people of African descent had no access to competition sanctioned by the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA), the entity that governed tennis in the U. S. in the early portion of the 20^th century. Since that time, according to the ATA website, the ATA “has become a Mecca for blacks - from all walks of life –who yearn to enjoy the camaraderie and competition offered by a sport for youngsters from 8 to 80.”

Althea Gibson

Included on the rolls of the ATA’s most notable historical members are Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson, Zina Garrison, and Lori McNeil, all of whom were ranked in the top ten on their respective professional tours. A number of others attained top hundred rankings on the ATP and WTA tours, including Chip Hooper (17), MaliVai Washington (11), Rodney Harmon (56) on the former, and Leslie Allen (21), Camille Benjamin (21), and Katrina Adams (67), a Tennis Channel staple, on the latter.

T. A. at ATA

I won’t ever be mistaken for being an ATA notable, but I certainly remember the days when my former coach and current friend, Phil Gordon of Hartford CT, would take a group of juniors to the ATA/NETA event at Yale in New Haven, CT. What an event that was!

As a junior player learning the game, it was an inspiration for me to see vast numbers of men, women and children encompassing a wide variety of ethnic groups and ages gathered to share, not just competition, but the communal camaraderie as intended by the founders. Here was a venue where being colorful was the norm, where displays of superb athleticism were commonplace…And how I wanted to win one of those events.

As a junior I never did, but years later, after returning to the game and again under Phil Gordon’s tutelage, I won the Open Division, and was in the Final of the Doubles and Mixed Doubles as well. It was well into the night when the sun set on my day of tennis, and I had one winner’s trophy and a hospital stay to show for it. It was totally worth it!

T A at ATA Nationals

Today, I played my first ATA tennis match in 25 years, at the 95^th Annual ATA National Championships, at The Tennis Club of Fort Lauderdale. Although it wasn’t the caliber of competition I have grown accustomed to in USTA sanctioned events, the experience was still a good one. I expect I’ll have all I can handle before it’s all over, so I’ll just gratefully accept today’s W.

Lonnie White of Moultrie, GA
No.1 Seed Men's 50

There were only 10 players in my event, the Men’s 50s, but there were nine States represented. Of course I ended up playing the only other player from Florida, William House of Coral Springs, but we had a good time out there, despite the skill disparity. See, although we all want to win, it isn’t ALL about the winning. 

William House

The jocular banter and witty verbal exchanges are as much a part of some of the matches as forehands and backhands. Uh, there are also some exchanges that the participants wouldn’t want recorded, but it can’t be all good, can it?

Jim Garner

In any event, reconnecting with individuals I hadn’t seen in years, such as Jim Garner, who captained a team for which I played in Miami; and Harrell Thomas, one of the first Area League Coordinators for Junior Team Tennis, when USTA Florida was still the Florida Tennis Association (FTA); and to have Tim McClary come across the alley to watch was priceless regardless of the eventual outcome for me on court.

That said, the number of participants was disappointing. I remember full draws and throngs of people at the events I went to as a youth. I’m also not thrilled with having to wait until Thursday (10am) to play my next match, but I will make the most of the experience. Until next, game, set, match…T. A.

The Latest in Lee County Tennis

If it seems as though this post is dominated by USTA Florida tennis, that’s because it is.

USTA Leagues

First off, let’s give Fort Myers Racquet Club (FMRC) some props. The guys from FMRC just keep getting it done in USTA League play. Their 3.5 men, led by Dan Campbell, are the Regional Champs of the Adult Winter League, and will represent Region 7 at sectionals in Daytona August 10-12.  Earlier this year, the 3.5 guys from FMRC, captained by Kevin Gaines, represented our area at Sectionals in the Senior League, reaching the final before falling to Marion/Fort King Tennis Center.

USTA Community Outreach Committee

USTA Florida continues to be active in our area. If you remember from previous blogs, USTA Florida announced a part-time position for a Target Market Coordinator for 10-and-Under Tennis in Lee County and also contributed $50k to the Lee County Community Tennis Association (LCCTA) in their efforts to grow the game.

The latest USTA Florida initiative in Lee County area is to reach out for someone from Lee County to serve on a new Community Outreach Committee (COC). The mission of the COC is “to support community tennis so that tennis participation and tennis programming increases at the local level.”

After consulting with a number of knowledgeable Lee County tennis community members, including former President and current Interim Director of the LCCTA, Committee chairperson, Deb Anderson asked me represent our area on the committee. I accepted the invitation, and am now your representative on the COC.

I’ll be sharing more about my role as it becomes more clearly defined. I hope you will be willing to share your thoughts with me about what we can do in our community to maximize your tennis experience, and to keep expanding the game in our community.

Host a USTA National Event

One of the things we could do to enhance our area’s tennis profile is to host a national USTA event, and such an opportunity is imminent! Do you have four or more clay courts at your club or facility? Is your facility a USTA member organization? Would you like to host a National USTA event? If you’ve answered yes to all three, then you can submit a bid to host the 2012 USTA National Husband/Wife Mixed Clay Court Championships this October, on or about the weekend of the 12^th.  

The deadline to submit your bid is by noon this coming Friday, August 3.  And you can do so by clicking here or copying and pasting the following link in your web browser:   http://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/3374g50633. For additional information, you may contact Theresa Bowen at 914-696-7150.

95^th Annual ATA Nationals

Regardless of the state of my tennis game, I just love competing and putting myself to the test. That’s just what I’ll be doing this coming week at the 95^th Annual American Tennis Association (ATA) National Championships in Fort Lauderdale.

“What’s the ATA?” you ask? The short answer is that it is a tennis organization created in 1916 to provide an opportunity for people of African descent to compete in sanctioned tennis events. I’m working on a piece on the ATA, so if you’re interested I’ll tell you more then.

Meanwhile, I’ll be playing the Men’s 50 Singles starting Tuesday morning. It has been 25 years since the last time I played an ATA event, and although I won at least one of the three finals I played in then (might have been two but can’t remember), I ended up in the hospital after nine hours of tennis. I think I’ll stick to one event this time.

Look at the time! As much as I like writing about tennis, I prefer playing, so off to Park Meadow, where Michelle Rygiel and I will take the court against Kelly Greens in 9.0 Mixed Doubles. Enjoy the Olympics! Oh, tennis is being shown on Bravo (237 on DirecTV, 51 on Comcast) from 7am – 3pm. Game, set, match…T. A.

Florida Open Scores Again

Despite weather that would drive any tournament director batty, Paul D’Amico, Director of Tennis at the Landings Yacht, Golf, and Tennis Club and his staff brought the USTA Jr. Regional Florida Open to a successful conclusion. Tournament draws included Boys’ and Girls’ 18s and 16s, and the Greater Fort Myers-Naples area had a number of participants among the more than 250 in the event. The Naples contingent produced the only standout performance, which was in the Girls’ 18s.   

Girls 18s

Nikki Kallenberg of Naples

Unseeded Nikki Kallenberg of Naples showed why she was named 2012 Girls Tennis Player of the Year by the Naples News. I’m not sure why Kallenberg wasn’t seeded and Vivienne David of Naples was (seeded 9^th), since Kallenberg is ranked higher by the USTA, but such was the case.

Perhaps that is why Kallenberg played like she had something to prove. She didn’t lose a game in her first match, made No.2 Seed Kate Vialle of Leawood, KS quit after the first set (7-5), served up a second-set bagel to her third opponent, and knocked off No.9 Seed Sonja Radosevic of Miami in a straight-set quarterfinal match.

No. 7 Seed and Eventual Champion Maria Shishkina of Bradenton was a bit much for Kallenberg to overcome in the Semis, but Kallenberg defeated yet another seed, Bennett Dunn (9) of Plantation in a hard-fought three-setter to claim third place. Kallenberg can add Florida Open “Outstanding Local Performer” honors to her list of accolades for 2012.

Vivienne David made it through her first round match, but fell in a tough three-setter to Athena Trouillot of Miami in her second match. Jemileth Aguilar of Naples wasn’t seeded, but won her first match against the No.6 Seed Yasmin Franklin of Largo in three sets, before losing to Gabrielle Wreder in straight sets in her next match.

Girls' 18s Champion
Maria Shishkina of Bradenton

Media darling and 13-year-old (14 next week) phenom, No.7 Seed Maria Shiskina of Bradenton won the Girls’ 18s in a three-setter against 14-year-old (15 in two days) No.1 Seed Katerina Stewart of Miami. Before the Final, Stewart hadn’t lost more than four games in a match and Shishkina hadn’t lost more than five. The Final went 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in Shishkina’s favor.

Boys' 18s

Henrik Wiersholm

Oliver Landert had the best showing of any of the locals in the Boys 18s. Despite being unseeded, Landert reached the Quarters, before being ousted by No.3 Seed Henrik Wiersholm of Kirkland, WA. En route to the Quarters, Landert defeated No.6 Seed Justin Butsch of Miami Beach in straight sets.

Adam Hamilton

Both of our Fort Myers entries in the Boys 18s fell in the first round. Parker Cuevas-Woodall exited in three tough sets against Jorge Vargas of Naples, and Adam Hamilton of MAD Academy lost to Parker Hayslett of Clearwater in straight sets. Somehow, with 32 players moving into consolation after the first round, Adam had to player the only other Parker in the draw in his second match. That’s right, our Parker. 

Boys' 18 Champion
Chase Perez-Blanco

When it was all over, Adam was 1-1 against the Parkers in the event. After the killer three-setter that Parker C-W had played in his first round, he just didn’t have the gas to go the distance, and Adam posted a 6-3, 4-1 victory. Adam fell to the No.8 Seed in the following round.

Unseeded Chase Perez-Blanco of Miami claimed the Boys’ 18s, dropping just one set in the event, and beating the third and first seeds in the Semis and Finals respectively. The one lost set was against No.3 Seed Wiersholm in the Semis. He defeated No.1 Seed Trey Strobel 6-2, 7-5 in the Final.

Boys’ 16s

Unseeded Alan Sweet of Naples logged the best performance of the locals in the Boys’ 16s. Sweet posted three wins, including one over No.6 Seed Zach Fryer of Centennial, CO, in reaching the Quarters. Sweet fell to Robby Morin of Boca Raton, who eventually took finalist honors.

William Shisler of Naples was the only other local to win a match in the Boys’ 16s. Shisler won his first match and gave No.1 Seed Greg Anderson of Tucson, AZ a scare in Round 2 when he took the first set 6-1. Anderson recovered shortly thereafter and won sets two and three handily.

Boys' 16s Champion Alex Knight

Third-seeded Alex Knight of Miami Shores took the Boys’16s, dropping only one set and deposing top seed Anderson and Finalist Morin in straight sets in the Semis and Finals respectively.

Girls’ 16s

Girls' 16s Finalist
Victoria Flores

Ninth-seeded Thandiwe Kangwa of Fort Myers was the only local to win a match in the Girls’ 16s, and what a match it was. Kangwa battled but lost the first set 5-7 to Kylee Shipley of West Palm Beach, but hung tough in the sweltering heat and claimed the final two sets 6-4, 6-3. That match took its toll, however, and Kangwa wasn’t able to finish her next match against, unseeded eighth-grader and eventual Finalist, Victoria Flores of Fort Dodge, IA.

No.8 Seed Rachel Rohrabacher of Tampa won the Girls’16s in straight sets over Flores. Rohrabacher survived a quarterfinal scare against Brianna Lashway of Bradenton in the Round of 16 in which she lost a first-set tiebreak, but won the final two sets and didn’t drop another en route to taking the Championship.

As usual, it was great to see members of the various participating clubs volunteering to make this event the success that is and has been over the years. I’m sure the players also appreciated the local tennis fans who came out to the various venues to watch the matches. I look forward to the 2013 edition of the Florida Open. Hope you’ll join us for that as well.

Post Wimbledon Thoughts

Federer's Wizardry Prevails

My vocabulary cringes in anticipation of failure! How could I possibly describe that magnificent, virtuoso piece of artistry that Roger Federer treated the tennis world to yesterday. I have not seen every tennis match that has ever been played, so I cannot say that Roger Federer’s performance in the Wimbledon Final was the greatest performance ever, but I can say that it was the finest display of tennis that I have seen, bar none, in my 40-plus years of watching the game.

In baseball I think they check bats to make sure they aren’t corked. In golf they verify that clubs are conforming. Somebody needs to check Roger’s racquet, cuz he sure twirled that thing like it was a magic wand. Most will talk about his tying the most wins in history, and regaining No.1. It was Roger’s artistry that captivated me.

Surely there have been players who have displayed similar effortless power, and there must have been players who have glided as gracefully across the Wimbledon lawns. And without doubt there have been those with maestro’s magic and surgeon’s precision. But has there ever been one to parade them all simultaneously with such seeming ease as did Federer yesterday? I’d have to see it myself to believe it.

Okay, there have been cleaner matches played; after all, Roger did sprinkle 38 unforced errors amidst the deluge of winners that cascaded from his wand…uh, I mean racquet His winner count? That would be 62, the highest single match total in the 26 matches played by the four Semifinalists over the fortnight.

Andy Murray

To put it in perspective, Ivo Karlovic, with his 17 aces (which factor into winner counts), recorded 58 winners in four sets against Murray. Roger dropped 14 more winners than the average against Murray in the other four-setters he played during the event. If you just look at Murray's four-setters without Ivo’s bombs thrown in, then Roger’s tally goes up to 17 more winners than others have hit against Murray on average in four sets.

But those are just numbers and they can’t do Roger’s genius justice. You would have to have seen the point culminating in the drop volley to claim the second set. You would have to have seen, with Murray serving at 1-2, 30-0 in the third, the -how do you describe this- run around, inside out, slice, angled forehand that nosedived inside the service box and off the court for a winner. That had to be one of the sickest (as in, how in da...) shots of all time!

Hopefully you did see it all and therefore understand why I say that, though Nadal and Djokovic may beat Federer 100 times more, Roger is the greatest wielder of a tennis racquet I have ever seen. I could go on for several pages, but perhaps you get the drift. It was the best, most complete display of tennis I have seen from Roger Federer or anyone…ever! Thirty is the new twenty?

Serena Snatches Fifth Title

But there was more than Roger Federer this past weekend at the All England Club. Serena Williams, another who crossed the 30-line, amazed again, but in ways different from Federer. Serena is grit rather than grace, and her power may cause some to overlook her precision. Serena may have more mental lapses than Rafael Nadal during a match, but she is every bit as game, gives every bit as much effort on every point.

Serena has surely been the most dominant player on the WTA Tour for over a decade now, but if Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf had graves, I know they would have turned over in them when Chris Evert said, on the air, that Serena Williams might be the greatest women’s tennis player of all time. Serena can certainly be in the conversation about greatest women players of all time, but Steffi and Martina have done things that no other tennis players, male or female, have done.

But that’s really not the point. What is important is that Serena, when she is playing as she is capable of playing, is the best woman player on the planet now. Remember my writing above about Ivo Karlovic’s 17 aces and 58 winners in four sets? Well, Serena delivered the same in three sets. She served more aces than any other player, male or female, at Wimbledon, and her average winners per match count was right up there with the Men’s Semifinalists.

Agnieszka Radwanska

But you have to give Aga Radwanska a ton of credit. It looked as though she was going to dine on a bagel during breakfast at Wimbledon in that first set, but she dug in and got one game in the set, and battled tooth and nail the rest of the way. I am in no way surprised that Aga gave Serena all she wanted in that second set, but if you look at the numbers, between the first and second sets, there are pretty similar. It was set No.3 where Serena stepped up her return game and cleaned up the winner to unforced error ratio (20/7).

As I suggested before the match, it really was all about Serena and how she played. If she brought her A-game, it was all hers. If she didn’t, then Aga had a chance. In the end, the cream rose and Serena pulled off another double (singles and doubles titles) at Wimbledon.

In Sum

All in all, I am amazed that the tennis continues to get better and better year after year, even when I think there’s no way it could. I can’t imagine the US Open topping what we’ve seen already this year, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Hope you’re enjoying it as much as I am. Game, set, match…T. A.

Wimbledon Finals All Set

The Men's Final

So what’s the lesson from the men’s semis? Bring a big serve to Wimbledon. Roger Federer was impeccable on serve, but for one game in the second set. Andy Murray served his way out of trouble at 5-5 in the fourth set from 15-40 down, and the rest is history.

Key Stats From Federer-Djokovic

Serves aside, the key stat from the Federer-Djokovic match was the 75% and 72% of points Federer won on his first and second serve. Djokovic had a healthy 71% on first serve, but only 57% on second serve. Ordinarily, that’s good enough, but not with Federer returning as well as he has in some time, particularly on the backhand side where he came over the backhand more than usual.

Perhaps the most surprising stat in the Federer-Djokovic match was the disparity in the players’ efficiency rating. Roger ended up with a plus-21 rating with 31 winners to 10 unforced errors. Huh? Roger with only 10 unforced errors in a match? Djokovic on the other hand, was a mere plus-seven, with 28 and 21 winners and unforced errors respectively.

Still, a point of concern for Federer fans should be his break percentage on return, which was a paltry three of 11 for 27%. Fortunately, he only gave Novak three attempts to break his own serve and Novak converted on just one.  Federer will have to play as clean a game on Sunday and hope for some Novak-like struggles from Murray to claim his record-tying seventh Wimbledon Singles Championship.

Is Murray Ready?

Well, I’m almost ready to concede that Murray has finally arrived. He has played back-to-back tremendous matches, playing as offensively as I’ve ever seen him, and defending as well as he normally does. He’s not making nearly as many questionable strategic plays as usual, and he’s hanging tough at crunch time. Ivan Lendl (Murray's relatively new coach) is looking for a raise after this performance from Murray.

Murray is a tough out for anyone when he’s playing to his potential, because he has one of the best serves in the game and is one of the game’s better returners. In the match against Tsonga, Murray won 75% of points on his first serve and a very solid 64% on second serve. With Tsonga serving at 122mph and 97mph on first and second serves respectively, Murray still managed to win a total of 41% overall and a whopping 68% of points on Tsonga’s second serve.

If you thought Roger’s efficiency rating was nice, and it was, Murray’s plus-28 (40 winners, 12 unforced errors) was “redonkulous” as the Curr Dawg might say. With Murray serving and receiving as he is, hitting plenty of winners and making very few errors, Roger has his work cut out for him.  

Come Ready!

One more lesson from the Men’s Semis?  Come ready to play from the opening gun. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga didn’t look as though he came to play until the third set, and by then Andy was pretty comfortable. Novak brought his serve early, but not much else, and he paid the price for it. If they both bring their A-games and the nerves don’t dominate either with so much at stake, Murray would have the edge with his return game. We’ll see on Sunday. The moment may just be too much for the Brit.

The Ladies' Final

Just about everyone is ready to concede the Ladies Final to Serena Williams over Agnieszka Radwanska, and that may just be where the trouble lies. Serena knows that she’s supposed to blow Aga off the court, and so does Aga. We saw what happened to Serena against an opponent she was supposed to crush in the first Round of the French. Didn’t quite go according to the script, did it?

Listen, if Serena pounds another 24 aces, I don’t care who she plays, she wins another Grand Slam title. Serena serves double-digits mph faster than Radwanska on both first and second serves (averaging 107mph and 90mph respectively), and will certainly attack Radwanska’s pedestrian second serve (76mph).

The key is which Serena Williams comes to play. If the 13-time Grand Slam Champion who has been the dominant player in the women’s game for more than a decade. Since 1999, there have been just three years in which Serena has not won a Grand Slam title. No one else can come close to that stat.

If you had $20k and were betting on the match, I would suggest betting $19k on Serena, and $1k on Aga. Radwanska doesn’t have the big guns and have been blown out by the players with bazookas, but she has plenty of grit and gray matter, and if Serena shows weakness, Aga has the stuff to exploit it. Regardless, history is in the making! Hope you catch it. Game, set, match…T. A.