Mondays with Bob Greene
STARS
Wimbledon
Men’s singles: Andy Murray beat Milos Raonic 6-4 7-6 (3) 7-6 (2)
Women’s singles: Serena Williams beat Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3
Men’s doubles: Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut beat Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4 7-6 (1) 6-3
Women’s doubles: Venus Williams and Serena Williams beat Yaroslava Shvedova and Timea Babos 6-3 6-4
Mixed doubles: Henri Kontinen and Heather Watson beat Robert Farah and Anna-Lena Groenefeld 7-6 (5) 6-4
Junior Boys’ singles: Denis Shapovalov beat Alex de Minaur 4-6 6-1 6-3
Junior Girls’ singles: Anastasia Potapova beat Dayana Yastremska 6-4 6-3
Junior Boys’ doubles: Kenneth Raisma and Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov 4-6 6-4 6-2
Junior Girls’ doubles: Usue Maitane Arconada and Claire Liu beat Mariam Bolkvadze and Caty McNally 6-2 6-3
Men’s Wheelchair Singles: Gordon Reid beat Stefan Olsson 6-1 6-4
Women’s Wheelchair Singles: Jiske Griffioen beat Aniek Van Koot 4-6 6-0 6-4
Men’s Wheelchair Doubles: Alfie Hewitt and Gordon Reid beat Stephane Houdet 4-6 6-1 7-6 (6)
Women’s Wheelchair Doubles: Yui Kamiji and Jordanne Whiley beat Jiske Griffioen and Aniek Van Koot 6-2 6-2
OTHERS
Thomaz Bellucci beat Inigo Cervantes 6-1 1-6 6-3 to win the Sparkassen Open 2016 in Braunschweig, Germany
Pauline Parmentier beat Oceane Dodin 6-1 6-1 to win the Lorraine Open 88 in Contrexeville, France
Elitsa Kostova beat Viktoriva Tomova 6-0 7-6 (3) to win the Europe Tennis Center Ladies Open in Budapest, Hungary
SAYING
“I don’t mind failing. Failing’s OK providing that you’ve given your best and put everything into it. Obviously a lot of questions would get asked of me after those losses. But failing’s not terrible. I put myself in a position all of the time in these events to win them. Haven’t won them all of the time. I’ve lost a lot of close ones against great players most of the time. That’s it. Just have kind of not being afraid of failing. Sort of learning from all of my losses. That’s what I’ve done throughout most of my career.” – Andy Murray, after winning his second Wimbledon title.
“This one is going to sting. I’m going to make sure I do everything I can to be back here for another chance.” – Milos Raonic, who lost the Wimbledon men’s singles final to Andy Murray in straight sets.
“I learned that you can’t win everything, even though I try really hard. I still am not going to be perfect. Once I started focusing more on the positives, I realized that I’m pretty good. Then I started playing a little better.” – Serena Williams, following her win over Angelique Kerber in the women’s singles final.
“Serena was serving unbelievable today. At the end I was trying everything, but she deserved it today. I was not the one who lost the match. I think she won the match.” – Angelique Kerber.
“It’s a privilege, it’s an honor. When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning. Then we enter the singles, we dream of winning. To have Williams on both of those, somehow in 2016, it’s another dream come true.” – Venus Williams, after teaming with sister Serena, the singles champion, to win the doubles.
“This one clearly hurts, because I could have had it. I was so, so, close.” – Roger Federer, after losing for the first time in 11 Wimbledon semifinal appearances.
“There’s definitely some blurs between eight, nine and 10. I don’t even know where eight, nine and 10 were, or when. I definitely don’t remember where 12 was. I remember one through four. Gets really blurry after that. But I will be able to definitely place this one.” – Serena Williams, claiming a lapse in memory but saying she will remember when and where she won her 22nd Grand Slam tournament singles title.
“She is someone who beats records and not just equals them.” — Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams’ coach, about the 2016 Wimbledon champion.
“I find the very top players hate to lose more than they like to win. Serena hates losing. She absolutely goes crazy. I always talk about the head, the heart and the guts have to be together to make greatness, and that’s what Serena has.” – Billie Jean King.
“In life there is no such thing as impossible, it’s always possible. That’s what you feel as an athlete. Pretty much our job is to make the impossible happen every day. It’s like magic, you know.” – Venus Williams.
“I would love to, it’s all in the plans. If it’s different, I’ll be sure to let you know.” – Venus Williams, when asked if she would return to Wimbledon next year.
SERENA AT 22
Finally. After three tries went awry, Serena Williams finally captured her 22nd Grand Slam tournament singles title to pull even with Steffi Graf for the most won in the Open Era. And the American did it at Wimbledon, where she also won her 21st major crown last year. “Number 22 is awesome,” Williams said after downing Germany’s Angelique Kerber. “Centre Court feels like home.” She now is two major titles behind Australia’s Margaret Smith Court, who began her winning career before the Open Era began. It was Serena’s seventh Wimbledon singles title, and it came after she was upset in the semifinals of the US Open last September and lost to Kerber in the Australian Open in January and to Spain’s Garbiñe Muguruza at Roland Garros last month. “I think, if anything, I was able to show resilience that, no, that’s not going to shake me, you’re not going to break me, it’s going to make me stronger,” Williams said of her losses. Kerber, who played almost as well as Williams, said the American was a great champion. “Serena, you deserve it, you are a great champion and great person,” Kerber said. “We played a great match.” That they did. Williams finally prevailed by slamming 13 aces and 39 winners. “Angelique brings out great tennis in me,” Williams said. The 71st singles title also moved Williams within two of Martina Navratilova’s all-time record of nine Wimbledon triumphs.
At age 34, Williams is the oldest woman to win a major title. She has won nine Grand Slam tournament crowns since turning 30. Navratilova and Court each won three majors after turning 30. Williams also has the longest winning span between Grand Slam tournament titles. It was 16 years, 10 months between her first US Open crown in 1999 and the 2016 Wimbledon.
SPECIAL SUNDAY
This one was for himself. “I feel happier this time, more content. I feel like this was sort of more for myself more than anything, and my team as well,” Andy Murray said after winning his second Wimbledon singles title by besting Canada’s Milos Raonic in straight sets. “The last time it was just pure relief, and I didn’t really enjoy the moment as much, whereas I’m going to make sure I enjoy this one more than the others.” It was Murray’s third Grand Slam tournament title – he captured the US Open in 2012 – and he became the first British man to win multiple Wimbledon titles since Fred Perry in the 1930s. “I obviously want to win to make all the fans that come to watch happy. I’m not suggesting this was only for me. But the last time it was such a big thing, you know, for a British man to win Wimbledon. It had been so long, I was so relieved that I’d done that.” The only service break came in the opening set. And while the last two sets went to tiebreaks, Murray was in complete control of both. The Scot faced just two break points in the battle, and his return of serve limited Raonic to only eight aces in the title match. Raonic was attempting to become the first Canadian to win a major title since Daniel Nestor teamed with Max Mirnyi in 2012 to capture the French Open doubles. Instead, he committed 29 unforced errors to just 12 for Murray.
SISTER POWER
Sisters Venus and Serena Williams were not seeded at this year’s Wimbledon, despite having won the women’s doubles five previous times. Make that six. The Williams sisters, preparing to defend their doubles title at the Rio Olympics, ran their record to a perfect 14-0 in Grand Slam doubles final, besting Timea Babos of Hungary and Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova. The final was played just hours after Serena won her 22nd Grand Slam tournament singles title. The younger sister has now won both the singles and doubles at Wimbledon in the same year four times. “It’s unbelievable,” Serena said. “It’s a feat even I couldn’t have thought would have happened. It’s amazing.” The sisters are now 22-1 in all doubles finals they have played together. Their 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together move them into a tie with American Gigi Fernandez and Belarussian Natasha Zvereva for second place on the all-time list. Martina Navratilova and fellow American Pam Shriver lead the list with 20 major titles. “We’ve played so sporadically the last few years,” Venus said. “It’s not easy to come out and play one match, then not play for a year.” Tell that to Babos and Shvedova.
SWEET VICTORY
When Russia’s Anastasia Potapova finally won the junior girls’ singles title, she had no problem celebrating her victory. After all, she had practiced her celebration twice before. On her fourth match point, Potapova fell to the ground in tears after hitting what she thought was the winning shot. But Dayana Yastremska successfully challenged the shot. Potapova celebrated winning again with a baseline shot. But again Yastremska disputed it and again was proven correct. That’s when a visibly upset Potapova threw her racquet to the ground. “I didn’t have anything to lose so I decided to take the challenge just to see,” Yastremska said. “For me it wasn’t hard to get back in the game. I didn’t pay attention to what she was doing, I was just focusing on the next point.” Potapova, on her fifth match point, finally was able to close out the victory. “I’m happy for her that she won,” Yastremska said. “It wasn’t my day. She deserved it.”
SWISS FEAR
Roger Federer is wondering whether or not he suffered a serious injury in his semifinal loss to Milos Raonic. Four games into the fifth set, with the score at deuce, Federer rolled his left ankle as he lunged after a forehand winner from Raonic. The Swiss master sprawled face down on Centre Court, finally got back to his feet and slumped into his chair rather than head for the baseline. The trainer came onto the court to manipulate Federer’s left knee and leg. The 17-time Grand Slam tournament singles champion managed to save that break point, but four points later Raonic had the break for a 3-1 lead. It was all the Canadian needed, eventually winning 6-3 6-7 (3) 4-6 7-5 6-3. “I just hope I didn’t hurt myself,” Federer said of the tumble. “Is it a three-day thing, is it a 24-hour thing, or is it more? I hope it’s not bad.” The 34-year-old underwent surgery on the same knee earlier this year. “I just didn’t feel the same after the fall,” Federer admitted.
STRAIGHT-SET WIN
Nicolas Mahut’s name is in the Wimbledon record book for something more than his marathon battle against American John Isner. Mahut teamed with Pierre-Hughes Herbert to win the men’s doubles with a straight-set win over fellow Frenchmen Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. “When you win the match point in the final, you just realize that you’re going to have your name written on the trophy and everywhere,” Mahut said. “Being the champion here in Wimbledon, it’s a dream come true for me.” It was the first all-French doubles final at Wimbledon in the Open Era. Mahut and Herbert have won five titles this year, including the first three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events, making them the best men’s doubles team in 2016. “Now I can come in the press conference as a Wimbledon champion. It’s great,” Mahut said.
SEARING HEAT
Milos Raonic hit the fastest serve at this year’s Wimbledon in his semifinal win over Roger Federer. The Canadian rocketed a serve clocked at 144 mph (231.7 km/h) in the opening set. The record for the fastest serve ever hit, clocking 163 mph (263.4km/h) is credited to Australia’s Sam Groth, who did it at a second-tier Challenger event in Busan, South Korea, in May 2012.
SENT PACKING
It should have been an omen. Leander Paes and Martina Hingis, who had won the mixed doubles at four of the last five Grand Slam tournaments, were ousted at Wimbledon by a team playing their first match together. Britain’s Heather Watson and Finland’s Henri Kontinen had reached the third round because of walkovers. “We were warming up and getting ready each day and we were always put on at the end of the day, so we’ve literally just been ready to play for each match and they’ve told us last minute,” Watson said. Whatever, it worked. The two beat Robert Farah and Anna-Lena Groenefeld 7-6 (5) 6-4 to win the mixed doubles title. Kontinen became the first Finn to win a Grand Slam tournament title, while Watson is the first British woman to win the mixed doubles since Jo Durie and Jeremy Bates did it in 1987.
Paes and Hingis came into Wimbledon having completed the mixed doubles Grand Slam at Roland Garros last month. Last year they won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
STRONG SHOWING
British fans had a lot to cheer about at this year’s Wimbledon. Andy Murray won his second men’s singles title. Heather Watson teamed with Finland’s Henri Kontinen to capture the mixed doubles event. And Britain’s Gordon Reid won the inaugural Wimbledon men’s wheelchair singles title. The 24-year-old Reid defeated Sweden’s Stefan Olsson 6-1 6-4 to add to the doubles title he won with fellow Brit Alfie Hewitt. “I wanted to achieve two things,” the victorious Scot said. “First, if there were any kids with disabilities for this to inspire them to take up the sport. And second was to continue to break down the barriers when it comes to disability sport, to showcase the talent in the sport. The coverage and interest we’ve had this week, it’s been a big milestone and hopefully we can build on that.”
STRANGE VIRUS
An unknown virus has struck Marion Bartoli three years after she won Wimbledon. Now 31, the Frenchwoman is extremely thin, a condition she attributes to her illness. “My life right now, it’s an absolute nightmare,” Bartoli said on British TV. “What I’m going through, I wish it to absolutely nobody.” Bartoli believes she contracted the disease while on a long flight in February. She says she can only eat organic leaves and cucumbers without skin because her body rejects other food. She said she has been seeking treatment.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Braunschweig: James Cerretani and Philipp Oswald beat Mateusz Kowalczyk and Antonin Sancic 4-6 7-6 (5) 10-2 (match tiebreak)
Budapest: Ema Burgic Bucko and Georgina Garcia-Perez beat Lenka Kuncikova and Karolina Stuchla 6-4 2-6 12-10 (match tiebreak)
Contrexeville: Cindy Burger and Laura Pous-Tio beat Nicole Melichar and Renata Voracova 6-1 6-3
SURFING
Hamburg: https://german-open-hamburg.de/
Newport: www.halloffametennischampionships.com/
Båstad (men): http://men.swedishopen.org/
Bucharest: www.brdbucharestopen.ro/
Gstaad (women): www.ladieschampionshipgstaad.ch/
Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com/en/home.aspx
Washington: www.citiopentennis.com/
Kitzbühel: www.generaliopen.com/
Umag: http://www.croatiaopen.hr/
Gstaad (men): www.jsafrasarasinswissopengstaad.ch/en/
Stanford: www.bankofthewestclassic.com/
Båstad (women): www.ericssonopen.org/
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
MEN
$1,471,340 German Tennis Championships, Hamburg, Germany, clay
$539,730 Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, Newport, Rhode Island, USA, grass
$540,573 SkiStar Swedish Open, Båstad, Sweden, clay
WOMEN
$250,000 Ladies Championship Gstaad, Gstaad, Switzerland, clay
$250,000 BRD Bucharest Open, Bucharest, Romania, clay
DAVIS CUP
World Group Quarterfinals
Serbia vs. Great Britain at Belgrade, Serbia, clay
Italy vs. Argentina at Pesaro, Italy, clay
Czech Republic vs. France at Trinec, Czech Republic, hard
United States vs. Croatia at Portland, Oregon, USA, hard
Group I 2nd Round
Americas Zone: Brazil vs. Ecuador at Belo Horizonte, Brazil, hard; Chile vs. Colombia at Iquique, Chile, clay
Asia/Oceania Zone: India vs. Korea, at Chandigarh, India, grass; Uzbekistan vs. China at Tashkent, Uzbekistan, clay
Europe/Asia Zone: Romania vs. Spain at Cluj-Napoca, Romania, hard; Ukraine vs. Austria at Kiev, Ukraine, hard; Russia vs. Netherlands at Moscow, Russia, hard; Hungary vs. Slovakia at Budapest, Hungary, clay
Group II, 2nd Round
Americas Zone: Peru vs. Mexico at Lima, Peru, clay; El Salvador vs. Venezuela at Santa Tecla, El Salvador, hard
Asia/Oceania Zone: Philippines vs. Chinese Taipei at Manila, Philippines, clay; Thailand vs. Vietnam at Nonthaburi, Thailand, hard
Europe/Africa Zone: Lithuania vs. South Africa at Kaunas, Lithuania, clay; Bosnia/Herzegovina vs. Turkey at Odmor I Rekreaciju, Bihac, clay; Belarus vs. Latvia at Minsk, Belarus, hard; Denmark vs. Finland at Kongens Lyngby, Denmark, carpet
Group III Round-Robin
Americas Zone at La Paz, Bolivia, clay: Bahamas, Bermuda, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago
Asia/Oceania Zone at Tehran, Iran, clay: Cambodia, Hong Kong, Iran, Lebanon, Pacific Oceania, Qatar, Singapore, Syria, Turkmenistan
Africa Zone at Antanarivo, Madagascar, clay: Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda
Group IV Round-Robin
Asia/Oceania Zone at Amman, Jordan, clay: Bahrain, Brunei, Iraq, Jordan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$1,877,700 Citi Open, Washington, DC, USA, hard
$574,464 J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open, Gstaad, Switzerland, clay
$574,464 Generali Open, Kitzbühel, Austria, clay
$574,464 Konzum Croatia Open, Umag, Croatia, clay
WOMEN
$687,900 Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, California, USA, hard
$250,000 Citi Open, Washington, DC, USA, hard
$250,000 Ericsson Open, Båstad, Sweden, clay
