Kerber Looking Like Champion Of Old
by Jane Voigt Centre Court seats were empty, for the most part, as Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka played their third-round match at Wimbledon. As much as this prestigious tournament wants you to think that it has the eyes of the country locked in, nothing could be further from the truth on Saturday: England and…
Spinning Wheel: Whirls Of Upsets Spins Keys Out Of Wimbledon
by Jane Voigt “This is crazy,” Pam Shriver barked on ESPN. “You just never know.” Indeed. Shriver’s sentiment echoed throughout the sacred grounds of the All England Club early Friday afternoon, as the sporting world watched number 10 seed Madison Keys fall to qualifier Evgeniya Rodina, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. Keys, the 2017 U.S. Open runner-up, became…
Bouchard Out Of Wimbledon But Full of Hope
by Jane Voigt Eugenie Bouchard had the world’s attention. She even had an army behind her: “Genie’s Army.” There was much to cheer about back then. But the bubble burst and Bouchard fell from grace. Thursday, though, she surfaced at Wimbledon, showing promise in her loss to Ashleigh Barty, 6-4, 7-5. Read More
Finally: Pliskova Reaches Third Round At Wimbledon
by Jane Voigt With half the top eight women’s singles seeds out of the main draw, speculation was rampant that Wednesday’s match between former number one players Karolina Pliskova, seeded seventh, and Victoria Azarenka, ranked number 87, would predictably end the same way. Read More
Kyle Edmund Walks Tall In 2018
by Jane Voigt Kyle Edmund played a tidy match on Tuesday at Wimbledon. He kept to himself mostly, executing his plan like a soldier might carry out a sergeant’s orders, walking confidently along the baseline from point to point, finding his rhythm early, its beat illustrated in efficient serving, brutally struck groundstrokes, crisp volleys, and…
Vekic Shocks Stephens
by Jane Voigt What happens in Paris stays in Paris. At the very least, it didn’t cross the English Channel for Sloane Stephens. Donna Vekic thumped the French Open finalist and U.S. Open champion in a lopsided opening-round match at Wimbledon on Monday, 6-1, 6-3. Read More
Roger Federer Captures Record 8th Wimbledon
By Jane Voigt Roger Federer was not playing well. He’d racked up two double faults in four games of this, a record 11th Wimbledon final. Fans demurred, offering existential reasons on social media. But sometimes even the Swiss Maestro cannot produce heavenly tennis. Facts are facts. Federer is human. Then he wasn’t. His dreams of…
Garbine Muguruza Wins Her First Wimbledon Crown
By Jane Voigt Twenty-three year old Garbine Muguruza wanted to see her team, but Wimbledon ritual beckoned. She was shown the wall where all champions’ names were listed, her’s having been added minutes before her arrival. The surname, Williams, had been etched nine times over the past 10 years on the Roll of Honour. Muguruza’s once.…
Federer and Cilic to Meet in Wimbledon Final
By Jane Voigt These were tough matches. But nothing comes easily this deep at Wimbledon. Marin Cilic’s ‘mean’ face and tennis were immediately locked and loaded. The Croatian seven-seed seemed to channel Gandalf The Grey’s ‘You shall not pass’ dictum from Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings. Cilic being Gandalf to Sam…
Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza Charge Into Wimbledon Final
By Jane Voigt Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza won. They beat their opponents. Make no mistake about that. Their semi-final victories were not a matter of a few points. They were a matter of dominant, high-calibre tennis — power, control, mental superiority, flawless execution — that left Johanna Konta and Magdalena Rybarikova with no answers. As a result, Williams…