| Wimbledon 2008 | ||||
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 The men’s final was up there in drama
with Borg v McEnroe, Ivanesivic v
Rafter, Agassi v Ivanesivic and going
back to Nastase v Smith. Many think this
match was the changing of the guard from
Federer to Nadal but in my view it is
about Nadal joining Federer in a rivalry
for No 1 which will last for a couple of
years more. I do not believe for a
minute that Federer will be
contemplating his future, in fact this
rivalry will reinvigorate his
competitive juices and create a huge
incentive for him to work extra hard to
achieve what seemed like simple goals
for him but are now a huge challenge. At
stake is the Sampras year end six year
reign as world No 1 and his 14 Grand
Slam titles. This year it will be really
tough for Roger to hold on to the No 1
ranking at year end and also breaking
the record of 14 Grand Slam titles is no
longer looking inevitable.
In other news Andy Murray showed his new strength both physical and in mentality and now he has a tangible gap - which was shown in his match against Nadal - for him to try and close if he is to ever challenge the top 3. My opinion is he needs more physical strength, which certainly will happen given his training situation, a better second serve and a move-through forehand down the line. Gulbis and Cilic are other potential top 10 guys starting to show signs of making this jump. Andy Roddick needs a coach who can teach him how to move forward through the ball if he has any designs on competing for another Grand Slam title. In the women’s the Williams sisters are remarkable and did the job but the tournament lacked in that none of the other main contenders were able to step it up, leaving a relatively weak field for them to beat. There is a vacuum at the top with Klijsters and Henin gone so quickly from the game. It would be really good if Serena and Venus stepped up and played more so that they could challenge and become the No 1 and 2 players. This would give the other players a true target to shoot for which is always good for the game. MCTAHenri Kontinen lost the final of Wimbledon Juniors 7-5 6-3 to Grigor Dimitrov when he failed to serve and return as well as he had been all tournament. However the experience of playing on No 1 Court at Wimbledon will stand him good stead for the future and the confidence and knowledge he has gained about himself and his abilities in making that final also will help him make the transition from a top Junior into a Tour player. MCTA our proud of his achievements and we look forward to not only the US Open Juniors but also increased activity in the Senior game. Henri stands at a career high ranking of 6. This week Anna Fitzpatrick and Stefy Boffa are playing a Challenger in Spain. Wes Moodie and Henri are taking a well-earned break with Wes having to have treatment on his problematic knee. Ilija Vucic is beginning practice as he also recovers having had to miss Junior Wimbledon with a groin injury. |
