I’m not going to dwell on how frustrating it was to watch tennis today in Los Angeles. I basically had a 6 hour period where, thanks to time zones and match “embargoes,” there was no live tennis on t.v. – on the biggest tennis day of the year. Makes sense, right? Moving on: Manic Monday lived up to its name – both men’s and women’s Round of 16s were played and completed, we had rain, the roof, and an historic 10:39 p.m. finish as Stan Wawrinka stretched Andy Murray to a fifth nail-biting set under the Centre Court lights. What more could you want? (Besides Stan’s backhand and Andy’s defensive skills, of course.) 
(Night) match of the tournament: Andy Murray vs. Stan Wawrinka: 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3!
First up on Centre Court was Roger Federer who beat Robin Soderling in three tight sets: 6-4, 7-6, 7-6. It was a good test – lots of tense moments, lots of patience required and some clutch play in the tie breaks.
Interesting admission from Roger about his problems earlier in the year:
Q. You said you’ve been quite pleased with how you’ve played, how you’ve made it through to this point. What have you been most pleased with so far in your game?
ROGER FEDERER: Just being relaxed out on court. You know, no signs of panics, what I maybe had, you know, six months ago when I played. I would just feel uneasy. I wouldn’t be exactly sure what the right plays were.
Now I feel perfect. You know, so from this standpoint it was great. I think I’m moving well, serving well. My rhythm from the baseline is well. So, you know, I’m just really, really pleased from this aspect.
Also feeling good on the men’s side: Lleyton Hewitt (who came from two sets down against Radek Stepanek), Juan Carlos Ferrero (over Gilles Simon), Tommy Haas (over Igor Andreev in straights), Novak Djokovic (easily over Dudi Sela) and Andy Roddick (in a surprisingly routine three-set victory over Tomas Berdych.)
On the women’s side, Venus Williams continued her march forward after Ana Ivanovic retired during their match. Venus Williams will face Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarters tomorrow, the Pole taking out the young American hopeful, Melanie Oudin in straights. Venus’s quarterfinal strategy is scary simple: “I’ll continue with my methods.”
It wasn’t Venus’s “methods” that brought Ana Ivanovic to tears on Centre Court but a sudden, searing thigh injury sustained while serving in the first game of the second set. And afterwards the poor woman was subjected to the DUMBEST PRESS CONFERENCE QUESTION EVER!
Q. Do you think female tennis players should be chosen to play on Centre Court because of their tennis rather than what they look like?
ANA IVANOVIC: I think on the Centre Court we always have interesting matches. You know, there is lot of interesting matches and lot of good players out there.
So, uhm, you know, they have chance only to play one or two women’s matches on the big courts, so it’s very hard for them to choose, I think.
The media keeps harping on these bogus “controversys” as if they aren’t the very ones fueling them. Can’t these reporters go cover rugby and stop treating women’s tennis like jello wrestling?
Serena Williams, who rolled over Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 6-1, threatened to take a swing at them:
Q. Is it better to be young and hungry or a little more elderly and savvy?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Be careful (smiling).
Q. I was trying to be careful.
SERENA WILLIAMS: We don’t want a scuffle.
Yes we do, Serena!
And I love her twist on the Centre Court “controversy”:
Q. There’s been some controversy about the Wimbledon playing committee perhaps picking players for their looks rather than their tennis talent on Centre Court. They are saying that good looks are a factor with who plays on Centre Court. What do you think about that as an extremely accomplished tennis player who should be on Centre Court?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I think Roger’s hot, but he’s married, so…
The fan in me is sad Amelie Mauresmo couldn’t pull off the upset against Dinara Safina, especially when she was up 3-0 in the third. But Safina fans should be very happy to hear the Russian sounding positive:
DINARA SAFINA: I think in overall the match I enjoyed because I have been missing already these kind of matches, you know, for a while. Really she pushed me to play my best tennis. That I won the match playing my best, not that you win the match by fighting, you know, or overrun somebody. But I played my best to win this match, so I’m really happy.
Let’s hope Safina needs her best tennis tomorrow against Sabine Lisicki, who beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4. Will this be the big upset?
Also on the women’s side, Elena Dementieva destroyed Elena Vesnina, 6-1, 6-3, “3rd favorite” Victoria Azarenka beat Nadia Petrova in three and Francesca Schiavone took out Virginie Razzano in straights.
As if the Williams sisters needed more to boost their confidence, they “bicycled” Zheng Jie and Yan Zi in the doubles today.
Click here for the full tennis results.
Tags: Federer, Ivanovic, Murray, Safina, Serena, tennis, Venus, Wawrinka, Wimbledon
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Great day’s summary! I enjoyed Roger’s thoughts and Serena made me laugh.
So glad Lleytsie hung in and JCF!!!! Wow. It’s like old times.
(Go Roger!)
Thanks for reading, Darcy!
Serena’s been making me laugh all tournament. Her press conferences are hilarious – I think it’s mostly intentional, too
Yeah with Roddick, Hewitt, JCF – it’s like 2001 around here. Nice to see some of the old guys (Ivo, too, who’s 30) representing.
I was in centre court today. just back from the 5 setter and have to say, Stan’s backhand is truly awesome. I shouted so much for him, so loud, even louder than in Roger’s match. Unfortunately his unforced errors lost him the match. Murray defends well, no doubt, sometimes almost rafa-like.
Was thinking – if Roger’s backhand is like Stan’s, will there be ANYONE who can beat him!?!?!?
And am also very sad about Mauresmo losing. Her tennis has so much finesse, more touch, but she lost to sheer power today.
As for the Roger/Sod match…. well, every Roger match shortens my life span for a few weeks ( to a few months…). I cannot even IMAGINE what it will be like in the next match. How many aces does he have to endure!?
OH, LLKR!!!!
You are SO lucky! Oh my goodness – I am JEALOUS!
So how was the atmosphere with the roof? Was it crazy? Was the lighting good?
Congrats on being there on a historic day and for a great match. Keep us posted if you go back! I love to hear the “on the ground” reports!
Hello freakyfrites!! first of all thanks for all these posts, they have become my daily must-reads (esp all the Roger interviews- how i love the bit on pregnancy test!!!!!)
The atmosphere in centre court was CRAZY. the weather was never really that bad – England being England these kinds of drizzles happen all the time and i wont even bother with an umbrella. I guess the wimby referee found this as a ‘just enough’ excuse to close the roof – in fact every one in centre court was shouting “ROOF ROOF ROOF” so it was very funny. (afterall it costs 100m to build… better use it!)
It only took like 5 mins for the roof to shut but then it was another 20 mins before played was resumed. The lighting is really excellent – it almost felt like US Open with the flood lights!!! and it makes all the cheering and shouting all the more crazy!!! Personally I think b/c they don’t want to suspend the Murray match no matter what, that’s why they keep the roof closed (there was absolutely no rain during the match). And they made the right decision.
I am glad i have two Swiss men to support today … one prevails, one falls… but not without a fight. Hats off, Stan!
Hilarious! They were dying to get that roof going, weren’t they? I’m sure, like you said, it had a lot to do with Andy Murray. Can’t believe we really had night tennis at Wimbledon!
Thanks again for your onsite report – I’m honored you stopped by GTT after a full day of the real thing.
Let us know if you see any more great tennis.
“I’ll continue with my methods.” I love it! Scary and clinical — I can hear some Tennis God rubbing his hands before a conflagration of wristbands going “Bwah hahahah.” I adore Venus, but I’m seriously sorry for Ana.
I am appalled, yes really, about the questions about better looking players being picked for Centre Court matches. Good, one, Serena! They don’t ask these questions of male players, and if were true, Andy Murray (and I like the guy) would not be playing on Centre Court. (Freaky, these Brit tab journalists would much rather hang with female tennis players than the All Blacks.) But if I were in the happy position of being a young beautiful tennis player I’d twist these morons’s tennis balls.
Dinara Safina looked so young and so worried. I wish her well.
)
Yeah, I loved the “methods” quote, too! If Venus didn’t stand out so much with her super-modelesque beauty she would be a great spy.
I found this amazing website just as Wimbledon started. Roger debuted his military jacket when walking out on the Centre Court and I just wondered about people’s opinion towards that look. I am so glad that here is a more Roger-orienated website that gives other great posts and videos about tennis, and I really enjoy freakyfrites’ hilarious posts and comments~ Sure thing is I will definitely come here a lot.
I didn’t watch the Stan v. Murray match cuz it’s already midnight over here in China when they started to play. Well I hope Stan could go further but Murray gets all this sensational support from the crowds which is crazy. A little worried about Rogers quarters with Karlovic. That guys seems scary and does anyone feel he has a creepy serial-killer look? And the fact that he suffered aphasia as a little child makes that thought worse..
Anyway Roger has the solution and all the best for NO.15!
Hi shi meng! Thanks sosososo much for the kind words and for visiting GTT and leaving a comment!
Dr. “Ivo” Karlovic as horror movie villain – I could sooo see it! If I saw that movie I’d have nightmares for weeks.
What do you think of his new victory dances? Quite bizzare I think: http://www.daylife.com/photo/0g9t9Uu7eiacY?q=Ivo+Karlovic
I didn’t think the presscon question for Ana was that dumb. Wimbledon has been INFURIATING this year with their scheduling.
Sharapova/Dulko, Azarenka/Cirstea, Wozniacki/Kirilenko on centre? While Venus and Serena played on court 1 and 2 in their respective matches over the course of last week? Safina only JUST made it to centre this round. Venus on Court 1 for the fourth round AND the quarterfinals this week… not the kind of treatment you’d give to the defending 5 time champ.
This needs to be made an issue.
Hi Dootsiez! I posted my reply on your blog, since you had such an informative post on the issue: http://tinyurl.com/m6rom9
Basically, I think that it is a real issue but that the bigger issue is that the women only get one match on Centre Court a day and that the Williams sisters aren’t going to be on there every day. I also don’t like that the argument puts the feamle players under the microscope, leading to newspapers doing pictorial comparisons to prove that the ugly ones get marooned on court 2 or 3. It’s just a nasty can of worms and I don’t think poor Ana needed to be dragged into it. (I mean what’s she gong to say “I’m good looking and I was on court 18 the other day!”)
But like I said on your blog, I’ll change my tune if these stories lead to Wimby changing its policy next year.
I just want to say I’m proud of Stan for putting up such a fight. I thought it would be straights for Muzz. I hope Stan can make the quarters of a GS soon!
Yeah, Stan was AMAZING! Really, the match could have gone either way. But the crowd got their guy through. Great match and atmosphere – a typical big event night match.
I was REAALLLY bummed Stan DIDN’T win. I seriously thought he was going to pull the big upset of Wimbledon under the new roof and night lights. Roger could learn a thing or two from Stan’s AMAZING one-handed backhand. One word. WOW.
As for tomorrow, I’m actually looking forward to the big babe matchup tomorrow with Safina v Lisicki.
It’s like clash of two heavy-weight boxers.
Could potentially be really good.