Performance by a female
Serena Williams against Bethanie Mattek, 4th Round
Sure, Serena lost fewer games in her blistering quarterfinal victory over former junior champ Agnieszka Radwanska, but it was her all-court performance against the unlikely American fourth rounder that stole the show.
Performance by a male
Rafael Nadal against Roger Federer, Final
Rafa showed out, and I mean showed out, all fortnight playing such exquisite tennis, revealing the heart of a warrior, and his recovery from choked sets and matchpoints to win the best decisive set in the best final played on the lawns of Wimbledon was nothing short of spellbinding.
Performance by a male player in a choking role
Novak Djokovic against Marat Safin
Sometimes a choke begins on the first ball. Such was the choke Djoke performed against Marat, his friend and mentor, in the second round. Sure, Marat played well, but Djoke couldn't find the court with his shots, so frozen by nerves. And the pressure of expectations.
Performance by a female player in a choking role
Ana Ivanovic against Nathalie Dechy, 1st Round
I know, I know. She won the match. Yeah, well, her erratic, childish performance against the crafty Frenchwoman foretold her demise in the very next round. She's clearly not ready for her closeup.
Grand Slam breakthrough performance
Zheng Jie, China
Just two years after Li Na became China's first Slam quarterfinalist right here at Wimbledon, Zheng become's the nation's first Slam semifinalist. She's winning another Kieran, so we'll come back to her.
Grand Slam comeback performance
Marat Safin, Russia
He used to be allergic to grass. Said, after an early exit, he'd never play Wimbledon again. But after struggling with injury and ennui, Marat is back and in devastating form. After handling the world No. 3 with no trouble, he put on an exquisite display of tennis in his third round victory over Andreas Seppi, one of the best matches of the fortnight. Two rounds later, he dismissed Feliciano Lopez, a player who gave him fits on every surface and whom he'd never beaten on grass, to become the first Russian man to make the Wimbledon semifinals in the Open Era.
Performance by a talking head - drama
Virginia Wade, Wimbledon Live
There's simply no one better.
Performance by a talking head - comedy
Pam Shriver, ESPN
Almost everything she says makes me laugh. Even when it's not funny.
Achievement in costume design
Sharapova's Tuxedo, Nike
It brought out the butch in her. It reminded me of the Greta Garbo-esque attire of Ellen Degeneres when she hosts big awards shows. And it stood in stark contrast to the femme get-ups she and her girlfriend Camille Belle wore at Paris Fashion Week days after she was humiliated in the second round.
Achievement in cinematography
Cameraperson, Nicolas Kiefer against Rafael Nadal, 3rd Round
The sexy German has the heaviest basket of any ATP player. When it flips and flops and flops and flips, it makes quite an impression. I especially loved all the slow-motion replays during the match.
Adapted screenplay
Sister, Sister by Serena and Venus Williams
The sisters returned to their heyday by facing off in their first Slam final since Wimbledon 2003. But this time, Venus wanted it more, adapted to her sister's play, and took the championship with grace and grit. Hours later, a triumphant Venus and a sulking Serena united to win their first doubles Slam title since Wimbledon 2002, the year Serena won her first Wimbledon singles title over Venus. Theirs is the story that truly inspires, that truly amazes, in tennis, in all of sport.
Original screenplay
Wild Card by Jheng Zie
After recently recovering from ankle surgery, Zheng's ranking couldn't get her into the main draw of a Slam. So she wrote a letter to the AELTC and urged the powers that be to grant her a wild card. They honored her request. Round after round, she angled her powerful backhand, past the new world No. 1, the biggest upset of the fortnight, past Agnes Szavay, past Nicole Vaidisova, right into the semifinals. In the wake of her historic performance, the new WTA Asia-Pacific headquarters have opened in Beijing. Just in time for the Olympics. That must've been some letter.
Best motion picture
As Good As It Gets by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer
The best match I've ever seen. Period. The scintillating shotmaking, the sound and fury of battle, the heartstopping drama, the chanting, dueling "Ra-JA!" (clap clap) "Ra-FA!"(clap clap) crowd, the spectacle of sportsmanship, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, the weeping for both, the new king's historic walk right up to royalty, the trophy ceremony at dusk, the lights, the cameras, the action. It just don't get no better than that.
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