Day 2: Quiet

I didn't get a Day 1 review up because, well, it was far too busy on the farm. But I'll use Matthew's description of the blog from today's Open Thread to describe the today's action on the court as well.

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Quiet was Marat Safin was when he appeared to be robbed on a backhand down the line close call leading 4-3 in the third set tiebreak against American Jesse Levine. He didn't even break a racquet. Yeah, I know, I picked the mercurial one to get through that quarter but Marat will always be a wildcard no matter his form. This was his last Wimbledon. Props to the young American for taking the match in four sets.

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Quiet were all of the women's matches I saw. Even though Karen said the Dinara Safina vs. Lourdes Dominguez Lingo match was loud, I don't believe I saw a single point of it. I'm really not interested in watching a player who so despises Wimbledon she wishes the AELTC would dig up the sod and replace it with cement.

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Quiet was Fabrice Santoro's straight-set dismissal of lawn tennis lover Nicolas Kiefer. I thought that match would be far more competitive.

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Quiet wasn't Brad Gilbert who expressed shock that Juan Carlos Ferrero had an easy time with Mikhail Youzhny. Clearly he knows nothing of Ferrero's Wimbledon results or recent form. It's not like Ferrero, unlike Youzhny, has ever been to a Wimbledon quarterfinal. Taking a 6-1 set off eventual champion Roger Federer when he got there. Perhaps Gilbert might consider making assumptions about Spaniards.

Quiet were the analysts when former rising star Nicole Vaidisova was dismissed in three sets by veteran and mother Rossana De Los Rios. It was as though they know something we don't know, quiet as they were. I know she's been struggling, thought she might come alive on the lawns once more, what with all those weapons. But she could barely hold serve. That alone made me wonder what the hell is going on with her. The photographers' shutters were quiet as well. I couldn't even find a Wimbledon photo of the former rising star.

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Quiet was the storm Robert Kendrick drummed up for British hope Andy Murray. Proving once more that he adores the big stages on grass, he pushed Murray to four sets and earned a standing ovation for his performance.


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Quiet was the game Kamiko Date Krumm brought to the first set and a half against flavor-of-the-year Caroline Wozniacki. The 38-year-old veteran sliced and diced her way to a set and a break lead over the 18-year-old, but her body betrayed her and she couldn't keep it up. Kudos to her for finishing the match despite her ailing legs.

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Quiet was Vania King's straight-set victory over Mariya Koryttseva. Quiet was King's compatriot's victory over Sybille Bammer. Melanie Oudin, Mary Jo Fernandez's Fed Cup find, rallied to defeat the crafty veteran mother in three sets.

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Quiet was Eastbourne champion Dmitry Tursunov's retirement to Mischa Zverev. Tursunov loves the lawns, he loves this event. Whatever ailed him, he must have been devastated after coming into Wimbledon behind such good form. A great break for the German, though, who's dealt with a laundry list of injuries himself. That's not a Wimbledon picture above, of course, but doesn't he look like a dead ringer for Vince Spadea?