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Not a tirade at all. Just a bit of melodrama to perk up your ears. Not as though I have a whole lot to say, mind you. But it's Wimbledon. My favorite tournament. I ought to, no?
It was an eventful week. The Queen of England made a rare appearance. Defending champion Roger Federer almost lost in the first round. (Lleyton Hewitt had to be praying.) Victoria Azarenka keeps proving me right. Andy Roddick keeps proving me wrong. Victor Hanescu was defaulted after losing his mind because a fan was allowed to keep insulting his sick mother and he wasn't having it. Svetlana Kuznetsova's slide continues. Unheralded 29-year-old Jurgen Melzer is into the second week of a Slam for the second consecutive Slam for the first two times is his career. Unheralded 23-year-old Jarmila Groth is into the second week of a Slam for the second consecutive Slam for the first two times in her career. And John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played such a legendary match that it ended up as the No. 1 segment on Countdown with Keith Olbermann after it finally finished 70-68 in the final set. 70-68.
I still can't wrap my mind around that.
I can wrap my mind around this, though: the round of 16 match between Tsvetana Pironkova and Marion Bartoli steals the show for the most anticipated round of 16 match in either draw.
I'm serious.
See, Pironkova is a pit bull who can hit the cover off the ball as well as anyone. But she's frail. Unless she's not. Then, she'll kick you in your teeth no matter what your name. Love. That.
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Bartoli is, well, Bartoli. Grass is her favorite surface. When's she's firing on all cylinders, well. I will never forget the way she tore apart Justine Henin the last time Henin played this event back in oh-seven. I'll never forget the extended ovation the fans extended to a player who put on one of the best grass-court displays for the better part of two sets that the stadium had ever seen. I'll never forget how I felt that I'd just seen something utterly remarkable.
,
I'm serious.
Not because I think it takes some superhuman feat to beat Henin on grass. It doesn't. But the way Bartoli went about it can only be appreciated for its remarkability in the witnessing. I really can't begin to describe it.
I understood the fan's extended ovation.
So.
If both of these players bring their A-games and compete as though their egos depend upon it, then we're in for something special. Remarkable. Unpredictable.
If I had to pick a match on the men's side that had the potential to produce the kind of fireworks mentioned above, I would pick, half-halfheartedly, the tussle between Paul-Henri Mathieu and Rafael Nadal. Though I do find it intriguing that Federer and Melzer have never played before....
This is your Wimbledon 2010 Day 7 Open Thread.
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Order of Play for Monday 28 June 2010
CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START
1. Roger Federer (SUI) [1] vs Jurgen Melzer (AUT) [16]
2. Serena Williams (USA) [1] vs Maria Sharapova (RUS) [16]
3. Sam Querrey (USA) [18] vs Andy Murray (GBR) [4]
COURT 1 - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START
1. Kim Clijsters (BEL) [8] vs Justine Henin (BEL) [17]
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) [3] vs Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) [15]
3. Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) vs Rafael Nadal (ESP) [2]
COURT 2 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START
1. Jarmila Groth (AUS) vs Venus Williams (USA) [2]
2. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [3] vs Petra Kvitova (CZE)
3. Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) vs Andy Roddick (USA) [5]
COURT 12 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START
1. Vera Zvonareva (RUS) [21] vs Jelena Jankovic (SRB) [4]
2. Julien Benneteau (FRA) [32] vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [10]
3. Robin Soderling (SWE) [6] vs David Ferrer (ESP) [9]
COURT 18 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START
1. Na Li (CHN) [9] vs Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [7]
2. Tomas Berdych (CZE) [12] vs Daniel Brands (GER)
COURT 5 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START
1. Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) vs Marion Bartoli (FRA) [11]
2. Klara Zakopalova (CZE) vs Kaia Kanepi (EST)
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