By Art Spander
Special to Newsday
WIMBLEDON, England — For Serena Williams, it was a long day into night, but the only journey involved was from one tennis court to another.
Along with the figurative trip to Wimbledon's fourth round.
Copyright © 2013 Newsday. All rights reserved.
Email Article By Art Spander
WIMBLEDON, England — The ad is one you’d never see in America. “My sweat terminates here,” the lady is saying as she holds up a plastic bottle of Sure. They don’t dress things up in Britain, don’t use euphemisms.
In the United States, we “perspire.” Here, they sweat.
What we don’t do in the U.S. is play tennis on a high level anymore. Other than Serena Williams.
She’s the best women’s player around, maybe ever, but that’s one of those unwinnable debates, and Thursday, Williams beat both the rain and in the second round of 2013 Wimbledon somebody named Caroline Garcia, 6-3, 6-2.
Another U.S. lady also made it through, Madison Keys, who at 18, and with a smile as sweet as her backhand, might be the future for the American women, if it isn’t Sloane Stephens.
The American men’s game seemingly has no future. It definitely doesn’t have a present or, at the 127th All England Lawn Tennis Championships, a presence.
When, as expected, Novak Djokovic swept past a 30-year-old journeyman from Georgia, Bobby Reynolds, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1, Thursday early evening under the closed roof of Centre Court, it meant that for the first time since 1912, no U.S. male had made it to the third round at Wimbledon.
“I just happened to play after everyone else,” said Reynolds, as if he felt he were the reason for the failure. “We have some young talent in the pipeline . . . Sports are becoming a worldwide thing, and everybody is so good now.”
Other than the American men, but you can’t have everything.
What Serena had, after her 33rd straight match victory, was an apparent challenge from Andy Murray, the Scot who’s second in the rankings bellow Djokovic.
“He’s challenged me?” asked Serena. Two weeks ago she won the French Open. Now she’s aiming for a second straight Wimbledon and sixth overall.
When told, indeed, Williams continued, “Is he sure? That would be fun. I doubt I’d win a point.”
The question is whether Murray, runner-up last year to Djokovic, can become the first British man in 77 years to win Wimbledon.
The optimistic thinking is that, with all the train wrecks in his bracket so far — Rafael Nadal losing in the first round, Roger Federer in the second — Murray’s pathway to the final is much smoother than it would have been.
The defeat of Federer on Wednesday by the Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky was considered so momentous the Daily Telegraph, a serious broadsheet, ran a photo of Federer across the entire top half of the front page. Not the front sports page but the front page, above the painful news of welfare cuts.
Stakhovsky’s most notable achievement until now, if you want to describe it that way, came in the first round of the French Open at the end of May. Angered about a call by the umpire on a ball that did or didn’t hit the backline, Stakhovsky ran to his equipment bag alongside the court, grabbed an iPhone and took a picture of a mark in the clay surface.
The decision remained unchanged, and the stunt cost Stakhovsky a $2,000 fine, but the video of him and the official pointing and focusing went viral. It seemed to be his 15 minutes of fame. Until he knocked Roger out of Wimbledon. And down the rankings.
When the new ones are released on July 8, Federer will be fifth, his lowest placing since June 2003, 10 years ago. A month and a half from his 32nd birthday, Federer must confront our doubts and perhaps his own.
“You don’t panic at this point,” Federer said defensively. For the first time in 37 Grand Slam tournaments he didn’t make it to the quarterfinals — a blow, even if an inevitable one because of his years.
“Just go back to work,” said Federer, “and come back stronger really.”
Wishful thinking, one would surmise, but that’s what so much of sport is about.
Serena Williams contends she doesn’t do much thinking about win streaks and such but only how best to face an opponent, the next being Kimiko Date-Krumm, the remarkable 42-year-old.
“I’ve never played her,” said Williams, who is 11 years younger. “I have so much respect for her. I think she’s so inspiring to be playing such high-level tennis at her age. And she’s a real danger on grass. It’s for sure not going to be easy, but I’ll be ready.”
Serena’s not going to sweat it. Or as we would say in the states, perspire it.
Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams Email Article By Art Spander
Special to Newsday
WIMBLEDON, England — Another Wimbledon begins Monday on the lawns of the All England Club, and what's Wimbledon without rain and wind — both made an appearance Saturday — and without a controversy?
Maria Sharapova took a huge shot at Serena Williams Saturday, lashing back at her when asked about a Williams comment — the author assumed it to be about Sharapova — in Rolling Stone magazine.
Copyright © 2013 Newsday. All rights reserved.
Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Wimbledon Email Article By Art Spander
NEW YORK — She's just here. Serena Williams said that about herself. Said it before she destroyed bewildered Sara Errani in their U.S. Open semifinal.
Serena wasn’t considering the other three times she had crushed Errani. Or how well she had played during the Open before the Friday semi.
"I don’t even think about that. I don’t know," was her noncommittal response. "I’m just here."
In truth she’s there, about as far away from the rest of women’s tennis as is possible.
In truth, as John McEnroe and so many others have told us, Serena probably is the best women’s player of all time, and never mind the records. We don’t got to show you no stinking records, we just have to show you Serena on court.
Where she’ll be again Saturday evening, attempting to win a fourth Open when she faces Victoria (Vika) Azarenka in the final. Azarenka, first in the rankings, first in the seeding, defeated Maria Sharapova, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Errani ain’t bad. In fact, she’s quite good. Earlier this year she made it to the finals of the French Open, losing to Maria Sharapova. But Saturday in the late afternoon sunshine at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Errani, the first Italian to get to the semis of the U.S. Open, was swept away, 6-1, 6-2.
In 1 hour and 4 minutes. An entire match between the No. 4 seed, Williams, and the No. 10 seed, Errani, in just over an hour.
Thursday night, in a men’s quarter, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin took 1 hour 24 minutes just to play the second set. That was tennis. This was an embarrassment.
This was Serena Williams imposing her will.
"I just try everything I could,’’ said Errani. “I think maybe she’s the best. For me, I think she is incredible. When she play like this, I think she is the best player in the world.’’
When someone employed an American phrase and asked the 25-year-old Errani if she were "out of your league," she shook her head and sighed, "I don’t understand nothing. Sorry."
When an explanation was provided, Errani said, "Big difference. She played a good match. She’s a great player."
A player who has won 14 Grand Slam titles, including in July, Wimbledon, where she beat Agnieszka Radwanska. A few weeks later, she took gold in the Olympic women’s singles. Now she’s on the verge of a triple.
"I think it will probably be the best summer I've ever had,’’ said Williams.
"Let me think," said with a hint of a smile. “Maybe not. It will be up there. Yeah, up there, because if you win the Olympics and Wimbledon and this, it would be kinda cool."
If she doesn’t win this, it would be kind of strange. Although Azarenka is No. 1, and is a stronger player than poor Errani, Vika has only defeated Serena once in 10 matches, or should that be 10 mismatches?
"I don't have anything to lose," said Williams, trying to act the underdog. "I feel like I'm going up against ‑‑ I personally think ‑‑ the most consistent and the best player this year, being Victoria Azarenka. It will be a good challenge for me."
Then someone fired a question at her the way she fired those relentless serves at Errani: How can Serena not think she’s the best player in the world at the moment?
"I said this year," Williams answered. "I always believe that I'm the best obviously. I mean, on paper I think she's been more consistent, going much deeper in the slams than I have and being pretty consistent."
A year ago, Serena made it to the finals, had a meltdown and was a loser to Samantha Stosur. There won’t be a repeat. In 2011, because of the rain, Williams’ semifinal went late into the night and she didn’t get to bed until 4 a.m. on the Saturday she would face Stosur.
"This year, I know it sounds weird," offered Williams, "but I have more experience than I did last year."
When she was still recovering from a slashed foot, a blood clot in her lung and a hematoma. In 2012, she’s been healthy. And battering opponents, who look like girls against an Amazon of a woman.
"My goal," said Williams, only half joking, "was to not get in any fights, But something happens, then, I try to count to 10. Hopefully I can make it."
Against Stosur, Serena screamed at the chair umpire and was issued a code violation. It was in 2009 when Williams spouted obscenities and threatened smash her racquet over the head of a lineswoman who had the gall to call a foot fault on Williams.
There’s been no reason to go ballistic in this Open, not when she wins, 6-0, 6-0, the infamous double bagel, over Andrea Hlavackova in the fourth round, 6-0, 6-4 over former Wimbledon winner Ana Ivanovic in the quarters and takes the first five games and 12 of 15 overall against Errani.
"She’s such a good hope for Italy," said Williams of Errani. "She’s s such a good fighter."
Unfortunately, she was on the same court as Serena Williams, who is just here.
Sara Errani, Serena Williams, U.S. Open Email Article By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com
WIMBLEDON, England -- So maybe John McEnroe, as all announcers who want us to pay attention to the moment, was exaggerating a trifle.
But when someone has won all the Grand Slams except the French and is smart enough to have spent a year at Stanford, he is allowed an opinion.
Which McEnroe would give, certainly, even if not allowed.
© RealClearSports 2012